JACKSON, Tenn. — Aug. 14, 2025 — For freshman Max Roe, who graduated from University School of Jackson nearby, Union University was always a familiar presence. But it was his experience participating in Union’s Rising Senior Program for high school students last summer that convinced him to make it his collegiate home.
“That was a transformative experience,” Roe said. “I really enjoyed that. I enjoyed the community, being able to fellowship with other believers who believed the same way that I did. That's something that I hadn't really experienced prior to that time.”
Roe was one of 345 students who moved onto campus Aug. 14 during Union’s annual Move-In Day, a collaborative effort in which current students, professors and staff assist new students in moving into their campus apartments.
Dan Griffin, Union’s vice president for enrollment management, said the incoming class has an average ACT score of 26.5 and strong demographic diversity, with students coming from 36 states and seven countries.
“We are thankful for each and every student who has chosen Union University as their educational destination,” Griffin said. “Union is an institution where faith and knowledge unite, and we look forward to seeing how these students grow academically and in their relationship with Christ during their time here.”
Roe’s three roommates at Union are all guys he befriended during the Rising Senior Program.
He plans to double major in math and Spanish and attend law school to pursue a career in prosecution. He said in his college search, he was looking for a school whose mission aligned with his own, and Union’s core values – excellence-driven, Christ-centered, people-focused and future-directed – attracted him.
“It’s not something they just say,” Roe said. “You can tell they mean it, and you can tell that it’s demonstrated through everything they do.”
While he’s looking forward to the community, his coursework and getting involved in a variety of activities on campus, “what ties all that together is the Christ-centered focus,” Roe said. “That’s really what sold me on it.”
Abigail Hanson, of Bedford, Texas, said she found Union through a search for Christian nursing programs, and she was drawn to the university’s integration of faith and learning.
“I’ve gone to public school my entire life,” Hanson said. “And even as a Christian, I felt myself being transformed by the people who were around me and changed, even though I tried to go against the worldly practices. But I still noticed at the end of my senior year how I’ve been changed and formed by the world around me, even though I didn’t want those practices in my life.”
Even though she knew she wanted to attend Union, she wasn’t sure she could afford it. She remembers initially seeing the cost and thinking, “I’m never going to be able to achieve this.”
But she earned some scholarship money through Union’s Scholars of Excellence competition, and her admissions counselor worked with her to secure additional financial aid that made it possible for her family to afford the cost.
“Union has been very generous with me,” she said.
Move-in Day kicked off Welcome Week 2025, a week intended to allow new students to connect with the incoming class and adjust to campus life. Classes for the fall semester begin Aug 19.