Cedarville University Leaves a Major Impact on a Graduating Senior

by Anna Harman

Hannah Salyer is a  senior an d soon-to-be graduate at Cedarville University. She will graduate with her Bachelor’s degree in Professional Writing and Information Design with a Bible minor.

During her time at Cedarville, she has developed an understanding of what genuine friendships and a good, Christ-centered community should look like. She made many lifelong friends who are some of her dearest brothers and sisters in Christ. Salyer feels that she is more open and vulnerable with her emotions and also closer to Jesus because of these faithful friends.

Cedarville challenged Salyer in her faith through the Bible minor and also helped her to apply her Christian faith to her major.

Salyer shares, “I learned not only how to be a great writer, but how to convey the great reality of God (as John Piper puts it) in my writing. I am a completely different writer than I was 4 years ago. The skills I have learned, the failures and successes that I have had, and the depth of understanding of my faith have all enhanced the quality of my writing.”

The biggest change she’s seen within herself is the depth of her faith. “I came to Cedarville knowing what I believed, but not at all why I believed it,” Salyer says. Bible and the Gospel were a tremendous help in her growth, but all of the Bible classes deepened her love for God and her understanding of her beliefs.

One of her favorite things about Cedarville is chapel. It is one of the reasons she was drawn to Cedarville. Salyer says, “I love that Cedarville cares so much about our spiritual growth by holding chapel services 5 days a week, teaching us from a biblical worldview in all of our classes, giving us a Bible minor, and providing other opportunities to grow in Christ is an experience you can’t have many other places.” 

One of Salyer’s greatest memories from her time here at Cedarville is the time that a mug fell from the balcony and broke during chapel when she was a freshman. Someone was sitting in the balcony and had set a mug on the edge, and it got knocked off. It hit a pole and shattered, and then glass got everywhere. The chapel speaker didn’t even react, they just went on as normal despite the loud and obnoxious noise the crash of the mug made. She also remembers all of the fun trips to Young’s Dairy, Bill’s Doughnuts, and Mom and Dad’s with friends. She fondly remembers the many nights she spent watching movies with her unit mates while she lived in Printy and Maddox.

Salyer’s advisor, Dr. Nicholas Carrington saw Hannah’s growth during her time here at Cedarville. He shares, “Hannah has seemingly grown in her confidence, not just in her skillset but in her faith as well. It’s been such a joy to watch her grow into the confident young woman she’s become.”

He believes that the special community at Cedarville was good for Sayler because she’s an extrovert who enjoys connecting with others. Cedarville has given her the opportunity to do that in many meaningful ways.Salyer and her friends from Maddox

“I learned what a walk with the Lord should truly look like,” Sayler says. “I learned how to have a quiet time. No Bible, no breakfast. Before Cedarville, I never understood or saw any importance in reading Scripture daily. I didn’t understand what an interictal part of the Christian life this was. Through the way that others spoke of what God is doing in their hearts through the study of God’s word, and hearing professors and chapel speakers give biblical backing to the practice, I learned how much growth you can see when you take intentional time to spend with God daily. I also learned what a genuine Christian community should look like. I have never experienced brother and sisterhood as I have here at Cedarville. I have learned how to be vulnerable and let others bear my burdens.”

Anna Harman is a sophomore Biblical Studies major and also a reporter for Cedars. She appreciates writing, peppermint tea, flowers and going to concerts.