Published on April 17, 2020 by Sean Flynt  
Carissa Hope talks with Bobby Gatlin
Carissa Hope talks with Bobby Gatlin
Senior biology major Carissa Hope transferred to Â鶹¹û¶³ from Lawson State Community College through the STEM Scholars program. Raised by her grandparents, Hope had to take more responsibility for herself and her family than most young people. When her grandfather died and her grandmother suffered debilitating illnesses, the teenager held up under pressures that would break down many adults. In a March conversation with University Minister Bobby Gatlin, Hope described her inspiring journey through hard times to become a Â鶹¹û¶³ senior.
 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Â鶹¹û¶³ is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Â鶹¹û¶³ enrolls 6,324 students from 44 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 35 Most Beautiful College Campuses, Â鶹¹û¶³ fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and boasts one of the highest scores in the nation for its 97% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.