Berry Magazine - Winter 2021-22

BERRY A Berry College Publication

MOONLIGHT

MADNESS

Winter 2021-22

BRILLIANCE

Katy Brown (98C) creates magic as theatre professional

The fall sky reflects in the windows of the “Jewel Box” on Audrey B. Morgan Hall.

BERRY Published since 2003 for alumni and friends of Berry College and its historic schools. Winner of 17 CASE Awards, including two for Best in Class.

Gifts Listings and Death Notices Jeff Palmer (09C, 11G), Jennifer Wright and Justin Karch (01C, 10G)

Editor Rick Woodall (93C)

Contact Information News From You: submit at alwaysberry.com/ classnotes or email classnotes@berry.edu

Contributing Writer and Editor Karilon L. Rogers (FFS)

President-Elect: Aaron Chastain (15C) Vice Presidents: Alumni Engagement, Chris Hayes (04C); Berry Heritage, Jason Sweatt (88C); Financial Support, Meredith Lewallen Roberts (07C); Alumni Awards, Jeffrey Ramos (15C)

Change of Address: update online at alwaysberry.com/classnotes, email alumni@berry.edu or call 706-236-2256

Chaplain: The Rev. Tac Coley (98C)

Editorial: email rwoodall@berry.edu or mail to Berry magazine, P.O. Box 490069, Mount Berry, GA 30149

Secretary: Larry Arrington (93C, FFS)

Graphic Design and Production Craig Hall Chief Photographer Brant Sanderlin

Berry Alumni Association President: Patricia Tutterow Jackson (82C, FFS)

Staff Writer Debbie Rasure

Parliamentarian: Tim Howard (82C)

Director of Alumni Engagement and Philanthropic Marketing Jennifer Schaknowski

Vice President of Marketing and Communications Nancy Rewis Vice President of Advancement Cyndi Court President Stephen R. Briggs Photo Credits Above: Matthew McConnell (21C) Cover: Brant Sanderlin

BERRY

Vol 108, No. 1 Winter 2021-22

F E A T U R E S

12 MADNESS

MOONLIGHT BRILLIANCE

Katy Brown (98C) is producing artistic director of America’s longest-running professional equity theatre; she created magic under the stars when COVID-19 closed indoor shows.

A L S O

2 Inside the Gate Notable news from Berry

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THE COYOTE NEXT DOOR

HAPPINESS IS A STATE OF MIND

A Berry professor is co-leader of the Atlanta Coyote Project, dedicated to studying coyotes like Cobb County’s wily black specimen, Carmine.

Neo-Americana singer/songwriter Campbell Harrison (17C) is making his way in Nashville, building his career “brick by brick.”

I N

T H I S

I S S U E

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Shining Lights

Mountain Day

Berry Alumni Council 2021 Distinguished Alumni Awards

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Points of Pride

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A Berry tradition captured in photos

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Opportunity

36 Thank You!

Students, faculty, staff and Berry: The best of the best!

Impart wisdom, share gifts, improve lives

The Martha Berry Society: Honoring top annual supporters

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President’s Pen

News From You

A legacy of lives

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Class Notes – The original social media

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In the end

It’s about the students: Isabelle Hill

INSIDE THE GATE

Inspiring achievement Building dedication heralds new opportunities in animal science

By Debbie Rasure

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erry family and friends celebrated the culmination of a long-held dream when they gathered in October for the official dedication of a new teaching and research facility designed to meet the needs of the college’s stellar animal science program.

The $15.7 million, donor-funded facility was the final project of the LifeReady Campaign, which closed last year after generating more than $135 million in gifts for scholarships, facilities and programs benefitting Berry students.

During the dedication ceremony for Berry’s newest academic building, Board of Trustees Chair Rick Gilbert (77c) surprised President Steve Briggs and his wife, Brenda, with a plaque recognizing their longtime devotion to the college and its students to be displayed in the new structure. Many leadership gifts to the project honored the couple’s commitment to Berry.

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Construction began in May 2020 on the 23,000-square-foot animal science facility and was completed in time for the 2021-22 academic year. Key features include two 42-seat “Technology Enabled Active Learning” classrooms and a 54-seat tiered classroom; specialized teaching labs for animal science, microbiology, anatomy

and physiology, and necropsy; four research labs, including a large collaborative laboratory space; a student workspace; and common areas to promote interaction among faculty, staff and students across the sciences.

Located adjacent to the McAllister Hall science center in the academic core of campus, the new building

The ribbon is cut during the dedication of Berry’s new state-of-the-art animal science building.

provides a home befitting Berry’s largest and most distinctive major, which previously was housed in the aging Westcott Building on the far side of the Ford Complex.

Already, the spacious and wellappointed facility is inspiring unique research collaborations, just as it was intended.

Dr. Judith Wilson, professor and department chair of animal science, reports that new partnerships have begun across Berry’s scientific disciplines, among animal science faculty and with outside collaborators. As an example, she pointed to her own research collaboration involving Associate Professor of Animal Science Dr. Sunday Peters and Dr. Carly TurnerGarcia (08C), a program alumna who now is a practicing veterinarian in Oklahoma.

“The new animal science building has been an excellent addition to an outstanding program,” Wilson

W

hat Berry alum doesn’t have fond memories of Barnwell Chapel? Quaint, rustic and frequently photographed, the log structure has stood for 110 years and is an indelible part of the fabric of Berry.

Now, The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation has chosen to honor Barnwell Chapel’s most recent renewal with an Excellence in Restoration award, the second such honor Berry has received from The Georgia Trust for Barnwell.

In 1985, Berry also received The Trust’s “best preservation” award for work done on the chapel.

Based on a 2016 assessment, the latest restoration took place in 2019 using lumber from Berry’s own slow-growth pines. Great care was taken to preserve as much of the historic structure as possible and to restore the chapel to its original 1911 appearance. Supervising the effort was Assistant Director of Physical Plant Mark Simpson, while much of the work was completed by Crown Commercial Services. Chipping in was an Alumni Work Week crew led by Al Christopher (61c), who restored the chapel windows.

SNAP SHOT IN TIME Déjà vu?

Beloved Barnwell’s remarkable renovation honored by The Georgia

said. “As we transition into our research laboratories, we are seeing an extension of teamwork within the animal science department as faculty share their areas of expertise with one another to build some exciting new areas of research, with support from student research assistants.”

Junior animal science major Brooke Appelbaum echoed Wilson’s enthusiasm, describing the new building’s impact on students as highly positive.

“The new facility allows us to delve further into the hands-on aspect of the animal science major,” Appelbaum stated. “Having the equipment, space and support to learn diagnostic techniques, advanced skills, and other practical applications has unified the lecture and laboratory components of my classes like never before.”

Photos by Brant Sanderlin and Matthew McConnell (21C)

Trust … again The earlier restoration was overseen by Raymond Bowen, then an industrial-arts professor at Berry, and Fred Robinson, who at the time was director of special projects and head carpenter for Berry’s physical plant.

The generosity of donors benefitted both projects, ranging from a major memorial gift in the 1980s from Michigan’s Joyce VanDerpyl Scott in honor of her aunt and uncle to an outpouring of support in 2019 following the death of Tica Berry, mother and aunt, respectively, of Berry trustees Marti Berry Walstad and Randy Berry.

While it is now known as a chapel and popular wedding venue, in the early days Barnwell was also a location for classrooms, a music studio, library and even a small store. Like nearly everything on campus, it has changed with the times but managed to retain its very special identity. And special Barnwell Chapel is.

DID YOU KNOW?

in 1911 and named for its architect, Capt. John Barnwell of Rome •• Built Pews built in the school shop replaced classroom desks in 1920 altar, built in the school shop, was a gift of the Class of 1951C •• The Martha Berry’s body was placed there prior to her funeral with an honor guard of staff and students Government Association adopted Barnwell’s refurbishing • asTheitsStudent first Mountain Day Project in 1974 Historic details from Berry Trails, edited by the late Dr. Ouida Word Dickey (50C, FFS).

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INSIDE THE GATE

RECORD FIRST-YEAR FIRST-YEAR CLASS

propels enrollment to new heights erry’s growing stature among those seeking a quality, highvalue education was affirmed this fall with the arrival of a record class of 729 freshmen, as well as 32 transfer students. Their presence on campus – together with solid retention of returning students – boosted undergraduate and overall enrollment to 2,177 and 2,308, respectively, both all-time highs.

These numbers are particularly notable when undergraduate enrollment declined 3.2% nationally this fall and 6.5% over the last two years according to the Oct. 26, 2021, issue of Inside Higher Ed, which cited early data collected by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

“In a time when many colleges are struggling, it is exciting to see that Martha Berry’s education of the head, heart and hands is just as inspiring to families today as it was in years past,” said Dr. Andrew Bressette, Berry’s vice president for enrollment management. “Students are attracted to our strong academic programs, the practical hands-on experiences available through the LifeWorks Program, and a campus environment that encourages moral and ethical development. I’m so happy to see that slowly but surely

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Berry is losing the moniker as “The Best Kept Secret in Georgia.”

The new class was gleaned from an initial pool of 5,200 applications for admission, a 21% increase over the previous year. A total of 36 different states are represented among the newcomers, 64% of whom are female and 26% are students of color. Also, 27% are Pell Grant recipients, signifying Berry’s continuing mission to extend access and opportunity to students from a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds.

To help accommodate this growth, a former motel adjacent to Oak Hill and The Martha Berry Museum has been purchased, refurbished and renovated as the Oak Hill Residences.

“This gives us an opportunity to increase our housing options for senior and junior students and provides flexibility for the campus as we continue to see increased interest in the college,” President Steve Briggs said at the time of the acquisition. “The bones of this property are good, and its location next to Oak Hill is important to us as we seek to improve the community and continue our investment in the Rome area. We are pleased to join the cooperative effort to enhance the Martha Berry corridor.”

New class at a glance

761

freshmen and transfers

36

states represented

73%

from Georgia

74%

high school GPA of 3.6+

Brant Sanderlin

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Dean of Students Lindsey Taylor addresses the largest incoming class in Berry history at the Viking Venture kickoff event in the Cage Center.

BERRY PEOPLE

Mairo Akposé-Simpson (97C) and Georgia Supreme Court Justice Sarah Hawkins Warren are Berry’s newest trustees, elected by the board at its May 2021 meeting.

Akposé-Simpson most recently served as vice president of corporate human resources for Serta Simmons Bedding, one of the largest manufacturers, marketers and suppliers of Mairo Akposé-Simpson mattresses in North America and employer of more than 5,000. The upward career trek of the Cartersville, Ga., native has included increasingly responsible positions at Target, Sodexo, Pier 1 Imports and WellCare Health Plans, all in the human resources field.

A standout for the Berry women’s basketball team, Akposé-Simpson graduated with a degree in psychology before earning an MBA at Shorter and a graduate certification in executive and professional coaching at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Warren has served on the Supreme Court of Georgia since 2018. Prior to her appointment by then-Gov. Nathan Deal, she served as state solicitor general.

Warren holds a Justice Sarah Hawkins Warren B.A. in public policy and Spanish and a juris doctorate from Duke University, where she was editor-in-chief of Law and Contemporary Problems. Among many roles in our nation’s capital, she worked as deputy press secretary for the White House Office of Management and Budget (prior to her J.D.), as a law clerk for both the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and as a practicing litigation partner with Kirkland and Ellis LLP. Warren’s service to Georgia began when she returned to her home state with her family in 2015, taking up a post in the Office of the Attorney General.

Photos by Brant Sanderlin

Matthew McConnell (21C)

Board welcomes Simpson, Warren as trustees

BRAVO! Above, Betty Anne Rouse Bell (52H, 56C) is all smiles during the fall dedication of the recital hall that now bears her name. The event celebrating the renovation and restoration of Ford Auditorium featured performances by the Berry Singers and Artist-in-Residence Indra Thomas (left), as well as the premiere of Dr. Dwayne S. Milburn’s Festival Motet, which was commissioned specifically for the event and drew inspiration from the Psalms inscribed on the recital hall’s historic walls.

The internationally acclaimed renewal of Ford Auditorium was funded by the generosity of approximately 600 alumni and friends, including Bell and her late husband, Robert.

Bell Recital Hall at Ford now provides students and faculty with a first-class rehearsal and performance space in which to hone their talents and share them with others.

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B E R RY AT H L E T I C S :

P L AY I N G T O O U R S T R E N G T H S

go vikings

Berry soars past competition in volleyball, men’s cross country

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mpressive firsts in volleyball and men’s cross country highlighted Berry’s return to fall competition after last year’s spring pivot for all sports due to COVID-19.

The volleyball team won its first NCAA Division III regional championship and advanced to the national quarterfinals after claiming Southern Athletic Association regular-season and tournament crowns. Men’s cross country, meanwhile, won its first conference title since the SAA’s founding and Berry’s move to Division III. Fittingly, the volleyball regional was won on the home court of longtime nemesis Emory University, site of previous postseason heartbreak for the program. This time, the Vikings would not be

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denied, sweeping Emory in the regional final after defeating Transylvania University and Southwestern University in the first two rounds.

That victory propelled Berry to the national quarterfinals in St. Louis,

No. 7 national ranking are the highest in Berry volleyball’s storied history.

Individual honors for the team were numerous, including conference and region Coach of the Year accolades for Caitlyn Moriarty (14G). Top

“This is a team that loves to work hard and, at the same time, loves each other.

And that is a good recipe.”

— Volleyball Coach Caitlyn Moriarty

where a four-set loss to California’s Claremont-Mudd-Scripps ended the Vikings’ season at 28-3. Their final winning percentage of .903 and

performers on the court included Laura Beier, Region Player of the Year, Region Tournament MVP and SAA Defensive Player of the

Year; Emily Rapach, SAA Player of the Year; Cypress Guenther, SAA Newcomer of the Year; and Jazzy Innis, SAA Tournament MVP. In addition, five Vikings earned All-America recognition from the American Volleyball Coaches Association: Beier and Molly Bergin (both first-team honorees), Rapach (second team), Innis (third team) and Peyton Breissinger (honorable mention).

“This is a team that loves to work hard and, at the same time, loves each other,” Moriarty praised. “And that is a good recipe.”

In men’s cross country, Berry edged Oglethorpe University by three points for its first SAA title in that sport. Bradshaw Lathbury and Cameron Bensley led the way, placing first and third individually

Faculty team earns $750K NSF grant for STEM scholarships

Left: The history-making Berry volleyball team exults during a regular-season match against Emory University. Above: Cameron Bensley (1626) and Bradshaw Lathbury (1641) compete in the Berry Invitational. Photos by Steven Eckhoff

The National Science Foundation has awarded Berry a $750,000 grant for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) scholarships to be used for LEGION, a program designed to aid STEM students with financial need.

Between six and eight students will be accepted each fall from 2022-24.

According to Dr. Alice Suroviec, dean of Berry’s School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, the scholarships are designed to fill the gap between the recipients’ financial aid and/or family contribution and the full cost of tuition. The average award will be $6,500 per year, but the amount can vary based on individual need.

Four MNS faculty members began drafting a proposal for the NSF’s S-STEM program in January 2021. They submitted it in April and were notified in August of their success. They include lead investigator Dr. Charles Lane, associate professor of physics; Dr. Christopher Hall, associate professor of biology; Dr. Garner Cochran, assistant professor of mathematics; and Dr. Kenneth Martin, associate professor of physical chemistry.

Lane believes the scholarship program will encourage potential students to choose Berry who might not otherwise find it affordable. In addition, he hopes it will help Berry retain the type of STEM students who in the past have sometimes been forced to leave due to financial pressures – many of whom tended to be first-generation college students.

There will be three LEGION cohorts with each group attending a two-week bridge program prior to the start of their first semester. This program will familiarize them with college-level work in STEM and encourage cohort bonding, as well as introduce the scholars to their faculty and research mentors and an upper-level student-mentor in their field of study.

Hall said that LEGION will give students skills to acclimate to college life and insight into what a career in STEM might look like. In addition, he hopes the program will allow faculty to see what approaches encourage students to stay in STEM disciplines and have a positive impact on the students’ experiences.

