Luke Savage might be “the short kid who got good,” but there’s more to his story than his love for basketball – and his search for a college team.
Luke was born in a small town in Ethiopia. He and his older brother Ben grew up like normal kids: they went to school, they played soccer, and just did kid stuff.
But Luke’s eyes were opened when he was adopted by the Savage family here in Valpo – and for the first time in his five years, he saw snow.
“Where I grew up the houses were all right next to each other and we had dirt roads,” Luke said. “It was a huge change coming here. There was perfect green grass everywhere, nice homes, and so much space to run around and play.”
The Savage home had a basketball hoop in the front yard, and their neighborhood was full of kids who liked to shoot. Even though he was shorter and younger than a lot of his friendly opponents, he used all his free time to practice and get good.
Luke still plays soccer for fun; he does that with a lot of sports. Basketball has his heart now, and he’s searching for a college that will help him get an education in criminal justice.
“Basketball’s an outlet for education so my parents and I don’t have to be in debt when I graduate,” he said.
Luke’s interest in Criminal Justice was inspired by some friends who are police officers.
“They’re really great, and I’m inspired by their service,” Luke said. “I’m the type to make a sacrifice to protect others, so criminal justice sounds perfect for me.”
A junior at Victory Christian Academy in Valpo, Luke took a criminal investigations & justice class that inspired him to research the field. The class grabbed his attention, and his independent studies have taught him a lot about the history of policing and criminal justice.
Although basketball and studies keep Luke plenty busy, he enjoys spending time with his friends and family whenever his schedule allows.
“I like to hang out with my buddies,” Luke said. “We go to the movies, go bowling, or head to the beach and run the dunes.”
He also enjoys family game night; his favorite board game is Tripoley.
Although his brother Ben is away at school, running cross country and track at IUPUI, Luke credits Ben for his own trajectory.
“My story is a lot like Ben’s,” Luke said. “He’s the most important person to me because he’s always been with me. Now he’s running in college and he’s achieved a lot stuff, too.”
Luke said he and Ben prayed for a family, and God delivered with the Savages. They’ve worked hard to carve Luke’s path along the lines of Christ’s will.
“They’ve taught us both so much about God,” Luke said. “I believe in Christ as my savior, follow him every day, and try to do the things he would do.
“Being adopted gives a completely new perspective on life, and I would definitely consider it for myself at some point,” Luke said. “It really is life-changing. I always think, if I hadn’t been adopted, I wouldn’t know half of anything I know now. Coming here, I know that much more about the world. I have greater opportunities. I see things in a big picture.”
As Luke’s picture gets bigger, he looks forward to finding the college that fits his curiosity, work ethic and drive. Watch his story here https://youtu.be/jhGMY_oYnBw to learn more about how you can help RecruitLuke.com