Humans of NGU: Luke Culbreth
Jake Meyer, Contributing Writer
Photo by Jake Meyer
Dedication, firmness and commitment are the qualities that should drive every person in their lives, and when making the hard decisions for his education, Luke Culbreth proved he was no exception to this.
Culbreth considers North Greenville University to be a perfect home for him, but it took a lot of risk for him to arrive here. Growing up in a Baptist family, he wanted to find a way to integrate faith into his education and future career. After graduating high school in 2022, he initially sought it at Spartanburg Methodist College, a private university that he attended for a degree in business.
Although Spartanburg Methodist was a Christian school, Culbreth felt like he wasn’t getting the best education from it, particularly from a Christian point of view. He had many close friends there and good grades, but something about it wasn’t a right fit for him, and he knew that. What he needed was a stronger integration of faith and education.
Culbreth left Spartanburg Methodist after three semesters. The decision wasn’t an easy one, since he had to leave behind many friends and professors, but he was well aware of what he wanted, and nothing would stop him from getting that.
“I don’t just want to be a number,” he said when talking about why he chose to leave three semesters in.
Culbreth knows his worth and he knew if he continued doing something he wasn’t passionate about, he would become a mere number among the rest of the students.
While searching the area for a different college, he came across NGU, which seemed like it would foster his love for Christ much more than Spartanburg Methodist. But even then, the transition wasn’t easy. He had to deal both with the pain of being judged by his former peers for transferring and the hardship of coming to a new school without knowing anyone.
Although it wasn’t an easy move for him, Culbreth remained firm in his decision. He needed a Christian environment to get his business degree from, and no matter what he endured, he was going to get it.
As the semesters passed, he committed himself more to both education and Christ. He spends hours in his Bible after class and does at least two devotions a day, among other ways he’s fostered his faith. In the business field, he is working toward showing both love and firmness toward other people, the same way he says King Solomon, David, and other vital figures did in the Bible.
Now he’s a senior and almost has his bachelors in business. Taking the risk of transferring was a big deal for him but being a person of dedication to anything he does, he knew he had to do it. Sometimes, he misses his old friends, but that’s the kind of sacrifice one must make for their personal journey, and Culbreth says he doesn’t regret anything about the move.
