While the journey to Oberlin College was not one of great distance for junior football player Justin Godfrey, the impact he has made on campus has certainly been far-reaching.
“I chose Oberlin for its great academics and wanting to be a part of a winning program. I also wanted to be more than just a student-athlete and I found I have greater communities outside of just athletics.”
A native of Westlake, Ohio, Godfrey spent majority of his summer interning in the Oberlin admissions office. As an athlete, Godfrey had an interest in how the athletics department and admissions office collaborate when targeting potential students. He and teammate Jabari Clemons spent the initial weeks of their internship in the office researching how other schools integrate the two divisions and brainstormed ideas on what they could implement at Oberlin.
“We compiled an athletics tour that is now part of our new visit day program, which has really been impactful,” Godfrey said. “I also ran the social media for the admissions office and did a full athletics facility tour on Snapchat that gave students a great perspective on what the athletics department offers.”
Godfrey’s role as a leader on campus came to the forefront in the spring semester of 2018 when he was named as a student senator. The position affords him the opportunity to represent the student body of the college through the creation of policy and projects for the betterment of his peers and the surrounding community.
“Working in admissions and student senate over the last year really proved to me how much I truly love this place,” he noted. “The connections I was able to make and relationships that have blossomed from it were truly special.”
One of his objectives in this role is to continue to blend the relationship with athletics and the general campus community through social justice issues. A certified One Love Foundation trainer, Godfrey has already made strides in a positive direction through the organization by training the student body and staff on how to prevent intimate partner violence. He also has a few more ideas on what he would like to achieve in the future.
“Lilah Drafts-Johnson ’18 started a ‘women of athletics’ group that was really successful,” he said. “Coach (Jay) Anderson and I have been taking about doing something similar with the men of athletics, discussing what it means to be a male athlete on Oberlin’s campus, and how we can be the leaders we know we are. I am a firm believer student-athletes have to be leaders on and off the field.”
As a Northeast Ohio native, Godfrey shares a vision that is similar to one of President Carmen Twillie Ambar in expanding Oberlin’s connection to Cleveland. He has been working with the Bonner Center for Service and Learning to bring more opportunities for students to Cleveland. During fall orientation, all first-year students will be spending a day in Cleveland exploring the city and learning about what it has to offer. Godfrey has worked closely with Assistant Vice President and Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives Adrian Bautista on creating an orientation session on ‘How to be a Northeast Ohioan’.
With eight percent of Oberlin’s student body from Ohio and less than one percent from Northeast Ohio, Godfrey (Like President Ambar) sees an opportunity to increase Oberlin’s visibility within its own backyard.
“If we have more presence within the community we will have a more household name within the area. We want people to see that Oberlin is a really good school and is involved outside of just the campus area. I have created a list of community project goals that I have shared with President Ambar that we are going to collaborate on together this fall.”
With high aspirations academically and socially, it is no surprise that the junior team captain has his sights set on a promising season for the Yeomen football team.
“As a captain, I am more excited to be in an official leadership position. We worked really hard in the offseason as a group, putting in the work in the weight room and I think we are bigger, faster, and stronger than we have ever been as a team. Last season we were just on the edge of winning a few really close games and I think our preparation will push us towards a winning record.”
As a history and classics major, Godfrey has two years of his Oberlin College experience in the books to learn from with two more chapters of his collegiate story to be told. If it all goes according to plan, it would include a winning football season, a published academic paper, an expanded role in student government, and a graduation with honors.
