Transfer Illustrates Award-Winning BVU Admissions Efforts

March 23, 2021

Buena Vista University was named to Phi Theta Kappa’s 2021 Transfer Honor Roll, recognizing excellence in the development and support of innovative transfer paths for community college students.

Savannah Davis, a junior from Council Bluffs, believes the honor is merited. She should know; Davis transferred to BVU in August.

“When I arrived on campus as a new student, BVU’s Orientation Staff encouraged, but didn’t pressure transfer students to participate in Welcome Week activities,” Davis says. “Several of us who transferred to BVU walked to lunch together in downtown Storm Lake. It wasn’t hard to make friends.”

Davis’ favorite memory of Welcome Week involved walking through the Victory Arch, a ceremony steeped in BVU tradition as the limestone from the fabled structure was salvaged from the archway entrance to Old Main, the main campus building destroyed by fire in 1956.

“I read about the history of Old Main and BVU and how it had a new beginning after the fire,” Davis says. “That’s a lot like my story.”

“When my transcript arrived at BVU, I got a call immediately. I was told I’d been admitted. I started crying.”

Savannah Davis

Savannah Davis was home-schooled during the latter part of her high school experience. When she didn’t gain admission to BVU following her senior year, she earned a position with AmeriCorps, working with survivors of tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. The work took her to FEMA sites in the southern U.S. and Puerto Rico.

“It’s a humbling experience to work with people who’ve lost everything,” she says.

Davis returned home and enrolled in Iowa Western Community College. She earned a 4.0 grade-point average and applied for admission again to BVU, the University she envisioned herself attending since middle school. One-hundred-percent of her community college credits transferred through BVU’s 2-plus-2 agreement with Iowa Western that all but guarantees a transfer student can earn their bachelor’s degree within two years.

“When my transcript arrived at BVU, I got a call immediately,” Davis says. “I was told I’d been admitted. I started crying.”

Davis applied for and received a robust financial aid package, as does every student who seeks one while attending BVU’s Storm Lake campus. She earned a mix of grants and scholarships, which don’t have to be repaid, and found professors and advisors easily accessible. It took her one week to find co-curricular roles within her major at BVTV, the University’s television station, KBVU, the campus radio station, and The Tack, BVU’s online newspaper.

“Savannah arrived and became involved immediately,” says Jerry Johnson, BVU Assistant Professor of Digital Media. “She’s a great member of the teams producing content for our television station, radio station, and our online newspaper. Savannah readily tackles new assignments and is eager to work with others.”

Davis continued a BVU streak of election night reporting for Edison Research, a position that fed her interest in government affairs.

“I’ve been welcomed here,” Davis says. “I’ve got a great relationship with my professors, who keep encouraging me to do even better.”

“Savannah’s story is replicated across campus,” says Conner Ellinghuysen, BVU Director of Admissions. “We’re proud to have been named to Phi Theta Kappa’s 2021 Transfer Honor Roll and to be recognized for our Transfer Friendly Rating. What makes us even happier is how our hard work in making the transfer process seamless allows students like Savannah to immediately become involved and feel at home as they pursue their dreams.”

“I have no regrets,” Davis says one day after her induction into the Society for Collegiate Journalists, a national organization that maintains presence at BVU. “It took me a little longer to get here than I initially envisioned. And sometimes when you want something that badly, it can disappoint. BVU didn’t disappoint at all. I’m having a great experience.”