The journey to the commencement stage is different for every Captain.

As Annika Huffman and Leonard Forts know well, over the course of four years, there can be bumps in the road, decisions that alter intended plans, or life-changing curveballs that force a hard pivot. But what doesn’t change is the grit and perseverance that tends to run deep through CNU students, the desire to succeed and make it to the finish line, despite obstacles.

Two Captains who embody that true unbreakable spirit are Huffman and Forts. These two seniors have worked diligently to overcome hurdles that could have derailed their educational goals but didn’t because they remained strong and focused.

Huffman’s time at CNU started very much like it does for every other freshman. She was excited, nervous, and hopeful. She embraced all the opportunities and experiences Christopher Newport offered. But, the August before her sophomore year, her path took a hard turn when it was discovered her father had a large benign brain tumor. Her world as she knew it dropped from under her.

She leaned heavily into her CNU community for support as she navigated scary and unknown waters.

“I doubted myself plenty through the turmoil of sophomore year. And through my college career in general. However, every time I worried that I wasn’t good enough or strong enough, I was reminded of who I am. I was reminded by my amazing friends, faculty, and family,” said Huffman, who will graduate Saturday. “It is so important to reach out to people when you’re struggling or doubting yourself. Even when you feel as though you have no one to turn to, CNU reminds you that there is always someone in your corner.”

For Forts, who will also walk across the stage this weekend, the college experience exceeded all of his expectations. Christopher Newport was his first choice, and he was thrilled to be a Captain. He arrived at CNU in 2014 as a freshman. He loved everything about life on the Great Lawn and was excited about majoring in choral education.

While a student, he was hired by CNU’s Auxiliary Services to work part time on the events staff. He enjoyed what he was doing so much he made the tough decision to work full time instead of continuing to work toward his degree. He stepped away from being a student in 2018, and immersed himself in the work world, feeling as though the job met his needs more than the classroom.

“The moment I decided to step away was actually very quiet. Personally, it was sad in some ways because I realized I would not graduate with the class I came in with, the same group of people I grew alongside and really who I was with,” he said. “At the same time, though, the decision was ultimately mine, and there was something empowering about that. Once I made the choice, I knew I had to stand firm in it and trust that what I was doing was best for me at that point in my life.”

Forts and Huffman each took a deep look at their purpose and goals and changed their trajectories accordingly to ensure success and happiness.

Forts found satisfaction and joy in working. He knew eventually he would return to school, but wasn’t sure when.

Huffman discovered solace and encouragement at CNU through her father’s illness and relied heavily on her collegiate world for support. Comfort was all around her, from employees at the dining halls to the Student Affairs Office staff to her friends. They rallied around her and ensured she stayed the course at CNU.

“They held me up when I couldn’t be there for myself,” she said. “Through it all, I relied on them in my darkest moments.”

That support enabled Huffman, an environmental studies major, to keep moving forward and achieving milestones that edged her closer to graduation.

Forts, however, was in a different place. He was working at the same university that had welcomed him as a freshman. And he was savoring the other side of it - moving up through the ranks and learning as he went. He was building a foundation and finding his passion.

“Looking back, my long-term goal was stability and growth. I wanted to build a career, gain real-world experience, and create opportunities for myself even if my path looked different from the traditional one I originally imagined. I never saw stepping away from school as giving up. I saw it as taking a different route to the same destination,” Forts said. “The book didn’t close, it was just a different chapter.”

One day, the head of auxiliary services asked Forts why he didn’t have his degree. He realized at that point that it was time to go back to the classroom and accomplish his initial goal. That ignited in him the energy and purpose to move ahead and return as a Captain - this time with life and work experience under his belt.

He hit the books hard, changed his major to music, and committed to earning his bachelor's - eight years after his decision to leave school. Forts, a first-generation student, is now realizing a dream he had doubts he would ever accomplish: a bachelor’s degree in music.

“It’s very important to me. I want to be a good role model and set an example for my sister,” said Forts, who plans to continue working at CNU.

For both Huffman and Forts, graduation is symbolic of both fortitude and hope. It’s an accomplishment both worked incredibly hard to realize, despite the unseen routes they each took to arrive on stage. They are both humbled by their experiences.

“I can’t believe I’m really done. I’m so excited and so relieved,” Forts said.

As she walks across the stage, Huffman, who has been hired as a talent acquisition associate with a behavioral system, said she will be “reminded of all the people who got me through it and all the beautiful moments I have been blessed enough to experience.”

An added reason to celebrate: Huffman’s father fully recovered and will be there to watch her walk across the stage, a goal of both his and hers that at one point did not seem realistic. She leaves CNU with a full heart, one overflowing with gratitude.

“To me, graduation means new beginnings and leaving behind the best experiences of my life. This University has given me so much and I am honored to have called CNU my home for the past four years,” she said. “No matter what happens, I am always reminded that I will be a Captain for Life.”