Berry Magazine - Fall 2011 by Berry College

BERRY Fall 2011

a magazine for alumni and friends of Berry College

Pole position High-speed success for the entrepreneurial Steve Cage (74C)

‘Wild’ life It’s a jungle out there for conservationist Stephanie Graham (07C) Honoring compassion Patient and family recognize Dr. Scott Markle (92C)

VOL. 98, NO. 1

FALL 2011

BERRY Features High honors

he Berry Alumni Association’s 2011 Distinguished T Alumni Awards

Pole position

igh-speed success for the entrepreneurial Steve H Cage (74C)

‘Wild’ life

tephanie Graham (07C) follows jungle path to S career in conservation

Honoring compassion

erry award for pre-med students recognizes B Dr. Scott Markle (92C)

Were you there?

lumni Weekend, Alumni Work Week and the new A Young Alumni Weekend

Jennifer Driscoll

Noteworthy News

• Equestrian team takes national title • AlumniConnect is yours to use • Recognition extraordinaire for Berry faculty and students

President’s Essay

The value of ownership

Learn. Live. Give.

• Cage Center fundraising is complete! • Alumni rally to replace storm-destroyed trees • Kirbo Fund for Berry Scholars helps student and mentor tell stories that matter

Class Notes

Memory and Honor Gifts

Autumn comes to vivid life in this spectacular shot of the Old Mill by local photographer Zane Cochran. Cover photo by Jennifer Driscoll

Alan Storey

Jeff Haller / Keyhole Photo

Departments

BERRY National champs! magazine

Published three times per year for alumni and friends of Berry College Editor Karilon L. Rogers Managing Editor Rick Woodall (93C)

Alan Storey

Contributing Writer Debbie Rasure Joni Kenyon

Photography Paul O’Mara and Alan Storey Class Notes and Gifts Listings Justin Karch (01C, 10G) and Rose Nix Contact Information Class Notes and Change of Address: alumni@berry.edu; 706-236-2256; 800-782-0130; or Berry Alumni Office, P.O. Box 495018, Mount Berry, GA 30149. Editorial: rwoodall@berry.edu; 706-378-2870; or Berry magazine, P.O. Box 490069, Mount Berry, GA 30149. Berry Alumni Association President: Barbara Pickle McCollum (79C) President-Elect: Haron Wise (57H) Vice Presidents: Alumni Events, Frances Richey (83A, 87C); Berry Heritage, Allyson Chambers (80C, 84G); Financial Support, Tim Goodwin (03C); Young Alumni and Student Relations, Jeff Palmer (09C); Alumni Awards, Rebecca Christopher (61C) Parliamentarian: Bart Cox (92C) Secretary: Kimberly Terrell (04C, 06G, FS) Chaplain: The Rev. Scott McClure (89C) Director of Alumni Relations Chris Watters (89C) Assistant Vice President for Public Relations and Marketing Jeanne Mathews Vice President for Advancement Bettyann O’Neill President Stephen R. Briggs

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Steve Maxwell / www.campusequestrian.com

Design and Production Shannon Biggers (81C)

THE BERRY COLLEGE EQUESTRIAN PROGRAM has added an impressive new chapter to its storied history, out-riding and out-reining all contenders to earn a coveted national title. Competing in Kentucky, a state synonymous with horses, Berry scored 33 of a possible 42 points to win the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Western Nationals. Oregon State University was second with 23 points, while nine-time national champion Ohio State University, which bested Berry at the semifinal show in Texas, finished eighth. Setting the pace for the Lady Vikings was Allie Jones (11C), who ended her career in spectacular fashion the same May weekend that her classmates were participating in commencement exercises back home. The newly minted alumna, now working as a graduate assistant with the squad, won the team open western horsemanship class and finished second in both team open reining and the AQHA Cup, the latter of which is open only to the nation’s top 24 riders. It was Jones’ victory in open western horseman ship that clinched the team title on the final day of competition. “It was the last class of the day, and Allie had to get fourth place or higher for us to win,” coach Margaret Knight recounted. “I remember after fifth

was being called and she was still up there – I knew we had won, and I got quite emotional. It was just a special moment.” Also contributing in the team events were freshman Andrea Smith (first, novice western horsemanship), junior Lynn Cherry (second, beginner western horsemanship), sophomore Ariel Robelen (second, intermediate western horsemanship) and junior Kristen Atwell (third, advanced western horsemanship). “They truly dominated,” Knight said. “They all worked hard before the show, during the show and completely supported each other the whole way.” The win at nationals capped a phenomenal year for Berry’s western riders, who placed first in seven shows and second in two others. The hunt seat team also performed well, ending with five wins and a region crown. Emma Childs, a sports information student writer, reported for this story Alan Stor ey

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

has one more reason to count itself among the top liberal arts colleges in the Southeast. Recently, the institution joined seven other academically select colleges and universities in forming a new NCAA Div. III athletic conference that will begin play in fall 2012. Other founding members are Birmingham-Southern College, Centre College, Hendrix College, Millsaps College, Oglethorpe University, Rhodes College and Sewanee: The University of the South – all formerly of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The new confer ence, spanning six states from Florida to Arkansas, will be called the Southern Athletic Association (SAA). “Berry could not have found a more compatible group of schools for regional varsity athletic competition,” said President Steve Briggs. “We believe that our institutions will be well-served by an alliance of private colleges which share a

commitment to academic excellence, competitive athletics and opportunities for studentathletes wishing to take part in an exceptional campus experi ence.” Berry student-athletes will be eligible for conference post season play the first year the new league is in operation. Eligibility for national post season competition will be granted once the college completes the NCAA Div. III provisional membership process (expected in 2013-14). For more information, go to www.berry.edu/AroundBerry/ newconference.

Friends

Profile

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, Berry

Alumni, Groups

Get connected!

BERRY’S NEW ALUMNICONNECT interactive web experience is

making it easier than ever for you to connect with friends and former classmates. Be sure to check it out! Launched in July, the site offers significantly improved functions over Berry’s earlier online alumni community. An alumni directory with more powerful search options and a personalized homepage that provides quick access to your editable profile, friends list, status updates and affinity groups are just two highlights. Other features include class notes, discussion forums and event photos. AlumniConnect is quickly becoming a primary resource for Berry alumni to remain connected to old friends and their alma mater. Register today at www.berry.edu/alumni/connect. (Participants in the former community must sign up as well.)

The show goes on THE 88-YEAR-OLD “GRADUATION TREE” MAY HAVE BEEN LOST TO THE APRIL 27 STORM that wreaked so much havoc across the Berry campus,

but hard work by many in the college community assured that more than 300 students were able to graduate as scheduled – albeit in a new location. Beaming smiles and bright sunlight highlighted the May 7 ceremony on the south lawn of Evans Hall. Georgia State Rep. Katie Dempsey delivered the commencement address, while student speaker Elizabeth Stepp (11C) delighted the crowd with a poem written especially for the occasion.

Marissa Archie (11C)

Photos by Alan Storey

IF YOU ARE TRULY KNOWN BY

Winning team

Status

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Lifetime

achievement in education

THE GEORGIA COUNCIL ON

ECONOMIC EDUCATION recently

Joining Ouida Dickey (center) for the award presentation were, from left, retired educator Barbara Cordle, Alumni Association President Barbara McCollum (79C), Berry President Steve Briggs and Georgia School Superintendent John Barge (88C).

Meg Buscema

presented Dr. Ouida Dickey (50C, FFS) with its 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of her overall devotion to education and her impact at Berry. A short list of her accomplishments as a faculty member and administrator for more than 40 years include establishment of Berry’s Executive Round Table, formation of the Office of Institutional Research, and introduction of the Freshman Year Experience and Freshman Center. She also was the founding director of Berry’s Center for Economic Education, which in 1982 claimed the prestigious Leavey Award for

Excellence in Private Enterprise Education. The professor of business and dean of academic services emerita has remained active in the years since her 1999 retirement, editing, authoring or co-authoring four books about

her alma mater and serving as president of the Alumni Association and the Daughters of Berry. In 2009, she became the first Berry graduate to receive an honorary doctorate from the college. “Everything Ouida Dickey

undertakes is in pursuit of perfection,” said David Martin, executive director of the council. “She epitomizes dedication to teaching and learning, not only in her career, but in every facet of her life.”

Sustainablesuccess Recycling recognition BERRY’S STUDENT-MANAGED

RECYCLING PROGRAM posted another

strong result in the per capita classic division of the national Recyclemania competition. Berry ranked seventh out of 363 colleges and universities nationally – and first in Georgia – with 41.31 cumulative pounds of recyclables per person. Berry students, faculty and staff finished with a 10-week tally of 122,643 pounds of recyclables, a 10-percent increase over 2010. Christine Clolinger (11C), student manager for environmental compliance and sustainability the last two years, pointed to easily accessible recycling bins and strong enthusiasm among the campus community as reasons for Berry’s consistently strong finishes. “Our office would regularly receive emails from people across campus with questions about recycling,” explained Clolinger, now a case assistant at Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta. “Students are pushing to obtain more bins both inside and outside our buildings.

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Because of our accessibility and enthusiasm, I have full confidence that our passion and the value we place on the environment will help us to continue to be a leader for many years to come.”

Fine use for felled trees

BERRY’S STRATEGIC COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY was reflected in cleanup efforts following the April 27 storm that felled hundreds of trees on campus. All storm-damaged timber is being used for wood or paper products. In addition, Berry’s all-natural vegetative debris is being sent to nearby Temple-Inland to be converted into bio mass energy that will offset coal-fired energy consumption in the Rome/Floyd County area. In the first five weeks after the storm, debris removed from Berry produced 2,841.25 tons of bio mass fuel, which generated an estimated 596,633 kilowatt hours of energy – enough to power 60 homes for one year. Editor’s note: See page 21 to learn how Berry alumni are helping to fund the restoration of Berry trees.

Alan Storey

Dr. Nancy Albers-Miller and Todd Brooks, 2011 recipients of the Martindale Awards of Distinction

[Berry People] Mantle of leadership Excellence personified

Rear Adm. Vincent L. Griffith (81C) and Peter M. Musser are new members of the Berry College Board of Trustees. Both previously served the college as members of the Board of Visitors. Griffith continues his 30-year career with the U.S. Navy as commander of Defense Logistics Agency Aviation located in Griffith Richmond, Va. The father of three holds a business management degree from Berry and a Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington University. Griffith was featured in Berry magazine in 2003 while serving as supply officer of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. John C. Stennis. Musser is principal of Rainier Investment Management, an independent firm with about $17 billion in client assets serving corporate, public and Taft-Hartley retirement plans, as well as foundations, endowments and mutual fund investors. A chartered financial analyst with a degree in economics from Wisconsin’s Lawrence University, the father of two joined Rainier in 1994 and became an equity owner in 2002. He lives in Seattle, Wash., with wife Tamara. Musser Musser’s late sister, Rebecca Musser Hosea, was a 12-year member of the Berry staff who died in a tragic 1992 automobile accident. Following her death, Musser led the effort to endow a Berry scholarship in her memory.

Todd Brooks and Dr. Nancy Albers-Miller are the 2011 recipients of the Martindale Awards of Distinction, one of Berry’s highest honors. Established by Larry and Susan Byrd (73C) Martindale, the awards recognize extraordinary achievement among staff and faculty. Brooks was praised for his visionary leadership as athletic director during a time of unprecedented growth for Berry’s intercollegiate athletic program. He played a key role in the planning and construction of the Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center, as well as the college’s transition from the NAIA to NCAA Div. III. Albers-Miller was lauded as a “tireless servant” and innovative classroom teacher who has created several internships for Berry students, including a study-abroad program in Switzerland. She also has distinguished herself as chair of the faculty assembly and co-chair of the faculty/staff fundraising campaign. Other campus community members honored in 2011 include: ■ Drs. Martin Cipollini (biology), George Gallagher (animal science) and Sandra Meek (English, rhetoric and writing), the honorary title of Dana professor in recognition of excellence in teaching, scholarly study and service ■ Associate Professor Tina Bucher (English, rhetoric and writing), Vulcan Teaching Excellence Award ■ Associate Professor Alan Hughes (psychology), Eleana M. Garrett Award for Meritorious Advising and Caring ■ Associate Professor Tommy Carnes (accounting), Mary W. and Samuel Poe Carden Award for Outstanding Teaching, The Alumni Council has selected Haron “Harry” Wise (57H) Scholarship and Service of Rome to serve as president-elect of the Berry Alumni ■ Associate Professor Bill Davin Association. He will assume the role of president in July 2012, (biology), Dave and Lu Garrett when Barbara Pickle McCollum (79C) completes her twoAward for Meritorious Teaching year term. Wise also serves Berry as a member of the advisory ■ Associate Professor Harvey Hill board for student enterprises. (religion and philosophy), Faculty Wise is a retired partner and corporate vice president of Member of the Year; and Linda sales and marketing for a steel and fibre drum manufacturing Walker (Aramark), Staff Member Wise company in Mason, Ohio, and a former mayor of of the Year (both selected by the Montgomery, Ohio. He attended the Georgia Institute of Technology before Student Government Association) enlisting in the U.S. Air Force and later earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing ■ Brenda Jenkins (97C), and business administration from Troy State University. He also completed the advancement, John R. Bertrand Graduate School of Sales Management and Marketing at Syracuse University. Superior (Student) Work Other newly elected Alumni Association officers include Frances Richey (83A, Supervisor Award 87C), vice president of alumni events; Timothy Goodwin (03C), vice president of ■ President Steve Briggs and wife financial support; Becky Christopher (61C), vice president of alumni awards; and Brenda, Honorary Alumni the Rev. Scott McClure (89C), chaplain.

Alumni Association welcomes new officers

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

BERRY’S GROWING USE OF TOOLS SUCH AS FACEBOOK,

Twitter and YouTube has caught the attention of StudentAdvisor.com, which recently ranked the school among the top 100 social media colleges nationwide. The editors were especially impressed with the video creativity of Professor of Mathematics Eric McDowell, noting that his

Derivative Rag “is not to be missed.”

