All right everyone, let’s head up the hill to the Luce physical activities center and home of Asbury athletics. Student athletes represent one third of the student body and compete in 16 sports, including cheerleading. Let’s meet one of these 360 student athletes, two time captain of the volleyball team, senior Bethany. Bethany is competing athletically on team AU, while also get a world-class education. And as a part of NCAA division three, these athletes are getting quality athletic experiences while also creating margin to be a true student athlete. Bethany, the court is all yours.
– Thanks Alex. Since childhood, sports and a team player identity have been an integral part of my life. When it came to choosing a college, I knew that I wanted to play volleyball and attend a smaller university where I would be personally known. Asbury was the perfect fit for what I loved and wanted to pursue. I feel blessed to be able to compete and represent Christ and Asbury through volleyball. Being an Asbury Eagle has given me a community like none other. On the court and off, leadership is a big part of my story. I represented athletics in Asbury student Congress, served as the president of the student athlete athletic advisory committee, and been voted a captain for two years on the volleyball team. Volleyball at Asbury has also given me the opportunity to give back. In 2019, I fell in love with Puerto Rico on our team’s mission trip and came back to serve people again, two years later. I credit Asbury athletics for these amazing opportunities. And I’m so grateful for the deeply impactful connections that I have made here. Being a part of team AU means being a part of a family. There’s never been a moment where I haven’t felt known by the faculty or other student athletes. This program is about developing team players who embody the light of Christ through their actions on the court and off. Also, athletics is entering into the NCAA division three, and I am ecstatic for our program, faculty and athletes to compete and represent Christ for a new audience. Asbury athletics has blessed me with the amazing opportunities to develop my work ethic, communication, time management, and leadership skills, in addition to empowering me to humbly walk with Christ in my next steps after Asbury. Back to you, Alex!
– Bethany, what a shining example of using your talents, abilities and leadership, all for the glory of Christ. It’s inspiring to hear your story and how Asbury athletics has shepherded a love of serving all over the world. Thanks again, Bethany, and good luck to the volleyball Eagles and all team AU this year.
Okay next we will hear from a graduate student pursuing his MBA and getting real world experience in sport management as a graduate assistant in the athletics department. Colton, who spent three years as a captain on the Asbury baseball team, earning multiple honors over his career, including first team all conference his senior season, will share his story of transformation with us. Let’s meet him at the iconic Hughes auditorium, affectionately known as Chapel. Colton, the floor is all yours.
– Thanks Alex. Hey everyone. I arrived at Asbury over three years ago and I can honestly say these have been the best three years of my life. I came into Wilmore at a challenging point in my life. Transferring from another school, I was struggling to know what my identity actually was. I came to Asbury because it was close to my hometown, but also so I could continue to play baseball, and God ended up using this place to change my life. As soon as I arrived on campus, I began to experience how spiritual life is a priority at Asbury. God began to fill me with chapel messages, three times a week, about who He is and what my identity is in Him. I was also surrounded with people who were showing me love and kindness that reflected more of Him. I was truly cared for and supported by professors, coaches, and staff at Asbury, who were passionate about helping me grow into adulthood, but also to deepen in my faith. God used Asbury to provide me with mentors who would invest in the man that He was calling me to become. Through Bible studies and the other tools, I was surrounded with people showing me what it looked like to live for God. Asbury offers these types of relationships that God can use transform lives. I was also able to be a part of a baseball program, where Christ is honored and reflected, through the way that we compete, but also through powerful relationships. In this past season, we were celebrated as the winningest baseball team in program history. Currently I’m earning an MBA degree, while I get to serve as a graduate assistant in the athletics program. God has used as very in incredible ways to shape my life by drawing me into a relationship with Him. And now I get to watch Him to continue to do this with new students. And He’s allowed me to join in on this work. That’s my story. Back to you, Alex.
– What a powerful story, Colton. Thank you for sharing how spiritual life is a priority at Asbury. And through chapel, mentorship, and group Bible studies, God truly worked in your life. You’re an inspiration and we can’t wait to see what you do with what God has given you. Thanks again.
