By: Issac Baker
Issac Baker and Elijah Simmons III are two young men from different backgrounds who find themselves on the same uplifting journey at Virginia State University. Their experiences at the university have helped shape their lives, bringing them together on a path of personal growth, faith and transformation.
Issac Baker
Issac Baker is a senior Mass Communications major at Virginia State University (VSU), concentrating in Print and Online Journalism. This concentration allows him to express himself in ways he could not during his childhood.
Throughout his life, Baker has experienced several difficult challenges that ultimately influenced his journey and led him to discover his passion for the field of mass communications.
Elijah Simmons III
Elijah Simmons III is a senior Mass Communications major at Virginia State University (VSU), concentrating in Audio/TV while also pursuing opportunities in sports management. Simmons works in sports as he works towards building a dream career working in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
“The moment I first found Jesus for myself was on September 28th, 2025. I was talking to a girl at the time that I ended up really liking and wanting to have a serious relationship with and things didn’t end up working out between us,” Simmons said.
Despite Simmons’ desire to build a relationship with both a companion and Jesus Christ, things did not go as planned. He eventually realized that the girl he liked was not interested in the lifestyle Simmons was striving to live.
“I was born into the church, going to church my whole life was imperative for me, both parents went to church so I was brought into it. I never took getting close to Jesus Christ seriously until I got older, age range between 22 and 24 years old,” Baker said.
Baker explained that although he was raised in the church, his lifestyle did not reflect the values he grew up around. As he entered adulthood, he came to understand that attending church was a pathway to strengthening his relationship with Jesus Christ.
“When I got to college a girl that led me back to going to church, this girl and I don’t really talk like that anymore. The situation at hand, I used to be at a point where I was idolizing relationships,” Simmons said.
Although Simmons’s intention was to find a woman who shared his values and encouraged him to attend church, things took a turn when he allowed the relationship to become an idol. He placed her on a pedestal where God was supposed to be. Through this experience, Simmons learned the importance of keeping things in their proper place and putting God first.
“When I was first got to VSU in 2024, I couldn’t even contain myself because the environment was unusual. I started off at a community college out of high school, it was subtle, very calm. When I got here it was very chaotic, with straight females everywhere,” Baker said.
Baker explained that one of the challenges he faced was struggling with lust. He went on to explain that even as a Christian, individuals encounter challenges that can make it difficult to remain aligned with Jesus Christ.
Although, Baker and Simmons dealt with different challenges throughout their journey, both demonstrated that Jesus Christ must be the center in everything you do. They believe without him, Individuals are nothing. Both young men encourage others to develop their own relationship with God, understanding that setbacks will happen but it’s for him to get the glory.
