Inside Erskine 2023

READY FOR ADVENTURE GOD KEEPS

OPENING DOORS

ON THE COVER

Neal Blank ’24 (see p. 22)

by Kristin Durkin

Inside Erskine

Fall 2023

Editor

Joyce Guyette

Designer

Taylor Fox

Assistant Editor

Brianne Holmes

Contributors

Ben Auten

Heath Milford ’11 (Sem.)

Langley Shealy

Photos

Kelly Burdeau

Mike Clifton

Conference Carolinas

Kristin and Patrick Durkin

Robbie Gawrys

Emily Gilbert ’23

Reilly Gobin ‘23

Ian Harris

Grant Lawson

Jamison Murphy

Grayson Reames ‘21

Dr. Stephen Sniteman

Inside Erskine is published by Erskine’s Marketing & Communications Office.

Keep up with Erskine news, stories, and events at erskine.edu/news/

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We welcome your feedback, thoughts on our stories, or ideas for stories. Submissions may be edited for style, length, or clarity.

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Erskine College does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or age in admission to, treatment in, access to, or employment in its programs or activities.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ALL VOLCANIC, ALWAYS AMAZING

Dr. Christine Schott led alumni, faculty, and friends on a memorable tour of the country she learned to love as a graduate student.

18

FRIENDS, JESTERS, SPOUSES

Eric Moore and Diana Palecek revisit the place that drew them together.

Photo

24

Richard Beck has written wisely about his longtime home, Folly Beach, and believes Erskine influenced him for good.

32

From social work to founding a nonprofit, “The knowledge that God has a plan for my life” has motivated Kim Threadgill Rhodarmer ’82.

Erskine Flower & Garden Show 2023

GOVERNOR ADDRESSES ERSKINE GRADUATES AT

2023 COMMENCEMENT

Gov. Henry McMaster was Erskine’s commencement speaker May 6 as graduating college and seminary students were recognized at a ceremony under the towers of the Erskine Building on the Due West campus. “It is really an honor to be here on this beautiful campus in this meaningful place,” the governor told his Erskine audience.

Erskine President Dr. Steve Adamson introduced the commencement speaker and, along with Erskine Board of Trustees Chairman Michael S. Whitehurst, presented the governor with the honorary degree of Doctor of Public Service.

“Being a man of God, Governor McMaster exemplifies every aspect of Erskine’s vision of a life of service and leadership, building Christ’s church and influencing society for God’s glory,” Adamson said.

In his address, McMaster paid tribute to the fallen Revolutionary War combatants whose remains were recently discovered in Camden, South Carolina, describing them as “those who

answered when duty called,” and he returned to the theme of duty throughout his address.

The governor spoke about the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan, in which a group of Army Rangers during World War II is given a mission of mercy—to find and remove from action a young soldier whose three brothers have been killed in combat. The Rangers succeed, but their search entails sacrifice, including the death of their commanding officer. McMaster said men and women willing to make sacrifices “built this country,” adding, “It was costly. Someone believed and invested in them just as others have believed and invested in you.”

As a result of the sacrifices of others, he said, “You have been given a magnificent country of liberty and freedom, and now in addition an excellent education with which you can open every door.”

He urged the graduates to note the sacrifices made for them, remain curious, continue learning, and live honorably. “May you often hear from yourself these words—‘why,’ ‘how,’ ‘please,’ ‘thank you,’ ‘I love you,’ and ‘Amen.’”

The governor offered a warning and a challenge to members of the Class of 2023. “My young friends, please do not wander and stumble through your years with shallow embraces, but drink deeply and enter the arena of leadership with knowledge and faith,” he said.

“Remember, though others may not be reading books, they are reading you,” McMaster added, and returned to his opening theme. “Duty will call. Answer the call. May God bless you, and God bless America.”

Henry McMaster became South Carolina’s 117th governor in 2017, following Gov. Nikki Haley’s appointment as ambassador to the United Nations. He was elected to a full term in 2018 and was reelected in 2022. Born in Columbia, S.C., he received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of South Carolina in 1969. He attended the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he served on the editorial board of the South Carolina Law Review and graduated in 1973. He practiced law for more than 40 years, both as a federal and state prosecutor and in private practice in state and federal courts.

Erskine Sinfonia

Dr. Steve Adamson

Seminary Graduates

Gov. McMaster with Euphemians

Members of the Class of 1973

From left, Gov. McMaster with Dr. Adamson

COMMENCEMENT HONORS AND AWARDS 2023

Members of both the graduating class and the faculty were honored during Erskine’s 2023 commencement ceremony.

College awards announced during the commencement exercises by Dean of the College D. Shane Bradley included the Younts Excellence in Teaching Award, given to Associate Professor of Education Sandy Robinson.

Student awards announced were the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, given to Dante Alexander Jose Garrido of North Charleston, S.C., a magna cum laude graduate who completed a major in Political Science with Departmental Honors and a minor in History; the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award, given to summa cum laude graduate Sadie Elisabeth Anne Bradley of Due West, S.C., who completed a major in English as well as a major in History, receiving Departmental Honors in both; and the H.M. Young Ring, the highest honor for a member of the senior class, given to Elena Rachel Gaston of Anderson, S.C., a magna cum laude graduate who completed a double major in Chemistry and Biology.

Seminary awards for students included the Ray A. King Church History Award, given to Jackson Bryant Gravitt of Dayton, Tenn., a Master of Arts in Theological Studies recipient, and the Bruce G. Pierce Award for Christian Leadership, given to Charles Joshua Starnes of Clover, S.C., a Master of Divinity degree recipient who also earned the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Bible and Religion.

Serving as faculty marshals were Dr. Loyd D. Melton, crucifer, and Dr. Briana Van Scoy, mace bearer. The Rev. Joshua Chiles, chaplain, offered the invocation and Dean of the Seminary Dr. Seth Nelson gave the benediction.

The graduates were inducted into the Erskine Alumni Association by E. Phillip Cook ’92, president, who also announced the senior class gift of a white oak tree. He read Psalm 121— which in the Scots Presbyterian tradition is said or sung when someone is embarking on a journey— as a prayer for the graduates.

The college senior with the highest average, Olivia Eleanor Browne of Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, responded to the induction on behalf of her class. She is a summa cum laude graduate with a major in Business Administration and a minor in Healthcare Management.

Near the end of the ceremony, Erskine President Dr. Steve Adamson introduced “a new tradition

at Erskine”—the “Stole of Gratitude” worn by members of the graduating class and meant to be given by students to a family member or other person as an expression of appreciation for the support and encouragement they have received.

Music for the event was provided by the Erskine College Choraleers, directed by Dr. Keith Timms and accompanied by Prof. Sharalyn Hicks, pianist, and Erskine College Sinfonia, conducted by Dr. Deborah Caldwell Sadie Bradley, a summa cum laude graduate, president of the Erskine Choraleers and winner of the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award, led the singing of the alma mater.

Sadie Elisabeth Anne Bradley

Elena Rachel Gaston

Charles Joshua Starnes

HEARTFELT MESSAGES HIGHLIGHT

P resident ’s G al%

“This small college is influencing society for God’s glory,” Erskine President Dr. Steve Adamson told a gathering of supporters at the 2023 President’s Gala, a reception and dinner held March 3 in the Bowie Arts Center.

Stressing that gifts of prayer, time, talent, and treasure are essential as Erskine moves forward in its commitment to Christian higher education, Adamson noted that six new undergraduate degree programs are being launched this fall. He also alluded to plans for outreach to adults, including new forays into global theological education.

“We would love to have you join us in these great efforts,” the president said.

Attendees also heard from several speakers, all of whom described their close connection with Erskine and its meaning to them.

Stephanie Casanova, a sophomore music major from Valencia, Venezuela, said that she has experienced both academic and spiritual growth at Erskine and has found community through Reformed University Fellowship and the Due West ARP Church. For the welcome she has received and for the financial support which has assisted her, she said, “From the bottom of my heart, thank you!”

Gabriel Collier, a sophomore from Holly Hill, North Carolina, is working on a double major, studying Bible and Religion as well as English. “I did not find Erskine—Erskine found me,” he said. He went from knowing little about Erskine— even asking the bumper-sticker question “Due West of what?”—to becoming the first recruit for Erskine’s Quiz Bowl team. “Erskine has grown me both spiritually and academically,” he said, and told the assembled guests, “You will never know the impact you have had on me and other students.”

Karen Claxton, from Albemarle, North Carolina, a member of the Erskine Board of Trustees and the mother of two undergraduate students, senior Rebecca Claxton and sophomore Jonathan Claxton, expressed her gratitude for the community of believers at Erskine. “I sent my treasure here and God has multiplied that treasure,” she said.

Morgan Roberts, a resident director, college debate and Quiz Bowl coach, and seminary student, said her experience at Erskine would not be possible without the generous partnership of donors. She also praised the Erskine faculty and staff. “They have challenged my thinking, invited me out to dinner with their families, served with me at church, listened to my struggles, prayed for me, challenged me academically, and walked through life with me,” she said. “This place is truly unlike any other!”

The President’s Gala was attended by 118 guests and was followed by a presentation of Lewis & Tolkien, Of Wardrobes & Rings by British actor and playwright David Payne, who took the role of C.S. Lewis. Gregory Welsh portrayed J.R.R. Tolkien. Many of the guests attended the show in Lesesne Auditorium.

The main gallery of the Bowie Arts Center featured an array of images and props evoking the fantasy works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien—including a representation of the wardrobe described in the first book of Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia series.

In addition to enhancing the setting for the President’s Gala, the display in the main gallery anticipated an exhibit in the Bowie Arts Center focusing on the works of Lewis and Tolkien.

Alumni Weekend 2023

AWARDS PRESENTED DURING ALUMNI WEEKEND

Guy Hudson “Chip” Smith III ’88 received the Alumni Distinguished Service Award during Erskine’s Alumni Weekend celebration March 24-25. Festivities began Friday with athletic contests and a barbecue and hymn sing. Saturday’s activities included a student art display and pottery sale; an interactive Bowie Arts Center exhibit honoring the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien; “Back to Class” sessions with Dr. R.J. Gore and Dr. Jan Haldeman; and athletic events, games on the mall, and reunions.

This year’s Alumni Association meeting in Bowie Chapel was led by E. Phillip Cook ’92, outgoing president. Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations Paul Bell ’84 offered a welcome.“We hope you will enjoy one another’s company and end this day with gratitude that Erskine has been a part of your life.”

Cook told the assembled alumni, “By being here today, you are acknowledging that Erskine has been an important part of your own life…

as it will continue to be, with our involvement and the Lord’s help, for today’s students and those who will be here in the future.”

Introducing Erskine President Dr. Steve Adamson, Cook said he has observed the president’s “passion for excellence and his respect for Erskine’s past and present,” but noted that Adamson “is not one to stand still.”

Adamson said his experience at Erskine is one “I could never have scripted for myself.” He spoke glowingly of the welcome he and his wife Von have enjoyed. “This is a family, and we were immediately embraced,” he said. When asked recently about life in Due West, his reply was, “I’m having a blast!”

The president said Erskine's formal vision statement “points to the larger goal.” Focusing on the latter portion of the statement, “influencing society for God’s glory,” he gave an update on some initiatives at Erskine.

The Honors Institute at Erskine, which launched this fall, is "for students who like to be challenged,” he said, and features a “conversational classroom” format.

Six new degree programs are being offered at Erskine—Accounting, Digital Marketing, Information Technology, Interdisciplinary Studies, International Studies, and Supply Chain Management.

As Cook began the presentation of alumni awards, he said, “The more involved I am with Erskine, the more amazed I am at the talents, accomplishments, and commitment to service of our alumni.”

The Alumni Distinguished Service Award honors service to church, community, profession, and alma mater over a lifetime. Cook paid tribute to this year’s recipient, a business administration graduate who is a longtime elder at Greenville ARP Church and has been a Certified Public Accountant for 35 years.

Fell & Fair reenactors

“For over 20 years, Chip Smith served in key leadership roles at Liberty Corporation and its successor companies, RBC Insurance and Athene Life, including chief financial officer and president. As a member of the Athene management team, he helped grow the company’s assets from $5 billion to $80 billion,” Cook said, adding, “I’ve had the honor of working with and for Chip.”

Treasurer at Greenville Associate Reformed Presbyterian (ARP) Church for more than 25 years, Smith volunteered as treasurer of the ARP denomination for more than 25 years, has served on the Erskine Board of Trustees, including a term as chairman, and has led Erskine’s investment committee. “He and his wife Wendy have been strong financial contributors to Erskine’s annual giving program and strategic and capital projects,” Cook said.

Smith was unable to attend the meeting. His father, Dr. Guy Hudson Smith, Jr. ’61, who is also a 1964 graduate of the seminary, accepted the award.

The Outstanding Young Alumni Award, recognizing alumni of the last 15 years who have begun to be a positive and encouraging influence in their church, community, profession, and alma mater, was presented to Daniel Prohaska ’14 of Summerville, S.C., by Alumni Association President-Elect Dr. Sanita Cousar ’77.

Recently promoted to president and CEO of Lions Vision Services—its fifth president and the youngest to date—Prohaska formerly served as its director of development. He was previously director of development at the Avian Conservation Center. He has volunteered with the Lions Club, joining while he was a student, as well as the Due West Robotics Club, historical societies, and community foundations; has taken mission trips to West Africa; and has served in several roles at his church. As a student, he was Student Government Association president, and he worked in the Advancement Office after graduation.

“Daniel and his wife Angel recently welcomed the arrival of their first child, Joseph, and no doubt, they will teach Joseph the value and joy of serving others,” Cousar said. She told Prohaska, “You are a credit to your alma mater. May your life continue to be a blessing to others.”

