This spring, Columbus State University proudly graduated two brothers, Nicholes and Micah Spikes. Raised in Newnan, Georgia, the brothers have shared many chapters of life, and now they proudly share the title of CSU alumni.
Nicholes earned his degree in communication with a concentration in film. His passion for content creation sparked his interest into taking a more professional route.
“I built a social media account up to 100,000 followers and wanted to explore the professional side of content creation,” Nicholes said. “I also wanted to learn how to improve my own content with it.”
But beyond the practical reasons, his drive to finish came from the passing of their mother early freshman year. “My biggest motivator was knowing my mom would’ve wanted me to finish, even if she wasn’t here to see it. Also, I enjoyed my major and it made learning fun again.”
Now, Nicholes is focused on building a career in the film industry and honing his editing skills that he learned through his coursework.
Micah, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology, was drawn to his field by a powerful desire to serve as a role model.
“I want to be a positive male role model for kids,” he shared. “You only hear about the bad ones and no good ones. I want them to have a man that they can look up to.”
Though he originally looked into psychology programs across the state, CSU rose to the top of his list. Despite changing his major to sociology, Micah knew he made the right choice.
“My motivator to finish my degree was my mom. Before she passed, she was just so proud that my brother and I made it to college, and I know she would be proud of us to graduate too,” Micah said. “My family was another motivator—wanting to make them proud and they just helped me along the way. My last motivator was myself; I wanted to graduate for myself and prove to myself that I could do it.”
Micah credits CSU for helping him succeed academically and personally, thanks to the new connections he made while a student.
“From the friends I made to campus events like the Water Bash, CSU helped me have a great college experience,” he said. “All the faculty played a role in helping me get to this point, and I am extremely grateful for all of them.”
Next up, Micah plans to apply to CSU’s graduate program in school counseling in the spring. In the meantime, he’s gaining hands-on experience working at a daycare as he continues to build toward the future he envisioned when he first began this journey.
Through perseverance, passion and hard work, the Spikes brothers walk away proudly with their bachelor’s degrees and are now a part of the Columbus State alumni network.
