The Teague native says relationships at Sam Houston’s Baptist Student Ministry helped him reconnect with faith and begin serving others.
A Sam Houston State University student Bo Bowers says a difficult transition into college led him to the Baptist Student Ministry, where discipleship, daily habits and service opportunities helped him reconnect with his faith and find a place in the Huntsville campus community.
Bowers, who grew up in Teague and is studying criminal justice, came to Sam Houston with plans to pursue a career as a game warden. He said he found the Baptist Student Ministry, commonly known as BSM, after a relationship ended during his first month of college.
The experience gave him a circle of godly friends at a time when many first-year students are learning how to manage classes, relationships, work and new independence at once.
Finding a campus community
Bowers said he grew up in a Southern Baptist household and attended church regularly as a child. Travel baseball and other high school demands gradually pulled him away from church activities, and he arrived at college feeling disconnected from his faith that had shaped his early life.
After joining BSM, he met students and leaders who helped him build consistent habits and talk more openly about faith. Those relationships mattered because they made the campus feel smaller and more personal.
Bowers said that welcome made it easier to remain involved after his difficult first month at Sam Houston.
“I started talking with Chris a little bit, too,” Bowers said. “That’s when I ultimately rededicated my life to the Lord.”
He described one mentor, Hayden, as an older-brother figure who helped him learn how to have conversations with other students and become more confident in his beliefs. The group’s support was not limited to formal meetings. It included early morning workouts, meals, conversations and practical reminders to stay connected.
For students arriving to Huntsville from towns across Texas, that kind of informal support can be as important as a scheduled program. Campus organizations often become the first place where a new student is recognized by name, invited into a small group or introduced to someone who can help navigate a difficult semester.
Accountability through everyday routines
Bowers said one of his continuing challenges is finding time and energy for reading and reflection while balancing the demands of school, relationships and activities. He and his roommate, Diego, work out in the morning and try to read afterward.
That routine does not always happen, he said, but the accountability matters. His roommate is consistent about checking in and reminding him to follow through when the day becomes busy.
“There are still times where I’m just flat out lazy and just go to bed,” Bowers said. “But me and Diego try to keep each other in check.”
The conversation reflects a familiar challenge for college students. A calendar can fill quickly with coursework, jobs, athletics, student organizations and social events. Students who want to maintain a faith practice or another personal discipline often depend on friends who help turn an intention into a repeated habit.
He has also felt drained during busy parts of the semester, particularly during welcome-week events when new students arrive in large numbers. That can make it difficult to take the first step in meeting someone new, even when he knows a small conversation could help a person feel welcome.
Service beyond the BSM building
Service opportunities helped him become more willing to speak with people he did not already know. Bowers pointed to Beach Reach, a student mission trip where participants meet people, offer prayer and share conversations about faith.
The experience made him more comfortable starting conversations with strangers and then carried into his summer work and time with people in his hometown. It can be especially difficult to have serious conversations with people who have known someone for years, but he has become more willing to do it.
“A year ago I wouldn’t have been able to do that,” Bowers said.
He said that growth made him more willing to initiate conversations instead of assuming people would reject him. Beach Reach gave him a setting to practice that willingness while listening to another person’s story.
His story is one example of how a student organization can shape a first year away from home. Bowers did not describe a dramatic change in a single day. Instead, he described mentors, roommates, group activities and repeated opportunities to serve.
As another school year begins at Sam Houston, those relationships remain part of the campus experience for students looking for community outside a classroom. Bowers said he hopes to keep growing in confidence and to offer new students the same welcome that helped him settle into Huntsville.
Watch the full interview below.