On the cover: Kherry Cohea, Class of 2023, has the distinction of being CSU’s first aeronautics graduate. Photo by Ty Cornett.
Credit for Blessings & Blue Skies to Lloyd Richardson.
Back cover: CSU purchased Chucktown Flight Training Feb. 28, 2025, to meet the needs of our growing aeronautics program. Photo by Ty Cornett.
EDITORIAL STAFF:
Jan Joslin ’82, Editor | Content Director
McKenzie Barker, MBA, ’24 MS, Content Strategist
Miranda Briscoe, Creative Director
Zoe Ganiszewski ’24, Junior Graphic Designer
Jenna Johnson ’21 MBA, Executive Director of Marketing & Communication
Dan Steffy ’21, Multimedia Specialist
Daniel Taylor ’22, Lead Graphic Designer
Brianna Parker ’25 MS, Graduate Assistant
Kaia Thomson ’24, ’25 MBA, Graduate Assistant
Audra Bergevin ’25, Intern
John Kerrigan ’25, Intern
Luke Rodgers, ’25, Intern
Tate Therrien ’25, Intern
CONTRIBUTORS:
Athletics Communications
Tessa Spencer Adams ’90
Greg Atkinson ’97
Chase Beckham
Rick Bickerstaff ’08
Shayne Boyle ’22
CCSD Communications
Ty Cornett
Dr. Ed Gravely
Jennifer Whatley Govea ’97
Daniel Grummer
Kelli ’05 & Trey ’05 Ingram
Jim Killian
James ’21, ’23 & BriAnne ’08 Newton
Dr. James Rivers ’69
Savannah State University Communications
Antwan Smalls ’02
Jewel Sweeney ’07
Alyssa Weeks ’22
DR.
January Snow
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth.” Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV
Photo by Daniel Grummer
President’s message
Faithful servants make growth possible at CSU
2 Timothy 4:6-8
By B. Keith Faulkner
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
principles that we can extract that apply to life -
ley Whitfield, made her journey to Heaven on
ministry, music, and CSU. She was active with the CSU Women’s Council for decades where she raised funds for student scholarships and
building, and the future convocation center. Their steadfast support has helped countless students pursue their passions and earn a degree with a strong biblical foundation.
Shirley was a shining example of living out faith in service to others. Her Christian spirit permeated every room she entered, and her quick wit and unmatched wisdom made her a remarkable conversationalist and counselor to every president at CSU. But it was her love for students that animated her generous support, and she enjoyed interacting with CSU students every chance she could.
the Whitfield Stadium Center, Whitfield
Neither Shirley nor Floyd Whitfield were alumni of CSU – but they loved this place. They felt compelled by their faith to make a difference – and that is exactly what they did at CSU and continue to do even now following their passing. Many current students and alumni are directly or indirectly impacted through scholarships because the Whitfields saw promise in a young university focused on delivering education through a biblical worldview – and in her students.
Their legacy continues today, but what I ask that we remember is that the Whitfields ran an exceptional race, finished strong, shared Jesus’ love, and offered opportunities for young people at this university to know Him and pay this generosity forward to others. Service and serving students are in the Whitfields’ DNA. Their son Tim, and his wife, Alina, are continuing the legacy of their family’s involvement and engagement with CSU. Tim
President Keith Faulkner addressed the student body at the first Chapel service of spring semester.
Photo by Dan Steffy
is serving his second term on the CSU Board of Trustees, and Alina is active with the CSU Women’s Council and the annual fundraising auction for student scholarships.
The value the Whitfields have contributed to the university is immeasurable. Their gifts have propelled growth over the years in the areas of academics, athletics, Christian leadership, and in the lives of the students who have benefitted from the scholarships they funded.
It is through the legacy of the Whitfield family, and countless other individuals and families, that Charleston Southern is celebrating an amazing academic year and looking forward to an exciting future.
The year 2025 will set the stage for further growth through the development of new programs, strengthening of existing academic and athletic programs, improvement to campus facilities, pouring into students, faculty, and staff, and cultivating a culture and spirit that glorifies Jesus Christ through love for Him and each other.
In this issue you will read about a year-long Economic Impact Study that shows Charleston Southern has an economic impact of nearly a quarter billion dollars!
Some of the projects we are working on are:
• Completion of a comprehensive and forward-looking Campus Master Plan that provides a roadmap for future growth, campus beautification, and facility improvement to lead us into our next 60 years.
• The placement of a new electronic billboard on I-26 to advertise academic programs, athletic events, and announce to the world that they have entered Buc Country!
• The development of a new comprehensive strategic plan to launch in January 2026.
• The completion of the Science and Engineering Building by August 1, 2025. New spaces will round out our engineering department, expand classroom and lab spaces for life sciences, and house our rapidly expanding aeronautics program –which will occupy the entire second floor of the building.
• We will break ground on a state-of-the-art dormitory adjacent to Mead Hall.
• The dining hall will undergo a total remodel this summer and will reopen in August in time for the fall 2025 semester.
• Fundraising for the new Buc Dome continues, and it is our prayer that we will secure many important gifts for this project this year.
My prayer for all connected to CSU is for us to see 2025 as a season of opportunity – a season of sprinting – to improve His university and lift each other up. Like Paul, I pray this season is one not filled by looking backwards, but one marked by looking forward to a season of celebration and satisfaction in knowing that good and faithful work for Him will end with an eternity spent with a Loving God in heaven. Whatever we accomplish together will be in His name and for His glory.
The late Bo Schembechler, Michigan football coach, said, “Every day we get better or worse.” We never stay the same. Every day at CSU, we are working to get better for Him, for students, for faculty and staff, alumni, friends, our community, and the Kingdom.
Be encouraged!
The legacy of Floyd and Shirley Whitfield lives on through the buildings they funded, the funding of scholarships, and many other contributions to Charleston Southern. CSU file photo
Tim Whitfield, Shirley Whitfield, and Alina Whitfield. CSU file photo
Shirley Whitfield was a life member of the CSU President’s Club and a member of the Legacy Society. Charleston Southern awarded her the Distinguished Service Award in 2009 and presented her with an Honorary Doctor of Public Service in 2022.
CSU acquires flight school
Deepens commitment to growing aeronautics program
Charleston Southern University has purchased Chucktown Flight Training, LLC DBA Carolina Sky Flight Training, a local group based in Summerville, to further its mission of providing a high-quality flight training experience for its fast-growing aeronautics program. The university began its partnership with the flight school in 2021 to offer CSU’s inaugural professional pilot degree—the only 4-year collegiate program in the state of South Carolina.
By Jenna Johnson | Photos by Dan Steffy
Emmanuel Peterson is a junior professional pilot major and is a certified flight instructor.
DID YOU KNOW?
• CSU has 3 aeronautics degrees: Aeronautics-Professional Pilot, Aerospace Management, and Aviation Maintenance Management.
• Program has had a 33% year over year growth rate.
• Aviation Maintenance Management (Bachelor of Technology) is a 2 + 2 program with Trident Tech with the CSU portion offered 100% online.
• Have established cadet and ambassador programs with Republic Airways.
• Accreditation through SACSCOC and authority from FAA means CSU is the only place South Carolina students can use their state financial aid dollars to become a professional pilot.
• CSU Aeronautics professors are all retired combat-seasoned Air Force aviators with over 20 years of service and education in flight.
• Program approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to receive educational benefits.
• Currently, 30.8% of CSU aeronautics students are female, compared to the FAA’s national statistic of 15.9% for 2024.
This is a historic and transformative moment in the life of our university,” said CSU President B. Keith Faulkner. “This acquisition allows us to reach greater heights and excellence in our education of the next generation of pilots and managers. Whether they dream of flying for commercial airlines, service in Air Force or Space Force, or using their talents to serve in missions, Charleston Southern’s aeronautics program is ready to deliver an outstanding course of study for driven and bright students. Whether on ground or in the sky, we integrate faith in each student learning experience while preparing them for the workforce of tomorrow in the high-demand aerospace industry.”
The CSU aeronautics program that started less than four years ago has grown from 19 students to more than 150 students. Year over year, the program has seen a 33% enrollment growth in its three degree tracks: professional pilot, aerospace management, and aviation maintenance management.
“This is truly a thrilling time for CSU Aeronautics,” Lloyd Richardson, chair of the CSU Department of Aeronautics, said. “The program reflects the growing need for quality education in the aerospace industry. We look forward to witnessing what God will do next at CSU!”
As a result of this growth, Charleston Southern has committed to a multimillion-dollar investment in the aeronautics program for 2025. In addition to the flight school, the university is providing a centralized location for the aeronautics faculty and staff in its second construction phase for the science and engineering building this summer. A new flight simulation lab will also be installed in the space.
“Charleston Southern took a major step today to ensure the continued viability and growth of its new aviation program,” CSU Board Chair Dean Murphy said. “This acquisition ensures that the university will be able to provide stellar training for new pilots, as well as for others interested in avionics as a future career. As a university, we remain committed to offering educational opportunities which will afford our graduates with immediate employment opportunities. Exciting times to be a Buc!”
The acquisition also brings exciting opportunities for veterans enrolled at CSU. Veterans will soon be able to apply U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Post 9/11 benefits to private pilot flight training. Owning the flight school also makes the professional pilot program eligible to be considered for approval to enroll international students through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Through diligent efforts, CSU is working with Congress for additional equipment funding that will increase the training pipeline capacity and enhance the degree program experience. Richardson said that formal partnerships are also in the queue. “In the future, expect to see program additions and expansions as CSU Aeronautics leads the way in collegiate flight training in South Carolina.”
“ As a university, we remain committed to offering educational opportunities which will afford our graduates with immediate employment opportunities. Exciting times to be a Buc! ”
— Dean Murphy, CSU Board Chair
CSU under construction
CSU’s STEM-program growth prompts building expansion
By Jenna Johnson
Charleston Southern will complete its second construction phase to fill out the 28,000-square-foot science and engineering building. In conjunction with CSU’s rapid growth in engineering and aeronautics, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the next phase of the project with completion expected this summer.
“We are thrilled to continue building— both figuratively and literally—for programs that attract and engage servant-minded, scholarly leaders who are seeking careers in high-demand fields,” President Keith Faulkner said. “The growth we continue to experience in programs such as aeronautics, cybersecurity, engineering, and other STEM-focused degrees are matching the demands of the marketplace. Our goal is to launch these students into the world to positively impact their areas of influence while fulfilling their purpose.”
The first phase of the science and engineering building was completed in 2021, with classrooms and office space. The second phase will house South Carolina’s only four-year collegiate aeronautics program, flight simulators and labs, additional labs to support engineering and cell genetics, and classroom auditoriums.
Aeronautics
Currently, the aeronautics program, which began in fall 2021, is housed in a hall on the other side of campus. The simulation lab, office space, and classrooms will relocate to a wing of the new building, which will allow continued expansion of this popular and in-demand program.
“In three short years, the aeronautics program has experienced tremendous growth—which will only continue to climb,” said Dr. Michael Wilder, CSU provost and vice president for academic affairs. “The faculty in this program are all retired combat-seasoned aviators with over 20 years of service and education in flight. Our students are getting top-tier educational flight experience. Whether they are flying or managing, they will be the best of the best in commercial, military, or corporate settings.”
CSU saw a 33% increase in enrollment within aeronautics this year. There are three options available within the program: professional pilot, aerospace management, and aviation maintenance management. The latter is a unique opportunity for those who would like to start with a 2-year program at Trident Tech and transfer into a 100% online format at CSU.
Engineering
In fall 2019, the College of Science and Mathematics launched a Bachelor of Science in engineering to meet the industry demand locally and nationally for engineers. Recent studies have shown that the need for engineers in the South Carolina Lowcountry and across the region is exploding.
Three engineering options are available to students at CSU, with concentrations in computer, electrical, and mechanical. Graduates have their pick of companies in the Charleston area—such as Boeing, Bosch, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo.
Rendering of science and engineering building.
