Speeches
Turning Trials to Glory: CEO Justin Knight on Finding Purpose through Adversity
On March 6, the campus community gathered to hear from Justin Knight, chief executive officer of Apple Hospitality REIT and son of Southern Virginia University’s founder, Glade Knight. Drawing on personal experiences, he shared five lessons that helped him navigate adversity and find greater happiness during some of the most challenging years of his life.
In 2017, Knight and his 11-year-old son were flying in a small plane along the James River when the aircraft stalled and crashed during an aborted landing. While his son escaped with minor injuries, Knight spent months in the hospital recovering from life-threatening injuries. Then, just six months later, his wife, Carrie, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Do you believe everything happens for a reason?” he asked. “I met my beautiful wife on a blind date and I know that God brought us together. But what about when bad things happen? I bet instinctively many of you also believe this to be true. But what about when bad things happen to us that we didn’t necessarily cause?”
During this time of intense trial and uncertainty, Knight came to the realization that happiness depends less on circumstances and more on how one chooses to respond to them. He shared his experience of learning to focus on what remains rather than what had been lost, to see challenges as opportunities for growth, and to devote his time and energy on what matters most.
“It became abundantly clear to me that I was happy when I chose to focus on the things that I still had and the things that I could still do,” said Knight. “The reality is the things we focus on expand. They become bigger. The things that we give our attention to grow until they’re all that exists in our lives.”
“Sometimes we want so badly for the things that are difficult in our life to go away that we don’t recognize the opportunities that those same things create,” he continued. “In the time since my accident, so many doors have been opened to me. So many things in my life that were unclear before had become clear.”
He also reflected on a favorite quote by C.S. Lewis, who wrote that “heaven once attained will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory.” Knight reminded students that temporary suffering will eventually be overshadowed by an eternal perspective, noting that while God does not always remove trials, He will always guide one toward profound strength.
“The things you’re struggling with today, the things that keep you up at night, the things that break your heart have purpose,” said Knight. “And over time, if you allow God to help you, those things can turn to some of your greatest happinesses. They can open doors of opportunity to you and reveal your secret strengths.”
Throughout his remarks, Knight encouraged students to trust that even life’s most difficult experiences can ultimately serve a divine purpose. Though challenges are rarely welcomed, he suggested they often become the very experiences that strengthen faith, reveal hidden abilities, and prepare individuals for opportunities they could not have expected.
The event included a musical number by student Kate Howe, who sang “My Days” from “The Notebook,” and ended with attendees joining together to sing the university’s traditional closing hymn “Love One Another.”