From Homecoming Crowns to Real Life: 10 Years After College

Lisa Fraze: So as I said earlier we have Mr. Trey and Mrs Abby Dye with us. Please make
them feel welcome.
So they are our 10-year returning homecoming king and queen. Funny enough
they're married so that's fun. So I won't steal any thunder I want you to go
ahead and let me know tell everybody your name and your what your career what you've kind of been doing since you left.
Abby Dye: Hey is this on? Yes okay. My name is
Abby Dye, and I cannot believe it has been 10 years since I graduated LCU.
The 10 years between 22 and 32 hits you so hard, and I did not realize that it would until here I am.
And so Trey and I graduated from LCU.
We met and started dating our freshman year at LCU during Pledge Week or Rush Week.
What is it?
Social Club Week.
And I decided pretty early on, I was like, well, this is it for me.
So I'm good to go and tried to lock him down as soon as possible.
And we dated all throughout LCU.
We got married in 2017 after we graduated.
And we just went to work and enjoyed our time.
We have two little boys.
Sorry, I'm kind of stealing your thunder by introducing yourself.
We have two little boys.
Ford is four years old, and he is so cool.
and then Cash is five months, our little squishy guy.
So we just have a lot of fun with our two boys
and we have one dog, Maverick.
We got him while, no, right after we graduated from LSU.
I'm a lawyer, a very fresh lawyer.
I graduated from Texas Tech Law.
Thank you so much, it was a lot of work.
Thanks.
This is why I needed this today, thank you.
So I, yeah, we had our little boy, Ford, and he was almost one when I started law school,
and he was turned four right after I graduated, so it was pretty crazy.
I took, so I graduated in May at six months pregnant, I took the bar eight months pregnant,
and I say that completely as a flex.
I want you guys to know, I took the bar eight months pregnant, passed it breezy, and, well,
it was still traumatic, but I did it.
I passed and I just started my first law job.
I'm a lawyer at Purdue, Brandon, Fielder, Collins and Mott,
and we do tax collection and foreclosure work.
So if you live in Texas, you will have to pay property taxes.
So we help cities and counties and school districts collect property taxes
so then they can continue to fund the important services that that they run.
So like making sure your toilets flush, your water flows,
that we have police and fire help whenever we have emergencies.
So I'm really passionate about helping the public sector.
And so that is my very recent life update.
So there you go.
That's about me.
Trey Dye: Well, hello.
I'm Trey Dye.
And this is my wife, Abby.
She shared about our family.
Two wonderful boys, Ford and Cash, light of our lives.
Probably the greatest accomplishment in my life to this point and probably will continue to be.
And also, I wanted to say this and get this out here.
Like, how's this dork up here?
How did he become the homecoming king?
Well, look no further than Abby Dye.
I think in large part, I was kind of, she lifted me up.
I joke about it.
She lifted me up to the homecoming king because I was just dating her.
I was just her boyfriend.
And they were like, oh, well, we'll just, you know, we'll fill him in.
So all that to say, guys out here, marry up.
Maybe you can be up here too.
But I work at Tyler Technologies.
It's a software company.
They have multiple locations throughout the United States and Canada, but they do have a location here in Lubbock.
They focus primarily on, funny enough, public sector software.
They're the largest provider of public sector software in the United States.
So public sector being like court software, utility software, financial software, things that service the public sector.
So like local government, municipalities, public safety, things like that.
So that is what Tyler Technologies does, and I work as a quality assurance analyst, QA analyst,
and that's really kind of a fancy word for I'm a software tester.
There is more than just testing, but my day-to-day is a lot of software testing.
I'm primarily a manual tester, so I go through the software and try to use it the way that a user would,
and then more than that, I collaborate with our software engineers and our product team
and try to effectively break what our software engineers put into the code
or confirm what they fixed, the bugs or the new feature enhancements.
So that's what I do.
I've been actually, funny enough, with Tyler Technologies,
I'm going on 10 years.
And this coming June, July,
been with Tyler Technologies longer than I've been married.
I always have to get that.
Yeah, that's it for me.
Lisa Fraze: One of the things I've remembered about y'all and had in the paperwork that y'all turned in is that they were extremely, extremely involved on campus.
I mean, across the board, y'all were involved in many activities.
So tell us about one of the things that you remember when you reflect back on LCU.
What is one of the most things that you're most grateful for from your experience here at LCU?
Abby Dye: Trey was more involved than I was.
