Berry Magazine - Summer 2018

BERRY Summer 2018

Never a doubt

Shakarah Boswell (16C) gives father life-saving kidney

House calls

Meridith Dawson (06C) takes veterinary medicine mobile

IRONMAN

Zack Jordan (15C) heads to Hawaii for 2018 IRONMAN World Championship

VOL. 104, NO. 3 | SUMMER 2018

BERRY Features

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Retire at Berry

12 Never a doubt Shakarah Boswell (16C) gives father life-saving kidney

Levlane

The Spires offers alumni the opportunity to “come home”

8

15 House calls

18 IRONMAN Zack Jordan (15C) heads to Hawaii for 2018 IRONMAN World Championship

Brant Sanderlin

Meridith Dawson (06C) takes veterinary medicine mobile

12

33 Not just a job Melody Dreyer (18C) graduates Berry as a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta nurse

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Inside the Gate

• Tennis center ‘courts’ success • Snapshot in time: Chapel needed • Athletics: National prowess • Mr. Morrison goes to Washington: How internships are changing Berry students’ lives

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George Gill

Departments 15

Well Done!

10 President’s Essay By your word of mouth

23 News from You

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Class notes – The original social media

20 The Campaign for Opportunity • Great spaces inspire great performances: Dr. Adam Hayes on the renovation of Ford Auditorium

Brant Sanderlin

30 Thank You

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Students pass through Kilpatrick Commons while walking to and from Krannert Center and the adjacent Cage Center. Photo by Brant Sanderlin.

Cover photo by Brant Sanderlin

INSIDE THE GATE

BERRY

Major tournaments held at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College include, top, the 2017 ACC men’s and women’s championships (returning in 2020 and 2021), and, below, the 2018 International Tennis Federation Georgia Open Wheelchair Championship.

magazine

Published three times per year for alumni and friends of Berry College and its historic schools Editor Rick Woodall (93C) Contributing Writer and Editor Karilon L. Rogers Staff Writer Debbie Rasure Design and Production Shannon Biggers (81C)

News from You and Gifts Listings Justin Karch (01C, 10G), Jeff Palmer (09C, 11G) and Carrie Rigdon Contact Information News from You: submit online at berry.edu/classnotes or email classnotes@berry.edu Change of address: 706-236-2256; 800-782-0130; alumni@berry.edu; or Berry Alumni Office, P.O. Box 495018, Mount Berry, GA 30149.

Editorial: rwoodall@berry.edu; 706-378-2870; or Berry magazine, P.O. Box 490069, Mount Berry, GA 30149.

BERRY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION President: Jonathan Purser (85C) Immediate Past President: Frances Richey (83A, 87C) Vice Presidents: Alumni Engagement, Chris Hayes (04C); Berry Culture and Heritage, Dr. Jennifer Dickey (77A, 80C); Financial Support, Jason McMillan (98C); Alumni Awards, Patricia Tutterow Jackson (82C) Chaplain: Emmett Long (98C) Parliamentarian: Tim Howard (82C) Secretary: Chad Nash (13C) Director of Alumni Development Jennifer Schaknowski Vice President of Marketing and Communications Nancy Rewis Vice President of Advancement Cyndi Court President Stephen R. Briggs

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

Brant Sanderlin

Chief Photographer Brant Sanderlin

Tennis center ‘courts’ success WHEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TOM DAGLIS TALKS ABOUT THE ROME TENNIS CENTER AT BERRY COLLEGE, he paraphrases a famous line from the

movie Field of Dreams. “‘Build it, and they will come’ was really the mantra for the facility,” he stated. “And it’s happened.”

In only two years of operation, the 60-court facility built on Berry-donated property adjacent to Mount Berry Mall has become a drawing card for players and spectators from across the region and beyond. The result has been increased visibility for Rome and Berry among visitors of all ages, including prospective college students and their families.

In 2017 alone, the center welcomed 7,500 players and twice that number of spectators, parents, guests and coaches while hosting more than 30 state, regional, national and international tournaments, among them the Atlantic Coast Conference men’s and women’s championships and numerous United States Tennis Association events.

This year, the number of scheduled tournaments has jumped to more than 40, including an International Tennis Federation wheelchair event and the Georgia High School Association state tennis championships.

The volume of player and spectator traffic and the millions of dollars that have flowed into the

local economy as a result highlight the facility’s ability to “attract people and tourism dollars to Rome-Floyd County,” a goal referenced by President Steve Briggs in a 2015 Berry magazine essay highlighting the potential of the publicprivate partnership.

The Rome City Commission’s decision to add six indoor courts will further enhance that ability by opening the door to additional tournaments and augmented program­ming. Already, the ACC has announced that its men’s and women’s championships will return to Rome in 2020 and 2021.

