DR. GENE FANT JR.
NAMED NEW NGU PRESIDENT
Newhavethingscome
SPRING 2017
“North Greenville University Magazine” is published twice annually by the Office of Marketing and Communications.
EDITOR
Celeste Hawkins (’11)
DESIGNER
Sheila Price (’08)
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Celeste Hawkins (’11)
Christian Segers (’17)
Julia Klukow (’17)
LaVerne Howell
Dr. Randall Pannell
Victoria Pujdak (expected ’18)
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jake Hardin (’17)
Jennifer Lynch
Jenny Williams (’11)
Let People See
ADVISORS
Erin Wall (’00, M.B.A.’07)
Julie Styles (’90, ’09)
Keli Sewell (’89)
Maria Neal (’17)
Shawn Stom (’11)
Sheila Price (’08)
To share your feedback for this issue of the magazine, your news, or your updated contact information, visit ngu.edu/magazine
North Greenville University — a private Christian liberal arts university often recognized as one of the most notable in the Southeast — features more than 50 undergraduate, online undergraduate, and graduate degree options. Every student at NGU receives an exceptional education in an authentic Christian environment for a successful life of service.
CONTACT
Mail: P.O. Box 1892, Tigerville, SC 29688
Phone: 864.977.7015
Toll Free: 800.468.6642
Website: ngu.edu
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Letter from Interim President Dr. Randall Pannell
We have often heard that our faith is not only about the destination, but even more about the journey. I see our journey similarly to what the Lord says in Isaiah 43:18-19a: “‘Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already — you can see it now!’”
NGU’s journey has an incredible past and foundation. However, the Lord is not calling us to live in that past. His intention is still to do something new, something more! Just as the Old Testament prophets looked ahead to the Lord’s Anointed One, they were not merely predicting something that would happen; they built on what the prophets before them had envisioned, an advent of someone greater, ever increasingly greater.
Our mission continues full steam ahead! We are called as a community to offer an exceptional education of excellent academic programs, founded on a biblical worldview and focused on serving the Lord and impacting others by serving them.
But the Lord has brought us to a place to do something new, to continue our journey of 125 years, to take our next step into the Lord’s future for us. We are poised at this moment to take the next step, which is not really different, but more and fuller. It is time to “sing a new song to the Lord” (Psalm 98:1) by building on the wonderful things He
has done by His own power! I see a time ahead for new things — not so much a different kind of new, but a more and fuller kind of new!
This next step also begins a new leadership era at the university. Whenever the Lord does a new thing, it is often accompanied by a leadership change. The focus is on the benefit to others of that leadership. The Lord’s timely leader is a signal to those he will lead that the Lord has more in store for the community’s mission.
I have been honored to witness what the Lord is doing in our midst. And I truly hope that you, the NGU family, are sensing that the Lord intends to do something in us, something for us, and something through us in the days ahead. It is not too often that we get to witness what the Lord is on the verge of doing next!
Blessings and peace,
Randall J. Pannell Interim President
New Location
Greer Campus Houses Growing Graduate, CAPS Programs
With a snip of the ceremonial scissors, North Greenville University marked the official opening of its new Greer campus at a dedication and ribbon cutting on Feb. 16, 2017.
The newly renovated facility — located at 405 Lancaster Ave. in Greer, S.C., the former site of Ryan’s corporate office — houses both the university’s graduate school and its College of Adult Professional Studies (CAPS), along with the offices of faculty, staff, and admissions counselors.
“Having an academic space dedicated to graduate and online learning clearly demonstrates NGU’s dedication to our students’ education,” says Interim President Dr. Randall Pannell.
At the ceremony, Pannell recognized and thanked special attendees Dr. T. Walter Brashier, namesake of NGU’s graduate school and longtime donor to the university; Craig McCoy, CEO of Bon Secours St. Francis Health System; and Rick Danner, mayor of the city of Greer, for their generous support of the new venture.
The Brashiers have been donating to North Greenville for more than five decades. Their $1 million donation in 2005 provided the means for the college to launch its graduate school initially.
Classes for NGU’s graduate school began at its first site, the former Fairview Baptist Church on Locust Hill Road in
Greer, S.C., in February 2006. At the time, North Greenville offered two graduate degree programs: one in Christian ministry, and the other in business administration.
NGU’s graduate school has since grown to feature five distinct schools and nine master’s and doctoral degree programs, serving almost 200 students during the Fall 2016 semester.
“Occupying this facility positions North Greenville University to dramatically increase our impact in the city of Greer, as well as greater Greenville,” says Vice President for Adult and Graduate Studies Dr. Samuel Isgett. “Our online programs for adult learners, our graduate school, and our new School of Health Science place us on the frontier of higher education for the Upstate of South Carolina and beyond.”
In addition to its graduate-level degrees, NGU offers six online undergraduate degrees for adult learners through its CAPS program, also housed at the university’s new Greer campus. While newer than NGU’s graduate school, CAPS served nearly as many students in Fall 2016, with an enrollment just under 180.
For more information about NGU’s degree offerings, visit ngu.edu/academics
New Degree
M.Div. at NGU Prepares Christians for Real-World Ministry
North Greenville University is now enrolling students in its new Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree program.
The M.Div. program aims to equip students to be effective in evangelism and Christian leadership, spreading the gospel and teaching the Bible through missions and discipleship.
“There is an emphasis on biblical principles in every course,” says Dr. Larry McDonald, dean of the NGU Graduate School of Christian Ministry. “We believe [students] learn more than just what’s in the textbook. There’s really an application of [their] faith in all aspects of [their lives].”
Pairing theological study with practical application, the M.Div. at NGU is a 75-hour degree that prepares students for ministry positions such as pastors, chaplains, and missionaries.
All students in the program must complete seven core courses, and then they can choose their remaining courses from within the program’s four track options in church revitalization, discipleship, missions, and pastoral ministry. Each track provides students with a variety of opportunities to gain ministry experience in different settings.
NGU’s Graduate School of Christian Ministry emphasizes a practical approach to its M.Div. and encourages students to apply in-class learning to their current ministries, as well as to prepare for future service.
“All of the courses are designed to integrate an actual
ministry experience,” says McDonald. “The North Greenville M.Div. is one that provides exposure to the classical disciplines, but [it is also] very hands on, practical oriented. A student develops ministry skills needed in order for him to be in a ministry context and provide leadership for it.”
In their smaller-than-average classes, M.Div. students at NGU engage with academically qualified professors who have experience in church and parachurch ministries. The faculty provide an authentic community, where students can prepare for leadership in ministry and also develop spiritually on a personal level.
The Graduate School of Christian Ministry offers traditional, on-campus classes at NGU’s new Greer campus. Students can also complete their degrees through online and hybrid options, making the program more flexible and easily accessible for adult students and professionals.
The M.Div. degree program helps graduate students develop skills in ministry and a biblically sound theological framework for teaching Scripture. Students learn to apply biblical principles in ministry and gain the tools necessary to be effective agents of the Great Commission.
