A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to do my first sermon at Wednesday Night Worship, which is a student-led ministry that Brayden Conboy and I created in spring 2022. During this service, I talked about “knowing your why.” Here are a few questions I asked.

1. What is your why?
2. What’s your why for doing something you love? ( Sports, Music, Career)
3. What is your why in being a Christian and what is your why in life?

I demonstrated on the piano what knowing your why can prove. With my musical knowledge, I used my left hand as my “what” and my right hand as my “why.” In piano music the left hand is known as the foundation or the block chord. It’s not musical until you add the melody with your right hand which is your why. After putting both hands together, you begin to make music, “when you know your why your what becomes more impactful.” So, when you put the melody with the block chords you get this wonderful sound of music unless you’re playing Franz Liztz atonal music.

Chowan has its cons, but the pros outdo the cons. Chowan University has developed every one of us into the “adult” we are today, an adult who is attending graduate school or beginning a career. Chowan has been a steppingstone for many students. I recently noticed how much I’ve grown as a musician and person because of Chowan University. Chowan is the land of opportunity where your professors and staff become more than educators; they become your mentors and biggest supporters in your field of choice. They celebrate you even when you feel like you didn’t earn it or when you think the award you received is “mid.” They allow you to flourish in your studies.

Even though coming to college was my “what” but my “why” for staying is more impactful. My “why” for  staying involves these three things

1. Friendships that turned into family. High school friendships are great but college friendships are more “impactful” simply because you’re with these people daily and you connect with them like they are your siblings.
2. The open opportunities to be a student leader, which have prepared me for my future in the classroom and in administration.
3. I am a person at Chowan. I have a name, not a number.

Chowan University has given me many titles and names, but my favorite title/name is Dr. Cobb. Even a few professors call me Dr. Cobb. Wherever I go, that title follows me whether that be my friends at East Carolina University School of Music or my peers at the North Carolina Governor’s School East. Being called Dr. Cobb has given me confidence with my musicianship and pedagogy and has encouraged me to actually get the degree to be called Dr. Cobb.

Chowan University is a place where each student can flourish, providing you connections and opportunities for your career. Thank you Chowan University for believing in me even when I had doubts. Thank you Chowan for allowing me to flourish into the person I am today. Thank you Dr. Mary Hellman, Dr. Christopher Cook, and Professor Suzanne Daniel for believing in my musicianship when I didn’t. Thank you Chowan University for giving me friendships that turned into a lifelong family. Thank you to the class of 2024. Remember  “Know your Why to make your WHAT more impactful” Thank you for listening.

First, I want to thank our Lord and Savior for presenting me with this opportunity, because without Him, I am nothing. Second, I want to thank my amazing friends in the front row and personally give thanks to my mother for being there for me at any given moment. Without my mom, I don’t think I’d be here. She has sacrificed so much for me, and I will forever love her endlessly.

When I was asked to give this speech in the fall by Dr. Moore, I was completely shocked. It was truly a humbling moment and I instantly thought, “Why me?” What have I done to earn such an honor? When I first got here in the COVID year of 2020, I was a nobody. I was searching for friends. I came in on scholarship with a shoulder injury. Things to do on campus were limited. I was lost.

Baseball was my identity. I consider myself a hard worker as an athlete. on and off the field, but continuous injuries unfortunately limited my time on that baseball field. It was hard not being able to compete at the level I knew I could compete. So, I lost my identity. I felt lost in the only thing I knew.

2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we are faithless, he still remains faithful—for he cannot disown himself. On both good days and bad, we are called to increase our faith.” But I didn’t have much faith back then.

Chowan changed this for me. I was blessed with godly friends that I will forever love and have a relationship with. Chowan brought us together. I was also blessed with campus ministry opportunities to grow myself and my faith, and I opened that door of opportunities and ran. I joined the worship and praise team. I started to teach myself guitar for fun my freshman year in Parker Hall, but to play in front of people that was something I never thought I could do. But it was something I thought I could grow my faith in. Soon I was standing up on a stage in the chapel leading songs and praising God.

Chowan helped me grow that faith and I will be forever grateful to the University for those things, things that helped me grow my relationship with God. So, I want to challenge you guys in your faith. wherever you may go after today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. God will give you different doors to go through and it will be on you which one it will be. How will you grow your faith in your life?

