John Cournan ‘88 is the chair of the Geneva College Foundation and a principal at Packer Thomas CPAs, where he has served for over 31 years. Below is a portion of his remarks given at the President’s Recognition Dinner on November 8, 2024.
"I have to tell you that Geneva has meant so much to me and to my family. I came here really lost, not knowing where I was going or what I was doing. I knew I wanted to have a better life than I had growing up... And when I came to Geneva, I was just amazed and impressed at how welcoming everybody was. The professors at Geneva were outstanding and I had a great experience. Through a big part of Geneva's influence, I became a Christian my sophomore year and my life kind of took a whole different course. I would say that I don't know that I was always the most consistent person, but God had a hold on me and He never let go. It made a true difference in [my] life.
I think about [my] prayers at an early age: God never let me leave your side, always keep hold of me. And He did that...”
Nearly 10 years ago, John received a call asking him to meet with Calvin Troup, PhD, president of Geneva College. Though the two men graduated years apart from each other, he remembered the stories and legacy Calvin left behind in Geneva’s football program. This meeting led to an introduction to Marvin Dewey, EdD, president of the Geneva College Foundation, and the request for John to chair the newly formed Foundation Board.
“When Calvin and Marv asked me, ‘Would you be willing to serve on the Foundation Board?’ I said, ‘That depends... It depends on if Geneva College is the same school I graduated from.’
“So they were kind enough to have me back to spend [a day] on campus. I went to Chapel — Tim [Baird, VP of business and finance] and I sat together — I visited with Melinda [Stephens, provost] and her team, heard what was happening with the faculty and sat through some presentations. I met with Van [Zanic] and the Athletic Department, heard what was going on there. And my conclusion when I left was Geneva missionally is the exact same school that I graduated from, but organizationally is better than it's ever been. The neat part about it is every year I've been here I see more and more things that are positive...
John concluded with a word of encouragement to the younger alumni and students at Geneva.
“I pray that in 36 years, you'll wake up and you’ll look back and say, ‘Wow, what a difference Geneva College made in my life.’ And hopefully, because our Alumni [Engagement] is so much better now than they've ever been, you'll have numerous more opportunities along the way to stay connected and engaged with the college that made such a difference for you.
“So I want to encourage all the young people — the older you get, the more you will appreciate your Geneva College education.”
To learn more about Geneva's Advancing Faith and Learning campaign and join the mission, visit genevacollegefoundation.org/forthis.
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