Domenic Ghiorso is a senior marketing media major at The Master’s University. He came to TMU from Meridian, Idaho. In addition to his studies, he runs on the University’s cross country and track and field teams and serves as an intern on campus in the marketing department. He recently sat down to share a little of what his experience at TMU has been like.
I went to a Mustang Elite camp that they had for a few high school track students, and that was the determining factor right then and there. I knew I was going to come to Master’s.
I got to see a little glimpse of the day-to-day life we have on the cross country team. We would practice in the morning, and then we would have short devotional sessions.
And that was when I was like, “Yep, this is awesome. This is where I want to be.” A number of the people that I attended that camp with are now at Master’s, as well. It was fun to get to walk that whole journey with them.
It’s probably been Revelation with Dr. (William) Varner. That was the second Bible class I took at TMU. I love Dr. Varner — he’s so fun in the way he explains things, and he is so knowledgeable. It’s fun to learn from him as he breaks the book down. And it’s such a special book; I definitely had a lot of questions about it before I dove into the course. If you have questions after class, he loves to talk to you about it and to share what he knows.
My favorite part is the creative aspect. There’s really no limit to creativity, and there’s always a solution to the problem in front of you. If this design doesn’t work here, then it can work somewhere else. And there’s always something new to explore. And in my job at TMU specifically, we really have a lot of opportunities to serve people.
Marketing media is broad — whether it’s photography, video, or graphic design, there are just so many possibilities. There’s always something new you can do.
It’s been so good. When I came in, I was a little bit concerned, because I was going to be in an apartment complex off-campus with the team. I knew I would have deep friendships on my team, having my teammates so close, but I thought I wouldn’t be close with the rest of the school. But actually, my internship in the marketing department really helps me to branch out.
I was homeschooled, but because I did track and field and cross country in high school, I was around the high school that I competed for — and I saw a lot of the sin and brokenness of that world. Then I came to Master’s, and it was so good knowing that the people here are solid. It’s so sweet getting to build these friendships and not having to be hesitant, because in high school I had to have my guard up for certain things. At Master’s, I get to build friendships where I can encourage others, and they can encourage me, and there’s accountability I can rely on — both on the team and off the team.
In high school, I was in the mindset of just focusing on running for a time. It was very pride-centered. I wanted to be on varsity. And I got humbled. I had a number of races where I just could not put it together. Looking back on it, it was very clear that the Lord was closing that door, saying, “You aren’t doing this with the right mindset.” It was just very clear that I needed to change my attitude towards it.
Then I came to TMU, and our coach really drilled into us the idea that when we run, when we compete, when we study, everything should be done as an act of worship. We need to do it with a mindset that this isn’t for myself. We need to say, “I’m going to go out there, suffer, and put everything on the line — because it’s not for myself, but for the one who offered His best for us.”
It’s been an incredible journey to walk that mindset out through many difficulties, injuries, and setbacks that delay the training process. But God is faithful, and it helps to know that even when you’re injured and can’t run, you can still be just as effective for the gospel as when you’re doing your sport.
Learn more about TMU’s marketing media major here.