Growing along with the center is Berry’s new certification program in Professional Tennis Management, which earlier this year received a $10,000 USTA grant earmarked for promotion and scholarship support. Housed in the kinesiology department but open to all majors, the PTM program currently has five students working toward certification by the United States Professional Tennis Association; two of those are completing final internship/work requirements this summer.

“Our advantage is we’re part of a wonderful school, we have a wonderful facility and our network for people who want careers in the industry cannot be matched,” Daglis said of the program, one of only a handful of its type nationwide.

Brant Sanderlin

Brant Sanderlin

Superb spring speakers WHAT DO A WORLD SERIESCHAMPION PITCHER, HISTORYMAKING GOVERNOR AND AWARDWINNING SPORTS WRITER HAVE IN COMMON? All were among the

student photographer Jacob Bushey

impressive lineup of speakers visiting campus during the spring semester.

First up among the trio mentioned was Collin McHugh (09c), a former Berry baseball standout drafted by the New York Mets who now pitches for the Houston Astros. McHugh, who worked two innings in Game 5 of the 2017 World Series, spent a full day on campus sharing his experiences and insights with current students, emphasizing the importance of goal setting, hard work and thankfulness. He also expressed his appreciation for his alma mater, stating, “I really do love this school.”

Close on McHugh’s heels was Christine Todd Whitman, a former New Jersey governor and an administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush, who was welcomed as the Cecil B. Wright III Integrity in Leadership lecturer. In her presentation, Whitman, who was elected New Jersey’s first female governor in 1994, spoke

Collin McHugh speaks with students.

on “Women, Leadership, Power and Politics: Overcoming Obstacles,” stressing the importance of integrity in any leadership position and characteristics such as education, perseverance, honesty and decency that contribute to it.

“To me, leadership isn’t leadership at all without integrity,” she stated. “It’s exploitation.”

In February, sports-reporting legend Bob Ryan spoke about changes in sports journalism to students in Berry’s sports communication concentration, encouraging them to stay true to their values even as times change. In addition, the longtime Boston Globe reporter and ESPN commentator took to the Viking airwaves, joining students Adekale Ande and Townsend Stewart for a livestream of a Berry basketball game against Rhodes College.

Ryan, who has covered 20 NBA finals, 20 NCAA Final Fours, nine World Series, five Super Bowls and the last seven Olympics, later tweeted, “There’s so much more fun basketball beyond D1. Saw Berry’s Caleb Johnson and Elijah Hirsh put on a show vs. Rhodes tonight.”

SNAPSHOT in time

THAT IS WHAT MR. AND MRS. HOWARD FROST OF LOS ANGELES SAW INSCRIBED ON A HUMBLE WOODEN CROSS on a sunny hillside in

the 1930s when visiting Miss Martha Berry’s schools. The Frosts were so inspired by their visit – and that simple plea – that they decided to fund the needed chapel in memory of their son, John, who had died as a child.

Berry students and staff constructed the chapel and handcrafted its oak furnishings. According to Berry Trails: An historic and contemporary guide to Berry College, the chapel was built “in record time” because the Frosts were coming for the dedication: “When they arrived three days earlier than originally expected, they found the boys working 24 hours a day sanding and finishing the pews and planting the shrubbery by floodlights.” Later, three beautiful hives rc A e stained-glass windows leg Berry Col urtesy of photos co depicting the life of Christ were donated by the Georgia Society Frost Chapel donors Daughters of the American Revolution Howard and Alice in memory of students lost in World Frost (on left) in the War II. doorway of Frost And thus one of Berry’s most Chapel with guest pastor Dr. Harry cherished structures came to be in Rimmer and Martha 1937. Many alumni marriages have Berry on the day the been consecrated beneath its high chapel was dedicated, beamed ceiling and within its thick Oct. 14, 1937. stone walls, all thanks to a wooden cross and two generous hearts.

Editor’s Note: Frost Chapel is one of the many, many Berry buildings made possible by the generosity of alumni and friends. Others include Blackstone Hall and the new Sisters Theatre, Cage Center, Cook Building, Dana Hall, Evans Hall, Ford Buildings, Green Hall, Hermann Hall, Krannert Center, McAllister Hall Science Center, Memorial Library, Morton/ Lemley, Richards Gymnasium, Rollins Center and the new Animal Science Laboratory, Valhalla, and so on, and so on, and so on.

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

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INSIDE THE GATE

Clockwise from front left, Maggie Hogsed, Haley Brown, Brooke Boyd and Sarah Pierce made history as Berry’s first NCAA qualifiers in women’s swimming and diving.

