Waxahachie, TX

October 18, 2019 | Andrew Hurst

Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) was happy to leave its mark in Ellis County this past week by revealing the newest addition to Waxahachie’s “ Hachie Hearts .”

Beverly Robinson, SAGU’s Director of Career Development, says, “This heart represents us so well and not only are we supporting the city of Waxahachie with their project but we are also spreading awareness of our university.”

The Hachie Hearts are part of the two-year city marketing campaign “Waxahachie: A place in your heart, Texas.” The nine hearts are scattered throughout town and are each painted by local artists and sponsored by local businesses. The SAGU heart is located at the front entrance of the Waxahachie Sports Complex .

“I was excited about this location because it gives us great exposure to youth and young athletes who will eventually be college students and may consider SAGU,” said Robinson.

The design of the heart was intentional from start to finish with the front side portraying many recognizable landmarks of campus. On the front side, viewers’ eyes are naturally drawn to the sidewalk beginning from the entrance sign with beautiful flowerbeds. From there, the sidewalk path provides them with a virtual tour of the campus as it curves around the Farmer Administration Building and stops at the institution’s water tower.

The purpose of the backside of the piece was to inspire through demonstrating a football player bearing a SAGU flag as he runs through a cheering crowd. It provides a sense of strength and empowerment.

Robinson stressed the importance of student and alumni involvement with this project by reaching out to current student, Trevor Burns, and recent graduate, Amy Castro. Both of these artists had a role in helping to design the heart under the guidance of the Lead Artist.

“This was kind of a crowning accomplishment in a way,” said Castro. Castro had constructed numerous other pieces of art around SAGU’s campus but emphasized the importance of this project. “It’s cool to know that I can always go and see it and that it’s a piece that will last a long time.”

Both Castro and Burns worked under the Lead Artist, Angela Germany, who had the biggest hand in implementing the design and constructing the work of art.

Germany was initially contacted to lead the project by Lauren Zoucha, SAGU’s Assistant Advertising Director.

“When Beverly approached me with the Waxahachie Heart project opportunity, I was immediately on board,” said Zoucha. “She asked if I knew of an artist to recommend. Angela Germany came to mind immediately. She’s known for her excellence and creativity, and I knew she’d be able to grab onto the vision for SAGU’s heart.”

Germany mentioned that as a former elementary art teacher, this project provided her with an avenue to fulfill one of her passions-working with students who are just as passionate about art as she is!

“Working with the students, I was able to hear their thoughts on what was special about SAGU,” said Germany.

“We started with sketches and sent ideas back and forth through text until we were happy with the final product. My body of work includes a lot of abstract impressionism, so I wanted to include that throughout the painting. You can clearly see the message, but if you look up close you can see a lot of broad, quick brushstrokes very much like impressionism.”

Lauren Zoucha believes the project was a tremendous success stating, “SAGU’s Waxahachie heart couldn’t have turned out any better! I’m so pleased that, through collaboration, we ended up with an excellent representation of our beloved university – a place to grow and to pursue God’s call for your life.”

To learn more about Angela Germany’s photography, click here .

To learn more about the Hachie Hearts, click here .

As a leading Christian university, SAGU educates and prepares individuals who want to serve Christ and others. SAGU helps students discover and develop their God-given callings in a Spirit-empowered, learning community.

We believe in affordable tuition, made possible in part through the financial support of donors who embrace the mission of SAGU and the importance of affordable, accredited programs to train Christians for leadership in ministry, business, education, and service.

Most majors are available in-person in Waxahachie, TX, and online through a wide range of associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.