Friendships That Last a Lifetime: Class of ’85 Returns Home to Greenville

Published: November 08, 2025

Author: Liz Dowell

Nearly four decades after earning their degrees, Miriam (Faircloth ’85) Henriksen and Eugenia “Jenna” Sousa ’85 walked familiar paths across Greenville University’s campus during Homecoming & Family Weekend. During one of those strolls, they paused to take in a few of the changes—and savor the memories that never left.

For Henriksen, who majored in Spanish and sociology, Greenville was more than a place to study. It was where lifelong friendships took root.

“Some of my best friends are still the ones I made at Greenville College,” she said. “Those relationships have lasted through every stage of life.”

Today, she works with the Parents Alliance Employment Project, helping individuals with disabilities find meaningful employment. Her mission to empower others, she said, was shaped by the community spirit she first encountered here. “At Greenville, people cared. That taught me how to care in my work.”

Sousa’s journey from Portugal to Southern Illinois began with determination and a student visa that took four years to secure. She arrived in 1982 with enough funds for only three semesters before running out of money.

“I was literally packing to go home,” she recalled. “Then someone from the business office came to my dorm and told me I could stay—finish my degree now and pay later.”

For two and a half years, Greenville carried her, and over the next 15, she repaid every dollar.

“I can’t imagine another school doing that,” Sousa said. “Greenville believed in me before I could afford to believe in myself.”

Now living in Milwaukee and working in addiction recovery, Sousa returned to campus for the first time in 40 years. She laughed about missing the old Hogue Hall but celebrated the University’s growth.

“It’s exciting to see Greenville thriving—still offering the same heart, but ready for today’s students.”

Both alumnae joined classmates for their 40th reunion events and the Homecoming parade downtown, part of GU’s new Fill the Ville weekend series designed to strengthen ties between the University and the city.

"I love the Alumni Welcome Center," Henriksen said. "It's amazing to see people try to recognize faces after all these years, and feel that same sense of belonging."

Their advice to current students echoes the mission that has defined Greenville since its founding.

“Fully participate,” Sousa urged. “These years are formative—not just for academics but for life. The friends you make here will become your anchors.”

Henriksen agreed. “Make those connections,” she said. “Greenville friendships truly last a lifetime.”