This op-ed written by Thornton Muncher ’22 was published in the Feb. 25-26 weekend edition of the Daily Mountain Eagle.

As a graduate student at Vanderbilt University, I’m often asked, “Thornton, where is home for you?” Without hesitation, I always respond with the same answer: “Sumiton. It’s just a small town in Walker County, Alabama, right outside of Birmingham.” Being that Sumiton has a population of less than 2,500 citizens, it’s understandable as to why most people at Vanderbilt don’t recognize it. Though when I share how special it is to me and mention its proximity to Birmingham, people often comment, “Oh, so you must be near Birmingham-Southern then!”— and with a similar pride, I tell them that I am an alumnus of the college.

Although I could spend hours sharing how meaningful Birmingham-Southern College was to my personal, educational, and spiritual formation, most people at Vanderbilt University don’t usually have the time to listen. Similarly, I often find that people at VU are perplexed as to why I love my hometown so much, yet it’s a simple answer: People in Walker County know how to pull up a chair and listen to a good story.

Whether you’re like my family, who always gathers around my Aunt Joannie’s kitchen table to laugh about her stories from the ’80s, or you have your own family traditions, sharing stories is an essential part of Walker County’s culture. Likewise, I found this to be just as true at Birmingham-Southern College, which became a secondary home to me. Like countless other BSC students, I regularly found myself sitting in the campus cafeteria at night sharing story after story. Often enough, these stories involved our hometowns, but unique to me and a few others, I could actually take my collegiate peers to my hometown — so that’s exactly what I did.

Throughout my four years as a student at BSC, I invited many friends to Walker County. I took my friends Mallory, Lauren, and Mitchell to the Sumiton Frog Festival. I brought my friends Jack, Ben, and Whitt to the Frosty Mug on the Warrior River. I even carried my entire fraternity to Green Top BBQ one afternoon. Needless to say, whenever people at BSC thought of me, they often thought of Walker County, too.

As I am still exceptionally proud of the southern values and hospitality that Walker County instilled in me, I am equally just as proud of the values Birmingham-Southern College invested in me throughout my time on the Hilltop. BSC allowed me to mature from a wide-eyed college freshman and shape me into an aspiring Biblical scholar. The College took someone who simply grew up in Sunday School rooms and crafted him into a student capable of reading Biblical texts in their ancient Hebrew and Greek languages. Even now, as I am preparing to lead a group of Vanderbilt students on an archaeological dig in Israel, I know without a doubt I would not be equipped to embark on this journey had I not attended Birmingham-Southern College.

Still, while BSC does provide a world-class education and guidance on how to live a life of significance, what I believe is most special about my BSC experience is that the college allowed me to keep what was special about myself — that is, being raised in Walker County and thus holding its values closely — and make space for the person I hope one day to be. Still, this is not unique to just my BSC story. Ask other BSC alumni from Walker County, such as Ken Glover ’88 or Elizabeth Drummond ’22, and hear their stories, too. Even better, listen to the stories of current BSC students from Walker County, like Molly Grace Quinn ’23 or Ana Sanchez ’25, who can tell you for themselves why it is pertinent that BSC remains open.

Simply put, students from Walker County (and beyond) deserve to be able to make their own stories at Alabama’s only nationally ranked liberal arts college. Furthermore, if Alabama’s legislators choose to support a one-time request for bridge funding from the state, BSC can continue to pour nearly $100 million back into the state economy each year as it does already.

You can trust that one-time investment will ensure that Birmingham-Southern College continues make a significant impact in the lives of Walker County students and the world at large. It certainly did in my story — and I will continue to share it with anyone who is willing to merely pull up a chair and listen.

Thornton Muncher is a 2022 graduate of Birmingham-Southern College and lifelong resident of Walker County, Alabama. He is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Vanderbilt Divinity School in preparation for doctoral research and ordination in the United Methodist Church.