Courage is defined as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty” according to the Merriam Webster dictionary. However, different experiences in a person’s life shape their personal definition of courage.

For Connor Lair, a red-shirt Junior at Missouri State University, courage means playing football through his battle with cancer. “My sophomore year I got diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in the middle of football season… and then I ended up playing the next game,” Lair said. After his diagnosis, Lair learned to lean on his team and coaches. His teammates supported him through his remission and visited him at the hospital. Without knowing if he would even return to the sport, Lair powered through several rounds of chemo synthesis. The encouragement of his team helped him pull through treatment and get back on the field, making personal gains through the journey. “[I] definitely [improved] as a person, because beforehand, you’re always dreading practice. …But it gives you a different outlook after you’ve… been through something that could deteriorate that opportunity to play,” Lair said.

For Kyle Reeves, an active duty lieutenant colonel, and Department Head of Military Science, the courage to serve his country was something he is born with: “…we’re all born with a mindset to defend, or fight for what we believe in…” Reeves said. “It may not be to serve in the military, but it could be to serve your school or… community.” Reeves was inspired to join the military after the September 11 attacks, which happened when he was a senior in high school. He has since served for 24 years, and had over 15 combat deployments. “Combat is exactly what it sounds like, it’s about 99% boredom and 1% pure terror,” Reeves said. “I believe in what our country stands for, and I believe in protecting it.”

For Lasse Wittemeier, an international transfer sophomore, courage meant leaving his home country of Germany to pursue an education in the US. He moved to study business, because of the opportunities offered in his chosen field. “Definitely applying for a visa [was an obstacle], and taking all the tests,” Wittemeier said. Wittemeier was excited to move, in spite of leaving his family behind: “I miss my family, I miss my friends, but I had an easy time making friends here,” Wittemeier said. “I really like the universities here, since there’s an actual outside campus social life.”