Mac C. – Atlanta, GA
Brian Beckley’s unique background as both an education counselor and public servant gives him a unique perspective on the nexus between higher education and a sense of higher calling. His uncommon blend of pragmatism and idealism helped me to better understand my calling as a teenager who had yet to figure out what the right next steps after high school looked like. Through hours of counseling, Brian made an effort to understand not just what I wanted, but what I was meant for. He saw and understood my value system and how it aligned to a higher education pathway that would equip me for success in life.
Brian’s guidance through the college application process helped me gain admittance to eleven schools - some big, some small, some public, some private, some near, and some far. He would not let me settle for the comfortable, easy decision for where to go to college. He encouraged me to spend time in prayer, focus on my long-term goals, and consider not just where I would have fun or get a good education for four years, but rather where I would become equipped to fulfill my calling in life.
Brian's willingness to be a mirror to my virtues and principles revealed to me where I would thrive the most, leading me to the Air Force Academy, to a career as a Marine Officer, and to a lifetime of fulfillment leading others and serving my country. His mentorship style was a superb example of how to bestow a young person with a sense of responsibility to something greater than themselves. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that my life would have taken on a path of lesser responsibility, lesser maturation, lesser growth, and lesser fulfillment without Brian’s principled and tailored guidance.
Whether it was as a faculty advisor on long treks on the Appalachian Trail, as a brother in Christ in a prayer circle after Friday Chapel, or as a college counselor, Brian was always a voice of truth that pointed me toward a better version of myself. In today’s culture, higher education may seem to have lost its luster. But Brian's firm foundation as a believer in Christ, willingness to meet each young person where they are, and vision to see where they are called to be has propelled many like me out of high school and into an adulthood filled with all the right kind of growth and challenges. I look forward to hiring Brian to help guide my kids through the higher education maze just like he did for me.