Editor’s note: All reporting for this story was done by student Meredith Stafford for an article published in the Campus Carrier newspaper.

in the conference championship race. Strong performances in the NCAA Division III South Region followed, propelling both runners to the national meet in Louisville, Ky., the first time the program has had two representatives in the NCAA final.

Bensley finished the 8K course in just over 25 minutes, placing him 140th in the field of nearly 300 runners. Lathbury finished 198th with a time of 25:30.

Longtime Berry fixture and former Viking All-American Paul Deaton (91C) earned SAA Coach of the Year honors in recognition of his team’s success, which builds on a long tradition of excellence in the NAIA. The fall season also produced winning marks in football (6-4),

women’s soccer (11-6) and men’s soccer (9-5-2). All three teams posted top-four regular-season finishes in the SAA, with women’s soccer repeating that feat in the conference tournament.

Other notable achievements included a tournament victory for men’s golf in the Transylvania Men’s Fall Festival, a record round of 68 shot by women’s golfer Bailey Plourde during the Chick-fil-A Collegiate Invitational, and a strong fall showing for Berry’s hunt seat and western equestrian teams.

Visit berryvikings.com for complete coverage of intercollegiate athletics.

Student Adele Gammill contributed reporting for this story.

Bucher, Gilbert earn Martindale acclaim Exceptional is one word used to describe the 2021 recipients of Berry’s Martindale Awards of Distinction.

The faculty winner, Dr. Tina Bucher, has distinguished herself as a teacher, leader and “champion for those who most needed one” since arriving at Berry in 1995.

Nominators referred to the associate professor and department chair of English, rhetoric and writing as an “ideal colleague” known for treating “her students and her subject matter with deep respect, seeking to bring the two together into a happy union.” She also was lauded for advocacy on behalf of students, including her tireless support of official campus recognition for LISTEN and ongoing work to help students speak out against racial injustice.

The staff award was won by Casee Gilbert, who as director of hospitality and event services has exceled as Berry’s primary liaison to the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program, among many other responsibilities. This year, her department earned praise from the Centers for Disease Control for the high level of professionalism exhibited during COVID testing and vaccine efforts on campus.

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Brant Sanderlin

POINTS OF PRIDE

Brant Sanderlin

AuH2O (aka Goldwater)

Communicators win again … and again Another year, another breakthrough for Viking Fusion, which now has added podcasting to the growing list of creative categories in which it has earned national acclaim. Competing in the 2021 Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts, student Seth Chambliss (above) claimed an Award of Excellence for his podcast, Seth’s Spins: Purposefully Forgettable.

In Society of Professional Journalists regional Mark of Excellence competition last spring, students representing Viking Fusion and the Campus Carrier won in three categories and were finalists in five others. Viking Fusion won for Best Independent Online Student Publication for the second consecutive year and the third time overall. Taylor Corley (21C) won in feature writing, and Noah Syverson (21C) was first in online sports reporting – his second win and third recognition by the SPJ.

Biochemistry major Seth Jolly struck gold when he was named a 2021 Goldwater Scholar, securing the most prestigious undergraduate award for students in science, mathematics and engineering.

Mentored by Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Dr. Mark Turlington since he was a freshman in Berry’s Science Scholars program, which funnels research-minded students directly into undergraduate research with faculty, Jolly recently published a paper in the national Journal of Organic Chemistry detailing – are you ready? – reaction methodology he developed for the synthesis of propargylamines.

Oh, and the man can golf too! The two-time Berry golf team captain has earned all-conference honors for his play on the course, as well as for academics and sportsmanship. He also received AllAmerica Scholar recognition from the Golf Coaches Association of America.

Fulbright grants galore. Let’s count them down:

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2 Student Emily Thompson (23C)

Matthew McConnell (21C)

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New Berry Associate Professor and Theatre Director Peter Friedrich is one of three U.S. scholars awarded the inaugural Seeking Solutions for Global Challenges Award of the Fulbright Finland Foundation. He will be hosted in 2022 by Åbo Akademi University in Turku, Finland, as he uses theatre to broker partnerships between college students and members of migrant communities. Friedrich came to Berry from Millsaps College where he was associate professor and director of theatre as well as artistic director for Powerful Minds Theatre Co. at the U.S. Penitentiary in Mississippi.

India is the 2022 destination of Dr. Sunday Peters, associate professor of animal science, whose Fulbright grant will allow him to study Chicken Interferon-Inducible Transmembrane (chIFITMs) genes and their restriction of avian viral pathogens in native chickens.

India’s extensive chicken breed variety and unique gene pool make it the perfect place in which to find rare genetic variants for possible genetic improvement and vaccine production.

Berry Archives

Student Olivia Mead

THE HITS KEEP COMING!

Friend of Ford

Global teaching

In Berry’s earliest days, Henry and Clara Ford were among our school’s most dedicated friends, and that bond long has been honored and cherished.

Recently, our extensive history and continuing relationship with Ford were further recognized when Berry College received the Organization Friend of Ford Award from the Henry Ford Heritage Association.

This and the other few awards presented annually at the Henry Ford Birthday Celebration Dinner honor those who best exemplify the ideals in the association’s mission statement: “To foster interest in the life and accomplishments of Henry Ford and to preserve and interpret the landmarks associated with his life.”

Dr. Chang Pu has been selected for the 2022 Global Excellence Award by the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education in recognition of her work at Berry. The award honors her efforts to advance global/international, intercultural and cross-culture education by integrating virtual exchange projects into her teacher education courses and providing teacher candidates firsthand experiences working with peers from different cultures on projects such as lesson planning and microteaching. The associate professor previously had been named a Longview Foundation Global Teacher Educator fellow.

Here’s a quick snapshot of notable recognitions for Berry in 2021:

U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges

Regional Universities in the South #1 Best Value School #1 Best Undergraduate Teaching #4 Overall Ranking #5 Most Innovative School

Nationally

#14 Service Learning (tie) Travel & Leisure

Most Beautiful College Campuses #2 (We respectfully disagree!)

The Princeton Review

The Best 387 Colleges

Student Rette Solomon

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Taylor Blaylock (21C) earned a Fulbright grant to teach English in Taiwan during the 2021-22 academic year. The elementary education major with minors in applied behavioral analysis and teaching English as a foreign language worked as a teacher’s assistant in the Berry College Child Development Center and was a fixture on the dean’s list as well as the Southern Athletic Association Academic Honor Roll as a member of Berry’s swimming and diving team.

Best Southeastern Colleges* Green Colleges* *Listings are alphabetical, not numeric

MSN

Most Beautiful Universities in the World #2 (at least in the slideshow!)

Most Beautiful College Campus in Every State Georgia: Berry College (How could it be anything else?)

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PRESIDENT’S PEN

A legacy of lives

Dr. Stephen Briggs

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n the 1930s, when the U.S. economy was in tatters, some businessmen asked Martha Berry about the health of the Berry Schools’ investments.

Without hesitation, she replied that the investments were doing exceptionally well. After all, her schools were invested 100% in young people as they were the future of our nation’s communities and towns.

Her beguiling response emphasized Berry’s mission and unwavering focus on students even if the business of education was dismal.

Martha’s approach to education was akin to “value investing,” a strategy of selecting stocks that are trading in the market for less than their real worth. Martha intentionally sought out students who lacked the economic and social assets needed to fulfill their potential. She invested in young people long before their promise was realized because she was confident that many who had little more to offer than a “sparkle in the eyes” would mature into productive and exemplary citizens.

Audrey Bailey was a young woman of this sort. Born in 1930, she entered the world in harsh circumstances at the outset of the Great Depression. She was the fourth of eight children, and her family, like many others, suffered various catastrophes. The Bailey children had to help make ends meet so Audrey began working at a shoe store

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in Atlanta at age 13. By high school, she was working at Rollfast Bicycles during the day and taking classes at night. She yearned to attend college, but the way forward was unclear, and her chances appeared bleak.

Remarkably, a path opened.

At Rollfast, Audrey became good friends with co-worker June Harper, whose parents, Orlin and Mae, elected to take Audrey into their home for a year when Audrey’s family decided to move to another town just before her senior year.

Although they had limited financial means, the Harpers believed in the value of education and wanted Audrey to have the same opportunities as their own children.

Perhaps they saw a glimpse of her

ask if they would come to Atlanta and help her build a business as a remanufacturer of air conditioning and refrigeration compressors.

It turned out to be the “call of a lifetime,” the pivotal moment when Audrey’s potential became evident.

The business they built, Our-Way, proved highly successful with Bobbie as chief executive officer, Audrey as chief operating officer and Jack as chief engineer. When sold to Carrier in 2001, the operation had 350 employees and annual sales in excess of $45 million.

Bobbie and Audrey never forgot their early adversity or humble origins. As successful and pioneering businesswomen, they chose to be committed

At a lunch meeting in July 2008, she inquired about innovative ways to help students who had potential and desire but lacked the economic and social capital to attend a school like Berry. She wanted to find a way to make a high-quality education affordable. But based on her own life experience, she also wanted an approach that would build confidence, competence and character. Thus, she was intrigued by a plan that would invest in students who were willing to invest in themselves.

What emerged was a program designed as a partnership of thirds: students supplementing the family contribution (or federal grants) through their own work on campus,

potential. Orlin, through Methodist church connections, arranged for Audrey to receive a work scholarship at Asbury College in Kentucky, where June also attended. Later, the Harpers’ son George went to Berry College. Audrey first visited Berry in 1952 to attend his graduation.

Over the next 50 years, Audrey’s life was full. At Asbury, she met husband Jack Morgan. He finished his engineering degree at Georgia Tech, while she studied business management at Georgia State University. They moved to Detroit and started a family. Then, in 1960, Audrey’s sister Bobbie called to

philanthropists, improving their local community with investments in education, health services, the arts, and children and youth services. Audrey also remembered the Harpers’ pivotal role in her life.

In sincere gratitude, she created a scholarship in their honor at Berry in 2001, visiting the campus for only the second time in her life – nearly 50 years after the first.

As Audrey learned more about Berry, she found that its mission and mindset resonated deeply. And so, when the nation experienced the Great Recession of 2007-09, Audrey felt compelled to respond.

with the college and a benefactor each contributing another third to the total cost of education. This idea built on an existing initiative called the Founder’s Program, which had been championed for a number of years by Lt. Col. Reginald Strickland (51C). The intent was to improve and expand on this earlier effort by forming the participants into an intentional community that would provide mentoring and social support across four years.

The program would be called Gate of Opportunity because it embodied the spirit of Martha Berry’s original compact with students.

By October of that year, the idea had been studied and vetted, and Audrey endowed the program with an initial gift of $3 million. In Fall 2009, 11 students started the program. Ten years ago, in 2012, the first two Gate of Opportunity students graduated, Kayla Badding and Anna Garber. Today, there are 10 times the original number of Gate students enrolled at Berry.

Gate students have full and demanding schedules. They learn to manage their time well.

Understandably, they sometimes grow weary and experience doubts, but it is fair to say these moments also instill a tenacity and toughness that sets Gate students apart. They understand firsthand the meaning of sweat equity, the value of investing in oneself, the importance of having

• Attorneys (5) • Professional musicians (2), professional actor (1), filmmaking specialist (1) • Medical doctors (5), registered nurses (9), mental or behavioral health professionals (5), other health care professionals (7) • Veterinarians (7) • Nonprofit professionals (5), Peace Corps member (1)

The Gate program is a treasure.

It offers a distinctive solution to a national problem: The goal is for students to graduate in four years without the need for debt. Make no mistake, however, it is a formidable commitment. Students work 45 weeks a year on campus, part-time during regular semesters and full-time during summer and breaks. They pursue a variety of majors and participate actively in campus life, some in the arts and some doing research with faculty.

About one-quarter participate in athletics, the same percentage as for other students.

a benefactor who has partnered with you, and the value of belonging to a group of like-minded students.

What is the return on this shared investment? Has the program been successful these last 10 years? There are several ways to answer questions of this sort.

To date, 170 Gate participants (85%) have remained in the program to graduation. One-third of these already have gone on to pursue graduate degrees. And although most Gates are recent graduates, they are already achieving (or preparing for) success in a wide variety of careers, such as:

• Teachers (12), higher education professionals (3), school counselor (1), coaches (3), athletic department employees (2) • Ministry professionals (7) • Project leaders, managers, and marketing, program or communication specialists (34) • Wealth managers (2), accountants (3) • Engineers (3), geologist (1), science researchers/Ph.D.s (2) • Photography business owners (2) • Technical researchers or professionals (7)

• Professional football player (1), baseball scout (1) • Police officer (1) • Published author (1) This list demonstrates in tangible ways the cascading effects of Audrey’s original gift.

The program began with 11 students. In addition to the 170 Gate graduates, 30 others have participated for a time, most of whom went on to graduate at Berry or other colleges. In addition, there are 118 current students in the program, so Audrey’s initial gift has impacted more than 300 students.

That initial gift also has been multiplied many times by way of other gifts, including additional support from Audrey herself, whose generous gifts to the program now total $4.26 million.

The Gate endowment today is valued at more than $30 million.

It generates $1.5 million in scholarships annually, and since 2009, $10 million has been distributed to students. In years to come, gifts and pledges will grow the number of students supported annually to 156.

It is reasonable to assess the impact of Audrey’s initial gift in terms of this flourishing endowment and the growing number of scholarships awarded and dollars invested. But her primary interest always has been in the lives and stories of the students themselves. She evaluates success in terms of the promise and potential of Berry students.

Martha Berry began her work believing that the gift of education was the means by which young people could rise up to serve as strong pillars for their families and communities. Audrey’s life is a testimony to Martha’s vision. She became a sturdy pillar. And she embraced with gratitude the gift of opportunity she received from the Harper family, years later returning that gift many times over to students here at Berry.

Like Martha, Audrey’s investments are doing exceptionally well. And like Martha, hers is a legacy of lives.

11

MOONLIGHT MADNESS

BRILLIANCE 12

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W

hen Virginia Kathryn “Katy” Brown (98C) was named producing artistic director of America’s longest-running professional equity theatre in

2019, little did she know one of her earliest, most innovative and celebrated ideas would be having kudzu cleared from a long-decaying drive-in movie theatre on the outskirts of town.

Yet when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of the historic Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Va., in early 2020 for the first time since World War II, it was that stroke of genius that enabled Brown to continue the Barter’s historic tradition of serving the people of Appalachia through the darkest of times.

“My sister works in public health, and I served on Gov. [Ralph] Northam’s COVID-19 Task Force,” Brown explained. “I was fully aware of safety and what was going on with restrictions on businesses. I knew we couldn’t keep the indoor theatre open. So, I spent a lot of time driving around – a lot of time trespassing, really – looking at fields, parking lots and amphitheaters, anyplace we could do outdoor theatre. Nothing worked.”

Then she remembered the Moonlite, a brokendown drive-in built in the 1940s and closed years earlier.

“The neighbors called it Chernobyl,” she remembered. “It was covered in kudzu and poison ivy, and the speaker poles by the car spaces looked as if they’d all been beaten by a baseball bat. But I thought it just might work.”

She brought out a few of her colleagues to test her idea on the craziness meter. They bought right in, and the theatre staff – even many of the 90% who’d been furloughed – jumped in with both feet to clean up and create an outdoor performance space.

“I always said that if the zombie apocalypse comes, I want to be around theatre people,” Brown

chuckled. “I didn’t know it would actually happen!”

Soon tradesmen, volunteers and others joined in, their work supported by the generosity of donors and businesses who depend on the Barter to bring tourists to their small town of 8,200. A covered stage went up that is tall enough for cars in the back row to see, and cameras were brought in to project special effects and close-ups of the actors on the movie screen above. Sound was designed to be aired through the car radios of the audience. Actors lived in a quarantine bubble.

Before long, The Wizard of Oz was being performed six nights a week – without an intermission to reduce the need for restroom breaks – sometimes to capacity crowds of 220 cars with families safely ensconced inside. Honking horns and blinking headlights signaled appreciation for the actors – with an airhorn or three sometimes piercing the night air. It was loud. It was raucous. It was a blast for young and old alike.

The Moonlite is innovative to the 10th degree – the only theatre venue of its type in the nation – and it is ongoing. But is it successful? By every measure. People from 35 states saw a play at the Moonlite in its first year, and the operation runs in the black. Although the Barter Theatre since has reopened in town, the intention is to keep Moonlite performances going on the weekends until and unless the movie-theatre property sells because, as Brown put it, “The shows are just so much fun!”