And because he was busy a lot with some of his activities he'll talk about.
I was really involved in club and I really really loved being in club my some of my closest friends
and my best friends that I still talk to every single day I met in club not even in the same
club as me I have friends in Kappa I was in CDs thank you so much I was hoping I would do that
and I did not pay them to do that so yeah I joined freshman year and then I was I think the
Merch Director my sophomore year, Vice President, and then President.
Trey was the president of Kononia his senior year, so that was so much fun.
So just doing that, we gave Josh Stephens so much headache,
and I thank him for forgiving us and being gracious with us.
So just so a lot of club activity.
Also, I see Dr. Patty out here.
I did the LCU Washington scholarship and program,
And that was huge for my professional growth.
And just kind of looking forward, whenever I came to LCU, I was a communication major.
And I picked it because it was like I had to take one math class.
And I think Professor Mrs. Sims literally had to walk me through college algebra.
It was so difficult.
And so I really didn't know what I wanted to do.
I was able to get to know Dr. Patty, do the Washington program.
It is one of the best things LCU does, in my opinion, just because I was from a small town.
Lubbock was a big city for me.
And so getting to go live in Washington, D.C. for a semester and work and be a big kid where I had to show up at work before 8 and leave after 5.
And I had to commute like an hour and a half, depending.
That was really transformative for me and made me kind of grow up a little bit and really think seriously about what I would like to do.
So being in club and getting to enjoy CDs, make my best friends, and also getting to
do the Washington program, I'm most grateful for.
Trey Dye: Good answer.
Follow that.
So I guess I'll give just a snapshot of how I was involved on campus a little bit.
I was in Quaternia, president of Quaternia.
I think it was the same thing.
They kind of voted me in because they were like, well, he's dating the CDs president,
so that'll work.
But I did that, which was really fun.
Club was a huge part of my experience here and the relationships that I formed through that.
And then beyond that, I was pretty involved with the music groups here.
Praise Choir all four years and Best Friends all four years.
And then Chamber Singers my senior year.
So that was, of course, a really significant part of my time here.
And it did keep me busy.
And I think it kept me grounded in a lot of ways as well.
But to the question, I think, what am I most grateful for here at LCU?
I'm going to go cliche and say, truthfully, the thing that I'm most grateful for is meeting my wife.
Well, my future wife at the time.
Yeah, I'm just so in awe of her and proud of her and all the work that she does.
And I admire her greatly.
But even beyond that, I would say what I'm most grateful for in that same vein is the relationships that I was able to create and form here at LCU.
A lot of my best friends that I text with or play fantasy football with or talk about, hey, wasn't the Super Bowl ridiculous or whatever, those are my guys that went to LCU with me here.
And it was through choir and through club or through classes that I was able to really form those relationships.
Lisa Fraze: So being involved in all those activities on campus that many years ago, you must have made a ton of memories for those four years.
So can you remember just one memory that you could share that just makes you smile every time you think about it?
Abby Dye: So this one makes me smile a lot.
Dr. Limley, so because I was a communications major, I took a ton of classes with Dr. Limley.
So pretty much I had Dr. Kraft and Dr. Lemley almost exclusively my junior and senior year
because I was communication design. So it was an art focus, but a communication base.
So I was taking almost, you know, just their classes. And so after homecoming, our senior
year where I was crowned queen, Trey was king, you know, I had a one o'clock class. So it's like,
I did that and went and ate lunch at the cafe and then ran over to do, I think it was like
interpersonal communications. And so I walked in and Dr. Lemley and I were chatting. He's like,
congratulations. And he said, did you know the homecoming king? And I was like, what do you
mean? Yeah, I know him. And he was like, well, I saw that he leaned over and kissed you when you
were crowned queen. And I just wanted to make sure you were okay with that. Are you safe?
And so I just thought it was just so funny that he was checking in on me and wanted to make sure that I felt comfortable with this man kissing me on stage.
And it was not graphic by any means.
He kissed me on the cheek.
But it was just so funny.
And I was like, yeah, Dr. Lemley, I know him.
We've been dating for three years at this point.
And so anyway, but we had a good laugh about that.
But I just love that he was checking in on me, making sure I was cool.
But it makes me laugh.
And so, yeah.
Trey Dye: That was a fun one.
Well, I'm going to go in a different direction.
By the way, I pulled up my phone so that I can look at notes
because I have a lot of experience singing in front of people,
but talking in front of people, I get nervous.
