King University is a special place. It is a place that encourages our young people to think freely, explore their passions and serve their communities while guided within a nurturing atmosphere dedicated to each students’ personal journey. Our small class sizes, liberal arts focus, and strong Christian value system allow our devoted faculty to provide the necessary one-on-one instruction that inspires King students to achieve great things, both in their careers and within the community. But our students and the university can’t accomplish these goals without your help. It is the ardent supporters of King, the university’s mission, and the desire to see our students succeed that keeps the heart of this university beating strong. Thank you to all of those who give so generously to this great cause.
“My dream is to play for the U.S. Women’s National team.”
Ariana excelled at soccer, as well as academically, she was a shining star at Science Hill High School and when it came time to decide on a college there was no shortage of offers. She had initially committed to a school nearby before visiting the King campus and immediately changed her mind. “When I came to King, I loved the atmosphere,” she said. “It was a small, close-knit community and that is what I was looking for.”
She says being able to build relationships with her professors and have the one-on-one learning experience when needed has made a huge difference in her development. She also says about being at King, “You have so much freedom here.” Ariana is the first in her family to go to college. But she mentioned that the transition from high school to college wasn’t very difficult, in part because of the warmth and friendliness of the students, faculty, and staff.
She is very grateful for those that donate so generously to King so that students like her can pursue their dreams. “My dream is to play for the U.S. Women’s National Team,” she said. She also intends to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy and help to train athletes.
Leeroy Tafadzwa Matarutse was born in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, a small country located in the southeastern part of Africa. At the age of 4, Leeroy took up the game of soccer, playing regularly with his older brother. Leeroy came from a soccer family. His father was a semi-professional soccer player and took his boys to watch games in nearby stadiums.
“I started playing competitively at the age of 8,” Leeroy said. Over the years he tried multiple sports including handball, volleyball, and track, but it was soccer that stole his heart. “When I was in high school, my senior team won the biggest soccer tournament in the country, back in 2019. Being the captain of the victorious team, an organization based out of Harare that helps young talented players get recruited, World Athletes Recruits became interested in Leeroy and worked with him through the process of locating a place to play.
It was around this time that Covid-19 hit he was forced to put his dreams on hold for 2 years while the pandemic raged. It was a difficult time. But in the end Leeroy persevered. “We wouldn’t be people if we didn’t face adversity,” he said.
“I received a number of offers to play soccer but chose King University. “I selected to enroll at King for a number of reasons. I feel that its small population is a conducive learning environment, and the Christian value of the institution is another factor. I also spoke with friends Andrew Rhoda and Zubair Taylor, both who encouraged me to attend King.
Even though he hadn’t yet visited the campus he said, “I instantly fell in love with the Tornado, from thousands of miles away,” but before I could take off for the United States and school, Leeroy needed help financially. Luckily for him, King has a strong support system of donors that give regularly to help the students of King afford their educations and enter their communities to serve, spread the word of God and become highly respected citizens.
“I am thankful to all the people who work so hard for us to fulfill our dreams. If it wasn’t for their generous donations, many like me would have never been able to attend this great university. Giving back to the community is something l have adopted from the mentorship I received at King University. On behalf of all the scholarship recipients thank you, be blessed,” Leeroy said.
Arriving in the U.S. for Leeroy though wasn’t completely the smooth sail that he’d anticipated. He experienced a little bit of culture shock, “but the professors and students are so welcoming that you forget you are really far from home,” Leeroy said. “I never missed home at all because coach Rose stood in as a father figure whilst Ms. Heidi Leonard was a mother figure, and our soccer teams became brothers and sisters.
The transition from high school level to collegiate was stuff and Leeroy had to learn how to play at the faster and more competitive level. I trained hard and in time saw improvement. I have always believed in a quote from the Bible, Isaiah 60:22, “When the time is right, I, the Lord will make it happen.” I realized that my first semester at King was actually a test of character, faith and patience,” and Leeroy passed.
“I want to make a big impact on the lives of children.”
“King University was my first choice,” Haley Mullins said when it came time for her to decide on a college. Two of her family members, her sister Hannah Light ’13 and her uncle Bradley Salyers ’13, graduated from King. She loved the beautiful campus and how welcoming everyone was when she visited. But like so many students in the Appalachian region, money was an issue.
But King wanted Haley just as much as she wanted to be a student, so she was awarded the C. Bascom Slemp Scholarship. “I wouldn’t have been able to come to King without financial assistance,” she said. She is very grateful that the late U. S. Congressman from Virginia, Campbell Bascom Slemp, was thoughtful to leave part of his estate to help students from Wise, Virginia get a college education at King University. His generosity supports the dream of a student like herself, whom he would never know, making a difference in the world.
“I want to make a big impact on the lives of children,” Haley said. Haley is working toward becoming an elementary school teacher, with a particular interest in teaching kindergarten and first grade. She said that research shows that kids who fall behind in kindergarten and first grade often are not able to catch up with their peers which can affect them throughout all their years of learning.
Along with devoting her life to service and bettering her community, she dreams of traveling and being able to see the country and the world. She very much wants to visit Utah and the enchanting Zion National Park where native Americans and later pioneers tried to carve out a life amongst the massive amaranth pink, buttermilk yellow, and russet brown sandstone cliffs that rise like steeples on the horizon. She is curious and enthusiastic about the world and the people within it.
Haley is a junior and plans to graduate early and matriculate straight into King’s graduate program in education. It is her work ethic, passion for learning, and dedication to helping others that are representative of what King stands for and the kind of person that King not only recruits but who seeks out King to advance their lives and careers.
“I am very grateful for people that give to students that they don’t even know. It helps and means so much.”
“I prayed about it,” she said and knew that her decision to come to King was the right one. Eden mentioned how she wouldn’t have been able to attend King had it not been for the generosity of donors who contribute money toward scholarships for students like her. “If I didn’t have a scholarship I couldn’t have come here,” Eden says.
Eden says about her time at King, “The smaller class size was something I was looking for. It is a close-knit community, and you can build relationships with your professors where you might not be able to in a larger school.” Eden smiles and says, “I am very grateful for people that give to students that they don’t even know. It helps and means so much.”