STORY BY KARILON L. ROGERS Photography by Brant Sanderlin with contributions from Barter Theatre 13

Rapid rise

When she became the first woman to be named producing artistic director of the Barter Theatre (and only the fourth person to hold the position in its 88-year history), Brown shocked literally no one. She had served as associate artistic director and head of casting since 2006 and was well known and highly respected.

“In my nearly two decades of board service with Barter Theatre, I have had the pleasure of working with Katy Brown, seeing firsthand her work ethic and watching on stage the tremendous final product of her artistic and directing capabilities,” said Kyle Macione, president of the Barter’s Board of Trustees, when Brown was promoted upon the retirement of her mentor, Richard Rose, who served in the role for 27 years.

She needs all three of these traits and skills in the humongous role in which she is excelling. Prior to the pandemic, Barter Theatre was an $8 million operation employing 130 fulltime employees and producing $34.4 million in annual economic impact for its small tourist town. Each year, approximately 145,000 audience members from across the region, nation and globe filled the seats of the Barter’s two theatres, which hold 507 and 167 seats. Amazingly, the Barter presented 25 to 30 productions annually.

“By theatre standards, that number is insane,” Brown declared.

The Barter has consumed nearly all of Brown’s professional career, offering every ounce of challenge and growth she has needed, as well as the same sort of meaning and service she sought when choosing Berry

me that theatre is about other people and how you serve them, and I was thrilled to be able to use this art form that I love as a service.”

Five years after becoming artistic director of the Barter Players, she moved up to the No. 2 role at the Barter Theatre itself, and now, lauded for her talent and work ethic, she is running it all.

“I am really grateful I got a B.A. at Berry,” she emphasized. “I learned about every part of theatre – how to hang lights, make costumes, do choreography. When I got to Barter, if something needed doing, I pounced on it, and I was willing to learn anything and everything. I was a harder worker because of my training at Berry. I think that is why I moved forward.”

Once a dancer whose dreams were dashed by an on-stage injury the summer after her sophomore year at Berry – “I will always miss dancing.

I loved it like a person.” – Brown has found that, creatively, directing is where she is meant to be, in addition to working with playwrights to bring their works to stage for the first time and adapting existing plays for presentation. She is deeply interested in the educational aspects of theatre, having once aimed to be an English professor and ending up a dual English/ theatre major. In service to that passion, she has directed the Barter’s Young Playwrights Festival in Abingdon since 2002 and served as a coach and mentor for other actors since 1999. For Brown, casting calls offer a chance to provide a human spot – a moment of respite – during a tough day for actors, as well as the opportunity to guide them to success in a given role.

“We must be authentically Appalachian and accessible to all people.”

— Katy Brown

Provided by Barter Theatre

College. In fact, she was introduced to Barter her senior year at Berry when attending the Southeastern Theatre Conference, which she described as “the” place to go as a theatre major if you wanted paid summer work.

There she met John Hardy, artistic director of the First Light Players, then Barter’s theatre program for young actors and audiences, and was offered a paid summer internship as an actor. Within two years she had been named artistic director of First Light Players, and soon she turned the struggling operation around, renaming it Barter Players and growing revenue from $72,000 to $773,000 annually.

“We changed its focus and how it served the public, and it took off,” Brown said. “Now it is one of the places young actors want to come and train. Our professional young artists perform in performing arts venues nationally but also at schools in rural Appalachia where children might otherwise never have access to quality theatre. At Berry, I learned that whatever you are doing, ask yourself, ‘What is in it for other people?’ Hardy and Barter taught 14

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Perhaps more than anything, though, she finds joy in bringing Shakespeare to her stage.

“Michael Cooley’s Shakespeare classes at Berry were fantastic,” she said, “and I had a great explication script analysis class in theatre. Shakespeare has everything an English/theatre person could dream of.”

Through her efforts, Shakespeare now is performed each year at the Barter with support from the National Endowment for the Arts Shakespeare in American Communities Grant.

“I’ve taken out seats to enable the actors to go out into the audience to make Shakespeare as accessible as possible for our audience,” Brown said, continuing with a laugh: “I think I’d hang the audience upside down if necessary to get more people to experience Shakespeare!”

She is proud of the wide range of citizenry in Abingdon and the surrounding area who can relate to and talk about Shakespeare because of the Barter’s productions.

The start of it all

Brown’s crazy idea for the Moonlite wasn’t nearly as far-fetched as was Robert Porterfield’s plan in 1933 to bring actors from New York to little Abingdon at the height of the Great Depression to barter their performances for farm goods. After all, he figured, they had no work acting, and farmers had crops in their fields they couldn’t sell. Thus was born the aptly named “Barter” Theatre.

“With vegetables that you cannot sell, you can buy a good laugh,” Porterfield said.

“Porterfield’s crazy idea worked,” Brown wrote for the Summer 2020 Virginia Capital Connections. “At the end of the first season, Barter cleared $4.35 in cash, two barrels of jelly and a collective weight gain of over 300 pounds. This theatre quickly established a reputation for providing exceptional live productions in a warm and welcoming atmosphere for people from all walks of life.”

Although the theatre has remained in Abingdon, its reach has been both national and international, including Brown’s 2009 piloting of Barter’s national tours with her production of Of Mice and Men. The Barter was designated the State Theatre of Virginia in 1946 and awarded the first Tony Award for regional theatre in 1948. Famous names among Barter “alumni” include Ernest Borgnine, Gary Collins, Gregory Peck, Larry Linville, Ned Beatty and Patricia Neal, whose scholarship Brown received as an intern.

And while audience members no longer “trade ham for Hamlet,” they do trade canned food for admission several days a year, with all goods going to feed the hungry, of course.

Heart, home, history

An Alabama native, Brown could not be more a part of Abingdon and Appalachia had she been born there; she has dedicated her artistic life to serving the people of the region.

“The important thing is that we [the Barter] belong to the people here,” she said. “They value story as much as they value food. We must be authentically Appalachian and accessible to all people. We are at our best when we mix world class with the folksy feeling of the area. We are most successful when we lean into our history and mix innovation with it.”

BROWN ON BERRY Looking back on her Berry experience, Presidential Scholar and honors student Katy Brown (98C) hails fellow students as some of her most effective mentors.

“Students were empowered to mentor and help each other,” she said. “The older students even taught the younger ones small, but important, things like how to get the cashier’s check needed for the Southeastern Theatre Conference.

In particular, I remember Molly Misseri [Mercer (95C)], head of the Berry College Theatre Co., who taught us: This is how you apply to go to conferences, and this is how you get summer jobs. A lot of us worked because of Molly and others like her.”

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THE COYOTE

C

oyotes are everywhere. Even in a metropolis like Atlanta, they can be found in Piedmont Park, at the Carter Center, near Emory

University, in Grant Park and around scores of other public places. In fact, the sly creatures most likely roam in a wooded area near you, regardless of your urban location. You don’t see them, you say? That’s because they’d rather not see you.

BY KARILON L. ROGERS 16

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Mysterious, magnificent and mightily misunderstood, coyotes are an important part of our urban ecosystem that must be preserved, according to Berry Professor of Biology Dr. Chris Mowry, who, in 2014, launched the Atlanta Coyote Project with longtime friend and colleague Dr. Larry Wilson, now an adjunct professor of biology and environmental sciences at Emory University. The project is dedicated to studying coyotes and protecting their important role in the ecosystem through public information and education.

Seven years after its founding, the ACP has nearly 40 cameras installed across a 50-kilometer transect of metropolitan Atlanta in order to study coyotes in their natural environment. Most recently, cameras have been added on the famed East Lake Golf Course, where coyotes enjoy frolicking in sand traps at night. The ACP is active with the Urban Wildlife Information Network and has a robust website for citizens to report sightings.

Over the last two years, the ACP has received extensive media coverage in Georgia (and even some national and international attention) for its activities involving a black Cobb County coyote dubbed Carmine (above). Last spring, a half-hour Georgia Outdoors program on Georgia Public Broadcasting focused on efforts to track, trap and relocate the wily, but playful, coyote, as well as on what makes coyotes such amazing animals.

Brant Sanderlin

Larry Wilson, Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary; inset photos by Jason Drakeford

CARMINE, THE FRIENDLY COYOTE It was the day after Christmas in 2019 when Mowry got the first call about Carmine. A friend in Smyrna living near what is now Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, reported that neighbors had seen a black dog in their yards playing with their dogs. When she saw it, she felt certain it was a coyote. Long story short, it was Carmine, a rare black – or melanistic – coyote. Numerous sightings of the creature soon began to come in to the ACP website.

Across Smyrna and in nearby Vinings, Carmine jumped fences to play (nicely) with dogs, shyly followed people walking their dogs (not bothering them other than to make them mighty nervous), stole dog toys, slumbered under a trampoline, and relaxed in a dog kennel or two. Still, he was always wary of humans, wanting nothing to do with them.

Then he moved north and east, maneuvering the I-75/I-285 corridor by traversing culverts.

“It stunned me,” Mowry admitted of Carmine’s travels, which the ACP had been carefully tracking with much help from the public, “although I shouldn’t have been surprised.”

In East Cobb County, Carmine slept on a porch and almost entered a home through a doggie door. And he continued to seek amusement playing with dogs. Soon, he became a social media sensation with many loving him and others swearing to shoot him on sight. That is when Mowry and Wilson were forced to step in, despite their distaste for interfering in a wild creature’s life.

Professor of Biology Dr. Chris Mowry sets up a trail camera to study coyote behavior.

NEXT DOOR “We began to get very fearful for him,” Mowry explained. “We thought it would end badly. He was in a busy area, had threats against him and almost had been hit by cars.”

Mowry reached out to friends who were turning an old facility into the refurbished Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary in Lilburn, Ga., to see if they would take another coyote as they already had one. The answer was yes.

Then he approached the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for permission to trap Carmine and relocate him. Permission was granted.

This was necessary because every state requires trapped coyotes – and other potential rabies-vector animals – to be killed, even though coyotes rarely carry the disease.

Next, Mowry partnered with longtime friend and humane wildlife trapper Brandon Sanders to set the trap. They almost got Carmine the first night.

“He grabbed a dog toy and ran away,” Mowry bemoaned, “and then it took us more than six weeks to get him.”

Once captured, Carmine’s wild-animal antics did not end. He was transported to the wildlife sanctuary where he was released into a new, fully-enclosed pen area, complete with roof. Within 20 seconds, he’d found a way out through a small hole no one had noticed.

“I nearly had heart failure,” Mowry remembered.

Luckily, the escapee found himself in another fenced area. He immediately began to climb straight up the fence but was quickly knocked down and eventually shooed back into his original area with the hole now plugged.

After a period of quarantine and being neutered, he was introduced to the spayed female coyote at the facility, and they became immediate friends.

Still, when ushered into a new, even-larger area designed just for the pair, Carmine once again took to the eight-foot fence and went straight up and over, not caring a whit for the electrified wire up top and leaving his new girlfriend in the lurch. He was quickly rounded up. Again.

“Coyotes have complex brains and are extremely intelligent,” Mowry stated. “And they have different personalities. Carmine is unique, but he is a wild animal that should never be approached. The first thing we teach is to appreciate and respect coyotes but to treat them as the wild animals they are.”

Carmine now has adapted to his environment and is content.

Mowry recently published research on Carmine in collaboration with Wilson and Bridgett vonHoldt from Princeton University’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Their work proved that Carmine is genetically a coyote, not mostly dog as some suspected, and that he does not carry any genetic mutations known to shape hypersociability in dogs – at least in the expected genetic location. Also, his rare black color is genetic, caused by a dominant gene.

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Brant Sanderlin

Student research sparks student research Routinely, four to five Berry students work with Dr. Chris Mowry on the Atlanta Coyote Project each year, getting real field-work experience as they coordinate with the Urban Wildlife Information Network, sort through the network of images captured throughout Atlanta and so on. Information from the project also is used in his classes, such as his behavioral ecology class.

Oddly, or perhaps not for a college with a mission to quickly involve students in research, Mowry’s interest in coyotes was sparked in 2001 by then first-year student Justin Edge (05C). Although previously focused almost entirely on African primate research, Mowry involved himself in on-campus coyote research with Edge. Together, they used what Mowry now calls “old-school technologies” to record coyote movement and howling.

Edge also took part in Berry’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program funded by the National Science Foundation, working with Mowry and students from other institutions on coyote research, and then took a post at the Yellowstone Ecological Research Center after graduation. Mowry soon began to collaborate with the Yellowstone organization and do more coyote research on campus. And so, it all began.

Now Mowry is working with still more students to study coyotes that recently swam to Dewees Island, S.C., near Charleston and are setting up camp there.

Cameras – and a Berry student each summer – are watching in real-time a true natural experiment of coyotes colonizing the island.

WHAT ARE COYOTES REALLY LIKE? Native west of the Mississippi River, coyotes are relative newcomers to the Southeast, moving east in the 1950s only after the top-predator red wolf that lived in the area for thousands of years was wiped out by humans.

“I am most amazed by how adaptive and resilient coyotes are and how similar their behaviors are to humans,” Mowry stated. “They have similar family structures. They mate for life, and both parents raise the children. And they make their homes in both urban and rural settings.”

According to the ACP, coyotes are the main predators in the urban ecosystem, eating both small mammals like rats and rabbits and a wide variety of vegetation. So, if you don’t like rats, you should love coyotes, as noted by Sharon Collins in the Georgia Outdoors program on the ACP, because without them the rodent population would soar.

But people in urban areas wonder, “Won’t they eat my cat? My dog? Me?” According to Mowry, attacks on humans are extremely rare as coyotes are naturally shy creatures.

They might well look at a roaming cat or dog as fair game, but not normally if the same cat or dog was closely accompanied by a human. All bets are off, though, if they feel the need to defend their young or territory or if they are to the point of starvation.

Mowry explained that coyotes establish a territory and try to keep it for life. In Georgia, they mate in late December and bear their young in mid-March. The pups stay in the den, which might be a hole in the ground, an abandoned pipe, a rock outcropping – anyplace that provides shelter – for four to six weeks.

THE REST OF THE STORY In the end, according to Mowry and the ACP, it is important for humans and coyotes to co-exist. By eating a little of this and a little of that, coyotes help ensure that no one species goes uncontrolled, thus promoting biodiversity and a healthy ecosystem. In other words, when you sing “this land is my land,” and discover a coyote is howling the same tune nearby, don’t be surprised or needlessly afraid. Follow the steps in the accompanying box to help keep them away from your property.

TOP 10 WAYS

to keep coyotes away 1

Never feed coyotes

2

Don’t leave pet food (any food) outside

3 4

5

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Don’t let pets roam; take in at night If pets must be kept outside, consider high fencing and motionactivated lights Keep tight lids on trash cans; make inaccessible if possible Clean grills after use; store if possible

7

Keep squirrels, etc., from eating from and around bird feeders

8

Properly dispose of any nearby dead animals (i.e. roadkill)

9

10

Keep small livestock and poultry in enclosed or sheltered areas If you see a coyote nearby and feel uneasy, make loud noises and/or spray with a hose; make them feel unwelcome

Shining Lights B E R R Y

A L U M N I

C O U N C I L

2 0 2 1

Distinguished Alumni Awards Distinguished Achievement BRIDGETTE

STEWART (98C)

A forward-thinking leader in higher education whose 20-year career has focused on promoting students’ professional and personal growth; founding director of Wolf Wellness Lab at the University of West Georgia and program director of UWG’s Health and Community Wellness degree, providing curriculum and experiential learning for whole-person wellness; board member and 2017 Circle of Leadership Award recipient for the National Wellness Institute.

Entrepreneurial Spirit HESTER

PARKS (95C)

An entrepreneur and former senior financial analyst whose event planning firm, Park Avenue Events, creates memorable experiences for a wide range of clients and occasions, including weddings, television and movie premieres, birthday parties, grand openings, nonprofit galas, and more; named top “Best of Atlanta Event Planner” in 2016 and 2017 by the Atlanta Tribune; co-author of Atlanta Weddings for the Modern, Stylish, Chic Bride; holds MBA from Kennesaw State University.

