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First Lindsey Wilson University Homecoming Celebrates 'New Name, Same Heart'

LWU Homecoming Weekend 2025 will be held Oct. 23-25.

COLUMBIA, Ky. (10/01/2025) — The first homecoming of Lindsey Wilson University might be focused on the excitement of the present, but it will also be a weekend celebration firmly rooted in the past.

Lindsey Wilson's first homecoming weekend as a university will be held Oct. 23-25. The theme -- "New Name, Same Heart" -- reflects Lindsey Wilson's July 1 transition to university status while also paying homage to the individuals who have made present successes possible.

"Lindsey Wilson is experiencing so much excitement, enthusiasm and momentum right now," said Director of Alumni Relations Allison Cross '09. "While we are now Lindsey Wilson University, we wanted to remind people that the university remains focused on its mission of serving 'every student, every day,' because that is what helped us get to this point in our history."

The weekend will feature several events, including the annual Lindsey Wilson National Alumni Homecoming Awards Banquet, which will be held on Oct. 25.

This year's homecoming award recipients, which were selected based on nominations submitted to the Lindsey Wilson National Alumni Council, are:

* Outstanding Young Alumna -- Kayla Jones '19 of Sunnyvale, California. A Columbia native, Jones is an oncology research nursing professional who works in early drug development at Stanford Healthcare.

* Distinguished Service -- Pamela Hoots '75 of Columbia. Hoots made Columbia history when she became the city's first female mayor, serving from 1989-93. She returned to the office in 2018 and was reelected in 2022. A 30-year human resources professional, she was named the Human Resources Professional of the Year for the state of Kentucky and was also the first news director of WAIN-AM/FM in Columbia.

* Distinguished Alumnus -- Benson Sexton '04 of Greensburg, Kentucky. An Albany, Kentucky, native, Sexton is dean of the Lindsey Wilson School of Business and Communication. He has served his alma mater as freshman adviser, director of the freshman year experience and communication professor. He has twice been named Lindsey Wilson Student Government Teacher of the Year.

* Honorary Alumnus -- Dr. Neil Farris of Louisville, Kentucky. A retired physician, Farris is a longtime supporter of the Lindsey Wilson Fund and the Lindsey Wilson National Alumni Association. He's also an active member of Fourth Street United Methodist Church.

Reunions and art

Homecoming weekend will get underway on Oct. 23 with a gathering of Lindsey Wilson alumni and current and former Lindsey Wilson faculty and staff from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Norma and Glen Hodge Center for Discipleship.

"One reason Lindsey Wilson is a great university is because of an incredibly dedicated faculty and staff, so we thought it was appropriate to begin our celebration by acknowledging the people who have been central to this university over the years," said Cross.

Events on Oct. 24 include the 20th annual Morris Shepherd '53 Ping Pong Tournament as well as the inaugural Fungo Golf Tournament. The day will also feature "Paint the Heart of Lindsey Wilson," in which guests are invited to paint a piece of ceramic that represents the heart of Lindsey Wilson. That event is sponsored by Hip Kiln of Somerset, Kentucky, which is owned by Lindsey Wilson alumna Kasey Compton '09.

The art event will segue into an evening reception for the Alumni Fine Art Exhibition, which will be held in the Lucretia C. Begley Art Gallery in W.W. Slider Humanities Center.

Other homecoming events include a 20-year reunion of the Bonner Scholars Program, the crowning of the homecoming king and queen during halftime of the Lindsey Wilson-Faulkner (Alabama) University football game at Parnell Family Stadium, and the Fall Trustee Appreciation and Endowed Scholarship Luncheon.

For more information about Lindsey Wilson Homecoming Weekend 2025, go to www.lindsey.edu/homecoming.

Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.

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The first Lindsey Wilson University homecoming will be Oct. 23-25.

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