So I like to have this to kind of look at and refer to,
so that's why I'm looking at this.
But I'm going to go in a little bit of a different direction here.
It makes me smile now, but at the time, it was really sad for me at the time.
But, of course, I was in Best Friends,
And we were singing in chapel like we do sometimes.
And it was one of the chapels where we were singing some of our songs that we recorded for the album.
And there was actually the album song, Every Good Thing.
And we were up here on stage.
And I remember that morning being back, warming up for it, and not being able to hit, like, the high climax note of the song.
And in my head, I was like, oh, it's good.
You know, once the adrenaline gets running, I get up there, I'll be able to hit it.
well sure enough I came out here you know we go through we do our worship we go through our songs
you know I'm doing pretty fine what I think and then I get to this high note that's at the very
edge of my range and just let out just the most squeaky voice crack that you will ever hear
which you can imagine like it it's kind of nerve-wracking to get up and talk in front of
people sing in front of people but it's it's really nerve-wracking to like fail and have a
voice crack in front of all your peers, hundreds of peers. So needless to say, I mean, and two,
I had to finish out that set. I had a couple other songs where I was singing in, had to kind of shake
it off, finish the set. But we finished up and I just remember being really down on myself,
being kind of depressed about the situation. And, you know, Abby, of course, was consoling me. I
went straight to my dorm room and slept the rest of the day, didn't go to my classes. Sorry,
professors, but I just had to kind of get over that day. But I look back on it now and 10 years
later and A, I can smile about it. It's like, man, that's kind of funny. It's kind of a funny story.
But then two, like just thinking and reflecting on like 10 years ago, a moment like that or other
moments, like maybe I failed a test or even failed a class or had a moment of failure, a moment of
rejection and it felt like my world was ending my world was crashing down and uh now i can look
back 10 years later and say it was just it was a blip on the radar or even more so it was like
a funny story that i can smile about and laugh about um and i just remember remember and what i
what makes me smile is not the failure necessarily but the way that my wife embraced me and loved me
through it and even the the lcu community um you know i was almost expecting like people to ask me
about it be like oh pat me on the back it's okay um but it was just it was life as normal right
like people just loved me and um just supported me regardless and didn't ask me about it which i
think is what i was hoping for and needing at that time but i just love this about that community
Lisa Fraze: So we've talked a lot about the things that you were grateful for for a lot of memories that you
created here. What is one, what is something about LCU that you really fully didn't appreciate
while you were here, but now you are truly, truly taking that to heart now?
Abby Dye: I think that I didn't realize the quality of the education I was getting at the time
because I was like, heck yeah, I'm ready to be out of Farwell, Texas. I'm ready to be hanging
out with friends. And I enjoyed that so much. I enjoyed living in a walkable community where I
could like live and eat and hang out and go to class all in the same area. But the value of the
education I was getting, because whenever I applied to go to law school, having an LCU
undergraduate speaks a lot to the application or acceptance committee. They see that and they know
it's somebody who's going to take it seriously. It's not going to be somebody who fizzles out
and drops out after a year or semester, which really happens a lot in law school. And it's
somebody that they know has integrity.
And so even though I might not have had integrity,
like I feel like now that I do,
I'm more mature now than I was when I first graduated.
Just seeing LCU on my resume and my application,
it means a lot.
And so I appreciate all of you
because you make my degree mean a lot and have value.
And so what you take out into the world
with your LCU diploma, it impacts my diploma too.
And so I guess I didn't realize that as a student
and just the value of the education you get here.
I was talking about my classes with Dr. Lemley.
There was like five people in my class,
and he is an expert, a masterful person at communication, at writing,
and I feel like my writing and communication was,
I mean, you don't get that at Tech.
I love Texas Tech, but you're in huge classes,
and so I would say really invest in those small classes
because you do not get those anywhere else.
Trey Dye: Yeah, that's a great answer.
I'll go on the other side of that, and I think that the educational value was really high here.
As a business major, there were classes that I succeeded in, classes that I failed in, but certainly learned a lot.
But the other side of that coin that I'm going to go with and where my head immediately went was an education that's grounded in Christ and an education that's grounded in faith.
I mean, you know, you've probably heard this and you know this, but you can go and learn about macroeconomics anywhere.
You know, you can go and learn about communications anywhere.
But being able to learn and grow and invest in an environment that not only is trying to teach you those technical things, but also teach you those the soft skills or even the fruits of the spirit and how to have integrity and how to conduct yourself with humility and be a servant leader.
