It didn’t go the way he thought it would, the way he planned for it to go, or the way he hoped it would. Four years ago, a young man and his new bride of barely a year, left Washington, D.C. where they’d met and fell in love, and they headed to Virginia Beach for him to attend law school.
He wanted to further his budding career and Regent Law was the place he wanted to be to make that happen.
They bought their first home together near the school, with a wonderful spacious yard and a front porch. With her hot off the press-teaching certificate, she pursued positions in the elementary school systems, feeling confident she’d have a position before the bell rang to end summer vacation. With their faith deep in God, they knew He would provide for their needs, and sure enough, there was a third grade classroom that had her name on it. So, during that summer, the summer of 2004, they began to settle in their new area and home, with hopes and dreams of this new beginning in their young lives and even younger marriage. The excitement they both felt was palpable.

Climbing stairs and standing, for even short periods of time, were now obstacles for this young man.

After the leaves began to change, things started to go awry in his body. Sensations that he was going to pass out frequently overtook him, many times to the point where leaving class was necessary so he could find a place to lie down. At times, he experienced near black outs and ambulances were called. Climbing stairs and standing, for even short periods of time, were now obstacles for this young man. While his routine of martial arts and basketball games had to be abandoned, focusing on professors and getting notes down quickly became more physically difficult with each passing week. His work was slipping further and further, and everyday basic functioning was now an everyday battle. Medical tests revealed nothing so some doctors were admittedly baffled. Others diagnosed him as ‘depressed’ or as having experienced a nervous breakdown.
Things worsened as time went on and it became clear that law school was impossibility; he withdrew during his first semester. The rest of that school year, the young man tried to keep busy as much as his complaining body allowed. “Do I give up law school? Do I try again in the spring or fall semesters? Maybe I should just forget it…or maybe I should keep praying for healing and believe I’m supposed to finish what I was brought down here to do.”
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Last Saturday, my husband, Keith Mauck, graduated from Regent Law School and we will celebrate it with our first child, who was born halfway through the program, and with many other family members. Keith persevered despite the massive obstacle his body put in his path and he accomplished what he was supposed to do. Even though he had every reason to, he never quit. We now know it was due to nerve damage to his autonomic system and thankfully, he has improved greatly over the last few years here. We praise God, who allowed him to reach this monumental goal!