Rooted in Family

Like almost 40% of Pacific University undergraduates, Devin Fortune ’25 is an athlete. He’s one of only a few, though, balancing school and sports with his roles as husband and father. The business administration major and varsity basketball player is driven by his commitment to family, faith and the future — and at Pacific, he’s found a community that uplifting his dreams.

College is a family affair for Devin, his wife Kristina, and their young son, Rocket. “I wanted to be at a place where it was about more than just myself,” said Devin. “I was coming in with an entire family, and the coaches really helped me feel that. Since coming here, that has grown even more with relationships built with faculty and peers."

At Pacific, Devin is studying business administration with an emphasis in management. He says he’s gaining skills that will translate into long-term career goals. Just six months after taking his first accounting course, he was able to line up an internship that is poised to turn into a job after graduation.

At the same time, he’s a member of the Boxer men’s basketball team, which made the conference playoffs for the first time in 25 years in 2023-2024. “College basketball has been a dream of mine since I was a child,” he said. “I never take it for granted, because at one point I thought basketball was over. But God opened the door to come back here, so now I feel like I can do nothing but put my all into basketball."

It’s not an easy balance, and Devin’s days come with highs and lows — from celebrating wins on the court to facing a growing pile of homework on a late night. He finds strength in his faith and in the community of support he's found in the classroom, on the court and at home. "It feels like everyone cares about not just me, but my family as well.”

Ultimately, though, he is driven by the example he wants to set for Rocket. “Being a father, I know my son looks up to me and one day will model manhood after the example I set. So I owe it to him to be the model of a man I want to see him to grow up to be.”

“My children will look up to mine and my wife’s relationship as the example of how a husband and wife act with and toward one another, so we both have to do our best to show true love, kindness, forgiveness, and all the other things that come with marriage, so when they grow up to have spouses of their own they know what it’s supposed to look like.”