And also just truly being in an environment that is surrounded by Christians.
I mean, everywhere you look is brothers and sisters in Christ.
And that's certainly not the case at other schools, at other universities, but that's also just not the case when you get into the working world.
And there are many great people that are not Christians, but just having those brothers and sisters to lean on and to love and invest in while you're here,
while you're here that's that's really what i i would say valued most about the educational
Lisa Fraze: experience here so the last question i have for y'all is 10 years ago you were sitting in this
same room where they are what is one piece of advice that you would give them as they are going
Abby Dye: through their journey of college um i would say again the 10 years from 22 to 32 is a really big
time in your life and a lot of you will get married a lot of you will start working
professional careers. A lot of you will have failures and heartbreak and things that hurt you
and really wonderful things that happen to you. And this has been one when I saw the question was
like, maybe this is for girls and guys, but marry somebody like your life depends upon it.
Don't take it lightly because that is one of the biggest investments you'll make in your entire
life is marrying someone who has a good head on their shoulders, somebody who is your friend,
But seriously, marry somebody like your life depends upon it because, and I heard that from John Deloney, his podcast, but all of the accomplishments that I have been able to do are built because of Trey and because of the foundation and the support that he has had and the rock he's been in my life.
My walk with Christ is strong because of my husband and because of the work that we do together.
But girls, if he is not nice to you now, he will not be nice to you once you get married or when you're dating.
So run fast and find somebody who will treat you nice.
But seriously, marry somebody who has the same values as you.
Because I've done a lot of stuff in the last 10 years, career-wise, personally, and none of it would have been possible without Trey and without a Christian husband.
So I feel like I'm preaching.
But seriously, it is a big reason that I've been successful in my life is because of Trey.
Trey Dye: Well, thank you, Abby.
I appreciate that.
And the feeling is mutual.
Of course, I appreciate all the sacrifices you make for me and for our boys.
I know you do daily, so I love you.
I had a couple thoughts with this question, and I'll kind of give a twofer answer, I guess.
But my first one, Abby kind of touched on, and I even touched on with kind of my story about, you know, failing what I thought,
failing in the midst of a worship song and thinking that I let myself down or let the community down or anything like that.
but you know and you've heard this and it's almost cliche but don't let your failure and
rejection I mean don't let it define you it certainly doesn't define you in this moment
I think you can just look to the cross for that answer and what does define you but
it most definitely won't define you 10 years from now and again you'll maybe look back at that what
you thought was an abject failure or rejection and laugh it off and just think, oh, wow,
that was silly.
Or, you know, we, of course, can have the mindset that that failure and rejection is
ultimately, you know, God's plan.
And maybe a door is shutting or a door is closing, but another one can open in its stead.
And when I look back in my past 10, not just my past 10 years, but my whole life, some
of the most pivotal moments in my life and that changed the trajectory of my life came through
failure and came through rejection so don't let that get you down and then I wanted to think more
practically about this answer of of something that literally when I was sitting in your shoes I was
like what you know that just kind of was hard for me to think about or comprehend but this is some
more practical advice. So I have been with Tyler Technologies for 10 years. And I actually started
in at Tyler Technologies as an intern through the business department. And I was dragging my feet to
get through this internship. I was like, oh, I got to do an internship. 10 years later, it turned
into a career. So I kind of looked out in that regard, I would say. But what I want to say more
so than that and I've filled different roles at this company but what I want to say is don't worry
about finding the perfect job right out of college I think that's a trap that I fell into and Abby
and many people when they're thinking about the rest of their lives they're like I need to have
the perfect job the rest of my life depends on this I've invested thousands of dollars into this
education but don't worry so much about finding the perfect job I think more than anything
focus on finding like an honest hard-working job surrounded by good people and I would
encourage you if you can maybe even surrounded by faithful people but a hard-working honest job
surrounded by good people and the rest of it will kind of iron itself out and that's not
to dismiss or say that I that don't go pursue your perfect job that's not what I'm saying but
But don't get so hung up on a perfect job that you miss great opportunities and blessings that are in front of you.
Lisa Fraze: Well, thank you so much for being here today.
It's always a blessing to have alums back on campus, but for y'all to come and share with the students is wonderful.
Y'all remember that coronation is tonight, halfway through the men's game at the halftime.
So please be there for that.
And with that, you're dismissed.
applause