In 1984, God blessed me to graduate from the University of Florida. It’s been 40 years since I’ve had a “Back to Campus” experience. However, those experiences from four decades ago continue to impact the way in which I go about my current ministerial role as executive director of BGAV.

There are three things I’ve learned from some of my back-to-campus experiences that I hope will serve as words of encouragement and empowerment for college students as they prepare for a new school year:

Stay the course.
Life happens.
People are counting on you.

I spent five years at the University of Florida. Every summer, my parents required me to get a job to help pay my tuition. I worked two summers at McDonald’s and two summers for a local building contractor.

Those jobs taught me the importance of staying the course by finishing college. I did not want to spend the rest of my life working at McDonald’s or for a construction company. I knew God had a plan for me, and that made my college years joyous.

So much happened during my college years, some of which was traumatic. When I was home during one of my summer breaks, a childhood friend drowned while fishing on a lake in a small boat.

I could not wait to get back to campus—to get away from the trauma. But when I returned, I learned that one of my gospel choir mates wasn’t coming back. He had accidentally drowned while swimming at the beach.  

I am a living example of how God gives us strength to overcome, even when “life happens.” Life can cause a lot of pain, especially in the tragic loss of loved ones to accidental death. But God provides a sense of healing, even in our most painful moments.

Coming back to campus signifies progress. Each time you come back to campus after a break, you are getting closer to fulfilling your dreams. And people are counting on you to fulfill your dream of graduating from college.

I was the first person in my immediate family to graduate from a four-year university, so everyone in my entire family celebrated. The rippling effect of my accomplishments 40 years ago still serves as a beacon of achievement not only for my children, but for the generations to come.

Recently my wife, two daughters, granddaughter, and I traveled to my hometown to visit my ailing father. As we entered my childhood home, right there in front of us, hanging on the wall in the foyer, was my college diploma. To God be the praise. I shared with my granddaughter how dreams do come true.

So stay the course. Understand that life happens. And know that people are counting on you. Most of all, never forget that God has a plan for your life and will use you to accomplish greater things for his Kingdom.