LCU welcomes new students at Freshman Convocation
Louisiana Christian University President Dr. Mark Johnson welcomed the 119th class of students on Tuesday at Freshman Convocation, challenging them to keep their hearts and minds focused on their goals.
“You have four years to get this right,” Johnson said, “because when you leave here, you’ll have a calling and a career to accomplish.”
Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Henry O. Robertson and Faculty Marshal Dr. Wade Warren welcomed students and remarked on the legacy they are now a part of as LCU Wildcats. The university will celebrate 120 years in 2026.
“God has blessed LCU with longevity,” Robertson said, telling the students that each of them matters as a person, not just as a number to the institution, which is noted for its personal connections between faculty, staff, coaches and students.
Warren encouraged students to enjoy these four years and get involved on campus. He and his wife are both faculty members who met as undergraduates.
“I met my wife here; both my daughters attended school here, and both their husbands went here, one of whom is also now a faculty member,” Warren said. “I bleed orange and blue.”
Johnson read from Daniel 3:16-18, using the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, three young men who refused to worship an idol erected by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar to illustrate his point. They were punished by being thrown into a fiery furnace, where God protected them.
“As you go through this semester, ask yourself, ‘Is your heart fixed on who God is’? Once your heart is fixed, then your mind can be fixed,” he said.
If your heart is not fixed, Johnson said, your mind will be all over the place, and panic can set in—about classes, personal issues, or other things.
“When the storms come, you’ll already know what you’re going to do,” he said. “You can stand in the midst of those challenges. Let your faith have the last word.
“You have a job to do, a calling. Our job is to help you get there.”
Convocation concluded with the introduction of a new tradition for the freshman class, marking the beginning of what will become a lasting legacy at Louisiana Christian University.
President Johnson, VPAA Robertson, and the faculty escorted the freshman class to the historic Louisiana College arch, where the students were officially welcomed into the Wildcat family by the faculty in a receiving line ending with a final embrace and personal greeting from the president, officially ushering them into the Wildcat Nation family.
At graduation four years later, these same students will repeat the tradition in the opposite direction, signifying both a commitment by LCU to walk with them on their journey forward and their formal induction into the life and legacy as alumni of the university.
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Media Release | Aug. 20, 2025 | Pineville, Louisiana
Contact: Dr. Elizabeth B. Clarke, Director of University Communications | Elizabeth.clarke@lcuniversity.edu