March 22, 2004

Ark City native named Cowley's April Student of the Month

Lucas Goff never has been afraid to try something new.

At Arkansas City Middle School, he was the part-time Bullpup mascot. At Arkansas City High School, he became Sally the Bulldog. And at Cowley County Community College, he filled the role of Tank the Tiger mascot.

He tried his hand at the college’s Cisco Networking Technology program and was successful. And he has his sights set on an MBA.

Recently, Goff was selected as April Student of the Month at Cowley, an honor he’s proud of.

“It was good to hear,” said Goff, the son of Allen and Joycelyn Goff of Arkansas City. “It makes you feel good that people appreciate what you do.”

Cowley’s computer technology department has especially appreciated Goff. After working a year-and-a-half detailing cars for Cowley’s transportation fleet, Goff went to work for the computer department. He’s pulled miles and miles of cable, repaired printers, answered technical questions and performed a little troubleshooting.

The new experience helped Goff decide that he wanted additional study in computers. He enrolled in the Cisco curriculum, but hasn’t taken any certification exams yet. The business administration major, who holds a 3.44 grade-point average, plans to enroll at Southwestern College in January 2005, earn a bachelor’s degree, then pursue a master’s of business administration.

“I went into business administration because there are a wide range of things you can go into,” said Goff, who is scheduled to be initiated this spring into Cowley’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. “You can become a school teacher, or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. It’s something I know I can use.

“I really don’t know what I want to do.”

Goff’s MBA will emphasize computer systems information. He’s excited about starting Southwestern’s MBA program, which is ranked with Harvard and Yale as a quality program for the money.

Goff said a Student of the Month was someone who “puts forth a lot of effort and does their best.” Although he admits he never pushed himself in high school, he’s come to realize that studying is necessary at Cowley.

“Homework was a dirty word to me,” Goff said. “But you can’t live that way at Cowley, or anywhere. I used to be able to swing it. Now, I spend my Sundays at (First United Methodist) church and doing homework for the next week. I like to look ahead and do as much as I can.”

Because academics are important to him, Goff said he has little time for extracurricular activities. He attends Cowley on an athletic scholarship and pulled on the Tank the Tiger suit for home basketball games.

“This is the first year that I haven’t played violin, and I’ve played since second grade,” he said. “I used to play sports and don’t do that any more. You have to figure out what’s important.”

Since Goff’s mother is a Cowley employee, he decided to pass on visiting other colleges.

“I don’t regret it at all,” he said. “Cowley’s prepared me. You hit real life here.”

Goff said he became interested in being a mascot several years ago when he saw the black cat at a Southwestern game.

“I thought ‘you know, I could do that,’ ” Goff said. “Maybe it could put me through school. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do my violin.”

When Goff isn’t studying or figuring out a computer problem, he’s enjoying the outdoors. He owns a kayak, a four-wheeler, a motorcycle, enjoys hunting pheasant and quail, and likes cleaning cars. He’s involved with vacation Bible school during the summer, and he’s helped teach Sunday school. He credited his parents for “always being there.”

“If I have trouble with homework, they’ve always helped me with that,” Goff said. “Or if there’s a situation with someone, they keep me from getting myself deeper.”

Goff also said Larry Swaim, Cowley’s coordinator of computer services, has been a positive influence.

“There are great people here,” Goff said. “Larry and my parents have helped me so much. Really, our whole computer department is great. I’m probably biased, but I think we’re one of the best teams on campus. We’re spread out all over campus, but we can still communicate and get things done. It’s all about teamwork.”

Goff’s work ethic, discipline and drive are illustrated by the purchase of a 1996 BMW 328I with 90,000 miles.

“I bought it off the Internet at the start of my senior year,” he said. “I bought the car for $20,000 from a guy in Dallas. I saved up and put $15,000 down. When I was 9, I used to clean cars for a dealer. I got $7 a car and could do about four a day.”

A just reward for his years of saving.