When Grace ’26 left her small hometown in Ohio to become a Chapman University Panther, she knew she was embarking on a new adventure. What she didn’t realize was how quickly she would find a second home.
Now a senior majoring in Computer Engineering with a minor in Music Technology, Grace has built her own community in Orange. Professors have welcomed her into their classrooms, she has joined clubs like the Society of Women Engineers and Chapman Dance Alliance, where she’s found friendship, and experimented in the DCI Lab and Tech Shop, where she can 3D print projects or experiment with embroidery.
“Chapman makes me feel so much a part of the community,” she said.
That community has been especially important during the holidays, as traveling back to Ohio is sometimes not possible.
“I can’t just go home on the weekend because it’s so far,” Grace explained. “And flights are so expensive during the holidays.”
One tradition, in particular, has eased that distance: the annual Thanksgiving dinner hosted by Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Jerry Price.
“I found out about it my freshman year and decided to go because I couldn’t make it home,” Grace recalled. “Once I got there, I felt super comfortable—warm, welcoming, inviting.”
Hosted every year on Thanksgiving, students who are around campus during the holiday break are invited to attend for games and activities—and, of course, Thanksgiving favorites like roasted turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and everybody’s favorite: pie.
“Dean Price came around and talked to everyone,” Grace recalled. “It was so nice to feel included. The food was great, but even more, it was the energy and community that felt really special.”
Support from the Chapman Fund helps make traditions like this possible. The Chapman Fund directly strengthens academics and student life while also sustaining extraordinary experiences and the sense of belonging students feel during events like the Thanksgiving dinner.
And for Grace, the dinner was more than a meal.
“It was my first Thanksgiving away from home, and it made me feel part of something bigger. I recommend it to any student who can’t go home—it’s comforting and reminds you that you’re not alone.”
Grace sees traditions like the Thanksgiving dinner as an important part of what makes Chapman unique.
“Nobody will ever forget the experience you have here with that community feeling,” she said. “No matter what you studied or were involved in, that community is there. For something like Thanksgiving dinner specifically, it can mean everything to students who can’t go home for the holidays.”
Grace plans to attend the Thanksgiving dinner on campus again this year. If you are inspired by Grace’s story and want to support students in embracing all that the Chapman community has to offer, consider donating to the Chapman Fund today.