The Erskine Service Award was presented to rheumatologist Dr. Lee Day ’08, of Columbia, S.C. by Walker Riley ’18. While on the Alumni

Association Board of Directors, Day led an initiative to establish a network of Erskine alumni in the field of medicine who were willing to serve as mentors to current students. “He didn’t just come up with the idea—he took the lead in reaching out to those alumni and collecting their contact information,” Riley said.

Day’s efforts inspired the Alumni Board to launch a similar effort with educators willing to mentor students. “Now the Alumni Office maintains a permanent online network where alumni in any profession can make themselves available to students as mentors and job connectors,” Riley said.

“Your cheerful service as a volunteer and as a goodwill ambassador for Erskine have been an inspiration to your peers, and your efforts to help students succeed in their careers will have ripple effects for years,” Riley told Day.

Noting that the alumni board “enjoys the privilege of inducting select nonalumni into the association,” Cook announced that retired educator Joseph Elder Reynolds of Due West is this year’s recipient of the Honorary Alumni Award.

Reynolds became principal at Carver Middle School in 1972, the first year of school integration in Abbeville County, and led transition teams on “race relations, educational excellence, and community empowerment.” A quiet supporter of Erskine, he mentored male students; referred students to Erskine and assisted them in applying to the school; collaborated with Erskine’s education professors to ensure opportunities for education majors; and encouraged student and community participation in Erskine events. Reynolds, who was unable to attend the meeting, said of his own career, “It’s all been about my love of children and giving back to the community.”

Susan Williams ’77, who nominated Reynolds, called him “an unsung but active supporter of Erskine.” She accepted the award on his behalf.

In his closing remarks, outgoing Alumni Association President E. Phillip Cook told the assembled alumni, “We are your voice and we take that very seriously.” He praised the efforts of Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations Paul Bell, who was given a standing ovation.

Cook announced that the Alumni Board is “repatriating the Annual Fund” with several alumni leaders chosen to spearhead the 2023-24 campaign— Rev. Dr. J. Barry Dagenhart ’82, ’93 (Sem.), Sarah Dagenhart ’82, Jacob DeLuca ’15, Crystal Noble ’01, Michael Noble ’99, Barbara Robinson ’79, and Kenneth Robinson ’78. “Please join your board in making Erskine even stronger as we look to the future,” he said.

A new slate of officers and board members was approved as follows:

• President-Elect Dr. Sanita Cousar ’77 began her term of office July 1, taking the helm from Cook, who received a token of gratitude from the board and a standing ovation from attendees.

• The new president-elect of the Alumni Association is Walker Riley ’18. Elected secretary was Peggy Harrill ’76. Both are serving members of the board.

• Incoming members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors are Ralph T. Bowling III ’82; Wendy Childress ’21 (Sem.); Gehrig DeFronzo ’20; Mary Pratt Horne ’22; Sherry McAdams ’81; and John Williams ’68

Members completing their service were recognized, including Sarah Dagenhart ’82; Jacob DeLuca ’15; Anna Pettus ’13; Rev. Dr. Maynard Pittendreigh ’76; Dr. Richard Taylor ’69; and Justin van Riper ’18.

STRONG INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES HIGHLIGHT 2022-23 SEASON

Five outstanding students brought home Conference Carolinas individual awards during Erskine’s 2022-23 athletic season.

The Women’s Tennis program swept the conference’s individual awards with Emma Bentz taking home Player of the Year for the second time in three seasons, Ariana Jativa winning Freshman of the Year, and Head Coach Calhoun Parr earning his 10th Coach of the Year award. That trio led the Flying Fleet to its 12th Conference Carolinas Regular Season Title in the past 19 years.

Baseball’s Dale Francis, Jr. became the first member of the Flying Fleet to win the league’s Player of the Year award since 2010 after a tremendous first season with Erskine. Francis led the conference with a .442 batting average and slugged 14 home runs along with 51 RBIs. Francis was named to the First Team All-Region in all three major organizations (NCBWA, D2CCA, ABCA/Rawlings).

Kacper Rybarczyk of the Men’s Volleyball team was named Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year after finishing second in the conference with 4.42 points per set, posting an impressive .348 hitting percentage, and placing in the top 10 in the league in aces per set. In addition to the conference accolades, Rybarczyk was named an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention.

Tom Bastow of Men’s Golf took home the Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year awards in Conference Carolinas, posting three top-10 finishes. In nine tournaments and 27 rounds, he averaged 72.37 strokes per round with a low round of 67. Bastow won the Conference Carolinas Championship and earned a spot in the NCAA Division II South/ Southeast Regional as an individual.

GOLF PROGRAMS END SEASON WELL IN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Erskine Men’s and Women’s Golf teams each finished second in the Conference Carolinas Championships in spring 2023.

After challenging fall and spring seasons, the women’s team saved the best for last, led by All-Conference duo Amanda Guzman and Sofia Altes in the conference championship. Guzman, the conference’s freshman of the year for 2021-22, tied for third individually

in the 2023 championship. Her birdie on the 18th hole secured a second-place finish as a team. Altes finished in the top five, just one stroke behind Guzman, and Delia Parker and Victoria Carrera each paced the Fleet with top25 finishes.

The men’s team was led by a pair of freshmen, Tom Bastow and Oliver Ulmo, who took center stage with phenomenal fall seasons. At the 2023 conference championship, Bastow and Laurenz Meifels each posted under-par scores and put the Fleet in first after Day 1. A wellrounded effort from Erskine in the final round secured a second-place finish. Bastow won the event individually, while Meifels finished in the top five.

FLEET BASEBALL ACHIEVES UPSET WINS AND BREAKS RECORDS IN OFFENSE

The 2023 Flying Fleet Baseball season was nothing short of unforgettable. In the team’s first win of the season, senior Ashby Smith hit a walk-off home run at Lander’s stadium to knock off the rival Bearcats.

The following weekend, Erskine traveled to Florida and capped the trip with a 14-5 win over No. 22 Nova Southeastern. This was the first of six victories over ranked opponents, highlighted by a doubleheader sweep over No. 6 Mount Olive in early April.

The Flying Fleet boasted an historic offense in 2023. On April 22 in the second game of a doubleheader at Southern Wesleyan, Erskine dominated with a 40-run outburst to win the series. The Fleet tied a Division II record of 12 home runs in one game and gained the season record for most runs earned in a game. Erskine set school records in four separate categories in the April 22 game.

The accolades weren’t limited to just one day for the Flying Fleet offense. At the conclusion of the regular season, Erskine was fourth in Division II for home runs (89) and fifth for home runs per game (1.82), both setting school records as well.

WOMEN’S TENNIS DOMINATES IN 2023

The Erskine Women’s Tennis program continues to lead the way in Conference Carolinas with another regular season title in 2023—the team’s 12th title in 19 years.

After a relatively slow start in February, the Fleet rattled off eight straight wins, including a 5-0 start to conference play. Erskine went 9-1 in

Conference Carolinas play for the year. The Fleet swept the conference’s individual postseason awards with Emma Bentz (Player of the Year), Ariana Jativa (Freshman of the Year), and Calhoun Parr (Coach of the Year) all bringing home accolades. In total, five of the six usual singles players were named to an All-Conference team in 2023.

FRESHMAN RUNNER MAKES AN IMPACT

Freshman Angel Galan had outstanding seasons in the Erskine Cross Country and Track & Field teams in 2022-23.

A native of Salamanca, Spain, Galan earned three top-10 finishes in the Cross Country season, including a ninth-place finish at the conference championships, earning him a spot on the All-Conference Second Team.

With less than a month’s break from the end of the Cross Country season and the start of the Indoor Track & Field season, Galan showed no signs of slowing down. He became a force in the 3000-meter steeplechase event, finishing second in the Conference Carolinas Outdoor Championships in that event. Galan set school records in the 3000-meter steeplechase and the 5k as a true freshman.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL STUNS CONFERENCE CAROLINAS WITH SECOND-PLACE SEASON FINISH

Coming into the 2023 season, the Fleet Men’s Volleyball team was predicted to finish 6th in Conference Carolinas but turned heads with a remarkable regular season.

The team challenged itself in non-conference play, including a trip to Arizona to take on No. 5 Grand Canyon University in late January. Erskine began the year with just a 4-7 record and a 1-2 start in conference play. However, in mid-February, the team went on a six-match winning streak and won seven of its next eight games, the only loss to nationally ranked Lewis University. Erskine picked up some crucial home victories and sealed the No. 2 seed in the Conference Carolinas Tournament, their highest seeding since 2016.

The Fleet was led by Kacper Rybarczyk, Edgerrin Austin, and Jason Sall—who combined to average nearly 10 kills per set—and setter Francisco Pomar, who finished fourth in the conference in assists per set. Erskine was also in the top 20 nationally in blocks per set and opponent hitting percentage.

WHY I GIVE TO ERSKINE CATHERINE DAVIS '07

I don’t remember a time when I didn’t know about and love Erskine College. I grew up in the ARP Church and spent time at Bonclarken each summer. I remember seeing Erskine shirts around Bonclarken and hearing Erskine alumni speak fondly of their alma mater.

While working at Camp Joy, I met Erskine students whose eyes would light up when they talked about their Erskine experience. They held impromptu worship services after our campers went to bed. These interactions made me long to be a part of the Erskine family.

The moment I set foot on campus in Due West, I felt like I had joined the family I had heard about for so many years. While at Erskine, I gained an outstanding education from professors who each knew my name. I matured in my faith and made beautiful friendships that will last a lifetime.

I wouldn’t have been able to attend Erskine College without the generosity of donors like you, and I give joyfully to Erskine today because I want to do the same for future generations.

As a new alumna, my giving started out small, and I am working to give more as I am able. I encourage other young Erskine alumni to join me in giving—start small and increase the amount as you grow in your career. Join me in prayer for Erskine and its ministry to future generations.

Your donation to Erskine matters, and I am forever grateful for your generosity!

Support future Erskine students at www.erskine.edu/giving/

Catherine Tolbert Davis '07 and family

Photography by Helen Joy George

ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT BEGINS HER WORK WITH ENERGY

Newly installed Alumni Board President Dr. Sanita Cousar ’77 of Columbia, S.C. brought faith and optimism to the group’s summer meeting at the Bonclarken Conference Center July 21-22.

“I believe this will be a ‘WOW’ year—a ‘walk on water’ year,” Cousar says. “If we show courage to ask for the impossible and if we keep our focus on Christ, the impossible becomes possible.”

She calls Bonclarken “a wonderfully serene place for Alumni Board members to bond, reflect on our days at Erskine, and begin our work for the year.” Last year’s summer meeting was also held at Bonclarken, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian conference center in Flat Rock, N.C.

Cousar’s enthusiasm is fueled by her faith and by her excitement about the makeup of the board. “I am elated that we have a full spectrum of alumni on the board, from the Class of 1961 to the Class of 2022!” she says.

While board members share many common experiences from their Erskine days, “there are variations,” the new president notes. The common elements, along with the differences, “make our discussions richer and more meaningful.” She looks forward to “working with this amazing Alumni Board.”

The Alumni Board, Cousar says, will strive to “support and align our efforts with Erskine’s strategic plan.”

Among the projects and goals of the Alumni Board for the coming months, she says, are reviewing and revising as necessary the board’s constitution and bylaws; fostering the growth of the Erskine Legacy Scholarship; hosting a career symposium held during the week before Homecoming; developing sessions to help students prepare for graduate school; and, with Erskine staff members, reorganizing alumni chapters and identifying chapter leaders.

Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations Paul Bell ’84 was present for the summer meeting, along with two recently appointed staff members— Alumni Relations Coordinator Jeanne Bell ’92 and Alumni Development Officer Andy Anderson ’93

Erskine President Dr. Steve Adamson spoke to the Alumni Board, outlining the accomplishments of the last year at Erskine. “In order to represent and communicate with other alumni, it was especially helpful to hear personally from Dr. Adamson and the Advancement staff,” Cousar says.

Achievements of the past year cited by Adamson included the retooling of Erskine’s business model; the hiring of vice presidents in the key areas of finance, operations and planning, and athletics; the launch of six new majors and the Honors Institute; and partnership with World Witness in a Global Theological Initiative.

Reflecting on the purpose of the Alumni Board, Cousar stresses that its members “have been elected to represent the alumni of Erskine.” The individual talents, skills, and interests of board members should be used in ways that “result in tangible outcomes” which best serve the students and the institution, she says.

The commencement day practice of “pinning” graduating students—giving them a small Alumni Association pin depicting the Erskine Towers—goes to the heart of Cousar’s approach to the role of Alumni Board president.

“Pinning the graduates has been one of the highlights of the past two years on the Alumni Board under the leadership of Mr. Phillip Cook,” she says, referring to E. Phillip Cook ’92, who preceded her as president.

In the few moments spent pinning each student, “I love hearing where the graduates are from, what their majors were, and what post-graduation plans they have,” Cousar says. She also enjoys welcoming students into the Alumni Association, reminding them to keep the pin and bring it back to Erskine to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their commencement.

“It gives me great joy now to know that in 50 years, that pin will still be a treasured memento, not just of their graduation day and induction into the Alumni Association,” she says, “but of the place where their Christian faith was strengthened, where they pursued their chosen area of study, where they grew and learned life lessons, where they began a life of service, and where their lives were profoundly and wonderfully changed forever. To God be the glory!”

New members welcomed at the summer meeting were Ralph T. Bowling III ’82, ’87 (Sem.), Prosperity, S.C.; Wendy Childress ’21 (Sem.), Beaumont, Calif.; Gehrig DeFronzo ’20, Greenville, S.C.; Mary Pratt Horne ’22, Columbia, S.C.; Sherry McAdams ’81, Moore, S.C.; Jim Moore ’77, Laurens, S.C.; and John Williams ’68, Pinopolis, S.C.

