Elias Demissie's Story

During high school, I toured some bigger schools, but when I went to Hardin-Simmons, I knew something was different. The campus atmosphere was so homey and the people were so personable.

I grew up in Ethiopia so finances were always going to be kind of hard. I was really stressed about being able to pay for college because international students don’t always get a lot of scholarship money. When I came to HSU, Monica in Financial Aid worked one-on-one to help me fill out my FAFSA and apply for scholarships. There’s no way I could be here without her help.

Because of HSU’s Financial Aid department, scholarships covered almost all of my tuition. Earning these scholarships up front made me want to work harder to earn institutional scholarships during each year of college. I felt motivated to get more involved in everything HSU has to offer.

When I came here as a freshman, I was pretty shy and kept to myself. After I got involved with my social club, student activities, and the BSM, it made it easier for me to come out of my shell. Now, I’ve gotten to know so many people, and I’ve made lifelong friends. That’s one of the greatest gifts HSU has given me.

I’ve met a lot of great people during my time at HSU. The professors’ doors are always open. Even professors who aren’t in my department will call me by name. It’s really easy to feel at home here because of all the connections I’ve made. Any time I walk around campus, I see someone who I know or someone says, “Hi.” The small school atmosphere and small class ratios are a couple of the things that make HSU great.