“We want [students] to develop their own character and their own spiritual walk,” says McDonald. “But we also want to teach them how to relate that to a lost world, a world in need of the gospel message of Christ.”
For more information about NGU’s new M.Div. degree, visit ngu.edu/mdiv
New Graduate School PA Medicine Launches at Recently Opened Greer Campus
North Greenville University has added a Graduate School of Health Science, which offers one of the few Master of Medical Science degrees in the area.
NGU’s T. Walter Brashier Graduate School received accreditation for the new program, also known as the physician assistant (PA) medicine program, from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in November 2016.
“We came through with flying colors,” says Dr. Samuel Isgett, NGU’s vice president for adult and graduate studies.
Then, in January 2017, classes officially began for PA medicine — a professional degree program intended to prepare students academically and professionally for responsibilities and services as a PA — at NGU’s new campus in Greer, S.C.
NGU’s PA medicine program is one of 218 programs in the nation, one of only three in South Carolina, and the only one of its kind offered in Upstate South Carolina, making it very competitive to enter. In fact, NGU graduate school faculty members selected only 20 students, out of the more than 500 applicants, to participate in NGU’s inaugural PA medicine class.
“The program places NGU on the cutting edge of healthcare education,” says Isgett.
The hands-on program seeks to develop well-informed and compassionate PAs who provide patient-centered and
service-oriented medical care in diverse environments. This entry-level master’s degree program consists of 131 semester hours of graduate work, divided into three phases that span 24 consecutive months.
The three phases begin with the Didactic Phase, which consists of a preclinical year. The second phase, the Clinical Phase, consists of 11 months of supervised clinical education and coursework. During this phase, students build upon the knowledge and skills acquired during the Didactic Phase by participating in experiential learning in eight supervised clinical practice settings: family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, surgery, psychiatry/mental health, and one elective setting of the student’s choosing. The one-month Summative Phase, the final stage of training, serves to evaluate students.
“One thing that makes our program unique is that it operates within the scope of NGU’s service-oriented, Christ-centered mission,” says Isgett. “Our faculty is made up largely of young and mid-career PA educators and experienced anatomists, physicians, and pharmacologists who bring a wealth of experience and depth of knowledge to the program. And each one of them is a Christian who affirms NGU’s mission.”
In addition to SACSCOC accreditation, the PA medicine program at NGU is also provisionally accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), the national accrediting agency for PA programs. This accreditation guides the
rate at which NGU’s PA medicine program can grow over the next several years.
“Our provisional status with ARC-PA allows us to increase enrollment for next January’s class to 25, then 30 for January 2019,” says Isgett. “We will be required to hold at this number for a couple of years as the ARC-PA process plays out.”
NGU has built a strong partnership between its PA medicine program and the Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. The health system’s charitable organization, the St. Francis Foundation, made a significant donation to NGU’s Master of Medical Science program, securing naming rights to the Clinical Skills Academic Center and providing all equipment for the center.
Combined with NGU’s recently established presence inside Greer city limits, the health system partnership illustrates NGU’s focus on meeting the healthcare needs of the Upstate, specifically.
“Our partnerships with the city of Greer and Bon Secours St. Francis Health System open up a new world of opportunity for the university,” says Isgett. “We will be exploring related programs in the future that will allow us to build on the platform established by the PA program.”
For more information about NGU’s PA medicine program, visit ngu.edu/pa-medicine
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Campus News
CENTER OF APOLOGETICS AND CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
Dr. Tony Beam received the E. A. McDowell Award at the 2016 Annual Convention Meeting of the South Carolina Baptist Convention (SCBC) on Nov. 15 for the impact he has had on culture through his ongoing defense of the Christian faith and his continued articulation of a biblical worldview. Beam is the host of “Christian Worldview Today,” a daily radio program aired on Christian Talk 660 AM and 92.9 FM in Greenville, S.C., and online at Christian Talk 660. Beam has faithfully sserved the SCBC, even acting as a member on the Christian Life and Public Affairs Committee. He also utilizes his platform as vice president for Student Life and Christian Worldview at NGU to speak in churches and at conferences about the importance of possessing and expressing the Christian worldview as it relates to every area of life.
COLLEGE OF CHRISTIAN STUDIES
The Intercultural Studies Department at NGU has benefited from a $10,000 grant received from the Baptist Foundation of South Carolina, intended to support the intercultural studies degree program. The grant specifically assists students who are enrolled in this degree program and required to participate in an annual field immersion experience designed to prepare them for the challenges and complexities of living and ministering in a variety of cross-cultural settings.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Dr. Glenda Boone (Early Childhood Education Department) and 16 members of the South Carolina Early Childhood Association (SCECA) attended the SCECA Conference in Columbia, S.C., on Jan. 21, 2017. The students attended various workshops on teaching children from pre-K through second grade, and Boone presented the
workshop “Being a Professional Early Childhood Teacher.” Along with Boone, Chair of the Early Childhood Education Department Dr. Ann Aust and 14 members of NGU’s junior cohort attended a three-hour workshop titled “Project Based Learning” at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., on Jan. 25, 2017.
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS
The Cline School of Music’s music education program received an $8,000 grant from the Graham Foundation, a private family foundation based in Greenville, S.C. Grant author Dr. Jo Ann Garrett, coordinator of transitional/ tutoring services and music education adjunct, says the funds will be used for classroom instruments and literature fundamental to the Orff Approach of teaching music to children. This approach is based on the natural behaviors of children, such as singing, speaking, moving, and playing instruments, while also helping them develop creativity and improvisation. With these new resources, music education majors at NGU will learn to teach musical literacy, imitation, exploration, and improvisation appropriate for the elementary-level classroom. The variety of instruments and literature also facilitates student appreciation for cultural diversity.
The Theatre Department’s production of “Nora’s House” participated in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga., held Feb. 8-11, 2017. NGU students presented the play, an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” by Professor of Theatre Dr. Dale Savidge, which was originally performed on the NGU campus in September 2016. The story journeys backward through time, as audience members look for opportunities to change the outcome of the play and interact through short video interviews and social media. NGU was invited to attend the KCACTF, which recognizes, rewards, and celebrates the exemplary work produced in collegiate theaters across the nation.
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
Dr. Deborah DeCiantis (English Department) received NGU’s Lamar S. Chapman Award for Meritorious Service by Faculty at the Spring 2016 awards day chapel. DeCiantis has served as a judge for the National Council of Teachers of English Norman Mailer College Poetry Writing contest for the past three years. In addition, Associated Collegiate Press has nominated DeCiantis; Hayley Douglas, instructor for the Art Department; and student editors of the 2016 issue of “The Mountain Laurel,” Tyler Casamassa (’16) and Elizabeth Latzka (’16), for the Individual Design Award in the annual Pacemaker Best of Collegiate Design contest.
