B
eing part of a community is more than just living somewhere — it means connecting with those around you and getting involved. That’s exactly what Reinhardt alumnus and Cherokee County resident Dr. Brian Hightower and his wife, Sue, believe is the key to a successful future. Hightower, superintendent of the Cherokee County School District, met his wife of 32 years on the beautiful campus of then-Reinhardt College. "We both entered in the fall of 1981 and we were there through ’83," said Hightower, the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year and keynote speaker at the Spring commencement ceremony. "Upon graduation (Reinhardt was a two-year school), they asked me to stay on and do housing. Sue had gone and entered at Kennesaw, and I stayed on and did housing." They met in October of their sophomore year — first as friends. They had some classes together and spent time together. "We became really good friends and I think we realized pretty early that we wanted to be married, and obviously our story is not your traditional story of you finish college, then you date and then you get married," Hightower said. Mrs. Hightower said they married shortly after and became resident assistants in the campus dormitories. "I was a dorm mother at the ripe old age of 23," she said. Their daily lives were busy — mornings spent at Kennesaw State College furthering their education and evenings back at Reinhardt coordinating housing and fulfilling their roles as dorm parents. Opportunities at Reinhardt allowed them to marry early — as they both agreed that without the ability to live on campus and inexpensive and/or free meals, they could not have afforded to tie the knot at that time in their lives. Reinhardt wasn’t necessarily where they saw themselves in college — the current superintendent of schools was not even sure he wanted to go to college while Mrs. Hightower relocated from Kentucky to attend classes. "For me, I wasn’t even going to go to
school. I lived in Cartersville, was over here working in Canton and some people that worked there in the business I was in were associated with Reinhardt, and they said 'You really need to give Reinhardt a shot,'" Hightower said. "I had done some leadership things in school but I was also still grasping at what I wanted to do next. School was there, but it wasn’t at the
and then staying local. It’s home," Mrs. Hightower said. "It’s exciting to see the new buildings, all the arts, sciences that are offered. But yet, when I go on campus, I’m still seeing the things that are familiar to me. It hasn’t grown so large that it isn’t unrecognizable." Hightower said he sees much strength in the university’s programs and the
‘A pivotal point was Reinhardt. Once I plugged in and got a feel for what it really could
be, there was an answer. There was a hole there and Reinhardt filled it for me.’ forefront. It’s funny now sitting here with a doctorate saying I wasn’t even sure I was going to go to school but a pivotal point was Reinhardt. Once I plugged in and got a feel for what it really could be, there was an answer. "There was a hole there, and Reinhardt filled it for me," Hightower said. Mrs. Hightower, who is the lead facilitator for the Cherokee County School District’s Special Education Program, said Reinhardt gave her what she needed in the way of forming leadership skills. "I’m not sure that I would be in the leadership role that I’m in right now if I had not gone to a small campus because Reinhardt gave me the opportunity to see where my strengths were and become a leader," she said. "I think had I been at a huge university, I probably would have stayed in the background. But they gave me the opportunity to develop those leadership roles, be a resident assistant, take some leadership classes and that served me well." It was because of Reinhardt, they say, that they chose Cherokee County as their home to raise their family including Jonathan, 25, and Stephanie, 23. The Hightowers agree they have enjoyed watching the university grow but keep its identity and devotion to students. "It’s exciting because it’s still small but I think they are giving a lot more opportunities to a lot of people. I love that they have an education department that’s doing so well. I think some of our best teachers are going to that program
– Dr. Brian Hightower ‘83 commitment to do more as time and resources allow. But as an educator, he sees tremendous value in what the Price School of Education is doing — producing teacher candidates that are ready to hit the ground running in the classroom. "It’s also a validation of our program — the things we hold precious. When you see your university succeed and grow, it means that there is a contagiousness to it that people maybe see the same things that you saw and they value the same things that you value," he said. (Continued on page 13)
Dr. Brian V. Hightower graduated with an Associate degree from Reinhardt in 1983. He now is the superintendent of the Cherokee County School District and was named the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. Reinhardt Magazine Spring 2016 • 7