Graphics by Zoe Ganiszewski
CSU’s Impact
CSU has nearly quarter billion-dollar impact on state’s economy, study says
By Jenna Johnson
Charleston Southern University has a $235.7 million impact on South Carolina’s economy annually, according to a new study released by the Lilly Consulting Group. This impact, driven by university operations and labor, capital investment, and student and visitor spending, supports 1,624 jobs in the Palmetto State.
“Charleston Southern University is a powerful economic engine for the Lowcountry and the state of South Carolina,” David Lilly, founder and principal consultant with the Lilly Consulting Group, said. “Through job creation, student and visitor spending, and long-term
investments, CSU is not just shaping future leaders—it’s strengthening communities and driving economic growth across the region.”
Celebrating its 60th year as a higher education institution, Charleston Southern—formerly Baptist College at Charleston—has grown considerably since its first year with 588 students. In 2024, the university saw record enrollment with nearly 3,900 students. More than threequarters of this year’s freshman class call South Carolina home (79%), with 43% of the total population hailing from the Charleston Metro area.
The university expects continued growth, projecting to hit more than 4,000 in enrollment this fall. CSU has also seen record residential numbers for several years, exceeding housing goals and accommodating residents in the on-campus Wingate Hotel. Thanks to this considerable growth, CSU will be completing many capital projects in the next 18 months, including phase two completion of the science and engineering academic building, a major dining hall renovation, and the groundbreaking of a new residence hall.
world as the hands and feet of Christ. We have and will continue to meet the critical needs of the workforce of tomorrow for the Lowcountry and beyond. The best is yet to come for our university and for our region.”
Charleston Southern continues its deepest imprint in the Charleston Metro area, with a $159.4 million annual economic impact in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. According to the study, CSU generates nearly $35 million in tax revenue, with $13 million of that going to local communities and the state.
partnerships that build internships for CSU students and learning opportunities for employees through tuition discounts and corporate reimbursement programs. Business partners include Boeing, Kion, SixAxis, and SC Ports Authority, among others. CSU’s commitment to initiatives that promote growth and meet demand of Charleston area industries assist in retaining highly skilled Buccaneers in this region.
“The results of the recent study come as no surprise to those of us who are familiar with
$235.7 million. CSU’s impact on South Carolina’s economy annually.
Jobs supported by CSU in the Palmetto State.
1,624
$159.4
“As a direct product of our transformative, faith-filled, and purposeful educational model, Charleston Southern University students are prepared to make an impact in our region and state. I am thrilled that the results of the study have proven what I already knew to be true—that our university is a thriving, vibrant educational pillar in this state and in the Lowcountry,” said President B. Keith Faulkner, the first alumnus to serve as president of the university. “CSU’s mission to promote academic excellence in a Christian environment provides the fuel to graduate men and women ready to influence their chosen professions and the
CSU drives regional economic growth through job creation, student and visitor spending, and long-term investments.
million. CSU’s annual economic impact in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties.
U.S. Senator Tim Scott, a 1988 CSU political science graduate, said, “As a proud Charleston Southern alum, it is an honor and a privilege that it continues to be a first-class university. This esteemed institution not only enriches South Carolina through its commitment to education, but it also serves as a powerful engine for economic growth in the local community. I look forward to future years of growth that will no doubt lead to an influx of investment, innovation, and local partnerships that benefit the entire state.”
CSU has long bolstered relationships with regional and global industry through corporate
Charleston Southern University and who have resided, as have I, in the Lowcountry for decades,” said CSU Board Chair Dean Murphy. “CSU’s stated mission is to promote academic excellence in a Christian environment, and as our graduates enter the job market in the Tricounty area and elsewhere, the worth of such a foundation is made manifest to all. CSU’s impact is not just measured in terms of dollars and cents, and while that is substantial as the recent study clearly shows, the real impact is measured by lives changed and transformed as our graduates interact with others in their chosen professions.”
Faulkner named to Charleston’s influential list
By Kaia Thomson | Photo by Ty Cornett
President B. Keith Faulkner ’98 was named one of Charleston’s 50 Most Influential for 2024. This honor highlights his commitment to the university, his leadership, innovative initiatives to improve the student experience, his unwavering faith that guides his decisions, and his service to the Charleston community. We are blessed to have him serve as our president and know that his influence will continue to transform the lives at CSU, and the community for years to come.
CSU Alumni & Affiliates also named to list:
- Bernie Mazyck ’81 – president and CEO, South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development
- Trent Holland – senior managing director, South Carolina Huntington Bank, executive council of the CSU Board of Visitors
- Scott Woods – former CSU Board of Trustees member
Six-time OCC winners
By Jan Joslin | Photo by Dan Steffy
It’s official – Charleston Southern has packed the most Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes of any college or university in the U.S. for the sixth year in a row.
This year is Charleston Southern’s 13th year of packing as a university. Since 2019, the CSU family has packed 63,388 boxes for children around the world. Total number of boxes packed for 2024 is 13,670.
Jody Jennings, vice president for student life and dean of students, said, “Every box packed is an opportunity for someone to hear the Gospel. Reaching our goal represents sending the Good News of Jesus to 13,670 people across the globe. CSU students, faculty, and staff can celebrate the impact they are having around the world.”
The campus works on collecting supplies and donations throughout the year. Two big events are conducted in November each year. Students, clubs and organizations, residence halls, and faculty and staff departments bring their boxes on OCC Collection Day.
The remainder of the shoeboxes are filled at the OCC Packing Party. More than 500 students, staff, faculty, and community and family members gathered to complete the packing.
Top Individual Student Packers:
• DJ Brummett, a two-time winner, junior aeronautics – professional pilot major
• Krystal Guntinas, senior nursing major
President B. Keith Faulkner
Students gather for the annual packing party in November.
Fun fact
Alyssa manages five Instagram and two TikTok accounts:
@passioncity
@passioncityatlanta
@passion268
@passion.crtv
@passion_camp
@passionconferences
@passioncitychurch
Alumni Creators
Internships land Weeks in large
Juggling content at a huge event
role
Alyssa Weeks ’22
Communication Studies major,
Graphic Design minor
Social Media Coordinator, Passion City Church, Atlanta, and Passion Conference
Working with Passion City Church and Passion Conference
I’ve spent the last two and a half years as the social media coordinator for Passion City Church and Passion Conferences in Atlanta, and it has been a dream job. One of the most incredible things about working here is the intentionality behind everything we do—from signs and communication to design and experience. Creativity matters because it reflects the beauty of our Creator. But more than anything, our heart and desire is for people to meet Jesus. It’s a fast-paced, exciting place to work, where we see our work as worship, done to honor God. At the same time, we value rest and Sabbath, making sure each staff member’s growth and well-being are a priority. It’s truly a special place to be.
Smalls carrying on a family legacy
Antwan Smalls ’02
Business Administration major, computer science minor
Chef at My Three Sons, Cake Daddy, U.S. Army Reserve
Juggling content for a massive event like Passion Conference is no small task! During Passion 2025, we gathered around 40,000 young adults from around the world. Our team created and posted over 100 pieces of content in just eight days—it was intense.
My role involved managing all the content being created, casting vision, giving direction, getting approvals, writing captions, capturing Instagram stories, creating and editing TikToks, responding to direct messages, and posting everything across Instagram and TikTok. On top of that, I sorted through thousands and thousands of photos to find the best ones to post.
We brainstormed extensively and built a content schedule to guide us. But we also stayed flexible, following the Holy Spirit’s leading. Some of our most powerful posts weren’t planned at all; they were captured in the moment, and that’s what made them so special.
Relying on best journalistic practices
Strong storytelling, AP style and grammar, understanding the audience, timeliness, and engaging visuals are key to how we create content for social media. But beyond just following best practices, our ultimate goal is to bring glory to God and help people meet Jesus through what we share.
Details matter, from maintaining proper grammar to avoiding typos, because excellence reflects the God we serve. Engaging visuals also play a huge role in how we communicate. Thoughtfully designed content captures attention, helps communicate a message clearly, and ultimately invites people into what God is doing.
My favorite part of my job
Whether it’s through a caption, a photo, or a video, I love capturing moments that highlight God’s faithfulness and goodness. It’s incredible to see how something as simple as a post can encourage someone, spark a conversation, or be the reminder they need in the moment. We’re not just creating content: we’re creating moments that invite people to encounter Him, and that’s what makes this job so meaningful.
How my classes shaped me
One of the reasons I was able to be considered for this job was because of all the internships I had done that CSU required/encouraged. Dr. Jason Peterson’s writing, reporting, and editing courses equipped me for the countless captions I write, the grammar I finetune in speaker clips, and even the way I communicate with my team. Andrea Glover’s teachings on Adobe Creative Suite and design gave me a strong foundation, allowing me to quickly adapt and create graphics at the level of excellence expected at Passion.
Restaurant start at 13
I started working at Alice’s Fine Foods as a dishwasher at the age of 13. My mother was working for Ms. Alice when she got out of the U.S. Army and one day picking her up from work Ms. Alice asked her if I wanted to work. Ms. Alice had several restaurants throughout Charleston and North Charleston. Ms. Alice was very instrumental in my passion for cooking but more inspirational in her Love for people and community.
The birth of My Three Sons
My Three Sons was started by my mother (Lorraine) for me and my two
brothers (Sedale and Courtenay). We have been featured in The Post and Courier, The Chronicle, Charleston Magazine, The Charleston City Paper, Travel and Leisure magazine, Southern Living magazine, Taste the Nation (Hulu), Eater publication, local news stations, Charleston Food and Wine Festival, Black Restaurant Week, Heinz Black Kitchen Initiative, and collaboration with celebrity chef Marcus Samuelson just to name a few.
Gullah Geechee Legacy
Charleston played a major role in the history of our country. We at MTSOC take our role in preserving and promot-
Smalls continued
ing Southern Gullah Cuisine by showcasing the rich culinary traditions of the Gullah Geechee people. The traditions and recipes have been passed down from generations, and it’s truly up to us to carry on the legacy of those before us. Charleston has been recognized around the world as a place for good food and Southern hospitality. With so many food options here we pride ourselves on offering the best food made with Love and service with a smile.
Becoming the Cake Daddy
I am an avid lover of sweets. I didn’t bake my first cake from scratch until 2009. I always wanted to be a pitmaster because I love BBQ and would always get stuck on the grill for family functions. I made my first cake as a challenge and never looked back. Until
Performing crazy stunts for good
Shayne Boyle ’22
Marketing major
Social media, crazy sports stunts
Catching things in my mouth
I always knew when I was little I was good at catching grapes and food at hibachi restaurants. We made videos as a joke on social media freshman year (some videos around CSU even). And junior-senior year of college we started making more food trick shot videos along with a lot of football ones.
I had kids all my cakes were considered my kids. It was only fitting to be called Cake Daddy. My love for baking and making sweet treats has grown beyond anything I could have imagined. Customers come in just for the sweet treats and might get a piece of chicken or something else. Ace’s Sweet Shop will be up and running soon. I have named my son, Ace, Cake Baby because he has become obsessed with baking cakes.
Serving in the reserves
I am in the U.S. Army Reserve, and I just hit 16 years of total service. The flexibility that the Reserves offers if I have a conflict is unmatched. I will be pinning on Major soon and looking forward to continuing serving. Running a restaurant and being in the military has been truly rewarding. I am
Social media as a living
When I got more into social media, I did believe that it was going to work out and God had a plan for it, but I did not know it would be specifically for catching food in my gullet. It is definitely a blessing, me and my friends get to mess around, play sports, and make jokes for a living.
Best experiences
Some of my favorite experiences I’ve had because of social media so far have been going on “America’s Got Talent,” collabing with the Blue Man Group, doing live halftime shows and going to a lot of other fun sports/entertainment events.
The CSU connection
My two friends who work full time with me, Jake Ajemian ’22 and Max Tate, also went to CSU. And I had a lot of help from so many other friends and my girlfriend, Lauren Rowe ’23, that either went to or currently go to CSU.
