Music and Olivet Nazarene University are forever intertwined in the life of Cole Morris ’26 and his family. From Centennial Chapel to Larsen Fine Arts Center to The House of God at Mooseheart, their roots are firmly anchored in Olivet’s commitment to “Education With a Christian Purpose.”
In spring 2026, as his graduation from Olivet was approaching, Cole took time to recall his first visit to Olivet’s campus. He was in eighth grade at that time and came from his hometown of Peoria to play drums in a jazz band music festival being held on campus.
“I remember walking into Centennial Chapel and seeing the stage and the organ,” he says. “That was the first time I had ever been on any college campus. Our group played together on that same stage during the festival. My sister, Emma ’22, became an Olivet freshman later that year with the blessing of our parents, Jason and Tina Morris.”
When Cole was a sophomore in high school, his brother, Jude ’23, enrolled at Olivet. Cole remembers coming to visit Jude and staying in his Chapman Hall dorm room. “That weekend, I began to see myself as an Olivet student someday,” Cole says. “I began thinking that Olivet might be the place for me.”
Life Happens
At the end of their sophomore year in high school, one of Cole’s closest friends passed away. One month later, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the lockdown and months of isolation for our world. “That was a difficult time for me,” Cole says. “When I needed my friends most for support, I was separated from them.”
During that summer of 2020, a friend reached out to Cole and invited him to join a time of worship in a meadow behind their church. That first day, eight teenagers showed up and spent three hours worshiping God together. “God’s presence was so powerful that day,” he says. “That experience was healing and life-changing for all of us. The group grew and continued to meet there every week for years to come.”
As new people came to the group, Cole took time to talk with them and listen to their stories. “When I asked God what He wanted me to do with my life, He used that group to show me that He wants me to be a pastor, to shepherd and care for His people,” Cole says. “My next step in that journey was to enroll at Olivet.”
Finding Family, Fun and Faith
As an Olivet student, Cole completed a double major in Pastoral Ministry and Biblical Studies. He also sang with Orpheus Choir and was the group’s chaplain, served with Preaching Ambassadors, sang the bass solos in Handel’s Messiah, performed in Sounds of the Season, and was active in intramural sports and Spoons 4 Forks improv comedy. And he had the opportunity to do life with his two best friends as his roommates.
One of Cole’s most special moments at Olivet happened in 2025 when Orpheus Choir sang at The House of God at Mooseheart in northern Illinois. “We were singing for a group of kids from a K-12 boarding school,” he says. “We did our entire concert for them, and in one song, the choir dances. We weren’t sure how the kids would react, but when we started singing and dancing, their eyes lit up, and they came alive! They were filled with joy, and they began singing and dancing with us!”
Cole greatly appreciates the teaching and mentorship he receives from his Olivet professors. “Professor Joel Heald is also my pastor at College Church University Avenue and helps with Preaching Ambassadors,” Cole says. “He has helped me walk through some tough times and shows me how to be a better pastor. Dr. Eddie Ellis is one of the most patient and compassionate persons I’ve ever known. In our Greek class, we often heard ambulances going by on the main road right outside our classroom, and he would always pause and pray for the people who were needing medical help. During my four years with Orpheus Choir, Dr. Jeff Bell was extremely influential in my life. His professionalism and his care for us always pushed us to be the best we could be.”
Cole adds: “All of my professors care deeply about their students and about bringing education to the level of our lives. Their expertise in their fields has equipped me well for the next steps in my career. Their confidence in me helps build my confidence in myself.”
Unexpected Healing
As Cole reflects on his time at Olivet, he always pauses to thank God for the healing and restoration he and his siblings have experienced in their relationships with one another. “Jude and I had many struggles as brothers while we were living at home,” Cole says. “When he went to college, I was glad to see him go. But when we were both Olivet students for only one semester, we sang in Orpheus Choir together and went on tour together. God healed our relationship during that time, and now we are best friends. It was very emotional when he graduated.”
Cole adds, “There was something wrong between my sister, Olivia, and me while we were living at home. She enrolled at Olivet when I was a junior, and we sang in Orpheus Choir together. God showed us how to reconcile and healed our relationship, too.”
Their sister, Emma, is also an Olivet graduate. Soon, their sister, Evie, will become an Olivet student.
“Olivet is where all of us were supposed to be for many reasons,” Cole says. “Olivet provided our education and brought healing to our family, and I’m forever grateful.”
To learn more about all that Olivet has to offer, contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@olivet.edu or 800-648-1463.