Brant Sanderlin

National prowess A NEW YEAR IN BERRY ATHLETICS BEGAN much as the old one

ended, with history-making success across multiple sports. Studentathletes competing in men’s basketball, women’s swimming and diving, and women’s indoor track and field advanced to nationals, a first for Berry in the NCAA Division III era.

Senior swimmer Haley Brown led the parade, earning recognition as a honorable-mention All-American in the 100-yard freestyle. Joining her at nationals were sophomore Sarah Pierce, freshman Maggie Hogsed and Southern Athletic Association Newcomer of the Year Brooke Boyd, all of whom qualified together as members of Berry’s record-breaking 800-yard relay team. Overseeing their success was Paul Flinchbaugh, who this spring earned his third SAA Coach of the Year Award.

While Berry swimmers displayed their prowess in the pool, sophomore Genesis Leggett added yet another chapter to her growing legacy in track and field. A year after earning SAA Field Athlete of the Year recognition as a freshman, she qualified for indoor nationals with a school-record toss of 17.09 meters in the weight throw.

“This is a great milestone for Berry and our program,” said coach Luke Syverson. “To qualify in throws as a sophomore is a strong statement of what is to come for her.”

Also making a strong statement was the men’s basketball team, which punched its ticket to nationals by rallying from an eighthplace finish in the regular season to win the SAA tournament championship. The Vikings swept three opponents in three days – including a stunning upset of top-seeded Centre on the Colonels’ home floor – to claim only the second conference championship in the history of Berry men’s basketball and the first in the NCAA. Senior Caleb Johnson, below, was named Tournament MVP and U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Player of the Week after scoring a program-best 45 points against Hendrix in the As Berry magazine prepared to conference finals. go to press in late spring, Viking athletes continued to make history with a top-10 national finish in women’s golf and an NCAA Division III regional championship in softball. Adding to that success were five individual top-10 finishes for Berry’s equestrian team at western nationals. Look for more coverage in our next issue.

The hits keep coming!

photo by Blake Childers (15C)

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

Caitlyn Barron (11C), Kathryn Pearce (06C) and Meredith Shelton (11C) at the Washington, D.C., alumni event.

D.C. alumni celebrate shared roots during National Press Club event For several years, alumni in Washington, D.C., have been doing their best to bring a little bit of their alma mater to the nation’s capital. In March, the alumni relations office brought Berry to them, hosting a special “Evening for Berry” at the National Press Club.

Alumni representing 17 different classes and nearly a half-century of Berry history turned out for the event, which built on the success of impromptu gatherings planned by Laura Lieberman (09C), an attorney and state tax law editor for Bloomberg BNA who initially sought out fellow alumni as a cure for homesickness.

“I’m usually only able to go back to Georgia to see family and friends a few times a year, so I wanted to be around other people who also share the same ‘home’ as me,” she explained.

With Lieberman leading the charge, D.C. alumni have celebrated Mountain Day from afar, connected over meals and staged their own Berry bakeoff. The March event was larger in scope, drawing an even wider circle of alumni who live and work in the area.

“We were thrilled to have Berry come to us,” Lieberman said. “It signaled that, just like we’re invested in Berry’s future, Berry is invested in keeping ties with us regardless of how far away we might be.”

BERRY PEOPLE Promotions, tenure and emeritus status Dr. Jeffrey Lidke, religion and philosophy, and Dr. Matthew Stanard, history, were promoted to professor during the February meeting of the Berry Board of Trustees, and Dr. Eliana Hirano, teacher education, was granted tenure and promoted to the rank of associate professor.

The board also granted emeritus status to the following retirees: Dr. Thomas Dasher, professor of English, rhetoric and writing; Dr. Charles Earnest, Dana professor of chemistry; and Dr. Dara V. Wakefield, Green professor of teacher education.

MR. MORRISON GOES TO WASHINGTON Starring AARON

MORRISON A STORY OF HOW INTERNSHIPS ARE CHANGING STUDENTS’ LIVES

“

by DEBBIE RASURE

Having this experience changed my JUNIOR AARON MORRISON

path. I felt like Mr. Smith in

WAS AT GROUND ZERO LAST

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

SUMMER for one of the most

AARON MORRISON

hotly debated issues in our nation’s history – health care reform. Working as a Capitol Hill intern for Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, the political science major fielded nearly 150 constituent calls a day.

“It changed the way I felt about the health care issue,” Morrison said. “Average Tennesseans were calling to share their opinions with their senator. Hearing their perspectives on the bill was emotional. I learned you’ve got to be open to hearing what your constituents have to say.”

Not a bad lesson for a young man who hopes one day to become president of the United States.

Morrison is one of a rapidly

growing number of Berry students pursuing either forcredit or non-credit internships, extending the school’s historic emphasis on learning how to work beyond the Berry campus.