IVY RICKS (11C) is one of only 20 students nationwide to be selected for a 2011 Foundation Scholarship from the Omicron Delta Kappa national leadership honor society. The grant will support Ricks’ graduate work at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she is pursuing a degree in the Surgical Physician Assistant program. Her goal is to help provide health care to underserved populations in the U.S. and abroad.

Continuing education BERRY MATH FACULTY

MEMBERS

Drs. Jill Cochran,

Eric McDowell, and Ron Taylor provided local middle school and high school teachers three weeks of advanced-content training in algebra, geometry and statistics as part of a summer partnership with Floyd County Schools and Shorter University. The program was funded by a $598,810 Math/Science Partnership Grant, the largest awarded this year by the Georgia Department of Education. Below, Taylor oversees a geometry experiment being conducted by Emily Koen Stewart (06C, 10G) and other workshop participants.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY CHRIS HALL is the

newly elected president of the Southeastern Society of Parasitologists. Widely regarded in the scientific community for his research into the emergence of Chagas Disease in the United States, Hall regularly involves Berry students in his work, providing them with tremendous firsthand opportunities to conduct research, author papers and present results at professional conferences. He will serve his term as president in 2012-13; he currently holds the title of president-elect.

Dynamite author PETER LAWLER, Dana Professor of Government and International Studies, claimed top honors in the essay category of the 47th annual Georgia Author of the Year Awards for Modern and American Dignity: Who We Are as Persons, and What That Means for Our Future.

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Alan Storey

Healer, scholar

Peer reviewed

Student photographer Blake Childers

Masters OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Fellowship today … Harvard tomorrow MEREDITH SMITH (11C) is gaining valuable

experience in the nonprofit sector as this year’s Woodruff and Whitehead Foundations Fellow. The 2011 recipient of the Martha Berry Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Achievement, Smith deferred her graduate admission to Harvard University in order to accept the annual fellowship, established in 1994 and available to students at select Georgia colleges and uni versities. She is the fifth Berry student to be selected for the program, which is sponsored by the Robert W. Woodruff Founda tion, Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation, Lettie Pate Evans Foundation and Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation.

(Math) Jeopardy! champions BERRY STUDENTS TOOK TOP HONORS in the Math Jeopardy!

competition held during the 2011 Southeastern Section Meeting of the Mathematical Association of America. The contest, modeled after the legendary game show, featured three rounds of competition matching teams from 32 colleges and universities across five Southeastern states. Berry’s winning contingent consisted of three sophomores, Kylie Berry, Aaron Ostrander and Milo Taylor, and junior Terry Henderson. A Berry faculty member, Associate Professor of Mathematics Ron Taylor, was the administrator for the event.

Pictured on previous trips abroad, Ashley McCarty and Lauren Fenner

Cue the applause! THE CHARACTERS IN THE VIKING FUSION COMEDY

The Conference Room mine

comic gold from their fruitless attempts to break into the television business. Alan Storey

The students responsible for the series – Alex Middleton, Steven Walker and Thomas Yungerberg (above) – face no such difficulties. Already recipients of a College Broadcasters Inc. national award for top comedy, the rising seniors now can count a Southeast Emmy among their accolades. Sample their comedy at http://vikingfusion.berry.edu/

Berry students serve as cultural ambassadors TWO RECENT GRADUATES have added their names to the growing list of Berry alumni who have received Fulbright grants from the U.S. State Department to continue their education abroad. Lauren Fenner (11C) and Ashley McCarty (10C) are recipients of English Teaching Assistantships to teach – and learn – in South Korea and Austria, respectively. Fenner, who graduated with degrees in Spanish and economics, is indulging her passion for language and other cultures as she builds on previous study abroad experiences in Costa Rica and Spain. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in international relations at the Georgia Institute of Technology after returning from South Korea. McCarty also has a love of language. A German education major at Berry, she studied at Germany’s Universität Regensburg during her junior year and later honed her skills at

the Middlebury Language Schools in Vermont, where for seven weeks she communicated only in German. She is working toward a career in teaching.

Pathway to leadership STUDENT ELLIOTT ECHOLS rubbed elbows with Republican presidential aspirants, congressional leaders, state governors and other members of the political elite during June’s Faith and Freedom Conference and Strategy Briefing in Washington, D.C. The senior economics major was on hand as an invited representative of the Georgia Association of College Republicans, which he chairs. He heads the nation’s largest College Republican federation, consisting of 28 chapters and 2,000 members statewide.

entertainment/conferenceroom.

Gold standard

STUDENTS REPRESENTING BERRY’S ANIMAL SCIENCE PROGRAM

enjoyed a banner spring, gaining

acceptance to numerous veterinary programs nationwide and earning a Gold Award in their first-ever appearance at the North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge. The 10th annual contest, organized by North Carolina State and Virginia Tech, featured 127 partici pants from 30 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Of the competing schools, only eight claimed a higher distinction than Berry’s team of Anthony Bonazza, Luke Cunningham, Amelia Teague (11C), Jennifer Devine (11C) and (coach) Sarah-Baker Walker (09C, 11G).

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

High honors

Five alumni have been recognized with the Berry Alumni Association’s highest honors, the Distinguished Alumni Awards.

Aimee Madden

The exact extent of the achievements of Dr. Jimmy T. Bell (60C) as one of the world’s foremost authorities on nuclear energy may never be known publicly due to the classified nature of his work. What can be revealed, however, is most impressive. Bell currently serves as CEO of Bell Consultants, a private company he founded after retiring as head of the chemical development section at the Oak Ridge (Tenn.) National Laboratory, where he worked for 31 years. He consults with the U.S. Department of Energy and works with national and international clients on projects related to nuclear waste management technologies and the nuclear fuel cycle. Notable career achievements include his work to clean up postCold War nuclear sites throughout the United States, as well as the role he played in U.S. efforts to survey and evaluate the Taiwanese nuclear program in the 1980s. Today, he continues involvement with an international team working to protect the Irish Sea from radioactive contamination. He is also assisting the State of Nevada with efforts to ensure that no nuclear waste repository will be built at the proposed Yucca Mountain National High-Level Radioactive Waste Repository site unless protection for the health and safety of the citizenry is proven. Bell is one of five siblings to attend Berry. He and wife Luci Hill Bell (60C) have been married since 1961. They have two children and three grandchildren.

In 2006, Jack A. Jones (57C) earned Berry’s Distinguished Achievement Award in recognition of his impressive career as a NASA engineer working on numerous high-profile projects including Apollo Saturn V launches, the European Space Agency’s Spacelab project and the International Space Station. Now he is being honored again, this time for his service to the most vulnerable elements of society. For the past 12 years, Jones has served as a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem volunteer in Buncombe County, N.C., working to provide a safe home for abused and neglected children until they can be placed in a more permanent setting and making recommendations for the services they need. Tim and Lynn Leckron, adoptive parents of a child for whom Jones once served as guardian, praised the Berry alumnus as “a humble, dedicated and sincere man who sees the good in every child he has helped.” Jones challenges the children, they assert, “by using his gifts of knowledge, perseverance and faithfulness as he opens up the world around them in a way that they have never known.” When not working on behalf of children, Jones advocates for those on the opposite end of the age spectrum. As a representative to the Senior Tar Heel Legislature, he assessed the needs of older citizens, reported to the North Carolina General Assembly and recommended legislation on various issues. Jones lives in Asheville, N.C., with wife Katherine Armitage.

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Aimee Madden

Distinguished Service Award

Aimee Madden

Distinguished Achievement Award

Aimee Madden

Dr. Lisa D. Miller (83C) credits Berry with giving her the tools needed to manage the risks involved in developing two very different, but successful, businesses – first in pediatrics and later in real estate. “I acquired a work ethic from Berry College that taught me to work hard and stay focused in life,” she said. “The keys to my success have been determination and hard work.” Miller first developed a vision of owning her own business while still enrolled at Berry. After obtaining her medical degree, she worked in a group practice for several years before opening a solo practice in her hometown of Covington, Ga., then an underserved area for pediatrics. That practice has grown to include four providers, 16 staff members and more than 5,000 patients. As her medical practice thrived, Miller’s entrepreneurial spirit motivated her to pursue another new venture, and in 2006, she launched Dauphin Properties with her husband, Mike. She has since built a 6,000-square-foot medical building and manages many rental properties in the community. “Reliable, self-motivated and tested in the most demanding of clinical and business situations … [Miller] is a physician, mother and business person who has the compassion, capability and people skills to make her a credit to any community,” stated Dr. Robert S. Adams, a friend and colleague who submitted a letter of recommendation supporting her nomination. Miller follows in the footsteps of her father, Berry Board of Visitors member Roy N. Miller (58C), also a winner of the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.

Entrepreneurial Spirit Award

Aimee Madden

As a student at Berry, Lee Jennings (85C) routinely discussed his dream of one day owning a business. Recalling those conversations, Stan Ezell (85C) noted, “I was struck with his sincere belief in striving to do one’s best and taking risks, even if others laughed at your effort.” In the long run, that belief has paid dividends not only for Jennings, but also for his clients. After serving his country (he earned two Army Commendation Medals) and working as an employee for others, Jennings decided in 1997 to risk all in pursuit of his dream. Leaving a steady job and selling his home, Jennings and an associate launched an accounting firm in downtown Rome, R.L. Jennings and Associates. They found success by banking on new technologies and

taking start-ups and very small businesses as clients. In 2009, the firm was recognized as Small Business of the Year by the Rome-Floyd County Chamber of Commerce. Jennings also is owner and operator of R.L. Jennings and Company in Ellijay, Ga., employing 25 people between his two firms. He serves a range of clients, from small family operations to multinational corporations. “Lee has lived core values that were emphasized during our days at Berry College, and he has an outstanding ability to see developing business opportunities,” Ezell praised. Jennings and wife Sherry Smith Jennings (84C) have one daughter, Alexa, a current student at Berry.

Outstanding Young Alumni Award Casey T. Smith (00C) may spend part of his time soaring through the air as a captain for Atlantic Southeast Airlines, but when it comes to business ethics, the successful financial planner has his feet planted firmly on solid ground. The founder and president of Wiser Wealth Management in Marietta, Ga., Smith began his career with a larger brokerage firm but soon found that the push for big commissions meant selling products that weren’t always in the best interests of the people he served. That motivated him to start a different kind of firm, one designed “to show God’s unconditional love to all who seek our advice.” For example, Wiser Wealth Management often works with single mothers who are not able to pay and last year offered free tax preparation services to those who had lost their jobs. Named a “rising star” by Cobb Life magazine, Smith receives numerous requests to speak nationally and internationally. He also is a frequent source of expertise for well-known media outlets due to his knowledge of index funds and exchange traded funds. Smith remains heavily involved with Berry, serving on the Board of Visitors, the Campbell School of Business Executive Advisory Committee, the Planned Giving Council and the advisory board for student enterprises. He also chairs the advisory board for the Berry Investment Group. He lives in Marietta with wife Angela and their two young children. B Aimee Madden

Entrepreneurial Spirit Award

Nominations Encouraged! The Berry Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented annually in the spring at the Alumni Weekend awards gala. Nominations are welcome and encouraged; please go to www.berry.edu/alumni.

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

PRESIDENT’S ESSAY

value of ownership

The Dr. Stephen R. Briggs

IN MY RECENT WELCOMING REMARKS TO BERRY’S INCOMING CLASS OF STUDENTS, I

pointed out that most of them were attracted to Berry not only by the quality of its educational offerings, but also by the quality of the residential community – its friendliness and helpfulness, work ethic, intelligence, spirit of service, and sense of fun. “Now,” I told the entering students, “you must become Berry. You must be what you want Berry to be.” In other words, I challenged these students to embrace an attitude of ownership. We want Berry students to own their own educational experience. As I described in my column (“Why Plan4ward?”) last fall, students can gain this sense of ownership through an intentional process of clarifying, over time and with experience, what matters to them, what they do best and what will be of lasting value. While faculty and staff at Berry provide active encouragement and guidance throughout this process, students themselves must integrate their experiences inside and outside of the classroom, an integration of the head, heart and hands. Last spring, several visitors to campus talked to a group of students about their experiences in Berry’s student work program. One of the students was explaining how much she enjoyed her work when she exclaimed enthusiastically, “I own my job!” It’s an odd phrase when you think about it, but it captures evocatively a core value that we hope to inspire and instill in Berry students. It is also a core value that we expect Berry faculty and staff to exemplify. What does it mean to “own one’s job”? Last year, Berry employed more than 1,800 students in hundreds of different positions across dozens of campus offices and work

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

areas. Regardless of the job or setting, a sense of ownership involves personal and social responsibility manifested in three key ways: personal motivation, service attitude and trustworthiness. We identify these specific qualities as important learning outcomes so that students and supervisors will work together to chart a path for growth and development. PERSONAL MOTIVATION

This first quality points to initiative and work ethic, a “can-do” confidence and firm resolve to meet a need and get the job done. It requires a hunger to learn and a desire to master the skill or task at hand, regardless of the position level. It means striving to become the resident expert, the one who can solve the new problem with insight and determination. Yank Moore (11C), an environmental sciences major and lead student in the carpentry shop, was assigned the summer 2010 task of tightening the bolts on the Adirondack chairs outside of Morgan and Deerfield halls. The nearly new chairs had already become wobbly from being moved back and forth across the bluestone patios. Yank quickly recognized that tightening the bolts would provide only a passing solution. He identified several structural problems: The chairs were joined by a single fastener at key junctures and were not

braced sufficiently. As Yank worked to solve these design weaknesses, he identified other improvements that would make the chairs more comfortable and functional. He experimented with a curved backrest and added a cup holder. In short order, Yank had designed a fundamentally new Adirondack chair. He and a couple of other students assembled several prototypes and tested different production methods. In the end, staff at the college judged the Berry chairs superior to the ones purchased, so last year, Yank’s student team built 54 new chairs for the college that are now located around campus. Yank exemplifies the initiative and “can-do” Yank Moore (11C) and spirit of work that has Allison Brown (11C) long defined Berry. This work on one of the same type of spirit was newly designed noted by alumnus Adirondack chairs he trustee Barry Griswell developed for use on (71C) in his book, The the Berry campus.