Take the risk
If you feel that God has placed a dream on your heart: trust in Him and keep Jesus first, work super hard toward it, and don’t be afraid to fail. Most amazing accomplishments involve taking a risk, so you can’t let people’s opin-
able to use my skill set interchangeably between the two. I think I have finally found the balance between the two. While I was mobilized to Kuwait I was able to contribute to the restaurant my entire time away. My staff has truly made balancing the two a smooth transition.
My inspiration
I enjoy traveling and running different races around the country. I have a two-year-old son, Ace Kanon Smalls, who has become my inspiration in all that I do. I am looking forward to the day where I have several products in stores and multiple locations. While at CSU I played football from 1997-2001 and am a founding member of Psi Delta Delta Chapter, founded in 2002, of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
ions or fear stop you. Most of my videos are super silly, but I believe God is using me and my friends’ unique talents and skills to entertain people, use my platform for good, and give credit and honor to Him.
Supporting my dream
I am very grateful to have an amazing family, girlfriend, and friends all around me who have helped me grow in my faith as well as being super supportive of my dream and helping in any ways they can.
Smalls and Robert Irvine
Alumni Creators Making the world accessible
Jewel Sweeney ’07
Physical education major, youth ministry minor Executive Director of E.A.S.E., Inc., Author
Founding
E.A.S.E.,
Inc.
E.A.S.E., Inc. (Equal Accessibility & Support Everywhere) is a nonprofit bridging the communication gaps between the hearing and the d/Deaf/ Hard of Hearing/DeafBlind communities through education, advocacy, and compassionate service. We encourage, inspire, and empower the community at large to join in the work of accessibility and build a more cohesive community. I was in the process of attaining my deaf studies degree from Carolina University with an emphasis on interpreting. Through the time in classes and getting into the local d/Deaf community I saw that we do, indeed, need more qualified ASL interpreters, but we need more
than that. Unless someone has been personally affected by a topic, typically they don’t think about it. Accessibility with the d/Deaf community has always been placed on the shoulders of the d/Deaf community. However, if the entire community focused on access and accommodations, the world will be more accessible for everyone. I founded E.A.S.E. to create access when interpreters aren’t around. We provide advocacy through education. My hope is that when we learn more, we’ll do more.
Becoming an author
I look back at my childhood and can see how I always enjoyed writing. I
just never thought anyone would enjoy it. It wasn’t until I was married that my husband encouraged me to pursue the idea more.
Figuring
out book ideas
My children’s books were easy to figure out. They’re based on my two children. The Adventures of Bugaboo & Ladybug are all about a brother sister duo who take everyday situations and turn them into great adventures. When I was writing the books, I would finish a story and give it to my son. He would read it to his sister. If they weren’t acting out the book within the first 24 hours, I knew it was a flop. Really those books just show the fun my children have had with their amazing imaginations. I was just blessed enough to have the pen and paper ready while they were playing.
My teen fiction is based on the idea that people are multifaceted. When I was in high school, I felt pigeonholed. I was only supposed to be good at one thing and stick to that one thing. I wanted to be more than that. My hope is that when teens read these books they see that they can be good at sports, really smart, and have fun with friends that don’t do the exact same things that they do. Variety is the spice of life, as they say. Also, I wanted to write to the kid who is afraid to step out and be all those things. I want to encourage people to challenge themselves.
For my women’s fiction, I just enjoy a good, easy read. I write what I want to read. I keep things clean. I write happy endings, and not so happy endings. My nonfiction is what God gives me. Something will pop out and smack me in the face. It might be societal/ current events or Scripture. I’ll think, if this is eye opening for me, it might be eye opening for others. After some prayer, I’ll follow the Lord in where he leads me in the writing.
Juggling different roles
One day I heard a story, and I wish I could remember who shared it, but a woman was talking about all the balls she has to juggle in her life. She realized at one point that some of the balls were glass, while others were plastic. If she dropped a glass ball, there would
be consequences and clean up. However, if she dropped a plastic ball, it might bounce away, but it was still a whole ball. She could add it back to the mix later. That was a bit of my aha! moment. Between being a founder and executive director of a nonprofit, writing books, and homeschooling two wonderful children, I have learned which items are glass and which are plastic. I think a few people in my life would argue that I juggle too much most of the time, but it keeps me on my toes (and I sleep well at night!).
I think learning to balance has been a great gift. If I can manage my time well, keep up with relationships, and eat three meals a day, then I am blessed. It wasn’t my intention to live a life like this. My dreams were quite different when I was younger. But, I was also trying to be who everyone else was telling me to be. Setting aside other people’s expectations opened the doors for me to explore what I want out of life and who God made me to be. I am extremely blessed to have these paths before me. I’m grateful that I can write a book when I have the time and stick it on the backburner when I need to.
Our family
I am married to Charlie Sweeney (received his Master of Education degree from CSU in 2015). I have two wonderful children: Caleb, 14, and AJ, 10. We live in Summerville with our rambunctious pup, Jersey.
Putting in the work
Tessa Spencer Adams ’90
Communication and theatre major, Spanish minor
Anchor, WCIV ABC News 4; radio personality, voice over artist, U.S. Army Reserve veteran
Dream job?
I started out as a Spanish major. I wanted to teach high school Spanish!
Changing media
The biggest changes in media have come since we entered the digital era. There are more ways to reach larger audiences. News/music consumers now have access through streaming, social media, podcasts and the like.
Getting into media
The advice I give is do your research. Make sure that you are getting into media to provide a service. Many start out with the idea that working in media is glamorous. No. It’s real work. Try to make a connection in the area that you’d like to work in and ask if you can shadow that person for a day or two. You may find being a director or producer is a better fit than a career as a reporter/anchor. And most importantly: PUT IN THE WORK!
Important skill
An important skill set to have— master writing! You’d be surprised the number of recent college grads who haven’t mastered the basic rules of writing.
My family
My husband will earn his Master of Science in criminal justice from CSU in May 2025. I have two grown sons: James and Julian, and Kobe, a twoyear-old mini goldendoodle. I’m also learning how to play the drums!
Supporting ministries, spreading kindness
Supporting those in ministry
I saw a need in the church to grow in the areas of first impressions, hospitality, and guest services, so I started the First Impressions Conference in 2017. At the same time, I started dreaming about supporting pastors and churches in business to supplement their income and started dreaming about EntreChurch then.
We went public with EntreChurch in 2022, and we were invited to present at the Exponential Shark Tank in 2024, where we won a grant.
Challenges facing traditional churches
The biggest challenge facing traditional churches today is a lack of finances to support the ministry. There are going to be 15,000 churches close in America this year. We help churches not only survive—but thrive.
Secret shopper at church
I had a mentor who ran a large church planting organization tell me I should be a secret shopper for churches and wrote my first endorsement. It kind of blew up from that. I think I’m always surprised how churches can miss the importance of a well thought out guest services ministry.
Greg Atkinson ’97
Church music major, religion minor
Founder & CEO, Greg Atkinson Consulting, LLC, and EntreChurch
The need for kindness
I wrote a book called The Secret Power of Kindness: 10 Keys to Unlocking Your Capacity to Change the World. I reflected on what our country needed after 2020 and all that went with it, and I wrote a book on kindness that shares my own story of trauma, abuse, and forgiveness. I’ve been very pleased with how it resonates with readers around the world.
My family
I have three adult kids now. Two are in college, one graduating this year, and my oldest is in grad school getting her PhD.
Alumni Creators
Romanian mission trip changed our lives
Kelli ’05 and Trey ’05 Ingram
Kelli, social studies education major/Trey, sociology major, business administration, psychology, and religion minors
Social
Media Influencer and Attorney/Business Owner
How it started
Trey and I were in a math class together freshman year but didn’t have another class together until the summer before our senior year. It was a psychology class that met during the summer for two weeks where we studied the effects of abandonment on orphans. Then we traveled as a group to Romania to minister to and learn more about orphans. What we saw there was unforgettable and honestly, life changing for us. The conditions that those babies and children lived in were horrific, and it was painful to see it and just leave them there living like that. That trip ended up showing us our callings in more ways than one.
We both knew
1. We wanted to marry each other!
2. We wanted to be involved in foster care and adoption in some way as a married couple.
3. Trey wanted to apply to law school so that he could help people adopt children.
In those 10 days, Trey and I fell in love, came home, went shopping for engagement rings and got engaged a month later. We planned our wedding during our senior year and were married the weekend after graduation. We will celebrate 20 wonderful years of marriage this May!
We have eight children, six by birth and two through adoption, and we’re thrilled to be expecting our ninth this summer!
Funny fact, one of the professors who was on the trip with us threatened to give both of us failing grades for the class once we were home because we apparently broke the “no dating relationships” on the trip policy. In the end, I think we both got As.
Social media presence
It’s been so fun to have a platform to promote Jesus, marriage, and motherhood. I’ve had an online presence ever since our first child was born back in 2009, and then it was more
blogging. Then Instagram got big, and I just slowly grew my following to where it is today. I think it’s important to show that happy, healthy, thriving families with a lot of kids can exist. We really want to be a light and bring a positive message to the culture. There’s a lot of dark, depressing, and degrading content out there so we like to counteract that by sharing the hope we have in Jesus. We are very prolife, profamily, promarriage and proadoption, and those are the main messages in our content.
My Instagram is also a great blessing to our family monetarily as well. I share many of the products we use, clothes we wear, gift guides that I create, and I make commissions when followers buy those products. I also get to work with different brands who pay me to promote their products. I’m pretty picky about who I choose to partner with and only promote things I love and think my audience will love, too. It’s a lot of work, but I really do love creating content, and I love that it’s something I can do from home while being with my children!
Handling the brutal
It’s been very eye opening to say the least. I never realized how many people hate large families and don’t see the blessing of children. When my account really started growing and my videos were going viral, I dealt with a lot of hateful comments and dms, and honestly, I still do every day, but it has given me a very unique perspective and it’s one that I share with my children all the time. “Hurt people hurt people” and when many of these people see a genuinely happy family on the internet, they don’t know how to handle it. They’re wallowing so deeply in their own pain that the only thing that makes them feel a little better is to put others down. It’s true, maybe some just really don’t like my outlook or my content and that’s totally fine, but the majority of them are hurting people who need Jesus. My skin has gotten so much thicker these past few years, and I’ve learned to not let it bother me, which is such a blessing!
Protecting our children
Our children do not have social media accounts, but they are very present in my content. They don’t use or scroll any social media apps. We just don’t see any value in it at their ages (15 down to 3). It’s hard enough to process it all in a healthy way as a grown adult, and there’s no way a young teen or child can sift through all the terrible content that’s out there. We want to protect them for as long as possible. I’m very careful with what I share about them and have probably become even more private as they’ve gotten older. I want to respect their privacy and not share intimate details about their lives with hundreds of thousands, at times millions, of people.
The
beautiful I get messages every day from people encouraging me and thanking me, and it’s so incredible! My favorite messages are when women tell me that they decided to have another baby, or they are going to start the adoption process after hearing our story. That always just spurs me on to keep doing what I’m doing!
Advocating for South Carolina children
Trey has been very instrumental in helping children in foster care in the state of South Carolina. He worked on multiple bills over the years that have been signed into law by former Gov. Nikki Haley and Gov. Henry McMaster. Perhaps the most impactful was a law that allows a parent who loses temporary custody of their children to the Department of Social Services the ability to still choose adoption for their child by someone other than DSS. He has also helped change SC laws to (i) clarify who can adopt in SC, (ii) increase the size a foster family is allowed to be, and (iii) expand the authority of the foster parent.
He is primarily a business owner, co-owning a real estate closing firm that operates all over the state, but he also loves to help families finalize adoptions in court. Seeing children achieve permanency with a loving family brings him great joy, and he is honored to get to play a role.
Turning creativity into a career
Publishing my first book
I started writing All Roads Lead to Dockweiler: Devotions from the Ocean in the City of Angels in 2016, after moving back to Charleston from Los Angeles. I had been writing for a surf/skate/ snowboard storage company website, as well as blogging about surfing and its connection to life and spirituality for a few years. The real crux of the journey, however, is that I was freshly back in Charleston but deeply missing Los Angeles, much of which was because of surfing (the waves are better in LA), but also the loss of dreams, friendships and the city itself. So, it is largely about letting go when life takes you somewhere you may have not expected.