The number of students earning class credit for their internships has increased 32 percent in just two years’ time, to 140 in 201718. Sue Tarpley, director of the Berry Career Center, attributes this growth to the strategic decision to lower tuition for “for-credit” internships, thus encouraging more students to take advantage of the opportunity.

“We want students to get real-world experience in their field of interest so they are better prepared, competitive, and have developed the skills and experience that will

allow them to be successful as they graduate,” Tarpley said.

“Internships are one way to do that.”

Students in majors from accounting to visual communica­ tion and everything in between are immersing themselves in such work environments as the Tennessee Aquarium, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, L.L. Bean, The Walt Disney Company, Marcus Autism Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the FBI, to name just a few.

“It’s so beneficial for them to see real-world work environments,” Tarpley said.

“They get to meet people who do the job every day and hear about their career paths. It gives them a realistic sense of what they are stepping into upon

graduation. It gives them a chance to grow their network, get a jump on their job search and make connections with people.”

Tarpley added that Berry alumni are a significant source of leads for both internships and jobs for students and new graduates. In addition, scholarships funded by alumni donors and the Berry Board of Visitors are available to assist students with living expenses when participating in unpaid opportunities.

Morrison’s internship was life changing.

“Having this experience changed my path,” he said.

“I felt like Mr. Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

It gave me a chance to learn how to navigate the business and social expectations of that environment. I’m so glad I got to do it.”

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

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WELL DONE!

Winning ways BERRY ATHLETES ARE WINNING BIG on the field, court and

Brant Sanderlin

course – and they’re “rowing” in the classroom too. Ninety-eight Vikings made the Southern Athletic Association’s fall Academic Honor Roll, which requires a minimum GPA of 3.25 for the term.

Men’s and women’s cross country each had nine team members on the honor roll, while men’s soccer had 12, women’s soccer 17 and volleyball 11. The football team struck it big, leading the conference in wins AND academic honorees for the second consecutive year – with 40 football Vikings making the honor-roll cut in fall 2017.

It all adds up WHEN SEEKING A MATHEMATICS PROFESSOR RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY as the very best of the

Leadership first

best, one could look at MIT, Williams College, the University of Michigan or even

BERRY’S MEGAN RADOSTA is the

the University of Chicago. Or you could cast your eyes toward Berry Professor of

first president of the Southern Athletic Association’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee, a conference-wide body charged with providing insight on the student-athlete experience and offering input on NCAA rules, regulations and policies that affect their lives.

The center midfielder for women’s soccer and secondteam All-SAA selection in 2017 was elected by her conference peers to serve in the position.

Mathematics Ron Taylor, a 2018 recipient of the Mathematical Association of America’s top teaching award.

Presented annually to no more than three winners, the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award hails educators “who have been widely recognized as extraordinarily successful and whose teaching effectiveness has been shown to have had influence beyond their own institutions.” Taylor, known for his success in “Inquiry-Based Learning,” is one of only four winners in the 26-year history of the award to represent the MAA’s Southeastern Section.

2016-17

BERRY Spring 2017

It’s all for you, alumni and friends BERRY MAGAZINE CONTINUES TO BE CELEBRATED

ce Justi served

gside ld ) walks alon ing wor develop ovsky (01C Lisa Slav violence in the of victims

g higher Climbin c Heileman (93C)

industry in rising drives Mar Passion for new heights to reach

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Humane healer

Shelter vet Dr. Kelly Daly Grisham (03C) works to end animal suffering

Taste of success

Jim Aaron (84C) cooks up entrepreneurial career with McDonald’s

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

as one of the best college magazines in the Southeast by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, most recently achieving Award of Excellence (second-place) recognition.

The publication has earned 15 CASE awards since its 2003 launch, including honors for writing, design and overall excellence.

student photographer Lindsey Campbell

BERRY Winter

And the national champion is …

Berry College!

Play it again, Kris FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO YEARS,

COLLEGE FORENSICS UNION

together claimed top team

honors at the 2018 Novice Nationals speech and debate tournament, and freshman Shelby Newland won the individual prize in dramatic interpretation.

In fact, the Berry team had an unprecedented 27 national finalists in the tournament for newcomers to intercollegiate speech competition, with individuals taking second place in seven categories and third in four, in addition to Newland’s win.

Word spreads

Cowabunga!

WORKING WITH COWS SEEMS TO MILK AWARD-WINNING PERFORMANCES out

CAMPUS BEAUTY. STUDENT LIFE. EDUCATIONAL VALUE. You name it, and Berry has probably been on a list about it. And the hits just keep coming.