Our day has arrived. Maybe you have been waiting for this day, or maybe you are not ready to leave Chowan. The real world sounds scary. But God has a plan for all of us. Put your faith in Him in both the good and bad situations and you won’t have to be scared.

Psalm 30:5 says, “Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

Thank you, and Congratulations Class of 2024.

I want to give thanks to my Lord and Savior for allowing me to make it to see this day. I also  want to  thank  President Thomas and Dr. Moore for giving me this opportunity to be one of your commencement speakers. It’s an honor.

Graduating seniors, I want you to turn and look at your neighbor and say, “It’s almost that time.”

Coming into college as a freshman in 2021 I didn’t know that this time would fly by so fast. I was this eager 18-year-old young woman ready to take on the big town of Murfreesboro. And it only took three visits to convince me. What brought me to Chowan was the opportunity to further my basketball career, but little did I know that my time here would be so much bigger than just ball. From the day I committed, God was calling me to this university because he had a plan for me that I hadn’t yet discovered. I am a firm believer that there was a purpose for everyone who was brought to this university. It was no mistake. God had a plan. Now, three years later, as I reflect on my first day at Chowan, I stand  in awe. Who would’ve known these college years would come with so much growth, so many different opportunities, and so many lifelong connections.

I want you to take a moment and think about how far you’ve come at this point in your life. We are all blessed and have so much to be grateful for and if no one has told you thus far, you are an overcomer.

I am going to share with you a reflection of my college journey. My orientation or what we call “SOAR” a few months before school started, I had the chance to meet the SGA president at the time. He had the biggest smile on his face and greeted everyone with the warmest welcome. People always wonder why I smile and start a conversation with every person I run into but that experience gave me the mindset, I have to reciprocate the same energy to my peers around me. From my sophomore year leading to my junior year, I found myself being a part of so many different clubs and organizations because I wanted to make a difference on this campus. To name a few: Campus Ministry, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the Honors College Student Association Executive Committee, Presidential Ambassadors, Chowan Women’s Basketball, the Chowan Christian Service Association, and the Student Government Association.

At the conclusion of my junior year, I had faced so many different obstacles in the classroom, on the court, and in my extracurriculars that I was burnt out. No one knew, but my mental health plummeted rapidly and I found myself in a place of feeling like I didn’t belong at Chowan anymore. At the end of my basketball season that year, I decided to enter the transfer portal in hopes of finding a new school home. Word quickly spread and the pressure of wanting to stay or go became overwhelming. I loved the home that I built here and I didn’t want to leave it. I am a firm believer that with God on your side you cannot fail so I put the decision in his hands. By the end of the summer, I had changed my mind about where I wanted to go three times.

I decided to go to a school in West Virginia in hopes of chasing my basketball dreams. I was a student there for all of a week until things began to unfold. This was God’s biggest sign telling me that I needed to go back to Chowan. It helped me understand how much the school meant to me and played a role in my life. The transition back led me to reach out to my current coach and see if I could run cross country for my senior year. God closed one door but opened up two others. I was asked by my coach and a few other players to join the lacrosse team as well. My initial answer was no because all I’ve ever known since I was four was a basketball and a hoop. I stepped out on faith and decided to join the team. God has brought me far.

I also had the opportunity to work under Chowan Athletics and Admissions. This experience brought me wise words of wisdom, constant moments of laughter, and a Chowan family away from home. This for me was a symbol of new beginnings in a familiar environment that I will forever be grateful for.

At the conclusion of this year, I am thankful to have made it through all of the adversity I faced.

I want to say thank you, Chowan, for not giving me a normal experience, but one that made me a better and stronger person.

I share all of this with you to say that all of the experiences we’ve had at Chowan were by no mistake and are a part of our story. The Chowan experience is something I’m proud of and you should be too. It is up to us to embrace it and know that today marks a milestone for us.

Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

This is what I want to leave with you no matter what life brings be proud of how far you have come. If you are doing what God is calling you to do, just know you will see the product and reap the rewards of your hard work. Today is an example of that. Whatever life after graduation might look like, sit back and remember that God will never fail you. He’s always had a plan for your life. Just stay the course and know greater is he that is in you.

Good evening. I would like to take a brief moment to thank Chowan for giving me the opportunity to speak with you tonight. It means a lot to me.

