Impact

“It is said that every man must leave home at one time or another to realize and fulfil his potential. He must leave his familiar beginnings and start anew, create something tangible and leave a legacy. While the road ahead may be dangerous, lonely and scary, nevertheless it is a road that must be traversed. From Moses, Abraham, Buddha, and the Prophet Muhammed, to great leaders we admire such as Alexander the Great, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr and John F. Kennedy. These men are just a few of the many who have left their homes in search of meaning, to fight for what they believed in and to leave a legacy. My journey to becoming a man began on January 1st, 2018 when I decided I would rescind an offer from one of the most respected law schools in the world University of Cape Town Law 2 weeks before class began. Instead, I would spend the next three months emailing soccer coaches across the country, training by myself and doing whatever I could to attend College in this great Country. Eventually I received an offer from Bethel University on condition that I would train with a semi-professional team which was located 2 hours from my home five days a week as well as Passing my SAT exam. I accepted the offer and for three months took a bus to and from training every day. During my commute, I would study for my SAT exams. Shortly after I passed the exam, arrived in the USA and my Journey was in full swing. I was one of three freshmen out of twelve that broke into the Varsity squad and although things were not easy, I made some progress and earned the respect of my peers and coaches. However, this was short lived, a freak injury would leave me with a cracked patella, torn knee cartilage that would sideline me for that season and the next upcoming one. It was at that point that I decided to follow my instinct and transfer to a new place. Tennesse had become a wonderful home for me where friends became family and I had achieved so much in so little time. However, it was time to move on, and I had schools in Boston Massachusetts and Atlanta Georgia vying for me. However, Eastern Illinois University instantly caught my attention. After a call with Krishna Thomas- International Admissions Coordinator, I instantly knew that EIU was the place for me. I felt special, I felt needed, I would not just be another statistic to bolster the image of the College but rather I would be a valued member not just of EIU, but of Charleston. I would be part of a community of like-minded, ambitious people who wanted to grow and reap the rewards of their labor. Having affordable tuition fees makes this possible because I am not spending all my time working to pay off my tuition, but rather I am able to partake in extracurricular activities that I otherwise would not have been able to if I attended an expensive college because all that free time would be spend working. I can confidently say that coming to EIU was one of my best decisions yet and since my arrival here in 2019 I have also managed to get my cousin and a close friend of mine from Zimbabwe to join me. EIU will continue to grow, and it is because of the generosity of people like you that allow this fine establishment to flourish. EIU is the steppingstone for our great legacies.”

Tadiwanashe Mhinga
Business Analytics Major