When Isaiah Cull first visited MidAmerica Nazarene University, he expected to evaluate basketball programs, academic options and campus life. Instead, he found something deeper: a sense of belonging.
“I had other offers,” Isaiah said. “But when I visited here, everything I heard was just what I was looking for. It just felt like where I was supposed to be. The coaching staff is great—it felt like it could be a family.”
A senior finance major and a guard on the Pioneer men’s basketball team, Isaiah came to MNU from Olathe Northwest High School with a lifelong goal of playing college basketball. Recruited heavily by MNU’s coaching staff, he quickly recognized that the university offered more than athletics. It offered relationships, mentorship and a Christ-centered community that would shape him both personally and professionally.
While Isaiah entered college interested in business, he was initially unsure which direction to pursue. Through coursework and faculty mentorship, he discovered a passion for finance and helping others navigate financial stability and long-term planning. This summer, he will take the next step toward that goal through an internship with Creative Planning in Kansas City.
Isaiah wants his purpose to go beyond making money. “I want to have a direct impact on somebody’s life and help them for the better,” he said.
Though his faith was already important to him before coming to MNU, Isaiah says the university experience strengthened and deepened it through everyday experiences—chapel, small groups, conversations with teammates and coaches, and a campus culture where faith is lived openly and authentically.
“Having chapel and small groups and a faith-based coaching staff, it really pours into you,” he said. “Especially when sports can get tough and challenging.”
One of the ways that plays out is in Head Coach Adam Hepker’s spiritual leadership. “After every game, we’ll hit the Lord’s Prayer, and it reminds us what it’s all about,” Isaiah said. “It’s not just basketball; it’s not just school. We’re living in God’s image and trying to be like him. Coach always says we play for an audience of one, which means the guy above. So just go out there, play free, don’t worry about what the results are, no matter how good or bad you play, just know we all love you. Knowing a coach can say that to you, and he won’t change how he looks at you depending on how you play—I think that’s pretty cool.”
Isaiah identifies relationships as the defining aspect of his MNU experience. Professors know him by name. Coaches invest in him beyond athletics. Teammates have become lifelong friends.
“I’d say the people have shaped me the most,” he said. “You don’t get connections like this everywhere. At the end of the day, good relationships are more than status or what you do on the court.”
As he prepares to graduate next spring and looks ahead to his next chapter, Isaiah says MNU has helped him better understand what matters most.
“It’s bigger than just a job,” he said. “It’s about your relationships, your faith and the kind of person you’re becoming.”
Want to learn more about sports at MNU? Visit mnusports.com. Or learn about a major in finance at mnu.edu/undergrad/finance.