Writing All Roads was the most fun I had ever had writing, but when I finished, I didn’t really know what to do with it! It was part memoir, part practical surf instruction, and part Christian devotional —and it came with a music album too! It sat on my computer until 2020, when I dug it up again to do another draft. I pitched it to Peter Harmon (one of my favorite writers), and he ended up loving the manuscript, as well as its connection to my music project, Yonder Breaks. He decided he wanted to publish it under his High Dive Publishing moniker!
Creativity as a career
I’ve spent my entire adult life trying to pursue creativity as a career, which has been a winding road for sure! Back in 2008 this meant filmmaking, which led to a focus on screenwriting. After several years of working in the industry, I started my first novel in 2014, though it was also around then that I felt a strong call to music. I had been writing songs since high school, played in a few bands, but never really took it all that seriously. But when you feel like God has asked you to head in a certain direction, you listen! It has
Rick Bickerstaff ’08
Communication major, religion minor Filmmaker, screenwriter, songwriter, musician, author
been a slow road, but I have seen a lot of fruit and met some great professionals along the way who have shown me different aspects of the industry. Lately, I spend most of my time working on producing music (mine and others), as well as the content creation and the administrative tasks necessary to support that role.
Creative work rarely pays all the bills, and so I have a part-time job at Delta Air Lines working on the ramp. This job tends to have quite a bit of downtime involved, and so I write books in-between flights, which is something I never stopped doing, even after the focus became music. Much of the drafts for All Roads Lead to Dockweiler were completed in that break room at LAX!
As for my favorite, I think it’s working with words that I just love. Lyrics are my favorite part of creating music, and of course writing prose or nonfiction is more of the same. I love the pace of written word, the time it takes to collect it and the ability to constantly rework what you’ve written, increasing its impact and flow. It is just so fun to share ideas and stories that entertain and/or inspire through written word, be it in music or on the page.
West Coast vs. East Coast
Southern California is such a dream, but it took me a while to really appreciate it. I came out here in 2008 for my last semester of college through a program called the Los Angeles Film Studies Center. Back then, I can’t say that I really enjoyed LA — it was too big city for me. But as soon as I came back to Charleston after that semester ended, I inexplicably began to miss it! I spent the next year saving up to move back to LA and pursue that filmmaking dream. But even after arriving, I found myself thinking quite negatively about living here: smog, traffic, the expense, everything being so dry and brown (it is a desert, after all).
After seven years, getting married and having two kids, we decided to go back to Charleston again. As soon as we got to South Carolina, I started dreaming about California! The beaches, the cool air that always feels like fall and smells so sweet in the spring, the culture and, most of all, our friends. When you leave your hometown for someplace far away, your friends become more like family. We had spent seven years developing relationships with folks who also left their hometowns, and so we shared a bond that can only happen in those types of circumstances. So we came back again after two more years.
My ideal job
I love being home and working on creative projects so much that I would be extremely happy to wake up every day to write and produce music at my home studio, while also writing books in-between. I have a dream of releas ing music and written content togeth er, which All Roads Lead to Dockweiler accomplishes (you get a free download of my album, “Golden Coast Summer time” when you purchase). My day job at Delta (which is something I started in Charleston thanks to my friend and fellow musician, Chris Baur ’06) has turned out not to be a bad gig. I get to work outside, it is physical and so I am getting exercise every day, and I also get to work with big cool jet planes! The job includes flight benefits, so my family and I get to travel quite a bit!
My inspiration
My family is such an inspira tion for all of this, and the book is dedicated to my wife (CSU alum ’09), who has been endlessly sup portive of my entire creative journey. My website (www.yonderbreaks. com) description reads “Beachy folk music from a Stay-at-home Dad.” It was an interesting realization
when, after spending so many years pursuing creative projects as a career, being a stay-at-home dad turned out to be my favorite job. It flips the whole career fulfillment thing on its head! As a result, I have lots of songs about the kids, about going to work and missing them, questioning if I’m being a good father or husband, and whether I have any of this life balance thing figured out. It’s something I think everyone with kids can relate to, but isn’t always vocalized in music or media, which is where I hope my stories and songs can fit in. As far as the book goes, the fourth section of it is titled “Fatherhood,” and was written about my years of going from working at NBCUniversal and surfing as much as I possibly could, to staying home with the kids and still trying to surf as much as I possibly could! You can imagine the tension that goes on there, which again, I think is relatable, even
Ayer returns to CSU as head of undergrad enrollment
By Jan Joslin | Photo by Dan Steffy
Former Buccaneer Bryan Ayer ’11 has returned to CSU to lead the undergraduate enrollment team as executive director. After graduation he spent 10 years as an employee in the registrar’s and enrollment offices. He then worked for the City of North Charleston for two years.
Ayer felt the Lord drawing him back to Charleston Southern. He said, “I had heard of the incredible momentum of President Faulkner’s arrival, and I wanted to know more.” He said being part of a student’s story is a privilege, and he is committed to lead the enrollment team in helping students encounter Jesus during their admittance journey to CSU.
He also serves as a pastor of Holmes Avenue Baptist Church in North Charleston. “We’re seeing the Lord do some amazing things,” he said. Ayer holds a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Miranda, a 2017 CSU Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduate, have two children.
The first CSU alumni jazz band honors Sterbank’s 25th year at CSU
By John Kerrigan | Photo by Dan Steffy
On February 17 the first CSU Alumni Jazz Band put on a surprise performance to celebrate Professor Mark Sterbank’s 25th year and 50th jazz ensemble at CSU.
Sterbank, a professor of music, teaches studio saxophone and directs the jazz ensembles on campus. As a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and University of New Orleans, Sterbank is well known in the Charleston music scene playing lead tenor saxophone for the Charleston Jazz Orchestra. He also plays regularly with Grammy winning artists Charlton Singleton and Quenton Baxter.
The Alumni Jazz Band was led by recent alumnus Jonnie Amado, who is a music teacher at Eagle Nest Elementary. He put together a band of musicians with representation from almost every ensemble that Sterbank has instructed in his 25 years at CSU.
“Sterbank has had a huge impact on my life, and by the looks of yesterday, the lives of many others. He is a truly passionate teacher and wonderful friend. It’s the whole reason why I put the alumni band together,” Amado said.
Members of the band came from all over
South Carolina, with a few coming from Georgia and even one from Wisconsin to surprise their former professor.
During the concert, Sterbank was invited on stage to conduct the last song that the alumni band played. He said the effort put into honoring him was “humbling.”
Amado, who graduated in 2024, said it took almost a year to put the concert together, calling about 50 different former students of Sterbank’s. He even got Sterbank’s wife in on the surprise. The band had a rehearsal a day before the concert, and a dress rehearsal the day of the concert then put on the surprise performance for Sterbank.
“To put something like this together shows the kind of students he created as well as the kind of person he is, someone who lives through Christ every day,” Amado said.
CSU’s official 50th Jazz Ensemble concert under Sterbank on March 25 paid tribute to the first 49 bands by playing some of the best arrangements played throughout the years, including a couple tunes played by the very first band on their set list.
Jonnie Amado directs the Alumni Jazz Band created to surprise Mark Sterbank.
Bryan Ayer
Emory Hiott named Breland/Adams Chair
By Kaia Thomson | Photo by Dan Steffy
Dr. Emory Hiott ’14 MBA, assistant professor of marketing, was named the Royce W. Breland Jr./Harold H. Adams Jr. Endowed Chair of Business in the Nielsen College of Business in the fall.
The selection committee chose Hiott based on her recent research activities in subjects like AI and because of her interests in future research that matches the described expectations of the chair. This position is the first research endowed chair in the Nielsen College of Business.
Hiott said, “It is incredible to have financially backed research that will hopefully provide practical solutions for businesses and fill a niche in academic literature that will get CSU’s name out there.”
Palmetto Academic Excellence + CSU
SEFER rebranded as Olive & Ash
By Luke Rodgers
Since the ’70s, the university’s literary magazine, SEFER, has been an extraordinary outlet for CSU’s creative community to express their artistic talents and testimonies. Going forward, the magazine will continue to provide this same opportunity for students but under a new identity: Olive & Ash. In recent years, the publication has been a project of the English Department.
Do you know a student who qualifies for Palmetto Academic Excellence? Share this info with them.
Eligible students who qualify for both the Palmetto Fellows Enhancement Scholarship and the federal Pell Grant will have full tuition covered for all four years plus housing and meal costs covered for sophomore, junior, and senior years.
Learn more about this award and the Buc Promise program at charlestonsouthern.edu/PAE.
After careful consideration by faculty, editors, and students alike, the magazine was adapted to reflect a more modern look and feel. According to Professor Daniel Leach, the magazine’s faculty supervisor, the new name is meant to be “more contemporary, more accessible, and more ambiguous.”
Current Managing Editor Kayla Lass came up with the new name because the olive and ash are closely intertwined with the Scriptures
and more recognizably Christian than the previous name. She said, “[We] wanted something that felt more professional and creative while continuing to draw on the Christian nature of the school.”
More than just a name, Olive & Ash brings a whole new look to the magazine, courtesy of fall 2024 graduate Belle Lewis, who designed the new logo and assisted with creating the new aesthetic for the upcoming print journal.
Graphic design by Daniel Taylor
Dr. Emory Hiott teaches a marketing class.
Coming full circle
By Jennifer Whatley Govea ’97
Growing up, I was active in Mission Friends, Girls in Action, and Acteens in church. On a weekly basis, we would pray for missionaries across the country and around the world. Every Easter and Christmas, our church would join other Southern Baptist churches to pray and give toward the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering to support mission work.
Fast forward to just after college graduation, and I went to Mexico as an International Mission Board ISC missionary, where I soon met my husband. Two years later, I started working at the North American Mission Board in Alpharetta, Georgia. Slowly, but surely, we started translating content for NAMB to the point that I left my position there, and my husband, Enrique, and I started our own translation business, Multitude Languages.
We started out with manuals, workbooks, websites, and brochures in Spanish, but God continued to bless our business to now include books, Bible studies, and videos on a weekly basis in many, many languages. While our main focus is ASL, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish, we have translated materials in Swahili, Karen, Haitian Creole, Amharic, and Kinyarwanda.
I consider it a full circle moment that the little girl in church praying for missionaries not only grew up to work for both missions’ agencies but also now provides the language content for the Annie Armstrong and Lottie
Fast Facts:
• I was part of the first study abroad program in summer 1997 under Dr. Pamela Peek’s leadership.
• We provide translation services (subtitles, dubbing, voiceover, books, websites, manuals, bulletins, etc.) to the IMB, NAMB, ERLC, WMU, Saddleback Church, Brooklyn Tabernacle, and other ministries and churches.
Moon offerings for ethnic churches in our nation. We translate lead pastors and CSU alumni, Andy and Stacie Wood’s, sermons from Saddleback Church on a weekly basis so that their Spanish campuses can watch the message in their heart language.
There are lots of believers with a heart to volunteer and help translate, but they don’t always have the dedicated time, training, nor tools for this profession. And there are lots of expert translators out there with all the knowledge, but not the theological background to translate such important content where making sure each word is accurate is key. Our business helps ministries and organizations by collaborating with highly trained language experts who are Christians and know the nuances of our faith, which Bible version to use, etc.
It is a great joy to wake up every day with meaning, working alongside my husband to provide relevant Bible teachings in other languages for the purpose of expanding God’s Kingdom.
• We served as church planters to Costa Rica from 2011-2013. I was the preschool director.
• We served on staff at Rock Bridge Community Church in Dalton, Georgia, from 2013-2018.
• The knowledge that I gained from CSU in business helps us to run our own company. What I learned in Spanish and also French helps me with my daily responsibilities at work.