Distinguished Service PATRICIA TUTTEROW

JACKSON

(82C, FFS)

A longtime educator recognized for teaching students with disabilities and supervising special education training programs in Cobb County, Ga.; tireless volunteer at Smyrna Presbyterian Church, including service as president of the women’s organization and leader of the women’s circle; Tribute Honoree in 2018 as part of liveSAFE Resources’ Women of Achievement program; supporter of numerous charitable organizations in addition to her current role as Berry Alumni Council president.

Outstanding Young Alumni DR. CARSON

KAY

(16C)

A rhetorical scholar and faculty member in the Department of Communication Studies at Washburn University in Topeka, Kan.; holds a Ph.D. from the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University’s Scripps College of Communication, specializing in rhetoric and public culture; 2017 nominee for Excellence in Service to Students Award presented by the National Society of Leadership and Success; credits Berry with preparing her to complete a doctorate by age 25.

Visit alwaysberry.com/awards for more on our winners and to submit nominations for future consideration.

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C A M P B E L L

H A R R I S O N

Happiness is a state of mind

Story by Karilon L. Rogers Photos courtesy of Campbell Harrison

S

inger/songwriter Campbell Harrison (17C) is making his way in Nashville with a style all his own. He plays Americana, a blend of folk, singer/songwriter, blues, swampy rock and classic country – an amalgam of Southern music influences. Yet, it’s more.

“I call what I do ‘neo Americana’ because it is Americana but also uniquely me,” Harrison explained. “Sort of this, but also that – genre-bending.”

You might find him on any number of stages in the hottest music town in the country, though at heart he considers himself more songwriter than performer.

“Think more Bob Dylan,” he smiled, “and less Prince.”

Harrison’s artistry has been described in one review as “panoramic” and his guitar work as “dynamic.” This is one man who is following his dream.

Pathfinding Harrison is self-taught on the guitar and has been writing music since high school when he first integrated a knack for both melody and poetry into the songwriting craft. Also performing since high school, he only picked up the pace while majoring in geosciences at Berry. Still, he didn’t actually mean to become a singer/songwriter. He was just meant to.

“Before I came to Berry I had decided not to pursue music as a career,” he said. “Like many others, I had been told it was ‘not a job’ and to get ‘a practical degree.’ And I believed that for a long time. However, when I graduated, I realized that it was now or never if I wanted to give it a shot. I spoke with a lot of people and discovered that most don’t love what they do. They’re just going through the motions. No one knows how much time we have, and you can’t take anything with you. I didn’t want to look back over a 40-year career and have regrets.”

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The road less traveled

“One day you’re gonna find Happiness is a state of mind, and All the things you reach for turn to ash and fall away

“I had no friends, no family, no money, and I Harrison graduated summa cum laude from was in the most competitive market in the world,” Morgan County (Ga.) High School where he he recalled with a grimace. “I lived in a tiny excelled as a kicker in football, setting a total apartment in South Nashville that was infested of three school records for field goals and extra with roaches and mice. The A/C was out half the points. He also spent his first two years at Berry summer so sometimes I slept in the car just to on the inaugural football team and all four as a cool off. There were stolen cars parked around Leadership Fellow. the apartment all the time, and my downstairs As a teenager, Harrison wrote song after neighbor got shot in the leg. song and was nurtured by exceptional local “It was a tough year, but I wrote some really good music legends in Atlanta who recognized his songs. Sometimes good art comes from struggles potential. He recorded an EP (multiple songs, and hardship.” but shorter than an LP) as a Berry junior, laying Then COVID-19 hit, and things got more down his tracks at two Atlanta-area studios. interesting, although he did find work in a He was honored to have the help of multirestaurant and was able to start recording a new instrumentalist Kofi Burbridge of the GrammyEP, Lyin, Cheatin, Getting By, at Welcome to winning Tedeschi-Trucks Band.

1979 Studio.

“I was very green,” he remembered about the experience. “The music business is more And now? business than music, and I knew little about it.”

His new EP was released in February 2021 to strong After graduating from Berry in 2017, positive feedback, particularly for “The River,” Harrison worked part-time as an environmental described by Music Mecca’s Rachel Kolibas as “a mitigation specialist with Georgia Civil Inc. foot-stomping jam of country-rock zeal that opens and waited tables in his hometown of Covington with a one-minute long intricately crafted guitar while performing in person as much as he could, highlight.” She went on to rave, “Inspired by the Then in the darkest night “often for free and anywhere they’d let me.” classic hymn ‘I’ll Fly Away,’ the track uses the river During this time, he also recorded his first LP, as a symbol of rebirth as it washes away the grime You hold yourself Dreamer in a Bottle, at Dragonsong Productions of yesterday and cleanses us of life’s ever-present in Tucker. obstacles and afflictions.” the guiding light, so “Even on this second recording I was still Billed as being “born from the ashes of 2020 very inexperienced,” he said. “You need hours and its relentless negativity,” the EP is somewhat Rest now my weary child, of studio experience to get comfortable, and I satirical, but not pessimistic, according to Harrison. be gentle when you wake” was just barely out of the gate. I was happy to be “There’s a lot of hope throughout,” he explained. recorded at all. The songs were written during Harrison continues to push his music career high school and college. I was on a writing tear and intends to keep doing so for a long time. He is – verse from “One” © by Campbell Harrison for a few years, sometimes writing two songs playing the game on his own terms, performing in a day. I still love those songs. I didn’t have a at a wide variety of Nashville clubs, such as Big teacher so I had to figure out everything on my own. It was liberating in a way.

Machine Distillery, George Jones and Alley Taps, in addition to booking music When you don’t know much, you’re free to take chances and make mistakes. for a downtown club. He’s living in a house “in a cool area of East Nashville” I was free to pursue anything and everything.” with his best friend, who’s a chef. Things are definitely looking up.

“From 2018 to 2021, taking out 2020, I’ve had about three years of actual Next stop: Nashville playing in Nashville,” Harrison concluded. “I’m doing more than I could have In 2018, Harrison made the move to Nashville, and life got really rough for the imagined. I’m building brick by brick. Success to me is bringing light and love middle-class country boy from rural Georgia. through my music.”

CA M P B E L L O N B E R RY MY TIME AT BERRY “Berry was what I needed, and I’m really grateful for my time there.

I love the outdoors and have a lot of family in Rome, so when I was recruited to play football, it was a natural choice. The size and intimacy helped me find myself and my identity. The ‘Berry Bubble’ really is very nurturing.”

IMPORTANCE OF MY MENTORS “Dr. Tamie Jovanelly was one of the biggest influences on me. It is incredible how invested she is in the well-being of her students.”

[The associate professor of geology and her husband are big fans, having seen Harrison on stage several times. “I hope to inspire my students to set big goals and dreams,” she said. “I hope I helped Campbell chase his.”]

“And Cecily Crow (94C) [director of student activities] is great.

I got so much out of the Leadership Fellows Program and learned a lot about my own brand of leadership. I’m always extremely grateful when people invest in me, and they did.”

FAVORITE BERRY MOMENT “I was the first Berry player to touch a football in our inaugural game because I kicked off. Being on the team that first year was really, really special. There was so much excited energy on the team and on campus.”

21

lumni and friends never fail to amaze us with their generosity toward Berry students. On the facing page, we showcase some of the unique ways in which our supporters provide access and opportunity for hardworking young people. Below, we recognize all gifts, pledges and realized planned gifts of $25,000 or more received between March 1 and Aug. 31, 2021. We are grateful to these leadership supporters, as well as all whose gifts of any size make a difference in the lives of Berry students.

Anonymous, $50,000 for the animal science building Betty Anne Rouse Bell (52H, 56C), $25,000 for the Griswell Scholarship current-use fund Belladonna Foundation, $311,847 for the animal science building Charles M. Burdette (68C), $25,000 for the Elaine Cox Burdette – Griswell Scholarship

Mary Anne Bailey Spindler, $50,000 for the Edwin L. and Alma McClure Bailey Endowed Griswell Scholarship

Callaway Foundation, $31,250 for the F.E. Callaway Professorship

Jean Loveday Stutts, $35,390 for the Frost Chapel renovation and restoration

Alton H. (61c) and Rebecca Browning (61C) Christopher, $76,500, with $68,500 supporting the Al and Becky Christopher Gate of Opportunity Scholarship and $8,000 going to the Selma Hall Browning Memorial Gate of Opportunity Scholarship

The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, $115,000 for the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation Scholarship

Jimmy L. Davis (69C), $50,000 to establish the Margaret Wright Davis Endowed Scholarship within the Griswell Scholarship Program.

OPPORTUNITY Impart wisdom, share gifts, improve lives

Edward (57C) and Evelyn Quarles (57C) England, $25,000, with $15,000 for the Ed and Evelyn England Endowed Scholarship, $5,000 for the George W. Cofield Memorial Scholarship Fund, $4,000 for the Bessie W. Parker Endowed Scholarship, and $1,000 for the Tim and Odetta Howard Endowed Scholarship Georgia Community Foundation, $50,000 for the Georgia Community Foundation Nursing Scholarship Georgia Independent College Association, $30,117 for the Griswell Scholarship currentuse fund Todd Alan (88C) and Amber Grubbs, $25,000 for the Frost Chapel renovation and restoration Travis M. (97C) and Sharon James, $25,000 for the Frost Chapel renovation and restoration Audrey B. Morgan, $250,000 for the Audrey B. Morgan Nursing Scholarship National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, $33,000, with $25,000 for the Frost Chapel renovation and restoration and $8,000 for the NSDAR Gate of Opportunity Scholarship

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National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Junior Membership Committee, $15,000, with $8,000 for the NSDAR Junior Gate of Opportunity Scholarship, $5,000 for the Griswell Scholarship current-use fund and $2,000 for the mountain campus track restoration

Robert (04C) and Tessa Frye (07C) Swarthout, $85,000 for the mountain campus track restoration Richard Allen Terry (63C), $25,000 for the Harriet Sarah Keckley Terry Endowed RN Scholarship in Nursing Mack (62C) and Wanda Hixson (62C) Weems, $50,000 for the Mack and Wanda Weems Endowed Scholarship Becky Moore White (82C), $31,680 for the Elijah Francis Moore Endowed Scholarship Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation, $640,000 for the Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholars Fund WinShape Foundation, $274,542, with $249,542 going to the WinShape Scholarship, $20,000 to the WinShape Appeals Fund, and $5,000 to the Truett and Jeannette Cathy Expendable Scholarship Terry Worley (78C), $50,000 for the LuAnne (78C) and Terry (78C) Worley Endowed LifeWorks Scholarship REALIZED PLANNED GIFTS Estate of Boyd A. Wells (44c), $536,558 for the Boyd A. Wells Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Estate of Estelle Smith Wright (42c), $454,349 unrestricted

Class honor

Cabin Log

It’s a Berry tradition for 50th reunion classes to support scholarships and other funds close to their hearts. The Class of 1971C was motivated by the memory of Barry Griswell (71C), a classmate giant in stature and heart.

Griswell’s unexpected death in June 2020 ended 17 years of distinguished service on the Board of Trustees, including four as chair. The loss was especially difficult for those closest to him, including classmates who remembered not the Fortune 500 CEO but the beloved teammate and friend.

Grief turned to action for those determined to honor his memory, spurring creation of a new scholarship program supporting students of great need who demonstrate a “spark” motivating them to rise above Barry Griswell the adversity in their lives, just as Griswell once did. Classmates now are working to fund a scholarship within that program.

“We felt this was a good way to honor Barry,” said Glenn Ferguson (71C), co-chair of the class reunion giving committee. “He gave back to Berry, so it’s the right thing for us to do.”

To date, the class has raised more than $56,000 toward its $100,000 goal.

This fall, 11 students received Griswell Scholarship support, benefitting from the generosity of alumni and friends whose immediate-use gifts helped launch the program. The college ultimately seeks to fully endow scholarships for a permanent cohort of 32 Griswell students.

Making a difference monthly Meredith Lewallen Roberts (07C) loved everything about Berry, so it’s not surprising that she’s committed to staying involved and making a difference.

When her first child was born, the director of hospitality and marketing at the Tennessee Aquarium was inspired to reach beyond herself and extend opportunity to others.

A new scholarship honoring friend and mentor Katherine Powell offered that chance, but Roberts doubted her ability to make an impact.

Meredith Lewallen Roberts (left) Then she learned about recurring giving, a budget-friendly approach and Katherine Powell to generosity that enabled her to pledge $5,000 over five years, with regular payments totaling less than $100 per month.

“You put so much aside each month, and you don’t miss it,” she described. “It’s part of our budget, and we know it’s there.”

The Berry Alumni Council vice president also encouraged others to join the effort. To date, more than 100 donors have given to the scholarship, which now is fully endowed and offering support to the students who inspired Powell’s work leading Berry’s first-year experience program.

“It was a great opportunity to thank her for all she’s done but also to say your legacy will live on,” Roberts said of her now-retired friend. “Having a scholarship serve the individuals and program she felt passionate about was really important to all of us, and I hope she sees it that way as well.”

Gift of Love(day) The late Fred Loveday (39C,FFS) forever will be associated with Berry’s mountain campus, so it’s only fitting that his daughters chose to remember their parents by supporting renovation of Frost Chapel.

Fred’s connection to Berry began with his own undergraduate education and work as a history teacher at the college in the early 1940s. He returned to Berry after serving in World War II and became headmaster of the Mount Berry School for Boys, remaining Jean Loveday Stutts and Nancy Loveday Smith on campus until 1966, during which time he met and married Mary Mahon, a teacher at the Martha Berry School for Girls.

Daughters Jean Loveday Stutts and Nancy Loveday Smith learned of the $1.2 million renovation effort –including restoration of the chapel’s clear leaded-glass windows and installation of a new climate control system – after planning a small family wedding there. For both, “It was like coming home to be in that special place again.”

“It was a blessing to dedicate a window to honor our parents,” Stutts said. “We are grateful to our parents for a legacy of faith and to be a part of the legacy of Berry.”

Ten of 17 available windows have been named so far. Those gifts, along with others including crowdfunding support from many in the Berry community, have generated more than $350,000.

Terry and LuAnne Worley

Working for a better future Terry Worley (78C) understands the value of Berry’s work program (now called LifeWorks) because he and late wife LuAnne Gilbert Worley (78C) experienced it themselves.

“In addition to some extra spending money, it gave us more of a sense of responsibility,” he recalled of their work together in food service. “We felt like we were contributing toward our college education, and it made it more meaningful to us when we finally got that degree.”

There were other benefits as well, especially when the young couple had a disagreement.

“Whenever she got mad at me, I could always find her washing dishes in the scullery,” he said with a laugh. “She took it out on those pots and pans.”

LuAnne died in 2015 after a five-year battle with breast cancer, but her name endures in the LuAnne and Terry Worley Endowed LifeWorks Scholarship. Recipients are awarded $5,000 each academic year, to be matched with $5,000 in Berry work wages, resulting in $10,000 to be applied toward their educational expenses.

“I thought this would be a good way to honor LuAnne and to help a current student,” Terry explained. “We met at Berry and got to know each other at Berry. It’s something that will always be there.”

Retired from the financial services industry, Terry cherishes memories of Berry and has enjoyed introducing his new wife, Kathy, to the school. She shares his generous spirit and is happy to be investing in the lives of Berry students.

23

NEWS FROM YOU 1940s

CLASS KEY Names are followed by a number and letter indicating Berry status. Uppercase letters denote graduates; lowercase letters denote attended/ attending and anticipated year of graduation: C, c G, g A, a H, h FS FFS

College Graduate school Academy High school Faculty/Staff Former Faculty/Staff

1960s

Chuck Walker (48C) celebrated his 94th birthday in August. The retired U.S. Navy captain lives in Jacksonville, Fla., mentoring high school boys for Take Stock in Children and serving as team captain for Seniors on a Mission and as an elder emeritus for his church. He is happily married, with 14 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, and is still traveling and enjoying life.

1950s

Wendell Thomas (67C) retired in 2000 after more than 31 years in industrial engineering with Reynolds Metal Co. He holds an MBA from the University of North Alabama and now works with Long and Foster Real Estate in Richmond, Va.

Johnny Phillips (69C) is retired and living happily in Damascus, Ga.