Returning Alumni Board members in addition to Cousar included Tripp Boykin ’92, Alcolu, S.C.; David Danehower ’74, Apex, N.C.; Peggy Harrill ’76, Secretary, Timmonsville, S.C.; Lloyd Kelso ’73, Gastonia, N.C.; Mary Elizabeth Land ’90, Abbeville, S.C.; Michael Noble ’99, Anderson, S.C.; Jim Rambo ’62, Laurens, S.C.; Walker Riley ’18, President-Elect, Simpsonville, S.C.; Kenneth Robinson ’78, Greenwood, S.C.; and John Wingate ’99, Simpsonville, S.C.

ERSKINE IN ICELAND: JOY AND AMAZEMENT

An Erskine contingent of alumni, faculty, family members, and students journeyed to the “Land of Fire and Ice” May 14-26.

Leading Erskine in Iceland 2023 was Associate Professor of English Dr. Christine Schott. Well acquainted with Iceland, she lived in Reykjavik while in graduate school at the University of Iceland and has made many return visits.

“What I really appreciated about this group was the way they threw themselves into the experience,” says Schott. “We had five days straight of 35-mile-per-hour winds, which is unusual even in Iceland, and everybody just buttoned up their jackets and carried on.”

Schott, often seen on campus wearing a sweater or jacket, says that on the day the group visited the Mývatn Nature Baths, an outdoor geothermal spa, the windchill was 28 degrees.

“Almost every member of our group gamely jumped into the water and had a swim, while I sat in the café drinking hot chocolate!”

The Erskine travelers spent several days in the city of Reykjavik and toured the Ring Road, a highway encircling the entire country. On the Ring Road bus tour, members of the group saw “puffins, whales, glaciers, and evidence of ancient volcanic activity everywhere,” says Dr. Richard Taylor ’69, who took the trip with his wife Janet Taylor ’68.

“Iceland has a truly striking landscape, which is so different from our own,” says Erskine College senior Ariel Bishop. “We were blessed to experience the snow-capped mountains, visit glacial lagoons, see lava columns, and explore the black beaches.”

Schott enjoyed the group’s enthusiasm. “When you live in Iceland, you get used to the idea that the entire island is volcanic. I loved seeing the members of our group marvel at the fact that every rock they saw was lava.”

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Both Bishop and Taylor found that another natural feature caught their attention in the Land of Fire and Ice—waterfalls. “They are everywhere and spectacular,” Taylor reports, and Bishop says, “I was astounded by their beauty and power.”

Based on her own experience, Schott says, “I don’t think the natural beauty of the place ever gets old, no matter how many times you see it,” and admits, “I probably took more pictures than almost anyone else!”

While the group was in Reykjavik, Schott served as tour guide. “It was a great joy to share my favorite city with Erskine folks, although because I hadn’t been there since before COVID, a lot of my commentary consisted of observations like, ‘That building is new!’ and ‘Apparently you can’t cross the road here anymore.’”

Once they left the city, Schott engaged a driver-guide named Kristján, a retired psychologist. “We learned far more about contemporary Icelandic culture from him than I could ever offer,” she says. “Everybody loved him.”

Schott’s familiarity with the Nordic country, combined with the insights offered by their Icelandic guide, “made the trip feel more meaningful to all of us,” Bishop says.

Taylor expressed the gratitude of the group. “Our most sincere thanks to Christine Schott, who planned it, pulled it off, wrangled us all like a great leader does—and still managed to have a very good time in the land of her heart.”

LELAND & GAYLE BEAUDROT

“We give to Erskine because we want others to have the same opportunities and experiences that have shaped our lives for Christian living and service.”

Leland and Gayle Beaudrot believe Erskine prepared them to better serve God and answer the call to Christian ministry they each received. Leland’s call led to a long career in his denominational headquarters, while Gayle’s led to many years of ministry in her denomination.

The effects of their Erskine experience—the education, interactions with professors and peers, and overall college and seminary life—have grown and carried them forward “even to this day.”

Leland, a 1979 graduate of Erskine College and a 1983 graduate of Erskine Seminary, and Gayle, a 2005 graduate of Erskine Seminary, are enjoying retirement in Due West, “where we can continue to experience the fullness of the Erskine community.”

Leland Beaudrot ’79, ’83 (Sem.) and Gayle Beaudrot ’05

ALUMNA NAMED PRESIDENT OF SUNY POTSDAM

Dr. Suzanne Smith, a member of the Erskine College Class of 1990, was recently selected by the board of directors of the State University of New York at Potsdam (SUNY Potsdam) as the institution’s 18th president. She began her work at Potsdam in mid-April this year.

Smith most recently served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia. She cites “the sense of family or sense of community support” as a common thread connecting her Erskine experience, her tenure at Georgia Southwestern, and her new position at SUNY Potsdam.

“I enjoy being on campuses where people support one another, where they are focused on helping students succeed as everyone at Erskine was, and where colleagues develop a true sense of community,” she says, adding, “This is something that existed at Erskine, [was] very apparent at Georgia Southwestern, and is something that drew me to SUNY Potsdam.”

As an undergraduate, Smith played on the women’s tennis team, served as vice chair of the Judicial Council, and was active in the Philomelean Literary Society. “My time at Erskine taught me the importance of being involved not just academically, but also in co-curricular activities,” she says.

Smith believes that critical thinking and such skills as “time management, being a good group member, being a good group leader, and learning to get along with a wide variety of people” can be developed as students “navigate life in campus activities.”

Grateful for the mentoring she received at Erskine from Dr. Beth Norrell and Dr. John Showalter, Smith cites as an example of that assistance an undergraduate research project which, “thanks to Dr. Norrell’s guidance and

support,” was accepted for presentation at a national conference. It was a pivotal experience.

“Conducting and then presenting this research gave me the confidence to think I could be successful in graduate school, and I was capable of more than I had ever imagined,” she says.

She was invited to apply to a master’s program in which she would work with some of the leading scholars she had met at the conference.

“This literally changed the course of my life,” Smith says, “and led me on the path I have followed ever since.”

She’s had a few surprises along the way. “After I finished my master’s degree, I wasn’t sure where my career path would lead me,” she recalls. “My mentor, Dr. Norrell, ended up changing jobs that summer and recommended me for her position while [Erskine] did a national search. Ironically, I had always said the only thing I knew I didn’t want to do is teach!”

Classes were due to start in about two weeks when Smith accepted the teaching opportunity, thinking it might be good “to have a job for a year and figure things out.” Erskine friends in the area helped her find housing.

A week after she started the job, she called home and told her parents that she now knew what she wanted to do with the rest of her life—teach at the college level.

“So, twice Erskine helped set me on the path I was meant to take in my professional life,” Smith says, first with the undergraduate research project and then with the temporary teaching position at Erskine after she got her

master’s degree. “I taught at Erskine that year and the following summer and then started my Ph.D. program at the University of Georgia.”

Asked about what advice she might offer college students who are making their way toward a career, she remembers her initial reluctance to consider teaching. “I think the greatest obstacle can be figuring out what you’re passionate about,” she says, “and then how to achieve that goal.”

Based on her own experience, she recommends being “intentional and purposeful about what you do and how you pursue your goals,” and believes that “having someone to help mentor you along the way minimizes the obstacles you face.”

As she prepared for her work as president of SUNY Potsdam, she looked back on her career. “In my profession, having a Ph.D. was essential to my success, as well as having a desire to work with others and to focus everything I do on student success,” she says. “A positive attitude and a desire to help others are key.”

After graduating from Erskine College with a bachelor’s degree in behavior science, Smith completed a master’s degree in family and child development at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and a Ph.D. in child and family development from the University of Georgia. She has completed the Harvard Graduate School of Education Management Development program and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Millennium Leadership Institute.

Suzanne Smith and her husband Brett Lloyd enjoy “playing golf, hiking, snow sports, and being outdoors.” At the time she was interviewed, they had five dogs, three of them under the age of seven months. She described their house as “full of activity and dog hair!” and added, “We love spending time with our friends and family, and I still have relationships I cherish that were born in my time at Erskine.”

We received an update from Suzanne Smith in late July 2023. She and her husband have settled happily into their new community after moving from a college in the Deep South to the northernmost member of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. “It has been a wonderful first few months meeting the amazing students, faculty, and staff at SUNY Potsdam,” she reports. “I was able to celebrate our students at the honors and awards events on campus prior to commencement, and was able to enjoy my first, magical commencement at SUNY Potsdam. My husband and I have enjoyed exploring some of the North Country and are loving hiking the many beautiful trails that are close to where we live. It’s indeed a special place, and we feel lucky to be a part of the SUNY Potsdam family.”

Like many of you, I was able to receive an Erskine education through the generosity of Erskine’s alumni and friends. Now it’s our turn to help Erskine move forward by offering our financial support.

I encourage my fellow alumni to rally around Erskine. Let’s put aside any differences or concerns and give students the financial assistance they need. Let’s help them get the kind of education we received.

Help Erskine become the best it can be. Go Fleet!

Ken Robinson ’78

GRADUATES RETURN TO DUE WEST FOR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

They went to Paris for their 25th wedding anniversary, but to commemorate 30 years of marriage, Diana Palecek and Eric Moore of Charlotte, N.C., members of the Class of 1989, came back to Due West, where they first met as Erskine College freshmen.

BACK TO THE BEGINNING

On Sunday, April 30, 2023, Diana and Eric visited the Due West ARP Church, where they had been married on May 1, 1993. The Erskine Choraleers happened to be singing in the service that day— the eve of the couple’s 30th anniversary—bringing back memories of their college days. The service was followed by a covered-dish lunch in the same fellowship hall where they had met at an ice-cream social back in 1985.

After staying overnight in a Watkins Student Center guest room, they spent May 1, their anniversary, on the Erskine campus. In the morning, they walked over to Belk Hall and talked with Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations Paul Bell ’84

Later, seated at a table in the Chesnut Room Annex, husband and wife batted memories back and forth between them. They talked about their time together on campus, meaningful encouragement from faculty members, and Erskine’s continuing influence on their lives.

MEMORIES

“We were friends for a couple of years before we started dating,” Diana said. “We hung out with some of the same people.”

“After we met that first weekend, we had a few classes together,” including both Old Testament and New Testament with Dr. Ben Farley, Eric recalled.

Diana said they spent time together in Erskine’s wind ensemble, conducted by Professor of Music Dr. John Brawley, whom both remember fondly. The future husband and wife played in the pit orchestra for the musical Mame, with Eric teaching Diana some jazz techniques.

Eric was president of the Student Christian Association (SCA). Diana served on the SCA Council. They served as co-directors when SCA staged Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, another shared musical experience, with Diana juggling roles as an instrumental musician and singer in the production.

LATE NIGHTS

Another activity that drew them together was membership in the Jesters, a secret society at Erskine. They recalled making paper cutouts of Jesters—not as easy you might think, they agreed—and painting banners.

“Those late-night meetings with the Jesters played a big role in our starting to date,” Diana said.

As the couple reminisced about some of their ‘undercover’ activities with the Jesters, Eric connected those long-ago escapades with some of their more recent adventures.

During the early, daunting days of COVID-19, Eric and Diana drove around in Charlotte late at night, stopping to place encouraging signs in the front yards of some members of their church—doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, and others—who were putting themselves at risk to care for others. Pulling this “prank” under the cover of darkness, three decades after graduating from Erskine, reminded them of the good-natured fun they had as Jesters.

LEARNING AND GROWING

The two went on to successful careers and remain grateful for the education they received at Erskine, both in and out of the classroom.

As a work-study student for Erskine President Dr. William Bruce Ezell, Jr., who served from 1981 to 1989, “I used to set up for board meetings,” Diana said, and emphasized the value of that experience for her, citing what she called her “humble country background.”

THE PARKINSON GUEST HOUSE

Erskine College is working to restore the house at the corner of College Street and pedestrian highway. The home will be faithfully restored to its original grandeur and expanded to accommodate eight guest rooms for campus visitors.

Designed by “Due West’s architect,” John Henry Wren, the home was owned by the Gordon Parkinson, Sr. family until it was given to Erskine in 1973.

Her advisor, Dr. James W. Gettys ’62, who retired as McDonald-Boswell Professor of History Emeritus, “taught me how you network,” she said, and helped her get a job as a file clerk with attorney John Moore ’71, later chairman of the Board of Trustees. As a senior, she questioned whether she really wanted to go on to law school, and Gettys “encouraged me to stay the course.” She did.

Eric remembered that Professor Emerita of Mathematics Dr. Ann Bowe and Young Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Dr. James J. “Mike” Bowe helped him grow as a student, preparing him for his career as a software developer and data analyst.

He has continued his involvement with church music, enjoying the rewards of the music minor he completed at Erskine under the influence of such gifted professors as the late Dr. John Brawley and the late Cortlandt Koonts.

THE DRAW OF DUE WEST

Eric and Diana have traveled extensively during their marriage, and they credit an Erskine professor with getting them started. “She gave us the travel bug,” Diana said, recalling a trip led by Dr. Joan Little, who recently retired as Dorn-Reeder Professor Emerita of English.

Diana, who majored in English with a minor in history, and Eric, who majored in mathematics with an emphasis in computer science and a minor in music, were among the six English majors and two math majors who made up the small Erskine contingent traveling to England. “That was our first international travel,” Diana said.

They were considering another international trip for their anniversary, but they were delighted with their return to the beautiful college campus where they first met. “Eric came up with the idea to come back to Erskine,” Diana said with a smile.

“Places like Paris, Prague, and Jerusalem—they all have their appeal,” Eric said, listing some of their previous destinations. “But Due West has its own charm, and a special place in our lives.”

From Due West, they went on to the Columbia area to spend time with parents, then headed to Charleston, where they had honeymooned in 1993, completing a memorable celebration.

Eric noted that the Student Christian Association buried a time capsule on campus when he and his wife were students, as a part of Erskine’s Sesquicentennial celebration. They hope to be on hand when that capsule is opened for the school’s Bicentennial.