Sophomore Ellie Fox put her graphic design talents to work for Berry’s new athletic conference this summer, crafting a logo for the Southern Athletic Association.

Adversity Paradox. He described it as a powerful mindset of “and then some” – doing the extra thing or spending the extra time that is needed to surpass every goal and expectation every time. SERVICE ATTITUDE

While personal motivation is a key part of what we want students to learn through our Work Experience Program, we also want students to understand that good work always means providing good service to someone else, acting to meet others’ needs with generosity of spirit and goodwill. In all of our jobs, we need to have clearly in mind the people we are serving and how best we can meet their real need. At Berry, this requires a sense of the big picture. For students working on the masonry crew, the immediate task may be rebuilding the stone sidewalks of the Ford complex, but the purpose of their work is to ensure the safety of the campus and to enhance its enduring beauty for the sake of our students and visitors. Good work also means achieving the larger purposes of Berry and working continually to improve the college’s quality. Berry thrives and prospers when students and staff work together collaboratively to achieve shared goals. Good co-workers are committed to the success of the team, the department and the larger enterprise. Thus, one’s personal competitive zeal must be balanced with a desire to create a con structive work environment in which all can flourish and reach their full potential. TRUSTWORTHINESS

Students want to be trusted. What they must come to understand is that trust is earned through experience. We are trusted when others learn that they can count on us in action and attitude, when no one is

watching, to see what needs to be done and to do that work well – and then some. Berry teaches students responsibility firsthand by giving them real responsibilities. In mid-July, the new athletic conference that Berry has joined chose its name: the Southern Athletic Association (see page 3). The next immediate task was to design a logo by mid-August for use on college websites. A couple of colleges agreed to generate designs. After conferring with the director of Berry’s creative services department, I asked rising sophomore Ellie Fox, a student graphic designer with an art major and business minor, if she would create a potential logo. In the course of two weeks, Ellie reviewed what others were doing nationally and developed three design concepts, each with several color variations. Two other concepts were submitted by professional designers, but Ellie’s concept was the overwhelming favorite. She then worked with conference leaders to refine the color scheme and subsequently provided a graphics manual to support the new logo. You can now find the new SAA logo on the athletic Web page of every institution in the conference! I asked Ellie not long ago if she liked her job. She laughed and said, “I love my job!” Why? Because she likes “being able to do a job from scratch, not just doing the same thing over and over but something new and creative.” Her assignments enable her to move beyond the basics of a graphics program to the creative use of that program to achieve a solution. She values being able to meet a customer’s needs while also maintaining high design standards, and she enjoys the people she works with and learns from. Ellie summed up her thoughts by saying, “I appreciate being trusted to work independently and to get the job done well and on time.” We trusted Ellie because, although she is just starting her second year, she has already managed several projects and proved to be

dependable. Of course, in granting real responsibilities, it sometimes happens that students fall short of expectations. This is part of the learning process and provides teachable moments. It’s not that we want students to fail, but we know that students often gain new perspective and resolve when they come to understand the impact and consequences of not completing a task well or on time. How one responds to a problem and whether one admits to and “owns” a mistake are often more important to character development and ownership than the predicaments themselves. THE WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAM

At Berry, we still believe that powerful lessons about responsibility and ownership are learned through worthwhile work well done. And we still believe there is great value in students working to support their own education – of having some “skin in the game.” While students might gain some similar benefit from working at a job off campus, as an educational institution we are confident that our campus-based work model (comple mented by targeted partnerships with offcampus employers) is better for students in four ways: 1) We focus on helping students to improve with regard to defined work traits that we identify as important learning outcomes; 2) Staff supervisors see themselves as educators and work alongside students in an apprenticeship model; 3) Students are trusted with significant projects and responsi bilities, including the training and supervision of their successors; and 4) We encourage students to see the big picture, to understand their work in the context of the institution and its mission, and to integrate their academic learning with their practical experience. Berry is a wonderful place to live, learn and work in large part because the students who join us each year become an integral part of Berry. To the people they serve in their campus work positions, they, indeed, are Berry. And when they graduate, they take Berry values with them into the world. The college serves society well when our students learn to serve others well – with initiative, tenacity, creativity, kindness and integrity. And then some. B

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Pole position Steve Cage (74C) loves high performance – in cars, companies and colleges. That’s why he collects “muscle” cars, starts businesses and supports Berry. The successful entrepreneur actually retired in 2004 at the age of 52 when he sold a company launched in 1980 with his father. After “takin’ care of business” for nearly a quarter of a century and developing the enterprise into the leading provider of quality inspection services for the automotive industry, Cage tried to take it easy as a young retiree. He spent his time collecting the coupes and convertibles he loves and planning a museum to showcase them. But just as spark plugs continue to ignite the six-pack of power under the “shaker” hood of his favored bright orange Barracuda

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

more than 40 years after it rolled off Plymouth’s assembly line, Cage’s innate entrepreneurial spark couldn’t help but rekindle a new fire of business development when opportunity knocked. On Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, the company Cage had sold only four years and a few months earlier collapsed in the economic turmoil overwhelming the automotive industry and ceased all business operations. Cage immediately contacted and rehired his best former sales professional. On Friday, Feb. 13, the duo met with executives at Honda, and before the sun had set, Cage had launched Stratosphere Quality LLC to provide quality inspection services to the industry giant. The two men then spent the

Jennifer Driscoll

by Karilon L. Rogers

Paul O’Mara

Jennifer Driscoll

“

”

Ethical business practices and treating people right are important to me.

long President’s Day holiday weekend hiring 50 employees to start work on Tuesday. “Things just don’t work that way,” Cage said, “But the company told us that they knew our ethics and our business practices – that they trusted us. That says a lot.” It was a good move. In two years amidst the worst economic environment since the Great Depression, Stratosphere Quality has gained clients in 11 states and Canada. Currently employing approximately 700 workers, the company had sales of $20 million in 2010 and anticipates sales approaching $40 million for 2011. The operation provides quality assurance and outsourcing solutions for the automotive, agriculture, medical-device and electronics industries. “Stratosphere Quality is currently the second largest in its field,” Cage stated. “And we’re headed toward first.”

But it’s not all about size. The two-yearold high-performance enterprise has reached a pinnacle of recognition never achieved by Cage’s previous company: Honda has named Stratosphere Quality its 2011 Supplier of the Year. “It is a huge deal,” Cage emphasized, “that shows we’re doing things right. It is a great team effort.” THE RIGHT COMBINATION

Cage took a calculated risk launching a business in such a difficult economic environment but believed that, with good leadership and good people helping, he could make it a success. “I know what I’m doing, I enjoy what I do, and I want to help others,” he said. “Ethical business practices and treating people right are important to me. I got that from my mother and father, and Berry

helped drive it further home. Those values have paid off handsomely for me.” In starting Stratosphere Quality, Cage put some of the proceeds he received from selling his first company back into the system. The move has helped the industry, the manufacturers with which he contracts, and the many employees who have gained benefits-laden jobs. He emphasized that there are no shortcuts; you have to do the right things the right way. And he believes in hiring good people and then letting them do their jobs. He guides with his hands “lightly on the steering wheel.” “I’m a few years older, but it is still fun,” Cage joked. “Besides, you can only hit so many golf balls or go fishing so many times.” START YOUR ENGINES

Before Cage launched Stratosphere Quality, he created the rpmcollection.com Top Photo: Alan Storey

Bottom Photo: Jennifer Driscoll

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Photos by Paul O’Mara

“

”

When I hear from the kids about what they are doing after graduation, it is the best email or letter I get.

website for muscle car enthusiasts. He also acquired 80 of the oh-so-cool vehicles and a 47,000-squarefoot building to serve as a museum. The Stratosphere Quality operation has now taken over the structure; his beloved cars are relegated to the corners. “They are fun to have and very beautiful,” he said of his collection of powerful twodoor autos. “The late ’60s and early ’70s was a great time for cars. But I’m trying to reduce to 20. I just don’t have the time they deserve.” As his father was a Chrysler executive, Cage has a penchant for that company’s automobiles. He favors Plymouth’s Barracuda and Superbird, as well as the Dodge Challenger and Daytona. But his love of high performance vehicles doesn’t end there. He enjoys NASCAR, F1, GP Moto and Indy Car racing. In fact, the Indianapolis native has attended the Indianapolis 500 for 48 years in a row and plans never to miss the race until … well, until he has no choice, he said. BIG WIN FOR BERRY

When Cage sold his original company in late 2004, he immediately put a great deal of money where his heart is and made the largest alumni gift in history – $10 million – to his alma mater. “From the sale, I had the opportunity to 14

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

give back to Berry,” he explained. “I love Berry with all my heart. I had a great experience, and I like the way the school is being run and handled. I gave in a way that worked for me, but, hopefully, also for the students and the college. Among other things, Cage’s gift launched fundraising for a critically needed athletic and recreation center on Berry’s campus – the facility that now bears his name: The Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center (see page 20). “Berry needed a quality facility to move forward in many ways,” Cage said, “and I am so pleased with the result. It is beautiful and functional. Berry, the architects and the contractor did a wonderful job. I hear great things from the students. Berry did it right.” Cage’s gift also established one of the college’s most prestigious scholarships, available to top business students. In only a few short years, his scholarship recipients already include graduate students at Yale, Georgia State, Georgia and Alabama, as well as a consultant for an international corporation and a senior associate at a major accounting firm. A 2011 Cage Scholar currently is teaching in Korea on a Fulbright grant from the U.S. State Department. “When I hear from the kids about what they are doing after graduation, it is the best email or letter I get,” he emphasized. Cage’s strong memories of being a student at Berry include the opportunity to get his feet on the ground in a nurturing environment. The classes, values and professors “who talk with you not at you,”

such as Dr. Sam Spector, Milton Chambers and Dr. Ouida Dickey, all helped him to grow. “Berry was the right school for me,” he said, “I might have gotten lost at a big college. It would be interesting to see where I’d be today if I hadn’t gone to Berry.” In 2003, Cage was invited to serve his alma mater as a member of the Berry College Board of Trustees. He accepted gladly, appreciates the opportunity to have input into the college’s future and is amazed by all that he has learned. “From what I now see as a trustee,” he said, “so many jobs at Berry – those of the president and the faculty members in particular – are so much harder than what I do starting a company. I have a better view now of all that is done, all that it takes. The college is in very, very good hands with Steve Briggs as president and Karen Holley Horrell as board chair. All the trustees are working hard to move the college forward.” ON THE THROTTLE

While Stratosphere Quality already is in second position among firms of its type, it is, as Cage remarked, continuing to pick up speed. With character as its chassis, ethics as its engine, Cage in the driver’s seat and a highly worthy crew, there seems to be little doubt about the company’s ability to move forward. After all, Steve Cage loves high performance – in cars, companies and colleges. And he knows how to drive results at high speed. The rest, as they say, will be history. B

I by Rick Woodall

the mere thought of

For most, encountering a tarantula in the wild or wading through a crocodile-infested marshland would be enough to induce a week’s worth of nightmares. For Stephanie Graham (07C), it’s part of a great day on the job.

life wild ‘ ’ BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Dwindling numbers: Ocelots, the focus of Graham’s summer research project in South Texas, have almost completely disappeared from the American wilderness.

Building on her animal science degree from Berry, Graham has traversed the globe in pursuit of a career as a conservationist. From Africa to Central America, she has studied a wide range of birds and animals, including wolves, elephants, jaguars and parrots. In the process, she has found herself staring inside the pitch-black mouth of a black mamba in South Africa and suffered from high-altitude cerebral edema while studying the reproductive physiology of female wolves in Ethiopia. “It’s a lot of fun, but it’s exhausting,” she said. “It’s not for everyone. You definitely have to be flexible and willing to go with the flow.” Graham is in the process of gathering the extensive experience necessary to gain admission to a high-level Ph.D. program. As a result, she is constantly moving from one research project to the next. This spring, she traveled to Belize for a monthlong assignment as a research assistant studying jaguars and other felines. A few days after returning home in April, she was off again, this time to Laguna Atascosa, Texas, to work with the last remaining ocelots in the United States as

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

part of a deployment with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Her days there have been spent checking camera traps and monitoring four radiocollared ocelots, elusive spotted wildcats that prefer thick brush to the wide-open ranches and farms so prevalent in the Lone Star State. Accord ing to Graham, fewer than 50 ocelots remain in the United States, and half can be found in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Graham has encountered numerous other indigenous species in her work, especially on the overnight shift. Nocturnal companions Stephanie Graham include Texas tarantulas (tallying 20 in the first two months alone), bobcats, nilgai antelope, collared peccary (a pig-like animal), white-tailed deer, indigo snakes, nighthawks, rabbits, armadillos, coyotes and the Texas-horned lizard. “I love the night shift!” she exclaimed. “You see so much while you’re out there. It’s like the whole world comes awake at night.” BIRTH OF A DREAM

Graham has known since childhood that she wanted to work with animals. As a high school student, she idolized Dr. Sam Rivera, then her family’s personal vet, now a fulltime associate veterinarian at Zoo Atlanta. She can still remember seeing pictures on the walls of his clinic of him with a tiger. It was his inspiration that drove her to choose the pre-vet track at Berry, where she found the ideal outlet for her interests. While at Berry, she gained valuable firsthand experience working with the college’s Jersey herd and the horses stabled in the Gunby Equine Center. Her Berry work experience helped pave the way for a summer position at Zoo Atlanta, where she assisted with the bird

show as a junior and senior. Later, she employed knowledge gained at Berry in reproductive physiology and endocrinology while studying wolves in Ethiopia and working as an endocrine lab volunteer with the Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife at the Cincinnati Zoo. As she worked toward her Berry degree, Graham began to understand that her original aspiration to be a veterinarian wasn’t her true passion. She was drawn to wildlife, and that realization set her on the path she travels today. INTO THE WILD

Although she is fascinated by all types of wildlife, Graham has focused on big cats, knowing that anything she does in support of these “illusive, gorgeous, mysterious” animals will assist other species. “Wild felids are the ideal umbrella species,” she explained. “They require vast spaces, can generate public interest and funding, and as an apex predator have a great influence over the health of an ecosystem.” In 2010, Graham had the opportunity to get up close and personal with cheetahs, ocelots and other felines as an assistant trainer with the Cincinnati Zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program. Her preference, however, is to study the cats in their natural habitats. “You don’t get to see them as often, but it’s more genuine,” she expressed. “I’ll spend weeks out in Tools of the trade: the field just to see a Wearing snake cat for 30 seconds. It’s gaiters and holding a machete, Graham worth it to me. It’s is ready to explore how it should be. the jungles of Belize. Working with them in the zoo is incredible, but I just felt kind of selfish doing it. It was a lot of fun for me, but the animals don’t get anything out of it.”