1970s Debbie Willis Rogers (74C) John Lie-Nielsen (54H)

SEND YOUR NEWS Send your news to us online at alwaysberry.com/classnotes or email classnotes@berry.edu.

Submissions are subject to editing. Photos of sufficient quality will be used at the discretion of the magazine staff. News in this issue was received April 1, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2021.

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is founder and CEO of WaterSignal, which conserves water for 700 schools and colleges and 5,000 commercial buildings. He and wife Debra have eight children and 10 grandchildren.

Daniel “Murph” Murphy (56H) is working on his second master’s and fifth degree overall.

A “grateful grad” of the Mount Berry School for Boys, he holds an extra class ham radio license, belongs to a primitive Baptist church and has been married for 63 years.

Wayne Wise (56H) is “living the dream” at the Texas Masonic Retirement Center in Arlington.

and husband Hall are enjoying retirement at The Spires at Berry College. She exclaimed: “It has been like moving into a dorm at Berry 50 years later – making friends, staying active and enjoying the beautiful campus!”

Steve Kitchens (76C) has retired from Weston (Fla.) Christian Academy after 10 years as headmaster. He and wife Elizabeth live in Port Saint Lucie.

Diane Carper Williams (76C)

Greg Hanthorn (82C) has

has joined Chenega IT Enterprise Services as senior scientific technical writer for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Chemical and Biological Technologies Department, which serves as the Joint Science and Technologies Office (JSTO) for the Department of Defense’s Chemical and Biological Defense Program.

Responsibilities include editing articles for the JSTO in the News monthly report and video scripts for social media.

earned inclusion in Best Lawyers in America for the 10th consecutive year in the area of commercial litigation. He also was selected for an additional term on the Federal Practice Task Force of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association; previous service included five years as co-chair.

Greg is part of the business and tort litigation practice for the Atlanta office of international law firm Jones Day.

Larry D. Cohrs (77C) has taken up cattle farming in Villa Rica, Ga., after retiring from state government.

Ruth Fowler Hummel (82C, 84G) teaches special education at the Gwinnett Online Campus and lives in Duluth, Ga.

Linda Nikoukary Logan (77C) is senior planner for the city of Stockbridge, Ga., managing planning and zoning functions in the community development department.

1980s

Sherry Furr (81C) and John Tucker (81C) were married on July 22, 2021, in Mount Juliet, Tenn.

Vickie Brown Rundbaken (89C) has retired from teaching after 29 years and taken on a new role with the Georgia Department of Education, serving as program specialist for the Family and Consumer Sciences, Culinary Arts, Early Childhood Education, and Education pathways. She is also state adviser for the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, a student organization.

1990s

previously served as Berry’s director of annual giving.

FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON …

Dr. Phillip Greeson (95C) is

Col. Steve Cantrell (90C), left, and Maj. (P) Eric Dean (95C) are chaplains assigned to the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School at Fort Jackson, S.C. Steve is CDID director for the Futures and Concepts Center, Army Futures Command; Eric is futures readiness officer in the Chief of Chaplains office.

the newly appointed principal of Ooltewah (Tenn.) Middle School. He has served students in Georgia and Tennessee during his 26 years in education, including work as a school counselor, principal, assistant principal, director of human resources and director of administrative services.

Accolades include recognition from the Georgia Education Workers Compensation Trust and the Georgia Association of Middle School Principals.

Erika Jolly Brookes (91C) brings more than 25 years of experience to her new role as chief marketing officer for Higher Logic, responsible for running all aspects of brand, digital marketing, demand generation, product marketing, communications and public relations. She is also a lifelong runner in her fifth year on the Atlanta Track Club Board of Directors, currently serving as secretary.

Meredith E. Wickam (95C) is completing her first year as director of Southwest Public Libraries in Ohio after previously serving as a library director and leader in state and national library associations.

She has been honored as an Emerging Leader by the American Library Association and is a recipient of the Peggy May Award presented by the Mississippi Library Association.

She holds a master’s degree in library and information studies from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.

Anne Paige Wilson (91C, FFS)

Nikki Joiner Corn (96C) is in

is the new marketing director for Big Dan’s Car Wash, joining a five-member executive team responsible for launching new locations in the Southeast. She

her first year teaching science at East Paulding High School in Dallas, Ga. She previously taught at P.B. Ritch Middle School (also in Dallas), Wheeler High School

Joy and Horst Trojahn

T

he Lord sometimes works in strange ways.

So it seems for Horst Trojahn (79C).

When he left Berry with a degree in chemistry, he knew it had to be “with God’s help,” according to wife Joy Langford Trojahn (79C), who shared his story. For although he had failed art and done poorly in religion, he’d managed to get a degree in his chosen major, one that he considered among Berry’s most challenging.

German-born, Horst had entered American school at age 5 with no comprehension of the English language and, as a result, remained “a little behind” throughout his schooling. It wasn’t until he’d spent four years in the U.S. Marines – and become a Christian – that he arrived at Berry, where he met and married Joy. After graduation, he put his Berry chemistry education to work for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

So, what’s so unusual about his life path? After 15 years working in the sciences, the man who did poorly in religion took to the pulpit and pastored a Baptist church for nearly three decades. And, following openheart surgery for a bad valve in 2016, the son of an architect and artist began to paint after decades of leaving his brushes dry. Primarily a landscape realist like his father with “hopes of learning to incorporate some impressionistic style,” Horst’s work in oil is winning awards and is on prominent display in a noted Columbia, S.C., gallery.

So much for failing art class!

Best of all, during the 2020 COVID-19 quarantine, Horst began a Berry College series that will knock your socks off.

“His painting has brought back so many fond memories of this beautiful place where we met one another,” Joy emphasized.

It just might do the same for you.

As for the artist himself, he sees art as “a story, a feeling, an inspiration to convey.”

You be the judge. To see his work, including prints from the Berry College series, visit ArtbyHorst.com.

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NEWS FROM YOU

in Marietta and Georgia Virtual School, in addition to serving as a volunteer science facilitator at Quality Schools International in Muenster, Germany. Nikki is married to Jamie Corn (96C), whom she met at Berry and wed at Frost Chapel. They have three sons, Eli, Atticus and Ollie.

FROM MOUNTAIN TO SEA Berry alumni don’t always wait until Mountain Day to get together. When friends in the Sunshine State learned that Jim Owen (81C) traditionally vacations in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., that was reason enough to begin holding an impromptu annual reunion. This year’s outing, organized by Muriel McEvoy Burt (82C), was the largest to date.

Pictured clockwise from top are Diane Badar Zalanka (82C), Rick Zalanka (82C), Ellen Owen Bailey (83C), Owen, Norb Musial, Tracey Van Dusen Musial (82C), Linda Smith Hamilton (81C), Janie McEvoy Moyer (85c), Donna Noles Price, Sharon Newman Burchfield (81C), Jeanne Thompson Walker (81C), Burt, Larry Brown (82C) and Janet Finello Brown (80C).

2000s Susan Scoggins Bennett (97C) has been appointed principal of Calhoun (Ga.) City Schools’ Early Learning Academy, scheduled to open next fall on the same plot of land where she once attended kindergarten.

Susan spent the majority of her 23-year career teaching Pre-K and kindergarten prior to becoming a district leader and administrator.

was named 2021 USEF National Collegiate Equestrian Association Coach of the Year after leading the University of Georgia to its seventh national equestrian championship.

Meghan is the only head coach in the history of the Georgia program, serving in that role since 2001.

Shane West (99C, FS) is now

UGA Sports Communications

Meghan Nolan Boenig (99C)

assistant athletic director for Berry, responsible for compliance, facilities and game management. He previously served as an assistant baseball coach for his alma mater after excelling as a third baseman and shortstop. As a player, he helped Berry to three straight regional tournaments and a conference championship in 1997.

Dr. Janemarie Catto Hennebelle (03C) is Georgia’s Tim Hood (00C) facilitates the ministry of missionaries worldwide in partnership with churches across the U.S. as president and CEO of Shepherd’s Staff. He is pictured with wife Janet, whom he met while both were serving abroad in the Middle East.

Dr. Jonathan Wingo (99C)

Tammie Dzubak (01C) is in her

is professor and department head for kinesiology at the University of Alabama. He lives

21st year in education and first as principal after previously teaching high school French and

in Tuscaloosa with wife Kelly Brown Wingo (99C), 13-yearold daughter Maya and dog Ellie Mae.

Spanish. She lives in Arlington, Va., with sons Garrett (11) and Jack (6).

Dani Bouldin Peele (02C) completed a Master of Divinity

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degree at Asbury Theological Seminary and is working toward ordination as an elder within the United Methodist Church, North Alabama Conference.

Kira Lashley Coats (03C) has obtained a business license and turned her hobby into a side business, Quest Quilts.

newly appointed state veterinarian. She oversees the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health Division, managing a team of veterinarians and support staff responsible for everything from disease investigations to the movement of animals into the state across a variety of species.

Previously, she spent five years as assistant state veterinarian.

Wendy Dahlgren (03C, FS) is “thrilled to be working for Martha again” in her new role as annual giving officer in Berry’s Office of Advancement.

Previously, she held positions in the Office of Admission and with the Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Program before spending the last two years as an academic advisor for Western Governors University.

The Rev. Dr. Erin Faith Gootee Moniz (03C, FFS) earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Trinity School for Ministry in May 2021 and this fall accepted a new role as associate chaplain, director for chapel at Baylor University. The former

Erik Bassler (04C) and wife Katherine welcomed daughter Isabelle Ruth on March 5, 2021, joining older sister Lottie Lee.

and policy enforcement as assistant distribution manager III at Vail Resorts in Aurora, Colo., the flagship distribution center in the Vail Resorts retail network.

A.J. Reynolds

assistant chaplain for Berry is pictured with husband Michael Moniz (02C).

Matthew McConnell (21C)

Hannah Pruett Landis (06C)

John Coleman (04C) has taken on a new role as managing partner at Sovereign’s Capital after nearly nine years at Invesco. The Berry trustee also has written a new book, The HBR Guide to Crafting Your Purpose, to be published by Harvard Business Review.

married Steven Landis on May 27, 2021.

welcomed son Terrill Jr. (T.J.) on June 26, 2021. He joined siblings Caleb (15) and Carmen Rose (22 months) in the family’s Kennesaw, Ga., home.

director and head tennis coach at Brenau University in Gainesville, Ga. The native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, has led the Golden Tigers to eight national tournament appearances and two conference championships

earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.

Megan Davidson (07C) is

husband Josh announce the April 10, 2021, birth of son Nolan Everett. He joined big sister Merritt (2) at the family home in Marietta, Ga. wife Nathalia welcomed first child Helena Ann in May 2021.

The family lives in Cumming, Ga.

Andre Ferreira (08C, 10G, FFS) is assistant athletic

Dr. Ted Goshorn (06C) has

Lauren Hill Jones (06C) and

Scott Dunford (04C, FFS) and

Keisha Harvey Patterson (07C) and husband Terrill

the new vice president for business and financial affairs at Savannah (Ga.) State University, responsible for accounting, budget, payroll, human resources, campus police, information technology, plant operations, office of the bursar and auxiliary services.

The former international tax accountant previously held leadership roles at Gordon State College, Clayton State University and Georgia Highlands College.

Callie McGinnis Starnes (07C) will begin 2022 as general manager of WRCB, the NBC affiliate in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The move was announced during the summer, at which time Callie was promoted to station manager. She previously served WRCB as anchor, investigative reporter, assistant news director and news director, earning multiple regional Edward R. Murrow Awards in addition to recognition for investigative reporting from the Tennessee Associated Press.

while posting an overall winning percentage that ranks fourth in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. He played collegiately at Berry and later served as a graduate assistant for both the men’s and women’s tennis programs.

Courtney Warner Crumley (09C) is the new director of communications for Rome City Schools. She also enjoys being the mother of three boys following the arrival of son Cage in 2020.

COMM CONNECTIONS

Amanda Friswold-Atwood (06C) provides managerial support in the areas of staff management, process improvement, budget development and maintenance,

Berry communication alums stick together, so it should come as no surprise that Katie O’Kelley Lantukh (09C), third from left, has recruited a trio of former classmates to join her at Murphy Marketing, the growing agency she founded in 2017. From left, Laura Diepenbrock Cason (10C), Leigh Jackson Harper (09C) and (at far right) Kristen Flerl Eleveld (09c) are now working on brand messaging, website content and copywriting projects for clients such as Jenny Mischler Highsmith (10C). Among their shared Berry experiences, all recall attending an on-campus lecture by StoryBrand Founder Donald Miller. Today, theirs is one of only 34 agencies certified by StoryBrand nationwide.

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NEWS FROM YOU

a “flipped classroom” and a more interactive learning experience for students, who are encouraged to produce videos of their own.

HOME FOR HIS 100TH (HALF MARATHON) Robert Howren (85C) of Austell, Ga., laced up his shoes in all 50 states while running his first 95 half marathons, but he never had competed in Berry’s signature race. The event’s traditional March date fell in the middle of tax season – not good for a busy CPA. When Howren learned that the 2021 Berry race had been shifted to May, he got pumped. He could run his 100th 13.1miler at his alma mater, if only he could put in some extra half marathons first!

“When the race moved to May this year, I was so excited,” he said. “I was sitting at 95 halfs, so I had to do some fast research to find four others between April 15 and May 22 (the date of Berry’s half) and hope none got cancelled due to COVID. I found them and plotted out my course to get to 100 at Berry.”

Not only was the Berry race his 100th half marathon, but he also ran as racer No. 100. And he finished No. 2 in his age group. Not bad for a man who left running behind in high school and initially took it up again as a way to both get exercise and spend time with his baby daughter, pushing her in the jogging stroller as he sang and talked to her. She eventually outgrew the stroller, but he just kept going, ultimately setting and achieving a personal goal to run his favored distance in every state – and then some.

As for the Berry Half Marathon, the former Presidential Scholar enjoyed his turn around campus and the good memories it engendered, including his wedding in Barnwell Chapel: “It just felt like being home.”

2010s Katherine Roberts Edwards (09C) and husband Michael welcomed son Oliver on Feb. 9, 2021. He is their first child and the first grandchild of Phaedra Roberts (07G).

Rachel DiPietro (10C) and Sean Stassie (17C) were married in Barnwell Chapel in October 2020 and blessed by the arrival of daughter Saegan Blayke on July 16, 2021.

Whitni Bledsoe Freeman (09C) and husband Nathan Freeman (07C) have landed their dream jobs, Whitni as a lead solution engineer for Salesforce and Nathan as a senior data engineer at Tesla. They live in Atlanta, working remotely and sharing a home office.

has been honored with Georgia Gwinnett College’s 2021 Outstanding Teaching Award in recognition of his accomplishments as associate professor of chemistry. These include creation of more than 165 easy-to-follow tutorials for his YouTube Channel, Real Chemistry, which have garnered more than 850,000 views to date. His innovative use of technology results in

I BERRY

practices in the areas of labor and employment, commercial and civil litigation, fiduciary litigation, construction law, and association law as an attorney in the Orlando, Fla., office of ShuffieldLowman. She is a graduate of the Valparaiso University School of Law and a member of the state bars of Georgia and Florida. Outside the office, Megan enjoys cooking and exploring her hometown of Orlando with husband Matt and daughter Madeleine.

Michael Marie Jacobs (10C) has been elected president of the Georgia Independent School Librarians. Currently interim director of library services at Darlington School in Rome, she holds a master’s degree in library and information services from the University of Alabama.

Dr. Joshua Morris (09C)

28

Megan Jones Nowicki (10C)

Tammy Robinson Smith (10C) and husband Daniel announce the birth of son Arlo Daniel on April 7, 2021. The family lives in Erie, Pa.

Tikedra Jones Kellum (10C) has been inducted into the athletics Hall of Fame at Siegel High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn., in recognition of her accomplishments in basketball.

She was a three-time team MVP and 1,000-point scorer in high school who went on to excel collegiately at Roane State Community College and then Berry.

Katie Curry (11C) earned one of six Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Training presented in 2021 by the University Resident Theatre Association. She was the only person nationally to be honored for costume design

and technology. Katie is in her ninth year at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., where she loves mentoring students as adjunct instructor and costume shop manager in theatre.

