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A few answer softly while several heads nod in agreement.

“I’m serious. Can I get a hallelujah?”

His request is met with cheers, clapping and several more shouts of “hallelujah!” After the applause dies down, Vice President of Student Development Jake Gilbertson, Ed.D., stands holding a disposable coffee cup. “I have a Hallelujah for André,” he says, walking to the podium and handing the cup to Stephens.

This is no ordinary cup of coffee; it contains a “Hallelujah,” one of the signature drinks on the menu at popular Valley coffee shop Kuppa Joy. Stephens takes a sip and again addresses the audience. “Oh, and did I mention that Kuppa Joy coffee is now going to be served at ������Ƶֱ��?”

This time, the room erupts.

Kuppa Joy

Opening a coffee shop is not the typical next career move for a former NFL player, but for Zack Follett that was exactly the path he chose.

“Kuppa Joy really birthed from a passion of mine,” says Follett. “After tasting all that the world had to offer, I realized it wasn’t any better than the love I experienced in my relationship with Christ.”

One day while sitting at a coffee shop, Follett asked himself how he could tell as many people about Jesus as possible. In front of him was a cup of coffee and a Bible. Romans 8:1 was open: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

“It filled me with such a great joy,” Follett says. “I took a sip of the cappuccino I was drinking and thought, ‘This is a cup of joy!’” Follett looked around and saw people connecting over coffee. He felt in that moment that coffee would be the vehicle he would use to tell people about Jesus.

It Started with a Conversation

It was May of 2025, just three months before President Stephens made the announcement about Kuppa Joy coming to ������Ƶֱ��. Commencement was taking place and current junior Madison Kennedy was talking with some ������Ƶֱ�� staff between the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies. The topic was the campus coffee shop, Charlotte’s Coffee Corner, and the possibility of finding a new coffee vendor. Kennedy had begun working at Kuppa Joy in April.

“I just spoke up and said, ‘Hey, I work at Kuppa Joy! Maybe they could provide our coffee?’” Kennedy recalls. “To me, it was bigger than just the coffee. People know Kuppa Joy is Christian.”

One of the staff members Kennedy was talking to was Jake Gilbertson, VP of student development. The coffee shop is one of the areas under his supervision.

“Madi’s connection was key,” Gilbertson says. “As soon as I heard the idea, I thought it was worth having some conversations. They’re a Christian coffee shop; we’re a Christian university. It just made sense.”

Kennedy left that day with a green light to pursue the idea with Kuppa Joy. “When I first brought it up, it felt like a shot in the dark,” she says. “I was so excited and honestly surprised that they trusted me to open the conversation.”

On her next day of work, she approached her manager with the idea. He immediately gave her Follett’s contact information. Though nervous to email Follett out of the blue, Kennedy was determined to see this through.

“When Madi emailed me, my first reaction was that I loved her boldness,” Follett says. “My second reaction was that this was such a God thing.”

Little did anyone from ������Ƶֱ�� know that God had already been at work lining up this partnership. “Someone sent me a letter about five years ago,” Follett says. “They believed Kuppa Joy would someday spread across college campuses.” He had been waiting for the right opportunity to present itself.

“I could instantly see this partnership working,” says Follett. “There was no reason Kuppa couldn’t be at ������Ƶֱ��.”

A Partnership Made in Heaven

“We knew that Kuppa Joy being on campus would provide a great experience for our students,” Gilbertson says. “We believe our students deserve the best, and we’re always looking for ways to level things up.”

Gilbertson was also clear-eyed about the logistics.

“I loved the idea, but I also knew there was every possibility it might not be able to happen.”

Charlotte’s is one of the many food options on campus operated by ������Ƶֱ��’s partner food service provider, named Provider.

“Provider really cares about the student experience,” Gilbertson says. “They’re also a faith-based company that sees its role as serving students.”

The collaboration between ������Ƶֱ��, Kuppa Joy and Provider went so well that the conversation quickly shifted from if to when.

“Before too long we started asking if we could make August happen,” Gilbertson says.

Things moved fast. The deal was finalized, and changes took place right away. Follett invited Provider staff to come to Kuppa Joy to learn to make the company’s signature drinks. He was also onsite at ������Ƶֱ�� throughout the first week after the revamped menu debuted at Charlotte’s. The results have been positive for all involved.

“It’s blessed Kuppa as much as it’s blessed ������Ƶֱ��,” Follett says. “It makes it really easy when all eyes are focused on the same God.”

Gilbertson agrees: “One of the beauties was that our values are so well aligned. We both care about spreading the name of Jesus, and Kuppa really partnered with us in making the student experience better.”

Follett is looking forward to the ongoing partnership with ������Ƶֱ��. “I’m so excited to see where God takes this,” he says.

In the months since Kuppa Joy arrived at Charlotte’s, the buzz has continued. On the surface, it’s a small change, but it’s one that speaks loudly.

“The reality is that momentum is most often made up of small changes that add up to something bigger,” says Gilbertson. “It’s not always about what’s flashiest, but what’s going to have the biggest positive impact on students.”