Eastern Mennonite University welcomed 257 freshmen and 54 transfer students onto campus over the weekend. Fall term classes started today. (Photos by Austin Bachand/DN-R)

EMU welcomes new students: fall term has begun!

Kessa Hawkins is no stranger to Eastern Mennonite University. Her mother, Shannon, 45, completed her degree at EMU in 2010, and her father completed his coursework this past spring.

So, it was fitting that Saturday morning, Kessa took part in a new student resource fair as a member of EMU’s class of 2019.

“I’m really excited,” said the 18-year-old nursing major from Woodstock.

“We looked at a bunch of schools,” Shannon Hawkins said. “But she just kept coming back to EMU.”

While Kessa Hawkins will be commuting to her classes from Woodstock, the campus was filled with resident students and their families loading boxes, bags and other belongings into the residence halls Saturday morning.

Carolann Wengard was among the first-year students.

(8/29/15) - (Harrisonburg) Eastern Mennonite University freshman are welcomed as they sign in to move into their dorms on Saturday, August 29. (Austin Bachand/Daily News-Record)
Eastern Mennonite University freshman are welcomed as they sign in to move into their dorms on Saturday.

Wengard, 18, came to EMU from Sugarcreek, Ohio, and said she also learned about the school through her family members.

“My sisters went here too, both of them,” said the pre-engineering and physics major. “And I really liked the connections this place had.”

Amber Olson, 18, of Stanley, said she chose EMU for her degree in elementary education after visiting campus.

“We had a basketball game here,” she said. “I met a lot of the staff, and they were all really nice people.”

Andrea Wenger, EMU’s director of marketing and communications, said Saturday and Sunday was orientation and move-in weekend for 257 freshmen and 54 transfer students. In all, 1,870 students are enrolled this year,  Wenger said.

Classes start bright and early Tuesday for the 2015 fall term.

Although Wengard said this was the farthest she’d been from home, she’s looking forward to the school year.

“I’m very excited,” she said. “I can’t wait.”

Courtesy of the Daily News-Record, Aug. 31, 2015