Kari Theobald Goodwin (11C) and husband Jake celebrated the birth of daughter Presley on July 28, 2021. The family lives in Nicholasville, Ky.

Dr. Jasmine Tyson (11C)

Kali McMillian (12C) reunited

Kyley Barton (13C) married

recently opened Changing Tides Psychotherapy, a private practice in Duluth, Ga. She credits Berry’s psychology faculty for “getting me started on this amazing path,” which includes a Master of Education degree and Ph.D. from Auburn University.

in New Mexico with former Berry Choral Director Harry Musselwhite (FFS) for a recent episode of Harry’s entertainment and arts podcast, The Dungball Express, available on iTunes and elsewhere. During the episode, Kali performed a scene from Romeo and Juliet with Harry’s cohost and screenwriting partner, Donald Davenport. Kali and Harry both

Jordan Ramey on May 22, 2021, in LaFayette, Ga.

have connections to the popular AMC series Better Call Saul; Kali has worked in the costume department, while Harry acted in season four.

limited-term teaching position at the University of West Georgia, where she earned a master’s degree in biology in 2015.

Lacey Anderson Ruffino (13C) married Kevin Ruffino at LeWallen Farms in Waleska, Ga., on Sept. 26, 2020. Lacey is a principal managed services consultant at Sprinklr; Kevin is an accounting manager at Georgia Pacific. The couple lives in Marietta.

Caycee Creamer (13C) is in a

Susan Rumble (13C) has Katie Underdown (11C) has Drs. Jacob Hammond (11C) and Madeline Bauer Hammond (12C) welcomed son Jack Israel on March 22, 2021. He joined enthusiastic Berrybound brother Ellis William.

The family owns and operates Willowrun Veterinary Hospital in Smithfield, N.C.

purchased her first house, a 1950s ranch in Columbus, Ga., which she shares with golden retriever Shadow. For six years, she has assisted fraternities and sororities with fundraising and alumni communications through her work with what is now Pennington and Co. Previously, she spent five years in various roles at Walt Disney World.

Brittany Shadburne Thurmond (11C) has completed a Master of Arts degree in teaching from the University of Georgia and now is teaching middle-grades math and science in Jackson County.

Dr. Anna Nelson Bennett (12C) earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of Miami in May 2021 and is now a visiting lecturer in global history at Georgia State University.

Dr. George Talbot (12C) has completed the Doctor of Music in Composition program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and is now a part-time lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University. Looking back on his time at Berry, George expressed gratitude for the example set

by Professor of Music Dr. Kris Carlisle (FS), whose lessons and guidance were a huge inspiration to him.

Rachel Lemcke (13C) is founder of Amwell Data Services, a full-service independent veterinary laboratory consulting agency.

Formerly a laboratory manager at a large private equine-referral hospital, she is committed to morphing veterinary laboratories into a thriving, evolving asset for veterinarians and their teams.

earned an Education Specialist degree from the University of Georgia to complement her master’s degree in teaching from UGA. She lives in Athens and serves as a sixth-grade science teacher and department chair while also working on curriculum advancement for the Gwinnett County Schools.

Charlotte Collins Davis (14C) made the Georgia Trend 40-under-40 list of promising young leaders in recognition of her work as deputy director of governmental relations for the Georgia Municipal Association.

She lives in Midtown Atlanta with husband Brandon Davis (14C), a fellow Berry cross-

29

Berry extends sincere condolences to family and friends of the following alumni, faculty/staff and students. This list includes notices received March 1 to Aug. 31, 2021.

1930s

Hal E. Blanton (38H) of Rome, June 17, 2020.

1940s

Mildred E. Nicholson (40H) of Rome, March 4, 2021.

Leita Simonton Gaskins (41C) of Durham, N.C., March 11, 2020.

Martha Rooks Wood Jones (43c) of Atlanta, Oct. 6, 2020.

Harold L. Junkins (44H) of Hueytown, Ala., Dec. 1, 2020.

Margaret Henry Jones (45H, 49c) of Tavares, Fla., Oct. 28, 2020.

Amy Hopkins Messerly (46H) of Dodson, Mont., Oct. 6, 2020.

Billy W. Teasley (46H) of Seattle, June 7, 2021.

Jacqueline Burch Stuckey Moore (47C) of Hilton Head, S.C., Jan. 30, 2021.

Violet Blackmon Peele (47c) of Oklahoma City, Okla., May 4, 2021.

Alice Shropshire Prince (48c) of Decatur, Ala., July 22, 2021.

Atha Vestel Sells (48c) of Cleveland, Tenn., Dec. 4, 2020.

Peggy McNew Bailey (49H) of Collinsville, Ala., April 18, 2021.

Frances “Baby Red” Denney Lee Barnett (49c) of Oak Ridge, Tenn., Jan. 24, 2021.

Kathleen Shivers Evans (49C) of Clarkston, Ga., March 30, 2021.

Frances Clark Johnson (49c) of Augusta, Ga., Jan. 6, 2021.

H.I. “Ish” Jones (49C) of Silver Creek, Ga., Aug. 20, 2021.

William R. Snipes Sr. (49H) of Thomaston, Ga., Feb. 17, 2021.

Dolline Thompson Wilson (49H, 53C) of Rome, Aug. 21, 2020.

1950s

Barbara Morgan Brant (50H) of Clyo, Ga., April 14, 2021.

30

Imogene Weeks Marchant (55c) of

Tenn., April 30, 2021.

Americus, Ga., June 22, 2020.

Hilda Mayo Crenshaw (50c) of Pitts,

John Robert “Bob” Brown (56c) of

Ga., July 3, 2020.

Maryville, Tenn., April 12, 2021.

John O. Munro (56H) of Deland, Fla., June 23, 2020.

Phyllis Scott Silvey (56H, 60c) of Tunnel Hill, Ga., July 26, 2021.

Fred A. Strange (56H) of Panama City Beach, Fla., Feb. 28, 2020.

Kenneth Mell Strickland (56C) of Hiram, Ga., July 6, 2021.

Claudine Stamey Tritt (56H) of Plainville, Ga., May 15, 2021.

Milton A. Beazley (57H) of Kenton, Ohio, April 7, 2021.

John Thomas Bowen (57H) of Maitland, Fla., July 31, 2021.

Arthur M. Burch (57c) of Lancaster, S.C., June 26, 2021.

Winona Chandler Burnham (57C) of Cottondale, Fla., April 7, 2021.

Wylen Righton Holland (57C) of Claxton, Ga., April 22, 2021.

James A. Holt (57H, 61c) of Morganton, Ga., March 25, 2020.

Betty Hardy Kellum (50H) of Fortson,

Walton I. Canant (50H) of Maryville,

I BERRY

Ga., March 23, 2020.

Edward A. Moore (50H) of Garland, Texas, April 23, 2021.

Karl L. Craton (51H) of Cape Coral, Fla., Jan. 6, 2020.

John Donald Fite (51H) of Hampton, Ga., Aug. 16, 2021.

Frances Higdon Longwith (51c) of LaFayette, Ga., Jan. 19, 2020.

Ollie Hodge Poe (51C) of Kathleen, Ga., April 28, 2021.

Russell Walden Scarborough (51C) of San Francisco, March 4, 2021.

James J. Bolte (52H) of Jacksonville, Fla., Nov. 13, 2020.

H. Gerald Bradley (52H) of Pensacola, Fla., May 22, 2020.

Johnnie Mae Smith Curry (52H, 55C) of Marietta, Ga., March 24, 2021.

Willene H. Michaels (52C) of Menlo, Ga., Oct. 8, 2020.

Janice Gaulding Gassaway (53C) of Dunnellon, Fla., Feb. 9, 2021.

Ralph H. Gordon (53C) of Kingwood, Texas, June 23, 2021.

Martha Busbin Shook (53H) of Summerville, Ga., April 13, 2020.

Addison S. Addington Jr. (54H) of Cleveland, Ga., Dec. 24, 2020.

Callie Hutto Bridges (54C) of Conyers, Ga., Dec. 19, 2020.

Gordon L. Busby (54H) of Rome, Oct. 28, 2020.

William Mobley Cross (54c) of Centerville, Ga., Aug. 13, 2021.

Minnie E. Vaughan Ivey (54C) of Franklin, Ga., May 22, 2021.

Sara “Sally” Pitts Smith (54H) of Arab, Ala., April 24, 2020.

Shelby Harris Smith-Steves (54H) of Detroit, April 22, 2020.

Wara Lundy Alexander (55H) of Santa Cruz, Calif., April 10, 2021.

Henry Howell (55H, 59c) of Brookhaven, Ga., Aug. 23, 2021.

William “Mick” Malcolm Pettigrew (57C) of Arden, N.C., May 28, 2021.

Margaret Moore Sewell (57C) of Rome, Sept. 4, 2020.

Lucius C. Shropshire (57H) of Loudon, Tenn., Dec. 22, 2020.

Ralph H. Williams (57C) of LaGrange, Ga., May 17, 2021.

Frank Newell T. Brackett (59H) of Griffin, Ga., Feb. 24, 2020.

Joan Barksdale Brooks (59C) of Tifton, Ga., April 13, 2020.

Thomas A. Courtner (59H) of Brooksville, Ky., Feb. 5, 2021.

Bettie Gene Allen Eason (59C) of Martinez, Ga., Dec. 5, 2020.

Katheryn Hegwood Pilgrim (59c) of Ooltewah, Tenn., June 20, 2021.

Leach Delano Richards Sr. (59H, 63C) of Chatsworth, Ga., July 19, 2021.

Donald E. Tate (59c) of Rockmart, Ga., March 17, 2021.

1960s

Blondean Bullington Cargile (60C) of Ocilla, Ga., Dec. 13, 2020.

Audrey Starnes Gammon (60C) of Carrollton, Ga., March 19, 2021.

Harvard Carroll Miller (60C) of Young Harris, Ga., Feb. 2, 2021.

B. Carolyn Radford Shanks (60C) of Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 4, 2021.

William Thomas Coussons (61c) of Lawrenceville, Ga., March 22, 2021.

Gertrude Bryant Crosby (61c) of Waycross, Ga., Sept. 9, 2020.

John William Littleton (61H) of Fayetteville, Ga., March 31, 2021.

Lillian Coombs Miller (61c) of Martinez, Ga., Oct. 24, 2020.

Benny T. Mozo (61c) of Enterprise, Ala., Aug. 24, 2021.

Everett T. Solomons (61H, 65C) of Crossville, Tenn., April 19, 2021.

Charles Gerald Daniell (62H) of Aragon, Ga., Aug. 20, 2020.

Billy Dean Jackson (62C) of Sun City, Ariz., Feb. 18, 2021.

Evie Quinn O’Brien (62C) of Waynesboro, Va., April 24, 2021.

Daniel O. Tipps (62c) of Beavercreek, Ohio, June 8, 2021.

Robert James Duckworth (63c) of Riceville, Tenn., July 25, 2020.

Kenneth Andrew Hanlin (63H) of Pell City, Ala., Jan. 31, 2020.

Wilma Edwards Jones (63c) of Snellville, Ga., March 5, 2021.

Dorsey Eugene Mobley (63C) of Blakely, Ga., May 13, 2021.

Nona F. Slappy (64C) of Manchester, Ga., April 5, 2021.

Charles William Burnette (65A) of Calhoun, Ga., July 9, 2021.

Glenn Coleman McKenzie (65c) of Chesapeake, Va., June 22, 2020.

Johnny Gale Self (65C) of Taylors, S.C., Jan. 9, 2021.

Walter Bendel Cox (66C) of Colonial Heights, Va., July 10, 2020.

Charles W. Dabney Jr. (66A) of Chesterfield, Va., March 26, 2020.

country runner. Both have served as mentors for Berry students since graduation.

William Alexander Nix (66A) of Loganville, Ga., Aug. 5, 2020.

1990s

Russell Earl Wood (66c) of Rome, July 23,

James “Jim” Rodney Flack (91C) of

2021.

Dawsonville, Ga., Feb. 27, 2021.

Kenneth Alan Scearce (92C) of Toluca Lake, Calif., July 7, 2021.

Arnie Ferguson (68c) of Gold River, Calif., March 31, 2021.

Miller Roger Turley (68A) of Plains, Ga., March 10, 2020.

Joseph Alan Aycock (69c) of Rome, Jan. 6. 2021.

Sara Alice Burdette (69C) of Rome, July 13, 2021.

Margaret Wright Davis (69C) of Rome, April 2, 2021.

2000s

Jessica Leigh Page Upchurch (05C) of Lilburn, Ga., Aug. 30, 2021.

2010s

Annelise Kathleen Davis (13C) of

1970s

Don L. Kelley (70C) of LaFayette, Ga., May 7, 2021.

Julia Pouncy Sapp (70C) of Marietta, Ga., May 21, 2021.

Nancy Taylor Roberts (71c) of Ranger, Ga., May 9, 2021.

Cullowhee, N.C., July 11, 2021.

2020s

Eden Kathleen Jeanneane Muina (24c) of Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., Sept. 12, 2021.

John “Johnny” William Newman (73C) of Rome, July 31, 2021.

2021.

Susan Shreve Rudolph (75c) of Canton,

Shirley Abello Kennedy of Armuchee, Ga.,

Ga., Aug. 20, 2021.

April 17, 2021.

Myrtle “Marlene” C. Chapman (79G) of

Jere Bush Lykins of Rome, Aug. 31, 2021.

Charles Dudley Salley of Tarpon Springs,

April 6, 2021.

Joan L. Shores Gore (73G) of Silver Creek, Ga., June 6, 2021.

Flintstone, Ga., June 15, 2021.

Mary P. Reid (79C) of Armuchee, Ga., July 1, 2021.

Margaret J. Wilson (79G) of Flintstone, Ga., April 9, 2021.

1980s

Brianna Gibson (14C) is a wildlife technician for the U.S. Forest Service in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest, working with Geographic Information Systems (mapping), learning about fire-dependent ecosystems, and surveying for important wildlife species like the eastern spotted skunk. She previously spent three years in Tanzania with the Peace Corps.

Former Faculty and Staff Martha Jo Brewer of Rome, May 31, 2021.

Frances Nell Carver of Rome, July 20, 2021.

William R. Enloe of Rome, July 18, 2021.

Betty Faye Freeman of Rome, May 26, 2021.

John Wesley Holden Jr. of Rome, Aug. 16,

Edward M. Henderson (72C) of Rome,

Fla., July 3, 2021.

Vesta A. Salmon of Armuchee, Ga., April 28, 2021.

Charles F. Seeger Jr. of Kingsport, Tenn., Aug. 3, 2021.

Arvil L. Thompson of Rome, April 20, 2021.

residency in Charlotte, N.C. He now serves at PCEA Chogoria Hospital in Kenya as part of the Samaritan’s Purse World Medical Mission Post-Residency Program. His wife, Dr. Mary Bailey Smith, is the first pharmacist to serve at that hospital.

Lindsey Cook Hall (15C) and Corwin Hall (15C) were married on Sept. 11, 2021, at The Engine Room in Monroe, Ga., surrounded by family and friends, including many Berry alumni. The couple met as seniors and began dating shortly after, with Cory ultimately proposing at California’s HallRutherford Vineyard. They live in Atlanta, where Lindsey is a physician assistant at Piedmont Hospital and Cory works in Commercial Real Estate for Savills.

Dr. Samer Hajmurad (14C) has graduated from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic MedicineAuburn University and is now an anesthesiology resident at the University of Miami. He said his experience at Berry, including four years on the men’s soccer team, set him apart from other medical school and residency applicants.

Carlita Hyde Slatky (81C) of Statesboro, Ga., April 27, 2021.

Janet Johnson Fricks (84G) of Lenoir City,

Dr. Krista May (15C) is an associate emergency clinician at Blue Pearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital in Clearwater Beach, Fla. She graduated from Lincoln Memorial University’s Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program in 2020.

Tenn., June 22, 2021.

Leigh Ann Moore DuPre (86C) of Atlanta, April 30, 2021.

Dr. Will Smith (14C) has graduated from Mercer University School of Medicine and completed his

31

NEWS FROM YOU

A special group of Berry alumnae missed Mountain Day this year — and for good reason. They were busy supporting longtime friend Denise Hoegler Preziotti (01C) during Georgia’s 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer.