Scan the QR code to donate to the Parkinson Guest House restoration.

Right, artist’s rendering of the Parkinson Guest House

NEWS

NEW MAJORS AND HONORS: IT’S ALL ABOUT STUDENTS

The launch of new majors and the kickoff of the Honors Institute at Erskine are set to benefit students beginning this fall.

Erskine College is adding six new majors, offering students more educational options and flexibility. Students can now complete degrees in Accounting, Digital Marketing, Information Technology, Interdisciplinary Studies, International Studies, and Supply Chain Management.

The Honors Institute at Erskine, another fall start-up this year, is a unique four-year program designed to challenge students intellectually and nurture their faith.

Both the initiative to expand major offerings and the creation of the Honors Institute advance the college’s strategic plan with its four “pillars”—Missional Fidelity, Financial Stewardship, Educational Excellence, and Expanding Reach.

The addition of new majors will help to promote educational excellence and aid in expanding Erskine’s reach to new segments of students.

The Honors Institute, with its small-cohort classes and discussion-based curriculum, seeks to develop students’ thinking and communication skills while fostering the formation of a biblical worldview. Like the new majors, the new honors program also advances the strategic plan, supporting the plan’s emphases on educational excellence and missional fidelity.

Associate Professor of English and Honors Institute Director Dr. Dennis Kinlaw says the seminar discussions in the Honors Institute “will train students to grapple with urgent and everlasting questions … while remaining rooted in the biblical witness that Christ is Lord.”

In this inaugural year, a dozen freshmen, described by Erskine President Dr. Steve Adamson as “students who like to be challenged,” make up the Honors Institute cohort.

Erskine’s newly minted majors, several of which are in rapidly expanding fields, create more choices for students as they prepare to enter today’s workforce while gaining a Christian liberal arts education.

“These programs will be undergirded by Erskine’s core curriculum, and they will prepare students to compete in today’s marketplace,” says Senior Director of Enrollment Gabe Hollingsworth.

The Supply Chain Management major, for example, will open doors for students in a field where the demand for qualified professionals outpaces available workers by 6 to 1, according to a recent DHL Supply Chain report. In the program, students will receive a liberal arts education and complete business courses for the major on Erskine’s campus, along with a specialized set of Supply Chain courses online.

Similarly, the B.S. in Digital Marketing prepares students with sought-after skills in areas such as search engine optimization (SEO), analytics, social media strategy, and email marketing. The program provides a balance between marketing theory and practical expertise.

Erskine’s B.S. in Accounting taps into a specialized field that is expected to grow by 6% over the next 10 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Information Technology major helps students enter a field which, also according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is predicted to increase by 700,000 new jobs over the next decade.

The International Studies major is geared toward students with eclectic interests, entrepreneurial spirit, and global vision. The degree offers an interdisciplinary approach in which students can choose one of three specialized tracks: Cultural and Religious Studies; Politics, Law, and Diplomacy; or International Business and Development.

The Interdisciplinary Studies major, under faculty guidance, blends two fields of study into one major, allowing students greater flexibility in academic pursuits as they consider their calling.

Hollingsworth is pleased to offer prospective students a range of new major choices in addition to Erskine’s established programs. “The strategic addition of these new majors will help position Erskine graduates for success in their vocations and in life,” he says.

From incoming Honors Institute freshmen “who like to be challenged” to students entering established majors or one of the new major fields—all Erskine College students will reap rewards as these academic enhancements strengthen the institution.

NEW MEMBERS INDUCTED INTO ALPHA EPSILON DELTA

Six new members were inducted into Alpha Epsilon Delta (AED) March 27 in the Daniel•Moultrie Science Center Auditorium.

The new members were Callen Begley, a junior from West Columbia, S.C.; MJ Cackett, a junior from Peachtree City, Ga.; Amanda Johnston, a sophomore from New Port Richey, Fla.; Duncan Owen, a junior from Liberty, S.C.; Megan Shearon, a sophomore from Beaufort, S.C.; and Joe Suddeth, a sophomore from Due West, S.C.

Alpha Epsilon Delta is a national health preprofessional honor society dedicated to the encouragement and recognition of excellence in preprofessional health scholarship in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and other areas. Erskine established an AED chapter on campus in 2020.

Professor of Biology Dr. Al Mina, who serves as faculty sponsor of Erskine’s Alpha Epsilon Delta chapter, noted that two alumni were inducted as honorary members in 2021. They are Zach Morgan ’19 and Reid Windmiller ’17, “who played a large part in getting a chapter established here,” Mina says. “Zach is currently in medical school at USC School of Medicine in Greenville. Reid graduated from Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Georgia, and is in his second year of residency in Family Medicine at Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Georgia.”

In order to be eligible for membership in AED, students must be enrolled in a major approved by the AED National Office as a preprofessional track. “At Erskine, that includes biology, chemistry, and health science,” Mina says. “Students must also be at least second-semester sophomores and have a minimum GPA of 3.2 in their science courses and overall.”

Members at the time of the ceremony, in addition to the new inductees and honorary members, were Ariel Bishop, Morgan Browne (Treasurer), Allie Carter (President), Madison Clayton, Carly Egan (Reporter), Mady Fischer, Laney Gaston (Vice President), Victoria Gillis, Kylie McKean (Historian), Ashley Owens, Tarrah Semones, and Kelsey Tyson (Secretary).

HISTORY MAJORS PRESENT RESEARCH AT PHI ALPHA THETA

Erskine College students Sadie Bradley, Rebecca Claxton, Sharon George, and Vanessa Harshaw, candidates for departmental honors in history, presented their research at the Carolinas Regional Conference of Phi Alpha Theta (PAT), hosted in February 2023 at the College of Charleston.

Assistant Professor of History Dr. Alessandra Brivio was happy to accompany the students to the meeting. “Erskine’s students received great compliments for their work and Sadie Bradley was awarded second place for ‘outstanding undergraduate paper,” she reports.

Sadie Bradley presented “Pride and Prejudice Courtship: A Historical Look at Dating and Love during the Georgian Era.” She says Jane Austen’s novel “reflects the importance of class rankings and hierarchy in Georgian courtship and dating, both expressing and undermining what was seen as appropriate in Georgian Era relationships.”

Sadie, who is from Due West, S.C., double majored in English and history and sang in both the Choraleers and Chamber Singers. “I was so honored that my research paper placed second in the conference, especially after hearing that something the judges appreciated was how I combined my two areas of study—literature and British history.”

Rebecca Claxton, a history major from Albemarle, N.C., presented a paper called “Porches and People: A Discussion of Southern Hospitality through the Architecture of the Front Porch.” She says her research shows that the porch “displays southern hospitality because it is a common feature of southern architecture that hosts the community and serves as an in-between space in society.”

The Phi Alpha Theta event was rewarding for Rebecca, whose campus activities included serving as president of the honor society Alpha Chi and singing in the Choraleers. “I am grateful I pushed myself to attend,” she says. “The reception of my paper and the comments I received gave me a boost of confidence that my writing is worth sharing.” She says her conference experience “has increased my desire to continue researching throughout my life.”

Sharon George, from Spartanburg, S.C., is completing a triple major in history, psychology, and Bible and religion. She is also a member of the instrumental ensemble Sinfonia. She presented “The Relationship between the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and Upstate South Carolina Textile Mills.”

“I think the most rewarding aspect of presenting my research at the conference was the fact that I was able to tell other people about something that I am passionate about,” Sharon says. “It was also great to talk about history, which is something I love, with a lot of people who are passionate about the same thing.”

Vanessa Harshaw, from Newberry, S.C., presented a paper titled “Women in Greek Myths—Antiquity to Now,” comparing ancient Greek myths to such modern-day retellings as Circe by Madeline Miller and The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker. She investigated how female characters based on mythological ones retain the traits originally ascribed to them well as how contemporary authors expand those characters to make them “more multidimensional.”

The conference was a good opportunity for Vanessa, a double major in history and social studies who plans to become a high school teacher. “I enjoyed learning about the other research presented by my classmates and by students from other institutions,” she says.

To earn the designation “Honors in History,” students must complete several requirements, including the presentation of their HS 399 or HS 400 paper “at a national or regional meeting or the equivalent.”

Phi Alpha Theta is an American honor society for undergraduate and graduate students and professors of history. Established in 1921 at the University of Arkansas, the society has more than 400,000 members, with some 9,000 new members joining each year through 970 chapters nationwide.

ERSKINE SENIOR CHOSEN FOR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE INTERNSHIP

Hard work and persistence—not to mention a skipped class and a seven-hour train trip—have paid off for Neal Blank, a senior from Camden, S.C., who was recently chosen for a U.S. Department of State Student Internship.

A double major in history and psychology with a minor in biology, Neal has played Men’s Soccer at Erskine, is a member of Alpha Chi National College Honor Society, and was named to the Garnet Circle in 2022. He spent the spring semester of 2023 in the United Kingdom, where he studied at St. Andrews University in Scotland.

Assistant Professor of History Dr. Christiane-Marie Abu Sarah, director of Erskine’s new International Studies program, urged Neal to apply for the internship last year.

“I missed the application window for that cycle but was able to get my application in for this cycle,” Neal recalls. “Dr. Abu Sarah has been incredible in supporting me and providing suggestions, resources, and contacts.”

Abu Sarah is proud to serve as a mentor for Neal.

“Few students have what it takes to land a State Department internship,” she says, noting that the application process is not easy. “Neal persisted and navigated the different challenges masterfully!”

One challenge Neal encountered while still studying in Scotland, having received provisional acceptance to the internship program in April, was the need to complete a crucial step—fingerprinting.

“We emailed frantically back and forth, trying to troubleshoot how he could get fingerprinted by a U.S. official with the necessary credentials,” Abu Sarah says.

“After a dozen or so phone calls to various government agencies, Neal skipped class and hopped on a seven-hour train from Edinburgh, Scotland to London, England to get fingerprinted at the U.S. Embassy in London.”

That’s determination.

Neal worked diligently during the lead-up to his departure. In addition to preparing to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) before leaving, he was also applying to graduate programs in clinical psychology and arranging visits to schools nearby which offer such programs.

“I remain open-minded,” Neal says. “Who knows? I may really enjoy my time at the State Department and want to work some prior to graduate school.”

As he continues to think about his career aspirations and goals, Neal says frankly, “My future is still open. I feel that my calling is tied to being flexible when opportunities arise. God keeps opening doors for me.”

Describing Neal’s U.S. Department of State Internship as “an incredible honor for both Neal and Erskine College,” Abu Sarah says Neal’s selection makes sense.

“In today’s globalized world, employers look for individuals like Neal— problem-solvers and people of character who are willing to step out of their comfort zones, tackle new situations, and adapt to unfamiliar settings.”

Members of the Erskine community who know Neal have little doubt that he will prove an excellent representative for his college and his country.

“Neal is an exceptional young man who exhibits a strong work ethic in everything he undertakes,” says Dean of the College Shane Bradley. “We are proud of his accomplishments, and we pray for his safety and growth during his adventure.”

Erskine students participated in several psychology conferences during the spring semester, Instructor of Psychology Dr. Cynthia Midcalf reports.

Bryce Jeffcoat, a senior from Camden, S.C. presented “The Effect of the Severity of an Individual’s First Criminal Conviction on the Probability of Criminal Recidivism” at the 19th Annual Georgia Undergraduate Research in Psychology Conference, held on the campus of Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Bryce is a member of Erskine’s Flying Fleet Football team.

Kenzie Eagleman, a junior from Sylva, N.C., and Ashby Smith, a senior from Gaffney, S.C., participated in the 44th Annual Psi Chi Convention at the University of Georgia. Kenzie, a member of the Fleet Softball team,

presented research on “Collegiate Athletes and Mental Health.” Saying she is “very open” about her own mental health, she was interested in whether student athletes from other colleges “were having the same issues I was.” She received a second-place award for her presentation.

Twelve Erskine students presented their research at the Carolinas Psychology Conference, held on the campus of Campbell University in North Carolina.

Senior Meredith Hollinger of Belton, S.C. gave a presentation titled “Comparison of In-Sport and Out-of-Sport Body Image in Female Collegiate Volleyball Players.” She is a member of the Women’s Volleyball team.

In her research project, “The Correlation between Religion and Addiction Recovery,” Christen Jordan’s goal was “to find a way to help decrease the stigma of those who face addictions” and to emphasize “the importance of showing compassion to addicts.” A senior from Lexington, S.C., she has played on Erskine’s Beach Volleyball team and has served as a student secretary for Chaplain Joshua Chiles. Christen says Dr. Cynthia Midcalf, who accompanied the students to the conference, “was my main support throughout this process.”

Junior Kacper Rybarczyk, of Warsaw, Poland, presented research on “International Students and Difficulties They Have to Face in the U.S.” He is a member of the Men’s Volleyball team.

Other participants included senior Brooklyn Boseman of Starr, S.C.; senior Maisy Garner of Chapin, S.C.; senior Sharon George of Spartanburg, S.C.; senior Seth Kemfort of Lexington, S.C.; junior Melanie Mercelita of Haines City, Fla.; senior Davis Robertson of Easley, S.C.; junior Katelyn Suttles of Gray Court, S.C.; junior Luize Valtere of Altamonte Springs, Fla.; and junior DuJwan Washington of Savannah, Ga.

Pictured at top left are some of the students who presented research at the Carolinas Psychology Conference: front row, from left, Sharon George, Katelyn Suttles; back row, from left, Dr. Cynthia Midcalf, who accompanied the students, Meredith Hollinger, Maisy Garner, Christen Jordan, Kacper Rybarcyzk, and Melanie Mercelita.

