Happy to be part of the JBU family
I never had an official campus tour or visit before coming to JBU; in fact, I had never even heard of Siloam Springs or even Arkansas until I was offered a scholarship to play basketball here.
I had no idea where I was going or what I was getting into, as I had never been outside my country of Jamaica before. I had never lived more than an hour away from my family. Facing the biggest move of my entire life, I was nervous, scared and happy at the same time — I’ve always dreamed of playing basketball in the United States but never thought it would be so hard to leave home. I still remember the night Coach Beschta and Coach Beard picked me up from the airport and how welcome they made me feel.
Overall, playing basketball at John Brown has been a struggle for me with a couple season-ending injuries, but despite that, the relationships that I have built while at JBU can never be taken away from me. The support from the staff and community made me feel at home, and I’m happy that I was able to be a part of the JBU family. As a studentathlete, it is assumed that all we focus on is our respective sports, and not our studies or anything else. But JBU has made it very clear from the start that this is more than just basketball — our academics are just as important as winning games.
I have grown into a better man through the guidance of my coaches and support from my teammates. Being a student-athlete is very difficult and can be really stressful, especially when we have to miss a lot of class time. Thankfully, our professors are very understanding and help us in making sure that we get assignments turned in before we leave for games, or the opportunity to make up exams that may have been missed due to travel. Our coaches also do a great job of making sure that we have everything we need to succeed, whether its books, our Sunday evening team study hall sessions or extra study halls while we are on the road.
I have had the opportunity to represent JBU all over the country and I’m very grateful that I was able to do it — my team, my family, and representing the Golden Eagle is something I wouldn’t trade for anything else.
JBU equipped me with the necessary tools to succeed in the world after graduation, and I’m happy to be a part of the JBU family. I’m thankful that God provided this opportunity because I know that without His plans for me, I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet teammates, classmates and coaches, extending all the way to the greater JBU community.
— Dwayne Hart will graduate this spring, majoring in construction management. He will then pursue employment in the construction industry. The opinions expressed are those of the author.