Josh Moyer ’25 was committed to a Division II school in North Carolina. His lacrosse future was decided. But something bothered him—a worry that stayed with him through his senior year of high school. The scholarship was good, the program solid, but was it right? 

Then his high school lacrosse coach pulled him aside for a conversation that would reshape his entire future. Moyer's coach had been watching his nephew, another player Moyer knew well, at a Division II program in Tampa. The coach used a scenario about his nephew becoming injured and miserable at the program to make an important point. 

"You want to go to a school that even if you get injured, you can still have fun at," his coach said simply.

A Decision That Changed Everything

The words changed everything for Moyer. He wasn't just choosing a lacrosse program—he was choosing where he'd spend four years becoming the person he was meant to be. Within weeks, Moyer had changed course entirely, choosing Â鶹Çø instead. It was a decision that would prove to define not just his college years, but his entire approach to life and work.

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Today, Moyer uses the same careful thinking that led him to Calvin in his professional life as a filmmaker and video producer. Whether he's crafting a documentary that challenges viewers to think differently or leading a production team through a complex project, Moyer draws on the lessons he learned during those important college years—lessons that came not from the highlight reels, but from the small moments that shaped his character.

The Real Education Happened in the Margins

Calvin taught Moyer that the most important growth often happens in the places you least expect it. Those required courses he initially resented—linguistics, statistics, philosophy—became the foundation for his ability to think critically and communicate complex ideas through film.

"The things that you hate in college are the things that prepare you the most for the real world," Moyer reflects. "I didn't think I needed to know linguistics or stats, but getting through that kind of stuff—that's what prepares you."

This lesson proved invaluable during his sophomore year when Moyer helped create "The Search" as the director of photography. The documentary became his proudest accomplishment. The film wasn't just technically proficient—it told a story that resonated with audiences across the country. "The Search" was selected for Detroit's Free Film Festival, screened at a Patagonia store opening in Chicago, and shown at festivals from Michigan to Illinois to Long Beach Island in New Jersey.

Challenging Conventional Thinking

But the technical skills were only part of the equation. Moyer's liberal arts education at Calvin taught him to ask the hard questions, to dig deeper than surface-level storytelling. In one memorable class discussion about AI-generated poetry appearing in a literary magazine, Moyer was the only student who defended the inclusion as ethically sound.

"It raises questions and pushes the agenda of what AI is in the classroom and even outside of the classroom," he argued. "Things like that really push the future of education and our world."

This willingness to challenge conventional thinking—what Moyer calls his "gritty" approach—became central to his filmmaking philosophy. "To be the best, you have to be different," he explains. "You have to push agendas and questions about anything because once you do that, it's going to raise questions, and if you're raising questions in your field, you're doing something right."

Learning to Lead Through Sports and Storytelling

The leadership skills Moyer developed as a lacrosse player translated seamlessly into his role as a director and producer. Whether he was mentoring younger teammates or directing a film crew, the principles remained the same: lead by example, demand excellence, and never settle for half-measures. 

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Perhaps most importantly, Calvin taught Moyer that meaningful work isn't about the paycheck—it's about passion and purpose. As a Catholic student at a Christian Reformed institution, Moyer initially felt like an outsider. But that experience taught him that diversity of thought and background strengthens a community rather than weakening it. 

"Being the minority at Calvin has drawn me closer to my religion," Moyer explains. The experience taught him to embrace rather than hide his unique perspective, a lesson that now influences every project he takes on.

Finding Meaning in Small Moments

Looking back, Moyer realizes that his most treasured memories weren't the big games or major achievements—they were the experiences off the field. "Sure, the game-winning goals and huge wins will forever be in the stat book and a cool memory. But the true joy of looking back at my collegiate career were the off-the-field experiences—it's about the small little moments that you have at the dining hall, in class, pulling an all-nighter studying in the library with one of your teammates." 

In five years, Moyer hopes to still feel that same sense of joy and purpose in his work. He even imagines telling stories that draw on the memories he made during his college journey. Calvin prepared him not just with technical skills or industry connections, but with something more fundamental: the ability to think deeply, act with integrity, and find meaning in both the big moments and the small ones.

Advice to His High School Self

If Moyer could go back and give advice to his high school self, sitting in that coach's office wrestling with his college decision, he knows exactly what he'd say: "The harder you work, the longer your four years will be. The season and the college experience stop if you stop." 

And he'd add one more thing: "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not." 

That simple truth, learned through four years of early morning workouts, challenging conversations, and quiet moments of growth, now guides everything Moyer does. The question his coach asked didn't just help him choose a college—it taught him how to choose a life worth living. 

This article was produced with the help of AI.