History Department faculty members Dr. H. Paul Thompson and Dr. Paul Yandle participated in a panel presentation with Carey Latimore, chair of the History Department at Trinity University, titled “The Dangling Conversation: Southern Evangelicals, the Academy, and the Shattered Myth of Post-racial America.” The panel — chaired by Dr. John Turner, associate professor in the Religious Studies Department at George Mason University — was part of the program at the 30th Biennial Meeting of the Conference on Faith and History at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va. The theme of the 2016 meeting, held Oct. 20-22, was “Christian Historians and the Challenges of Race, Gender, and Identity.”
OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT
For the past two years, NGU’s Office of Development has held a new annual event that invites local business leaders to learn from their peers on the topic of Christian leadership in the workplace. At the 2017 Faith at Work Business Symposium, more than 500 business leaders and students gathered to learn from three guest speakers who lead companies based in Greenville, S.C.: Will Huss Jr., CEO of Trehel Corp.; Kip Miller, CEO of Eastern Industrial Supplies Inc.; and Erik Weir, CEO of WCM Global Wealth LLC.
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Dr. Bill Cashion, professor of missions and evangelism, recently led three sessions on “Deacons Helping the Church to Understand Her Responsibilities to Her Pastors” during the Equipping People in Churches (EPIC) Conference of the Saluda Baptist Association in Anderson, S.C. Cashion asks for prayer as he begins service as a trustee of the Rio Grande Bible Institute in Edinburg, Texas. The institute trains church leaders from Latin America and operates a language school for missionaries who serve in Spanish-speaking countries.
Dr. Larry McDonald wrote five articles for the “Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States,” edited by George Kurian and Mark Lamport and published by Rowman & Littlefield in November 2016. McDonald’s articles covered the topics of John “Praying” Hyde, the Emmaus Walk movement, Daniel Marshall, The Prayer Revival of 1857-58, and the Worldwide Discipleship Association. McDonald served as interim pastor at Blue Ridge Baptist Church in Greer, S.C., for seven months in 2016. He plans to teach a Doctor of Ministry seminar on discipleship and spiritual formation at NGU’s Greer campus in October 2017.
New Advancement
$10,000 Gift Provides Technology Updates for College of Education
A recent gift to North Greenville University from a longtime donor family has provided updated technology for NGU’s aspiring teachers.
In August 2016, Terry Leonard pledged a financial gift of up to $10,000 to NGU’s College of Education (COE). The college used the donated funds to purchase new tools: 10 iPads and iPad add-ons, 10 Chromebooks, and one 3D printer, as well as several robots.
“This gift will allow current and future NGU students to become more equipped with knowledge and experience in our vastly growing technical world of education in public and private schools, where they will enter as teachers,” says Susan Boiter, COE secretary and a friend of Leonard’s.
In addition to Boiter, Leonard has several other connections to NGU. His son Brandon attended the university. Family members on Leonard’s father’s side — James and Ruth (’24) Howard, the namesakes of Howard Residence Hall — donated considerably to NGU during their lifetime. Leonard wished to follow their example and give to NGU in memory of his parents.
“I want to be able to help as many as I can with what God has given me and to touch as many lives as I can, hopefully spreading God’s word,” says Leonard, whose career included work in the airline industry and manufacturing. “I hope this gift will prepare [NGU students in the College of Education] for their future employment.”
Sammie Burman, who teaches technology integration courses in NGU’s COE, believes it will. Students in her
classes can now gain hands-on practice with the new devices, learning to “create a more student-centered classroom environment” through the use of technology, explains Burman.
The purpose of these integration classes is to prepare NGU’s future teachers to use technology to deliver content, meet students’ individual learning needs, cultivate critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and assess learning.
“Not only does technology make learning more engaging for our digital native students, [but it also] allows the teacher to instantly assess where students are. How amazing is it that a teacher can know within seconds who in the class needs extra help and who needs to be challenged?” says Burman. “The days of taking home quizzes to grade are over. The power of technology in the classroom is transforming education as we know it.”
NGU’s COE professors seek to over-prepare students for their profession not only by teaching them practical ways to integrate technology into the classroom, but also by providing field placements that allow them to apply their in-class learning in actual classroom settings. Field placements begin in the freshman year and increase in intensity each subsequent year.
“We had so many field placements and opportunities to work with students and learn from professionals,” remembers alum Kelsey Oxendine (’15), now a fifth-grade teacher in Myrtle Beach, S.C. “It was very hands on.”
In NGU’s early childhood education and elementary education programs, for example, teacher candidates conclude their studies by completing a year-long student teaching experience. In the first semester of their senior year, they do pre-student teaching with two full days per week in the schools, followed by full-time student teaching in the same classroom the next semester.
“Many colleges and universities offer the year-long teaching experience, but it is usually a five-year program,” says Dr. Jill Branyon, coordinator of the mathematics secondary education program at NGU. “Our teacher candidates experience all of this in-depth experience in a four-year program.”
Other practical opportunities available to NGU’s education majors include mock interviews with real principals and school district staff and mock parent-teacher conferences with members of the Greenville community. In addition, NGU’s COE professors — who boast an average of 30 years of experience each — assist education majors after they graduate in networking and job searching.
In September 2016, in fact, the COE announced that its Class of 2016 graduates across all programs had reached 100 percent job placement. For Branyon, who says placement is generally high, this is the first time that’s happened since she joined the NGU family more than 14 years ago.
“For the COE, I think [the numbers say] that we stay with our candidates until they are employed,” she says. “We want our graduates to make a significant difference in schools in South Carolina and beyond.”
At these schools, where classrooms are quickly “moving to one-to-one, paperless settings,” NGU alumni walk in “prepared and confident,” assures Burman.
For more information about NGU’s College of Education, visit ngu.edu/coe
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AT A GLANCE
100% Employment rate for graduates in the Class of 2016
400+ Years of combined teaching experience among faculty
330 Current students in the college
68
30+
Master’s degrees earned by alumni from 2006 to 2016
Teacher of the year awards earned by alumni
VICKIE KEMP
CAPS ACADEMIC ADVISOR Q&A Kemp Serves as ‘Resource Person’ for Online Students
North Greenville University’s College of Adult Professional Studies (CAPS) Academic Advisor, Vickie Kemp (’74) talks about her role, best memory at NGU, and favorite Bible verse.
When you tell people you work for NGU, what do they say?
The response is often, “You are lucky.” I reply, “This is my ministry, and it is a blessing and honor to go to work in a Christ-centered environment where faculty and staff meet to pray for the university, our students, and each other.”
What’s your role at NGU?
As NGU’s CAPS academic advisor, I am the resource person to help our online students have the information, skills, and experiences they need to be successful.
I am responsible for [providing direction regarding tutoring, academic coaching, scheduling, and graduation], as well as advising and enrolling students in the classes they need and monitoring each student’s progress.
