Deacon Corey Lashawn Boyd GS’21, GS’26 builds a legacy of resilience, faith, and leadership

For Deacon Corey Lashawn Boyd GS’21, GS’26, every diploma he’s earned tells part of a larger story.

School was challenging from the beginning. Boyd entered kindergarten without having attended preschool and struggled to adjust to the classroom. He repeated kindergarten, and by first grade, educators identified him as having a learning disability.

His school days often included one-on-one instruction outside the traditional classroom, where he worked with specialists on speech, writing, reading, and other foundational skills.

One teacher who left a lasting impression was Miss Berg, whose warmth and encouragement helped Boyd build confidence in school.

“For every answer I got right, she gave me my reward of Goldfish crackers,” Boyd laughs. “I would work for the correct answer just to have them.”

By junior high, educators told Boyd he no longer needed special education classes. He was capable of succeeding academically. He simply learned differently. Still, recognizing his ability and believing in it were two different things.

As Boyd grew older, football became a major focus. Inspired by Notre Dame quarterback Tony Rice, he dreamed of playing quarterback for the Fighting Irish. At times, academic challenges kept him from competing, but they did not erase his goal of continuing his education.

“I had all these dreams and aspirations of going to college. Even though I struggled academically, I never lost hope of wanting to go,” Boyd says.

Near the end of high school, Boyd was preparing to join the U.S. Marine Corps when a conversation with his pastor changed his direction. He told Rev. Walter R. Bauldrick Sr. of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church that he wanted to attend Virginia State University.

Bauldrick connected him with Jadonal Ford, a Virginia State alumnus and fellow member of the school’s chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. Ford became an important mentor, helping Boyd navigate admission, secure funding, and stay on track.

Boyd enrolled at Virginia State without ever having visited campus. Although his time there was brief, the experience strengthened his identity as a Black man and introduced him to new examples of Black achievement and leadership.

That experience eventually led him back to his former high school, where he worked as a tutor, then in attendance and registration, and later as an academic advisor.

“The registrar’s office is where I began to understand that young people experience more challenges prior to arriving at school than most people know,” he says.

In 2018, Boyd moved to Minnesota to expand his career into equity and systems-level work. The move also opened the door to a new chapter at Bethel University.

Finding a new beginning at Bethel

Boyd knew he wanted to work in community, support young people, and influence systems, but he was still determining what his next chapter should look like.

“My wife was on board with me going back to school, but I was distracted by personal challenges I faced after leaving Evanston,” he says.

As he researched universities in Minnesota, Bethel stood out.

The name carried a personal connection because Boyd grew up in a church of the same name. But he also sensed God leading him specifically toward Bethel University.

“I felt like God was talking to me, telling me to look at Bethel University,” Boyd says. “He was saying, ‘That’s where you’re going to grow. That’s where you’re going to find out who you are.’”

Even then, doubt followed him. Boyd worried his undergraduate record would keep him from graduate school. He questioned whether he was prepared to succeed at that level.

With guidance from then-enrollment counselor Erica Garrett, he completed the application and learned more about Bethel’s M.A. in Strategic Leadership program.

Boyd remembers the vocational guidance and genuine warmth he experienced from Bethel staff. He recalls talking with Sam Helgerson about leadership, life, Christ, and what it meant to be a Christian leader.

In 2019, Boyd began the program.

“That signaled a rebirth,” he says. “That was my new beginning. That was the journey of learning who I was as a leader.”

Bethel’s strategic leadership program introduced Boyd to tools he continues to use, including strengths assessments that helped him better understand how he is wired professionally and develop his emotional intelligence. He says the experience also helped him understand how his Christian faith could shape the way he leads.

“Strategic leadership showed me the human side, but it also showed me how to connect to Christ in the work that I do as a leader,” he says.

Boyd eventually became chief equity officer for the State of Minnesota, bringing together years of experience in education, equity, leadership, and systems-level work.

Returning to finish what he started

Boyd completed his M.A. in Strategic Leadership in 2021 during a difficult season. His mother had died that January, making this the first of his graduations she was unable to attend.

