Highlanders In Action

Since its early days as a normal school for women, Radford University has instilled a spirit of service among its students, employees and graduates who, in turn, have impacted local and regional communities through a variety of service-oriented programs.

Highlanders have done everything from sewing surgical dressings, gowns and wound wipes for soldiers in world wars to petitioning to help save more than 4,000 acres of forest at Pond Ridge and Bent Mountain in Virginia. This legacy of service lives on today in the works of Highlanders on our campuses, as well as throughout Southwest Virginia and beyond.

Enhancing healthcare for underserved populations

Five Radford University students and one faculty member traveled to Cusco, Peru, in March 2024 for a nine-day service-learning trip that included students from MEDLIFE chapters at universities.

The students, from the physician assistant, nursing and biomedical science programs, are members of the MEDLIFE student organization of Radford University Carilion (RUC) in Roanoke. MEDLIFE is a nonprofit that partners with low-income communities in Latin America and Africa to improve access to medicine, education and community development projects.

Led by Brian Buccola ’09, PA ’16, physician assistant program director of clinical education and academic advisor to MEDLIFE, the Highlanders saw 641 patients in Paru Paru – a community in Cusco near the Apus mountains of Pisaq. They assisted with a range of procedures, including OBGYN exams, dental treatments and education about healthcare and general hygiene.

The patients seen during the trip rarely have access to such services.

“This trip brought me so much perspective on cultural differences and global healthcare, especially the need to advocate for access to medical care in underserved populations,” said Lauren Luther ’24, a biomedical science student who graduated in May.

In addition to Luther, the other Highlanders included physician assistant students Mackenzie Tewksbury and Alyssa Woodward, biomedical science student Troy Stallard ’24 and nursing student Sofia Stallard.

Fostering communication and literacy skills in children

For 29 years, Radford University has hosted the RiteCare Clinic Summer Camp – a partnership between Radford’s Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic and the Scottish Rite Masons of Virginia. The Scottish Rite Masons provide financial support for the five-week day camps, which help children develop and enhance their communication and literacy skills. The program also offers graduate student clinicians invaluable training and experience.

Meredith Gwinn, a Radford student and recipient of a Scottish Rite Mason 2024 summer scholarship, said, “Working with these children has been so rewarding, and we have seen several members of our group not only thrive but also independently start and hold conversations with others.”

Helping high school students prepare for their future

An initiative launched in 2023 through Radford’s business school has hosted more than 100 local high school students, giving five separate groups of young people the chance to see what campus life is like and to offer them workshops on practical and constructive topics such as time management, conflict resolution, career success, goal setting, starting a business and personal branding in an age of social media. Based out of the Venture Lab, the program is a partnership between the Davis College of Business and Economics and Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia, which between January and April welcomed students from Botetourt, Carroll, Salem and Wythe County high schools, as well as Roanoke’s Burton Center for Arts & Technology.

Uniting alumni in service to communities

The alumni office launched a special initiative earlier this year, Alumni in Action, to showcase how Radford alumni make an impact on their communities. The program brings Radford graduates together to increase their engagement in the university while performing community service projects. Alumni in the Richmond and Roanoke areas recently united on two service activities as part of the 2024 Highlander Hometown Community Service Tour.

Richmond-based alumni Byron Chafin ’90 and his wife Nancy, Brandon Tusing ’16 and Michael Means ’05 joined Beyond Boundaries staff member Nate Knight and intern Carson Murff ’24 to lead a hike for the Autism Society of Central Virginia at Powhite Park. Co-founded by Shep Roeper ’08 and Kyle Burnette ’08, Beyond Boundaries is a nonprofit organization specializing in guiding participants with disabilities, veterans, underserved youth and recovery programs on outdoor adventures.

The 2-mile hike down the rocky, root-laden trail made a big impact on all participants, who observed a variety of plants and trees as well as a few snakes and deer. The group carried trash bags along the hike to pick up garbage and other items that appeared to be out of place. At the end of the trail, the youth recounted their favorite parts of the hike while alumni volunteers discussed what went well and ways to improve future activities.

On June 14, 18 alumni members of the Roanoke Alumni Chapter, whose class years ranged from 1966 to 2024, joined forces with Radford University staff and students for an afternoon of fellowship and community service at Feeding Southwest Virginia’s Salem Distribution Center. The organization’s mission is to nourish neighbors, engage community partners and develop solutions to address food insecurities. Led by Tina Weiner ’72, the Highlander team sorted, inspected and boxed 6,100 pounds of nonperishable food items for future distribution to the community.

While these projects are spearheaded by alumni chapters, the alumni office is gathering stories from alumni across the country to highlight their community service commitments. You can share your project by visiting 2024 Highlander Hometown Tour at radford.edu or calling 540-831-5248.