Alumni Spotlight Q. Where are you originally from, and what was your major at JSU? A. I was born in Gadsden, and my father was a high school
coach. We moved throughout Alabama, but I graduated from Spring Garden High School. I graduated in 1991 from JSU with a degree in communications.
Q. What do you consider your most important achievements since graduating from JSU?
A. Scoreboard shows are a beloved job and hobby for me. I
have been broadcasting a high school football show for about 15 years on Alabama 100 and WQSB in Albertville. We now broadcast on 56 statewide stations. WQSB was the number one rated sports program on radio last year. My true passion is radio and being able to manage a Christian radio ministry is a dream come true.
Q. What are your favorite memories of JSU? A. I was at JSU from 1986-91, a time some people say was
the men’s basketball team’s greatest era. I was the manager and video coordinator for men’s basketball. During that time we won a hundred basketball games-twenty a season. We won two Gulf South Conference championships, two NCAA South Regional championships, and won the Division II Elite Eight twice. Those memories are phenomenal. I made lifelong friends and think often about the great times we had on road. We played to packed crowds at home. Everybody wanted to beat us.
Q.. What skill did you acquire at JSU that has helped you the most? A. I learned my public relation skills. The campus is large
enough to offer students great opportunities to get involved. Because JSU is called the “Friendliest Campus in the South,” we are encouraged to be outgoing. My time with that basketball team gave me lots of opportunity to meet and greet folks.
Q. What advice would you give to students? A. I hope students get involved on campus. JSU is blessed
with so many opportunities for involvement in all areas of campus life, and because JSU is small enough, students can get involved in something and still make a large impact. They should not just sit on the sidelines.
Q. Do you contribute your efforts to a charity? A. I am on the board of the Fellowship of Christian Ath-
letes for Northeast Alabama and on board of United Cerebral Palsy for North Central Alabama. I just completed service to the board of the Association for Retarded Citizens. I enjoyed serving the children, and the adults who struggle with physical and mental handicaps have a special place in my heart.
Jon Holder ’91 General Manager of Grace Radio
Jon Holder of Jacksonville is the general manager of Grace Radio, WGRW (90.7 FM), a noncommercial, nonprofit Christian radio ministry in Anniston. He also forecasts the weather on TV 24 each evening and broadcasts the Pigskin Roundup, a football scoreboard show, during the fall for radio and television. He and his wife Lynne have a newborn named Lauren Kathryn.