CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Wherever Marcus Rodgers has found himself in life, whether as a student at Campbellsville University, being a husband and father, or teaching business at Taylor County High School, he has been driven by a singular focus: to shape the world in a positive way.

“When I hear shaping the world, I think, ‘What influences are out there that change the people who live on this earth?’” Rodgers said. “Maybe we’ve got some opportunities to change some lives and help turn people closer to Christ, which would be pleasing to Him.”   

After earning his bachelor’s in 2015 from CU, Rodgers began working in CU’s Admissions Office. The job proved to be an easy transition, as Rodgers was an intern in Admissions since his freshman year, giving tours to prospective students and their families who came from across the world to visit CU. Rodgers estimated he gave some 500 tours in his time as an intern.

“There were some days where I was giving three or four a day in the summer,” Rodgers recalled.

In addition, Rodgers also worked in CU’s Badgett Academic Support Center (BASC) under Kevin Propes, who is now CU’s registrar, working with students as an academic coach.

Rodgers explained his time at CU helped him in two important ways. First, he said CU helped him find his voice, and CU also gave him the confidence to become more outspoken about his faith.

“It helped me go from being somewhat uncomfortable about discussing faith and discussing the Lord to it becoming part of my everyday journey,” Rodgers said. “Because when I was giving these tours, I was talking with people from all over the U.S. and sometimes all over the world. They come from all different walks of life.”

Rodgers added on his time at CU, “I think that’s absolutely been part of the Lord's plan to get me ready for the job that I’m in now.”

Rodgers also met his wife, Mary Kate, at CU during his undergrad years, and today, they have two children – Rhett and Chapel. Rodgers has many roles in life, and as he considers these roles, he said his top priority is to be the best Christian, husband and father, in that order.

“All of that comes before my job of what I’m paid to do,” he explained. “Walking into Taylor County High School, none of that matters any more important than those three things, so I don’t know how I could do a whole story and not talk about my role as a husband and what I’m called to do from a biblical standpoint.”

In addition to his bachelor’s degree, Rodgers also earned his master’s in business administration in 2017 from CU.

As a teacher, Rodgers often shares his faith in his classroom, something he admits isn’t exactly the norm among those in public education.

“I do it because I don't see how I could effectively teach you business and separate my faith from it,” Rodgers said. “Because at the end of the day, if I teach business and these students don’t learn anything about Christ, then I’ve totally missed what I see as the whole reason that the Lord has me in the classroom.”

In the classroom, Rodgers will emphasize the importance of good stewardship, both with financial resources and other resources, such as time.

“I truly believe the Lord blesses all of us with resources,” Rodgers said. “Some of us have more resources than others, but we all have resources, and I’m called to be a steward of what He’s blessed me with, whether that be money, whether that be time.”

Rodgers’ time at CU introduced him to countless individuals who helped shape him into the person he is today. Those people include Propes, Dave Walters, Paula Caldwell, Gean Wright, Trent Creason, Jeanette Parker and Pat Cowherd.

“I'd be a hypocrite if I was sitting here…and all I talked about was how I might be able to shape other people,” Rodgers explained. “Because at the end of the day, all these people, I would be one of the products of how they let their career and their mission build and what they were called by God to do. They were faithful, and I’m a product of that.

Rodgers added, “They poured into me, and I’ve got to give them some credit for how they let the Lord use them. They were the hands and feet of Jesus, and that was awesome.

Rodgers shared that the impact those people had on him inspires him to make a similar impact on others.

“That’s part of my motivation for why I need to do what I’m doing,” Rodgers said. “When I get up every single day, what keeps me going is I have to be for other people what those people were for me. “The Lord blessed me with some really good people in my life.”

Rodgers’ time at CU shaped the course of his life in many profound ways through those people and the countless experiences he had thanks to CU.

“It helped me grow in my faith,” he said. “I found my wife here. It was my first two full-time jobs. I will forever have such a special place in my heart for CU because of my time there as both a student and employee. I am super thankful for CU.”