A Step In Faith – EC Student Spotlight on Hannah Abernathy

Hannah Abernathy thought she had heard the Lord wrong. Growing up, she attended Youth Quest and Accelerant within the IPHC, and it was there where the Lord confirmed that she was to attend Emmanuel College. She began to pursue his plan for her, but every time she did, roadblocks would continue to stand in her way. 

“I remember praying, and praying some more,” she said. “I heard the Lord clearly that Emmanuel was where I needed to be, just not at that time.” 

Because of this, Hannah let it be. She and her husband, Marcus got engaged, married, and began to live their life. However, two months after getting married, Marcus lost his job and the Abernathy’s were left searching for their next move. 

It was then that Hannah’s mind went back to God’s confirmation, and the young couple decided to take a step in faith and make the move to Franklin Springs.

“It was a leap of faith,” she remembered. “Two weeks before the move, Marcus didn’t have a job lined up, but the Lord provided. As for my schooling, the reason why I couldn’t attend at first, the Lord provided there as well.”

Now, Marcus serves as an Admissions Recruiter and Adjunct Professor for Emmanuel, while Hannah is in her junior year as an Early Childhood Education major. 

As a commuter, Hannah worried when she first started at Emmanuel that finding a friend group would be difficult, however she was pleasantly surprised. 

“Emmanuel is such a close-knit community,” she said. “Everywhere I went I saw someone I knew and it made it so much easier to make the transition.”

In the classroom, she has found that the small class sizes have helped her in getting comfortable with sharing her thoughts and ideas. 

“There are eight of us my Education classes,” she said. “We’re all in the same place with our education which makes me feel much more comfortable. I also like having that more personal relationship with my professors as well because they take the time to get to know you.”

Currently, Hannah is in the middle of her practicum year where she spends two days a week at a local elementary school, an experience she believes her Education professors have prepared her well for. 

“They’ve given us great strategies to use and are always open to questions,” she said. “Sometimes in class, we’ll go a different route from what they had planned to teach, but they’re always accommodating to our questions and want to make sure we’re prepared.”

Hannah’s time at Emmanuel has also helped her spiritually, as professors helped grow her faith and challenge her beliefs. 

“My faith was challenged through some of my School of Christian Ministries classes,” she said. “Those classes changed the way I thought about and approached things, especially Dr. Luper’s Biblical Interpretation class. Professors at Emmanuel push you, but it’s for your good. It may be hard to understand at the moment, but now I can look back and say thank you, I needed that.”

Hannah thought she heard God wrong when he called her to Emmanuel College and roadblocks continued to get in the way. However, she remained patient and listened for God’s direction which ultimately led her to Franklin Springs. In the end, all it took was a step of faith.