For the Stocks family, Homecoming at Trevecca isn’t just a tradition. It’s part of the family legacy.
Morris and Cindy Stocks both attended and graduated from Trevecca, Morris in 1977 and Cindy in 1981. For Morris, Trevecca was an obvious choice; his parents, Joyce and M.H., were Trevecca graduates, as were his three sisters. While Cindy was the first of her family to come to Trevecca, her sister followed a few years later.
The legacy didn’t end there.
All four of Morris and Cindy’s children attended Nazarene universities. Meredith and Sarah went to Southern Nazarene University, while their youngest, Michael and Kathryn, chose Trevecca. Michael is a 2013 graduate, and Kathryn is currently a senior, majoring in nursing.
Kathryn recalls her grandparents’ history with Trevecca.
“My grandparents met at a camp when they were teenagers,” she says. “They got married and came to Trevecca together. They lived in a trailer by the pavilion with the other married people. I remember my grandmother telling me that it didn't have electricity or running water.”
The Stocks’ Trevecca roots run even deeper. Morris is a Trevecca graduate, but also served as an associate professor of accounting at Trevecca from 1981-1988. There’s a reason the family makes a point to attend Homecoming each year: in many ways, Trevecca is home.
“In the early years, I wanted to bring my children to Trevecca so that they would learn to love it and want to attend as their dad and I had,” Cindy says. “As my children grew and chose college options, my interest was more in reconnecting with friends. Each visit feels as if I am returning home.”
The Stocks look forward to watching the annual parade, becoming reacquainted with old friends, and cheering on TNU at the basketball games. The weekend also functions as a family reunion of sorts, a chance to meet up with family members they don’t get to see on a daily basis.
“I'm looking forward to seeing my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and brother this year,” says Kathryn.
Coming home to the Hill each fall isn’t just about the festivities, reunions, and other events, according to Morris. He can’t pass up the opportunity to come back to the place that shaped him and visit a campus littered with memories.
“My wife and I met there. Our first child was born while I was employed there,” Morris says. “Many of our fondest memories and closest friends are wrapped up in our Trevecca experience.
“Trevecca is a wonderful place for us, and we consider it our home.”
Join the Stocks and join us for Homecoming at Trevecca November 5-7. For more information or to register, visit trevecca.edu/homecoming.
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