Monty Self named new director of Dewey Center for Chaplaincy
By Jan Joslin | Photo by Dan Steffy
Chaplain Monty Self is the new director of the Dewey Center for Chaplaincy. Prior to CSU, Self served at Baptist Health, a 12-hospital system in Arkansas, where he was a senior staff chaplain and a board-certified healthcare ethics consultant.
With over 33 years of ministerial experience, Self has also contributed to higher education as an administrator and faculty member at institutions such as the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Simmons College of Kentucky, Arkansas Baptist College, and the Kiev Theological Seminary.
Self has facilitated countless field education and practicum experiences for undergraduates and seminarians, preparing the next generation of ministry leaders as part of his passion to bridge the gap between academic learning and ministry.
“Chaplaincy is often a forgotten profession,” Self said.
“Often these faithful ministers feel isolated, and they struggle to get training and support. That is what attracted me to the Dewey Center. I want to invest in those chaplains. I want to promote the profession as well as support those who are out there being faithful in ministry, empowering them as they continue to serve.”
Enrique and Jennifer Govea. Photo provided
Monty Self
CFO Morrison taking on more duties
By Jan Joslin | Photo by Dan Steffy
Shannon Morrison, vice president for finance and chief financial officer, is transitioning to head up the university’s administrative functions while still serving as chief financial officer upon the retirement of VP of business Luke Blackmon.
CSU alum new president of SSU
Dr. Jermaine Whirl ’08 MBA, is the new president of Savannah State University. Previously president of Augusta Technical College, he recently was named to the 2025 Georgia TITAN 100 Hall of Fame. He has served multiple higher education institutions in South Carolina and Georgia. He is an Aspen Fellow, serves on multiple
Morrison joined CSU last summer and has introduced streamlined processes in the areas of human resources, student financial services, business office practices, and more. As her duties expand, she will also oversee contracts, vendor relationships, events, facilities, and IT.
President B. Keith Faulkner said, “We are fortunate to have someone with Shannon’s expertise in finance to lead the university in best practices that impact our students, their families, and our CSU employees.”
She has more than 20 years of experience in finance leadership roles in the banking industry and municipal government. She said, “My role at CSU is to provide financial stability and strategic vision to ensure CSU will be able to carry out its mission for generations to come. The decisions we make today have generational impacts on our children and our children’s children.”
Morrison and her husband, Luke, created The Well, a nonprofit mission organization, which focuses on outreach to homeless, lowincome families, and international missions in
boards, has been chairman of the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Rotary Club of Augusta. He and his wife, Marqueta, have two children.
CSU named a Purple Heart University
By Jan Joslin | Photo by Dan Steffy
Charleston Southern has been named a Purple Heart University, an honor bestowed by the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
Several local Purple Heart recipients attended the Nov. 13, 2024, service at the university. Guest speaker for the event was Dr. Rodney Lewis, retired U.S. Air Force General.
CSU President B. Keith Faulkner, a U.S. Navy veteran, said, “We are honored to proclaim CSU a Purple Heart University. We value our men and women in service currently and those who have been wounded and given the ultimate sacrifice to our country.”
The Purple Heart University designation recognizes the efforts of Charleston Southern in supporting Purple Heart and military-affiliated students in their educational endeavors.
Speaking on behalf of the CSU chapter of the Student Veterans of America, Chapter President Christopher Brabham reminded veteran students, “The world is big. Meet people, network, and most importantly, serve God and stay safe.”
Charleston Southern is also a VA Yellow Ribbon Program university. CSU has been providing educational programs and services to military personnel and their families for over 40 years.
To learn more about military services at Charleston Southern, visit charlestonsouthern. edu/military.
Photo provided by Savannah State University
Shannon Morrison
Dr. Jermaine Whirl
Purple Heart University designation announced at Chapel service.
LAUNCH PAD
Students from multiple colleges worked in Utah with GenSend .
CSU STUDENTS SERVING IN UTAH WITH GENSEND
By Audra Bergevin | Photos provided
Kate Saunders watched out the plane window in anticipation as she got closer to Salt Lake City. She had served there the summer of 2023 with GenSend, a North American Mission Board program that sends young adults to gospel-hungry locations in partnership with church plants across the country. She was returning for spring break, and she could not
have been more excited to return to the people and place she had grown to love so dearly. “I’ve never felt this sense of homecoming before,” she remembers. This feeling of belonging, community, and evangelistic purpose compelled Saunders to commit to Utah as her new home after her graduation with a degree in business administration in December 2024.
Her two summers serving with Redemption Church North Davis in Kaysville, Utah, challenged her conceptions of what serving the local church, sharing the gospel, and living on mission should look like for a believer. God used these experiences to call her into an exciting new stage of ministry. Her confidence in God’s plan for her life is clear: “Even with fear of the unknown, you never doubt it’s the right decision.”
She first heard about the opportunities with GenSend through a CSU chapel where another student who had been to Utah with the program, Mariah Gonzalez ’23, shared her story. Afterward, Saunders went to a lunch held for those interested. She had never been on a formal mission trip before, but she was curious about using her summer for ministry.
Jake Thompson also spent the past two summers in Utah with GenSend. He and Saunders were on the same team in Kaysville their first year, and he was on a team in Ogden this past summer. He has a similar story of how he got connected with the trip. Through talking with Gonzalez, as well as receiving encouragement from others in his life, he took the plunge and joined the team. “I’m an adventurer,” Thompson said. “I love to see new places and have new experiences.”
Preparation before the summer included both GenSend-wide training and meetings with their specific teams. The first year, Saunders was on a team of 10, with seven students from CSU, allowing most of the group to meet on campus during the spring semester. Her team this past year included eight students, with six from CSU, and Thompson’s included six, with four
CSU Students on Summer 2024
GenSend Utah Team
• Grady Bingham
• Anna Blaser
• Ashlyn Bowers
• Griffin Gillespie
• Anthony Jozwick
• Bryson McLemore
• Katelyn Saunders
• Jacob Thompson
• Allison Wade
• Corey Wade
from CSU. This on-campus preparation began developing the relationships that would be further strengthened through serving together.
Once the students arrived in Utah, they spent two days of intensive training in Salt Lake City, discussing the unique cultural and religious context they found themselves in. Team members learned more about the Church of the Latter-Day Saints, whose members comprise a large portion of those living in Utah.
According to pastor of Redemption Church Ogden, Bobby Wood, “Utah is the most lost state in the nation with 98% of the resident population of the state being nonbelievers. Many of our communities have no evangelical churches or maybe a few, so the need for the gospel is great.” Wood is a member of CSU’s Board of Trustees. Saunders and Thompson note the independence GenSend encourages within its training model. Leaders and local pastors give students guidance, but there’s no handholding involved. “You’re basically given a map, a Bible, and you’re parachuted down into a place. That’s really it. [But] you’re not alone: you have a team of college students,” Thompson explains. The experience pushes students in their faith, their teamwork abilities, and their skills in adapting to new situations. “Every day you’re learning something new,” said Saunders.
Each day looked different, Saunders said, but the weeks followed a set rhythm. The team used a thirds model to manage their time: two-thirds of the day for planned ministry, one-third for
rest. This structure allowed for dedicated time to spend with the Lord and recharge, as well as providing lots of time to spend in hands-on missions and pursuing relationships with locals. About three evenings of the week, the team hosted community nights — featuring board games, worship, dinner, or heading to a nearby park. These fun evenings met a real need for young adults looking for fellowship.
During the week, Saunders and Thompson also had one-on-one conversations with their new friends to share a soda and dive into deeper, faith-related topics. Sundays were spent serving the church plant, helping services to run smoothly and completing any team planning for the week ahead. Through this structure, GenSend participants could focus on their two aims for the summer, said Thompson: reaching the community with the gospel and serving the local church plant.
The daily life on mission emphasis of GenSend has made a lasting impact. For Saunders, her former perception of missions as primarily an overseas issue and “a courageous calling very few people did” shifted. Now, she confidently says, “If you are a believer, you are a missionary.” No matter where you find yourself geographically, what job you hold, or what abilities and gifts you have, if you are in Christ, you are called to make disciples. Saunders was able to use her business knowledge to help with administrative tasks at her GenSend church.
“When we live out the gospel, they can see
Pastor Bobby Wood and his family interact with some of the CSU GenSend students.
it in our life,” Thompson said. For him, this looked like talking to the regulars he encountered throughout the week — the bus driver, the restaurant employee, and the parents at the park he saw frequently and began getting to know.
During his first summer, the team developed a relationship with their bus driver, and they were able to have great conversations with him, invite him to church, and pray with him. “Everything you do is a gospel opportunity,” Thompson said, and the need for people to see loving, faithful Christ followers is real. “They want to know where you get this love, how you find purpose.”
The context of the LDS culture gives asking questions a very different meaning than in the Southern Bible Belt context. Saunders walked one new friend through her questioning of the LDS church she had grown up in, and the young woman ultimately decided to put her faith in Christ. Saunders said that those in the LDS Church are taught not to ask questions or challenge authority, yet as a Christian herself, she knows she can ask challenging questions and find answers in Scripture. “I don’t have to live in fear of ‘don’t ask that question.’” Saunders’s faith grew through her conversations with this friend, particularly as she had to lean on her knowledge of Scripture to find answers to difficult questions.
The LDS context also gives choosing to follow Christ a very different sense of weightiness. Thompson explains that in Utah following Jesus and getting baptized makes a statement that radically changes everything, even meaning that you jeopardize going back to friends and family. For those they met and talked with, counting the cost of accepting the gospel was a significant step.
The unity of the team demonstrated Christ’s love for the community — and blessed its members richly. Serving one another, spending a lot of time together, and even being the only other believers around brought the team closer. “The unity in that taught me about the heart of Christ,” Saunders said. Her reliance on the team was cemented when she found herself in the hospital at one point, and they were there for her the entire time, stepping in as family when her own were thousands of miles away. The bonds forged over the summer have continued.
This unity also allows for growth in humility. Saunders says that spending so much time together shows you your own selfishness. The team took to heart the saying “I am 10th” — a reminder to put fellow team members first in
every moment of the day. The personal growth through these challenges and the work of the Holy Spirit through the team’s unity was a testimony to those they encountered. “They kept noting how it was strange, the love we had for each other,” Thompson said of the community nights. “They saw our sacrifice for each other.”
In living and ministering in a heavily LDSshaped culture, these living examples serve as crucial pointers to the gospel. For those still in the LDS church, “it’s hard to make the distinction between LDS and Christianity,” Thompson said. “We can be saying ‘Jesus’ and it means two different things.” Despite surface-level similarities, the core differences in theology are significant, and quickly arise after a conversation longer than a few minutes. Thompson said that many in the LDS church have been taught that any opposition to their views is spiritually derived, a test to their faith from the enemy.
Yet within this unique, even challenging context, God is working mightily in the hearts and lives of individuals. Thompson told the story of a 4th of July barbecue he was invited to by a new friend. This friend was rejected by the LDS church for his lifestyle, as were many of the others there. There’s something so special about sharing a meal and the hospitality of bringing someone into your home.” Thompson got to share the gospel, and there was an attentive interest in the Jesus he described. He was not a Savior who said to them, “Who you are could never be saved” or “Your only hope is to submit to these rules.
“Jesus frees us rather than binds us to a new set of laws,” said Thompson. This gospel freedom hits a different note after hearing the message of the LDS church. While Thompson acknowledges it was hard to digest for some that night, others were genuinely intrigued.
Saunders and Thompson are enthusiastic about continuing to live on mission, whether in Utah as Saunders plans or in an international setting as Thompson does.
Saunders’ advice to those interested in GenSend is straightforward: “Do it.” She acknowledges the heftiness of the undertaking (in terms of both time and finances) but she affirms relying on God’s faithfulness and provision. What’s at stake is too valuable to overlook: “People need to know Him, and no one’s out there to do it,” she said. She points to Matthew 9:37-38, a key verse in considering the mission field in Utah.
THE
GRAVELYS’
UTAH CONNECTION
Dr. Ed Gravely, professor of Christian studies, and Angela Gravely, instructor of English, are involved with the Utah GenSend students through CSU and their church, Crossroads Community, in Summerville.
