Across the course of nine semesters, Justin Flack turned himself from what he described as a, “shy kid” into a, “vocal leader” as he described himself, a lot of that change coming over the course of five seasons as a running back for the Yellow Jackets.

     “The area that I’ve grown the most throughout my time here at Waynesburg has been socially. I was a shy kid growing up but I really found my niche here at Waynesburg socially. A big part of that has been playing on the football team for the past five seasons, I grew from being a shy kid to a vocal leader in the locker room. Being more engaged in the classroom and having the confidence when I switched majors to a more comfortable role where being social is extremely important, especially in the line of work that I am about to head into.” Flack said.

     Speaking on that change in major, unlike some students in college who get several semesters in before they make that change, it came pretty quickly for Flack, and one that he speaks on with no regret.

     “I switched my major after the first semester from business to criminal justice, I was sort of exploring to see what I liked and what I disliked. Business wasn’t something I fully understood, so I made the switch to criminal justice and found a major that I enjoyed studying and learning each day, which was important for me as a student.” Flack said, while noting his gratitude for the professors who aided him during this transition. “I was extremely fortunate to have caring professors who wanted to see not only me grow and learn as a student but my peers as well. I think we one of the best Criminal Justice programs across the country, and that’s a testament to the professors and their ability to build strong curriculums.”

     When reflecting on his time at Waynesburg, he spent the most time discussing all of the individuals that seemingly made a positive impact on his time here and one’s that made the experience far more fruitful, with some of the individuals he mentioned including Chris Smithley, Russ Moore, Samuel London, Cornelious Coleman, Isaiah Skeete, Adam Jack, Timothy Gilbert, Kenneth Cairns, Josh Hanley and John Ridge, among others, all of whom served in some role for Flack as a prospective student, full time student and athlete.

     Since graduation, Flack plans on applying to several police departments, as well as the police academy, noting that he plans on pursuing a “long career” in law enforcement. For those who remain at Waynesburg, Flack had a closing message he wishes to pass along.

     “I can’t thank Waynesburg University enough for the time that I spent here. You have shown me that I can get out of my comfort zone, being a shy person to being a social person that communicates affectively amongst my peers and professors and being able to express my faith without being judged. The skills and knowledge I learned here will help me in my career after graduation, there are countless amounts of times where I can say I have been helped when help was needed, and I am beyond grateful for that. I know that I will always have a place to call home here at Waynesburg University. Waynesburg You will always have a special place in my heart, I will what’s bleed black and orange no matter where I go.” Flack said.