In her own words:

“

The following journal entry was penned by Graham during her research trip to Belize.

I slammed the door to

Field research, as Graham describes it, can be a “dirty, sweaty, tough” business, but as someone who loves the outdoors, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her preference is to work in hot climates, noting that her small frame (barely scraping 5 feet) is a benefit there. “I love the heat of the jungle,” she said. “It levels the playing field for me. The larger a person is, the more they suffer from the heat; with my size, it’s not a problem. I feel I can perform better – hike farther, carry more weight and work longer hours – than a physically larger person.” That spirit paid dividends during one particularly harrowing excursion in Belize’s Rio Bravo reserve. Trying a new approach to an old camera location, Graham’s team hiked more than 16 kilometers through foulsmelling marshes, thick jungle undergrowth and expansive grasslands to check equipment and collect memory cards. As the day drew to a close, Graham was still up to her knees in the muddy marsh, hacking her way through dense vines, all the while telling herself, “just one more step.” Such an experience might have resulted in a new career path for a less hardy soul, but not Graham. As she later wrote to friends at Berry, “It qualifies as my most favorite day of existence yet!” TRAIL OF LIFE

For the ocelots living on the Laguna refuge, such enthusiasm may represent the last, best hope for survival. According to Graham, these 20-to-30-pound cats have been decimated by habitat encroachment and fragmentation, as well as persecution by man. Now they face another eminent threat – inbreeding. There is physical room for population growth, but a lack of genetic diversity is preventing them from increasing in number. The research team is currently working on a project that will introduce new genetic strains into the ecosystem. “The size of the ocelot population makes the situation feel pretty desperate,” Graham said. “It is a heavy burden because there are not many of us who are fighting for their survival.” Ocelots aren’t the only animals threatened by genetic isolation. Other species worldwide

are struggling to overcome the consequences of smaller habitats fragmented by human activity. “The goal for so long was to create small Edens,” Graham noted of past conservation efforts. “It was a good short-term solution, but it’s not enough. Now we’re finding that the genetics can’t survive these conditions.” If Graham gets her way, she will one day have the opportunity to help these animals overcome their genetic isolation by developing natural corridors – sometimes spanning international borders – that will allow species to travel between habitats. FULL CIRCLE

As she draws ever closer to realizing her aspirations, Graham is still mindful of those times before she arrived at Berry when she felt compelled to keep her dreams to herself. “People tend to be condescending when a 17 year old mentions that they want to work with animals,” she related. “You always get a look stating very clearly that you should grow up already! So I just stopped saying all these dreams out loud. I figured I would show them instead.” And show them she has, first at Berry and now as an accomplished field researcher. Asked what advice she would give to current and future students, Graham stated, “Get out there and try it yourself. You’re not going to know until you’re out in the real world giving it a go. If you love it, it’s going to make everything else worthwhile.” Graham’s passion – “to make the greatest impact on the world of conservation that I can” – has already carried her halfway around the world and back again. And her journey has only just begun. B

Up close and personal: Graham observes a serval (a type of African wildcat) while working at the Cincinnati Zoo.

the old diesel truck and gave a sigh of relief as I cranked the engine. It had been a long day, and the Belizean jungle had taken its toll on me. The camera traps were set up throughout the Rio Bravo national park, and it was my job to check on their wellbeing. At the end of each day, I was covered with insect bites, exhausted and nursing one injury or another. However, I was extraordinarily excited as well because cradled in my backpack were the memory cards that held their mountains of information waiting to be explored. As I pulled out of the protected area, I was immediately greeted by the vast stretch of sorghum fields being fertilized by Mennonite workers. It was at this moment, as I straddled the dividing barrier between wilderness and agriculture, that a dark form flitted across the road. The movement

grabbed my attention, and I quickly focused on the little creature – it was a jaguarundi! I was awestruck and still gaping, open-mouthed, when two small kittens emerged from the sorghum fields. They crossed the road in a few easy bounds before disappearing with their mother into the thick undergrowth of the jungle. It was as if this small cat held all the answers. She was raising her kittens not only within the lands of the refuge, but also in the world of monoculture crops, heavy machinery and pesticides. This jaguarundi mother was teaching her kittens to navigate the lands of mankind. This was an important lesson for the kittens, but she had spoken to me as well. I could no longer ignore the impact of mankind because wild cats must coexist with humanity if they are to survive the current onslaught of extinctions.

”

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

by Debbie Rasure

Dr. Scott Markle (92C) knows that being a good physician requires more than the ability to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment. And thanks to a grateful patient and her family, Berry pre-med students of the future will too.

BERRY MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;˘ FALL 2011

Jeff Haller / Keyhole Photo

Honoring compassion

“

I try to see every patient as a family member.

Alan Storey

Markle’s supportive bedside manner so inspired longtime patient and fellow Berry graduate Merle Wade Matthews (49C) and her family that they have established an annual $3,000 Berry student award in his honor, both to thank him personally and to encourage future physicians to emulate his proactive, kind and compassionate behavior. Elizabeth Stepp (11C) of Blue Ridge, Ga., who will study at the Medical College of Georgia, was selected this spring as the first recipient. “When a patient is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, many physicians feel that there is nothing more they can do, but Dr. Markle is different,” said Matthews’ daughter, Dale Ash. “He really listens to what we are saying and takes it to heart. He works hard to determine the best treatment and welcomes the oppor tunity to talk with us about her care. He’s Elizabeth Stepp, receptive to our ideas, first recipient of never seems to be in a an award estab hurry and always takes lished at Berry in time to engage Mother in honor of Dr. Scott conversation, usually by Markle. asking her about Berry.” Markle, who practices neurology in Mobile, Ala., met Matthews shortly after his 1998 graduation from the Medical College of Georgia. By the time they discovered their Berry connection many years later, Matthews had already become one of his favorite patients. “She is very outgoing and easy to talk to,” he said. “She’s the kind of person who is more concerned about others than she is about herself. She even took a special interest in me and my family.” It was during one of her clinic visits that Matthews happened to mention graduating from a small school in North Georgia, piquing Markle’s curiosity. He couldn’t resist asking for more details. “When we discovered our Berry connection, we grew even closer,” he said.

”

Merle Matthews and her children, Dale Ash, Cindy Colville and Hooper Matthews, hope to inspire Berry pre-med students to emulate Dr. Markle’s compassionate care.

Jeff Haller / Keyhole Photo

Despite the difference in their ages and experiences, Markle said he and Matthews have plenty in common. “We both felt that Berry was a high point in our lives,” he said. “We made so many friends there and had many common experiences, despite the years that separated us. There’s just a special bond between Berry people.” DISCOVERING HIS PASSION

Markle, whose father is an internist in Austell, Ga., enrolled at Berry with the intention of majoring in history but found his science courses so enjoyable that he opted for pre-med instead. After graduating with a degree in biomolecular science, Markle worked in his father’s practice for a year, gaining experience in the day-to-day business of running a physician’s office and observing the sacred trust between a physician and his patients. At the Medical College of Georgia, he discovered his passion for neuroscience and found he especially enjoyed helping patients with neuromuscular diseases, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. In his practice today he sees many patients with Alzheimer’s disease and said he has learned a lot from working with Matthews and her family. “She has such a supportive family, which always helps the patient,” he said. “This is a very difficult illness. I try to help patients and their families become as comfortable with it

as possible. There’s a lot that can be done to help them enjoy their life and their family. What I’ve learned from them [Matthews and her children], I use in caring for other patients and their families.” Of all the physicians her mother has seen throughout her life, daughter Cindy Colville said that Markle is the best by far. “There are a lot of fine doctors who don’t have that personal touch,” Colville emphasized. “Dr. Markle goes above and beyond. We wanted to encourage young people going into medicine to develop that same compassion and sense of caring.” When he learned of the award, Markle said he was surprised and extremely honored to be recognized in such a way. And it seems that others are catching on to what Matthews and her family already know: Earlier this year, Markle was voted top faculty member by the graduating class at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, where he serves as an adjunct professor. As for his patient care philosophy, it is simple: “You have to take a step back and think about if this was your mom, how would you want her to be treated,” he said. “Would you want her doctor to come in and be in a rush to get in and out as quickly as possible? I try to see every patient as a family member.” This is an important lesson that future Berry-educated doctors are now certain to learn. B

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Paul O’Mara

Success!

Cage Center funding complete

“I

on the Berry campus. And that good feeling continues: When all pledges are paid, Berry alumni will have provided an exceptional out to all Berry alumni and friends in 2005 54 percent of the $32.5 million in when an exciting new athletic and recreation commitments to fund the Steven J. Cage center project was launched via a $10 million Athletic and Recreation Center. In addition, leadership gift from alumnus trustee Steven J. final gifts to complete fundraising for the Cage (74C). project in May came via alumni trustees It felt right to many that an alumnus Karen Holley Horrell (74C) and Cecil B. would jump-start a project designed to “Buster” Wright III (73C). become “the center of it all” for student life But alumni weren’t in the project alone. Corporations, foundations and other generous friends of the college contributed 45 percent of the total, while dedicated faculty, staff and parents rounded out the project. “On behalf of all Berry students, present and future, our deepest thanks go out to the more than 660 donors who brought this fabulous facility home for Berry,” said Bettyann O’Neill, vice president for advancement. “Your generosity makes an incredible and very tangible Berry officials applaud after Steven J. difference on campus every Cage (74C) cut the ribbon at the 2008 grand opening ceremony. single day.” F THIS IS A DREAM, DON’T WAKE US

Paul O’Mara

UP!” That was the message that went

Zane Cochran

PROJECT IMPACT

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Dreams were big for the Cage Center before designs were complete, and the facility did not disappoint. The Rome-News Tribune recently described the complex as “the living, breathing heart of the school’s gigantic campus.” Opened in 2008, the Cage has been an important component in student recruitment efforts that have

resulted in significantly larger freshman classes with increasingly high academic and leadership credentials. School spirit has soared through improved sporting and spectator facilities alike. Academics have been strengthened through the new exercise science major and expanded kinesiology programming, while health, wellness and intramural programming have never been stronger. And Berry can now host sizeable campus and local-community crowds for important lectures and events, such as Gloria Shatto Lecture Series speakers Steve Forbes, Dr. Ben Carson and Tony Dungy. There is no question that the Cage Center played a critical role in Berry’s acceptance for provisional membership in NCAA Div. III and the college’s new conference affiliation with other academically select, residential liberal arts schools committed to the concept of “student-athlete.” Equally important, the Cage Center provides extensive opportunities for student work at all levels, making the facility important to Berry’s efforts to build the nation’s premier values-based college work program. More than 250 students worked in the Cage Center during the spring 2011 semester, many in highly responsible positions that include facility supervisor, athletic training student director and assistant to the director of athletics. Ryan Simmons (07C), president of the Student Government Association when ground was broken for the Cage in 2006, said at the time, “The Cage Center is more than a building – it is an idea, it is a dream, and it is a commitment to students.” How prophetic he was. The Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center is one instance in which reality has exceeded even the grandest of dreams. B

Alan Storey

LEARN. LIVE. GIVE.

Giving to Berry tops $8 million I

F BERRY ALUMNI AND FRIENDS ARE CASTING VOTES

OF CONFIDENCE in the college’s

work well done. It is gratifying to see so much enthusiasm and excitement about Berry’s future and all that we can provide for Berry students, especially when economic times are so tough.” Leading the charge in support of Berry once again was the Board of Trustees with 100 percent participation. The Alumni Council proudly matched that accomplishment, also coming in at 100 percent. Faculty and staff were not far off with 99-percent participation, a figure unheard of at other colleges and universities. Through the Firsthand4You

student philanthropy program, current Berry students are not only getting into the giving act but also are becoming star performers. The 2011 senior class – most giving through payroll deduction from their student work wages – broke all records for student giving. More than one in three seniors (34.7 percent) made a gift, a participation level that challenges many “older” graduating classes to match their pace. Members of the Board of Trustees matched the class gift, more than doubling the students’ $2,803 total. B

Alan Storey

progress and direction through the financial support they are providing, then “yea” votes came in as strong for Berry in 2010-11 as they did for country crooner Scotty McCreery in this year’s American Idol competition. From July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011, Berry College received more than $8 million in gifts and bequests supporting scholarships and work initiatives, as well as other

special projects like completing funding for the Cage Center. That measures up to more support than in any other year since the college’s $100 million Century Campaign was concluded in 2006 and includes the highest Annual Fund total on record at $2.28 million. “All we can say is wow – and thank you so very much,” said Bettyann O’Neill, vice president for advancement. “President [Steve] Briggs has a wonderful vision for Berry that builds strongly on our history and the educational value of firsthand work experience – of worthwhile

Paul O’Mara

Restoring Berry’s beauty

HE LOVE ALUMNI FEEL FOR THE BERRY CAMPUS IS UNDENIABLE,

but rarely have those feelings been

more evident than in the hours after an April 27 windstorm left hundreds of trees scattered like toothpicks all across the college’s 26,000-acre campus.

The sounds of chainsaws still filled the air when the first offers of assistance began pouring in. Alumni and friends were thankful that no injuries had resulted, but that did little to lessen the shock of the damage they witnessed via television news reports. Spurred to action, many communicated their desire to do something – anything – to help restore the campus to its former glory. The Berry College Tree Replacement Fund was launched in response to this outpouring of support, and the Berry “family” immediately answered the call. In just the first few months, 410 donors (including 335 alumni) donated more

“

It is difficult to realize how great a part of all that is cheerful and delightful in the recollections of our own life is associated with trees.

