'Berg's family atmosphere suits freshman, and she's loving it

Family is very important to Huntergrace Overmyer. So it’s really no surprise that the freshman from Elmore, Ohio, landed at Heidelberg.

When she didn’t find the college that felt like the right fit, Huntergrace took the advice of her grandmother – who had studied music education at the ’Berg years ago – and decided to check out the campus.

She’s so glad she did.

“From my very first visit, I absolutely loved the beautiful campus,” Huntergrace says. “The staff and the students made me feel welcome and comforted. It felt like my home away from home.”

She has appreciated the friendliness of those she’s encountered, their willingness to help students succeed and the many resources to make that happen. And so far, so good.

“Things have been going wonderfully so far!” Huntergrace says. She wasted little time getting involved with student life and has already signed up to be a part of Alpha Phi Omega, the service group on campus. She might check out Greek life as well.

Psychologist in the making

Back to that theme of family, Huntergrace credits her younger sister, Lexi, for helping her find her passion for psychology, which she’s also pairing with a second major of criminology – at the ’Berg.

“I decided on my majors because I feel that I can relate to and lift up the people who need it the most,” she says. “It interests me to understand how and why the mind works and thinks the way it does.”

For now, she has her sights set on a career as a clinical psychologist.

What’s in a name?

Many people have asked Huntergrace about her unusual name. Turns out there is no dash, no space, no capital letters. She explains that her mother liked the name Hunter but was concerned she’d be mistaken for a boy, especially as a younger child. Her grandmother recalled a book she had read with a character named Winter Grace, so her grandpa combined Hunter and Grace to come up with her unique name. And in case you were wondering, no, Grace isn’t her middle name. That would be Robin.