Through my years here, at Chowan University, I have always been asked a specific question: “Why did you choose Chowan?” While I provided a simple response, it wasn’t the real answer, in part because it took me four years to realize the real reason I chose Chowan. To understand, I need to share with you my pre-Chowan background.

I am a local. I grew up in a small town not far from Murfreesboro. It has a post office, but not a single stoplight. I attended a small private school that, when I graduated, had a total of 130 students from Pre-K through 12th grade. I was in a graduating class of 12 students. During my sophomore year of high school, I found out my mama had Stage 4 Adenocarcinoma. Flash forward to my senior year. I buried my mama before Thanksgiving. My world changed forever.

One question we’re asked throughout our childhood is “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We might have answered that question with “I want to be a teacher,” “an actor,” “a doctor,” or “a professional athlete.” This question gave us as young children the chance to create a life pursuing a goal and chasing a dream. We thought that if we pursued the right things and worked hard enough, we would put ourselves in a good position to make our dreams a reality.

From the moment I first picked up a baseball bat, I knew I wanted to be a professional baseball player when I grew up. I wanted to play in front of tens of thousands of fans at Yankee Stadium, and for so many years I envisioned the indescribable joy I would have when I achieved that dream. That sounded like a dream to many, but to me, it wasn’t. That was my passion, and I really believed playing baseball would be my lifelong identity and purpose in life.

Well, that dream didn’t exactly pan out the way I wanted it to. I’m 24 years old. My teammates call me “Old man,” “Gramps,” “Father Time,” and, yes, my teammates voted me as the “Team Dad.” Thank you guys, it’s an honor. My body also feels like it’s starting to fall apart more and more each year.

So, considering just those things, it’s safe to say that my long-time dream of becoming a professional baseball player will always be just a dream.

As much as the younger “me” would hate that, I have been at peace with that for some time now. Even though I am still trying to figure out what exactly I’m going to do after graduation, I’m at a place in my life where I’m at peace, even in my uncertainty.

Whether you’re graduating from Chowan University today or you’re here in support of a graduate, we all have and will face times of uncertainty.

Graduates, you may be unsure about the next step in life, like what your first job out of college may be. Or you may have a blueprint for the next few years of your life. But it is inevitable that there will be a time in your life where there is a cloud of uncertainty about the next step you should take.

Family, friends, and other guests, you may be fearful about the world your graduate is stepping into. There’s a lot of chaos and uncertainty among us in this world, and it only seems to be getting worse.

Despite this, and even among the uncertainty that exists today in our lives, my time at Chowan University has allowed me to realize one thing that I hope sticks with you.

I have realized that in the midst of our uncertainty, there is only one source of certainty. There is also only one source of true peace. There is only one person that remains constant. There is only one name who will always stand beside us and remain faithful to us even when everyone else in the world turns their back on us. That one source of certainty is Jesus Christ.

God showed me through this realization how important it is to create a foundation and identity centered around Him. Jesus lived a perfect life among sinners, died a death that we deserve, and defeated death by rising from the grave. Not only did God send His son to do that for us, but He has provided us certainty in our lives that if we follow Him, we will live with Him forever in Heaven.

I will admit to the day that I die that I am a broken man, but my time at Chowan will forever be a testament to God’s unwavering faithfulness to me. He has entrusted me with helping lead Christian ministry and a baseball team on this campus for four and a half years. He has provided me with memories that make me emotional (in a good way) even just thinking about them, like dumpster diving at the end of the school year, countless hitting sessions in the batting cages, and the Revival nights where several people gave their life to Christ.

I don’t deserve any of these amazing blessings and memories that I’ve experienced at Chowan, but it is because of God’s mercy and grace that my experience at Chowan has been unforgettable. God gave me a second chance to find what my true identity was. My identity is that I’m a follower of Christ and I will serve Him where He leads.

Paul says in Romans 8:31 “…If God is for us, who can be against us.”

No matter the uncertainty or battles we face in our lives, Class of 2024, we have an all-powerful God that is present in every one of our battles and bigger than any struggle and trial we will ever face. Therefore, I challenge you all to find that source of certainty, truth, and hope because it will bring you an unexplainable peace in the chapters of life yet to come and change your place in eternity.