Before the Tassel Turns

Josh Stephens: you. How's everybody doing today? All right. Well, you're in for a treat because we have six
students who will be graduating here shortly, who are here to share some about their LCU experience,
some about what words of advice or wisdom they would give to you. And so I'm going to go ahead
and get us started. Jaylen, we're going to start with you and we'll work our way down. Just share
your name, maybe where you're from, and what degree you're graduating with.
Jalen Nettles: How you guys doing? If you don't know me, my name is Jalen
Nettles. I'm originally from Little Rock, Arkansas. Can we just
clap it up for that? You might not know anybody from Arkansas. Can we just clap it up for that, right?
I might be the first LCU grad from Arkansas. Who knows?
But I'm originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and I am graduating with
my finance degree. Amen.
Lillian Bickley: Hi, I'm Lily Bickley. I'm from Fort Worth, Texas, and I'm graduating with my biology pre-med degree, so I'm going to medical school.
Payton Murray: My name is Payton Murray. I am a senior business marketing major. I'm from Holiday, Texas.
Are we doing future plans? I don't have any, so freshmen, it's okay not to know.
Dalton Yeoman: Hi, I am Dalton Yeoman. I am from Lubbock, Texas, and I will be graduating with a youth and family ministry degree.
Martie McCoy: Hi, I'm Martie McCoy. I'm from Munster, Texas, and I'm graduating with a humanities pre-law degree, and I'll be attending law school next fall.
Louis Herrera: Hi, my name is Louis Herrera.
I'm from Roseville, Texas, and I'm graduating with my degree in secondary education.
Awesome, let's give it up one more time for our six panelists.
Josh Stephens: We're very proud of them.
The first question, we'll start with you, Jalen, we'll go down the row, is if you could
go back to your freshman self, what words of wisdom would you speak into that, like
to yourself as a freshman student?
Jalen Nettles: Yeah, thank you for that.
I think I would tell myself to surrender.
I think my entire testimony of coming to Christ is the Lord beckoning on me to just give my life to him, right?
And so I would tell my freshman self, surrender your identity.
Surrender your insecurities.
Surrender the vision that you have for yourself.
Because I thought I was coming to Lubbock to play basketball and do all the other things.
But the Lord was really sending me to Lubbock to encounter me, to transform me.
And so I would tell myself and really any other person that is here, like, fully surrender and submit everything to the Lord and watch what he does with it.
And so that would be my word to myself.
Josh Stephens: Yeah, I love that, and I appreciate your willingness to be vulnerable and to talk about, like, this whole experience.
Sometimes we do find our identity in other things, what we do, what we're majoring in, who we know.
But the fact of just surrendering and being a child of God is probably the most important thing you've learned during your four years here.
So I appreciate you saying that.
Lily.
Lillian Bickley: I would definitely say to get involved early.
Those of you who know me well know that my fall of my freshman year was honestly terrible.
And it was because I didn't really know who I was or where I was going.
And I think LSU is such a special place that no matter what, every single person in every organization, leadership role, staff, student, care so deeply about you and your well-being.
And I think that I just wish that I had gotten involved in, like, smaller communities earlier because trying to force yourself into one box or one category, kind of how he was talking about when I came here, I was like, I'm a volleyball player and that's it.
And that's me.
And so when volleyball wasn't going well, I was like, well, actually, I don't even know anything about myself.
So I think definitely getting involved early.
Like, find your role in so many different places.
You don't have to just stick to one thing, one identity.
Don't just say, I'm in a social club and that's enough for me, or I'm in this organization, I work this job.
Try everything.
Ask that professor questions about class and stay after and make connections because those are the people who will keep supporting you throughout your life.
And I know I've had the most amazing support from every single person at LCU and every single organization, but don't wait to join.
Don't wait to reach out.
Start early, and if it isn't for you, you don't have to continue.
But you'll never regret joining and leaving the way you would regret never joining in the first place.
Josh Stephens: That's really good advice.
And it's important to note, like, especially when you're a student athlete, you kind of have instant community with your team.
And that's good.
We want to lean into that.
But what made you kind of say, you know what, I want more than just that.
Like, I want to step out a little bit and connect with other people.