Recently, businessbecause.com – a website connecting business students, employers, business school applicants and business schools worldwide – listed Berry among the “10 most amazing business school campuses in the world.” In fact, Berry was the only school in the United States to make the list, which included campuses from Shanghai to Paris and Berlin to Hong Kong.

On another front, Georgia Tourism and Travel ranked Berry’s Old Mill as one of the “16 Most Instagrammed Places in Georgia,” noting that the whole campus could easily make the list.

And though not a list, we were excited to see the hosts of Discovery Channel’s Road Trip Masters cruising the campus in their 1968 drop-top Cadillac during a recent show delving into the best things to see in and around Rome. Autographs anyone?

Assistant Professor of Management Dr. Manos Kalargyros and students conduct a group decisionmaking exercise on the mountain campus.

Brant Sanderlin

of Berry students like Sarra Wolfe, an animal science major who took third student photographer Jacob Bushey place in the American Forage and Grassland Council’s 2018 National Youth in Grazing Essay Contest with her entry, “Don’t Forget About the Calves,” written under the guidance of adjunct lecturer Dr. Roger Gates. Wolfe, who has worked in the Berry College Dairy and with an off-campus beef producer, joined students from Penn State and the University of Tennessee on the podium.

Meanwhile, the student workforce of the Berry College Dairy claimed victory when their combined efforts led to receipt of the 2017 Southeast Quality Milk Initiative Award for Georgia. Both milk quality and inplace systems for enhancing overall herd health and animal welfare were considered in the award selection.

FOURTEEN FIRST-YEAR SPEAKERS REPRESENTING THE BERRY

Brant Sanderlin

the contemporary music artistry of pianist Dr. Kris Carlisle, associate professor of music, has struck a chord with the judges of The American Prize in Piano Performance (solo).

In 2015, his CD, The American Evolution: Piano Sonatas, received a Special Judge’s Citation for “Championing Piano Music by American Composers.” After releasing The American Evolution: Piano Preludes in December 2017, he was awarded a second Special Judge’s Citation, this time for “Exceptional Commitment to Music by Americans.”

The American Prize recognizes the best recorded perfor­ mances by ensembles and individuals in the United States at the professional, college/university, church, community and secondary school levels.

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

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“With the Baby Boomers now reaching retirement age, Berry has looked not only at what it can offer Northwest Georgia but also alumni throughout the country – a place to come home to.”

JULIE PATRICK NUNNELLY (88C, 00G)

Allen and Julie Nunnelly

story content and architectural renderings provided by LEVLANE Brant Sanderlin

Retire at Berry

For alumni, The Spires offers a continuation of their Berry College experience WHEN JULIE PATRICK NUNNELLY (88C, 00G) FIRST HEARD OF THE SPIRES AT BERRY COLLEGE

it didn’t even have a name, but she knew it was where she would be retiring with husband Allen.

Then a member of Berry’s Alumni Council, Julie got an early glimpse of plans for the continuing care retirement community (CCRC) – now set to open in early 2020 – that will be located on 48 acres of leased Berry property within sight of Lavender Mountain.

“As a senior citizen and an alumna, I knew it was going to provide ongoing access to the campus I love,” said Julie, who holds a biology/chemistry degree and an MBA from Berry.

A recent retiree, Julie views The Spires from the twin perspectives of a long-time homeowner who has resided in Rome since 1977 and a proud member of the Berry community. The former is looking forward to 8

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

saying goodbye to yard care and home maintenance. The latter sees The Spires as an opportunity for alumni to “come back to something that’s familiar and comfortable that they love.”

Located on the shores of tranquil Eagle Lake – site of a former quarry – The Spires will be only a short distance from the redbrick buildings that make up so much of Berry’s main campus. The new community will feature 174 apartment-style and cottage homes offering a full slate of housekeeping, maintenance and leisure services, as well as a comprehensive on-site wellness center. With its close proximity to the college, The Spires will provide opportunities for residents to enjoy sporting events, fine arts performances, academic lectures and other aspects of campus life.

By providing a full complement of health care services and easy access to Rome’s medical community, the visionary project

will serve the needs of an aging population while also addressing the oft-repeated desire of many Berry alumni to have an opportunity to “retire at Berry.”

“The Spires is innovative in its approach to meeting the needs of my generation,” said Julie. “With the Baby Boomers now reaching retirement age, Berry has looked not only at what it can offer Northwest Georgia but also alumni throughout the country – a place to come home to.”

That sense of returning to a place and a community that helped shape lives, careers and families is what excites Dr. Gary Waters (80C, 89G), Berry’s community liaison for The Spires and recently retired college chief of staff, as he looks ahead to the next chapter in the school’s mission.

