EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Michigan State’s season-opening game against Central Michigan on Sept. 1 will be the school’s first football game since three students died and five more were injured in February’s campus shooting.

The tragedy took place less than two months after Nathan Carter began taking classes at MSU.

The redshirt sophomore running back announced he would transfer from UConn to MSU in December of 2022 and quickly saw the power of ‘Spartan Strong’.

“In a world that’s so broken, in a world that’s so fallen, you know, it seems like this world has no hope, and for me, knowing and having a relationship with Jesus Christ, that’s what gives me hope, that we can still have hope for better,” Carter said when reflecting on how the MSU community come together after the shooting.

One of those injured in the tragedy was international student John Hao, who was paralyzed from the chest down. Hao’s roommate at the time was an international student named Argent Qian, who happens to go way back with Carter.

“We were high school buddies, all the way back in high school, when he lived with me as an exchange student,” Carter said. “So, like I said, God works all things together for good, like it says in the verse. It’s crazy how I transfer from UConn to come here and me and Argent connected back, and then two months later that happened, and it just so happened that it had to be his roommate.”

After the shooting, Qian decided to start a GoFundMe for his roommate. The only issue is he didn’t know how to share it with Hao’s family in China and spread the word to the MSU community.

So, he sent it to Carter, who posted it on his social media.

Then, just a few hours later, the GoFundMe was up to over $300,000.

“It was definitely an emotional moment for me, knowing my brother who I lived with back in high school, his roommate was going through such pain. So, I just wanted to be there for him,” Carter said.

“I didn’t get to meet John, but I was able to meet his father and I was able to bring him to a church and pray for him as a congregation. And not just for his family, but for all the families and all the students who were affected by the shooting, the tragedy,” Carter added. “So, it was a blessing that I was there for Argent and there for John’s family at the time that I was. So, I’m very grateful for that.”

With his father being a pastor and his mother being a firm believer, Carter grew up in a Christian household and put his trust in God when deciding to transfer to MSU.

“I would classify it as a leap of faith,” Carter said. “When I was at UConn and I was injured – I got hurt and had to miss the rest of the season – I feel like God was calling me to go somewhere else.”

“I had to really trust in God and be like ‘Hey, I’m going to put my trust in you and leave and get out of my comfort zone, so I can do what you called me to do.'” Carter said. “Throughout the process, God opened my eyes to a lot of doors and opportunities.”