November 01, 2022
The former Indianapolis Colts safety encouraged Trine University students to choose the straight and narrow path during a presentation at the university on Oct. 27.
The event, sponsored by Christian Campus House and Trine Christian Athletes, drew about 150 students, staff and community members to Fabiani Theatre.
Encouraging Trine students
Ike Sheehan, associate minister for athletes for CCH and advisor for Trine Christian Athletes, said the organizations discussed bringing a speaker in over the summer to share their Christian faith with students, encourage them and give direction to their lives.
After hearing of Willis’ retirement, Sheehan reached out to Solomon Grimes, northeast Indiana representative for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, to see if Willis would be interested in speaking at Trine.
“(Willis) said yes and I got his contact information,” Sheehan said. “We started planning dates and brainstorming ideas for what exactly we were picturing.”
Willis focused on the fork in the road that everyone faces at some point in their lives, Sheehan said, and how he responded to that choice.
“One memorable slide in his presentation was the concept of 3D: Decisions Determine Destiny. Your decisions that you make will determine your ultimate destiny,” Sheehan said. “Students reacted well to what he had to say. I think many students were inspired by his willingness to surrender his entire life to God.”
Sheehan said CCH and TCA hoped some of the students in attendance heard the good news of Jesus Christ for the first time in their lives, and that those who are already Christians were inspired to pursue their relationship with the Lord more wholeheartedly and reach out to others.
He hopes the groups may be able to host Willis again.
“I took Khari on just a very informal and short tour around campus, just walking him around the residential buildings and academic buildings,” he said. “He was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the facilities despite it being a small campus.”
Students in Trine University’s Capstone in Sport Management class won their second National Collegiate Sports Sales Championship (NCSSC) showcase event of the fall, then went on to place in the national Super Showcase.
Trine University chemical engineering graduate Parker Reichhart has earned national recognition, receiving two awards in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Student Design Competition. The awards were presented during the 2025 Annual Student Conference, held Nov. 1–4 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Amanda Malefyt, Ph.D., professor in the McKetta Department of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering at Trine University, has been elected to serve as a director within the Education Division of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), beginning her four-year term this month.