The Spires has been established as a totally separate legal entity from Berry College and will operate as a self-sustaining nonprofit – with profits or losses flowing to

In addition to access to Berry’s many miles of walking, hiking and biking trails, The Spires will offer gathering spaces that include a vaulted lobby where residents can relax with neighbors, a state-of-the-art fitness center and pool, and two full-service on-site restaurants.

that separate entity – but inspiration for the project reflects the best interests of Berry students, who stand to benefit from associated academic and work opportunities, as well as the valuable intergenerational mentoring relationships that are sure to spring from it.

That was the message Berry President Steve Briggs shared in a recent letter to alumni. In it, he noted that Martha Berry “understood that education of the head, heart and hands required a caring community” and that he sees her foundational message and mission growing with the addition of The Spires.

Waters echoed that sentiment, enthusing, “How cool is it that a place that shaped us remains integral to the next chapter and stage of our lives? Berry is a touchpoint that people establish, a foundation for their entire lives. With The Spires, we’re staying true to our mission. Over Berry’s history, the college has consistently done that while continually refining how it delivers a meaningful education that prepares students for the demands of the future.”

Even before the first shovel of dirt is turned to begin construction, The Spires is already serving as a conduit for building connections between current students and future residents. Working as interns at the information center in down­town Rome, Berry students have played a key role in helping to host events for those who one day will call The Spires home.

On the other end of the spectrum, Julie is looking forward to the opportunity her new residence will provide to introduce a very special group of potential future students to Berry.

“I have three grandchildren, and I know they’ll come visit and get to enjoy everything The Spires and Berry have to offer,” she explained. “It’s important to be involved, and it’s important to be part of the community – and that’s part of what I look forward to sharing with them.”

The Spires staff is currently in the process of securing deposits for the new community.

When 70 percent of all residences have been reserved, construction can begin. Ground­ breaking is anticipated later this year.

Alumni are encouraged to learn more about The Spires at RetireatBerry.com or by calling 706-368-9955. A scale model of the community can be viewed at the informa­tion center, located at 113 Broad St. in Rome.

“How cool is it that a place that shaped us remains integral to the next chapter and stage of our lives? Berry is a touchpoint that Set to open in 2020, The Spires at Berry College will offer apartmentstyle living and private cottages within view of Eagle Lake and Lavender Mountain.

people establish, a foundation for their entire lives.”

GARY WATERS (80C, 89G)

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

9

PRESIDENT’S ESSAY

I can’t emphasize it enough: A personal suggestion about a college is more effective and credible than any

message sent to a mass of people.

Dr. Stephen R. Briggs

By your word of mouth S

tudents find their way to Berry in all sorts of interesting ways. Take Preston Stewart (17C), who first visited Berry when he was 14. His mother, Michelle Tart, and her husband, Steve, brought him to campus to hear Super Bowl-winning coach and inspirational speaker Tony Dungy at the Gloria Shatto Lecture. As they wandered around campus the preceding afternoon, Stewart and a friend were tossing a football for fun when, out of the blue, up walked Coach Dungy.

The future NFL Hall of Famer talked to the boys for several minutes, threw each a pass and left them with a memory to last a lifetime. And although Berry had no football program at that time, Stewart returned in four years as a member of the college’s inaugural team. He became a three-year team captain and a first-team all-conference linebacker as well as a management major who now works for a London-based software company.

Stewart’s visit to Berry didn’t happen by chance. His family heard about the college from a friend, Wanda Riggs Mack. She didn’t attend Berry, but her mother, Sally Keown Riggs (33H, 37C), did, and her grandfather was a Berry legend. Gordon Keown (1905H) was one of Berry’s earliest graduates and later became Martha Berry’s right-hand man, negotiating many of the college’s land purchases.

Mack has long been an enthusiastic

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

champion of Berry and introduces many friends to the school. She also now serves as chair of the Board of Visitors and as an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees.

Her predecessor in these board roles, Bill Pence (76C), also has been an advocate for Berry. Ten years ago, Pence’s son and his buddies were looking at colleges. Pence thought one of his son’s friends in particular, Darren Barnet, might be a good fit for Berry and brought the two young men from Florida to visit campus.

Barnet was interested in sports and communication and attended Berry as a member of the first class of Gate of Opportunity Scholars. The new program was demanding, but Barnet graduated in 2013 with a degree in international studies.

He now lives in Los Angeles, where he has found success in the entertainment business, both as an actor in shows such as This Is Us and, most recently, as winner of Best Original Story at the New York Film Awards.

Last year, Pence brought a couple of more prospective students for a campus visit, and this August his stepson, Caleb Enright, will start at Berry as a first-year student.

As these stories demonstrate, many students first hear about Berry from family or friends. At Mountain Day this past October, I asked a group of approximately 100 first-year parents how their students learned about Berry. Although there is some overlap, their answers sorted into three primary categories.

