Trey Larimer arrived at college with a clear plan—and a problem. He wanted to help people, and he believed the medical field was the best way to do that. A talented baseball catcher from Thompson, North Dakota, Trey enrolled at the University of Minnesota Crookston, a small, public NCAA Division II university near his hometown. He was a pre-med major with a baseball scholarship. But after three years, limited playing time and uncertainty about his future prompted him to look elsewhere.
That search led him to MidAmerica Nazarene University, where he transferred with two years of eligibility remaining after being recruited by MNU pitching coach Colton Punches. While baseball opened the door, faith was not an initial draw to MNU. “I had been at a public institution, and our coach was a faith-based man,” Trey said. “We’d pray before games, but nothing more than that. Coming to MNU, I thought I could check the box and go to chapel and do those things, but if I’m being honest, faith wasn’t a deciding factor.”
Soon after arriving, Trey encountered new challenges. Having struggled in a required course, he changed his major from pre-med to kinesiology, only to suffer an injury that ended his playing career earlier than expected. What could have felt like setbacks became turning points. While recovering, Trey increased his hours as a student worker in MNU Athletics, assisting with game-day operations and building relationships with coaches and administrators.
“I liked the sports business aspect of the Athletics Department,” Trey said. “Through working with Brandon Claussen [assistant director for athletics], I realized the majors that aligned with what I enjoyed were kinesiology and sports management.” He ultimately majored in both, discovering a new way to serve others through athletics.
More unexpectedly, his time at MNU reshaped his faith. “My faith has changed a lot,” Trey said. “What I believe has changed, and that’s a credit to people here, like Brandon, Todd Garrett [former athletic director] and Ryan Thompson [Trey’s head baseball coach]. There are good people here who are open to the questions I had as maybe a hesitant believer at the time.”
Coaches and mentors met him where he was, helping him grow personally, professionally, and spiritually. Today, Trey takes his faith with him and hopes others see the changes he’s made.
After graduation, MNU offered Trey a graduate assistantship, allowing him to complete his MBA while working in the Athletics Department during his fourth knee surgery. He later stepped into a full-time role as MNU’s coordinator of athletic facilities and external operations, an opportunity he never expected.
“I thought the way to serve people was by being in the medical field,” Trey said. “But I think it’s my passion for sports, the team camaraderie, and the people who can shape your lives through coaching. Now, I’m serving people through athletics.”
Trey’s latest opportunity also came unexpectedly. Having earned both experience and education at MNU, he is beginning a new role as the associate director of athletic development and the Champions Club for the University of North Dakota, near his hometown. Trey’s path reflects a life redirected, refined, and given new purpose through unexpected challenges—and a university that provided the pathway.
Explore finding purpose through a transformational graduate education at mnu.edu.
