Belonging to Becoming: Alumni Finding Both Place and Purpose

Radford is a community that values both belonging and becoming. It’s where students learn that seeking help is a strength, not a weakness. It’s where personal growth and professional preparation walk hand in hand. And it’s where the power of a little extra hustle, heart and hope turn potential into possibility, ensuring every graduate leaves not only ready for a career but ready for all of life’s roles.

Our inviting campus, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and alongside the New River, is known for its ideal size, strong faculty-student bonds and civic-minded programs of study. However, students do not always arrive on campus with their life and career plans predetermined. For these five alumni, Radford was not just a place of belonging but a launchpad to success in ways they never imagined.

Andrew Hund ’03 (media studies, advertising concentration with a minor in marketing) recently relocated back to Radford from Norfolk to open Hund’s Bicycle & Outdoor Store in Radford, Virginia, purchasing the same building that housed the New Wheel Bicycle Shop, a place he frequented and worked as a student.

Charmaine Edwards-Thomas ’10 (accounting) is a hairstylist and owner of the award-winning CharMarie Salon in Blacksburg, Virginia. The salon currently has 26 employees and a bustling, dedicated clientele.

Landon Hinton ’13 (marketing and management/ entrepreneurship and international affairs) comes from a strong family of Highlanders and is making his mark in Richmond, Virginia, as a principal at 7 Hills Advisors, a thriving commercial real estate firm.

Nehemiah Bester ’18 (media studies with a minor in political science) is a communication strategist for the American Civil Liberties Union in Maryland and an independent producer for prominent media outlets, including PBS, “Frontline,” “American Experience,” Showtime, and contributor to several news outlets.

Justin Willard, MBA ’16, merged his passion for baseball and business into a career in Major League Baseball, where he serves as the director of pitching for the Boston Red Sox.

A place of self-discovery and personal growth

For many students, going to college isn’t a given. For others, Radford was the perfect opportunity in a perfect place at a perfect time.

“College attendance was a complete surprise for me,” Edwards-Thomas recalls. A college fair at her high school in Hillsville, Virginia, led her to apply early decision and discover that financial aid could make her dream possible. “Radford was a place of coming into my own, a place of independence and growth for me,” she said. “It was the first time I was 100% financially responsible for myself.”

As a high school senior in Richmond, Bester wasn’t sure what was next. “Radford chose me,” he said. “There was a magnetic charm that pulled me into an atmosphere of possibility, and I had no idea what I was going to do or even wanted to do, but the university helped me find my path.”

Bester emphasizes that while students can find their place at Radford, Radford also makes a place for its students. His involvement in on-campus organizations like Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Diversity Awareness Programming Board helped shape his worldview and professional path. He shared how inspirational it was to see advisors, professors and fulltime professionals grow in their own careers while, at the same time, investing in students.

Hinton saw Radford’s campus as the perfect size and as a melting pot of individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences – a place where you learn and grow through presence, exposure and interaction. A transformative Maymester study abroad experience in Australia and several impactful conversations with marketing Professor James Lollar (retired) shaped Hinton’s perspective and career. A naturally social and curious student, he cites how Lollar helped him see possibility. “We were having a conversation about what I’m good at, what I enjoy, and a lightbulb went off,” said Hinton. “He helped me discover that I could be successful just by being me.”

A place of support and encouragement

Time and time again, Radford alumni reflect on the profound impact of key professors and mentors who shaped their experiences as students.

Lynn Saubert and her late husband, Wayne Saubert, were Edwards-Thomas’ accounting professors, then customers, and they became like family. Securing a business loan can be challenging, especially since being both the owner and employee increases the risk, and banks often require a co-signer.

“Lynn and Wayne co-signed my first business loan,” Edwards-Thomas said. “I didn’t have family who could do that for me. To have someone who was willing to gamble on and support me like that changed the trajectory of my life.”

It’s not just faculty and staff who provide support and encouragement but also Radford alumni.

Edwards-Thomas is married to a fellow Highlander, Bryan Thomas ’06 (Information Technology). While they didn’t overlap as students, the small and close-knit campus community resulted in having mutual friends. They started dating in 2009. “No one was a bigger cheerleader for my dreams,” she said. “I opened the salon in 2014 with his support, both emotionally and in the form of manual labor.”