Crossroads Community Church financially supported the students who go to Crossroads and help run the college ministry, Allie Wade, Corey Wade, and Jake Thompson, with their GenSend trips. The church also financially supports the Redemption North Davis church plant. Crossroads is sending a team to assist the GenSenders in the summer of 2025.
Ed said, “Our church tries to visit at least some of the missionaries we support every year. Jake has been to Utah multiple times, and Corey and Allie also did the spring break trip to Utah.” Corey has moved to Utah where he is working with the church planting team/internship while he finishes up the last semester of his Christian studies major online. Ed and Angela traveled to Utah in March to hold a short apologetics conference and two teaching events.
Angela Gravely, Allie Wade, Corey Wade, Ed Gravely, and Jake Thompson in Utah in summer of 2024. Fun fact: Allie and Corey are siblings.
Fall commencement returns to calendar
Five new members of CSU Board of Trustees announced
By Jan Joslin | Photo by Dan Steffy
The Charleston Southern Board of Trustees welcomed five new members and approved the 2025 officers at the January board meeting.
Dean Murphy will serve as chair of the board for the second year. Jerry Williams will serve as vice chair and Bill Carpenter as secretary for the second year.
The five board members include three former board members and two first-time members:
• Seth Buckley is director of leadership development of Fire Pit Ranch in Spartanburg, which focuses on mentoring young men. He is serving his first term.
• James Davis is an attorney with Davis & Davis Law Firm in Salisbury, North Carolina, and is serving his second term as a trustee. He has also been a member of the CSU Board of Visitors.
• Linda Fick is a retired businesswoman and lives in Bluffton. She previously served a term on the board and has been a member of the CSU Women’s Council.
• Judy Hetz is president of EduCare, Inc., and is serving her second term on the board. She is also a member of the CSU Board of Visitors and Buc Club.
• Randy Harling is the lead pastor of Summerville Baptist Church in Summerville and is serving his first term on the board.
Members of the first class of Doctor of Physical Therapy graduated in fall 2024. More than 370 doctoral, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees were conferred during CSU’s fall commencement Dec. 19 and 20. Graduates of the Master of Medical Science physician assistant program and DPT graduates received diplomas Dec. 14. Photo by Dan Steffy
Pictured at the January meeting are: Linda Fick, Judy Hetz, Randy Harling, and Seth Buckley. Not pictured: James Davis.
First personal financial management graduate earns CFP® certification
Jadyn Watson ’24 is the first Personal Financial Management degree program graduate to pass the Certified Financial Planner, CFP®, exam. Her class was the first to graduate with majors in personal finance.
The CFP® exam is a rigorous test with an average pass rate of 63% over the past decade. Watson took the exam in November 2024 and passed on the first attempt.
Dr. Heather Chadwick, associate professor of business and assistant director of the Center for Personal Financial Management, said, “Jadyn’s remarkable achievement highlights her hard work, dedication, and exceptional understanding of personal financial planning.”
Watson cites Retirement Planning and Financial Planning for Professionals with Dr. Mary Chapman as classes that taught her valuable information needed for the CFP® exam.
By Kaia Thomson | file photo
As a first-generation college student, Watson understands how important financial literacy is and how often people seem to know nothing about finances. This, along with an internship at a bank, led her to major in personal financial management. She said, “I felt called to pursue a career where I could help individuals and families make sound financial decisions that align with their values and enable them to give generously, plan responsibly, and live with financial freedom.”
She is a personal financial advisor at Eastport Financial Services where she is an executive assistant to Jonathan Lewis, a wealth advisor in Canada. She is also working as an advisor at Wildes Financial Strategies in Georgetown, where she gained experience and required hours for her CFP® certification.
CPFM holds 5-year anniversary dinner
By Kaia
The Nielsen College of Business hosted a five-year Anniversary Celebration Dinner for the Center for Personal Financial Management in late October to celebrate the program started by Professor Boyce Smith and Dr. Heather Chadwick in the fall of 2019, in partnership with the Ron Blue Institute.
The CPFM trains and equips CSU students and the campus family with biblical principles of financial wisdom and money management. In the past five years, the CPFM has had a huge impact on students with nearly 40 students becoming peer-coaches influencing more than 2,500 students through the Personal Financial Management class and Peerto-Peer meetings.
President Keith Faulkner said, “What we do here makes a difference in this world. We are doing something counter cultural in the best way possible.”
At the dinner, Smith was awarded with the first lighthouse award for his commitment to CPFM and dedication to helping students find their purpose.
Faculty and students of the Center for Personal Financial Management are recognized at the anniversary dinner.
Thomson | Photo by Dan Steffy
Jadyn Watson
Charleston County School District in partnership with CSU, launches Big Buc, Little Buc program
Charleston County School District in partnership with Charleston Southern University, launched the Big Buc, Little Buc program - an initiative designed to foster mentorship and meaningful connections between student-athletes and Ladson Elementary School students.
The program, spearheaded by CCSD’s Department of School Support & Community Engagement Project Manager Lauren Crawford, provides fifth-grade students with a unique opportunity to engage with CSU basketball players in a mentorship setting.
Once a week, during the students’ lunch
By CCSD
and recess periods, they meet with their assigned athlete mentor to connect, play games, and build relationships that extend beyond the classroom.
The Big Buc, Little Buc program holds special significance for Crawford. It was initially started in the neighboring Dorchester School District Two by her late mother’s former colleague and elementary school principal, Brooks Moore, a 1969 graduate of CSU. Moore, the longest-tenured member of the Buc Club and a former president, has dedicated years of service to fostering positive ex-
Garcia having solid senior season
By CSU Athletics Communications | Photo by Jim Killian, CSU Sports
Odette Font Garcia claimed her second career Big South Women’s Golfer of the Week award on Feb. 20. This comes following her terrific performance at the CSU-hosted, Rivertowne Invitational Feb. 18.
She finished the tournament with a total score of 215 (-1) to claim the individual championship at the event, defeating 74 other golfers at the Mount Pleasant course. This marked the third time she has been the individual medalist at a tournament as she won the Pine Tree Intercolle-
giate and the Big South Championship last year.
She had scores during the rounds of 7273-70 and her 2-under 70 in the final round vaulted her into the solo lead to claim her third career victory. Round three began with her on hole 6 where she had three birdies within the first four holes to move into contention. She had scores of 35 on both the front and back nine at the event as well. Overall, she led the field with 11 birdies and was 3-under on the par-4 holes.
periences for young students through athletics and mentorship.
Under Crawford’s leadership, CCSD has reintroduced this impactful initiative to support student’s social and emotional development while strengthening ties between schools and the community.
“The Big Buc, Little Buc Program provides students with trusted role models who offer guidance, encouragement, and a firsthand example of discipline, teamwork, and perseverance,” said Crawford. “By forming bonds with college athletes, students gain a mentor and a tangible example of where hard work and dedication can lead.”
The five-week mentorship journey culminated in an unforgettable experience for the students - a chance to attend a Charleston Southern University basketball game and watch their mentors in action. This final event served as a celebration of the relationships built and the positive influence the program has had on both students and athletes alike.
With its relaunch, Big Buc, Little Buc is once again proving the power of mentorship and the impact of community collaboration. By investing in young minds today, CCSD and CSU are shaping a brighter future for the Lowcountry one connection at a time.
Communications | Photo by Chase Beckham
Little Bucs and Big Bucs meet weekly.
1984 Big South Conference Champions Congratulate 2024 Team
The first team to win the Big South Men’s Cross Country Championship was the 1984 team from Baptist College/CSU. They met with the 2024 team who had just won their fifth straight Big South Championship.
Members of the 1984 cross country team with current cross country coach Jim Stintzi. Left to right: Stintzi, Irv Batten ’86, Al Dunn
Photos by CSU Athletics
’85, Mike Hackett ’85, Stewart Uldrick ’88, Randy Terry ’85, Mitch Embler ’90, and Lamarl Collins.
1970s
Joe Benton ’71 is a retired professional photographer, working for publications such as Southern Living magazine and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution before launching a freelance career. You can find his photos at fineartamerica.com/profiles/joe-benton. To purchase photos, email him at nikonjoe@aol.com.
1980s
Linda Hunt Dickert ’83 has been inducted into the Raleigh/Wake Home Builder’s Association Hall of Fame. She is marketing manager at M/I Homes of Raleigh.
Jamie Futrell ’87 is in his 29th season as the head women’s golf coach at the College of Charleston.
1990s
Kandie Smith ’91, a North Carolina Senator representing District 5, has been elected chair of the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus.
Dr. Dewey Carpenter ’96 is the owner of Sawgrass Veterinary Cardiology, with locations in Jupiter, Lauderdale and Hollywood, Florida. He and his wife of more than 30 years have three children.
Richard Waring, ’99 MBA, JD is the director of contract operations at Palmetto Goodwill.
Alpha Dite Criterion Reunion
Members of Alpha Dite Criterion gathered for a reunion banquet during Homecoming 2024.
Photo provided
Class notes
2000s
Amanda Turner Leviner ’01 was featured in the Summerville Journal Scene’s 10 Women to Watch feature. She owns Leviner Law Firm in Summerville and serves in the Dorchester County Magistrate Court.
Matt Alexander ’04 is the CEO at Sovereign Co., a private venture group in Charleston.
Brittany Bolick ’09 was inducted into the Watauga High School Hall of Fame for women’s soccer.
Heather Crothers ’09 is the new director of HR administration at SouthState Bank.
2010s
Cori Hustedt ’11 was named director of student services for Fort Mill School District. She is a former principal at Riverview Elementary.
Ashley E. Valiquette ’14 graduated from MUSC in May 2024 with a Master of Science in Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. She is a board-certified adult-gerontology nurse practitioner who cares for patients at an MUSC primary care clinic in Summerville.
Adam Kirtley ’15 is manager of supply chain programs at Northrop Grumman.
STAY CONNECTED!
Compiled by Jan Joslin
Send us news about family additions, job changes, community involvement, etc. To include a photo, email a high resolution jpg - 800kb or larger. (If you send a professional photograph, please include permission to print from the photographer.)
Class Notes: magazine@csuniv.edu
Address change: csudevelopment@csuniv.edu
Name change: register@csuniv.edu
Follow the Alumni Association on Social Media:
CSU Alumni Association alumni_csu
Seth Montgomery ’15 MBA has been named the senior associate athletic director for communications at Indiana State University.
Frank Staropoli ’15 is the new director of business development at Black Diamond/Paragon.
Kevin E. Sweatt ’16 is director of bands at A.C. Flora High School in Columbia.
Danielle Brown ’18 is a senior account executive at Rymedi.
JD Chaplin ’18 was elected to the South Carolina Senate as a representative for District 29, representing Chesterfield, Darlington, Lee, Marlboro and Sumter counties.
2020s
Chris Makowski ’20, public information officer for the Town of Summerville, has earned a Master PIO Certification through the University of Tennessee Law Enforcement Innovation Center.
Namia Stevenson ’20 is currently a graduate research assistant in the Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Department at Mississippi State University.
Hannah Zerbe ’22 is a senior creative designer for Kiawah Island Golf Resort and owns her own design business.
Gia Darconte ’23 owns giamarie. art and sells her art in the Wilmington, North Carolina, area.
Jada Cook ’24 has been named 2025 Rookie Teacher of the Year at Eagles Nest Elementary School. She is a prekindergarten teacher.
My Buccaneer story
In memory
Judy Walters Black ’71, age 75, died Sept. 20, 2024, in Charleston. She was a schoolteacher.
Kenneth Alvin Brown ’74, age 77, died Oct. 20, 2024, in Columbia. He worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
John Frank Bunn ’70, age 81, died March 30, 2024, in Campobello. He was a salesman with CarMax.
Tilden James Doby ’80, age 82, died Dec. 22, 2024, in Charleston. He was retired from Procter & Gamble.
