More Than a Race: Finding a Way and Giving Back
At Clark Atlanta University, “I’ll Find a Way or I’ll Make One” is more than a motto. For generations of students and alumni, it has represented determination, resilience, resourcefulness, and the responsibility to keep moving forward—even when the path isn’t obvious.
The Find A Way 5K takes that spirit beyond the classroom and onto the streets of Atlanta.
Bringing together alumni, students, faculty, friends, family, and members of the Atlanta community, the 5K is an opportunity to move with purpose while celebrating the institution and community that have shaped so many lives.
A Legacy of Service
At Clark Atlanta University, two ideas have followed generations of students and alumni beyond the gates of the university:
“I’ll Find a Way or I’ll Make One.”
And:
“Culture for Service.”
One speaks to our determination to keep moving forward. The other reminds us that what we accomplish is not meant to benefit only ourselves.
Together, they say something important about the CAU experience: find your way—and use what you gain along the way to serve others.
That spirit is at the heart of the Find A Way 5K.
The people who came before us created opportunities that many of them never had themselves. They built institutions, strengthened communities, opened doors, and expected the generations behind them to continue the work.
That responsibility doesn’t disappear when we graduate.
For CAU alumni, service takes many forms. We mentor students. We support scholarships. We participate in alumni organizations. We volunteer. We contribute our time, expertise, resources, and connections. And sometimes, one of the most important things we can do is simply show up.
The Find A Way 5K gives us another opportunity to do exactly that.
Finding a Way With a Purpose
There is a natural connection between the two mottos.
“I’ll Find a Way or Make One” challenges us to persevere.
“Culture for Service” challenges us to consider what we do once we’ve found that way.
Do we reach back?
Do we create opportunities for someone coming behind us?
Do we use our education, careers, influence, and resources to strengthen our communities?
That’s what transforms individual achievement into legacy.
And that is why an event like the Find A Way 5K can represent much more than completing 3.1 miles. It allows alumni, students, families, friends, and supporters to come together around wellness, community, service, and our shared connection to Clark Atlanta University.
Coming Together With Purpose
A 5K can be competitive, but you don’t have to be a runner to participate in what this event represents.
Some will run.
Some will walk.
Some will be there supporting friends, classmates, family members, and fellow alumni.
What matters is that we’re moving forward together.
That idea feels particularly appropriate for Clark Atlanta.
Our individual journeys after leaving CAU may look completely different. We have entered different professions, moved across the country and around the world, raised families, built businesses, served our communities, changed careers, faced setbacks, and celebrated victories.
But we share a common foundation.
Events like this allow us to reconnect with that foundation while doing something positive for ourselves and our community.
Homecoming Is More Than the Parties
Anyone who has experienced an HBCU Homecoming knows there will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate.
And there should be.
Homecoming is a celebration of culture, friendship, achievement, tradition, and the simple joy of coming back to a place that played an important role in our lives.
But Homecoming can also be an opportunity to serve.
The Find A Way 5K adds another dimension to the weekend by bringing wellness, community, alumni engagement, and purpose together.
It reminds us that celebrating our legacy also means contributing to what comes next.
Find a Way. Then Help Someone Else Find Theirs.
Perhaps that’s one of the most important lessons we carry from CAU.
We find our way.
We make one when necessary.
And when we have the opportunity, we reach back and help someone else find theirs.
That is Culture for Service.
That’s how communities grow stronger. That’s how institutions endure. And that’s how the values we learned at Clark Atlanta continue long after we leave campus.
Whether you’re running for a personal best, walking with classmates, participating with family, or simply looking for another meaningful way to be part of the Homecoming experience, the Find A Way 5K is an opportunity to put those values into motion.
Find a way. Make a way. Serve along the way.
Ready to join us? Register for the Find A Way 5K and be part of the experience.
