Prince Sokpo ’25

Remarks from Moravian University Societies Dinner on October 26, 2023:

Hello, everyone. My name is Prince Sokpo, and I am a junior and a proud member of the class of 2025, here at Moravian University. I am a neuroscience major with a chemistry minor aiming for medical school. Here at Moravian, I am a part of the Moravian Football team, a senior resident advisor in one of our first-year residence halls, Bernhardt-Wilhelm, a member of the Millennium Fellows, a course mentor for neuroscience, and much more. I’m sure I could sit here and name them, but I might put some of you to sleep. 

My time here at Moravian has been a roller coaster ride of events. I have experienced and been a part of so many organizations and outcomes for our campus. Moravian has provided me with an outlet to help and support not only myself, but my community and my peers. At Moravian, there is always something welcoming, exciting, and worthwhile going on. From the new Haupert Union Building renovations, to the Moravian Activities Council events that take place or are to take place, I have nothing but gratitude for all that has been presented to me here. 

As a football player, I love my coaches and the staff that support me, as well as all the new additional rewards and gifts that are provided to our team, from new pads and helmets to lounges for me to be able to be a student first and finish homework in. This has given me opportunities to instill a fiery passion to play the sport I love. 

I get to be a senior resident advisor (SRA) who gives back to the community and provides support and assistance in making first-year students’ experiences at Moravian worthwhile. As an SRA, students from all different backgrounds share their experiences, and this diversity is greatly impacted by the support they receive from scholarships and awards they are presented by being here. The rise to become an SRA wasn’t an easy path though, but I had an amazing role model, who was my first-year RA. He connected with me on a personal level and was a big influence on my decision to become an RA.

But one of the biggest opportunities I am grateful for is being a part of the Millennium Fellowship. This fellowship is one of the best, community-wide, and active organizations to help better our community. I get to see so many innovations and advances in our community, and as happy as I am for them, my peers feel the same way. We are so ecstatic for the expanded HUB and the many inclusivity factors that are being included, as well as all the sustainable, clean-source energy and management that will propel us into the future. The next generation is in good hands and has been given such a tremendous gift. It would be a sin to not share this with our community. The future is bright, and as a student who constantly thinks about improving the school, all the support that is provided—from the student scholarships that aid their presence, including myself, to the innovations, to the buildings that resident students live in and the HUB community—Moravian has put the money and resources into a sustainable and beneficial use for the students. 

I wouldn’t have this same opportunity at many other places. Moravian and its donors—all those that support our school and cause—provide so much to my peers and me. The scholarships given to me have let me continue to pursue my education and reach all the goals I thought I could not attain, and I’m still doing that. I’m over here acting like my work here is done, but seriously, my success, my accomplishments—they would not be the same without the gifts and scholarships that were given to my fellow Greyhounds and me. 

I come from New York, born and raised. My life there was not really peaceful, and I had experiences no child should go through, but Moravian has given me a safe place to call home. With opportunities and scholarships provided, I am given a chance to live in the residence halls and have a better place to stay for the betterment of my success.  Hot water works on a dime, I never have to worry about where my next meal is coming from, and I know that our campus police will be there when I need them. Obviously my life here at Moravian is far from boring. From spontaneous nights spending time with my friends and laughing until my sides hurt, to the friends I can lean on when I’m struggling at a bad time.

These gifts light my path to a better future, brightened the end of the tunnel for me, and provided me with a few stepping stones to remind me my work does not stop here, and I’m not at the end of my road yet. As a student, I can speak for most, if not all, that my experience here has been wonderful, and all the aid that helped me stay here and continue to attend as well as all the additional resources that support myself and my peers are such a crucial part of my future, success, and opportunity. If the goal was to light the way, well damn, you all sure have done one hell of a job. Thank you, all.