Notes from a newbie

I'm new here. Working in admissions, whenever I wonder what North Park University looks like to outsiders, I remember that I've recently been there myself.

Note #5: Fun for the whole family (Source: Boyds' Nest News)

As a North Park newbie, here are a few of my first impressions from the 90 days I've been here:

1. It's a beautiful campus
   My wife and I have lived right around the corner in the neighborhood since 2002, so I would have thought I knew about this — but being on campus every day has been a delight. (Or maybe it's just that I started at North Park just as spring got under way?)
2. People are friendly
   Friendly but not false, which is so much the better. (Who needs smiley but shallow social façades?) North Park people have made it easy for me to feel quickly at home here, and that reassures me that we're pretty good at welcoming visitors and new students.
3. We have very capable colleagues
   I've been impressed with the capacity and professionalism my colleagues — all around the University — bring to work. The friendliness part is nice, but not so much if we can't get the job done, too.
4. People out there respect NPU
   Given my job change, I have had lots of occasions to be explaining my new situation to friends and family all over the country, and uniformly the reaction is something like, "Oh, cool!" North Park has great street cred among higher-ed people, church folks, Chicagoans — everyone, really.
5. There are fun things to jump off of
   My three-year-old, Lucy, particularly favors the brick walls in front of Student Services. I can't speak from personal experience on this one, though.

I have no illusions that familiarity won't bring awareness of the "growing edges" at North Park. Every institution has them. But walking across campus every day, I'm freshly thankful for the way God is clearly providing in and through North Park.