A ‘LOVING APPROACH TO LIFE’ IN FOLLY BEACH:

GRADUATE REFLECTS ON COLLEGE, CAREER, AND COMMUNITY

Richard Beck, who grew up in the Charleston area, is a retired dentist and a member of the Erskine College Class of 1968. He recently wrote and published Remaining Folly: A Sea Island’s Journey. On its cover, the book is described as “A Chronicle of the Landscape & Political History of Folly Beach, South Carolina, 1972-1992.” Beck calls it “a cautionary tale.” The book is based in part on his experience as a city councilman (1978-1982) and mayor (19821989) in Folly Beach. Here, he speaks about his Erskine experience, his career, and the path that led him to write his book.

The first college graduate in his family, Richard Beck says he “came to Erskine because of my high school librarian, Mrs. Mary Dunbar Dusenberry.” He was planning to attend the University of South Carolina, but Dusenberry, a member of the Class of 1962, suggested that he consider Erskine College. “Knowing you, I think it would be a really good fit,” she told him.

Sure enough, the young Beck “got invited to a scholarship weekend and fell in love.” He was willing to work to make up the difference in cost so that he could go to Erskine, and he was blessed with support from his parents.

“Between my summer job as a service station attendant and my parents borrowing $600 per year and the work scholarships that Erskine provided, I was able to attend,” he recalls.

By his sophomore year, Beck had decided that he wanted to go to medical school, so he focused on chemistry and biology, graduating with a chemistry major. He says he “thought a lot of all my professors,” but singles out William Pressly “as both an excellent teacher and an adorable character.”

“When I thought about medicine, dentistry seemed like a good path because of the independence that it offered,” he says, noting that he “had terrible teeth as a kid” and spent a lot of time in the dentist’s chair. “I already knew a pretty good bit about it from being such a frequent patient,” he jokes.

On the Erskine campus, Beck was a member of the Dramatics Club, served on the Entertainment Board, played on Erskine’s first soccer team, and

was the singer in a 13-piece Erskine band, “The Entertainers,” which won the South Carolina Battle of the Bands contest for Erskine in 1967. It was through a member of the band, 1969 graduate Dan Sneed, that Beck was able to spend hours observing a dentist in Anderson, “getting a picture of what the practice of dentistry was like,” he says.

“Through Dan I met his girlfriend, later wife, Cherrie Beard (a 1971 graduate). Cherrie’s dad was Dr. Joe Beard, who practiced dentistry in Anderson,” Beck explains. “Cherrie told him that I was interested. He was a loving, gentle practitioner, and he encouraged me to apply to what would be the second class to graduate from the MUSC School of Dental Medicine. I applied, was accepted, and graduated in 1972.”

Beck began his work as a dentist by treating underserved children in Pickens County, South Carolina. “We treated the three- to twelve-yearold children who qualified for care under [a federal program]. We had a mobile dental unit that would spend the school year traveling between the elementary schools and the summers in Easley,” he recalls.

“I met so many wonderful educators and children that I fell in love with public health dentistry,” he says. But he wanted to go back to the Low Country. “I missed the ocean, and when I was asked to write a grant proposal for a program to serve the underserved on Yonges Island, south of Charleston, I jumped at the chance.”

The grant was approved, and he moved back to his home part of the state “to serve, not as the head of the program, but as an employee.” Sadly, he found that the program was “unable to create a system that delivered quality care, so, reluctantly, I left to start my own practice.”

It was one of his dental patients who approached him about running for city council in Folly Beach and, as he describes it, he “sort of wandered into local politics.” Then again, “As I think back on my decision to become involved, I believe that Erskine played a role,” Beck says.

“I think attending Erskine affects everything you do after you graduate. The relationships that exist between the students and faculty at Erskine engender a loving approach to life that fosters giving back.”

Once elected to city council, he became concerned about the beach town’s “severe erosion problems and quality of life issues.” His served on the city council and as mayor “during a time when the basic character of the island was being challenged by … developers” whose plans threatened to “change the look and feel of the town.”

Beck is proud of his work in local politics. During his 11 years of service, Folly Beach fought off six major development projects, he says. “[We] proved that the jetties were the proximate cause of our erosion problem, secured a 50-year commitment on the part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fund a renourished beach, and obtained an exemption from the elements of the 1988 beachfront management law that would have irreparably harmed my community.”

Aware that he had entered public service at “a pivotal time in the history of the community,” he had not considered writing a book about it until he realized “how ephemeral institutional memory is.”

That realization came when he was invited to speak at the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the incorporation of Folly Beach. As other former mayors spoke about their time in office, “I realized how much of the story was missing,” he says. “I began researching and writing stories about the development of Folly’s character from 1670 to today.”

A conversation with a friend helped Beck to find a writer’s group. “I began the journey into learning the craft of writing. Telling Folly’s story was a labor of love.”

Beck’s wife Karen brought another sort of love into his life. He met her on a blind date, and on that occasion, he admits he was “so flustered that I didn’t feel worthy of speaking to her—not a very good approach.” They married two years later. “I am fortunate to have experienced her children and grandchildren and the rest of her large and raucous family for the last 12 years,” he says. “We still live on Folly, spend time on the beach and in the boat.”

He has served on the board of directors for Save the Light Inc. for 23 years, working to preserve the Morris Island Lighthouse. He also runs a Dolphin Tour.

“I am trying to get as many people as possible to read my book,” Beck says, “as it is a cautionary tale for every town as South Carolina grows quickly, seemingly without regard for preserving the fragile fabric of community.”

Photos courtesy of Richard Beck

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FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS

MUSIC AT ERSKINE—CLASSROOM, REHEARSAL HALL, STAGE, AND MORE

Music plays a significant role in carrying out Erskine’s mission “to glorify God as a Christian academic community.”

The Department of Music attracts talented students as music and music education majors and draws into its orbit students from a variety of other majors who join the Choraleers, Sinfonia, and other Erskine ensembles. Members of the music faculty engage not only in teaching, mentoring, and conducting, but also in musical endeavors off campus, enriching their professional lives and ultimately benefitting their students.

BUILDING UP HIS ALMA MATER

Associate Professor of Music Dr. Keith Timms, a 1984 graduate of Erskine College who conducts the Choraleers, makes many contributions to the music community and recently redesigned Erskine’s Music Education major.

Timms serves as a judge for choral events throughout the Southeast. Thanks to his efforts and those of others in the Erskine community, the Erskine campus was the Upstate region site for the High School Choral Performance Assessment sponsored by the South Carolina Music Educators Association in March 2023.

“The ability to showcase Erskine College and our music facilities to a concentrated population of quality choral musicians and their teachers is a valuable opportunity for our department,” he says.

An adjudicator for the Choral Division of the South Carolina American Choral Directors Association Solo and Ensemble Competition as well as for the Palmetto State Choral Championship, Timms judges choral competitions for Music in the Parks at Carowinds and Dollywood each year. He also serves as an adjudicator for vocal auditions for CS Music and Classical Singer Magazine

Having spent many years as a high school music teacher, Timms brought experience, knowledge, and dedication to the task of revamping the Music Education major. He believes in Erskine’s value as a small Christian liberal arts college and says, “The size of our institution must never limit the level of education our students receive.”

GAINING INSPIRATION

In addition to her work as teacher and accompanist at Erskine, Assistant Professor of Music Sharalynn Hicks, an accomplished pianist, enjoys serving as a church musician and as an audition judge with the National Guild of Piano Teachers. She is nationally certified with the Music Teachers’ National Association (MTNA). Serving as a church musician and as an audition judge helps to broaden her perspective, which contributes to the quality of her teaching.

Hicks serves as administrator for the MasterWorks Festival, a nationally known Christian summer music program. In her work with the festival, Hicks uses skills not usually associated with artistic endeavor, yet her success depends on her vocation as a musician.

“As an administrator, I facilitate many aspects of the festival, from the student application process to competitive auditions to the logistics of running a residential summer program,” she says. “As a musician, I understand the complexities of what goes into each successful collaboration and performance, enabling me to serve effectively in an administrative role.”

The MasterWorks Festival entails hard work for Hicks during the summer, a season when many college professors enjoy a relaxed schedule. Why does she do it? Her reason goes back to the Erskine mission “to glorify God as a Christian academic community.”

Students who participate in the MasterWorks Festival can see how professional musicians “shine, not only in their vocations, but as lights for Christ in the professional world,” and can also observe “what a faith-based approach to a professional music career looks like,” Hicks says.

The MasterWorks Festival is an inspiration to Hicks, she says. It keeps her in touch with “the prevailing achievement levels of students across the country” and helps her “in mentoring students to strive for their personal best while working toward a higher level of excellence.”

LEARNING FROM THE PAST, LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Assistant Professor of Music Dr. Hannah Timms (daughter of Dr. Keith Timms and adjunct instructor of mathematics Amy Timms ’85) traveled thousands of miles this summer to give a presentation at the 2023 College Music Society (CMS) International Conference in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

A 2014 graduate of Erskine College, where she double majored in music and English, Timms went on to earn a master’s degree in vocal performance from Winthrop University and a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in vocal performance from Shenandoah Conservatory, where she received the Dean’s Graduate Scholar Award.

Timms developed an interest in the music of Lithuania in 2017, when, while serving as an adjunct instructor, she traveled there with the Erskine Choraleers on a mission trip. She sang with the Choraleers and gave private voice tutorials. Some of the Lithuanians she tutored joined with the Choraleers “and created a new choral group,” she says. “We toured around Lithuania, bringing the message of Christ to many in song.”

After the mission trip, Timms wanted to learn more about the music of Lithuania. She discovered that Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia had engaged in a “Singing Rebellion” against the Soviets and became interested in the music of Feliksas Bajoras. “I thought he had an interesting point of view as a composer whose career was mostly during the years of Soviet occupation,” she says.

“For my doctoral research, I analyzed some of his early vocal music, transcribed the text into IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), and gave a brief history of the significance of these works.” Her research culminated in a lecture recital in which she performed Bajoras’s song cycle Kodėl? (the title means “Why?”).

In her lecture recital for the College Music Society conference—“Cultural Folklore as Protest in Feliksas Bajoras’s Song Cycle Kodėl?” —Timms showed how the 1977 composition uses traditional Lithuanian storytelling elements “as a way of conveying rancor toward the Soviet Union.” Her presentation was well received, she says, “and all seemed to appreciate the composition’s message regarding the Lithuanian fight for freedom.”

Returning to Vilnius, Lithuania, a city she visited during the 2017 mission trip, was a delight for the young professor, “filled with so many good memories!”

Timms, who recently became Assistant QEP (Quality Enhancement Plan) Director at Erskine, serves as a voice instructor and teaches history and theory courses for music majors. She says that while class materials give an overview of composers in Imperial Russia and in the Soviet Union, she can offer students “better insight into the artistic climate of this region within the last 150 years,” thanks to her research.

“Whether it’s the Lithuanian melody played at the beginning of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring or an explanation of the strictures of Socialist Realism for composers such as Shostakovich, I am able to better define music trends for our students,” she says, and adds, “My research into this time period and region may be incorporated into ‘special topics’ music courses in the future.”

HER BOOK 'CAME OUT OF MY TEACHING,' ENGLISH PROFESSOR SAYS

Associate Professor of English Dr. Christine Schott’s Canon Fanfiction was published earlier this year. The book’s full title is Canon Fanfiction: Reading, Writing, and Teaching with Adaptations of Premodern and Early Modern Literature. The lengthy title signals the book’s scholarly character—but the word “Teaching” in that title offers a clue about the author’s intentions and motivations. Schott (B.A., Dartmouth College; M.A., University of Virginia; M.A., University of Iceland; M.F.A., Converse College; Ph.D., University of Virginia) joined the Erskine College faculty in 2012. Her research interests include manuscript history, Old and Middle English literature, and Icelandic literature. Here, she answers a few questions about Canon Fanfiction

WHAT PIQUED YOUR INTEREST IN WRITING ON THIS TOPIC?

I have always been interested in retellings, an interest that probably started with film adaptations of favorite books. Jane Austen fans have such strong opinions about films that aren’t “loyal” to the original books, but I often find those are the versions that interest me the most because they do something different. If I just wanted Jane Austen’s version, I’d read the novel!

CAN YOU GIVE SOME EXAMPLES OF PUBLISHED NOVELS WHICH MAKE USE OF PREMODERN AND EARLY MODERN SOURCE MATERIAL AND PERHAPS ARE IMPORTANT IN

YOUR BOOK?

Retellings of Greek epic and myth are very popular right now, particularly ones that retell the stories from the point of view of characters who are objectified or dehumanized in the original. People might be familiar with Madeline Miller’s Circe and Song of Achilles, but there are dozens more, and new ones keep appearing. I analyze several of these novels in my book to see how today’s authors respond to what we recognize as injustice or bias in Classical literature.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE REWARDS OF WRITING THE BOOK?

What I find most meaningful about this project, aside from the fact that I’m incurably interested in the subject matter, is that it came out of my teaching. I’m always asking myself, “What value do the classics have for students in college today, especially when we look at them and sometimes can only see misogyny, racism, and xenophobia?”

I’ve realized, both as a reader and as a teacher, that sometimes the most productive way to find the value in that older literature is to retell it, to make it our own, and give it new life while at the same time recognizing that our worldview is profoundly different from that of Homer or even Shakespeare.

In fact, I use retellings as a project option in many of my literature classes to give students the opportunity to try their own hand at entering the literary tradition. The results are always fascinating, and I hope my students find the work meaningful.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECTS OF THE WRITING PROCESS?

This was a COVID project, actually, so on the one hand, I had plenty of writing time during lockdown, but on the other hand, it was a challenge getting access to library materials when most institutions had shut down. I’m very grateful to the Erskine library staff for working with me to keep the wheels turning when so much else in the world had come to a standstill.

MUSIC PROFESSOR WINS SCICU EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD

Associate Professor of Music Dr. Keith Timms was one of 21 professors from member colleges honored by South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) in its 2023 Excellence in Teaching Awards this spring.

