By Jonathan Elkins
Iziah Christianson, from Lubbock, Texas, is currently a freshman at Eastern New Mexico University. When it came to college, he had many other options, but wanted an affordable option that was a distance from home with the full university experience. Upon finding out he had received a scholarship from ENMU, Christianson moved to Portales to begin his career as a Greyhound.
During his time in Texas, he enjoyed spending time with his friends. “We really just went out and found things to do each week. It was never really hard to have fun there and when there wasn’t anything going on, we would just go out and make up our own fun.” he said. His upbringing near Lubbock really sparked his appreciation for sports, especially football.
Christianson’s major is currently undeclared, but he has dreams of becoming a Football coach and Special Education instructor. After graduating from ENMU, he hopes to start his career by working as a lineman coach and work his way to the collegiate level.
Christianson truly enjoys what he is learning in his education courses; his favorite experience so far has been teaching math to a 2nd grade class. “It really taught me the background to mathematics and gave me insight in how to teach it at different levels. There really is a difference in how learning happens at various ages,” he described.
Portales might not have as many attractions as Lubbock, but the close-knit community makes up for it. Christianson is a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, where he currently serves as the Head Pledge Education Assistant. His job is to assist the fraternity’s pledging process and to ensure that every potential member is complying with university standards. “I really enjoy being involved with the chapter. I like being able to spend time with my brothers studying, playing sports, or just hanging out. It’s my job to make sure that our pledging process goes smoothly, and that everyone is staying safe.” he said.
Christianson hopes that graduating from ENMU will be his first step to success in his career. He aspires to become an inspiration to his fraternity brothers and a source of pride for his family.