Isaw the CSU Magazine with the cover showing Happy 60th CSU. I am honored to say I was a member of that first class and had the unique experience of staying at the St. John Hotel. It is now the Mills House, and when I tell people that was my dorm they are astounded. Let’s just say it was not what the Mills House is today. My roommate Bobby Cope ’69 and I arrived at the hotel in September 1965 to sign in to college. It was a big question to all of us about how this would work out because there were no upperclassmen to question. The hotel seemed old and in need of repair, but it would be our home for the academic year. We knew classes would be at the First Baptist Church in North Charleston. There were three ways to get there. You could drive or ride in a car, ride the city bus, or ride the Blue School Bus owned by the college.
I had a work-study scholarship, so I was a part-time bus driver. The church facility was a
Jackie Jenkins Doffin ’75, age 86, died Oct. 30, 2024, in North Charleston. She worked for Child Protective Services and was a family court Guardian ad Litem. She also was a licensed therapist and was an adjunct psychology professor at Charleston Southern.
Ronald Wayne Fettue ’89, age 74, died Nov. 4, 2024, in Dorchester. He retired as an engineer with the Department of Defense. He was a U.S. Army veteran.
Bernard Arthur Grant ’68, age 79, died Oct. 13, 2024, in Charleston. During his career he owned Furlong Printing Company and H&R Block franchises. He was a member of the CSU Board of Visitors Scholarship Program.
Van “Bubba” Willis High ’70, age 76, died Oct. 8, 2024, in Moncks Corner. He was a high school teacher and owned several stores. He also owned two restaurants, The Lunchbox and The Barony House.
By Dr. James “Jimmy” Rivers ’69 President, Founding Class of 1969
great place to study and learn. There was a social hall area where food was served, and it was a place for students to gather between classes. In the fall of 1966, we moved to the new campus, lived in house trailers and attended class in two buildings for the year. Progress was fast, and over the next two years buildings and dorms were constructed. The decision to attend Baptist College was perfect for me. There were small classes and you got to know your professors. They were dedicated to teaching and you could sense they wanted you to learn. There is no doubt the influence of my professors shaped my life to help me achieve my career goals. The senior class gave me the honor of serving as President of the Founding Class.
I retired a few years ago as professor and chair, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, College of Dental Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina. The diploma on my wall still reads Baptist College at Charleston.
John Lester Hosey, age 73, died Nov. 9, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a former vice president for business affairs at Charleston Southern. He was a U.S. Marine veteran. He worked for several universities and later started JLH Consulting, LLC.
Thomas “Thom” Minton Neal III, ’80, age 65, died Jan. 28. He was the Supreme Court Reporter, worked at Oxner & Oxner Law Firm, and was the owner of The Law Offices of Thomas Minton Neal III. He earned his juris doctorate from the University of South Carolina Law School.
Tracy Compton Norris ’83, age 64, died Nov. 27, 2024, in Sullivan’s Island. She and her husband built the Disaster Plus business. They also helped found Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant.
Bonnie Ida Ruth Orr ’70, age 76, died Sept. 19, 2024, in Michigan. She was a teacher and became a child development specialist.
William James Powell III ’83, age 64, died Jan. 25 in Greensboro, North Carolina. He owned Powell Fitness and was a four-time winner of the CrossFit Games world championship.
Dr. Mark Rieman, age 69, died Aug. 24, 2024, in Winterville, North Carolina. He taught accounting in the Nielsen College of Business for 10 years before retiring in May 2023. He was a former professor at East Carolina University. He earned an MBA from the University of South Dakota and a PhD in accounting from Washington State.
Timothy Furman Touchberry ’72, age 74, died Feb. 6 in Summerville. He was a teacher, coach, and later was the athletic director at Fort Dorchester High School. He earned a master’s degree from The Citadel.
Dr. Jimmy Rivers, then and now.
TAlumni Award winners for 2024 honored
he 2024 class of alumni award winners was recognized on campus Oct. 2, during Homecoming Week. Nominations for these awards are accepted throughout the year from several sources including alumni, the Board of Trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, and friends of the university. The Nominations and Awards Committee of the Alumni Board handles the award selections.
2024 Alumni Award Winners
Jana Edgington accepting on behalf of Steve Edgington ’79, Brian Hyder ’98, ’17 MBA, Robert Degregorio ’95, Nicholas Lee ’16, Frank Staropoli ’17, Bernie Mazyck ’81, and Jeff Barber accepting on behalf of John Paglia ’11. Photo by Dan Steffy
Bernie Mazyck ’81
Distinguished Alumnus of the Year
Mazyck is president and chief executive officer for the South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development. In its 30th year, Mazyck has been its only president and chief executive officer. SCACED is the state’s trade association and funding intermediary for community-based economic development and financial institutions focused on building wealth in low-wealth communities in South Carolina.
Mazyck is also a graduate of the Interdenominational Theological Center with a Master of Divinity degree, with a concentration in ministry with the poor. In 2000, he completed the program for senior executives in state and local government at the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University.
He serves on numerous boards and has received numerous awards including the 2024 Joseph P. Riley Leadership Award from the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, 2021 and 2022 50 Most Influential by Charleston Business Magazine, 2023 Emanuel Nine Award for Volunteerism from the S.C. Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is also the 2004 recipient of the Order of the Silver Crescent from Governor Mark Sanford and the 2014 recipient of the Order of the Palmetto from former Governor Nikki Haley.
John Paglia III ’11 Outstanding Alumnus Award
Paglia is the third generation of leadership for Florida Express Waste & Recycling. While continuing his education, Paglia remained an active part of the business, assisting wherever he was needed.
Paglia joined the business full-time in 2011. After working hands-on in every sector of the business, by 2013, he became Florida Express Waste & Recycling’s general manager. He continues to expand his knowledge and professional base as the president of Florida Express Waste & Recycling.
He serves on numerous boards and is a newly elected board member for the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership, which was voted chamber of the year, supporting the growth of local industries and residents. He and his wife have four boys.
Steve Edgington ’79 University Mission Award
Edgington has been serving as a discipleship pastor/chaplain to CSU faculty and staff since 2021 and an adjunct professor of New Testament Survey since 2016. From 19922015 he served as a pastor in the Middle East and worked with families to cope with the pressures of living abroad.
Throughout his ministry, he has served in campus ministries and pastoral duties, including as a chaplain/house parent at All Church Home for Children in Fort Worth, Texas. He and his wife have two daughters. He holds a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Nicholas Lee ’16
Outstanding Young Alumnus
Lee is a licensed therapist and a behavioral health consultant for HopeHealth, a federally qualified health center. He has received the following awards: Best Therapist of the Pee Dee 2021, Best Therapist of the Pee Dee 2022, Reader’s Choice Best Therapist 2023, and 20 under 40 for the Pee Dee 2024.
Frank Staropoli ’15 Community Service Award
Staropoli is division manager for East Revenue Management at Republic National Distributing Company. In 2019, he founded the Beacons Mentoring program in elementary and middle schools in Dorchester County. His goal is to expand to as many schools as possible.
Mentors volunteer weekly to offer mentees, their teachers, administrators, and families guidance and support on a consistent basis. He and his wife have two daughters.
Brian Hyder ’98, ’17 MBA Alumni Service Award
Hyder is a national account manager with HD Supply, a subsidiary of The Home Depot. HD Supply is a multibillion-dollar company providing maintenance, repair, and operating supplies to various industries. Hyder manages a portfolio of multifamily national accounts consisting of property management companies across the U.S.
In addition to his membership in the Buc Club, he serves on the Alumni Association Board, and he and his wife frequently attend alumni and athletic events. He holds a Master of Business Administration in leadership.
Robert Degregorio ’95 Military Service Award
Degregorio is the mobilization assistant to the J4, logistics and engineering directorate for the United States Indo-Pacific Command at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. Previously, he served as the IMA to the director of logistics, HQ Air Force.
He completed his active-duty career in 2005 as a colonel after leading Team Charleston to an outstanding rating on their 2004 ORI. He has served in all sections of the Aerial Port over his career in the Pacific EnRoute system, as well as the chief of supply and transportation for the J6, AFSOUTH, NATO in Naples, Italy.
Baby Bucs
To Order a Shirt:
CSU graduates, if you have a child under the age of 2, let us know at alumni@csuniv.edu, and we will send a CSU onesie for your Baby Buc. The shirt is free; all we ask in return is a photo of your Baby Buc for the magazine.
5.
6.
3.
7.
To Submit Your Baby Bucs Photo:
Email a picture of your Baby Buc wearing the shirt to alumni@csuniv.edu. Pictures should be 800kb or larger in size, jpg format.
1. Charlie Tretter and Gracie Tretter, children of Jessica King Tretter ’11 and Steven Tretter
2. Gus Matthias Tipton, son of Melanie Tipton ’19 and Matthew Tipton, a current student, physical education major
Luciana “Luci” Privitere and Josephina “Joey” Privitere, daughters of Olivia Terzo Privitere ’07
4. Penelope Hoisington, daughter of Rhiannon Hoisington ’09, ’15 and Dan Hoisington
Louie McCann, daughter of Mike McCann ’07
Ryleigh Baker, daughter of Kylie Bibler Baker ’21
Ellis Emeline Busch, daughter of Megan Busch ’10 and Jordan Busch ’10, ’14 MBA
Who was your favorite professor, and why?
Dr.
Dr. Todd Heldreth was hands down my favorite professor at CSU! He solidified my love of biology and nature and inspired me to volunteer at Charles Towne Landing where he is the zoo veterinarian. Although I no longer live in Charleston, this inspiration has accompanied me as I volunteered at Greensboro Science Center aquarium and zoo in Greensboro, North Carolina, and hopefully soon at a zoo or sanctuary in my new home of Miami, Florida. Dr. Heldreth is an inspiration for countless students!
Anna D’Annunzio ’16
I would like to mention two at CSU who have had an impact on my life. Professor Dolores Jones in Communications was always a special professor for me. Her classes helped me learn a lot about public speaking and debate and greatly helped me in honing my communication skills.
The other is Dr. Don Dowless in the Religion Department (as it was known at the time). I was not a religion major, but Dr. Dowless had a command of the Bible that I greatly admired, and he continued to be a great mentor to me later when I was a staff member at CSU.
Many faculty and staff at CSU had a great influence on me, and these two deserve to be recognized!
David Weiss ’03
My favorite professor, hands down, was Dr. David Cuttino (choir, voice, music department chair). His musical knowledge and ministry wisdom was exceptional. His personal interest in each student was always on display. I loved his sense of humor!
Mike Reed ’84
in the Kinesiology Department. She was available to help you. She used to tell me stories about her life, and her classes were fun
“My favorite professor was Dolores Jones. She was an educator who cared deeply for her students and knew them all by name. In her lectures, she had a comical yet passionate demeanor that earned respect from all in her classroom. And you better never be late! Not only did she polish and stretch students to become strong communicators but also she cared deeply for their success in life. She was my mother’s professor in the 1970s and left a lasting impression, and I was honored to have many classes with her in the early 2000s. She is precious to me in more ways than I can express, and I am forever grateful for her.”
Lili Gresham Hiser ’02
Dr. Jamie Probin was probably my favorite math professor. Dr. Don Clerico is one of my favorite people of all time.
Ben Qualkinbush ’13
My favorite professor was Dr. Arnold Hite He was a caring and compassionate man and truly cared about teaching his students life lessons along with lessons in the classroom. He got to know us personally, and I wanted to succeed to make him proud. He came to my graduation party with a small parting gift that related to camping—earlier in the year he planned and coordinated a backpacking trip for a few students and I along with his wife up on the Appalachian trail. Being someone who grew up in the mountains—it was so special to build those memories with them all on that trip. He taught me about integrity and being honest and loved like Jesus. He was a wonderful example of love in action while imparting great knowledge as well.
Amy Doerflinger ’09
During my time at CSU (1988-1993), I absolutely LOVED Hazel Stewart, math professor. Hazel took a personal interest in the success of her students and looked out for them personally as well. When she had concerns about their situation outside of school, she had no issue with empathetically and respectfully lending a listening ear to make sure all was ok. I enjoyed serving alongside her and the other math/science faculty as a work-study student.