Each year SCICU recognizes outstanding faculty members from each of its 21 member schools. Each awardee is given a $3,000 professional development grant. This year’s recipients were honored April 18 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

“At SCICU, we’re honored to recognize our campuses’ deep commitment to their students, embodied by these exemplary educators,” said SCICU President and CEO Jeff Perez. “Faculty members don’t often have the chance to be honored in the presence of families and friends. We’re always delighted to have that opportunity.”

Timms, who joined the Erskine College faculty in 2015, serves as director of choral activities at Erskine and teaches courses in choral music pedagogy and literature, conducting, and church music methods and materials.

Before joining the Erskine faculty, Timms was a high school choir teacher for 30 years. He serves as a clinician, adjudicator, and consultant for numerous national, regional, and state choral and vocal festivals and musical events. Thanks to his efforts and those of others in the Erskine community, the Erskine campus was the upstate region site for this year’s High School Choral Performance Assessment sponsored by the South Carolina Music Educators Association.

A 1984 graduate of Erskine College, Timms went on to earn a master’s degree at Furman University and a Ph.D. at the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music. He is married to Amy Rankin Timms ’85 and they are the parents of Erskine graduates Hannah Timms ’14 and Harrison Timms ’17

FROM MARINE MOLLUSKS TO TREE PROPAGATION, STUDENT RESEARCH COVERED A RANGE OF TOPICS

Seven curious and talented Erskine College students spent most of the summer exploring the wonders of the natural world and examining its complexities as they pursued scientific research with faculty members.

“The Erskine Center for Environmental Stewardship (ECES) is a program in which undergraduate students conduct summer research with a professor in chemistry or biology,” Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Matthew Campbell explains.

“It is a competitive application for Erskine students, who submit a statement of research and career interests, a college transcript, and a resumé.”

Most students are working on individual projects, but in some cases the projects are related.

For example, rising senior John Paul “JP” Bell and Harvee Patel, a rising sophomore, worked on related projects concerning hydrogen production.

In their related projects, rising juniors Alessio Giammarinaro and Joe Suddeth, working with Campbell, studied fossil marine mollusks in the Waccamaw formation—a geologic formation in eastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina.

“As part of this project, we went to the Outer Banks to see modern saltwater habitats from the water depths at a coastal salt marsh out to about 1,000-foot water depth,” Campbell reports.

Alessio explains that he and Joe were “figuring out the predation rate”—the percentage preyed upon—“of prehistoric mollusks from the lower Waccamaw formation and comparing our data to a similar study done at the University of North Carolina.”

Joe says he worked on “analyzing drill frequencies”—referring to drill holes

made by predators—and reports that he and Alessio “were able to discover drill frequencies with a sample size of almost 6,000 specimens” from the Waccamaw formation.

“We made a lot of headway and found that about an average of 7.6 percent of the mollusk species observed were preyed upon,” says Alessio.

In individual projects, Ariel Bishop, a rising senior, monitored water quality in local streams, Campbell said, while Sloan Bradley, a rising sophomore, worked on tree propagation and rising senior Caleb Bruner looked at the distribution of butterflies and their host plants in South Carolina.

For his project, Sloan worked with Professor Emerita of Biology Dr. Jan Haldeman on propagating the eastern Hemlock tree.

“We have been attempting application of plant tissue culture techniques to eastern Hemlocks, tsuga canadensis, an important species in United States and Canadian forests which has been severely damaged by an insect pest called wooly adelgid,” Haldeman says.

“Micropropagation of Hemlock trees by tissue culture could help to get large numbers of desirable tree clones for planting,” she notes.

“Dr. Haldeman taught me various procedures and different tactics for addressing the situation,” Sloan says. “We made headway over the summer.”

In addition to focusing on his own project, Sloan got a good look at some of what his fellow summer researchers were doing. “I had the chance to go with Dr. Campbell and his team to the Outer Banks and to some quarries and see their work.”

The Erskine Center for Environmental Stewardship is an initiative supported by the Bell Enrichment Fund.

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION MARTHA MARGARET COTTON

TELL US HOW YOU BECAME INVOLVED WITH THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION.

Well, I was leading a women’s Bible study in our home. But over time I became uncomfortable with my level of knowledge and felt inadequate to lead. I needed more training. So, I started seminary classes without a degree as the goal. I simply wanted additional support and knowledge. And as an over-forty mother of four beginning classes again after so many years, I was nervous. But I was quickly put at ease and fell in love!

My professors showed me the beauty of Christ through teaching me the continuity of the Bible. Studying systematic theology made my biblical comprehension feel like puzzle pieces finally fitting together. And I valued the interaction I had with other students who—although we had very different contexts and backgrounds—shared camaraderie through our love of the Bible and Christ’s Church.

My coursework at Erskine Seminary ended with a project on leading women into deeper Bible study, how to increase their love of God, and how to engage them in relationships with one another. And this is something I continue to study as I seek to help church leaders in Africa learn theology more deeply and shepherd their own churches.

WHAT LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GLOBAL DIPLOMA PROGRAM AT ERSKINE?

When my husband and I followed God’s calling to foreign missions, we discovered that in 2018 the country of Rwanda passed a law raising the

education requirements for church leaders. Before that, there had been no state requirements for pastors, denominational leaders, or church organizations in general. Because of this lack of structure anyone could come into Rwanda and begin teaching anything from health and wealth doctrine—which fleeces the poor—to strict and extreme fasting or other legalistic practices. The Rwandan government decided the best way to protect their people was to pass a law that required a degree or certification for church leaders.

After hearing of this we began working with Mr. Benjamin Mushuhukye, a Rwandan genocide survivor and Erskine Seminary graduate (2005, 2006). Erskine offered to help equip him for the children’s ministry he wanted to begin in Rwanda by providing a seminary education. He returned to Rwanda and began Reach the Children of Rwanda International—the ministry he still runs today. Through his connections to Erskine, Ben asked the ARP church to begin sending people to teach the pastors in his country who lacked access to theological education yet needed to meet government standards.

The situation in Pakistan was similar. Rev. Zeeshan Sadiq, also an Erskine Seminary graduate (2019), saw a need for education, discipleship, and encouragement among rural pastors and church leaders in his country. So, after meeting Ben and Zeeshan, learning about the Rwandan law and the need in Pakistan, we began praying and asking God if all these connections to Erskine Seminary and the ARP church might be His answer to these specific challenges.

The Lord heard and answered our prayers. Today the theological education ministry of World Witness, called SEED (Serving by Educating, Equipping and Discipling), is officially partnering with Erskine Seminary by offering a Global

Diploma in Theology and Christian Leadership. This diploma helps rural pastors and church leaders who are geographically and economically separated from educational opportunities. We bring education to them where they are.

DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE AS DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION.

I am the liaison between Erskine and the SEED Ministry of World Witness. In coordination with the seminary dean and the graduate committee, I help develop, standardize, and review the diploma curriculum as well as support the vetting and approval of our global adjunct faculty. I will also assist the faculty as they teach and disciple on the field as needed.

HOW CAN CHURCHES HELP THIS INITIATIVE?

They can pray. Pray for discernment and wisdom as we seek to contextualize theology to different cultures without lowering standards or losing truth. Pray for stamina and encouragement as our professors travel away from family for weeks at a time.

And because this program generates no revenue due to the poverty of our students, we must have financing for scholarships so students can enter the program. The Dr. John and Sarah Ellen Carson Scholarship program addresses this financial issue while honoring the Carsons’ legacy of supporting global theological education.

Learn more about donating to the Carson Scholarship Program here: www.erskine.edu/alumni-giving/global-education/

Martha Margaret Cotten, who received the A.B. degree from Erskine College in 1997 and the M.A.T.S. from Erskine Theological Seminary in 2020, is Director of Global Theological Education at Erskine Seminary. She also received the M.Th. degree from Union School of Theology in Wales. She and her husband Sam Cotten, a 1995 graduate of Erskine College, are members of the SEED Ministry Team of World Witness, teaching in Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, and Pakistan. She is pursuing a D.Min. degree with a missions focus from Erskine Seminary. The Cottens have four children and live in Rock Hill, S.C.

G LO B A L D I P L O M A I N THE OLOG Y AND CHR I ST I AN L EADERSH I P

Due to the rapid decline of the Church in the West, the Global South is the future of the Church. Erskine Theological Seminary’s Global Diploma in Theology and Christian Leadership provides educational opportunities for church leaders through SEED Ministry, World Witness’s Global South Theological Initiative. SEED Ministry is currently serving in Nyabihu, Juru, and Runda, Rwanda. This diploma will build capacity in students to thrive as leaders in their communities, to take on new responsibilities, to create church planting opportunities, or to pursue further academic study.

If you have a passion for global missions, expanding theological education in the Global South, Reformed teaching, or international aid, please contact Martha Margaret Cotten 803-322-7980 or email: globaltheology@erskine.edu

The John & Sarah Ellen Carson Scholarship & Global Theological Education Initiative To Donate, https://seminary.erskine.edu/globaldiploma/

ALUMNA'S NONPROFIT RECEIVES $500,000 GRANT

Kim Threadgill Rhodarmer, a member of the Erskine College Class of 1982, has been privileged to receive a calling and to follow it.

“When I was 16 years old, God called me to be a social worker. My calling was clear and resolute to my 16-year-old self,” she says.

Following her calling eventually led her to found Servant’s Heart of Mint Hill, a nonprofit in Mint Hill, North Carolina, which recently received a $500,000 grant from her community.

AN AMBITION FOR OTHERS

Kim completed her degree in behavioral science and a social work certification program in just three and a half years, but Erskine’s influence on her has continued throughout her professional life.

“Erskine College was the perfect fit for me,” Kim explains, even though it did not offer a major in social work. “From Choraleers to theater to serving as Judicial Council chair, my experiences at Erskine continued to shape who I became as a human being and a professional.”

One of her warmest memories is of Dr. Lindsay Pratt, an Erskine professor “who challenged me, but also instilled in me a belief that I could achieve anything I desired in social work.”

Kim went on to earn a master’s degree in social work and served as a social work case manager for a children’s home, a juvenile court counselor, and a school social worker. She cherished a key ambition as she pursued her career: “I wanted to be the person to help children whom others shunned.”

Revealing an especially poignant aspect of her motivation, she adds, “I wanted to be the person my mom didn’t have during her childhood, when she suffered abuse and neglect. I could not undo what happened to her, but I could change the outcome for other children.”

SIDE ROADS

As Kim followed God’s leading into social work, she developed an interest in teaching college students. She traces that interest back to her Erskine experience: Dr. Pratt, her former professor, had asked her to come back to Erskine a few years after her graduation to address students.

“From that experience, along with quarterly speaking engagements with human services seniors at Queens University, I knew I wanted to teach on a collegiate level one day,” she says.

Her wish was fulfilled when she began teaching junior and senior students in the School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She taught for one year.

“Even before that year ended, I knew it would be my last because I missed working with families who desperately needed help,” she says.

Kim became executive director at another nonprofit and pursued further education. “To sharpen my skill set, I acquired a two-year Certification in Essential Business for Nonprofits,” she says, adding, “My degree from Erskine was the start of becoming a lifelong learner and it has served me well.”

Her education, vocation, and faith have been linked together throughout Kim’s adult life. “I have enjoyed every job I’ve experienced,” she says. “I felt I was exactly where I was supposed to be with each landing. Each experience was an opportunity for growth in some way.”

FOLLOWING A CALL TO SACRIFICE

The establishment of Servant’s Heart of Mint Hill in 2016 was a significant achievement in Kim’s career. But on a deeper level, it was simply another step she took as she followed her calling.

“When my husband Frank and I embraced the idea that starting a nonprofit was the next chapter God had for me, there were so many challenges,” she says. There were no financial investors, so they were limited to their savings account, which they donated to Servant’s Heart.

“I told God that if He opened the doors, I would walk through them. With a business plan in hand, we—God and I—proceeded.”

For the first two years, Kim paid herself no salary. “I felt that in order to encourage and help clients to be financially independent, Servant’s Heart should be financially solid,” she says, and notes that the organization reached that goal in just a year and a half.

She discovered that grants were not typically awarded to nonprofits newer than five years old. “But once again, God opened doors and gave favor where favor should not have existed,” she says.

GROWING, GROWING

Then came COVID-19. “With three employees and 92 weekly volunteers, we entered 2020. The need during the pandemic was enormous everywhere,” Kim says.

In the early days of the pandemic, the “daily fundraiser” of Servant’s Heart, the organization’s Community Boutique, which sells donated items, was closed for two and a half months by order of the governor. But Servant’s Heart’s assistance programs were deemed “essential business” and allowed to remain open to serve those in need.

In February of 2020, Kim hired a full-time social worker so that she would no longer fill that role in addition to serving as business manager and executive director. “But because my social worker was new to Servant’s Heart, we were in it together,” she admits.

Servant’s Heart received a $175,000 grant in 2020. “This grant, along with many other grants we were awarded, allowed us to keep families housed [by] paying rent, mortgage, electric, and gas bills on behalf of our clients … At three years old, Servant’s Heart helped over 6,000 people in our community with $395,000 in assistance during that one-year period.”

Reflecting on how far Servant’s Heart has come, Kim can readily cite statistics. For example, the nonprofit now operates with the assistance of six paid staff members and 55 weekly volunteers. “Our assistance programs have served approximately 33,000 people with over $1.5 million,” she says.

The recent $500,000 grant received by Servant’s Heart is its largest ever.

“This was incredibly meaningful to me,” Kim says. “Commissioners told me that Servant’s Heart was the only nonprofit which had a unanimous vote to receive monies. Because they appreciate our financial transparency, along with protocols and data to validate our use of funds, they entrusted the entire allotment to us.”