What do you see as the main benefit of a CAPS advisor to our online students?
My ministry to CAPS students is being the person who cares about each student. I am the person who begins the CAPS and NGU ministry to students who lose a loved one, deal with a child with a life-threatening disease [or] a spouse in ICU, cannot juggle their schedule to meet all of their responsibilities, or no longer have the financial resources to reach their dream of a college degree.
It takes a team to get students where they need to be. A team that places students first. A team that will pray for
students and work with them at any time and place just so they can be successful.
When do you get most excited about your work?
I get excited about my work as students get excited about their progress and graduation. Graduation is a goal of every student, and [it’s] one of my goals for students.
Tell us about your life outside of work.
I have two children. My son Aaron and his wife, Virginia, live in Greer, S.C. They are the parents of [my] two amazing grandsons, Hayden and Mason. Claire and her husband, Devon, live in Charlotte, N.C., with two not as amazing granddogs.
I attend Double Springs Baptist Church, where I am the Sunday school teacher for a senior adult ladies’ class and an Awana teacher for elementary students on Wednesday nights.
What’s your favorite Bible verse?
Isaiah 40:31: “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
What’s your most cherished memory at NGU?
My own graduation in 1974. It is a blessing to walk on the campus today and to see the growth that has taken place and even a few of my old classmates!
For more information about CAPS programs at NGU, visit ngu.edu/online.
New Event Celebration Breakfast at NGU Adds to Excitement of Graduation Day
North Greenville University introduced a new special event for graduating seniors at the Fall 2016 commencement day on Friday, Dec. 9.
On the morning of graduation, NGU’s December graduates in the undergraduate, online undergraduate, and graduate degree programs gathered for the Graduation Celebration Breakfast.
“This is the first graduation breakfast we have had; [the event] is usually a brunch or picnic, depending on if it is a December or May graduation,” says Director of Student Activities Brittany Hendrix (’15).
Graduate families and faculty and staff members also joined in for the celebratory meal with NGU’s newest alumni.
“Graduation day is so hard on the families. There’s really not a moment for everybody to just take a deep breath and not be frantic,” says Director of Alumni Engagement and Development Julie Styles (’90, ’09), who coordinated the event in collaboration with Student Life.
Styles says that the Graduation Celebration Breakfast allowed graduate families to relax and mingle, and it also allowed faculty members to “leave on a good note, too — a sense of accomplishment.”
Prior to the event, NGU’s Class of 2016 voted on superlative awards not only for their fellow seniors, but also for the faculty and staff.
Pedro Mateo (’16), broadcast media, says that he thought the celebration was a great idea, and he was pleasantly surprised to win the senior nomination for Most Likely to Become President.
“I wasn’t really expecting to win anything like this, which makes it all more meaningful that my peers were able to get to know me these four years,” says Mateo.
Breakfast festivities also included a photo booth, on-camera interviews about graduates’ best memories at NGU, and a message from Interim President Randall Pannell.
In addition to the new breakfast, this was the first year that NGU seniors could personalize and decorate their caps for commencement. At the ceremony, NGU awarded nearly 180 diplomas, a record total for a fall graduation at NGU.
For more information about events and resources for NGU alumni, visit ngu.edu/alumni
New Outreach
Percussion Group Connects High Schoolers with NGU Band
North Greenville University is sponsoring a new indoor percussion ensemble intended to build the university’s band program.
Founded in Fall 2016 by Dr. Christopher Davis, an associate professor of percussion at NGU, North Greenville Indoor (NGI) is a nonprofit percussion ensemble that educates young musicians, as they strive toward excellence in the marching arts.
The goal for NGI is “to develop all members in the areas of musicianship, percussion technique, marching technique, and their overall artistry as an individual,” says Davis.
A member of the Carolina Winter Ensemble Association (CWEA), NGI is comprised of both high school and college students who are looking to further their musical careers and directed by Travis Waters (‘07) and A.J. Pace. A secondary goal of the ensemble is to recruit students for NGU’s own music programs.
NGI practices and performs at area schools, playing instruments like marching snare, tenor, and bass drums;
drum sets and timpani; marimbas, vibraphones, bells, xylophones, and synthesizers.
NGI’s 2017 performance, “The Hive,” included both a composition bearing the same name and a piece titled “Royals.” Aesthetically, the show featured the floor’s transformation into a large beehive and highlighted the queen bee’s character development. During the Spring 2017 semester, NGI performed “The Hive” at Dorman and Byrnes High Schools, in addition to Winthrop University.
During its inaugural season, NGI won second place at the Winter Guard International (WGI) regionals event on March 4, 2017, in Spartanburg, S.C., and first place in the Percussion Independent A division at the CWEA championships on March 26 in Rock Hill, S.C.
The ensemble was invited to compete in the 2017 WGI World Championships, hosted in Dayton, Ohio, in April.
For more information about NGI, visit ngu.edu/ngindoor
New Student Club Garden Club Cultivates Compassion for Local Community
Covered in dirt and laced with sweat, a ring of North Greenville University students clasped each other’s hands as they prayed over a green plot of land located in a lesser-known section of NGU’s main campus on Foster Circle.
Their prayer at the Fall 2016 groundbreaking for the first garden started by NGU’s garden club — The Birds and the Bees — was that the fruits of their labors would feed the surrounding community one day.
“God’s given us a lot of good soil in South Carolina. It’s good to use it for a reason, and I know the Holy Spirit is going to bless this land so we can make life more abundant for others,” says Jacquelyn Stuart (expected ’20), outdoor leadership major and member of The Birds and the Bees.
The new club is the brainchild of Debra Rollins, business analyst at NGU and former urban farmer. Exhausted from working 80 hours per week in a fast-paced business setting, Rollins resigned and joined the NGU family in June 2016.
During a summer meeting at NGU, she and her colleagues began volleying ideas for enhancing student life, looking for a low-cost activity on campus for students to enjoy on the weekends.
Rollins’ hand immediately shot into the air.
“I would like to start a garden club,” she said.
Her mind began racing with ideas to pioneer an entirely student-led garden club. For Rollins, the garden club
would be about learning how to work God’s creation and meet the needs of others at the same time.
“[The garden club] is designed to serve and give back to the community. And what goes hand in hand with that is the student initiative that goes behind it,” says Rollins.
Whether students use geometry to plan garden blueprints, marketing to promote club-sponsored events, or accounting to manage club funds and expenses, Rollins believes the club offers a unique opportunity for students to develop their skillsets in whichever career paths they choose through the medium of gardening.
“Garden club isn’t just about planting,” says Matthew Mitchell (expected ’20), outdoor leadership major and club president. “It’s about community — giving back to the community and trying to teach people more about gardening so they will appreciate and seek its rewards.”
During its inaugural semester, the garden club at NGU established student leadership, started a main garden on campus, hosted a campus-wide plant sale fundraiser, and donated more than 15 boxes full of fresh produce to the foodbank at Highland Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C.
