October 15, 2025
East Texas Baptist University’s Learning and Leading classes recently organized and hosted the 14th annual Fall Festivals for all five Marshall ISD elementary schools, including David Crockett Elementary, Sam Houston Elementary, William B. Travis Elementary, Price T. Young Elementary, and the Marshall Early Childhood Center, on October 6, 2025. Since the event’s inception in 2011, the Fall Festivals have become a beloved tradition for both ETBU and Marshall ISD, fostering a connection between the University's students and the local community.
“Planning and hosting the MISD Fall Festivals is one of the highlights of the first semester for our new ETBU students,” Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs Elizabeth Ponder said. “We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with MISD to provide a fun and safe event for students, families, faculty, and staff. Throughout September, students and instructors work together to plan the festival, assign roles, and build the games. In doing so, they are putting into practice the Christian servant leadership principles of finding greatness in service, sharing responsibility and authority, and building a team while living out ETBU's core commitments of empowering leaders and enhancing community.”
This year, over 350 ETBU freshmen played a vital role in planning, organizing, and executing the festivals as part of their Learning and Leading course, a required class for all first-year and transfer students at the University. ETBU's Learning and Leading course, offered during a student's first semester, is designed to acclimate new students to college life while encouraging leadership development. Taught by faculty and staff, the class meets once a week and participates in at least one service project per semester. The Fall Festivals serve as a signature service project, providing freshmen with a chance to engage with the community practically and positively.
“Volunteering with MISD has been such a meaningful and fun experience,” freshman Speech-Language Pathology major Ryan Stratman said. “Helping out in the classroom at Sam Houston each week has taught me so much about patience, responsibility, and how much of an impact you can have on younger students. The Fall Festival has been one of my favorite moments so far. It was a really fun way to connect with the kids and the community. We set up games, passed out candy, and I loved seeing how excited all the kids were. It’s definitely helped me grow and affirmed that I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”