Okay everyone, now it’s time to meet 2021 graduate, Grace. Grace has a story to share with you about her academic journey and how Asbury professors supported and encouraged her in a successful college career. I can’t wait for you to hear her story. Grace, take it away.
– Thank you, Alex. Hi friends. When I first started looking at colleges, I had no idea what I wanted to study. All I knew is that I wanted an academically rigorous institution with impressively high standards. And that’s exactly what I found at Asbury. The benefit of small classes meant I was quickly seen and known by my professors. At AU, your academic journey is highly personalized, based on your deepest passions and skillset. My double major of English and art and design put me in the cross hairs of some of Asbury’s finest, who became mentors on more than just academics. From the moment I stepped on campus, I was given opportunities to grow my capacity for leadership and learning, out of which I also made some of my dearest friends. From joining our scholar leaders forum, which included monthly dinners in my professor’s homes , to joining academic clubs, taking travel courses, like the one I took to Chicago to study urban sociology, to becoming an ambassador for the institution and signing on as a teaching assistant. After the COVID-19 pandemic shifted my plans to study abroad in Savia, Spain, I started on a year long independent research project with my art history professor. She was there every step of the way, with weekly meetings to discuss how my research would culminate in a senior project in partnership with Asbury Search symposium, a showcase and competition of student research. It’s a program unlike any other in the country, where students on projects that make us ask big questions and propel us to seek new possibilities. I created an original series of art events for our campus community that provided me with invaluable curatorial practice. After installing a temporary art exhibit in our student center by world renowned artist Steve Prince, we built a panel discussion and artists workshop with Steve as a guest of our campus, to promote and celebrate fine arts scholarship at Asbury. Asbury University has prepared me in extraordinary ways for my professional pursuits. Not only has this place strengthened my resolve to be a lifelong learner in a variety of disciplines, but it’s also provided me with real world connections and experience as I launch into this next phase of my life. And I know that my professors will continue to be mentors and friends as they push me to be my very best self. Just a piece of my story. Back to you, Alex.
– What an inspiring story of adaptability and perseverance Grace. The way you were able to shift your outcomes for good, even in the midst of a global pandemic, is inspiring. And the support you received from your professors and mentors is so encouraging. Thank you again for sharing your story.
Next, Miguel will tell us about this heavily campus A garden oasis with a great location around the corner from New York City, we’re gonna meet up with him at the Center for Recreation & Sports. Miguel is a mover and a shaker in this vibrant campus community. Trust me, you’re gonna love his story. Miguel, please take it away.
– Hey Alex, it’s Miguel. I grew up in a community where I thought that there weren’t many people like me. I thought that the struggles that I had were rare. But when it came to Adelphi, I realized that that wasn’t true. I found that there were so many students who shared similar experiences as me. And those experiences propelled me to be a bilingual tour guide for Adelphi University admissions. I’m now giving tours in English and Español. Today, I’m a peer mentor up to 25 students, and member of the Student Activities Board, and I participate in clubs that raise awareness for social justice and environmental issues. I can walk five minutes to the train station, and it’s less than an hour to the greatest city in the world. New York city, Manhattan, Dumbo, the Brooklyn bridge, they’re my Instagram walls. And they’re right around the corner. When I give a tour, some of my favorite places on campus are the beautiful flagpole lawn, the renovated Ruth S. Harley University Center, we call it The UC, and the Adelphi Panther, where students like to pose on graduation day. The little adopt by bunnies run right across the pathways during my tours. The Levermore Global Scholars program has inspired me as a leader, a student, and a future educator. I was also awarded the Newman Civic Fellowship last year. We were brainstorming ideas on how we can implement programs that can make a big difference on a global, and a local scale. Like sending care packages to families displaced by natural disasters. Just being here and having the opportunity to get a college education is a dream that my parents had for me, and that I had for myself. It’s important to think about ways that you can help build a community and support each other. That’s all for me. What’s next, Alex?
– Miguel, thanks for showing us around. It sounds like you’re already on your way and Adelphi’s amazing location is helping you get there faster. We look forward to seeing you on campus, dodging bunnies, or on the Long Island railroad, headed to your next Brooklyn adventure, Take care Miguel.