Future plans include expanding the main garden, creating raised beds that students can use to grow their own food, building a compost system, and establishing even more relationships with local churches that have food pantries. Club leadership plans to donate 100 percent of the produce from the main garden.
For more information about student clubs and organizations offered at NGU, visit ngu.edu/campusrec.
New Leadership NGU Welcomes Next Era with Eighth President Fant
As early as second grade, Dr. Gene Fant Jr. said he wanted to become a college professor. So far, he’s held not only the position of professor, but also almost every other academic university position, too. And in February 2017, North Greenville University named him its eighth president after a nearly year-long process led by CarterBaldwin Executive Search.
SOUTHERN ACCENTS, BURR CUTS, AND SOAPY TOOTHBRUSHES
Dr. Gene Fant Jr. was born in Laurel, Miss., where his grandfather preached on one side of town and his father on the other. When Gene was four years old, his father felt called to missions and moved the family to Upstate New York to plant churches.
In the Fant household, each week had a sort of routine. You went to school and took mandatory speech therapy lessons to get rid of your Southern accent on weekdays. You got a burr cut every Saturday night. You went to church in the Johnny Carson suit factory on Sundays. And, any day of the week, you had to soap up your toothbrush and brush your teeth out for cussing.
Gene says he had a “salty sailor” mouth back then, even at the age of five. He’ll never forget one particular day when his dad caught him letting out a four-letter word.
“We went upstairs for what I thought was going to be the punishment, and when we got to the bathroom, my dad soaped up his toothbrush. And he said, ‘I want you to know this is what Jesus did for you. He took the punishment that you deserved,’” Gene remembers.
Gene took this illustration to heart. Afterwards, he and his father sat down to talk, and Gene prayed to receive Christ.
THE FANT FAMILY BAND
When Gene was 11, his family moved again, this time to Hampton, Va., where his father served as pastor at Ivy Memorial Baptist Church. At church, Gene was known for playing sports — and “going nuts” over calls he didn’t like, he admits — and playing music, too.
When Gene’s dad travelled to preach revivals, the whole family would tag along to provide the worship. Gene played bass and his younger brother played guitar to accompany their gospel singer-songwriter mother, whose stage name was Mona Faith.
After graduating from high school in 1981, Gene went on to earn his bachelor’s degree at James Madison University and, immediately following, his master’s degree at Old Dominion University. Right after that, he started teaching for Gloucester County Public Schools in Virginia.
While waiting to take his TB test at new teacher orientation, Gene couldn’t help but notice the girl standing in line beside him: Lisa Williams.
“I’m left handed. So I rolled up my right sleeve to get the tuberculosis test. She’s right handed, so she had, well . . . she had a sundress on,” he grins, then pauses. “I had my arm out. She had her arm out, and it was brown,” he says, holding out the word “brown.”
“Okay, okay,” Lisa interrupts, blushing and moving the story along.
She noticed him, too; of course, he was hard to miss, with his bright paisley print Ralph Lauren tie.
“I liked his tie. It was the ’80s, so it was the age of those, you know, very colorful ties,” she laughs.
At the orientation luncheon, they sat together. When Gene found out Lisa had graduated from Baptist university Carson-Newman, he became even more interested in her.
Gene had just moved into town, but he already knew where to go to church the next Sunday: one of the local churches where his family band had played. To his surprise, he ran into Lisa again.
“I walked into church on that Sunday morning, and there they all were: her and her cousin and all their friends,” he says. “I knew I had moved to the Promised Land at that point.”
Gene and Lisa began dating right away. One year later, they got engaged, and then they married in 1989.
FROM “PROFESSIONAL STUDENT” TO PROFESSOR
Gene’s family always loved reading and learning. That love stuck with him, and even after finishing two degrees, he wanted to go back to school. For the next several years, in fact, both Gene and Lisa continued to earn numerous degrees. Between the two of them, they hold seven.
After nine years of marriage, the couple had twins: Ethan and Emily. Around this same time, many of Gene’s friends and colleagues began recommending that he should become a university president.
“I’m the beneficiary of people who have seen things in me that I did not see in myself,” he reflects.
As an example, he says his boss at the University of Southern Mississippi pulled him aside on his last day of work. He told Gene he thought he might become a university president one day, so they needed to talk.
“It was actually a pretty scary conversation, because it’s a big job. At a Christian college, in particular, you bear the burden of making sure that the mission is not lost on your watch,” he says. “So I’ve tried to be intentional. I always want to do the job I’m doing, but prepare for whatever might come next.”
After that conversation in 1995, Gene continued to advance in the ranks of the university. On the academic level, he has served as a graduate teaching fellow, assistant professor, full professor, department chair, college dean, vice president, and executive vice president. Most recently,
he served as provost and chief academic officer at Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA).
But in some moments, he felt he couldn’t move forward. After serving as English Department chair at Mississippi College, for instance, he moved “not up but over” to the same position at Union University. Again, he later served as chief academic officer at Union then shifted to the same position at PBA.
“I felt strongly that God would guide our steps, even if the steps were sideways rather than forward. I just wanted to be in positions where I could learn something new and serve others,” he says. “God’s been faithful to provide those places, and now it feels like they have prepared me specifically for NGU.”
COMING TO NGU
Gene first heard about NGU through classmates in seminary, and since then, he’s continued running into NGU alumni throughout his career.
On his way home from a summer vacation in Asheville, N.C. in July 2016, he and his family decided to pay their first visit to the campus. Gene had heard the university was in search of a new president, but he hadn’t given the opportunity much thought.
The Fants looped around NGU’s campus, admiring the mountain views, and then stopped to fill up at the Tigerville General Store. While there, they asked a youth pastor who was on campus for FUGE what he knew about NGU.
NGU’S 8TH PRESIDENT
NAME: Dr. Gene Fant Jr.
DATE OF BIRTH: June 30, 1963
HOMETOWN: Laurel, Miss.
FAMILY MEMBERS: Wife – Lisa
Children – Ethan and Emily
DEGREES:
Doctor of Philosophy, English, University of Southern Mississippi
Certificate in Educational Management, Harvard University
Master of Education, Educational Supervision, University of Southern Mississippi
Master of Divinity, Biblical Languages, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Master of Arts, English, Old Dominion University
Bachelor of Science, Anthropology, James Madison University
FUN FANT FACTS
NGU’s eighth president reveals his favorite movie, cereal, quote to live by, and more.
HOW WOULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO SOMEONE ON AN ELEVATOR? “Hi. I’m the luckiest man alive.” My name “Gene” comes from the Latin “Eugene,” which means “lucky” or “well born.” And “Fant” means “a dude” in Finnish. I’m literally the luckiest dude ever. And I tell people that all the time; I’ve been able to do crazy things in my life.
