December Graduation Spotlight: Landry French

Hardin-Simmons University is proud to congratulate Landry French, age 23, on graduating this December with a bachelor’s degree in the arts, majoring in English with a psychology minor. He works both as an English/writing tutor for HSU’s Academic Center for Enrichment (ACE) program and as a student writer for the HSU Marketing Department. 

In other words, I am writing my own spotlight. 

Hello! I was born and raised in Abilene and enrolled at HSU in the Fall 2022 semester after getting my associate degree at Cisco College. I chose HSU for both the convenience of location and price, but I quickly learned that college was more than just going to classes. 

My work both in ACE and with HSU News started in the Fall 2023 semester. While I had friends on campus and participated in the Civic Orchestra of Abilene, I did not do much outside of my classes. However, my experience as a student worker not only helped me meet more people than I otherwise would have but also allowed me to develop my writing skills in unexpected ways. 

Every day has a story, and every piece of writing can be art. Learning how to make the little stories across campus “pop” taught me the value of writing, and it taught me the value of experiencing the little things across campus, too. 

Of all my professors, I would like to thank Dr. Kelvin J. Kelley, Associate Professor of Theology here at Hardin-Simmons. While he was outside both of my majors, he is the professor who taught me most about how to live. I hope to carry his lessons in my heart once I leave HSU. 

If I could share any advice with those graduating after me, there are quite a few chances to get free food across campus if you keep your eyes and ears out. Go to events too—there are so many chances to have fun for free!