AT THE HEART OF SERVANT’S HEART

Looking back on the day when Servant’s Heart of Mint Hill opened its doors for the first time, Kim remembers the nonprofit’s very first client.

“In the nonfood pantry, I asked her to select the brand of shampoo she would like. She made no move toward that section,” Kim recalls. “With tears running down her face, she stood still and said, ‘I haven’t had shampoo in three years.’”

Even more than her thankfulness for a large grant or for the ability to help people with their needs, Kim says, “My most treasured part of working with clients is when I have the opportunity to remind them that God has not forgotten about them.”

She assures clients who are in distress that God loves them and has not abandoned them. “And then I have the honor of praying with them,” Kim says. “Many have said that they really appreciated the tangible assistance given to them, but above all, they were thankful that I prayed with them.”

It all goes back to a 16-year-old girl who heard a call from the Lord—and is still following that call.

“The knowledge that God has a plan for my life keeps me moving forward. Starting my own nonprofit was, without question, a faith journey. I learned to trust God in a new way,” Kim says thoughtfully.

“As I reflect on all the experiences and pieces of paper I have acquired, it is clear to me that God indeed had a plan. He was preparing me for Servant’s Heart of Mint Hill.”

To learn more about Servant’s Heart of Mint Hill, go to the organization’s website here: https://servantsheart.org/

Class Notes

CLASS OF 2023

Tillman Allen ’23 accepted a position on the tax services staff at Thomas Howell Ferguson P.A. CPAs, located in Panama City, Fla. (Photo #1)

Daelyn Ashley ’23 wed Zane Moore on Nov. 20, 2022. (Photo #2)

CLASS OF 2022

Travis Campbell ’22 has been named winner of the inaugural Larry Powell Scholarship from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). Travis is completing a two-year certification program at Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science in New Brunswick, N.J. (Photo #3)

Ryleigh Davis ’22 wed Carter Gates on June 10, 2023. (Photo #4)

Noah Jordan ’22 wed Shelby Pittman on July 1, 2023. (Photo #5)

Abby Parris ’22 wed William Augustine on Dec. 18, 2022. (Photo #6)

Collyn Richardson ’22 wed Katelyn Sease on Dec. 17, 2022. (Photo #7)

Kara Ridlehuber ’22 was named First Year Teacher of the Year at Matthews Elementary School in Greenwood, S.C. (Photo #8)

Allan Saathoff ’22 signed a contract with Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners. (Photo #9)

CLASS OF 2022 (SEMINARY )

Col. F. G. “Greg” Delleney, Jr. ’22 was elected chair of the Citadel Board of Visitors on June 9, 2023. Greg served in the Navy from 197477 and retired from the Naval Reserve in 1995. He served in the South Carolina House of Representatives, District 43 from 1991-2008. In June 2023, he was ordained as a minister for the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Chester, S.C., Catawba Presbytery. (Photo #10)

CLASS OF 2021

Tim Boeckstaens ’21 began working at Erskine College as International Admissions Counselor and as an adjunct instructor in business. (Photo #11)

Hannah Houge ’21 wed Phillip McDowell on Dec. 3, 2022. (Photo #12)

Taylor Lawhon ’21 wed Jason Harris ’23 on Sept. 4, 2022. (Photo #13)

A daughter, Lauryn Aimee Lindler, was born to Jordan Burnett Lindler ’21 and Sloan Lindler on Jan. 15, 2023. (Photo #14)

CLASS OF 2020

Marie Berghaus ’20 accepted a position at College Promoters USA as Florida Recruiting Coordinator and National Director of Tennis. (Photo #15)

Jenny Boylston ’20 wed Ben VonKeller on Feb. 11, 2023. (Photo #16)

Iris Gadsden ’20 wed Andrew Fisher on Sept. 3, 2022. (Photo #17)

Anna Price ’20, ’23 (Sem.) graduated from Erskine Theological Seminary on May 6, 2023 with a master’s degree in Practical Ministry. (Photo #18)

Elizabeth Schneider ’20 was awarded the Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (NIH F31) through the National Institutes of Health. Elizabeth attends The College of Graduate Health Sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. (Photo #19)

CLASS OF 2019

A son, Eleazar Zion Johnson, was born to Hayden Lark Johnson ’19 and Andrew Johnson on April 17, 2023. (Photo #20)

Andrea O’Malley ’19 graduated from the University of South Carolina in May 2023 with a Ph.D. in Chemistry. She is starting a postdoctoral position in the biochemistry department at Michigan State University. (Photo #21)

Robin Martin ’19 has accepted a position as athletic trainer for the Penn State baseball team. (Photo #22)

Emily Peak Matthews ’19 graduated from Anderson University with the Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree in Dec. 2022. (Photo #23)

Matthew Perry ’19 has accepted a position as assistant coach for women’s soccer at CarsonNewman. (Photo #24)

Trey Stephens ’19 wed Logan Stephens on Oct. 1, 2022. (Photo #25)

Amanda Stevenson ’19 graduated from William & Mary Law School on May 20, 2023. (Photo #26)

CLASS OF 2019 (SEMINARY )

Cameron Anderson ’19 (Sem.) was appointed Executive Director of Ridge Haven Camp,

Got news or photos to share?

Email alumni@erskine.edu

Conference and Retreat Center in May 2023. (Photo #27)

CLASS OF 2018

A son, John Neely Hunter Covington, was born to Hunter Covington ’18 and Abby Covington on Dec. 8, 2022.

Julie Butler Hartley ’18 successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis entitled “Machine Language and Coupled Cluster Theory Applied to Infinite Matter” on July 18, 2023. She has accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. (Photo #28)

J. Walker Riley ’18 opened his own branch of Edward Jones in Simpsonville, S.C. in Nov. 2022. (Photo #29)

CLASS OF 2017

Dr. Marissa “Rissa” Mayfield ’17 wed Dr. Vincent Harris ’17 on Oct. 15, 2022. (Photo #30)

A son, Henry James Hutto, was born to Lucy Jeffs Hutto ’17 and Connor Hutto on March 3, 2023. (Photo #31)

Dr. Kaitlyn Kerley ’17 was selected as a 2023 Incentive Grant recipient of the American Pharmacists Association Foundation. Kaitlyn is a resident in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Pharmacy’s Community-Based Pharmacy Residency program. (Photo #32)

CLASS OF 2016

A son, James Broadwell, was born to Jenna Ficklin Broadwell ’16 and Matt Broadwell on Feb. 7, 2023. (Photo #33)

A daughter, Skylie Jane Heiser, was born to Megan Jane Heiser ’16 and Teddy Heiser ’14 on Oct. 16, 2022. (Photo #34)

CLASS OF 2015

Austin Castles ’15 has accepted the position of men’s golf coach at Anderson University.

A son, Gabriel Thomas Clinton Jr., and a daughter, Hasell Ann Clinton, were born to Gabriel Clinton ’15 and Emilie Hasell Clinton. Gabriel was born March 7, 2022, and Hasell was born June 22, 2023. (Photo #35 A & B)

Marlee Rhodes Dysart ’15 completed the Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Anderson University in 2023.

C. Ronnie Funk ’15, a fellow in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute, is the recipient of the

Class Notes

Nell W. and William S. Elkin Fellowship, a $35,000 award that helps to cover costs for research-related expenses. Ronnie and his wife also recently celebrated their son James’s one-year birthday. (Photo #36)

Pete Savarese ’15 wed Megan Wiseman on Oct. 29, 2022. (Photo #37)

CLASS OF 2014

Rev. Bobby Duran ’14, ’19 (Sem.) was ordained and installed as Associate Pastor of Pisgah ARP Church on Aug. 14, 2022.

A son, Joseph Anthony Prohaska, was born to Daniel Prohaska ’14 and Angelica Prohaska on Jan. 21, 2023. (Photo #38)

CLASS OF 2013

Megan Matthews ’13 wed Dmytro Tyshchyshyn on Jan. 21, 2023. (Photo #39)

Kevin Ussery ’13 has joined the leadership team of Beebe Healthcare as Executive Director of Human Resources. (Photo #40)

CLASS OF 2011

A son, Owen Caleb Anderson, was born to Beth Carlisle Anderson ’11 and Joshua Anderson on Dec. 28, 2022. (Photo #41)

A daughter, Elliana Grace, was born to Macy Dreier ’12 and Barry Dreier ’11 on Aug. 26, 2022. (Photo #42)

Dr. D. Hudson Smith ’11 started a new position at Clemson University as Director of Applied Machine Learning.

CLASS OF 2010

Susan Frohlich ’10 wed Jackson Cooke on March 25, 2023.

Dr. Vanessa Hilliard Young ’10 has been granted tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Biology at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind. (Photo #43)

CLASS OF 2009

Katie Beth Tinker ’09 completed a master’s degree in Education Administration at the University of South Carolina in May 2023. (Photo #44)

CLASS OF 2008

A son, Maverick Palka was born to Blair Christie Palka ’08 and Andrew Palka on Jan. 14, 2023. (Photo #45)

Daniel Wells ’08 has been selected as pastor of St. Elmo Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tenn. Previously, he pastored Church of the Redeemer in Cortland, N.Y. (Photo #46)

CLASS OF 2007

A daughter, Mattingly DeCiantis, was born to Tara DeCiantis ’07 and Scott DeCiantis ’99 on Oct. 15, 2022.

Zack Elrod ’07 completed the Education Specialist degree through Augusta University in August 2023.

Katy Jackson Handell ’07 was named District Teacher of the Year for Lexington County School District One in March 2023. Katy teaches special education at Lake Murray Elementary.

Andrea Clarke Wurzer ’07 has joined Piedmont HealthCare Taylorsville Family Medicine as a family medicine physician. (Photo #47)

CLASS OF 2005

Whit Martin ’05 is leading Asbury Chapel, a new Global Methodist church-start in Gainesville, Ga. Whit has been pastoring churches in Georgia for the last 18 years.

Freddy Wojtkowski ’05 has been promoted to Major in the South Carolina Army National Guard. He is a Chinook helicopter pilot serving in the 59th Aviation Troop Command in Eastover, S.C. (Photo #48)

CLASS OF 2004

Shelly Roberts ’04 has been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the South Carolina Army National Guard and is currently on assignment at the Pentagon. (Photo #49)

CLASS OF 2003

Trevor Tyler ’03 has been named Principal of Sugarloaf School in Key West, Fla. (Photo #50)

CLASS OF 2002

Robb Brown ’02 has joined the Moseley Marcinak Law Group LLP, a transportation and logistics firm. (Photo #51)

CLASS OF 2000

Iris Fleming Smith ’00 and Richard Smith finalized the adoption of Beatrix Nova Smith, born April 23, 2022. (Photo #52)

CLASS OF 1998

Dr. Mark Smith ’98 was named Superintendent for Spartanburg One Schools by unanimous vote at a board meeting on Dec. 12, 2022. (Photo #53)

CLASS OF 1997

Martha Margaret Cotton ’97, ’20 (Sem.) has accepted a position at Erskine Theological Seminary as Director of Global Theological Education. (Photo #54)

CLASS OF 1995

Tal Loos ’95 has accepted the position of Vice President of Economic Development at Savannah Technical College. He was previously the dean of STC’s Aviation Division and will continue

serving in leadership with the Aviation Division and Aviation Training Center. (Photo #55)

CLASS OF 1992

Regina Johnson ’92 was named Teacher of the Year by Nevada’s Clark County School District in May 2023. (Photo #56)

CLASS OF 1990

Wendy Burnett ’90 earned a Ph.D. in applied health sciences from Augusta University’s College of Allied Health Sciences while traveling the country in her Airstream trailer. (Photo #57)

Dr. Suzanne Smith ’90 became president of the State University of New York at Potsdam (SUNY Potsdam) in April, 2023. She previously served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Georgia Southwestern State University. (Photo #58)

CLASS OF 1989

Diana Palecek ’89 was selected for the Diversity IMPACT 50 List of Career Mastered Magazine.

Paula Durham Purser ’89 is the proud grandmother of Jessie Jean Nunn, born on Oct. 1, 2022. (Photo #59)

CLASS OF 1988

Michael Fogarty ’88 was inducted into the USSSA NJ Hall of Fame in 2022 for bowling. He celebrated this honor with his family in October 2022. (Photo #60)

CLASS OF 1988 (SEMINARY)

Rev. Dr. Stephen Clyborne ’88 (Sem.), ’96 (Sem.) has retired, having been in ministry since 1979. He served for 20 years at Earle Street Baptist Church in Greenville, S.C., first as Associate Pastor and then as Senior Pastor.

CLASS OF 1987

Dr. S. Keith Dunn ’87, Provost and Dean of Millsaps College, has been selected as Interim President, effective June 1, 2023. (Photo #61)

Billy Lesesne ’87 accepted a position as Women’s Head Coach for the Ashville City Soccer Club (ACSC), beginning in the 2023 USL W League Season.

CLASS OF 1986

Maj. Timothy P. Ellis ’86 retired from the United States Army with 30 years of service (13 years of active duty and 17 years in the Reserve/National Guard), having been commissioned through Erskine Army ROTC. He served as an Armor Officer in the U.S. and Europe and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007. Maj. Ellis was awarded the Legion of Merit upon retirement.