LIKE WHAT? So, we had a church member when I was 14 who called one Saturday and said, “Hey, you want to work on a tugboat?” and I got to work on a tugboat for one day, and we launched the aircraft carrier “Eisenhower.” And I’ve stumbled into crazy jobs before where I was just . . . right place at the right time. I think it’s providence, actually.
HOBBIES? I love to read, watch movies, and go for walks and hikes.
FAVORITE MOVIE? “2001: A Space Odyssey.” My favorite movie used to be “Star Wars.” I actually bought the novel before the movie was made. It was an accident. I picked it up at a drugstore and was reading it on a family trip. So when the movie first came out, I saw it 27 times the first year.
CURRENTLY READING? I usually read about four books at a time. I try to read a biography, so currently I’m working through the biographies of the Founding Fathers and the U.S. presidents in order. I usually have a novel or a book of poetry going. Right now, I’m reading the book “Silence” by Shusaku Endo. I also usually read a theology book, so I just finished John Piper’s new book “A Peculiar Glory.” And then usually the fourth one is just fun. I just finished a book on the history of Tetris.
WHAT ARE YOU SECRETLY GOOD AT? Tetris.
FAVORITE CEREAL? I eat more cereal than you could imagine. I’m basically a giant 8-year-old. So Frosted Flakes, Cap’n Crunch Peanut Butter . . .
WILL YOU KEEP UP FRIED CHICKEN WEDNESDAY AT NGU? I would love to continue the tradition. I’m a Southern boy, and, you know, I’m all about the chicken.
SPIRIT ANIMAL? Golden retriever.
FARTHEST YOU’VE TRAVELLED? I went on a nine-day mission trip and got to teach faculty development at four different universities in eastern Ukraine.
QUOTE TO LIVE BY? I John 4:19: “We love because He first loved us.” My second favorite: “The best revenge is a life well lived.”
“He said, ‘Oh, it’s a great school. They do a wonderful job of educating students and helping them to grow in Jesus,’” Gene recalls. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s a pretty good answer.’”
Several of Gene’s friends encouraged him to apply for the position of president at NGU, which he did at the end of the summer. Gene says he and Lisa use a principle they learned from Henry Blackaby to make decisions together. They always ask two questions about an open opportunity: “Is God’s Spirit at work here?” and “Can I join in that effort?” Both felt that the answers were “yes” at NGU.
Gene could tell the Presidential Search Committee had a unity he hadn’t seen before; this was one way he knew God was working. That same unity was evident when the Board of Trustees met on Feb. 23, 2017, and, in a unanimous vote, elected Gene to become NGU’s eighth president.
At the official announcement press conference, Gene revealed that one of the most influential leadership books he’s read is “Renovate Before You Innovate” by Sergio Zyman. He foresees a period of great growth at NGU and plans to “fix any fissures or cracks in the foundation” before building on it.
He’s very clear that he would like to fortify NGU’s programs to ensure the university sends out “transformational leaders” who are able not only to share the gospel, but also to use specific trades, such as economics and medicine, to minister.
“If we produce hundreds of students each year who are engaged in the community and the local church, then we’ll have an opportunity to really impact the larger culture — not just in South Carolina and not just in the U.S., but around the world,” he says.
As Gene and his wife move to the Greenville area from their home in Jupiter, Fla., their twins will finish a gap year with Impact 360 Institute in Atlanta, Ga., a worldview and leadership education foundation Gene has worked with since 2004.
His term as president at NGU officially begins on June 1, 2017 — just in time for a special celebration of the institution’s 125th anniversary throughout the 2017-18 academic year.
“NGU family should be excited just because God’s doing something. As humans, we don’t get to know what all of that is. Sometimes we don’t even get to know what that is in our lifetimes,” says Gene. “But when we know we’re about God’s business, when we know we’re doing something as a shared community, when we know we’re meeting the needs of others and changing the way they think about themselves and even about God, that’s a pretty exciting time to be in.”
FOR 125 YEARS, CHRIST HAS MADE THE DIFFERENCE.
In Fall 2017, North Greenville University will begin a year-long celebration of its 125th anniversary. So much has changed since 1892, when Christian leaders in northern Greenville, S.C., established the school to provide a better future for their children. But this is still the same: NGU remains a firmly grounded Christian institution of learning, growth, and service.
To share your memories and become part of our 125th celebration, visit ngu.edu/125.
New Ranking
NGU Named Best Christian Graduate School in 2017
North Greenville University recently appeared in the “50 Best Christian Graduate Schools 2017” ranking published by Christian Universities Online (CUO).
NGU ranked #21 out of the 50 graduate schools that made the list, higher than all other in-state graduate schools featured: Anderson University, Bob Jones University, and Charleston Southern University.
The list highlights “intentionally Christian” graduate schools across the U.S. that excel in the categories of personal attention to their students, selectivity, availability of financial aid, and overall student satisfaction.
“The NGU graduate school provides a quality education from a theologically conservative viewpoint,” says Micheal Pardue (M.A. ’10), who earned his master’s degree through NGU’s Graduate School of Christian Ministry. “I have stud-
ied at two of the Southern Baptist Convention seminaries, and I believe the NGU graduate school is on equal footing with the quality of education provided.”
In addition to the Graduate School of Christian Ministry, NGU also offers degree programs through its Graduate Schools of Business, Education, Health Science, and Music Education.
The methodology for the CUO ranking began by collecting all members or member-eligible schools of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities that offer graduate studies, as well as data on the number of graduate degree programs offered and the average graduate student tuition and fees for a full academic year.
For more information about NGU’s graduate degree offerings, visit ngu.edu/gradschool
Be a DIFFERENCE MAKER.
“Having a degree and certification, I’ll get to teach anywhere and reach more people with music and Jesus.”
RUBY LEE (EXPECTED ’20)
New Giving Opportunity Unique Fund for NGU Students Lowers Educational Costs
North Greenville University recently introduced a new fund designed to make a quality, Christian education even more affordable for students: the Make a Difference Fund.
Gifts designated to the Make a Difference Fund benefit current NGU students who have the greatest financial need, helping to cover the costs of tuition, room and board, textbooks, and other miscellaneous educational expenses.
“The name for the Make a Difference Fund has a double meaning. By giving to the fund, our donors make a difference — a real, tangible difference — in the lives of our students,” says Celeste Hawkins (’11), content coordinator for NGU’s Marketing and Communications Office. “Then, we encourage and empower our students to use their NGU experience to make a difference in the world.”
The new fund is the largest of its kind dedicated to providing for students’ needs directly and expediently. All donations given to the Make a Difference Fund are used exclusively to meet student needs, with no deductions for overhead costs or general budget items. And, whereas gifts to an endowment can take several years to accrue interest and become usable as scholarship funds, those given to the Make a Difference Fund can provide a schol-
arship or grant for a student as soon as the next academic year.
“Mainly, [this] fund is a way to impact students now — without waiting,” says NGU’s Director of Foundation Giving and Development, Dr. Phil Gardner.
