Jackson Free Press

Belhaven student Cole Gaddy is no stranger to hard work, but the football standout recently added another big responsibility to his already full plate: a seat on American College of Healthcare Executives’ board as the lone student representative from the Magnolia State.

Gaddy’s academic advisor, Dr. Susan Duett, encouraged him to apply for the position after he attended several meetings aimed at future healthcare leaders on the Jackson campus. “I was unsure at first, but I prayed about it and became confident in my decision,” he reflects. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

He never had to find out, as he received word of his appointment in February 2021 and promptly met with officials at UMMC to discuss his new role. “Basically, my position is to assist and to be an advocate and a vocal leader for the students,” Gaddy says, noting that he and the current ACHE board are “starting from scratch” as they attempt to reimagine ways for college students to get connected with the health-care organization.

The college sophomore understands the importance of making those connections, as he himself was introduced to the health-care profession by his father, who spent several years in the insurance industry. “He ended up at Aflac, and he would take me to hub meetings and regional parties,” Gaddy recalled. “(At those events), they showed videos of the children’s cancer center, and I wanted to be part of it.”

At first, Gaddy dreamed of being a chemist so that he could work to find an ultimate cure for the disease, but he joked that his high school chemistry class crushed those long-held dreams. “I realized that part of it wasn’t for me,” he says. “I realized I was a people person, which led me to want to be in a nonprofit children’s setting.”

These plans first took shape in Gaddy’s hometown of Jacksonville, Ala., where he played football for the local high school and attended several camps with hopes of being recruited. He eventually caught the attention of the Blazers’ coaching staff and visited campus a week before signing day during his senior year of high school.

“I had met with three or four schools, but Belhaven was the price I was looking for,” Gaddy recalls. “And coming from a Christian background, Jesus was all over the front pages of Belhaven, so I knew I wouldn’t be stepping into a place where I felt negative about my faith.”

These feelings were confirmed when Gaddy saw the verse emblazoned on a sign located near the football field: “To serve and not to be served.” The charge became more complicated when Gaddy’s freshman year was cut short by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “That was really challenging,” he says. “We had just come off a tough season, and we were about to start spring training.”

The health administration major tried to make the best of the situation, using the time at home to bond with his family, complete spring workouts on his own and cut grass. “It was good for me,” he reflected. “I had a lot of time to work on myself, but I was glad when we came back in the fall.”

Gaddy used the lessons he learned from his time in quarantine to empower him as he took on the off-campus responsibilities that came with his appointment to the ACHE, saying, “It takes a lot of good email skills and a lot of good Zoom calls, but I don’t think it’s a lot of me. I think it’s a lot of the people who are around me.”

One such ardent supporter is his coach, Blaine McCorkle. “I try to do right because there’s always that little fear of the coach yelling at you,” Gaddy concluded with a laugh.