Dee Friesen | Arts + Life Editor

De’Vaughn Morris
Year: Jr.
Major: Digital Media major/Japanese minor
Involved with: Anime & Gaming Society (President)
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Mikayla Kobs
Year: Jr.
Major: Social Work major/Psychology minor
Involved with: Anime & Gaming Society, International CLUB, SASW, Psychology Club, and the Alliance.
Hometown: Avoca, Iowa

College life can be difficult if you’re on your own. Many of us are in relationships or have great friends to help us get through. However, not many students get the opportunity to experience college as an engaged couple like De’Vaughn Morris and Mikayla Kobs.

As Mikayla Kobs narrowed down her college options, she settled on either Morningside or BVU. She chose BVU because she really liked the community and friend aspect.

“It felt really warm and welcoming here,” said Kobs.

Her freshman year she ran for cross-country and really enjoyed the team community. It’s incredible to see how many students from around the world enroll at BVU. Kobs joined the International Club because she made friends with many foreign students and enjoys learning about different cultures.

De’Vaughn Morris initially enrolled because he was friends with a student at BVU. By the time Morris was signed up for classes, his friend moved. He stuck around for orientation and ended up enjoying the campus and decided to stay. Morris shared that after a few weeks he started to feel homesick. He hadn’t made many friends yet and was feeling a bit intimidated by the transition from high school to college work.

“There was a time I thought about quitting, until I met her [Mikayla] and things just got better from there. She helped motivate me to do better in school and she helped me become more social so I could make more friends,” said Morris.

Morris now thinks of BV as his home away from home. He has made many new friends including Skyler Gorsett. Together, they founded and now lead a new club called The Anime and Gaming Society. AGS is a club for students interested in anime and/or gaming

“I would encourage anyone who likes anime and gaming to come down and experience what we have to offer,” said Morris.

It’s interesting to think about how we end up at a place like BVU. It may be difficult at first, but if you stick around you may find that relationships emerge and opportunities flourish.

Graphic by Justice Gage
Photo courtesy of De’Vaughn Morris