According to a 2012 study by the University of California-Los Angeles, financial assistance and overall cost are among the most important factors for students as they select which college to attend. Additionally, lack of money is one of the major reasons students decide to drop out of college, based on national research conducted by Public Agenda in 2009.
The Make a Difference Fund is yet another giving opportunity that NGU has established to provide significant financial aid in hopes of increasing university enrollment, retention rates, and, ultimately, the future success of NGU students.
Students can apply to receive aid generated by the fund through NGU’s Office of Financial Aid.
To give to the Make a Difference Fund today, use the enclosed envelope or visit ngu.edu/giving
COME BACK HOME and bring a friend
FOOTBALL GAMES
Cheer on the Crusader football team to its next victory during the 2017-18 season. Cowbells optional. (Home games listed below.)
Aug. 31
Sept. 23
Oct. 14
Nov. 4
Tusculum College
Limestone College
Florida Institute of Technology
Delta State University (Homecoming)
OPEN HOUSE EVENTS
Invite a friend you think would succeed at NGU to visit campus with you. You won’t believe how much we’ve grown!
Sept. 23
Nov. 10
ALUMNI NEWS
1972
Eddie Case has become the new city administrator of Simpsonville, S.C. Prior to this role, he worked as city administrator for neighboring Fountain Inn, S.C. He joins the Simpsonville office with over 30 years of experience in city government. Case also serves as chairman of the Neighborhood Housing Corporation of Greenville, chairman of Greenville County Redevelopment Authority, and trustee of North Greenville University.
1986
Amy Mullinax Bennett is retiring from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC). During her years with DHEC, she has worked primarily on water quality issues. Her colleagues will miss her positive outlook, good humor, and knowledge of a wide range of technical issues. Bennett looks forward to relocating from Columbia, S.C., to her new Upstate home, located just a few miles from NGU, where she was a president’s scholar. She plans to look for volunteer or part-time opportunities to utilize her environmental and water quality knowledge, while enjoying the cooler summers and mountain views. Bennett and her husband celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on Jan. 3, 2017. They look forward to spending more time together and with family and friends.
1997
Dr. Philip Clarence Blankenship completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Ala., in December 2016. Blankenship received his Bachelor of Arts from NGU and his Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He currently serves as senior pastor of Mount Tabor Baptist Church in Anderson, S.C. Philip and his wife, Mikki, live in Pendleton, S.C., with their three children.
1999
Brant Lane and his wife Mary Elizabeth Evans Lane (’01) have been accepted as members of Wycliffe Bible Translators to serve at JAARS in Waxhaw, N.C. In their new roles, Brant will work in the land transportation department, and Mary will write for the ministry’s publications. Brant and Mary have four children: Annabelle, Allison, Jonathan, and Jesse. The Lanes are excited to begin serving with this ministry, and they welcome the NGU family to stay connected by visiting wycliffe.org/partner/ brantmarylane.
2000
Erin Pruitt Wall (M.B.A. ’07) was named director of marketing at NGU on Feb. 1, 2017. In this role, she leads all of the university’s marketing efforts. Wall has held several previous positions in the university’s Office of Admissions during her 16 years of service at NGU.
2001
Christa Henderson won the award for Teacher of the Year at Spaulding Middle School in Lamar, S.C., for the 201617 school year. At Spaulding, she serves as the 8th grade English language arts and honors teacher. Christa and her husband, Daniel (See next entry.), have two beautiful daughters: Triniti and Lili.
Daniel Henderson started his new ministry with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) as Pee Dee area representative on Jan. 1, 2017; the position covers seven counties. Previously, he served as associate pastor of family life and students at Kelleytown Baptist Church in Hartsville, S.C. Other South Carolina churches where Daniel has served in his nearly two decades of youth ministry include Slater Baptist Church in Marietta, Cedar Shoals Baptist Church in Belton, and Eureka Baptist Church in Anderson.
William Adam Howard began serving as worship pastor at First Baptist Church of the Islands in Savannah, Ga., on Sept. 11, 2016.
2003
Brian Hand has been hired as the assistant athletics director for external relations at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Most recently, Hand served as the executive editor of “Spurs & Feathers,” the official publication of the University of South Carolina (USC) Gamecock Club. While at USC, he worked closely with the external communications and development offices. During his time at NGU, Hand was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and All-Region selection. He was also named to the 2001 National Christian College Athletic Association’s honorable mention All-American squad. He is currently a member of College Sports Information Directors of America and the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators.
Angel Fallon Jockers earned her Master of Arts in teaching science from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary after graduating from NGU. She is married to her best friend, David, for whom she waited 33 years. They are now blessed with identical twin boys, David and Joshua, who have just turned one. David Sr. is a natural medicine and nutrition doctor, as well as a chiropractic doctor. Angel’s primary role is raising their sons.
2004
5 6 7 8
Matt Howard has been named chairman of the City of Greenwood’s Board of Directors. He also serves as a business banker at First Citizens Bank in Greenwood, S.C. 1 2 3 4
Jennifer Elizabeth Vaughn Roddy and her husband, Michael, welcomed their second son, Archer Clellan Roddy, on Nov. 24, 2016: Thanksgiving Day.
2006
Thomas Connor has been promoted to senior manager of trade marketing for Reynolds American Inc. He was a twoyear letterman for the NGU football team.
Ryan Greene, a former account manager for Carolina Industrial Products, was recently named regional sales manager with Flux Power Holdings Inc. His new position is based in Greenville, S.C.
2007
Eric Dewyngaert attended Portfolio Center, a graduate-level art school located in Buckhead, Ga. After completing the program, he moved to New York City, where he began a career in advertising, working with clients such as American Express, Verizon Wireless, and Sony Corp. He worked for Momentum Worldwide in New York and then returned to Atlanta, Ga., to work at Ogilvy & Mather and Emerging Experiences of Razorfish. After years of agency life, he created his own boutique design firm, Dewyngaert Designs, specializing in digital design and strategy. He now works directly with clients to bring their visions to life.
2009
Daniel Bunn is serving as a legislative assistant to Sen. Mike Lee of Utah in Washington, D.C.
Matthew Huff has published a book of poetry titled “The Cardinal Turns the Corner.” Released on Jan. 20, 2017, the book is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers. Matthew is currently an English teacher at Landmark Christian School in Fairburn, Ga. He is married to Kristen Newman Huff (’06), and they have three daughters.
2010
Kaysie Westbury Drumheller and her husband, David, welcomed their first child, Madelyn Grace Drumheller, on Aug. 5, 2016. She weighed seven pounds, 11 ounces.
Heather Lang and Chip Lang (’11) welcomed a new baby, Whitaker Ambrose Lang, on Sept. 30, 2015.
Kellan Mayfield has been chosen to serve as the student minister for First Baptist Church of Gowensville in Landrum, S.C. Mayfield has worked with several ministries since graduating from NGU — most notably Compassion International, where he still serves as an event facilitator. He also owns his own business as a wedding videographer.
