Walton Kunu

When ambition and conviction conflict, who wins?

Every once in a while, often without warning, we are given a platform. The audience may vary in size, background, or influence, but with that platform often comes the promise of something more: income, prominence, opportunity, or access.

And somewhere along the pursuit of more, we are presented with an opportunity in which its acceptance may force us to compromise.

Sometimes the cost is a relationship, a passion we once cherished, or a conviction we once swore we would never abandon. Most terrifyingly, sometimes the cost is a piece of ourselves.

As I grow older, I find myself increasingly interested in that exchange: How much of what we already have are we willing to surrender for what we do not yet possess?

Scripture poses the question more powerfully than I ever could: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” — Mark 8:36.

It's long been my belief that authenticity meant refusing to change myself simply to fit in. I still believe that. But I now realize that fitting in is only one of the ways we can lose ourselves. We can lose ourselves chasing acceptance, but we can just as easily lose ourselves chasing achievement.

As new platforms and opportunities enter our lives, so will new choices. Not every decision will be easy, and they shouldn't be. Nor do I believe every sacrifice is inherently wrong. But I do trust that each compromise reveals on who the owner becomes. And perhaps, as we inherit greater platforms of our own, the lives we choose to lead will help shape the choices of the only ones that truly matter, the generation that follows.

Major:
Finance

Honors Programs:
Canfield Business Honors Program

Minor: 
Statistics & Data Science

Extracurricular Activities:
CEO & Founder of WhoGotNzxt - Platform which aims to restore equity in sports by providing less fortunate high school athletes with resources such as exposure and recognition to optimize their chances of getting the opportunity to play in college. To this day, WhoGotNzxt has sent multiple high school athletes to college on full-ride athletic scholarships and have boosted the social media followings of our signed athletes immensely.

What drew you to the Forty Acres Scholars Program?
Can I change wording to this: While the Forty Acres Scholars Program intrigued me at first because of the financial burden it would lift while attending the university, I found something even more compelling throughout the application process: a sense of family, connection, and purpose. Being part of such a close group of friends who all have the intent of leaving behind a better world is, to me, one of the greatest experiences a person can have.