”

WILSON FLAGG, NATURALIST AND AUTHOR

than $57,500 in support of the new fund. The campaign continues this fall as campus administrators work on a new tree master plan. If you would like to participate, please visit www.berry.edu/treerestoration to make your gift. BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Telling tories T

HEATRE MAJOR AND PLAYWRIGHT MARK

BAILEY (11C) KNOWS

from experience that triumph of the human spirit is a beautiful thing to see – and to share. With support from the Kirbo Fund for Berry Scholars, he gained that experience firsthand along our nation’s Gulf Coast as he interviewed people who have been forever affected but not defeated by one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history – the devastating spill of millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico resulting from the April 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Bailey now continues the experience post-graduation as he works with faculty mentor Dr. John Countryman, associate professor of fine arts, to retell the coastal residents’ individual and collective tales of resiliency. A PROJECT IS BORN – AND

Win McNamee / Getty Images

FUNDED

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Bailey and Countryman had been inspired by what they knew about the unbroken spirit of the Gulf Coast’s residents following the Deepwater Horizon disaster and wanted to share their stories through a verbatim play. Unlike the more familiar television or

movie docudrama, which is a dramatization of events based on fact, verbatim plays are constructed from the precise words spoken by people interviewed about a particular event or topic. To accomplish their goal, Bailey and Countryman needed to see the environmental disaster through the eyes of its survivors. The Kirbo Fund for Berry Scholars, established by the Thomas M. and Irene B. Kirbo Charitable Trust in 2003, made the experience possible. Through the fund, which supports inquiry-based, handson learning experiences for students and provides resources for their faculty mentors, the pair was able to travel the Gulf Coast from Pensacola, Fla., to New Orleans, gathering the stories of people whose lives were defined by one of two industries profoundly affected by the disaster – fishing and tourism. Over the course of five days, they conducted 14 heartand-soul-baring interviews through which individuals shared stories of lost businesses, mental health issues, domestic abuse, divorces and suicides that they attribute to the oil spill. “Their stories kept you on the edge of your seat,” Bailey recalled. “Doing the interviews was exhausting and emotionally taxing, but at the same time it

Alan Storey

LEARN. LIVE. GIVE.

that matter by Debbie Rasure

was rewarding. Seeing how they took care of each other, even though times were hard, was very poignant.” A THESPIAN IS BORN – AND NURTURED

Bailey’s love of storytelling through theatre began with his first-grade performance as a jack-in-the-box. Like most children, he went through phases when he wanted to be everything from a marine biologist to a preacher, but ultimately, the siren call of the stage was impossible to resist. On the day he arrived at Berry, he started working with the theatre program as a technician. Afterward, he was involved in every element of the theatre, from acting and designing lights to directing and writing plays. By his senior year, Bailey had risen through the ranks of the Work Experience Program to serve as the theatre’s technical director with supervisory responsibility for a staff of 12 student workers. “What makes Berry so great are the hands-on experiences and personal attention,” Bailey said. “We get as much out of our theatre work as we do out of our academic work. It’s exposure to first-rate theatre, in a nutshell.” While Bailey sings the praises of the theatre department, Countryman gives a lot of the

credit to Bailey himself for taking the initiative in his own education. “Mark is capable and talented,” Countryman said. “He is self-taught in many aspects of theatre and is deliberate and intentional in his desire to be a theatre professional. He is also a good playwright and wants to tell stories about things that matter, things that are relevant and meaningful. The Kirbo Fund has given him that opportunity.” AN EXPERIENCE IS VALUED – AND CONTINUES

As Bailey’s mentor, Countryman made the most of every teachable moment during the journey. “We had research objectives, but the trip was also an oppor tunity for Mark to see me as a fellow artist, not as an authority figure,” Countryman said. “It gave him a sense of what it will be like to work in graduate school with a thesis advisor as a partner, not just as an assistant. And it was gratifying for me to get the chance to devote so much attention to one student.” During the trek, Bailey honed his networking and research skills and learned to guide interviews while still allowing people to tell their stories in their own way. Upon returning to Berry, he transcribed the recordings, and although he

graduated in May, he continues to work with Countryman on the project. The duo has reached the point where the real artistry begins as they must make important decisions about which stories will be most effective, how to use those stories and where to place them within the overall structure of the play. “We have to decide which artistic method is the most effective way to tell the story,” Bailey explained. “We want to make it a cohesive narrative, not just a collection of individual catastrophes. Our goal is for the audience to feel what the survivors were feeling and to get

Dr. John Countryman and student Mark Bailey traveled the Gulf Coast collecting stories from people affected by the 2010 oil spill for use in a theatrical presentation.

a sense of what they were going through during the disaster and its aftermath.” Bailey and Countryman expect to complete the script by the end of this year and hold a reading at Berry in spring 2012. In the meantime, Bailey’s firsthand educational experiences both on and off campus continue to serve him well. He is working at Stages St. Louis, a professional, not-forprofit theatre company in St. Louis, and plans to pursue a doctorate in theatre literature. B

Providing unique opportunities

ARK BAILEY’S GULF COAST RESEARCH PROJECT was one of

five extraordinary experiences made possible for Berry students during the 2010-11 academic year by the Kirbo Fund for Berry Scholars. Other students who benefited from a Kirbo Scholarship were Tyler McCaslin, a chemistry major who developed a cholesterol-measuring biosensor; Megan Uebersax, a double major in Spanish and marketing who investigated the pervasiveness of inappropriate Facebook postings; Kayla Badding, a double major in economics and government who sought to discover how the characteristics of microfinance borrowers influence the length of time it takes for their loans to be funded; and Taylor Gupton, a double major in sociology and anthropology who investigated the link between homelessness and incarceration. Rising juniors and seniors who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, have an excellent record in the Work Experience Program, and have participated in service opportunities are eligible to apply for the award.

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

their stories:

Naysia

Students’ lives shaped by scholarships

A happy accident

OMETIMES TAKING A WRONG TURN CAN GET YOU TO THE RIGHT PLACE. Just ask Naysia Humphrey.

“My mom and I were actually on our way to visit another college when we accidentally found Berry,” Humphrey said. “The campus was so beautiful. We started asking questions, trying to find out more about the college.” As luck would have it, a Discover Berry event for prospective students was scheduled for the following day. Humphrey and her mother stayed to attend the program and had a serendipitous encounter that undoubtedly changed the course of the younger woman’s life. “We wandered up to WinShape and just happened to meet Bob Skelton, who told us about the WinShape College Program,” the junior from Flowery Branch, Ga., explained. “It was more than I could have ever imagined or hoped for.” The WinShape College Program provides leadership and values training as well as scholarships of up to $32,000 for eight semesters of tuition at Berry. Skelton is senior director of the WinShape Foundation, which sponsors the scholarship program in collaboration with Berry. Humphrey applied to WinShape and was accepted, but her enrollment at Berry still wasn’t a certainty. As the eldest of two children in a single-parent household, Humphrey was sensitive to her mother’s struggle to provide for the family and didn’t want college expenses adding to her burden. Humphrey knew that if she was to come to Berry, she would need more financial aid than the WinShape program could provide. After a lot of thought and prayer (and some sage advice from her then 9-year-old brother, Zion, who told her, “Sis, you need to be at Berry.”), Humphrey decided to pursue enrollment. She

“ ”

I’ve learned how to be more nurturing, how to give and receive correction, and how to live life with integrity.

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

applied for more financial aid and ultimately was awarded state and federal scholarships and grants. When she was hired for an on-campus job, the final piece of her financial aid package fell into place, making it possible for her to enroll at Berry. Humphrey currently works the maximum number of hours allowed throughout the academic year and during the summer, serving in both the advancement office and the president’s office. She says her on-the-job experience has been as valuable as what she’s learned in the classroom, challenging her to get out of her comfort zone, to become more flexible, and to strive for excellence in all that she does. And it’s not just her campus job that provides firsthand experiences. Next spring, the psychology major and family studies minor will volunteer with a WinShape Community Impact Team focused on marriage and family. She is especially excited about the opportunity because it will give her experience in her future field of work. Considering where she is now, there is no doubt that the WinShape program has had a profound effect upon her life. “I am so thankful to the Cathy family [founders of WinShape] and others for their generous support of the WinShape program,” Humphrey said. “It’s been a growth experience for me in my walk with Christ and in my relationships with other people. I’ve learned how to be more nurturing, how to give and receive correction, and how to live life with integrity.” Maybe stopping to ask for directions isn’t always the best idea after all.

by Debbie Rasure

Alan Storey

Naysia Humphrey gives thanks for the WinShape College Program

LEARN. LIVE. GIVE.

A smart investment W

HAT DO BERRY DONORS

HAVE IN COMMON WITH

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN?

They know that, as Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge always pays the highest return.” With their gifts for scholar ships, the general fund, buildings and more, our donors made generous investments in Berry students’ education this spring – investments that will one day benefit not only the individuals, but also society as our graduates enter the world to work and serve. The following gifts and pledges of $10,000 or more were made between March 16 and June 30 of this year. Thank you for your faithful support. Clinton G. and Doris Ames, $10,000 addition to the Clinton G. Ames Jr. Scholarship Anonymous, $25,000 to support the Georgia Dogwood Endowed Scholarship Anonymous, $19,000 addition to the Betty Anne Rouse Bell Endowed Scholarship Anonymous, $50,000 for the Tree Canopy Maintenance Fund Anonymous, $50,000 to the Chick-fil-A Renovations Fund D. Randolph and Nancy Berry and Joe and Marti Berry Walstad, $125,000 each for the David Randolph Berry and Thomas Berry Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Steven J. Cage (74C), $10,000 to support the general fund

Chick-fil-A Inc., $203,034 for the Chick-fil-A Scholarship Alton H. (61c) and Rebecca Browning (61C) Christopher, $10,000 for the Selma Hall Browning Memorial Gate of Opportunity Scholarship J. Mitchell (37H, 41C) and Cleone Elrod Jr., $10,000 for the J. Mitchell and Cleone Elrod Expendable Scholarship Georgia Independent College Association, $12,973 for the general fund Great American Insurance Company, $50,000 for the Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center in honor of Karen Holley Horrell (74C) Natholyn Dalton (61C) and Ronald Harris, established a land trust valued at $98,000 to ultimately support the Ronald and Natholyn Dalton Harris Endowed Scholarship Peter N. Henriksen (53H, 57C), $10,000 addition to the Cathleen Ann Henriksen Memorial Scholarship Julia Leverett Jones (61C), $10,000 addition to the 1961C Gate of Opportunity Endowed Scholarship Paul C. and Velma Smith Maddox Foundation, $14,000 for the Paul C. and Velma Smith Maddox Scholarship National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) Junior Membership Committee, $10,000 for the Tree Restoration Fund Nichols Trust, $10,000 for the Rudge Nichols Professorship Marlene S. Schneider (49H),

$30,000 to support the Samuel A. Henderson Endowed Scholarship Frances Wood Wilson Foundation, $15,000 to support the Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center Wiser Wealth Management Inc. and Casey (00C) and Angela Smith, $12,000 for the Berry Enterprise Venture Capital Fund C.B. Wright III (73C) and Janice Bracken Wright, $35,326 for the Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center

BEQUESTS The estate of Elizabeth Bray Duckworth (41C), $17,056 unrestricted bequest The estate of Therman B. Duckworth (41C), $24,378 unrestricted bequest The estate of Kenneth R. Fraley (59C), $135,442 unrestricted bequest The estate of Lawrence Huston, $90,000 unrestricted bequest The estate of Lucille Gilstrap West (50C), $421,274 for the Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center Ryan Smith (00C)

Lasting

IMPACT

ARTHA LESTER DIDN’T HAVE TO ATTEND BERRY COLLEGE to

recognize its value. One trip to campus as a participant in Gene Clark’s Elderhostel program convinced the Pennsylvania native to invest in the institution and its students. In life, the Gettysburg College alumna and former chemist signaled her belief in Martha Berry’s vision for a life-changing educational experience with a $100,000 scholarship endowment. In death, her generosity was even more profound – an estate gift estimated to be in excess of $2 million. “Gifts of this nature are simply remarkable,” exclaimed Bettyann O’Neill, Berry’s vice president for advancement. “They truly illustrate the variety of ways in which the campus community can touch people and result in a legacy.” Editor’s Note: If you have made provisions for Berry students in your estate or are interested in discussing the potential benefits of planned giving, please contact senior planned giving officer Helen Lansing at 877-461-0039 (toll free) or hlansing@berry.edu. BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

2011

Photos by Alan Storey and Paul O’Mara

ALUMNI WEEKEND

Gala & Reunions

Twelve different high school, academy and college classes celebrated lifelong friendship and their love for Berry during Alumni Weekend 2011. Hundreds turned out for the three-day event, which included a Friday night awards gala and reunions for the classes of 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961 and 1966. Among those honored at the gala were the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients (see pages 8-9) and two new honorary alumni, Dr. Steve and Brenda Briggs. Also receiving the redcarpet treatment were the high school and college classes of 1961, the newest inductees into Berry’s Golden Guard (signifying the 50th anniversary of their graduation year). Several classes earned special recognition for their partici pation and generous support of Berry. The Class of 1961C was honored for highest percentage in attendance, giving total and giving percentage (shared with the Class of 1956C). The Class of 1980C, which held its reunion at Mountain Day, also won acclaim for the greatest percentage increase in Annual Fund giving.

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Special Guests

Honorary alumnus Ross Magoulas (FFS) led the singing of the Alma Mater (pictured at left) at the Friday night awards gala and the alumni choir at the Sunday morning chapel service. Guest minister Bill Pardue (02C), below, presided over the chapel service.

Reunion record! This year’s reunion classes set a new standard for giving – $2.73 million in gifts and pledges. Thank you for your amazing generosity!

A labor of love

WORK WEEK

Approximately 175 participants tackled 25 projects as part of Berry’s annual celebration of service, Alumni Work Week.

