At the urging of a close friend, Corey Fraction decided to come to Geneva College with hopes of playing football. Although he is not on the team, Corey is one of Geneva’s most involved individuals and nearly everyone on campus has had some interaction with him. “Anyone who knows Corey knows he’s a great guy; he speaks with passion,” said Adam Brown, a student at Geneva, after hearing Corey speak about the Black Student Organization at the All Campus Retreat.

This man, who devotes himself to getting other young people involved on campus, was once a stranger to most of the community. Corey says, “It’s hard to say it, but I was shy!”

Many things contributed to Corey’s shyness. “I had trouble letting go of personal problems back home, I was trying to help everyone maintain relationships from a far distance.” A tough transition and blurred focus made academics a struggle for Corey. His GPA had dropped far enough to make him in danger of losing his financial aid; however, Corey worked diligently to improve his grades. “I was on academic probation and never went back on it. I was offered a second chance, and I wasn't going through that again.”

Corey began to focus on his goal of working in criminal justice. “Criminal justice was a way I thought I could work with juveniles and have an after school program or camp,” explained Corey. He had grown up watching friends struggle with the justice system, being held back by stereotypes they had about police. Corey knew that for these young men to have a chance they would need a role model in criminal justice and he has devoted himself to this endeavor.

It turns out that, through the Lord’s providence, Corey is at the right place at the time. At Geneva, Corey works as a Student in Service (SIS) intern through the Center for Faith and Practice (CFP). Through this job he works with children and teenagers by tutoring them after school. He is also president of the Black Student Organization (BSO) which provides students with discipleship and encouragement. Corey is devoted to help struggling students to get involved on campus. He also regularly commits time to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. “Geneva has set opportunities around me to actually use my hands to experience what I want to do in life,” he explained.

After college Corey plans on going to graduate school and continuing to build his experience with juveniles. After becoming a counselor or probation officer, Corey wants to design his own program for the youth of Baltimore. In Corey’s own words, “I want to change the stereotype that cops don't care about young black men. I want to use criminal justice as an opportunity to be a role model for inner city children, and be a visual and personal example that there are good people in the justice system.”

Corey has found his purpose and calling. He is working hard to help other students in that process.

- Micah Yarger ‘12

Since graduating in the spring of 2011, Corey has wasted no time in obtaining work in the human services field. He is a member of the relief staff at George Junior Republic, a residential facility that offers educational programs for at-risk youth. Corey is also attending graduate school at Slippery Rock University for addiction counseling and will be a graduate assistant for the Slippery Rock University Union.

“All this is preparing me for what I want to do with the degree I earned at Geneva College,” says Corey. “I would love to eventually open up a family-orientated program for young adults struggling with addiction of any kind.”

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