Bethany Settlemyer Wang moved to China after graduating from NGU to begin teaching English at a Christian-based school. While living there, Bethany began conversing with Jing Wang from Illinois on ChristianMingle. Returning to the U.S. after more than three years abroad, Bethany continued working with children at various private schools in Jacksonville, Fla. In January 2015, Bethany finally met Jing in person, and the two became engaged on Christmas Eve of the same year. On Nov. 26, 2016, they were married at Scenic Hills Baptist Church in Travelers Rest, S.C. The couple currently lives in Orange Park, Fla.
2012
Candace Mackie is a missionary with Trans World Radio, the world’s largest evangelical media organization. At NGU, she studied broadcast media.
Suyash Raiborde practices in the areas of corporate and business immigration law at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A.’s Greenville office. Originally from Mumbai, India, Raiborde received his Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law in 2016. While in law school, he worked as a legal extern at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a judicial extern for Judge Christopher McFadden with the Court of Appeals of Georgia, and as a teaching assistant for Advanced Legal Writing and Editing at Emory. His leadership roles included serving as executive administrative editor of the “Emory International Law Review” and team leader of the Emory Law School Supreme Court Advocacy Program. During his term as team leader, Raiborde and his team filed a writ of certiorari with the Supreme Court of the United States, pro bono.
2013
Ben Farist is serving as boys’ head basketball coach at River Ridge High School in Woodstock, Ga.
Ashlyn Giles Stone and Sean Stone (’12) had a baby boy, Samuel Blaise Stone, on April 1, 2016.
2014
Kortnee Lynn (Stelly) Belue and William Clint Belue III (’14) welcomed Aurora Paige Belue on Nov. 18, 2016, after 18 hours of a natural, non-medicated birth. She weighed seven pounds, 11 ounces.
Joshua “David” Malone Jr. was selected to own a Chick-fil-A in Charleston, S.C. Malone was a member of Joyful Sound for two years, and then he led Campus Band for his remaining two years at NGU.
Leah Denise Shirley is a North American Mission Board missionary to Calgary in Alberta, Canada. She spent many summers there through college, fell in love with the city and the people, and felt God calling her to full-time missions. Shirley is working with Southwinds Church at Mahogany with marketing, youth ministry, and summer camps.
Meredith Boyd is pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga.
2015
Chris Dean was inducted into the Greer High School Athletic Hall of Fame on Sept. 9, 2016. During his high school career, Dean was a three-year starter for the basketball team, as well as a three-time All-Region and two-time All-Greenville County first-team selection. As a junior, he averaged 22 points and helped his team to a state runner-up finish. His senior year, he averaged 23 points and made All-State.
Emily Drake began working as an office assistant at De Bruin Law Firm in Greenville, S.C., in fall 2016, and then she was promoted to legal assistant in February 2017. Drake also submitted a story that she wrote for one of her classes at NGU to “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” This past summer, she received the exciting news that her story would be published in the Christmas 2016 edition.
Joseph Elledge is a ticket office representative for University of South Carolina Athletics in Columbia, S.C.
Jennifer Bramel Schaaf currently teaches at Liberty Middle and High School in Cumming, Ga., as the director of strings.
2016
Bert Emerson O’Rear has been named associate pastor of church administration at Rowesville Baptist Church — located in Rowesville, S.C. — of the Orangeburg-Calhoun Baptist Association.
Brunson Brown now serves as band director at Greenwood High School in Greenwood, S.C.
Jeremy Barnette (M.Ed.) teaches strings and chorus at Blue Ridge Middle School in Greer, S.C.
Marlin Ketter (M.Ed.) is the middle school band director at Hartsville Middle School in Hartsville, S.C.
Rebecca Murchison Hughes (M.Ed.) teaches as an elementary music educator at Forest Acres Elementary School in Easley, S.C.
Sarah Deane has been nominated, due to academic achievement, to apply for the Presidential Scholars Program, a year-long class at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Deane is currently attending the Charleston School of Law, where she was elected by her peers to be the vice president of Women in Law, one of the largest organizations on campus. She also was elected to be secretary of Law Republicans, a club that is being reestablished at the school. Deane made the dean’s list for the Fall 2016 semester, and her grades earned her a spot in the top 20 percent of the Class of 2019. She works part-time at MUSC as a patient safety attendant. This experience has furthered her interest in a career in the healthcare industry.
Tyler Mitchell is serving as director of baseball operations at Presbyterian College in Laurens, S.C. He was a four-year letterman at NGU beginning in 2013, playing two seasons as an outfielder before moving to the mound for his final two seasons. He was a team captain as a senior and helped the team win a conference title and an NCAA Division II regional appearance in 2015. Currently, Mitchell is pursuing his Master of Business Administration degree from NGU.
IN MEMORIAM
JOSEPH RAY BATSON (’45) on Sept. 3, 2016
THOMAS CADE SHERWOOD (’45) on Nov. 8, 2016
OLEN TALMADGE HAMLIN (’53) on Jan. 10, 2017
FRANCIS “DOODLE” VERNON BROTHERS SR. (’55) on Jan. 11, 2017
WILLIAM “BILL” ERVIN BRADEY (’56) on Jan. 30, 2017
CALVIN COX (’58) on Oct. 5, 2016
LOUIE CARLISLE “CARL” STRICKLAND JR. (’60) on Sept. 23, 2016
DALE HOPKINS (’70) on Aug. 29, 2016
MASTER SGT. RONETTA MARIE MARTIN (’82) on Jan. 12, 2017
CHAD POOLE (’98) on Dec. 1, 2016
ROBERT “BOB” TALMADGE ROPER JR. (former professor of mathematics) on Feb. 6, 2017
DAVID TAYLOR (former professor of science) on Sept. 20, 2016
Jessika González to Jairo Yaddih Mateo Candelier (’10) on April 26, 2016
Jennifer May Chamberlin (’11) to Brian Renwick McGuffee on Oct. 16, 2016
Kali Esther Smith (’13) to John Bailey on Dec. 17, 2016
Emily Michele Greer (’14) to W. Frank Eskridge III (’13) on Aug. 6, 2016
Noelle Clower to Joey Carter (’14) on Dec. 30, 2016
Rachel Ellis Rountree (’14) to Alexander Mason Cooper on Nov. 12, 2016
Arden Maney (’15) to Walker Darnell on Dec. 17, 2016
Chastity Dawn Brown (’15) to Jeremy Lee Spears on July 23, 2016
Jennifer Nicole Bramel (’15) to Joshua Wayne Schaaf on April 22, 2016
Katie Marie Hall (’15) to Wesley Palmer Bridges (’13) on Oct. 15, 2016
Misty Marie Brockell (’16) to William Clark Beacham (’14) on Sept. 10, 2016
Emily Lawson (’17) to Chandler Dale Moats (’15) on June 25, 2016
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