What was it that kind of pushed you to find something more than just identity in your sport?
Lillian Bickley: Well, I definitely think it was that our community in volleyball, our freshman year, was really a different dynamic than it is now.
And I just kind of realized that, like, I had my close friends, but I didn't feel like I wanted to fully identify myself in one group.
Because I made friends in classes who did really cool things.
My RA was the reason that I rushed.
And I think definitely just talking to people who weren't athletes and they were involved in so many more things than just simply one thing was really interesting and showed me that, like, my identity is more than just my sport, my performance in that sport, or anything like that.
Josh Stephens: That's awesome. I appreciate that.
Payton.
Payton Murray: So I wrote it down because I feel like I have a lot to tell my freshman self just because LCU has been so transformative for me.
So I would tell my freshman self to embrace the transition.
When you arrive, it's so easy to hold on to your identity from high school or your home.
And I don't know how y'all were identified in high school, but I wasn't the best version of myself.
And so I knew that coming to college, it was time to redefine who I wanted to be and who I was outside of my hometown and my previous accomplishments.
And I think that that's so cool and what LSU gives you the opportunity to do, whether you're from Lubbock or from Little Rock, Arkansas.
all, you have the opportunity to be the person that you're called to be and the person that you
want to be in a sense. And if you messed up your freshman year from someone that messed up,
summer break is a long enough time that you can reset sophomore year and redefine yourself. You
can restart junior year and redefine yourself. You can restart senior year and define yourself. But
definitely that. And I'd also encourage myself to be more present in the small moments,
like the late night study sessions in the library or just the walks across campus
because honestly the time from orientation to graduation moves so much faster than you think
and also like Lily said get involved it's so fun to have so many different friends in different
stages whether that is a sport or intramurals which I got the opportunity to dip into this
last semester, which was so cool, whether that's social clubs, academic clubs, groups, whatever.
And then also don't be afraid to ask for help. I think that's so vulnerable because I think
18 years old, you're supposed to be considered an adult, but I think college is the time to still
be a kid and do the silly things and ask for help because the faculty here truly wants to see you succeed not only as a student, but also as a person.
Josh Stephens: That's really good. You mentioned asking
for help, which can be really hard. Who are some of the faculty or staff on this campus that
you went to that kind of walked with you during this journey of yours?
Payton Murray: So I changed my major my sophomore year, and so Professor Allen definitely helped me in that aspect, and it was so hard to
tell him because he was such an amazing professor that I was going to switch from criminal justice
to business on a whim, but he's definitely someone. Aubriana, I know she stretched so thin, but she's
amazing and if you have the opportunity to just have coffee or go on a walk with her your life
will be changed for the better she's the reason that i pray for yellow butterflies now and i've
started to pray for yellow butterflies for other people josh is a great mentor i know that being
dean of students you get kind of scared because that is a scary title but as someone that's gone
in trouble from him um he really does not hold anything against you and does want to see you
grow as a person and then in my new business realm Dr. Burton if you don't know Dr. Burton
definitely get to know her she cares a lot a student athlete she was a student athlete and so
she knows both sides of that she's the reason that we're going to Europe so those are just a
few of mine but I seriously think every single major has amazing professors that really do care about you
Josh Stephens: yeah thank you for that and I do I know that all of you have been impacted by the faculty
and staff here at LCU, which is something we take great pride in, getting to walk with you in that
journey. That's a blessing for us too, so thank you for that. Okay, Dalton.
Dalton Yeoman: For me, it's embrace the change. There's going to be a lot of change that happens. I came into college thinking I'm
going to run track, I'm going to get my degree and be done with this place, and that definitely did
not happen. For anybody that knows, I had a big change in my life that affected the way that I
can live. I got diagnosed with meningitis in West Nile back in junior year, and so that had to like
reset my entire life on how I live, how I enjoy life, and so embrace that change. It's going to
be difficult. It's not the way you expect it to be, but that change is what actually allows you to grow and allows you to grow closer to God.
Josh Stephens: Dalton, that's a really mature response to ask
people, encourage people to lean into embracing that change. What are a few brief things you can
and share, like, how did you do that?
Tell us how you did that.