NEW THIS YEAR “I was there for the first one!” A crowd of 133 Berry College alumni and friends will be able to make that claim in future years as succeeding generations embrace the fun and excitement of Berry’s new annual event: Young Alumni Weekend. Tailored specifically for alumni who have graduated within the last 10 years, this new component of Alumni Weekend offered a “green” attitude this year with environmentally-themed service projects and a “Party on the Green” at Oak Hill. The weekend kicked off with a Friday night mixer in downtown Rome that lasted well into the night and continued Saturday with service projects, the Alumni Association picnic, friendly competition on

the intramural fields, and a colorful luau-style party at Oak Hill. A Sunday morning worship service in the College Chapel wrapped up the event. “Being back on campus for the inaugural Young Alumni Weekend was awesome,” said Tim Goodwin (03C). “It made for a fun and unusually relaxing weekend for my wife and me.” Plans are already under way for next year’s event, to be held May 18-20, 2012 (in conjunction with Alumni Weekend and immediately preceding Alumni Work Week). Goodwin certainly knows where he hopes to be, exclaiming that Young Alumni Weekend is “a toppriority event to attend in the future!”

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

WHERE? are they now 1970s

Beth Senn (72C) retired in April 2011 as a library media specialist for the Marion County (Fla.) Public Schools. Her career with the state of Florida spanned more than 32 years, including six at the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine, 11.5 at the University of Florida Libraries and 15 with the Marion County Schools. An art stu dent at Berry who completed two subsequent degrees at the University of Florida, Beth has experience as a freelance veterinary illustrator and painter. She also sings at weddings and special church events. She resides on a six-acre farm in Archer, Fla.

1980s Patricia M. O’Keefe (81C) has earned her education specialist degree from Walden University. Greg Hanthorn (82C) has been named by the American Bar Associa tion as one of two co-chairs for the Ethics and Professionalism Commit tee of the Litigation Section. Greg has previously served as a chair and co-chair for subcommittees of the Ethics and Professionalism Committee dealing with professionalism and with programming for ABA meetings. Karen Baird Carter (87C) is the area agency on aging director for the Cumberland Valley Area Development District in London, Ky., where she resides with husband Bobby and daughter Kari.

✁

Carlon Auston Lewis II (87C) is director of operations for the CocaCola bottling plant in Mobile, Ala. He previously managed bottling and canning facilities in Texas, California and South Carolina.

1990s Sarah Lindner Beckham (92C) and Jeff Beckham were married May 4, 2009. Sarah is an editor for the Life & Arts section of the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman and proud stepmother to 18-year-old son Alex. Jeff is a web strategist for AT&T and a freelance writer for Texas Monthly. The couple resides in Austin. Colin Thomas William (93C) has been promoted to the rank of professor at Ivy Tech Community College. He and wife Jennifer Marston William (92C) reside in West Lafayette, Ind., with sons Aidan and Kai. Stephen Lewis Henry (94C) and Ann-Marie Babb Henry (95C) announce the April 27, 2010, birth of daughter Ava Frances. Ava joined siblings Will, Leah, Sydney and Seth at the family home in Locust Grove, Ga. Alison Lounsbury Ritter (94C, FFS) and Tommy Ritter Jr. were married Dec. 11, 2010, in Birmingham, Ala. Betsy Kays Bottomley (94C) was an attendant in the wedding party. The couple resides in Birmingham.

Send us your

Class notes

Name & Class Year______________________________________________ Email Address__________________________________________________ Phone Number__________________________________________________ News (marriage, birth, job, retirement, achievements, etc.) ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ To have your news included in Berry magazine, mail to Berry College Alumni Office, P.O. Box 495018, Mount Berry, GA 30149 or submit via email to alumni@berry.edu.

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

CLASS YEARS are followed by an uppercase or lowercase letter

that indicates the following status: C College graduate G Graduate school alumna/us A Academy graduate H High school graduate c, g Anticipated year of graduation from Berry College a Anticipated year of graduation from academy h Anticipated year of graduation from high school FFS Former faculty and staff FS Current faculty and staff

[Legend]

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

SEND ALL CLASS NOTES TO: alumni@berry.edu or Alumni Office,

P.O. Box 495018, Mount Berry, GA 30149 All class notes are subject to editing due to space limitations. Class notes and death notices in this issue include those received March 16 – June 30, 2011.

Joseph “Jody” Keith Carter (96C) is the 2011 Teacher of the Year for LaFayette (Ga.) Middle School and the Walker County School District. Brian Randall Ridley (96C) and Faithanne Coleman Ridley (96C) announce the April 15, 2011, birth of twins Stuart Price and MattieJames Anna. Stuart weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces; MattieJames was 3 pounds, 14 ounces. They joined brother Tucker (7) at the family residence in Fountain Inn, S.C. Brian is an account representative with ThermoFisher Scientific. Elizabeth Ann Fitzpatrick Smith (96C) and Marshall Graham Smith (97C) announce the June 1, 2010, birth of son Samuel Adam. He joined brother Benjamin at the family home in Snellville, Ga. Susan Wells Brodrick (97C) has been inducted into the Athens (Ga.) Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of her accomplishments as a state champion and All-American distance runner at Athens Academy and Berry College. Attending the ceremony was longtime Berry coach Paul B. Deaton (91C). Susan is a teacher residing in Watkinsville, Ga., with husband Brian J. Brodrick (97C) and children Phoebe (8), Aaron (4) and Rebecca (2). Lisa Ann Hagley (97C) is a graphic designer who recently celebrated her 12th anniversary at Network Communications Inc.

Nicole Anctil Meyer (97C) and husband Scott announce the July 21, 2010, birth of daughter Campbell Jane. She joined brothers Tru (4) and Lane (2) at the family residence in Ormond Beach, Fla. Joe Harvey Sitz IV (97C) and Anna Jordan Sitz (97C) announce the Sept. 29, 2010, birth of daughter Julia Miriam. She joined brothers Liam (7) and Eli (4) at the family home in Avondale Estates, Ga. Josh recently started a new job as assistant manager of industrial hygiene for Norfolk Southern Railroad; Anna is a teacher for the City Schools of Decatur. Andrew Hoke Smith (97C) and Lea Kelly Smith (98C) announce the June 10, 2010, birth of daughter Madelynn Faith. She weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces and was 20 inches long. She joined sister Elisabeth Grace and brother Josiah Jacob at the family home in Buford, Ga. Jennifer Walker Ward (97C) and husband John announce the March 26, 2011, birth of daughter Abigael Ann. She weighed 8 pounds, 14 ounces and was 20.25 inches long. The family resides in Marietta, Ga. Theodore “Teddy” Gilbert Crum (99C), wife Sylvia and daughter Lily are serving as United Methodist missionaries in Blantyre, Malawi. Their work supports the leadership of the Malawi Missionary Conference in its efforts to grow

disciples, educate children, care for the sick and feed the hungry.

2000s Vanessa Mosley Greenlee (00C) and husband John announce the Dec. 23, 2010, birth of son Finian Wyatt. Vanessa is in her 12th year teaching. The family resides in Johnson City, Tenn. Toqeer Abbas Chouhan (01C) and Haydne Weese Chouhan (01C) were married Sept. 12, 2009, at Frost Chapel. Toqeer is a litigation attorney in Atlanta; Haydne is a design supervisor for Arby’s Restaurant Group. The couple resides in Mableton. Caroline Ellis Dye (01C) and husband Barry announce the Dec. 16, 2010, birth of daughter Nora Ashelyn. She weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. Nora joined sister Charlotte (2) at the family home in Augusta, Ga. Caroline and Barry both work as physical therapists. Kendra Warden Hunter (01C) recently accepted the position of director of student leadership and activities at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. Nicole “Nikki” Parker Murphy (01C) and Patrick Murphy were married May 6, 2011, in Atlanta. Lendy Susan Chapman (00C) served as maid of honor. The couple resides in Marietta, Ga. Christopher “Shag” James Sear (01C) and wife Dana announce the births of son Noah Christopher (Sept. 27, 2008) and daughter Natalie Rose (Oct. 1, 2010). Chris is vice president of sales and service for Iron City Uniform Rental; Dana is a stay-at-home mom. The family resides in Pittsburgh, Pa. Autumn Brown Bridges (02C) and husband Heath announce the Jan. 3, 2011, birth of daughter Annie Kay. She weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. The family resides in Cartersville, Ga. Brandon LeWayne Johnson (02C) and wife Emma announce the March 31, 2011, birth of son Andrew Porter. He weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces. The family resides in Cartersville, Ga. Bradford John Combes (03c, 05G) and Elizabeth Hand Combes (05C) were married April 2, 2011, at Eagle Creek Country Club in

Orlando, Fla. Clayton William Kitchen (03C) was the best man. Brad works as a financial representative; Liz is a speech pathologist. The couple resides in Orlando, Fla. Justen-Rhyan Giambalvo (03C) and Jennifer Bottinick Giambalvo (05C) announce the Jan. 25, 2011, birth of son Parker Rhyan. He weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces and was 18.5 inches long. The family resides in Woodstock, Ga. Malissa Ergle Koblick (03C) and husband Brian announce the June 2, 2011, birth of son Karson William. He weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and was 18.5 inches long. The family resides in Monroe, Ga. Kristin Farrar McCown (03C) and husband George announce the Jan. 27, 2011, birth of son Jacob Steven. He weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and was 21 inches long. Jacob joined brother Myers (2) at the family residence in Marietta, Ga. Sarah Marie Norton (04C) received a master’s degree in visual disabilities from Florida State University in December 2010. She teaches visually impaired students in Fulton County, Ga. Margaret Fowler Westover (04C) and husband Tim announce the April 6, 2011, birth of daughter Chloe Charlotte. The family resides in Columbus, Ga. Matthew Walton Young (04c) has been hired by the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta as instructor of guitar pedagogy and performance. He also has been commissioned to write a new metal guitar method, which should be available early next year. He and wife Suzanne Storey Young (02C) reside in Douglasville, Ga. Courtney Bips Hardy (05C) and husband Josh announce the April 23, 2011, birth of daughter Seraphine Grey. She weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 21.5 inches long. The family resides in Anderson, S.C. Travis Ryan Henry (05C) has been teaching internationally since 2006. His placements include schools in Vietnam and China. Kevin Alan McDonald (05C) and Rachel Meyer McDonald (05C) announce the April 10, 2011, birth of daughter Kayla Adison. She weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces. Kayla

Passion to

teach

SCOTT WILKINSON (09C),

far left, once drew inspiration from his faculty mentors in Berry’s School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences. Now, with help from a highly competitive National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, he hopes to follow their example. The NSF fellowship will provide approximately $120,000 over three years to cover the cost of his participation in the new Cancer Biology Ph.D. program at Emory University. One of only a handful of students to be accepted for the program’s inaugural class, Wilkinson plans to study the immunological basis of cancer and how mutations within DNA can cause tumors to develop. He is also interested in learning about the innate immune system and its ability to fight cancer and prevent its spread. Wilkinson is building on two years of prior research experience at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. There, he was mentored by another Berry alumnus, Dr. William Nicholson (83C), above right, whose own career choices were inspired by the influence of a Berry faculty member, Dr. John McDowell. Wilkinson – like Nicholson before him – benefitted greatly from the support and guidance of the people who taught him at Berry. He speaks highly of faculty members such as Dr. Chris Mowry, his advisor in the biology department, and Dr. Todd Timberlake, who Wilkinson said once remarked, “I’m glad to hear that physics has inspired such passion in you!” after learning that he had thrown his textbook in frustration while studying. “The professors at Berry kept me grounded and helped me sort everything out,” Wilkinson praised. “I owe everything to them pushing me further than I was willing to go and always being there for me to offer whatever advice I needed to hear.” Today, he dreams of returning to Berry and investing himself in the lives of future students, just as his professors once invested in him. “I’d love to come back to Berry and help the students achieve more than they think they’re capable of – to return the favor,” he said.

by Rick Woodall

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Fall + Fun

Seeing the

possibilities

MOUNTAIN

DAY 2011 Sept. 30 – Oct. 1 Visit www.berry.edu/alumni for the schedule of events.

joined sister Brooklyn (3) at the family residence in Atlanta. Erica Ann Lindquist (07C) earned her Master of Business Adminis tration degree from Kennesaw State University in May 2011. Catherine Edenfield Prince (07C) and Ryan Prince were married Dec. 27, 2010, in Statesboro, Ga. The wedding party included Carolyn Kujala Bryan (06C), matron of honor, and Kelley Danielle Cunningham (07C), maid of honor. Ryan gradu ated from Georgia Tech with a master’s degree in computer and electrical engineering; Catherine is pursuing her Doctor of Medicine degree at Mercer University School of Medicine. The couple resides in Macon, Ga. Amanda Adams Winstead (07C) and Benjamin Winstead were married Oct. 16, 2010, in Tampa, Fla. The wedding party included Sara Brady Adams (10C), Susan Elaine Cunningham (08C) and Ellen Jesse Dutro (09C). The couple resides in Tampa. Benjamin Michael Carter (08C) was recently featured in The Choir

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Loft, an industry newsletter by the Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing Co. Ashton Walter Staniszewski (09C) is the first in-house photographer for Jackson Spalding, one of the largest independent public relations and marketing firms in the Southeast. He also serves as a videographer for various multimedia projects and assists with the firm’s Orkin Residential account. He previously interned in Jackson Spalding’s Atlanta office.

