HPU Welcomes More Than 5,000 to Campus for Spring Family Weekend

High Point University and the city of High Point bustled with students and their families during HPU’s Spring Family Weekend from Feb. 6-8. HPU welcomed more than 5,000 people to campus. Pictured are HPU families as they enjoyed hearing a University Update from President Nido Qubein in the Hayworth Fine Arts Center.

HIGH POINT, N.C., Feb. 9, 2026 – High Point University and the surrounding High Point community were bustling with students and their families during HPU’s Spring Family Weekend from Feb. 6-8. The university welcomed more than 5,000 people to campus for the three days of festivities.

HPU families enjoyed hearing a University Update from President Nido Qubein and attending a variety of events, including a Dean’s List reception, men’s basketball and lacrosse games, and choral concerts.

Families also packed the Hayworth Fine Arts Center to listen as Qubein sat down to interview former Ohio Governor John Kasich, who twice ran for U.S. President, for an in-depth conversation.

“High Point University takes pride in being a God, family, country school, and this past weekend gave our students the opportunity to spend time with their families, whose love and support means the world to them,” Qubein said. “Parents are HPU’s biggest advocates, and we appreciate their support and enthusiasm over the weekend.”

High Point’s hospitality industry partners welcomed the large number of HPU families, who boosted area lodging, dining and retail while visiting town for the weekend, Visit High Point President Melody Burnett said.

“High Point University’s Spring Family Weekend is a big winter win for High Point,” Burnett said. “An estimated 5,000 visitors totaling over $1,720,000 in economic impact supports our local hospitality businesses and benefits our overall city’s economy.”

President Qubein Interviews John Kasich

Qubein gave HPU students and families the opportunity to learn Life Skills from Kasich. Sitting together on stage, they discussed Kasich’s extensive career in civic service and his remarkable journey from a 26-year-old state senator to a presidential candidate.

Kasich shared many stories, including one about how he received an invitation to the White House when he was a freshman at Ohio State after writing a letter to then President Richard Nixon. He gave the letter to OSU’s president, who passed it along to President Nixon.

“The good news is I sat at his desk for 20 minutes as an 18-year-old, and the bad news is I spent 18 years in Congress,” Kasich said. “If you add up all the time that I spent in the Oval Office at 18, it was more than the time I spent as an 18-year member of Congress. And frankly, what I should have done is just come to High Point University, so I would have had a better outcome.”

Students Welcome Their Families

Caroline Keating, a junior strategic communication major, was joined on campus by her twin brother, Chris, and her parents, Valerie and Stephen Keating, who traveled from Bonita Springs, Florida.

“We’ve never missed a Family Weekend,” Valerie Keating said. “We love our daughter. We love supporting her, spending time, and it’s rare these days to get our whole family together now that they’re in college. We relish every moment that we can get as family time. Here at High Point University, we always feel at home.”

Nathan Dyar, a freshman finance major from Redding, Connecticut, welcomed his mother, grandmother, sister and younger brother, Alec, who has been accepted to HPU for next year and has interviewed for a Presidential Scholarship.

“We are here because my son, Nathan, made the Dean’s List,” said Jackie Dyer, Nathan’s mother. “He’s having a great time. We’re here to support and visit him and spend some quality time.”

Marshall Lehman, a sophomore entrepreneurship major, welcomed his mother, Maren Lehman, who traveled from Tulsa, Oklahoma, with his grandparents, Marilyn and Neal Lehman. His father was scheduled to arrive on a later flight. The family came to town to support Marshall.

“He’s going to run a marathon for the first time, and we’re here to cheer him on,” Maren Lehman said. “We’re so glad that HPU has provided this opportunity for us.”

Gabrielle Lemmerman, a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in communication and business leadership, welcomed her parents, Cheri and Neal Lemmerman, who traveled from Cincinnati, Ohio, for Family Weekend.

“Any chance we can see our daughter, we want to be here,” Cheri Lemmerman said.

“We have two other children in college, but at High Point University, there’s a lot to do, everything is complimentary and we just want to come back,” her father added.

Stacia and Richie Salem of Yadkinville, North Carolina, were looking forward to seeing their daughter, Salem, a sophomore business administration major, sing with Petal Points in an acapella concert.

“We always enjoy coming to the campus,” Stacia Salem said. “We’ve got basketball tickets, which we use. We like to be involved as parents. We feel like we’re part of the HPU family, and these two dates in the fall and spring are when we can all come and share in that.”

HPU’s Kappa Alpha Order Gives $75,000 to Veterans Initiatives

During the men’s basketball game on Feb. 7, more than 7,000 people packed the Qubein Arena.

HPU’s Kappa Alpha Order fraternity had a special presentation to make during a timeout. The brothers announced they would donate $75,000 to the Independence Fund for two initiatives to support critically wounded veterans.

The fundraising will provide a $50,000 fund to send wounded veterans and their families on all expense-paid vacations, as well another $25,000 to purchase a Track Chair for Vietnam War Veteran Richard Hughes, a former Marine who attended the game.

This is part of $128,000 raised during the 2025-2026 academic year. The brothers also present two Track Chairs to wounded veterans during HPU’s 2025 Veterans Day Celebration.

“The brothers of the Kappa Alpha Order believe that we have a moral obligation to give back to those who have sacrificed their lives and bodies for our freedom,” says Eddie Schreiber, a senior and president of HPU’s KA chapter. “Giving an Action Track Chair to a wounded veteran is more than a donation to us, it’s a life changing gift to those who deserve it and need it most. We are also providing an expense- and accommodation-paid cruise for multiple wounded veterans and their families. This experience is to not only show our gratitude for their service, but to allow them to enjoy experiences that they might not have been able to.”