PUBLISHER Office of Institutional Advancement Scott Joyner, Vice President scott.joyner@newberry.edu
About the Cover: Newberry College celebrated the achievements, happy memories and lifelong friendships formed by the Class of 2014. See pages 6-7 for more about Commencement 2014.
EDITOR Jill Johnson, Director of Marketing jill.johnson@newberry.edu DESIGN David Swanson ‘13 CONTRIBUTORS Brie Logue ‘11 Josh Manck PHOTOGRAPHY Neva Loftis Photography Brie Logue ‘11
Miss Newberry College
Please send address changes and correspondence to Office of Alumni Relations Jeff Wicker ‘02 alumni.relations@newberry.edu CLASS NOTES: Submit alumni news and photos to alumni.relations@newberry.edu or address to Dimensions Magazine in the Office of Alumni Relations, 2100 College Street, Newberry, SC 29108 IN MEMORIAM: If you know of Newberry College alumni or former faculty and staff who have passed and are not recorded here or if you learn of others in the coming months, please let us know. If possible, provide a copy of the obituary or funeral bulletin to the Office of Alumni Relations.
2100 College Street Newberry, SC 29108 www.newberry.edu 800-845-4955
Faculty Emeritus
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Making Time For Ministry Celebrating 25 years of service to the Church, campus pastor Ernie Worman guides spiritual growth one relationship at a time.
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Campus News Learn more about new programs and achievements on the Newberry College campus.
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President’s Club New program details and a thank you to the College’s benefactors.
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Commencement Celebrating the Class of 2014
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Faculty News
10 Athletic News 12 Home Again Bobby Wilson ’71 thought his class ring was lost forever, but a twist of fate brought it back to him 42 years later. Alumni Profile
15 Alumni News Check out what’s been happening with College classmates. 20 The Ties That Bind Board of Trustees member Eric Wells ’87 reflects on a relationship with Newberry College that he never intended.
Class Notes
President’s Message Change in Motion
Progress and growth are evident at Newberry College Recently, we celebrated the commencement of another class of Newberry College seniors as they entered the ranks of graduates and became alumni of the College. Commencement offers the perfect time to reflect on our accomplishments of the year. Allow me to share some recent highlights about what has been happening at the College and where we are going.
Increased Student Enrollment Last year’s incoming class of 329 new students was our third largest in college history (the record was 345 set in fall 2009.) We have a lot to accomplish this summer, but we are ahead of goal and optimistic about the prospect of surpassing our previous enrollment record. The word is getting out that something special is happening at Newberry College. Updated Core Curriculum After two years of study and research, our faculty has adopted an exciting new core curriculum. We have retained our high-quality faculty and have attracted outstanding new faculty in recent months, including full-time faculty in music, mathematics, chemistry and physical education. Our faculty is our strength and we are excited about the upcoming academic year. Improved Student Retention We recently reached an all-time high of 79 percent for first-year students who return to Newberry College for their sophomore year. In college circles, a retention improvement of a percentage point or two is meaningful but an 11 percent increase in one year is an incredible achievement. Improved Private Support Our fundraising efforts are well ahead of previous years. As I write this letter, the College has reached its goal of raising $4 million total funds by the end of our fiscal year in June 2014. With much of this growth being in unrestricted funds, our future looks bright. Watch for a big announcement about what’s next for Newberry College as we prepare to reveal a new capital campaign goal and timeline. Provided a Transformational Education Our students have unique, often life-changing, experiences here. We could not do it without your support. As our graduating seniors join the Newberry College family of alumni, I am confident they will make us all proud. There is no better place to be than at Newberry College! Thank you,
Dr. Maurice Scherrens President
“Our students have unique, often life-changing, experiences here. We could not do it without your support.” - Dr. Maurice Scherrens President