In the midst of chemotherapy, radiation, a double-mastectomy and preparations for a second surgery, Denise pushed herself to train and fundraise for the 30-mile walk. She was joined by classmates, family members and friends on team “Hakuna Ma Tatas.” Together they raised more than $14,000 in support of breast health and breast cancer programs in Georgia, earning the “Highest Fundraising for a Rookie Team Award” for their efforts. In addition, Denise shared her breast cancer journey in a broadcast produced by the It’s The Journey Foundation and also was chosen to carry one of

INSPIRATION FOR ALL

the coveted “Survivor” signs during the victory lap for survivors at the closing ceremonies for the event.

“We all met at Berry and have been best friends since,” explained Brandy Flora (01C). “When Denise mentioned she was walking the 2-Day, we immediately signed up as a team to walk beside her because we are family. We are Berry family who love and support each other unconditionally.”

Pictured from left are Denise’s sister, Lori Hoegler; Melissa Ramirez LaMarsh (01C); Denise’s husband, Chris Preziotti; Sandy Little-Herring; Joanna Seger Coates (01C); Denise; Courtney Mucha Hubbard (01C); Kiki Blackwelder Kendall (01C); Flora; Rebecca Sitz Groves (01c); Ashley Carlton (01c); and Karla Bernard.

Predoctoral Fellowship. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and credits her Berry professors with pushing her to succeed.

Josh Rubin (15C) is an

Holley Powell Dupre (16C)

Monica Holt (17G) is the

Hannah Marr Tittle (18C)

administrative specialist in the business office of the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, supporting all academic, research and extension units.

He credits Berry with preparing him to support the state’s No. 1 industry – agriculture.

is the new Title IX resource manager at Norwich University in Northfield, Vt., the country’s oldest private military college.

new principal of Belwood Elementary in Calhoun, Ga. She previously served as assistant principal at Red Bud Elementary and proudly has spent her entire career in the Gordon County School System.

Monica and husband Mark have two adult children, daughter Madison (also a teacher) and son Morgan, who owns a lawn service.

is launching a new web application, Clique in Style, that leverages her software design and wedding-planning experience by enabling brides to preview style and color combinations in advance of their big day. The senior software designer at L.L. Bean with an MBA from Husson University has received funding from Maine Technology Institute, in addition to making it to the finals of the Big Gig pitch competition.

Michael Santoro (16G) is

Emily Melchior-Tiffany (16C) is pursuing a Ph.D. in

Justin Smith (15C) is an account executive for Wellness Living.

32

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animal sciences at New Mexico State University with support from a $15,000 W.D. Farr Scholarship grant awarded by the National Cattlemen’s Foundation, as well as a U.S. Department of Agriculture

in his first year as principal of Creekview High School in Canton, Ga. He previously spent two years in the same role at Woodstock Middle School. Earlier, he was a teacher, baseball coach and administrator at Riverwood International Charter School in Sandy Springs, where he earned acclaim as Class 5-A Athletic Director of the Year.

economics and law at Vanderbilt University. He graduated from Berry with a 3.93 GPA.

Ben Coker (20C, 21G, FS)

has earned a master’s degree in integrative biology from Kennesaw State University.

led Berry to the 2021 Southern Athletic Association regularseason baseball championship, finishing as the program’s all-time leader in pitching wins (30) and strikeouts (251) before accepting a new role as an assistant coach for the team.

He also has completed a Berry MBA.

Adekale Ande (19C) has completed a master’s degree in university leadership from Lenoir-Rhyne University and is working in sports information at The Lovett School in Atlanta.

Caleb Michael Brezina (19C) is a veterinary student at Iowa State University pursuing an additional master’s degree in animal welfare, motivated by the “spark” provided by Dr. Rebecca Dixon (FFS).

2020s

Hannah Brunner (21C) is a preschool assistant and assistant volleyball coach at Danville (Ky.) Christian Academy. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in education and library information science.

Hannah praised the “realworld experience” and “safe encouraging environment” Berry provided.

Katie Sweeney (20C) and Porter Wilbanks (19C) were married on June 11, 2021, in Ball Ground, Ga., surrounded by “loved ones and Berry friends that we still hold dear.” Both are grateful to Berry for providing “a fabulous education, lifelong friends and, even better, each other!” Katie is a critical care nurse at Tennessee’s Claiborne Medical Center; Porter is attending veterinary school at Lincoln Memorial University.

a developmental outlet for top collegiate freshmen and sophomores run by USA Baseball and Major League Baseball.

BETTER MAKE ROOM! 6:37

k_malone23

Student Rette Solomon

Shannon Whitney (18C)

broadcasts of select Belmont athletic events. Last summer, Noah did play-by-play and media relations for the Johnson City (Tenn.) Doughboys of the Appalachian League,

Matthew McConnell (21C, FS) is taking advantage of creative skills developed during three years as a student worker in his new role as photography and video specialist in Berry’s Office of Marketing and Communications.

k_malone23 I never thought I'd be that person who collects alma mater mugs, but here we are.

The next entry in the Berry Buildings mug series will debut in spring 2022.

Rose Blanchard (20C) is studying the morphological changes in mosquitofish due to the presence of different types of predators as a Ph.D. student in ecology and conservation biology at Texas A&M University.

Noah Syverson (21C) is Hunter Berry (21C) received an $8,500 fellowship from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi to support pursuit of a dual Juris Doctor and Ph.D. in

pursuing a master’s degree in sports administration at Belmont University. The graduate assistant for media relations and broadcasting is also involved in ESPN+

Follow @BerryAlumni on social media and keep an eye on alwaysberry.com for information on which campus landmark will be joining the Ford Buildings, Old Mill and Frost Chapel in your cupboard.

Mug photo provided by Katherine Adornato Malone (08C)

33

TOGETHER AGAIN! When Mountain Day went “virtual” in 2020 due to COVID-19, Berry alumni made the best of a challenging situation, attending Zoom reunions, picnicking in backyards and even staging an impromptu Grand March halfway around the world in the shadow of the Tokyo Tower.

This fall heralded the resumption of beloved in-person traditions, and although masks sometimes obscured their smiles, there was no doubt that all members of the Berry family – alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and other friends – were thrilled to be together again.

Highlights included 50th reunion dinners for the college classes of 1970 and 1971, a special brunch on the mountain campus for several other “milestone classes,” and numerous other gatherings bringing together alumni of various groups, ranging from athletic teams to KCAB. There was also a virtual lecture, In the Shadow of Lavender Mountain, virtual trivia and an online photo contest, in addition to the many in-person activities that kept participants busy all weekend long.

We’re grateful to everyone who took part, as well as for the generosity of our milestone classes in contributing more than $219,000 to scholarships and other reunion funds.

Photos by Brant Sanderlin, Rette Solomon, Jennifer Hernandez-Argueta and Alan Storey

34

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MAKE PLANS NOW N I A T N U O M R FO DAY 2022!

OCTOBER 7-9

35

2020-21

BY T H E N U M B E RS

548 110 CURRENT MEMBERS

NEW MEMBERS

$3.5

MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS

M artha Berry made it her life’s work to provide the gift

of opportunity to hardworking students. Today, her vision and mission are sustained with support from Berry alumni and friends who give at the leadership level each year.

Here, we are pleased to honor those supporters as members of the Martha Berry Society. This special annual distinction is reserved for those whose giving on behalf of students totals at

PLATINUM $25,000+

36

I BERRY

98%

OF ALL GIVING TO BERRY

18

NEW SCHOLARSHIPS

least $1,000 (or equivalent for members of the Young Alumni Leadership Giving Circle) during Berry’s most recently completed fiscal year, in this case July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.

To learn more about the Martha Berry Society, including benefits available at all levels, visit alwaysberry.com/MBS. If you have questions, contact Vice President of Advancement Cyndi Court at ccourt@berry.edu or 706-236-1713.

Anonymous ARAMARK Corp.

Belladonna Foundation Randy and Nancy Berry Stephen and Brenda Briggs Bryson Foundation Vaughn and Nancy Bryson Callaway Foundation Al (61c) and Becky Browning (61C) Christopher Bert (82C) and Cathy Clark Daughters of the American Revolution: National Society Ed (57C) and Evelyn Quarles (57C) England Rachel Firstman Ford Motor Company Fund Georgia Independent College Association Georgia Power Foundation, Inc. Walter Gill (63C) The estate of Ondina Santos Gonzalez Greg (82C) and Judy Cash (85C) Hanthorn Mark Ivey Buford Jennings (58C) Mark (82C) and Judy Howard (82C) Keappler Lee Jones Lance (53C) John (54H) and Debra Lie-Nielsen Roger (79C) and Candy Caudill (82c) Lusby

Phil (68C) and Charlotte Lee (71C) Malone Buzz and Barbara Mote (61C) McCoy Larry and Mary Montgomery Audrey B. Morgan The estate of Pauline Pickens James Scoggins (52C) Ed Sims and Pamela Owens Daniel Smith Mary Anne Spindler Reg (51C) and Maxine Strickland Jean Loveday Stutts The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation Al (63C) and Harriet Keckley (64C) Terry The estate of Margaret Thomas Mandy Tidwell (93C) Truist Foundation Joe and Marti Walstad The estate of Boyd Wells (44c) Becky Moore White (82C) Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation, Inc. Kathy and Terry (78C) Worley Buster (73C) and Janice Wright The estate of Estelle Smith Wright (42c)

“When I can no longer work for Berry, alumni and friends will continue the work.”

GOLD

$10,000 - $24,999

SILVER

$5,000 - $9,999

Inman and Tricia Allen Cathleen O’Connell Anderson (77C) Woody Anderson Ford David (84C) and Kelly Asbury John Beck (70C) Jimmy (60C) and Luci Hill (60C) Bell Charlotte Keckley Bitzer (62C) Brian (97C) and Susan Wells (97C) Brodrick Kyle Carney Joyce Carper Leslie Choitz (76C) Larry (69C) and Nadine NeSmith (71c) Covington Daughters of the American Revolution: Georgia Society Daughters of Berry Sandy Diffenderfer John (83C) and Elizabeth Webb (84C) Eadie William H. Ellsworth Foundation Charlie (86C) and Lori Elrod Russ Evans (56C) The estate of Clayton Farnham John and Mary Franklin Foundation, Inc. Will Gaines (93C) Matt (02C) and Kelly Daly (03C) Grisham Darrell Gunby (81c)

Steve (10G) and Debbie Heida Howell Hollis Henry (55H, 59c) and Jan Deen (60C) Howell The estate of Belva Ingle (63C) Hubert Judd Charitable Trust The Lois and Lucy Lampkin Foundation The Paul C. and Velma Smith Maddox Foundation Peter and Tamara Musser The Nichols Trust Dan and Kelley Poydence Joe (65C) and Nelda Parrish (64C) Ragsdale Dale Redeker Barbara Robertson (79C) David and Nancy Loveday Smith Tricia Steele (09C) Bill and Kay Stokely Robert (04C) and Tessa Frye (07C) Swarthout Michelle and Steve Tart Randy Tibbals (79C) Vibrint Health Virgil P. Warren Foundation The Frances Wood Wilson Foundation Mary Wooton The John Zellars Jr. Foundation

Brad Alexander (96C) Carol Buchanan Blair (56H, 58c) Mary Boyd and John Quinn Rob (83C) and Amber Brock Doug (83C) and Sabrina Vail (84C) Carter Warren Coleman Fund Comfort Family Foundation Glenn (62C) and Jena Cornell James and Kim Cornetet Doug and Cyndi Court Mike (92C) and Margaret Crego Tametria Conner Dantzler (07C) Tommy (79C) and Kelley Dopson Calvin Doss (49C) Brian and Theresa Dulaney Cleone Elrod Paul Ferguson Ray (58C) and Judy Fewell Margaret Foster Bob Frank Sammy (77C) and Holly Wood (73C) Freeman Fullgraf Foundation Jere Glover Vince Griffith (81C) and Angela Hartley Todd (88C) and Amber Pruitt (89C) Grubbs Jean Miller Hedden (52C) Jack and Karen Holley (74C) Horrell Travis James (97C) Dale Jones (71C) Duane Price Kline Special Needs Trust

Jon and Angie Wilkey (89C) Lewis Martha Dodd McConnell (45H, 50C) John and Missy Morgan Mitchell (09C) and Whitney Kazragis (10C) Muhlheim Mary Nadassy Ed Parkerson (55C) Sandra Payne Bill (76C) and Janet Pence Mark Piecoro (90C) Harry and Terri Pierce Dallas (65C) and Judi Reynolds Jason (94C) and Kelly McElroy (94C) Richardson Pete and Carol Snyder Roberts Kevin (80C) and Karla Holland (80C) Ryan Darwin Samples (50C) Jerry Shelton (58C) Matt and Gwen Sirmans Tom Spector (74A) Judy Sperry (79C) Margaret Steward Richard and Jennifer Stiles Lem (63C) and Gayle Miller (64C) Sumner Roger (53H) and Neomia Sundy Ron (61C) and Bernice Thornton Michael Tumminelli (71C) Jim Van Meerten (70C) Shari and Courtney White Bob Williams (62H) and Linda Petty Len (70C) and Marty Willingham Chuck (80C) and Regina Yarbrough

37

BRONZE

$1,000 - $4,999

38

I BERRY

Anonymous Martha Bently Abernathy (52c) Frank (54H, 58C) and Kathy Adams W.J. and Crista Albertson Jon Allen (01C) Angel Family Foundation Mark Aubel (81C) Stephen Aultman Jr. (00C) Lynn Austin (77C) Michael and Christell Bakken BBC Foundation Bill Bannister Jr. (56H) Richard Barley (49H) Bob Barr Frank Barron Jr. Doris Lane Beall (47C) Mark Beaver (97C) Christy Bell (98C) William (53C) and Bonnie Pierce (54c) Bell Barbara Bentley (78C, 82G) Tom Berry Tracey Biles (94C) Jane Jones Block (86C) Al and Jean Bonnyman Anne Bonnyman Tom (55H) and Martha Wyatt (55H, 59C) Bowen William and Pamela Boyd Bridget Boyette (88C) Beth Williams Boykin (92C) Andrew and Jennifer Rice (07G) Bressette John (62C) and Geraldine Johnson (62C) Bridges Ronnie Bridgman Richard and Alice Bristow Erika Jolly Brookes (91C) Dennis and Trina Buce (82C) Brown Tim Brown (88C) Morris (58C) and Lecy Garner (59c) Brunson Wallace and Wendy Burgoyne Dakota (14C) and Melissa Kelly (14c) Burke Becky Burleigh Darrin and Angela Butzow Rich and Diane Byers Michael and Elizabeth Caddell Wayne (61C) and Madeline Banks (63c) Canady Children of the American Revolution Brian (93C) and Connie Hendricks (92C) Carmony Vivian Slappy Carney (61C) Allyson Chambers (80C, 84G) Susan Chambers (77C) Harlan (58C) and Doris Reynolds (57C) Chapman Aaron (15C) and Lizzie Hendrix (15C) Chastain Jean Etherton Clark (70C, 74G) Paul (88G) and Shannon Clark David (95C) and Heather Taylor (97C) Cloud Leah Cobb (17C) John (04C) and Jackie Feit (05c) Coleman Joe (88C) and Leanne Hand (87C) Cook John (60C) and Sandy Midkiff (60C) Cooper Celeste Creswell (93C) Charles and Roxie Crosby Douglas Crowder (93C) Eloise Cooper Crowder (43C) Richard Crowell Daughters of the American Revolution: Lady Washington Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution: LeRay de Chaumont Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution: Mississippi State Society Tim Davis (71C) Eddie DeLoach (74C) Tina Stancil DeNicole (85C)

