NCU’s first George Floyd scholar ready to serve campus
By Nathan Droege ’19
Derek Burgin, a sophomore and Interdisciplinary Studies major, has been named Student Body President of North Central University for the 2022–23 school year. Burgin, North Central’s first George Floyd scholarship recipient, will begin his term in the fall with junior Kaylie Crabtree as Student Body Vice President.
Burgin has a full plate as a student and member of the NCU track and field team. Initially, he wasn’t interested in the executive student leadership role, but he became open to the idea after peers repeatedly encouraged him to pursue the position. It’s the latest leadership experience in a succession of opportunities throughout high school and college.
Burgin said his leadership journey started at his home church in Illinois where he was “volun-told” into leadership roles—his first experiences stemmed from what is very much a family affair. “My cousin is the youth pastor, another cousin is the worship leader, another cousin is the head pastor, and my grandparents are elders,” said Burgin. Equipped by this heritage and by a steady stream of leadership experiences, Burgin is shifting his focus onto serving the North Central student body.
Building up the student population is a core value for Burgin, and he also wants to prioritize efforts to increase unity on campus. “We’ve been talking about being unified for the past year, and we’ve seen a little bit of it progress, but we really want to…push [unity] even more,” said Burgin.
Burgin said his experience as a recipient of the George Floyd scholarship has been a rewarding mix of both “fun” and “unreal,” and he sees student leadership as a way to reciprocate what he’s been given. Burgin said that giving back is a central part of his and Crabtree’s motivation to lead the student body. “We think that this best represents what Christ wants for us to do,” he said.
While Burgin and Crabtree have high expectations for the upcoming year, their focus revolves around serving students and pointing them toward Christ. Their message to the community is simple: “We love you guys, we’re here for you,” Burgin said.
Nathan Droege ’19 is Assistant Dean of Housing and Student Development.
Hear from Burgin and Crabtree in this video filmed by the NCU student leadership team.
