Our oldest son, Ethan, is now a junior at Samford University, and our oldest daughter, Lauren, is a sophomore. We have loved Samford since our first campus visit. We are grateful for the strong academic environment and equal emphasis on a biblical worldview to continue shaping college students as they prepare to launch into the world with the Gospel. Our kids have had a great experience, found great churches and made sweet, godly friends, even though they chose the non-Greek route.
Their experience at Samford and the full lives the Lord has created for them inspired us to host a Samford Send-Off. We want other families to know that while they may be sending off their first college student, they are sending them to a rich and family-oriented environment. Our desire was to ease some nerves, create some excitement and make the time intentional for parents and students.
Samford’s Parent and Family Engagement team was wonderful and well-prepared. They sent us a Party-in-a-Box that included decorations, games and a plan to follow. During our time, we ate simple snack bar and brunch-type food, mingled and then had our two Samford students host a Q&A session for the incoming freshmen and their parents. One of my kids is an introvert and the other is an extrovert. They both loved the time, and the families got a kick out of seeing how different they are but how equally they are thriving at Samford. We closed our time by allowing parents to pray over their students, blessing them and sending them out.
In true Samford style, the Office of Parent and Family Engagement made hosting as easy and excellent as everything else they do. They even offer options for families to donate to help cover expenses. You can host at your home or a restaurant, and it can be simple or more elaborate. I always think less is more, and intentional beats fluff. It’s a fun way to get to know incoming families, especially those in your hometown.
One of my personal highlights was having a speech therapist who worked wonders with my son as a 3-year-old show up with her son, who was headed to college. We had not seen her in all those years. Only the Lord.
Samford Send-Offs are hosted by parents and will be held between July 14 and Aug. 3, 2025. Samford staff do not typically attend Send-Offs. Samford staff attend Welcome Parties only.
What is the difference between a Welcome Party and a Send-Off Party?
- Welcome Parties are hosted by the university to welcome students. These are held in the three cities with the highest populations of incoming students, where it is usually not possible to host in a home or restaurant.
- Samford Send-Offs are hosted by parents who are sending their students off to Samford. These are held in cities with smaller populations of incoming students, where families can easily gather in a home, neighborhood clubhouse or restaurant.
The host will choose a date, time and location and the Office of Parent and Family Engagement will handle promotion and registration, keeping hosts updated along the way. The first 25 scheduled parties will receive a Party-in-a-Box, which includes decorations, get-to-know-you games, Samford-specific hosting tip sheets and important move-in information.
If hosting in a home, food can be simple, such as desserts or an ice cream sundae bar, or hosts can provide a meal. Hosts can determine a per-person cost, and families will be asked to send payments via Venmo upon registration. If hosting in a restaurant, families will be responsible for their own meals.
For cities with very few incoming freshmen, hosts may want to include upperclassmen. This helps with attendance and provides veteran students who can answer questions incoming families may have.
When a host is ready to proceed, they can email parents@samford.edu with the preferred date, time and location for their Samford Send-Off.