Angela R. Dickey (75A, 79C) Jennifer Dickey (77A, 80C) John Downs Jimmie Dudley Jr. (72C) Pamela Bowen Dunagan C. Warren Dunn (77C) Kay Davis Dunn (57C) Lei Parsons Eason (61C) Dennis Edge (70C) Ron (56H) and Robbie Barber (56H) Edwards Larry (57c) and Amelia Rollins (57c) Eidson Joe (63C) and Shirley Bowen (63c) Elder Leon Elder (54C) Christopher and Rebecca English Ruth Fay Brian (08G) and Natalie Miller (99C, 04G) Ferguson Glenn (71C) and Pam Priest (71C) Ferguson Jeff (81C) and Carol Field Stephen Finn First Families of Georgia Celia Fisher Lamar Fletcher (66A) Mark (04C) and Kristen Lillie (03C) Floyd Gary (77C) and Hermanett Pruitt (73C) Ford Sam Forte (19C) Bret and Elaine Foster Maggie Edwards Foy (71C) Terry Frix (86C) Bobby Walker Fulmer (56C) Stewart Fuqua (80A) Nathan Gaby (20C) Richard and Barbara Gaby Foundation Kay Gardner Dale (79C) and Karen Burton (79C) Garner James (62c) and Linda Garner Francy Jessup Geiger (78C) Gail Howard Gibson (82C) Dwight Glover (84C) Ed and Gayle Graviett (67C) Gmyrek Chris Goeckel (84c) Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Bradford Gooch Richard and Susan Green Reid Grimes (76C) Cary (80C) and Teresa Stickland (81C) Grubbs Yondi Linker Hall (80C) Evelyn Hamilton (68C) Randy and Nita Hardin Jennifer Harris (93C) Joyce and Tim Heames Pamela Hefner George Hemstreet Peter (53H, 57C) and Emmaline Beard (55H, 58C) Henriksen Harold Hensley Chris and Franceen Quigley (95C) Hett Bart Hill (97C) Deborah Hill Peter (60C) and Ernestine Davis (61C) Hoffmann LeBron (60C) and Kay Davis (60C) Holden Bill (67C) and Diane Harris (66c) Holden Faye Lovinggood Hood (65C) Mel and Patricia Hope Jeffrey Horn (87C) Paul (82A) and Laura Howard Tim Howard (82C) Michael (02C) and Amanda Bradley (03C, 07G) Howell Charlie Hudson (62C) Barbara Ballanger Hughes (71C) Chris (14C) and Kimberly Bagnell (14C) Human

BRONZE

$1,000 - $4,999

Sharon Bleiler Humphreys (88C) Steve Hunter (83C) Daniel Hyers Denise Riedlinger Iglesias (95C) Mark and Pat Tutterow (82C) Jackson Rick (83C) and Jennifer Swinford (84C) Jackson Daniel Jacoby Jerry Jennings Gene Johnson (54C) Janna Johnson (81C) Jim (85C) and Jennifer Smith (85C) Johnson Max (70C) and Gail McGill (78C, 79G) Johnson Ronald Johnson Ty and Joy Padgett (73C) Johnson Walt Johnson (41H) Melanie Green Jones (76G) Matthew Keckley Grady (87C) and Kimberly Winkles (88C) Keith William Keith (56c) Steve (63C) and Nancy Harkness (62C) Kelly Kendrick Auto Service Sue Killcreas (78C) Drew Landis (06C) Andy Lansford (04C) Dennis (79C) and Jane Williams (80c) Latimer Jack Leahey (82C) Daniel Levinson Robert and Cheryl Lindgren Terry (68C) and Charlene Head (67C) Lingerfelt Nancy Lippard Lowell (60C) and Dee Hysinger (60C) Loadholtz Ellen Free Lueck (73C) Robbie Panter Luedke (63C) Tim (84C) and Lisa Lusby Wanda Riggs Mack Latha Coleman Maine (59C) Owen (97C) and Tina Campbell (95C, 97G) Malcolm Michael Maney (98C) Riley Mangum (61H) Craig and Patricia Marijanich Scott Markle (92C) Ernest and Amy Marquart John and Myrtle Marshall Joel Martens Jr. (86C) Wesley (63C) and Ruth King (65C) Martin Rufus (75C) and Mary Anne Schimmelmann (75c) Massey Stanley and Michelle Maxey Lee and Christin McDaniel Eric and Jacqueline McDowell Tim McIlrath (98C) Jason (98C) and Renee Spurlock (97C) McMillan J.Ruel and Lucy H. McMillian Gene (65C) and Sandra Dickerson (66C) McNease Sandy Meek Araya Mesfin (98C) Blaine and Sara Ellen Minor Kermit (55C) and Joyce Burch (57c) Mock Robert Moore Mark Moraitakis (91C) James and Angela Morgan Tom Mullis (57C) Justin (02C) and Lindsey Hutcherson (04C) Neal Julie Patrick Nunnelly (88C, 00G) Beau Nygaard (93C) Stephani Odoardi Charlie (77C) and Ann Lingo (76C) O’Mahoney Bettyann O’Neill and Ken Sicchitano Larry (63C) and Kathy Osborn Elaine Overman (61c)

Douglas and Faye Owens Melton Palmer Jr. (64C) Ed (73C) and Becky Rasure (73c) Palombo J.M. (60C) and Nona Sparks (58C) Patterson Manning Pattillo Jr. Derrick (06C) and Lindsay Williams (06C) Perkins James (71c) and Susan Sutton (71C) Perry Plainville Brick Company, Inc. Chad Poist Joan Pope Danny (87C) and Tammi Ridenhour (87C, 03G) Price Louis and Anita Tancraitor (86C) Profumo Eric Puckett (91C) Robert and Christine Dodd (70C) Puckett Teresa Smith Puckett (75A, 92C) Jonathan (85C) and Crystal Purser Linda Quincey Matt Ragan (98C) and Shelly (96C) Driskell-Ragan Dan Randall Luke and Ronna Rapach Sam (76C, 78G) and Nancy Duvall (77C) Ratcliffe Jim and Nancy Rhoades Jane Fisher Richard (78C) Frances Richey (83A, 87C) Steve (85C) and Kristen Riley Jack Riner (65C) Alison Lounsbury Ritter (94C) Tony Rivers (78C) Meredith Lewallen Roberts (07C) Earnest Rodgers (60C) Rome Area Council for the Arts Doris Vaughn Rowland W.C. (60C) and Sylvia Davis (60C) Rowland Kellie Ruse (83C) Charles Russell Tracy Boswell Saless (90C) Bobbie Brown Sanders (53C) Rachel Sandoval (14C) Marlene Schneider (49H) Larry (55C) and Dixie Schoolar Tom Schuette (77C) Larry (65C) and Jerry Sculley Beth Senn (72C) Charles and Sandra Sexton John Shahan (64A, 69C) Kay Salmon Shahan (67C) Jean Mitchell Sheffield (54C) Jason (00C) and Ashley Harp (01C) Sheppard Thomas Shipman Deborah Barber Shores (04C) George and Rosalind Simpson Greg and Katherine Sloan Tom and Barbara Slocum Marvin and Beverly Philpot (69C) Smith Peggy Dalton Smith (67C) Laky (84C, 87G) and Kay Hurst (85C) Spas Susan Spezio (80C) Ross Spinks (05C) Bernie Spooner (53H) Daniel Sprinkle (00C) and Rita Chen M.R. Stainton (94C) Andrea Boyd Stanley (67C) Carolyn Stanton (80C) John and Janey Sterchi Jeff and Sherry Stewart Kendall Stewart (72C) Michael (90C) and Kim Lunney (90C) Strickland Denise Sumner (89C) Darrell Sutton (00C)

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BRONZE

$1,000 - $4,999

YOUNG ALUMNI LEADERSHIP GIVING CIRCLE Honors recent graduates whose annual giving is already equivalent to that of a $1,000 donor. There are three levels, based on age and life stage:

LEVELS $100 annually for alumni 1-5 years out $250 annually for alumni 6-8 years out $500 annually for alumni 9-10 years out Many young alumni choose to make smaller contributions monthly or quarterly, enabling them to support students in a budget-friendly way. Visit alwaysberry.com/mbs/ young-alumni to learn more.

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I BERRY

Jason (88C) and Melinda Mitchell (90C) Sweatt Larry and Betty Jane Taylor Jacque Terrill (65C) Fred Tharpe (68A) Michael (87C) and Elizabeth Thompson Bill (68C) and Avis Cordle (57C) Thornton Mildred Campbell Tietjen (61C) Earl (52H) and Carolyn Tillman Jack Timberlake Juanita Ensley Tipton (70C) Billy (62H, 66C) and Marvalee Lord (65C) Townsend Ray (69C) and Pamela Tucker Sam Turner (66C) Seth Turner (06C) Charlie (53H, 57C) and Hazel Guthrie (59c) Underwood Randy and Judy Urquhart Steve Vaughn Pete (60C) and Janelle Brumbelow (56H, 60C) Vincent Rob Voutila (09C) Tim (71C) and Joan Kisselburg (73C) Warrick Gary (80C, 89G) and Bambi Estill (79c) Waters John Watson Mary Ruth Sayres Watt (80c) Charlie (57C) and Keitha Davis (58C) Weatherford

Larry (63C) and Pat Webb David Welborn Lenard and Bernice Ogle (53H) Whaley Sidney (60C) and Nancy Harris (61C) Wheeler Steve (80C) and Cindy Snead (80C) Wherry Whit (81C) and Maria Crego (85c) Whitaker Lucile Whitman Sue Wilder (85C) James (95C) and Carrie Travers (99C) Willard Jan Bailey Williams (71C) Jim (64C) and Charlotte Ray (64C) Williams Seymour and Michelle Williams Carlee McCarter Wilson (63C) James Wilson Frank Windham (57c) Kay Wingo Jerry (56H, 60c) and Louise Conaway (57C) Winton David (68A, 72C) and Alta Breeden (70C) Wood Earl (52C) and Esther Worthington Norma Wright Will Wright (01c) Curt and Mary Martin (71c) Yarbrough

Phillip Alexander (21C) Kelly Alters (21C) Sarah Babione (21C) Breelan Baxter (21C) Thomas Benton (21C) Hunter Berry (21C) Shakarah Boswell (16C) Zion Brown (21C) Dakota (14C) and Melissa Kelly (14c) Burke Noah Caldwell (21C) Nick (17C) and Mary Grace Carr Aaron (15C) and Lizzie Hendrix (15C) Chastain Julia Churchill (21C) Leah Cobb (17C) Ivy Collins (21C) Anthony and Kerrie Hartline (17C) Dalrymple Emilie Davis (21C) Darryl Delsoin (21C) Kelsey Doerr (21C) Haley Edmondson (19C) Mary Emily Entrekin (21C) Sam Forte (19C) Paolo Francisco (21c) Sara Freeman (21C) Allie Freshour (16C) Nathan Gaby (20C) Emma Garcia (21C) Chase Gooding (18C) Jessie Goodson (20c) Jess Gross (17C) Madeliene Guillen Wofford (21C) Cassie Hale (14C) Blake (15C) and Brittni Dulaney Hall Will (11C) and Dana Wenger (13C) Harper Bert Harrison (11C) and Courtney Cooper (11C) Emma Hatcher (21C) Savanna Herron (21C) Chris (14C) and Kimberly Bagnell (14C) Human Trinity Hutchins (21C) Alisa Jordan (21C) Caroline Landers (21C)

Jeremiah Lane (21C) Savanna LaPorte (21C) Jacqueline Lea (21C) Jehiel Lemon (21C) Rachel LeRoy (15C) David Lindsey (21C) Laney Lutjens (21C) Cam Mallett (20C) Nicky (13C) and Susan Doane (13C, 16G) Mann Hannah McCain (21C) Noah and Maddie Jordan (19C) Miller Caroline Moe-Lunger (21C) Bryce Nethery (21C) McKenzie Owen (21C) Sunday and Funmi (18C) Peters Wyatt Peterson (18C) Rebecca Raines (21C) Allison Rhodes (21C) Phillip Robinson (17C) Rachel Sandoval (14C) Jamil Sawyerr (21C) Shelby Sims (21C) Lily Smith (21C) Madison Smith (21C) Erika Sprecher (21C) Maggie Stansell (17C) Bobby Tannhauser (21C) Alex Thomas (17C) Seth Tucker (21C) Max von Schmeling (21C) Mike (14C) and Chrissy Ricketts (15C) Voso Graham (18C) and Joanna Logan (18C) Wall Sydney Weaver (17C, 19G) Emma Wells (16C) Lydia West (17C) Katie White (21C) Amberlee Williams (20C) Kayli Wilson (16C) Kyle (13C) and Julie Zimmerman (14C) Wilson

IN THE END, IT ’S ABOUT THE STUDE NTS

Classroom to table: lessons learned to feed the hungry

By Debbie Rasure Organization’s highest recognition, the American FFA Degree, earned by only 2% of its membership and signifying promise for the future and a commitment to going above and beyond to achieve excellence.

Hill brings that same work ethic to her role as Season’s Harvest manager as she develops plans for

Brant Sanderlin

I

sabelle Hill came to Berry College with a love for growing plants and accolades for achievement from the National FFA Organization (formerly Future Farmers of America). Now the environmental studies major is about to graduate having discovered a passion for promoting sustainable farming and educating others about where their food comes from, all while working hard to feed Rome’s hungry and homeless.

Hill’s revelation comes after multiple immersive experiences, including nearly four years managing the fresh produce and plants operation of Season’s Harvest, one of Berry’s 14 student-run enterprises; growing food for local homeless shelters in the garden of the service cottage where she lives on campus; and studying and working on local food insecurity issues alongside her mentor, Dr. Brian Campbell, chair of the Department of Environmental Science and Studies.

“Right from the start, I could tell she was going to be a shining star,” Campbell said, citing Hill’s willingness as a second-semester freshman to take on the huge responsibility of leading Season’s Harvest, as well as her initiative and early ability to delegate and work independently.

Dr. Kevin Renshler, director of the Center for Student Enterprises and Entrepreneurship Development (SEED), concurs: “Isabelle oversees an enterprise that is very labor intensive and needs a lot of individuals contributing in the field, planting and cultivating. She’s done a tremendous job, especially in this time of COVID.” Hill’s interest in gardening and farming began when she was in middle school, helping her florist mother with arrangements and working beside her grandparents in their home garden. When the agriculture teacher at her Ringgold, Ga., middle school needed someone to compete in a floral arranging competition, Hill enrolled in an agriculture class to qualify and then volunteered for the competition. More ag classes followed throughout middle and high school, as did work in her school’s greenhouse and nursery. She dug into her studies of landscaping and floral culture, eventually claiming the National FFA

unsold produce and perishable goods, such as eggs and cheese, from other student enterprises to local agencies feeding the hungry. She also is active with Rome Food Oasis, a community group sponsored by Georgia Food Oasis and Georgia Organics.

Contributing to her deep well of experience, Hill has taken several Academic Community Engagement courses that paired her with a community partner and allowed her to use information and skills learned in the classroom to solve real-world problems.

“They’ve been my favorite classes,” she enthused.

“I’ve written action plans for community outreach, filmed an informational promo and worked on a film; and for the ACE course I’m taking right now, I’m digging through recycle bins to look for common contaminants. I’ve always loved the hands-on approach that a lot of Berry professors have, and these classes really take that to the next level.”

Hill isn’t sure what she’ll do after graduation but anticipates working with a local farm or nonprofit that focuses on food security. Regardless of her path, Campbell sees a bright future ahead, saying with Hill’s diverse skill set and experience running Season’s Harvest, she could manage an organic farm, a large agriculture distribution organization or even start her own business.

Isabelle Hill holds trays of Little Gem Lettuce sprouts.

“The most hopeful part of the garden is being able to plant a seed and watch it grow.”

— Isabelle Hill the garden; harvests and delivers vegetables and flowers; stocks Season’s Harvest goods in The Berry Farms display in The Shipyard (the Berry Student Enterprises storefront located in the Krannert Student Center); staffs the Season’s Harvest booth at a local Saturday farmers market; and distributes

“I’ll probably always grow things,” Hill said. “I’m so happy to have had the opportunities Berry has given me to work with food and people. The most hopeful part of the garden is being able to plant a seed and watch it grow. Once the fruit is ready, you get to pick it and share it with others.”

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Dream fulfilled!

Berry All-American Mason Kinsey (21C) made history Oct. 24 as the first Viking to participate in an NFL regular-season game when he took the field for the Tennessee Titans against the Kansas City Chiefs. We are proud of his hard work and dedication.

Go Mason! Go Berry! (Photo by Joe Howell/Tennessee Titans)