Dalton Yeoman: A lot of the things that I did, a lot of it was asking for help.
It was talking to professors and just being honest with the people that are around you
and being honest with yourself, saying, okay, this is a change, this is happening,
and just saying, I'm going to be vulnerable in this moment
and say my life is different than I was, and I'm struggling with that.
Saying that I'm struggling is hard to say to professors,
but they show you so much grace,
And they're the reason that, like, I got through that entire year.
Josh Stephens: That's awesome.
Thank you for sharing.
Martie.
Martie McCoy: I would tell my freshman self to, you know, set goals and to have things to look forward to that you want to do,
but to not be so set in the ways that you think those things are going to happen.
I believe this is a place that whatever you put into it, you're going to get out of it.
and I feel like I almost closed myself out of options that I didn't even know were there
because I was just, I had this idea of things in my head.
And I hope all of us speaking has been such an encouragement to y'all
because not one of us has gone up here and said,
I was going to do this and it's exactly the way that it turned out.
I mean, you just have to be open to the fact that, yes, you can want these great things
and that ultimately you can reach those goals, but there's so much that can happen
for the better and you're not always going to know those things so i think i would tell myself
to be okay not knowing to let things happen to you and not always make things happen
um and just not to be so focused on the end goal or the end result but to kind of like
payton said see those little things and be a part of it all instead of that being your only thing
Josh Stephens: and you obviously excelled academically but as a member of the the Lady Chap basketball team
I also know that some things happened physically that you went through some a time of injury
how did you lean into the change because sometimes change is our own choice sometimes
change is forced upon us how'd you lean into the change after that injury
Martie McCoy: absolutely that was definitely the case for myself as far as change was forced upon me, but I am so grateful, as crazy
as that sounds. I wouldn't wish injury on anybody, but I'm so grateful for that time because it forced
me to find who I was and what I was besides basketball, besides, you know, just a student.
I leaned into that, honestly, like Jalen said, by surrendering to God and to relying on other
people. It was so obvious that that journey was something that I could not do by myself.
And it was very humbling to have to ask other people for things. But I think in the end,
that was just something that needed to happen in order for me to learn to be successful and
to connect and to communicate with other people. So I leaned into it by leaning on others.
Josh Stephens: Thank you for sharing. I appreciate that. Louis.
Louis Herrera: So I think, like, definitely the advice I would give my freshman self is understand you are where you're supposed to be.
Don't rush it.
Don't try to slow it down.
There's a plan put in place for you.
You don't realize it yet, but wherever you go, you're there for a reason.
I remember freshman me trying to go 100 miles an hour, you know, get my associates, transfer out to LCU, get done with school as fast as possible.
And it stressed me out a lot.
There's a lot of late nights wondering if I'm where I need to be, and that shouldn't have been the case at all.
So definitely just take a step back, take a breath, and understand you were here for a reason.
If college was easy, everybody would do it.
Josh Stephens: And, Louis, you are here for a reason.
So tell us, like, when did you realize, like, you know what?
I am where I'm supposed to be.
This is my place.
This is my major.
These are my faculty.
These are my friends.
When was that moment for you that you realized that you were in the right place?
Louis Herrera: So if y'all don't know about the College of Education, we do this thing called Triple T, where it's just an event for all of us just to gather and kind of just reset and enjoy, you know, fellowship together and relax.
And that very first one, you know, because I transferred in from South Plains College, but that very first one, I was like, this doesn't feel right.
I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb, but I was really welcome with open arms.
They really embraced me as a transfer and just as a person in general.
And definitely in that moment, I was like, this is the place.
Josh Stephens: Awesome. Good.
We're going to start this next question with you, Louis.
Briefly, tell us, like, what's one piece of advice?
Because in this audience, we have some who are graduating.
We have some who are finishing their freshman year.
And then we have those in the middle who are just living life.
What's one brief piece of advice that you would give this audience?
Louis Herrera: It's honestly some advice I got this year, too, before the semester started.
And it's just keep showing up.
You're going to have your good days and your bad days.
Some may be worse than others, but keep showing up.
Tomorrow's a new day to restart fresh and just keep on rolling.
And that's for any, from freshmen all the way up to your professors, you know, we're all human.