• Almost half of the students discovered Berry through a search process, typically using the internet, but also including college fairs. Some searches focused on particular academic interests (e.g., animal science, environmental science or creative writing); others focused on particular features (campus culture, personal attention or varsity sports).

• Fifteen percent – often those located more regionally – knew Berry by general reputation or had visited campus previously (e.g., Governor’s Honors Program or WinShape camps).

•M ore than a third learned about Berry from a family member or friend.

To be honest, it is this pathway – learning about Berry from a friend or family member – that we hope to grow. Attending a private college is a major investment, even at Berry where we intentionally use our resources to make it affordable to as many as possible.

Those who know us well and embrace the value of Berry and what we have to offer in terms of experiences and opportunities are best able to steer the right students in our direction. They can ascertain fit: the type of students who will be successful at Berry, make the most of the opportunity and be great additions to our campus community.

THE MORE YOU KNOW

For the last year, we have been studying how to grow the number of students

Preston Stewart (17C), center, was pointed to Berry by family friend Wanda Riggs Mack. He is seen here at the end of his freshman football season with Wanda, left, and Will Mack.

interested in attending Berry. We are updating our market-research studies in order to remain successful in the competitive college admissions environment, and we will refresh our marketing strategy, web presence and admissions materials this fall. All of this is a necessary and ongoing endeavor.

Still, we are convinced that our most fertile prospects often come from personal referrals – recommendations from someone like you.

The influence of a direct connection should not be surprising. Prospective college students today have been inundated with advertising messages since childhood, and they rightfully ignore much of what they receive. College marketing messages, whether digital or print, seem like more of the same to this media-savvy generation.

Recommendations from a friend, however, are received differently. They are accepted as advice rather than discarded as a sales pitch. They are grounded in trust and appreciated as genuine interest. I can’t emphasize it enough: A personal suggestion about a college is more effective and credible than any message sent to a mass of people.

SIBLING SUPPORT

Multiple siblings attending Berry has been a common occurrence since the college’s earliest days. I interviewed Senior Class President Anna Walker in front of 500 guests at this spring’s scholarship dinner. She recounted falling in love with Berry when

her older sister came to campus for a visit – even before her sister had decided to attend.

Both Elizabeth (16C) and Anna (18C) are now graduates, and their brother, Ben, is a current student.

Sam Jones (16C) transferred to Berry after a year at a large state university in part because his sister, Sarah Jones (14C), was having the kind of college experience he was missing, one that combined challenging academics with deep friendships and meaningful practical experiences. Sarah is now a speech therapist and Sam a financial research analyst in the health care sector.

Their parents, Adam and Anne Jones, live in Florida and have encouraged several friends from their church to send their children to Berry.

influential recommendations come from a parent whose daughter or son is having an exceptional experience as a current student.

A comment made to a co-worker, the neighbor across the street, the high school student working a summer job in your office, or the client whose child is interested in your profession can explain the value of a Berry education in an especially compelling way.

OUR ADMISSIONS NETWORK

In coming years, it is vital that we communicate Berry’s story, purpose and value in creative ways and with a wellexecuted marketing strategy. We need to make sure that prospective students know that a place like Berry exists – a college that cares deeply about the personal and professional success of every student and CREDIBLE ADVOCATES provides a multilayered community of Berry alumni working in education have mentors in which students learn firsthand a special opportunity both from mentors to identify potential and as mentors.

Berry students. Joel Do you know a “Joey” Rogers (88C) has student who would If you know a student encouraged five recent thrive at Berry? Let students from Northeast them know, and let us who would be a perfect Georgia to attend Berry, know. Nothing is more fit for Berry, let us know and Dan Russell (11C) effective than word of today by completing the has done the same with mouth. Your word of a comparable number mouth. B online referral form: from Chattanooga, berry.edu/referastudent Tenn.

Perhaps the most

How to help

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018 11

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

Never a doubt When Shakarah Boswell’s (16C) father went into complete renal failure, he didn’t have to look far for a willing kidney donor.

by KARILON L. ROGERS | photography by BRANT SANDERLIN

O

N SEPT. 13, 2017, SHAKARAH BOSWELL SAVED HER FATHER’S LIFE. That

“

There was nothing

to think about. I had a wonderful childhood, my parents made great sacrifices, and I

”

am appreciative of all they have done.

SHAKARAH BOSWELL

morning, the petite, 5-foot-2, always smiling Berry marketing graduate entered Augusta University Medical Center excited to finally help her father escape the exhausting routine that was keeping him alive: five to eight hours of in-home dialysis every day after working an eight-hour night shift.

She was not at all afraid of the four-hour laparoscopic surgery that would leave her with only one of what is normally a pair of organs serving the critical function of cleansing her blood. The hardest part of the process for her was the long journey to be fully approved as his donor.

