Finding a calling

By Kaleb Turner

As a first generation college student, Peria Gipson found her calling in the communication sciences and disorders program in the College of Allied Health. Living just 10 miles down the road, Gipson said Harding was always the college of choice, but she never anticipated how much she would grow during her time as a Bison.

“It was not until I began school here that I understood the real value of an education from Harding,” Gipson said. “The atmosphere is positive and welcoming. I did not want to be around the distractions that are traditionally a part of the college experience. I was raised in a Christian home, and I needed the loving environment that Harding provided.”

Now in her final year as a graduate student in the program, Gipson said her college career did not begin with CSD, but she soon discovered that a love for people made it the perfect fit.

“I love people, and I needed a profession that allowed me to really be a part of people’s lives,” Gipson said. “Building relationships is very important to me and to our society. What better way to do that than through communication?”

During her time as an undergraduate student and her years in graduate work with the College of Allied Health, Gipson has had the opportunity to participate in many enriching experiences from working on campus to being a part of the Women for Harding scholarship program. She said the people at Harding are absolutely unmatched.

“Harding has the best faculty and staff,” Gipson said. “No other school can compare to the love and devotion Harding has for its students.”

That same faculty has similar sentiments to echo about Gipson. Dr. Beckie Weaver, dean of the college, said Gipson has proven herself during her time in the CSD program.

“Peria has the innate ability to rise to the occasion,” Weaver said. “She can laugh and joke when the situation is light hearted but can easily switch to a very confident, self-assured clinician. She also has an internal drive to work to the very best of her abilities.”

The CSD program soon became a home for Gipson, and she said leaving the faculty, staff and students will make graduation bittersweet. But it is those same people and special experiences that Gipson will hold dear as she leaves prepared for a career in a field she truly loves.

“I believe if I had not been at Harding, I would not have completed school,” Gipson said. “I will always be grateful because my Harding family has given me the confidence to know that I can do whatever God calls me to do. Simply put, I love Harding.”

—Kaleb Turner, staff writer