Everywhere they go, LU students are ambassadors, carrying the Liberty name near and far as they reflect their school’s mission. They’re starting early, too — they aren’t waiting until they graduate to spread the word about the many ways a quality education from the world’s premier Christian university is impacting their lives.
Read how students are making Liberty proud as they represent their school.
SOCCER AND STUDIES
Coy Craft
After playing professional soccer for several years, incoming residential student Coy Craft is ready to enjoy being what he calls “a normal college kid.”
Raised in Southwest Virginia, Craft began playing soccer at an early age and quickly fell in love with the sport.
“It was a long journey,” he said. “I started out with a system called ODP (Olympic Development Program) for young soccer players.”
At age 16, Craft made the national team and signed with FC Dallas. While playing soccer, he finished his high school studies through Liberty University Online Academy (LUOA), a fully accredited online program for K-12 students.
“I immediately started doing LUOA dual enrollment; I could finish high school and work toward my college degree at Liberty,” Craft said. “Once I graduated from high school, I continued studying through Liberty’s online program and I’m pursuing a finance degree. I had a grant from the MLS (Major League Soccer) that I could use to pay for my school online while I played.”
Moving to Lynchburg seemed like a natural fit for Craft. Not only could he return to his home state, but he could be closer to his family, including a brother who is also a Liberty student.
“It’s just a very unique place,” Craft said of Liberty. “I love the fact that it’s an entire school of like-minded individuals who share the same values. I love that they integrate that into the curriculum. Events like Convocation, with the speakers Liberty brings in and the experiences that are available to students, make it a special place.”
ON THE NEWS
Rising junior Ashley Singleton, a communication student and a Liberty cheerleader, did an impromptu interview on Fox & Friends with President Jerry Falwell on March 26. They responded to backlash from some media outlets after the men’s basketball team made history by winning the school’s first NCAA tournament game. SB Nation called out Liberty as one of two schools on an anti-LGBTQ “shame list,” and an NBC Sports writer tweeted about not celebrating Liberty because of an LGBT “history.”
But Singleton said Liberty is not the picture those outlets had painted.
“Unfortunately, I was not surprised by the backlash that we received because I feel like it’s almost a constant thing, but I do know we have a lot of people who support us and are here for us,” she said during the interview. “And I think for the people who are constantly coming at Liberty, they really just need to come and see what Liberty is all about. I think they get all these preconceived notions that aren’t true, such as how strict our rules are and stuff like that, but they haven’t experienced the love here and the incredible atmosphere at Liberty.”
STAR ROLE
Rising sophomore Caroline Falwell recently made her acting debut starring in a new commercial for Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, Calif., one of the largest K-12 schools in the country and a popular choice among Hollywood’s elite. Liberty parent Shelene Bryan, who serves on the board of the school, noticed Caroline during a visit to campus with Candace Cameron Bure. Bryan decided that Caroline would be perfect for the role, noting that young people without prior acting training or experience are often more authentic in their roles.
After submitting a video and headshots, Caroline was chosen from a field of about 200 candidates and flew to Los Angeles to spend the day filming on set with a major production company. The commercial was unveiled at a fundraising gala for Oaks Christian School, which was held at the Reagan Library and attended by George and Laura Bush.
