The power of purpose: Luke Chapman ’26 uses RISE grant to study motivational psychology

Luke Chapman ’26 arrived at Randolph with a plan: double-major in biology and computer science, then go into research or medicine. 

What he didn’t expect was how much he’d change while discovering his passion and purpose. 

Those original plans, he said, were “based not necessarily on my community, but on myself. And what I’ve found is that doing work that benefits the community, that benefits others, is where I find true happiness.” 

Now a psychology major, Chapman is spending his senior year working on a research project using a Randolph Innovative Student Experience (RISE) grant. 

The focus of his research is industrial and organizational psychology, the scientific study of human behavior in the workplace. It focuses on productivity, performance, and employee well-being.

Chapman is particularly interested in motivational psychology. 

“We know that physical activity increases motivation,” he said. “It lowers depression. It does all these things. So I’ve been really interested to see if the type of physical activity you do affects motivation—specifically martial arts and the self-discipline yielded within it.” 

Chapman spent a month doing little to no exercise to establish a baseline, followed by a month of regular gym workouts. He recently started his final step, a month focused on a strict martial arts jiu-jitsu program.

He’s never done martial arts before, but chose it because of the mental discipline it requires. 

Each day, he details his level of motivation on a scale of one to seven and is considering starting video diaries as well. 

The goal is to observe the psychological underpinnings of success, so he can replicate the motivation for others to do the same.

“I see people who are in similar situations to where I was, where they just don’t know what they want to do with their lives,” Chapman said. “You’re beset by all these expectations. Everybody has a different purpose, but you have to experiment to find it. You have to really push yourself in order to find out who you are. I want to show people how they can reclaim their lives.” 

Chapman, who received the College’s Student-Mentor Award last spring, said he wouldn’t have found his passion at a larger institution. The tight-knit community has made the difference in his life.

Helping his fellow students has become the hallmark of his time at Randolph. Chapman is a peer mentor with the Neurodivergent Equity and Opportunity Program and an academic strategies tutor. 

In the classroom, his upbeat energy “lifts everyone around him,” said psychology professor Tim Patrick, whom Chapman considers a mentor. 

“I’ve never known him to hesitate when someone needs help—he wears his heart on his sleeve and isn’t afraid to put himself out there for the benefit of others. He’s the kind of student who, on a tough day, reminds you why you do this job in the first place.”

This story appears in the Fall 2025 issue of the College’s Magazine, “Vita Abundantior.”