If I had to put my four years here at John Brown University into words, it would be that I have grown to love it.
I made my decision to come to JBU and play basketball because it was the best financial situation for my family. I wasn't raised in a home where we went to church or prayed before every meal, or even before bed for that matter. My family believed in God, but that's about the extent of our spiritual life. As a result, the Christian foundation of JBU wasn't a deciding factor for me. It was actually something that made me hesitant to come. Little did I know that attending John Brown would be the best decision I've ever made as a student, athlete and person.
Four years have passed since I signed my Letter of Intent, and I can honestly say that this place has never felt more like home. There's an atmosphere of joy, love and family that roams around campus. And I'm extremely grateful for all my teammates, friends, classmates, professors and coaches that have been a part of my journey.
The relationships that I have been able to build will last a lifetime. One of them being with my head coach, Jeff Soderquist. Coach Soderquist (aka Coach Soda) has always made an effort to be involved in my life. In every single of our one-on-one meetings, the first thing he would ask me was something about my family. Then we talked about school and my grades. Lastly, we talked about basketball. If you aren't aware, this sort of relationship is extremely rare at the college level. Usually, the only thing coaches are worried about is basketball. Not here. I've built a relationship strong enough with Coach Soda that I can open up to him about any aspect of my life and he will be there to listen with open arms. I've undoubtedly gained a second dad.
Coach Soda has consistently expressed to his players that earning an education is the overall goal. He's always reminded us that we are here for the education, and it's his job to help us succeed using basketball to find that success. He's not worried about simply getting the GPA required to be eligible, instead, he wants us to succeed in school so we can thrive in the real world.
Graduation has always been my priority as a student-athlete, but it hasn't always been an easy ride. One of the hardest things I've ever done is completing my student teaching this past year. Apparently, out of Coach Soda's 21 years as the head coach here, I will be his first player majoring in Education to graduate on time. Everyone else has had to come back for an extra semester to complete their student teaching. This was new for coach, along with the Education Department. I was the guinea pig to see if this was even doable. Both programs had to give a little in order for this experiment to be successful. This meant lifting after practice on my own, coming in Friday afternoon for med balls when everyone else was done for the week and cutting out one-on-one meetings with Coach. The fact that I was able to complete the most stressful part of an education major's college career in the middle of my season, says a lot about this place.
As basketball student-athletes, we're consistently torn between finishing an assignment or getting extra shots up in the gym. We want to be the best so badly that we sometimes get distracted from what's really important. That's when we realize how lucky we are to have people in our lives, like Coach Soda and Coach E, to remind us that our education is our future - basketball is just temporary.
When I look back at my amazing athletic career, I've had many joyful moments. Two of the most memorable include making it to the Sweet Sixteen of the National Championships my junior year, and finishing with the second-most assists in program history. These are two memories that I wouldn't have without my teammates. All four years have consisted of very different teams, but I am extremely grateful for every single girl I've had the pleasure to share this experience with.
Fast forward to today. My spiritual life is on an upward climb. The past four years of my life have definitely been a learning experience. I've experienced the highest of the highs and some of the lowest of the lows. But through these hard times, I've had no choice but to lean on God and trust the fact that he has a plan for my life. When I look back at where I began spiritually to where I am today, I can't help but thank JBU and every person who has influenced me to pursue God.
Being a Golden Eagle has taught me almost every life lesson you could imagine; but most importantly, it taught me how to be successful once that ball stops bouncing.
And for that, I will forever be grateful.
Kimmy will graduate May 5 as an elementary education major. She will either stay in Northwest Arkansas or return home to Springfield, Mo. and begin teaching the next generation.
