Tony Rushing finds success through positivity and hard work

Not everyone is dealt the same hand of cards in life. But the hand which is dealt plays a part in determining how one's future will be altered.

Southeast Missouri State University junior Tony Rushing's rise from hardship status first sparked when he sought solace in education and friendship.

Thinking from a perspective of how success can be achieved in his situation, Rushing made a commitment to overcome his life's obstacles by breaking down the mental threshold of his anxiety.

"It all started in third grade," Rushing said. "An incident happened and my sisters and I were taken away from our parents. I was eventually moved into a daycare, instead of living with my parents. After two months passed, I moved in with my auntie and uncle. That's when things first changed for me. I eventually became close with my cousins, and they're like brothers to me because of this experience. Three years later, I moved back in with my father and I grew up in a single parent home. He was the only person to sustain me. He did everything himself and tried the best he could. But he made sacrifices for me and that's what made me. Without him I'd be nothing."

From fraternity brother to long-distance athlete and community service volunteer, Rushing is the full package. On campus, Rushing may appear as a man of many hats, but others view him as a kind-hearted individual with an intense schedule devoted to employment, athletics and academics.

Brandon Mize, a senior at Southeast, referred to Rushing as one of the most time-committed individuals he has ever met. Rushing's extreme thirst for opportunity stems from his drive to become better than where he started. Whether it's competing in marathons or assisting in a child's reading ability, Rushing delivers with positive mannerisms.

"I remember he was always so busy because he was involved in several different things," Mize said. "We were close, but it wasn't until the end of his pledgeship to where we got closer."

During the spring semester of 2013, Mize was selected as Rushing's pledge father within the Delta Chi fraternity. Upon initiation for the Gamma Gamma pledge class, Mize felt Rushing's decision made a pivotal impact on his life.

"I remember the night before I became his pledge father he texted me, and it was one of the most flattering things I ever heard," Mize said. "He said, 'I sat down the other night and went through every single Delta Chi and tried to figure out who could make me the best possible fraternity man, and I figured that would be you. If I put you down as my pledge father, would you take me?' I was awed, and said, 'Of course.' A few months after me being his pledge father, he really opened up and told me about everything. A lot of people who come from a life like his think that's all they'll ever amount to, but he took it as, 'I'm going to try everything I can to be the best person that I can.'"

Hisfirst opportunity to harness his skills came in the form of athleticism. Racking up miles with a weekly running schedule became the start of what led to a rigorous path in the field of endurance training.

"When I was in middle school, I couldn't do much athletically," Rushing said. "I was just a bookworm with my academics."

The following summer met with much success when Rushing accidently stumbled upon the opportunity for a career in cross country, which would serve as an outlet for his commitment to long-distance running. A simple misunderstanding led to an ongoing passion.

"Through the summer of my freshman year, the cross country coach came in and asked who wanted to join," Rushing said. "At first I thought he was talking about something scientific, because he had a science shirt on and no athletic gear. So I thought, 'We might be studying stuff across the country,' so I went along with it. After a couple of weeks, the coach gave me a call and told me to show up with running shoes. I still had no idea what he was talking about, so I showed up with a notebook in my hand and a pencil. When he told me to start practice running 3 miles to start off the season, I asked, 'What season?' That's when my career took off. By my junior year I started winning races and went to state my junior year."

Eventually Rushing's devotion to bettering his physical ability wasn't limited to hills and tennis shoes. An assortment of sports followed suit. From there, Rushing believed the sky was the limit in what he could achieve.

According to Associate Director of Recreational Services and fellow rugby player Eric Redinger, Rushing is a joy to play alongside. Both Rushing and Redinger serve as members of Southeast's Division III rugby team, the Scorpions.

"I first met Tony through rugby," Redinger said. "Rugby has several positions, Tony's was a bit more specialized. It's a combination of wide receiver, a defensive back and a kick returner. It's a very fast and dynamic position. It felt great having Tony out there in that position, because he was very good at that."

To Redinger, Rushing's display of athleticism and drive wasn't the only thing admirable during his time on the field.

"I don't think I've ever seen him not smiling," Redinger said. "The last game I remember Tony being at, he was in great nature and mood the entire time. He's very driven and passionate for what he does."

Accompanied with his athletic career, Rushing's drive for accomplishment is intensified by the various volunteer opportunities he feels compelled to partake in. From the United Way's Read to Succeed program and the Boys & Girls Club of Cape Girardeau, there was never an option he felt wasn't achievable.

This past summer, Rushing devoted a good portion of his time to accommodate troubled youth in situations in which he once found himself. The Teen Leadership program of St. Louis was designed to offer leadership building opportunities to help shape the youth into positive role models and future leaders.

"All these children within this program come from low income families and at-risk homes," Rushing said. "There's no child in there that has the means to live fully. Everyone in there has some type of problem. I hate to say it, but it's true. They come to this program as a getaway for the summer. What we did through this program is push them towards college. We gave them free ACT prep and an experience like living in a dormitory for a week. That took them away from their family, and we mentor them everyday. We had the chance to have real deep talks with them and share our own experience. They sounded exactly like me when I was a little kid, and that hit me hard because I didn't know what I was getting myself into to start the summer off. It eventually led me to think, 'How can I help this kid?'"

Rushing's altruistic and kind-hearted nature can be seen in full force during his encounters on campus. His over-eager attitude to accomplish the job at hand is paralleled with his commitment to make others happy.

"I'll help anyone, and my motivation keeps going because I don't just benefit others, it benefits me," Rushing said. "Everyone deserves a chance to be helped, literally everybody. Nobody is perfect."