Inspiring environment.

• Position: John and Marsha Slane Student Center

Step into the John and Marsha Slane Student Center and you'll understand why it is named the No. 1 student center in the country.

This 90,000-square-foot facility buzzes with the energy of a tech company and resembles the vibrancy of an international airport. Cups of coffee pass through Starbucks, laptops are plugged into community table outlets and post office boxes click shut. Students study and dine at several eateries while others fill the wellness area to stay active. Modern furniture creates a splash of color as sunlight pours into the 40-foot glass atrium. Like the world, the Slane Center is in constant motion.

Designed to foster interaction, Slane Center encourages students to connect, create and collaborate with their peers.

It's entrepreneurial, it's innovative, and was ranked this year as the No. 1 studentcenterbybestcollegevalues.org.

"The Slane Student Center is a place where I meet with my peers, enjoy a meal, stay fit and find inspiration," says junior Anne Davey. "It's a reflection of our campus and our culture."

General Colin Powell presents a POWERFUL message to the class of 2014

The words delivered by Gen. Colin Powell to HPU's 900 graduates and 10,000 friends and family at the 2014 Commencement Ceremony were more than a commencement speech.

In a powerful message packed with memorable, relevant and thoughtful wisdom, Powell left the crowd with immense inspiration. He shared with graduates a roadmap for their lives--a map based on his own life and experience as one of the most influential leaders of our time.

That's evidenced in the national media's attention to his speech. CNN ranked Powell as the No. 5 commencement speaker across the country in its list of top 50 commencement speakers of 2014. The Huffington Post published Powell's entire speech online with this headline: Congress Needs to Stop and Listen to Colin Powell's Commencement Speech. And ABC News broadcast the speech live on its website to an international audience.

He began the speech with a theme played out in his own life.

"It ain't about where you start in life," said the former secretary of state, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and national security advisor. "It's what you do in life that will determine where you end up in life."

Powell came from humble beginnings as the son of Jamaican immigrants, born in Harlem and raised in the South Bronx. He attended the City College of New York where he earned a Bachelor of Science in geology. He also joined the ROTC program of CCNY, where he discovered his calling and launched his military career.

Stellar grades weren't something that Powell could tout as a college student, but he did excel in ROTC. That allowed him to graduate and further his military career. He received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in 1958, and went on to serve in the United States Army for 35 years, rising to the rank of four-star general.

From 1987-1989, Powell served as President Ronald Reagan's national security advisor. He served from 1989-1993 as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for both President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton. He was not only the youngest officer and first ROTC graduate to ever serve in the position, but also was the first African-American to do so.

Powell's speech concluded an extraordinary commencement weekend where graduates and their families heard from two more inspiring leaders. Beginning with the Commencement Luncheon on May 2, Dr. Nido Qubein, HPU president, told students that they had each impacted his life.

"We're not trying to graduate job takers," Qubein told parents and students. "We're focused on graduating job creators. This is an institution that believes with faith and with courage, there are no such things as unrealistic dreams."

At the Baccalaureate Service, Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball of the United Methodist Church encouraged students to use the education and the skills they have developed to help others.

"We can and must go make a positive difference," said Ball. "Realize that this university has truly given you the gift of an extraordinary education. Why? Because there is great hope and a great need for you, graduates, to take this gift and use it to inspire and care for others so that this gift might be multiplied in ways that give hope and transform lives."

Words of Wisdom

Excerpts from Gen. Colin Powell's 2014 Commencement Speech

Find that which you love doing and that which you do well. When you put those two together, you have put into place the roadmap for a successful and satisfying life.

We can't sit around waiting for superman or superwoman to come in 2014 or 2016. We the people are the supermen and the superwomen. We are the deciders.

Share the talent and the time and the treasure you have with others who are in greater need than you.

If you want to save the world, start by saving just one kid. That's what it's all about.

We are still the unique place that inspires the rest of the world, so never, never sell America short.

Go forth and raise strong families remembering that all you can ever leave behind is your reputation, your good works and your children for the next generation.

Let your dreams be your only limitation.

Religious Life Spotlight

HPU is home to a growing number of organizations and events that support students from all faiths. Below, meet the student president of HPU's Hillel chapter. Hillel is the largest Jewish campus organization in the world.

Name: Lindsay Katz

Title: Hillel Student President

Goal: To maintain the great attitudes and enthusiasm of HPU Hillel, and continue to create a safe haven on campus for both Jewish and non-Jewish students to observe their religions.

How she's making an impact: Creating new programming for Jewish holidays, increasing the quality and size of events, and collaborating with other groups on campus to expand awareness of Jewish life and create multi-faith dialogue.

Fostering Faith

A glimpse of religious life on campus

High Point University's rich history began with leaders of the United Methodist Church who founded the college in 1924 on principles of faith. Today, faith remains a cornerstone of the university's values-based education.

As the hands of time have passed,thousands of people from diverse backgrounds have studied at HPU. They shared on campus their talents and abilities, but also their cultural and religious beliefs. An established history and continuous growth have allowed HPU to embrace a unique opportunity--celebrate heritage with the United Methodist Church and foster religious life for all students.

"We have two veins where our energy flows," says Rev. Preston Davis, minister to the university. "The first is deeply rooted in the United Methodist Church and living in the way of...