While attending Radford, alumnus Dan Evans ’84 was roommates with Bill Hinton ’84, Landon’s father. Their alumni roommate connection and Hinton’s natural curiosity led to a conversation with Evans about his work in the commercial real estate industry. By simply asking Evans what he did for a living, Hinton discovered a potential future for himself.

“I’ve never been someone to be stagnant or monotonous in a task. I’m good at talking, being in front of people and building relationships,” said Hinton. “Dan helped me see that I could merge these qualities and my interests into a career path.

“A common Hinton family saying is, ‘All you have at the end of the day is the name on the back of your jersey.’ And he was right. Radford helped me become self-reliant but community-minded,” Hinton said. “Because others believed in me, I was willing to bet on myself.”

Toronto, Canada, native Willard agrees. “Radford is a place where you can maximize your development. Your job as a student is to just get better—to be and do better.”

Radford alumni reminisce about the professors, mentors and influential people who left an enduring mark on their time as students. Those relationships didn’t stop at graduation; many have stayed connected and leaned on those bonds through distinct stages of life. Radford has always been a place where students, faculty, staff and alumni form genuine connections that stand the test of time.

A place that turns potential into purpose

After winning his fifth-grade bike rodeo, Hund didn’t know he’d turn a passion into a career.

“I love people. I love bikes. I love putting people on bikes,” he said.

Through his friendship with Mike Norman, manager of the former New Wheel Bicycle Shop (where he worked as a Radford University student), and his ongoing postgraduation relationship with the business and building owner, David Abraham ’76, Hund felt a calling to return.

“I have a country heartbeat and a city drive,” said Hund. Acknowledging both his desire and the difficult decision to leave Norfolk, Virginia, a community that brought many challenges and tested his resilience, Hund desired safety and peace. “Radford is a place of refuge for me. Twenty-one years later, I’ve found my place here again. Radford is a magical place where possibilities are endless.”

If possibility is the spark of chance and opportunity, Radford ignites it quietly – without the need for fanfare. Lessons unfold within the red brick walls and across the manicured grounds, offered with quiet confidence and earned in hushed moments.

“Ultimately, my business wouldn’t be what it is today without the experiences I had at Radford University,” said Edwards-Thomas. “I learned a lot about people, and it shaped how I manage my team and our guests.”

Willard emphasizes that his MBA from Radford prepared him for the high-stakes world of professional baseball. “The primary focus of any business is to create value and make money,” he said. “You can substitute the ‘where.’ I know how to impact value drivers. I know how to improve assets and the return on investment. I just do it with major league pitchers.”

Radford fosters not just academic excellence but social excellence, according to Hinton. “We can talk and connect with anyone, and we are driven to succeed. Folks might underestimate us, but I say, ‘Go ahead.’ Highlanders succeed despite what others think.”

A place that prepares you for what is possible

Some people are destined for greatness. It comes naturally to them. It may even appear to have been an easy achievement. Others must carve out their path to success, discovering new possibilities along the way. They are supported and encouraged, and they work relentlessly to turn dreams – ones they previously didn’t think possible – into reality.

At Radford, the journey isn’t just about earning a degree. It’s about discovering who you are and who you’re meant to become. It’s a place where students arrive with stories as unique as their ambitions, fueled by an underdog spirit that pushes them to work harder, dream bigger and lean into opportunities that might otherwise seem out of reach. Here, relationships matter. Professors know your name. Mentors offer guidance. Classmates become lifelong friends.

“Your job as a college student is to grow and improve,” Willard said. “College is one of the rare times in life when you can focus entirely on becoming your best self, and Radford is a place that truly maximizes human potential.”

Radford University helps shape lives, preparing individuals to confidently navigate an everchanging world. As graduates, they carry with them a wealth of knowledge, meaningful experiences, lasting connections and personal growth that guide their journeys. Whether contributing to their communities, leading with integrity or pursuing new horizons, Highlanders apply the skills and confidence they’ve gained to forge their own paths.

It’s a story many Highlanders know well. Radford University is a place where students are encouraged to find their place ... and in doing so, many also discover themselves.