Hundreds of Birmingham-Southern students, alumni, parents, and friends have contacted their elected officials asking for support in securing bridge funding for BSC (learn more here). BSC Junior Hannah (Honey) Green shares her letter, below.

Write your own letter to Gov. Kay Ivey here.

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Dear Gov. Ivey,

Hello, my name is Honey Green from Huntsville, Alabama and I am a Junior Psychology major who attends Birmingham-Southern College. The opportunities that I have been able to accomplish at this college thus far are being on the Dean’s list every semester so far, Orientation Leader and now Color Group Captain (lead orientation staff), ‘Southern Ambassador (Tour guide), Student Government Association (Freshman Representative, Sophomore Representative, Junior Representative, I also plan on running for President), Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society for first-years, Order of Omega Greek Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society, Panhellenic Council (Vice President of Administration) and Quest II board on the Local Events committee. I have also achieved a 4.0 GPA this semester and last semester. I have been able to accomplish all of this while having a visual impairment, and I would have never been able to without the help and support of Birmingham-Southern. I am writing to you because of the financial crisis that Birmingham-Southern is in, and to tell you my story of how this college has transformed me and how much of a tragic loss it would be to lose this college.

Let’s start from the beginning. My stressful college search. Finding a right college for me was not easy because I have a rare eye disease called Ocular Toxoplasmosis and it really took a toll on my eyesight during my Junior year of high school and is currently ongoing with no cure in sight. I desperately needed a college that would understand this struggle of mine and help me in any way. I needed faculty, staff, professors and peers who would be there for me, know me for what kind of person I am, and people who genuinely cared. That is what I was searching for. I could not find this type of community anywhere other than Birmingham-Southern who surpassed every quality I was looking for. Excitedly, I made the decision to attend this miraculous college.

As a Freshman, I was taken under wings of seniors that helped guide me, professors who were readily available and there for me outside of academics, and peers who uplifted me. All of this made the transition into college so easy and so comforting. The community at BSC is like none other. At BSC students are encouraged to get involved in many things while also being able to balance everything. I immediately was encouraged and pushed out of my comfort zone and went out for SGA Freshman Representative and any other things a Freshman could be a part of. It is so easy to be involved here and to be apart of something larger than yourself.

One of the best things about this college, in my opinion, is students have the opportunity to know higher up staff, and the professors are the most genuine and kind people I have ever met. These professors here have ultimately changed me, encouraged me to never sell myself short, and have connected me with people in my major. These professors know your name, story, and the person you are and are the people who will write recommendations for Graduate School. These professors produce amazing individuals that graduate and are some of the best employers, employees and hard workers that Alabama has to offer. I plan to attend Graduate School and I am scared to think about how I would have gotten there without the help from Birmingham-Southern, and it makes me worried for the next generations if Birmingham-Southern was no longer.

Here at Birmingham-Southern we hold ourselves to a higher standard through the use of the Honor Code. We pledge ourselves in summary to not lie, cheat or steal. Graduates and students of this college use the code and our pledge not just in academics, but also in our daily lives. This January I will be a part of a group of students who are traveling to Europe through BSC: London, Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Amsterdam. We have been reminded to use this code even in Europe which will represent BSC, and Alabama in a great responsible way.

I am a strong legacy here at Birmingham-Southern with my great grandfather being the first treasurer, to of my great grandfathers attended, my great grandmother, 10 of my great aunts and uncles, 5 cousins, one of my great grandfathers, Art Hanes, and my great uncle Cooper Green are in the sports hall of fame, and my older brother who is a year older than me also attends the college. The impact of Birmingham-Southern did not only affect these relatives of mine, but also strongly affected me and I am certain it will strongly affect future generations. It would be a shame if we were to lose such a strong asset to our Alabama community. This school has made such an impact and I love this school so much. I am hopeful that by the amount of support BSC has, you are willing to support us.

With all of this in mind, I please ask to include bridge funding for BSC in your budget proposal.

Thank you and Forward, Ever!

Hannah (Honey) Green, Class of 2024