2010s Jillian Civitella Homan (10C) and William Christopher Homan were married June 19, 2010, at Frost Chapel. The wedding party included bridesmaid Elizabeth Ann Cochran (10C). The couple resides in Acworth, Ga. Kyler Scott Post (10C) is a video journalist for CNN. His responsibilities include script writing and distribution, floor directing, camera operation, and other duties related to the production of live newscasts in CNN’s Atlanta studio.

darkness, but she is resolved to help others see the possibilities before them. Blind for most of her adult life as a result of an irreversible, degenerative eye condition, Kelley today is a certified rehabilitation counselor who works as a services specialist for the Georgia Department of Labor. In her role, she co-facilitates a program at the Rome Career Center that assists persons with a variety of disabilities – physical, mental and sensory – to identify and achieve employment goals. She also serves on the advisory board for disABILITY LINK NW, which promotes increased independence for the disabled in 15 Northwest Georgia counties. While helping her clients find employment, Kelley works to clarify their aspirations, talks with them about employer expectations, and shares information about programs and services offered by the career center. As someone who once benefitted from the assistance provided by the Department of Labor’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program, she personally relates to many issues and challenges her clients face. “I know how difficult it is to find employment as a person with a disability,” she said. Legally blind since birth, Kelley progressively lost all her vision to micro cornea cataracts. She had very limited vision in her left eye until age 21, but by the time she arrived at Berry to complete her degree in psychology, she was completely blind. She required a cane and student assistance to help her navigate during her two years on campus and also received special accommodations – such as scribes to record her answers during exams – from Berry’s Academic Support Center. “I loved the wonderful atmosphere at Berry,” she stated. “They provided me with all the services I needed.” After graduating from Berry, Kelley received a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling at Auburn University and has since earned certification as a rehabilitation counselor. Building on her education and her own firsthand experience, Kelley has made helping others with disabilities her passion, inspiring her clients to visualize what is possible. “A vision is deeper than a goal; it is more complex,” she said. “It’s where our goals spring from; it’s how we see ourselves living our lives, serving other people.”

by James Carter

student writer majoring in public relations

Alan Storey

PATRICE KELLEY (03C) may live in

Atlanta Magazine heralded Sara Totonchi (99C), executive director of the Southern Center for Human Rights, as one of a quintet of individuals poised to be among the next generation of influential Atlantans in the article “Five for the Future.” Also featured were NFL quarterback Matt Ryan and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.

So we’ve heard From the editors of Berry magazine: Highlights about Berry alumni sometimes come to our attention via the news media – especially when a Berry affiliation is mentioned. When we can, we want to share what we’ve heard with you. See any names you know?

NBC’s Today Show and CBS News are just two of the many media outlets sharing news of Home Elephant, a social networking website developed by Jeff Jahn (07C) in collabo ration with network founder Chandler Powell. Home Elephant (www.homeelephant.com), which helps neighbors get in touch and stay in touch, already boasts more than 5,000 neighborhoods in 45 countries. Home Elephant is Jahn’s second entrepreneurial enterprise; first came DynamiX Web Design LLC in Atlanta. Michael Moore (83C) found his mid-life leap into medical school featured by CNN in “Never too late to be a doctor.” Moore, a 48-yearold Army major, is a second-year medical student at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences. Dr. Jerry C. Davis (61C), president of the College of the Ozarks, made news in Missouri when he welcomed former U.S. President George W. Bush to speak on “Leadership and Character” at his college’s Spring Forum. Davis presented President Bush with a “Great American Award.” The Covington News carried the story of Roy Miller (58C) being tapped as the first honorary member of the Berry College chapter of

Deaths Berry College extends sincere condolences to family and friends of the following alumni, faculty and staff members, and retirees. This list includes notices received March 16 – June 30, 2011.

1930s Monte C. Wood (37H) of Rome, Ga., June 27, 2011. Billy H. Davis (38C) of Gainesville, Fla., March 17, 2011.

1940s H. Glenn Conway (40H) of Rome, Ga., April 15, 2011. Irene Priest Porro (40C) of Evans, Ga., May 21, 2011. Helen Conner Albritton (41C) of Tulsa, Okla., Jan. 2, 2011. Willodeen Hurt Entrekin (41H) of Stockbridge, Ga., May 13, 2011. Frances Roberts Hall (41c) of Montezuma, Ga., June 30, 2011. Melba Burroughs Fischer (43C) of Savannah, Ga., April 4, 2011. John K. Hamrick Sr. (43H, 47c) of Cleveland, Ga., June 26, 2011.

Ligayre Woodfin Hicks (43H) of Morrow, Ga., March 26, 2011. Vernice Patty Hutcheson (43C) of Marietta, Ga., Nov. 21, 2010. Mary Pearson Hawkins (44H) of Leeds, Ala., Feb. 16, 2011. Carolyn Swearingen Jordan (45C) of Macon, Ga., May 13, 2011. Mary Jane Thigpen (45H, 49C) of Knoxville, Tenn., May 11, 2011.

1950s Jo Ann Graham Johnson (50H) of Citra, Fla., Sept. 29, 2010. Betty Sheffield Bradford (53c) of Conyers, Ga., June 1, 2011. Doyal E. Penson (54H) of Adairsville, Ga., May 15, 2011. O. Berl Bryant (57c) of Piedmont, Ala., May 21, 2011. Beryl Mihlfeld (58c) of Grand Ridge, Fla., Jan. 24, 2011. Eva McFalls Collins (59C) of Armuchee, Ga., May 4, 2011. Howard G. Kidder (59H) of San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 7, 2010.

1960s James Crutchfield (61c) of Chilhowie, Va., June 3, 2009.

the Beta Gamma Sigma (business) honor society. Honorary memberships are awarded to individuals who have achieved distinction in business administration and display the qualities of honor, wisdom and earnestness. Miller serves on the Berry College Board of Visitors and the advisory board for student enterprises and is an entrepreneurin-residence for Berry’s Campbell School of Business. The golf career of Brian Stubbs (94C) was the subject of a LedgerEnquirer story in Columbus, Ga. Stubbs is the golf professional at the Country Club of Columbus, home to the annual Southeastern Amateur tournament and the Fred Haskins Award, which is given to the top collegiate golfer in the nation. The Dalton (Ga.) Daily Citizen covered the appointment of attorney Celeste Creswell (93C) to the Dalton-Whitfield Charter Commission, which is evaluating the benefits of combining the general governments of Dalton and Whitfield counties. The Rome News-Tribune heralded the reappointment of David Johnson (75C, 81G) by Gov. Nathan Deal to the Professional Standards Commission of Georgia, as well as his election as president of the Georgia School Board Association. The Williamsburg (Va.) Yorktown Daily covered the appointment of Paula Huffman (90C) as principal of Blayton Elementary School. Huffman previously served as principal at Garrison Mill Elementary School in Cobb County (Ga.), during which time the school earned Georgia’s highest academic honors for student achievement.

1970s Gary W. Fish (73C, 76G) of Brooklyn Park, Minn., May 25, 2011. John Ozley Jr. (78C) of Monroe, Ga., May 29, 2011. Walter James Colborne Jr. (79c) of Alpharetta, Ga., May 26, 2011.

1980s Roxanna Sue Bartels (85C) of Smyrna, Ga., April 7, 2011. Juanita Haynes (85G) of Rome, Ga., March 23, 2011. Dino Garcia-Rossi (87C) of Rockville, Md., June 27, 2011.

1990s Jane Hopp Tola (96C) of Vineland, N.J., May 2, 2011. Irvin A. Jones (98C) of New Orleans, La., Feb. 24, 2010.

Faculty/Staff Louise P. Furr (retired secretary), March 29, 2011. Hugh G. Murdock (retired from physical plant), May 3, 2011.

John R. Lipscomb John R. Lipscomb (40H, 44c), a beloved member of the Berry community, ardent supporter and former staff member, died July 9, 2011. Lipscomb joined Berry’s staff in 1965 after retiring from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel. During his 35year tenure, he served in a number of capacities including chief development officer and concluding in 2000 as special assistant to the president. He is remembered as a thoughtful man of outstanding character who dedicated his life to furthering Berry’s mission and to the success of our students. Memorial gifts may be made to the WyattLipscomb Endowed Scholarship at Berry.

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

[Gifts]

MEMORY AND HONOR GIFTS

MEMORY AND HONOR GIFTS Special thanks go out for the following gifts to Berry, which were specifically designated in memory or honor of an individual. Honor and memory gifts can be made by noting your intentions and the name of the person recognized at the time you make the gift. Note: Memory gifts have been designated to scholarship funds named for the honoree unless otherwise specified by the donor.

MEMORY GIFTS

HONOR GIFTS

March 16 – June 30, 2011

Mrs. Elaine L. Ballinger Mrs. Sara Peel Fallis Mr. Raymond J. Bowen Mr. and Mrs. David D. Roberson Mr. and Mrs. C. Dewey Cooper Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm F. Steuer Dr. Billy H. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Jim A. Henderson Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Rick Kilby Mr. and Mrs. James W. Spikes Mrs. Dorothy Lee Dawson Mrs. Diane O. Clonts Ms. Bettyann M. O’Neill Ms. Pamela R. Smith Mrs. Lillian C. Farmer Mr. and Mrs. William Andrew Fowler Mr. Gary W. Fish Dr. and Mrs. Dale N. Davis The Rev. Clifton E. Fite Mr. and Mrs. J. Andrew McClendon Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Glover Dr. Jeanette Justice Fleming Dr. Larry A. Green Mrs. Susan Lee Hauser Mr. Tony Ray Hallman DAR – Sam Houston Chapter Mrs. Maxine Kirby Harman Ms. Sarah B. Craley Mr. Herman A. Higgins Sr. Mrs. Ondina Santos Gonzalez Mr. Herman A. Higgins Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Keith K. Higgins Mr. Timothy R. Howard Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Martin McElyea Mr. Wiley C. Owen Ms. Ann W. Thomas Advanta Medical Solutions LLC Mr. Elton F. Hinson Sr. Southeast Georgia Berry Alumni Chapter Mr. Ryan Lawrence Mr. and Mrs. Randall Byron Lawrence Dr. Milton McDonald Mr. Charles M. Walker Mr. Frank Miller Mr. Claude M. McGinnis Mrs. Evelyn Hoge Pendley Mr. Timothy R. Howard Mrs. Carolyn Tillman Steele Mr. Doyal E. Penson Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Martin McElyea Mr. Charles R. Poe Mr. Billy R. Blocker Sr. Mrs. Joyce Hendrix Shelton Mr. Charles P. Downey Mrs. Alta V. Stevens Mr. James Chris Floyd Mr. Garrett E. Thornton Mrs. Ella Elkins Thomas Mrs. Elbia K. Tutterow Dr. Roger Clinton Tutterow Mr. E. Heath Vaughn Mr. J. Tait Owens III Mr. William G. West Keightley & Ashner LLP Mr. Earl W. Williams Mr. Richard C. Williams Mr. Paul Renee Willis Mr. Jack Burks Allen Mr. Monte C. Wood Mr. and Mrs. Joe A. Simpson Mr. Lewis Zolnik Mr. Samuel Johnan Duenckel

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

Dr. D. Dean Cantrell Mrs. Carolyn Tillman Steele Dr. and Mrs. N. Gordon Carper Mr. Charles M. Freeman Mr. Timothy R. Howard Mr. and Mrs. A. Milton Chambers Ms. Susan A. Chambers Dr. Martin L. Cipollini Mr. Christopher Lamar Clary Mrs. Barbara DeStephano Mrs. Carolyn Tillman Steele Dr. Martin R. Goldberg Dr. and Mrs. William G. Gholston Mrs. Sandra Yates Laffan Mrs. Peggy Hooper Reich Mr. Ross A. Magoulas Mrs. Susan Lee Hauser Mrs. Barbara Pickle McCollum Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Martin McElyea Mrs. Catherine M. McDonald Mr. Charles M. Walker Mrs. Cheryl Holt Naja Mrs. Cathie Holt Wood Mrs. Joy Jones Neal Mr. and Mrs. Bernard N. Neal Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Harold D. Sowell Dr. and Mrs. John Franklin Adams Dr. George D. Turner Mr. Timothy R. Howard Dr. Kyoko Leann Yoda Mr. Bart A. Cox

NAMED SCHOLARSHIPS March 16 – June 30, 2011 Frank and Kathryn Adams Endowed Scholarship Dr. Christina G. Bucher Dr. James H. Watkins Agriculture Alumni Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Underwood Jr. Clinton G. Ames Jr. Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Clinton G. Ames Jr. Leo W. Anglin Memorial Scholarship Dr. Steven H. Bell Dr. and Mrs. Wade A. Carpenter Dr. Karen A. Kurz Perry Anthony Memorial Scholarship Mrs. Emily Anthony Mullis Betty Ann Rouse Bell Endowed Scholarship Anonymous Berry College Class of 1958 Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Morris L. Brunson Mr. Thomas Ray Fewell Mr. and Mrs. Billy Ray Traynham Mrs. Dolores Robinson Turner Norfolk Southern Foundation John R. and Annabel Hodges Bertrand Endowed Scholarship Dr. and Mrs. Frederick P. Rivara Dan Biggers Distinguished Actor Award Mrs. Shannon W. Biggers Bonner Scholars Program Endowment Mrs. Fontaine McFerrin Souther Joshua Bradshaw-Whittemore Memorial Endowed Scholarship Mr. Richard N. Bass Horace Brown Chemistry Scholarship Dr. Horace D. Brown

Louise Paul Brown Work Scholarship Merck Company Foundation Selma Hall Browning Memorial Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Alton H. Christopher Wanda Lou Bumpus Endowed Scholarship Ms. Julie A. Bumpus David R. Burnette Agriculture Leadership Endowed Scholarship Ms. Sandra Beck Allen Mr. and Mrs. Robert Donald Henry Mr. Leach Delano Richards Sr. N. Gordon Carper Endowed History Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy L. Davis Mr. and Mrs. Robert Neal Harber Microsoft Corp. A. Milton and Joann Chambers Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. William Ebbert Evans Chick-Fil-A Scholarship Chick-fil-A Inc. Cathy and Bert Clark Endowed Study Abroad Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. G. Bert Clark Jr. Cathy and Bert Clark Expendable Study Abroad Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. G. Bert Clark Jr. Class of 1948C Endowed Scholarship Ms. Sue Day Class of 1951C Memorial Endowed Scholarship Mrs. Laura Martin Abernathy Mrs. Margaret Beasley Autry Mr. Leon M. Bryan Dr. Ouida W. Dickey Mrs. Linnie Lane Gibson Mrs. Louise Thomas Guardia Mrs. Audrey Barker James Mrs. Elizabeth Rowland Kirschner Mr. and Mrs. Clifford G. Mizell Mr. and Mrs. Milton A. Morgan Mr. and Mrs. Leon Morris Mr. and Mrs. Turner Mozo Mrs. Katie Powell Parsons Mr. Gene A. Wallace Class of 1953C Scholarship Dr. James K. Miller Class of 1954C Endowed Scholarship Mr. J. Gene Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Stinson Mrs. Lois Eason Woodcock Class of 1956C Endowed Scholarship Mrs. K. Janelle Gay Anderson Mrs. Mary Lou Arnold Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Bell Mr. and Mrs. John R. Brown Dr. Jean Adcock Curran Mr. and Mrs. Bill G. Davis Mr. and Mrs. William L. Grantham Mr. William B. Keith Jr. Mrs. Mary Reeves Mills Mrs. Annie Smith Montgomery Mrs. Hilda Hardy Neighbors Mrs. Elsie Williams Owenby Mr. and Mrs. J. Dale Pass Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Sims Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Mell Strickland Mr. and Mrs. James E. Taylor Mrs. Joyce Jarvis Vickery Norfolk Southern Foundation Class of 1957C Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. C.L. Tate Mr. and Mrs. Billy Ray Traynham

