It’s never been an “easy” life. It has presented obstacles such as the loss of his mother, a season-ending injury and not being able to run track this season. Despite the difficulties, senior Brushawn Hunter is continuing to rely on three things that keeps him going: his Aunt Gina, God and the memory of his mother.

“You know, honestly, I wasn’t really heartbroken at all when I heard about my injury,” Hunter said. “I thought about it in a positive way. I thought about it like this might seem bad, but God is able. If he can feed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, then I have nothing to worry about.”

Hunter suffered a season-ending football injury at the beginning of the season that left him with screws in his ankles.

“The injury was four months ago,” Hunter said. “I was running the ball and as I was getting tackled, a player’s knee came down on top of my foot and smashed it. I got out of the game and thought that I could maybe walk it off so I ended up taking myself out the game. The injury was a mid-foot sprain, which means the tendon in my two toes tore and so I was out for the rest of the season.”

Not only was he not able to play football, but he will not be able to run track in the upcoming season. But even though he will not be able to run track, he said he is just glad he will be able to play football season next fall.

“I plan on playing football at Arkansas Baptist in college; it’s a juco (junior college) school,” Hunter said. “I plan on going there for two years and then transfer to a big school, Kentucky. That’s just the place God wants me.”

Hunter’s driving force to keep persevering through life’s obstacles is contributed to the memory of his mother and once again, the center of strength, God.

“My driving force has been the things that has happened in my life like my mother dying,” Hunter said. “That has been one of the biggest driving forces in my life. God overall, too, is another driving force. Him just showing me what He has for me and me just trusting in Him that He is able through every situation is what helps me.”

His Aunt Gina is also another source of strength for Hunter to draw on during tough situations.

“She is basically my mentor with things,” Hunter said. “She helps me with things I don’t know. She is like a mother to me and helps me with my understanding in life.”

Hunter is not allowing setbacks in his life determine his future. He plans on using the past as steppingstones towards his future.

“In college, I plan on majoring in education,” Hunter said. “I plan on going to Arkansas Baptist for the first two years then transfer to Kentucky for the last two years. I then plan on being drafted and playing in the NFL.”

And Hunter hopes to have his number one fan behind him every step of the way: his girlfriend senior Baylie McLaren.

“She’s been kind of like my backbone,” Hunter said. “Even though she is my girlfriend, I listen to her when she tells me things. She taught me how to have genuine love for people and have helped me to become a better person.”