This journey was anything but a straight line… Coming out of high school, my path was already being tested. I fought a battle with cancer that forced me to find a strength I didn’t know I had. Coming out of that, I put everything into the game, but when the football plan didn’t pan out, I had to choose: quit on myself or find a new way to fight. I chose to fight. I found my way to NDC and discovered a new brotherhood in Rugby, but behind the scenes, things were heavy. I was navigating a school closure that hadn’t even been made public yet, and at the same time, I was seriously struggling with my mental health. It was a breaking point. I had to take a stand for myself, protect my peace, and trust that God had a better landing spot for me. Every setback was just a setup for ECU. East Carolina didn’t just give me a degree—it gave me a calling. To my peers in the School of Social Work: thank you for the late nights and the shared passion for advocacy. To ecumensrugby : thank you for being ...