Renee Lagania Rubner ’93
While I had many wonderful professors, I always loved Dr. Linda Karges-Bone. She was in the education department when I attended from 1999-2004.
Ellen Branham ’04
It is very hard to pick a favorite professor because I was blessed with many on the faculty while attending CSU. The first that comes to mind would be Thomas Palmer Mr. Palmer got the first accreditation for the athletic training program at CSU and kept me going in a degree and career I still absolutely love 20 years later. When I think of my time, I think of the following: Dr. Amy Nolan-Roney, Dr. John Harper, and Coach Jim Settle.
Scott Little ’04
My favorite professor was Professor Eugene Koester. He challenged his students to do their very best. He truly cared about his students and went over and beyond what he should have to help them achieve their goals. Even after graduation, he kept in touch with many students and supported them in their life endeavors after their studies at CSU.
James “Jamie” Bryson ’13
Hazel Stewart
Todd Heldreth and Clyde the Elk.
Dolores Jones and Lili Hiser.
Who was your favorite professor, and why? (continued)
During my time as a student (2015–2020) in CSU’s biology department, I was blessed with incredible professors like Dr. Todd Heldreth, Dr. Peter Jenkins, and Mr. Kevin Jones. However, one professor truly stood out in my journey—Dr. Matthew Campbell.
Dr. Campbell taught me geology and comparative vertebrate anatomy, and his impact went far beyond the classroom. He wasn’t just a professor; he was a rock enthusiast, a kind mentor, and someone who embodied what it means to be both an educator and a servant of the Lord. Whether it was helping a struggling student catch up, admiring a particularly fascinating mineral specimen, or just being a listening ear, Dr. Campbell was always there. Even after he left CSU, Dr. Campbell continued to support me. He served as a reference, helped me secure a master’s position, and even coached me on presentation skills for a conference competition—where I took home first place in my category! His dedication to his students, his work, and his faith is truly inspiring.
CSU is a place that shapes people, not just academically but spiritually, and I’m so grateful for the chance to have been mentored by someone like Dr. Campbell. Professors like him remind me that while I left CSU with a degree, I also left with lessons and relationships that will last a lifetime. Thank you for giving me the chance to share this story and celebrate one of the many reasons CSU will always hold a special place in my heart.
Namia Stevenson ’20
I was an AFROTC cadet. The instructors at Det. #772 made a great impact on me, especially Lt. Col. William Vondersmith, Capt. John Christian, and most importantly Capt. Raymond W. Goodman, Jr.
Dr. Gerald Hasty was my academic advisor and gave me great advice. Dr. Carlton Winberry was a fine Christian gentleman. His instruction method in Old Testament Survey and New Testament Survey made class time fly by. Hans Jurgen Griebsch taught German Literature in Translation and had a hilarious personality. Most people didn’t know he was a Luftwaffe pilot in WWII and had some amazing war stories that my Dad
(James S. Allen, BCC class of ’76. My Dad and I had classes together!) found insightful. Dr. George Niketas was an inspiration, having come to the U.S. from Greece basically penniless and earned several higher education postgraduate degrees. I find it impossible to pick one favorite instructor and count myself fortunate to have known these people.
Marc S. Allen ’77
It’s hard to pick just one professor as a favorite. I had so many great ones. Dr. Tom Guerry though was very special. I had him for several religion classes, and I worked in the Religion Department for a couple of years. He was always an encourager and always made me laugh. My favorite class was The Deaf Experience.
Karen Creel ’03
Dr. Dan Fultz. He is no longer there, but he was my favorite!
Chloe Thirkettle ’20
Dr. Charles Smith was my favorite! He taught English Literature and in his Shakespeare classes, we were part of the cast of each play! Very dynamic and personal.
Robert Patrick Sr. ’82
Dr. Marc Embler was not one of my professors. One thing that sticks out to me was how stressed I was having to obtain transcripts (during lockdown in South Africa, COVID times), going over my finances and tuition, gathering as much information as I could—it was all so daunting for me, but I was determined.
Dr. Embler (as the dean of the College of Adult and Professional Studies) did not discourage me either. He supported me through my application process to enroll in the master’s program and was there to answer all my questions. He made my life easier, and I appreciated the seamless way he handled my case, and it was such an honor to meet him face-to-face on graduation day! He may not have been my professor, but the picture at graduation depicts one of my favorite memories of 2024.
Andiswa Matsheke ’24
This is like being asked to pick your favorite child, so I’m going to have to say the great English Department Trio of my 1997-2001 years: Brown-Yarbrough-Phillips They each contributed so much to me as mentors; their three different personalities and areas of literary expertise merged into one defining influence that shaped who I became as an English teacher and gave me the confidence I needed to earn two subsequent degrees. There’s no way I would be the person (and educator) I am today without them.
Dr. Angel Johnson Tucker ’ 01, ’21
Dr. Tom Guerry
Dr. Marc Embler and Andiswa Matsheke
Thanks for your great responses to Who was your favorite professor, and why question in the fall magazine.
Dr. Valerie Bullock and Angela Hermanns
QUESTION FOR THE NEXT ISSUE: What BCC/CSU class has been most beneficial to you in your career?
Send replies by August 1 to magazine@csuniv.edu. We will print as many as space permits. You may be randomly chosen for some CSU swag, compliments of the Alumni Office.
Dr. Larry Vanella in the Speech and Drama Department and Georgia Schlau in the Spanish Dept. I was a Spanish major and minored in Speech and Drama. They made learning a fun thing!!!
Peggy Mahan Pitts ’75
Dolores Jones is absolutely my favorite professor. She was my professor for Speech and Communication in 1973. She taught the foundation of communication, which sparked a career that lasted five decades.
My favorite professor was Dr. David Cuttino. I learned so much from him in the theory classes he taught as well as in the concert choir and as a member of Warm Summer Rain. He was authentic, loved music, and loved God. He almost always had a smile on his face, and if he didn’t, you knew you had screwed up. But even when the screw-ups happened, he dealt with them in a loving manner and with grace.
I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in music education. My favorite professor was and still is Dr. Valerie Bullock. She was tough on us, but it was only to make us better! She had high expectations for her students and choir members and expected the best from all of us. As a music teacher myself, I often hear her phrases and spirit in my teaching! “Do it again, make sure it wasn’t a mistake” when rehearsing with my 4th and 5th grade choir. “Love you madly.” “Changed my mind, woman’s prerogative,” which I sometimes have to explain to my elementary students. She instilled a strong work ethic in me as well as trying to make hard work fun for my students. I would not be where I am today without her teaching and guidance while I was at CSU!
Angela Walters Hermanns ’02
Dr. Emory Hiott, marketing, was easily my favorite and most impactful professor during my time at CSU. She not only cared deeply about her students but also went above and beyond in her efforts to support us. For me, she played a significant role in the early success of my career, thanks to her teachings and the connections she helped me establish.
Chris Makowski ’20
Victor Lawson—he was brilliant and cared about his students—he had no PhD but was smart enough for many.
Marshall Stanley ’86
Because of the skills taught by Ms. Jones, I became a senior partner with Ken Blanchard Companies and had the honor of training more than 125,000 leaders in 10 nations. Following that career, I became a business professor and continued teaching using the principles taught by Dolores Jones five decades earlier. I am forever grateful to CSU and Dolores Jones.
Ray Snyder ’75, ’92 MBA, ’01 honorary doctorate
I can’t pick just one—Tie for me, Dr. Don Clerico, Dr. David Naylor, and Dr. Chuck Smedley!
Anthony Pieretti ’09
My favorite CSU professor was Dr. John Kuykendall. He encouraged and fostered my love of history and the German language. When I took a 400-course as a freshman, he didn’t baby me, and I appreciated that! He was always willing to lend an ear or chat history, even after I’d graduated.
Chelsy Clark Proper ’13
It’s a tie for me. Beth Livingston and Chris Frazier in the education department were phenomenal. They taught me so much about becoming an educator, believed in me, and kept in touch once I started my career!
Also LOVED Dr. Amy Nolan-Roney in the science department—just didn’t get to take enough of her classes!
Amber Wyatt ’10
I also worked as his administrative assistant for 3.5 years and was able to watch how he handled a multitude of tasks and the different personalities he worked with during that time. I was really sad not to be able to join in the choir concert performed in his honor.
Patti McConnell ’83
Dr. Nicholas Holland
Dr. Nicholas Holland—Hands Down! Not only was he instrumental in making me the teacher I am today, but he continues to mentor, support, and pray for me in my career and my personal life. He is like a father figure to me and a lot of other alumni and current CSU Bucs!
Kevin E. Sweatt ’16
Dr. S.M. Mayo, religion professor, one of the humblest men of God that I have ever known. Knew how to engage his students and encourage conversation in class.
Billy Cramer ’82
Who was your favorite professor, and why? (continued)
So many! Dr. Sally Brown made a HUGE impact on me and my classmates. Also Dr. Don Clerico, Dr. Amy Nolan-Roney, Dr. Linda Karges-Bone, and the list goes on!
Melissa Kate Gibbs ’08
Harold Keown Jr., excellent communicator with logical presentations. He understood group dynamics, personality and motivation theory, learning styles, and influencing people.
Myra Steadman ’88
How do you pick a favorite? But boy did I adore Dr. Johnson, Dr. Tom Guerry and Mr. Aaron Baldwin
Shelby Busey Jennings ’07
Dr. Amy Nolan-Roney
Dr. Linda Karges-Bone, Dr. Amy Nolan-Roney, Dr. Don Clerico, Dr. Patty Hambrick. Game changers. Eye-openers. Insightful and compassionate. Thankful for their contributions to the CSU community and beyond.
Brianne Peters Hudak ’07
Linda Karges-Bone is my favorite and still comes to my classroom to read and bring treats!
Michael Silvestri ’10
Dr. Carol Ricketts. She was my favorite! She cared about us as individuals and wanted us to become the best teacher possible.
Nan Van Faussien ’82
Hands down, Dr. Chuck Smedley. My kids are still hearing stories from his classes over 20 years ago!
Debra Roark Siegel ’00
Dr. Jacqueline Fish and Dr. Beverly Spitler. The life and love they poured into us is unmatched. As a female leader and mentor now, I wouldn’t be who I am without their guidance, teaching, and modeling.
Jenny Rutigliano ’09
A solid tie between Marshall Forrester, Nicholas Holland, and Mark Sterbank! I am who I am as both an educator and a person because of them. I love y’all!
Jonnie Hernandez ’21
Dr. John Kuykendall, history, was a great teacher, and Jon Davis made class fun.
Jamie Alutius Kuznik ’05
Melissa Gibbs, Class of 2008 from Summerville, is the winner of the CSU swag, generously donated by the Alumni Office.
Computers honestly had nothing to do with my major – but Mr. Fred Worthy was one of my favorites, and I think it’s amazing he was or still is with the school for so long!
Brittany Terlinde ’12
Dr. Don Clerico, Mr. Fox, Dr. Skip Martin, Dr. David Naylor, and Dr. Chuck Smedley! Their dedication to their fields was evident, but their dedication to their students was felt on the very first day of class.
Katie Baxley Pieretti ’08
Dr. Carol Drowota, Dr. Linda KargesBone, and Nancy Canavera – such encouraging educators!
Stephanie Faulkner Baird ’95, MEd ’23
I am the First
James Newton Jr. ’21, ’23 MBA and BriAnne Baxley Newton ’08 display their CSU swag. Both James and BriAnne were the first members of their families to attend college.
Photo provided
Dr. Don Clerico
ELEVATING EDUCATIONAL LEADERS TOGETHER
CSU & BCSD, CCSD, and DD2
Work in Berkeley County School District, Charleston County School District, or Dorchester District 2?
Learn how CSU’s Doctor of Education in leadership can help you demonstrate a high level of commitment to excellence in your chosen field.
charlestonsouthern.edu/EdD
Graphic design by Tate Therrien
EdD graduates celebrate with families after fall commencement ceremonies. Photo by CSU MarComm
