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hen it comes to talent, Javen
McNeill could be called a
“jack of all trades.” He plays multiple
instruments, draws, dances, and even
composes his own music. In high school,
he competed in track, football, and
basketball.
He is continuing his athletic career as a
CIU student, where he is playing for the
Rams men’s basketball team. The native
of West End, North Carolina is majoring
in Business & Organizational Leadership.
For all his talent, McNeill also has a
humble demeanor from his personal
relationship with God. A minister’s son,
he came to know the Lord when he was
nine years old.
“[Before I became a Christian], I thought
if you were a good person, you went
to heaven,” McNeill said. “One of my
cousins told me that’s not the case, so
I asked my mom about it. My mom’s
a minister, and she told me you need
to become a Christian to be saved. I
became a Christian the next day, and
ever since I’ve been walking with the
Lord.”
As McNeill begins his first year at CIU,
he’s looking forward to being a part of
the men’s basketball program. Under the
guidance of head coach Marshall Tague,
he is learning more about being a strong
athlete and a responsible student.
“Coach Tague is really taking full control
of the program and putting his foot
down, saying we have rules to abide by,”
McNeill said. “He’s training us to become
a championship team, and I like that.”
After he earns his undergraduate degree,
McNeill plans on studying visual arts
at the graduate level, and use what he
learned from both degrees to design and
market a line of shoes.
“I’m kind of artistic, so I like to draw,”
McNeill said. “I used to get in contests
when I was little, and people used to
ask me to draw stuff for them. I started
designing shirts, that kind of stuff for
whatever organization I was a part of.”
As for his immediate future at CIU,
McNeill wants to build community with
other believers, while focusing on God,
academics and athletics.
“I hope to grow, to earn my degree, of
course, and gain all the knowledge I
can in my field,” McNeill said. “I hope
to make this basketball program into a
powerhouse, [and] grow in my walk with
the Lord.”
W
Business & Basketball
Javen
mcneil
What was important to the Class of
2019 when selecting a college?
1. Christian character of students and
faculty.
2. Opportunity for in-depth
Bible study.
3. Ability to find desirable
employment upon
graduation.
CIU FAST FACTS
17
MEET THE CLASS OF 2019
CIU Today
www.ciu.edu