CLASS OF 1985

Dawn Marie Yearout ’85 retired from home education after 12 years. Her youngest daughter graduated from homeschool in 2022. (Photo #62)

Glenis Redmond ’85 was named as a 2023 Poet Laureate by the Academy of American Poets on July 25, 2023. She was awarded a $50,000 prize for this achievement. (Photo #63)

CLASS OF 1984

Beth Couture ’84 has retired from Purdue, where she served as Associate Head Coach of the women’s basketball team. Beth was inducted into Erskine’s Hall of Fame in 1989 and has coached basketball for 39 years. (Photo #64)

Dr. Keith Timms ’84, Associate Professor of Music at Erskine College, was honored by South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) at the 2023 Excellence in Teaching Awards in April. (Photo #65)

CLASS OF 1983

Lynn Skidmore ’83, an Allen Tate Realtor® with the company’s Greenville-Downtown office, was recently honored as Realtor of the Year by the Greater Greenville Association of Realtors. (Photo #66)

CLASS OF 1982

Trip McGill ’82 was inducted into the North Carolina Music Educators Choral Hall of Fame in WinstonSalem, N.C. in November 2022. (Photo #67)

Sam Oates ’82, a basketball and golf coach, was inducted into the Riverside Athletic Hall of Fame in August 2022. (Photo #68)

CLASS OF 1980

Samad “Sammy” Nasrollahi ’80 has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. Individuals are chosen to be profiled based on factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field. (Photo #69)

CLASS OF 1978

Carol Ann Wilson ’78 received a Ph.D. in Executive Leadership in Education in May 2023 from the University of Holy Cross. Carol works in special education.

CLASS OF 1973

Becky Lauderdale ’73, ’83 (Sem.) wed Richard W. Calhoun on Dec. 22, 2022.

CLASS OF 1959

Eleanor Richardson ’59 was the 2022 recipient of the Julia Hardeman Rhodes Award given by the Board of Christian Education Ministries of the ARP Church. Eleanor worked at Erskine College for 10 years and at Bonclarken for 17 years. She is a member of Pinecrest Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville, N.C. (Photo #70)

Class of 1952

Rev. Dr. Rob Roy McGregor, Jr. ’52 has published a translation of John Calvin’s Sermons on Job, published by Banner of Truth Trust in August, 2022.

In Memoriam

Helen Curry Eller ’38, May 4, 2023.

Jane Balentine McGee Cox ’47, Jan. 30, 2023.

Mary Alice Mitchell ’47, Dec. 29, 2022.

Sarah Beaty Ropp ’48, Aug. 7, 2023.

Alpha Shuler Smith ’48, Nov. 19, 2022.

Kathryn Bannister Young ’48, Feb. 5, 2023.

Polly Cornwell Boyd ’49, Dec. 31, 2022.

Jane Jones Gantt ’49, Jan. 1, 2023.

Jane Halliday Shouse ’49, Nov. 2, 2022.

Frances Garrison Conner ’50, May 18, 2023.

Sue Trobaugh Davidson ’50, Feb. 24, 2022.

Charlotte Hayes Mattson ’50, Dec. 17, 2022.

John Edward Golon, Sr. ’51, Nov. 3, 2022.

Annette Ashley Wright ’51, March 11, 2023.

Dr. Larry Southerland ’52, Jan. 29, 2023.

J. Edgar Beasley ’53, Aug. 5, 2023.

Dr. Grady Hinson Hendrix ’54, May 11, 2023.

Elizabeth Dellinger McCoy ’54, Feb. 2, 2022.

Judith Sherrill Bazemore ’55, April 12, 2023.

Rev. Dr. Ray A. King ’55, ’58 (Sem.), Dec. 20, 2022.

Connie Price Robinson ’55, May 20, 2023.

Herbert Robinson ’55, May 7, 2023.

Marie King Anderson ’56, Oct. 1, 2022.

Jean Blackmon Matheson ’56, Nov. 14, 2022.

William Baker ’57, July 9, 2023.

Sylvia Carrol Dellinger ’57, Feb. 25, 2023.

Jack D. Tumblin ’57, July 25, 2022.

Harvey H. Woods ’57, Aug. 29, 2022.

Nancy Robinson Young ’57, July 30, 2023.

Sybil Walker Amico ’58, Nov. 24, 2022.

Bob L. Johnston ’58, April 30, 2023.

Joyce Bennett Parker ’58, July 26, 2023.

Shirley Ware Byrd ’59, Oct. 23, 2022.

Ruth Anne Gibson ’59, May 26, 2023.

Jessie Dale McCollough ’59, Sept. 25, 2022.

William D. McDonald ’59, April 23, 2023.

Pat Parker Mulligan ’60, Feb. 6, 2023.

Thomas Thornton, Jr. ’60, Nov. 6, 2022.

Jane R. Andreetti ’61, March 20, 2023.

Judy Maloney O’Connor ’61, Feb. 11, 2021.

M. Legare Gunter III, ’62, Jan. 12, 2023.

William Hoole, Jr. ’62, May 6, 2023.

Georgene Sherer ’63, June 1, 2021.

Thomas “Buddy” Lever, Jr. ’64, May 28, 2023.

Frankie Craft Spake ’64, July 6, 2022.

Oscar “Sonny” Ethridge III ’65, Jan. 12, 2023.

Howard A. Wimmer, Jr. ’65, Nov. 14, 2022.

Judy Bolt Howell ’66, Oct. 26, 2022.

Walt Trammell III ’66, June 2, 2023.

William Hough ’67, Dec. 21, 2022.

Guy William “Bill” Martin, Jr. ’68, Oct. 19, 2022.

Barbara Ashley Campbell ’69, Dec. 19, 2022.

Faye Blakely Hayes ’69, Sept. 26, 2022.

Dr. Robert E. Smith, Jr. ’69, Aug. 6, 2022.

Rev. Calvin Todd ’69, May 26, 2023.

Rev. Dr. Samuel Barry Eller ’70, ’87 (Sem.), April 3, 2023.

James D. Thompson ’71, Nov. 11, 2022.

Linda Sorrow ’72, Jan. 22, 2023.

Rev. Gregory C. Slater ’73, Oct. 28, 2022.

Emily Atkinson Munn ’74, June 20, 2023.

Ruth Ann Settles ’74, Sept. 13, 2022.

Richard Johnson ’76, March 23, 2023.

Martha Weir Stevenson ’76, June 17, 2023.

Betty Jane “BJ” Tiller ’76, Sept. 18, 2022.

William Merritt ’77, June 14, 2023.

James Ernest Christopher, Jr. ’79, July 7, 2023.

Rev. Gary Roland Fravel ’79 (Sem.), June 5, 2023.

Charles Marion Grier ’79, April 18, 2023.

Rev. Joe W. O’Cain ’81 (Sem.), June 22, 2023.

Rev. Charles Wayne Revisky ’84 (Sem.), March 23, 2023.

Donald Staples ’85, Dec. 12, 2022.

Lisa Pelton Wofford ’87, June 6, 2023.

Rev. Dr. J. Derrill Smith ’89 (Sem.), Sept. 30, 2022.

Angela Nogai Devlin ’90, Aug. 14, 2022.

Rev. Dr. Joe Milton Jones ’95 (Sem.), Dec. 14, 2022.

Rev. Joseph Lynn Curtis ’97 (Sem.), Sept. 25, 2022.

Bradley Oates ’97, Nov. 5, 2022.

Rev. Eric J. Morgan III ’98 (Sem.), June 30, 2023.

Dr. Lanny “Brooks” Walker ’02 (Sem.), Sept. 22, 2022.

Ramon Berrios ’08 (Sem.), April 12, 2023.

Dr. Howard Thomas ’19 (Hon.), March 17, 2023.

FRIENDS

Dr. Robert Ackerman, a former Erskine College history professor and Dean of the College, died Oct. 3, 2022.

Welch McNair Bostick, Jr., who established an Erskine scholarship and was a member of Erskine’s Board of Trustees (1997-2003), died Dec. 29, 2022.

Johnny Davis, a member of the facilities staff at Erskine for 42 years, died Dec. 31, 2022.

HOWARD EDWARD THOMAS

Young Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Dr. Howard Edward Thomas, who taught for 45 years at Erskine College and retired in 2021, died March 17, 2023.

Generations of alumni will recall his extensive knowledge of his field, his contagious enthusiasm, and his lilting accent.

A native of Wales, he received his undergraduate and doctoral degrees at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. He came to the United States as a postdoctoral fellow and joined the college faculty in 1976.

Appointed Dr. and Mrs. James Rogers Young Professor of Chemistry in 2006, he received the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Excellence in Teaching award in 2015 and was named an honorary alumnus in 2019.

Associate Professor of Chemistry and Physics Dr. Tiffany Hayden, who served on the faculty with Thomas beginning in 2009, says a large part of the longtime professor’s legacy is his practice of “putting the student first,” and she notes that he spent many hours “writing recommendation letters and advising students on how to answer interview questions.”

He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Penelope Hitchcock “Penny” Thomas, a longtime Student Services staff member who was posthumously named an honorary alumna.

Survivors include his daughter, Emma Christine Thomas Dean, and son-in-law Gavin Dean; a brother, Jeffery Thomas of Milton Keynes, England; and four grandchildren.

For information about the Howard and Penelope “Penny” Thomas Scholarship, please contact Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations Paul Bell at paul.bell@erskine.edu or by phone at 864•379•8727

In Memoriam

JOHN LITTLE CARSON

Erskine President Emeritus Dr. John Little Carson, a member of the Erskine College Class of 1967 who led his alma mater from 1998 to 2005, died Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023.

A native of Gastonia, N.C., Carson was an E.B. Kennedy Scholar at Erskine, where he met his future wife, Sarah Ellen Patrick, also an E.B. Kennedy Scholar. He received the Master of Divinity degree from Reformed Theological Seminary in Mississippi, served as pastor of Ebenezer Associate Reformed Presbyterian (ARP) Church in Rock Hill, S.C., then studied at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, where he was awarded the Doctor of Philosophy degree.

His service to the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, in addition to his work as a pastor, included terms as Vice Moderator and Moderator as well as leadership on many boards and committees.

In 1991, he served as Chairman of the North American Presbyterian & Reformed Council. In 1993, he was Program Chairman for the Westminster Assembly 350th Commemoration. He co-edited To Glorify and Enjoy God: A Commemoration of the Westminster Assembly

Carson taught theology and church history at Erskine Theological Seminary from 1985 to 1994, then became pastor of First ARP Church in Gastonia, N.C. Named Erskine president in 1998, he oversaw the launch of the Gold Campaign, which continued after his presidency. Among the many accomplishments of the campaign was the renovation of Memorial Hall with special attention to Memorial Hall Auditorium, which was renamed in honor of Carson and his wife Sarah Ellen.

After leaving Erskine, Carson and his wife served as World Witness missionaries, helping to launch the Mobile Theological Training Team (MT3), which has now been incorporated into the theological education ministry of World Witness, called SEED (Serving by Educating, Equipping and Discipling). He taught in multiple seminaries, including African Bible University and African Reformation Theological Seminary in Uganda.

World Witness has now partnered with Erskine Theological Seminary to offer a Global Diploma in Theology and Christian Leadership, assisting rural pastors and church leaders in Africa and other areas of the Global South. The

Dr. John and Sarah Ellen Carson Scholarship program honors the Carsons’ missionary endeavors and their support of global theological education.

Near the end of his tenure at Erskine, Carson was asked about the successes of his presidency. He expressed his hope that “the people who came here to link their lives with Erskine’s mission” would be his greatest contribution as president. Giving credit to others and expressing his belief in God’s providence, he said, “This has been a family effort—everyone has been so generous. To God be the glory.”

John Little Carson is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sarah Ellen Patrick Carson ’67; three daughters, Marana Carson Basie ’97 and husband Dr. John Basie ’96, Emily Carson Pike ’98 and husband Colby Pike ’99, and Rebecca Jean Carson ’00; one son, the Rev. James Everette “Rhett” Carson ’02 and wife Katherine Hornby Carson ’02; and ten grandchildren.

A memorial service was conducted Sept. 16 at Bonclarken Conference Center Chapel in Flat Rock, N.C., with a reception following in Synodical Hall.

RAY AIKEN KING, SR.

Professor of Church History Emeritus the Rev. Dr. Ray Aiken King, Sr., who taught at Erskine Theological Seminary from 1962 until his retirement in 2000 and beyond, died Dec. 20, 2022.

A native of Atlanta, Ga., he attended the Atlanta ARP Church during his youth. He joined the Boy Scouts, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout and becoming an avid outdoorsman.

A member of the Erskine College Class of 1955 and the Erskine Seminary Class of 1958, he engaged in further study at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland; received the Master of Theology degree at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary; and did additional graduate work at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. His mentor during his student days at Erskine Seminary was longtime dean Dr. William Walkup Boyce, Jr.

Ordained by Second Presbytery, King soon transferred to Catawba Presbytery. After he returned from his graduate studies in Edinburgh, Scotland, he was asked by his presbytery to survey the eastern suburbs of Rock Hill in preparation for founding a second ARP congregation in the area. He later helped organize Rogers Memorial ARP Church in Rock Hill. It was during his survey assignment that he met Brenda Kay Taylor, who became his wife and the mother of his children.

In addition to teaching church history as well as missions and evangelism at Erskine Seminary, he served as supply pastor for Long Cane ARP Church and Troy ARP Church for 27 years.

During his retirement, King fulfilled a lifelong dream by traveling to Alaska, driving there five times. He also camped and hiked in Canyonlands, Utah.

A much earlier adventure found him in the United Kingdom as a fraternal delegate of the ARP Church to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1960, the 400th anniversary of the Scottish Reformation. There he met Queen Elizabeth II in Holyrood Palace, the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. He surprised the crowd gathered there by evoking the queen’s laughter.

Erskine College awarded King the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 2001. After his retirement, he continued teaching as an adjunct until 2004.

Survivors include three children—Ray Aiken King, Jr. ’88, Wayne Starr King ’87, and Kay Allison King Stranges—and four grandchildren.

February 23, 2024 - Edwin McCain in Concert

April 12, 2024 - Premiere of David Payne's Livingstone and Stanley

April 12-13, 2024 - Alumni Weekend

May 4, 2024 - Commencement

May 18, 2024 - Second Annual Flower & Garden Show

September 27, 2024 - Erskine Open

September 28, 2024 - Homecoming