After earning his master’s degree, Boyd paused to consider whether to continue his education. He had already earned a high school diploma, bachelor’s degree, and master’s degree, accomplishing what many had once told him might not be possible.

His journey continued in other ways too. Prompted by his pastor, Boyd completed a nine-month preparation process and became an ordained deacon at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Minneapolis.

Meanwhile, Professor Jeanine Parolini continued inviting him to Bethel events and leadership conversations, keeping the possibility of an MBA on his radar.

Eventually, Boyd realized that returning to Bethel for a second master’s degree represented something different.

His earlier degrees had often been driven by a desire to prove himself to others. Returning for his MBA became an opportunity to prove something to himself: that he belonged.

So he decided to keep going.

Professor Kevin Johnson became another important influence, challenging Boyd’s thinking and shaping how he applies leadership principles to equity work. Boyd also credits coach Tom Christie with helping him navigate complex career choices and portfolio development.

He sees those relationships as part of God’s intentional design throughout his life.

“These are people that were strategically placed in my life,” Boyd says. “I love strategy because God is the ultimate chess player.”

Boyd says his perspective on leadership has changed as he has grown older. He thinks less about chasing a particular job or title and focuses instead on the assignments God places in front of him.

“This is not about careers or jobs,” Boyd says. “This is about assignment level, and assignments are different when they’re God-led and God-ordained. If I’m here, I’m here to do work. I’m here to be a vessel.” 

Boyd completed his MBA at Bethel in 2026.

Building a legacy his children can follow

The timing of Boyd’s latest degree carried special meaning because graduation came shortly after his oldest son graduated from high school.

For Boyd, the connection between the two milestones was profound.

“That’s legacy,” he says.

A father of three, Boyd is quick to celebrate his children’s accomplishments. At the time of the interview, his oldest son had graduated from high school with a 4.3 GPA and was preparing to attend the University of Kansas. His daughter had earned academic honors and all-state recognition in flag football, and his youngest son was thriving in school and learning baseball.

His wife has also been a driving force in their family while building her own career of more than 20 years in law enforcement.

When his children look at his journey, Boyd hopes they see resilience.

“I could have quit when they told me that college was not an option,” Boyd says. “I could have quit when they told me that getting a master’s degree probably wouldn’t happen. It’s about resilience.”

He knows they will see the diplomas and awards hanging on his office wall. But he also wants them to understand what it took to get there: academic struggles, losses, major life changes, doubts, and the daily choice to keep moving forward.

Boyd speaks specifically about wanting his oldest son to see that moving to Minnesota did not mean he stopped pursuing growth.

“I chose to show him that I’m not going to quit on life,” Boyd says. “I’m going to go and be successful. I’m going to leave a legacy that’s going to be worthy of following.”

That commitment also shapes the way Boyd serves others.

He makes himself available as a mentor and thought partner because he remembers the people who invested in him. Teachers, relatives, coaches, pastors, faculty, and advisors all helped him move forward at different points in his life.

“Somebody came back and helped me,” he says. “I’m always looking to help and to give back.”

A community that continues beyond graduation

Boyd’s relationship with Bethel did not end when he completed a degree.

He describes the university as a place where relationships helped him grow academically, professionally, personally, and spiritually. That experience shaped his view of what it means to belong to the Bethel community.

Boyd says Bethel gave him the opportunity to establish a new foundation in his faith while learning alongside people who wanted to see him succeed.

“You’re going to experience a rebirth,” he says. “You’re going to establish a new life and a new foundation in Christ, and you’re going to understand you’re going to be surrounded by folks who want to see you grow in all areas of life, and it’s not just for that moment; it’s for a lifetime.”

For someone who spent years questioning whether he was capable of succeeding in higher education, that sense of belonging carries lasting meaning.

Boyd now has two Bethel graduate degrees, a vocation focused on serving others, and a story he hopes will encourage his children and the people he mentors to keep going when the path ahead looks uncertain.

His goal is no longer to prove that other people were wrong about him. It is to use what he has learned, continue following where God leads, and leave a legacy worth following.

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