Class of 1960C Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mrs. Joanne Chance Calub Mr. Lewis R. Copeland Mr. Tolbert A. Fowler Mr. and Mrs. J. Lowell Loadholtz Mrs. Carole Carter Long Mr. and Mrs. J. Andrew McClendon Dr. and Mrs. Larry G. McRae Mrs. Ann Nichols Pope Mr. and Mrs. W. Cleveland Rowland Mr. and Mrs. James Perry Vincent Sr. UBS Financial Services Inc. Class of 1961C Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mrs. Joy Powell Adams Ms. M. Naomi Douglas Mrs. Lei Parsons Eason Mrs. Elaine Overman Harris Mrs. Linda Childs Hester Dr. and Mrs. Norman Thompson Holloman Mrs. Julia Leverett Jones Mr. and Mrs. Bowen H. McCoy Mr. and Mrs. Gary E. McKnight Mrs. Carolyn Knox Wiggins Class of 1965C Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Drs. John and Wanda Aldridge Dr. and Mrs. E. Jackson Riner Class of 1953H in Memory of StaleyLoveday Mrs. Robbie Barber Adams Mr. Michael L. Bowling Mr. Ronald W. Edwards Mrs. Dean Pritchett Herndon Mrs. Pearl Waters Noles Mr. and Mrs. Harold H. Posey Mr. Harold D. Sowell Mr. and Mrs. Roger J. Sundy Mrs. Alice Grace Trammell Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Underwood Jr. Mr. Peter M. Walker Mrs. Joy Bernice Ogle Whaley Mrs. Aileen Harrison Wilson Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Lee Winton Mr. George H. Wynn Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Georgia Independent College Association George W. Cofield Memorial Scholarship Fund Mrs. Ellen May Partridge Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Underwood Jr. Hetty McEwen Coleman Scholarship Warren Coleman Fund Christa de Berdt International Programs Expendable Scholarship Dr. August J. de Berdt De Berdt-Naidenko Award Mr. and Mrs. Clifton Dane Freeman Angela R. Dickey Endowed Scholarship Dr. Ouida W. Dickey Edward Gray and Doris Cook Dickey Endowed Scholarship Dr. Ouida W. Dickey Jennifer W. Dickey Endowed Scholarship Dr. Ouida W. Dickey Dr. Ouida W. Dickey Endowed Scholarship Georgia Council on Economic Education Jessiruth Smith Doss Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. William Ebbert Evans

J. Mitchell and Cleone Elrod Expendable Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. J. Mitchell Elrod Jr. J. Paul Ferguson Endowed Scholarship Dr. J. Paul Ferguson Willard Ferguson Expendable Science Scholarship Mr. Willard Ferguson Ruby and Clifton Fite Endowed Scholarship Dr. and Mrs. J. David Fite Dr. and Mrs. John Donald Fite Jimmy R. Fletcher Memorial Endowed Scholarship Mr. John E. Owens Mr. Roark Summerford John A. Shahan Construction Co. George Gaddie Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Arrington Jr. Mrs. Arlene D. Minshew Mrs. Cherrie D. Shaw David and Thomas Berry Memorial Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Randy Berry Mrs. Marti Walstad Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. James B. Bloodworth Mr. and Mrs. Frank Louis Davis Mr. John S. Denmark Mrs. Willa Dean Hinson Master Sgt. Marvin L. Holeyfield Col. James S. Kinney Mr. L. Riley Mangum Mr. A.E. and Mrs. Betty Pugh Mr. Elton R. Sharpe Dr. William E. Solomons Mrs. Laura Freudenberger Vrooman Georgia DAR Student Teaching Award National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) Georgia Dogwood Endowed Scholarship Anonymous Ed and Gayle Graviett Gmyrek Scholarship Mrs. Gayle Graviett Gmyrek Jorge and Ondina Gonzalez Endowed Scholarship Mr. Carlos A. Gonzalez Mrs. Ondina Santos Gonzalez Kathleen Granrose Memorial Endowed Scholarship Ms. Sarah Johanna Egerer Larry A. Green Memorial Scholarship Dr. Janna S. Johnson Mrs. Melanie Green Jones SunTrust Banks Inc. – Atlanta Lyn Gresham Endowed Scholarship Ms. Sandra Beck Allen Mr. and Mrs. Edgar W. Fite Mr. Larry H. Osborn Mr. Larry Bernarr Webb Hamrick Family/Aunt Martha Freeman Scholarship Dr. Karen A. Kurz Samuel A. Henderson Endowed Scholarship Miss Marlene S. Schneider Cathleen Ann Henriksen Memorial Scholarship Dr. Emmaline Beard Henriksen Mr. Peter Henriksen Mrs. Dolores Robinson Turner Lewis A. Hopkins Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Stephen P. Hawkins Ruby Hopkins Outstanding Student Teacher Award Mr. and Mrs. Stephen P. Hawkins Mr. Howard A. Richmond II IBM Dale Jones Expendable Scholarship Mr. Dale A. Jones

H.I. “Ish” Jones Endowed Agriculture Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. William Ebbert Evans Mr. and Mrs. H.I. “Ish” Jones Ms. Martha Jane Jones Kappa Delta Pi Endowed Award Dr. Mary C. Clement Michael and Elizabeth Nesbitt Krupa Scholarship Mrs. Elizabeth Nesbitt Krupa Peter A. Lawler Endowed Scholarship Dr. Peter A. Lawler Mrs. Rita Kay Lawler Mr. and Mrs. Leonard P. Roberts Fred H. Loveday Endowed Scholarship Anonymous Mr. William N. Bethea Jr. Mr. Garland A. Earnest Mr. Grant P. Mahan Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Pugh Dr. and Mrs. Everett T. Solomons Mr. E. Stephens Tankersley Mr. Alfred L. Wallace Mr. and Mrs. Roger W. Lusby III Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Roger W. Lusby III Frazier & Deeter Foundation Paul C. and Velma Smith Maddox Scholarship Paul C. and Velma Smith Maddox Foundation Ross Magoulas Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. J. Herschel Davis Ms. Marie Ann Hogan Ms. Cecily J. Nall Mr. A.E. and Mrs. Betty Pugh Mr. Darryl L. Worth Dr. Charles Scott Markle Award Mrs. Merle Wade Matthews Math and Natural Science Alumni Award Dr. Renee Edwards Carleton Dr. L. Doyle Mathis Endowed Scholarship Mrs. Jean Smith Massie Lawrence E. McAllister Endowed Scholarship Mr. Jack A. Jones and Mrs. Katherine Armitage Edith and Harold McDaniel Scholarship Gray Eagles Association Janet S. Merritt Scholarship (DAR) Dr. and Mrs. A. Gatewood Dudley Frank Miller Memorial Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Baxter D. Burke Mr. and Mrs. J. Herschel Davis Mr. and Mrs. Hudon Miller Mr. and Mrs. Tim Miller Mr. Gail Miller Mrs. Melanie Prater Miller Roy Miller Endowed Entrepreneurship Scholarship Mr. Roy N. Miller Minority Pathway Scholarship Mrs. Barbara Ballanger Hughes Amos Montgomery Expendable Scholarship Ms. Lisa Fraley Rasheed Audrey B. Morgan Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Audrey and Jack Morgan Foundation Graden Mullis Scholarship Mrs. Emily Anthony Mullis Mary & Al Nadassy English Scholarship Dr. Christina G. Bucher Dr. Sandra L. Meek Dr. Mark N. Taylor Dr. James H. Watkins NSDAR Scholarship Florida State Society DAR National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) Bobby Patrick Endowed Scholarship Mrs. Mary Camp Patrick

James L. Paul Jr. Memorial Scholarship Mrs. Violet Paul L. Vernon Peakes Endowed Award Omnova Solutions Dr. Amber T. Prince Endowed Scholarship Mrs. Margaret P. Arey Mr. Jeb-Stuart Bennett Arp Dr. Michael E. Bailey Mrs. Ansley Boyd Barton Mrs. Beverly Burkart Beck Dr. Steven H. Bell Mr. and Mrs. Reed Biggers Mr. and Mrs. Robert Branham Biggers Mr. Kieh Boker Dr. Andrew R. Bressette Dr. and Mrs. Wade A. Carpenter Ms. Rita Faye Carver Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Dowell Cody Mrs. Jennifer Royer Conway Mrs. Sharon Wimpy Crossman Ms. Cecily A. Crow Mrs. Cynthia J. Davidson Ms. Deborah Susan Dewberry Mrs. Catherine W. Dohrmann Mrs. Claire Ussery Dunlap Ms. Amy Elizabeth Durscher Dr. Basil G. Englis Ms. Alison Delilah Fields Mr. Dennis C. Freeman Mr. and Mrs. Philip Joshua Goss Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Paul Greear Ms. Kristin Renee Harbrecht Mrs. Gayle Duncan Hoyt Mrs. Deborah Miller Hufford Mrs. Elizabeth Novian Hughes Mrs. Buffy Meeks Jobe Dr. Janna S. Johnson Mrs. Margaret W. Johnston Mr. Justin Christopher Karch Dr. Arman Kosedag Mr. and Mrs. Brian Christopher Ledford Mr. and Mrs. James R. Lindner Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Ryan Love Ms. Sally Powell MacLeod Ms. Katherine Elizabeth Mitchum Mr. and Dr. Harry A. Musselwhite Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Ryan Newhall Mrs. Mary F. Niedrach Ms. Bettyann M. O’Neill Dr. Mary Elizabeth Outlaw Dr. and Mrs. Robert W. Pearson Dr. Stanley R. Pethel Dr. Nino Pirtskhalaishvili Mrs. Jessica Garger Presley Mr. and Mrs. Chris A. Prince Mr. William Herbert Rhodes Drs. Robert Richardson Mr. Daniel T. Robb Mr. and Mrs. Michael Roberson Ms. Julie Ann Roberson Ms. Katherine Ann Roof Mrs. Lenora S. Santoro Ms. Amy Weatherly Shaw Ms. Dana Elise Tanner Ms. Kimberly Anne Terrell Dr. Lisa Michele Vaughn Mr. and Mrs. Donald Paul Wilder Ms. Ellen D. Youngblood Dr. Amber T. Prince Expendable Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. M. Scott Breithaupt Dr. Jacqueline Macy McDowell Prince/FCAE Expendable Scholarship Floyd County Association of Educators Ann Russell Memorial Scholarship Mrs. Kathleen Robinson Ray Elizabeth and William A. Sadowski Endowed Scholarship Ms. Bettyann M. O’Neill

Vesta Salmon Service Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Kraig Michael Ingalsbe Mrs. Angela P. Reynolds Joyce H. Shelton Memorial Scholarship Mr. Avys D. Billue Dr. and Mrs. Harlan L. Chapman Mr. Charles P. Downey Mr. and Mrs. James Larry Ellison Mr. Thomas Ray Fewell Mr. and Mrs. Cecil W. Grace Ms. Loretta Frances Hamby Mr. Peter N. Henriksen Mr. Russell A. Jackson Mr. Larry H. Osborn Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Patterson The Rev. and Mrs. William O. Priester Mr. Jerry W. Shelton Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wade Williams Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Williams Class of 1958C Hamilton/Smith Scholarship Mr. Kevin Deshawn Allen Ms. Evelyn L. Hamilton Mrs. Beverly Ann Smith Mrs. Stacey Jones Spillers Time Warner Inc. Robert Earl Stafford Scholarship Myra Stafford Pryor Charitable Trust Sara E. Stafford Scholarship Myra Stafford Pryor Charitable Trust Reginald E. Strickland Expendable Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Lt. Col. and Mrs. Reginald E. Strickland Student Scholarships Ms. Eileen H. Barber Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Bell Mr. Dale Braxton Bosco Dr. Thomas Alton Carnes Ms. Melissa Ann Deater Ms. Sara Catherine Evans Ms. Lydia Catherine Fields Mr. and Mrs. Milton S. Higgins Mr. and Mrs. Dale Hitchens Dr. Christine J. Jennings Mrs. Melissa Schlea Loggins Dr. Alison A. Moy Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Eastwood Ragan Mr. Roger F. Ramey Mr. and Mrs. Lance Michael Simpson Mrs. Jane Branscomb Swenson Ms. Erin Suzanne Wright British Motor Car Club T. Rowe Price Foundation Inc. Barbara and Paul Tancraitor Scholarship Ms. Anita Louise Tancraitor Fred J. Tharpe Endowed Scholarship Mr. Fred J. Tharpe Grace and Maurice Thompson Scholarship Mr. Maurice B. Thompson Michael and Elizabeth Thompson Expendable Scholarship Mr. Michael Willis Thompson Alexander Whyte Whitaker III Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Whyte Whitaker IV Jeff Wingo Memorial Scholarship Mrs. Elizabeth Collins Earnst Mrs. Kathryn M. Wingo Dr. Janna S. Johnson Craig Allen Wofford Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Ron W. Dean Mrs. Elaine Sexton Foster AT&T Foundation Richard Wood Scholarship Coca-Cola Co. Janice Bracken Wright Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Wright III

BERRY MAGAZINE • FALL 2011

NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID ATLANTA, GA 30304 PERMIT NO. 2552

Berry magazine P.O. Box 495018 Mount Berry, GA 30149-5018

Fruits (and vegetables) of their labor

Berry student enterprise teams showcased their popular products at a farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market in the Clara Bowl. Zane Cochran