And it's not always going to be sunshine and rainbows.
And that's okay.
Just keep showing up.
Josh Stephens: Martie.
Martie McCoy: I'd also say mine, something that just became a focus of mine this year is just to be where your feet are.
To be present in the moments.
To take the experiences as they come.
And to know that where you're at is where you're supposed to be.
and that you're grounded and your faith is going to take you into so many places.
So let that change happen.
Josh Stephens: That's great. Dalton?
Dalton Yeoman: I would say don't be so focused on the leaf in the midst of a forest
because there are times we get so focused on this one test, this one greed,
and in reality, if we take a step back to look at the whole forest,
that one test won't matter.
That one small assignment is not going to matter in the big scheme of things.
Josh Stephens: Great. Payton?
Payton Murray: My biggest advice would be to invest in your community.
I feel like LCU is such a unique place and you're just surrounded by people that care
about your spiritual and professional growth.
So whether that's like a campus organization, an athletic team, a job, or anything in between,
I think find a way to contribute and be a leader because your small moments that you
feel like don't matter at all can have a huge impact on someone else.
So yeah.
Josh Stephens: Thank you for sharing.
Lily.
Lillian Bickley: I would just say to remember that your identity is in Christ and Christ alone, because it's
the only thing that you have in common with every single person on this planet.
And it's the only thing that will never fail you.
Because if you kind of, I was talking about earlier, if you try to identify yourself by
the job that you have, the relationship that you're in, this position that you have, those
are temporary.
And if you lose that job or lose that person, you won't know who you are.
You won't have that identity.
But if you stake yourself and your identity in Christ, he's never going to fail you.
He's never going to leave you.
He's never going to give up on you.
And that, I think, is really what has made me figure out who I am as a person.
And I hope that that would help you all as well.
Josh Stephens: Thank you.
Jalen.
Jalen Nettles: I kind of want to bite off her and what she said a little bit because she spoke about having your identity rooted in Christ.
The way that you are able to do that is through intimacy.
So I would tell every person here at LCU, get a true, real, honest relationship with the Lord and grow intimacy with him and allow your life to flow from the secret place.
Like I would beckon on everybody to not go through the religious activities because we're at LCU and we're at a Christian school.
But you can be in religion and do the acts and the works but not actually have a true relationship with Jesus.
And you've missed the entire point of the cross and his blood and his body.
And so I would say grow an intimate relationship with him.
Have a secret place, have a prayer life, and just watch what the Lord does through it.
Josh Stephens: I love that.
Thank you.
Last question.
We'll start with Jalen.
We'll go down.
Kind of what is one word that kind of wraps up your LCU experience?
Give us one word.
Jalen Nettles: Transformative.
Lillian Bickley: I would say fulfilling.
Payton Murray: I would say fruitful in the sense that, like, I think I came freshman year
and my garden was empty, and now it's full of all the fruits of the spirit,
friendships, and such like that.
Dalton Yeoman: I would say compassion from professors having compassion on me and just having friends also.
Martie McCoy: I would say a blessing.
I think that speaks for itself.
Louis Herrera: I would probably say growth.
From freshman year to now, I'm a whole different person in all the right ways.
Josh Stephens: That's awesome.
Ben, can we get the lights on real quick?
Real quick, let's go ahead and give a round of applause for our panelists up here.
They did a great job.
If you're a graduating senior, would you stand right now so we can recognize you in chapel?
If you're graduating, would you stand for us real quick?
We're very proud of you and grateful for you.
Right there, you can see a slide next Tuesday.
Next week, Dr. Fraze is going to be interviewing some graduating seniors.
Tuesday after chapel, we're going to have a time to celebrate this rite of passage,
celebrate the time and effort and energy you put into graduating.
And so we're going to ask all of our seniors to scan the QR code to RSVP for the mile marker
one celebration being put on by the provost's office.
And then it's going to be a time with faculty and staff where we can just high five you,
encourage you as you finish the year strong, and celebrate this wonderful accomplishment.
Guys, we know you've got a lot on your plates right now.
There's a lot going on with school, so lean into that.
Lean into your professors.
Be present like they encouraged you to be, and you guys have a great day.
You're dismissed.
Thank you.