Share this Story
Meet Zion Purvis-Allen '24
A success story built on perseverance, support, and community
University News | July 31, 2024
Zion Purvis-Allen has an infectious smile. Spend a little time talking with him, and you’ll likely walk away with your spirits lifted. Simply put: he has a very positive outlook, and that has served him well because his journey has not always been easy. 
Known as “Z” on campus, this first-generation college student from Chesapeake, Virginia has had a few ups and down, but has come out the other side better for it. “My first year was challenging,” says Zion. “Being a first-generation college student, I really didn’t have the tools to succeed, but that changed when I began working with Crit Muniz in Academic Support Services. He would sit down and help me organize my schedule. He saw that I was struggling, and he took me under his wing.”
Then came his second year. Zion was working fulltime and had been promoted to team leader which really cut into study time. He struggled academically and when final grades were posted, he didn't meet the federal requirement on satisfactory academic progress to keep his financial aid. Unfortunately, that meant Zion had to leave school. “I felt like I was missing a part of me. It was like my growth and development process had just stopped.”
Zion was determined to return to VWU, and after a year and a half, he did. “When I came back, it was totally different.” Zion was, once again, eligible for financial aid and the University named him a Resident Advisor (RA). "That really made me want to prove myself," he said. “They saw something in me, so I wanted to live up to their expectations and the trust they had placed in me.”
Juggling a job and serving as an RA, Zion became a master of time management and was able to enjoy the full campus experience which included plenty of intramural sports and volunteering with Marlin Ministries. During his third year, he began working in the mailroom. “It was such a great experience. I got to know everyone on campus!”
Zion then began giving campus tours as a Wesleyan Ambassador. “It was a chance to give back to the community that had treated me so well. I loved giving tours. I really learned how to make connections instantaneously with people from all over the world. For me, it was a chance to show them all that we have to offer here and the opportunity for them to get what I got by coming here. I wanted them to have the same lifechanging experience I was having.”
Crit Muniz, Executive Director of Academic Support Services, says Zion is one of his favorite students in the 10 years he’s worked at VWU. “He worked in our Learning Center at the front desk. His big smile and warm personality made him a valuable part of our team and a stand out in our campus community. He also has a teachable and ‘can do’ attitude that is going to serve him well in his future.”
This past spring, Zion graduated with a degree in Comprehensive Liberal Studies. Now working at VWU as an online enrollment counselor, he is preparing to begin the school’s Master of Education program and intends to teach at the grade school level.
When Zion talks about his VWU experience, it’s hard to imagine a better ambassador for the University. “I really feel like I am part of the campus community, a member of the Marlin family, a part of something bigger than me. The people are what makes VWU what it is. President Miller sets a positive example and it just trickles down from there.”