“Waiting to be approved was THE most stressful part,” Shakarah emphasized. “It was one lab test and then wait for results. Then the next step and the next step. It was a lot of waiting, and I was anxious because I wanted to do it.”

FATHERS AND DAUGHTERS

According to his daughter, Jerry Boswell is the kind of man everyone in their small hometown of Madison, Ga., knows.

“Anywhere he goes, to the mailbox, the store, anywhere, it’s ‘Hey Jerry!’” Shakarah said. “He is always willing to help, so people come to him. In our family, Daddy is the life of the party who has everyone laughing. He’s also involved in the church and leads Bible study for young men.”

Jerry is very close to his two daughters, staying highly involved in their lives. In fact, he’s downright protective, according to wife Stephania, and “the girls love it.”

“Daddy’s worked nights at Georgia Power for more than 30 years,” Shakarah related.

“My sister, Shaná, and I were into everything, so we always had games and practices. He stayed on night shift so he could go to our games and take us to practices.”

GOD’S PLAN

Most patients needing a kidney transplant languish on the donor registry an average of three to five years, and according to the National Kidney Foundation, 12 die each and every day hoping. But when Jerry’s kidneys seemed to give out a few years ago after more than 20 years of failing bit by bit, both of his daughters and a woman from his church went for testing with startling results.

“Three people were tested, and all were matches,” Stephania said. “That was all God.” An uptick in Jerry’s kidney function put the process on hold for about two years until the organs finally ceased to work. He was put on daily home dialysis, and the process for selecting a donor heated up, with the sisters taking charge. Ultimately, Shakarah told her older sister that she wanted to be the donor if further testing supported that outcome. Shaná became the back-up plan.

“My parents kept asking if I was sure I wanted to do it,” Shakarah recalled, “and Daddy was concerned about my health going forward, although he was super thankful. But to me, it was no big decision. One of my closest friends was born with one kidney, and she did everything I did. So, I knew I could live the same quality of life. There was nothing to think about. I had a wonderful childhood, my parents made great sacrifices, and I am appreciative of all they have done.

Shaná would have done the same.”

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

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EASIER THAN EXPECTED

Once Shakarah was approved after months of testing, the Boswells found the transplant process to be “smooth sailing.”

Father and daughter were prepped simultaneously for surgery with their family at their sides. The hardest part for Shakarah was not being able to see her father immediately after surgery because both were confined to bed. Two days later, however, she was released from the hospital.

Emphasizing that her mother was the “ultimate caregiver,” Shakarah described her post-surgery recovery as “two or three weeks of discomfort rather than pain,” even though she was readmitted for a few days due to an infection.

“I was sore but didn’t need a lot of medications,” she said. “Daddy’s recovery was harder because his immune system had been suppressed. He was on a lot of medicines, something like 40 pills a day for a while, and couldn’t be around groups of people for three months. He couldn’t even go to church.”

Jerry, amazingly, found the surgery to be a breeze, insisting he had no pain.

“After surgery, the nurses thought I should have been using my morphine pump, but I never did hurt,” he related.

Jerry’s new kidney, though described by doctors as very small like his daughter, is working well, and the family is thrilled.

“We were already close,” Shakarah said.

“And after this, we are aware of how close we really are. Our appreciation for each

“ ” Our appreciation for

each other grew to another level.

SHAKARAH BOSWELL

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other grew to another level. It was a big family effort, with all playing a role.”

SOFTBALL SUPPORT

Shakarah is known far and wide for her never-ending smile, positive attitude and willingness to work hard, both for herself and others. Her Facebook page carries a quote from Phyllis Diller that fits her to a “T”: “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.”

“It’s a reflection of who I am,” she explained. “People will say I am always smiling, and I want to keep a positive attitude. If you stay positive, any situation will get better.”

It should come as no surprise, then, that Shakarah’s Berry experience was highly positive and she made the most of it.

“I loved it,” she declared about her four years as an undergraduate. “I loved that I could work on campus and that my jobs went along with my major for the most part.”

Softball, however, was where she found her home and came into her own.

“The highlight of my Berry experience was the softball team,” she said. “It prepared me a lot for real life. Before Berry, I always was a starter and did well. At Berry, I didn’t get as much playing time, but I kept trying and working. It bothered me. But by my junior year, I realized what my strengths were, and I used them to help the team. My role was more as a leader. I learned a lot about myself.”

Head Coach Cori Thiermann could not agree more about “Shak,” as teammates called Shakarah.

“We talk about her all the time,” she said.

“You always hope for a few people like Shak on your team. She’s the one who does every single thing right, everything you ask of her but still doesn’t get what she wants in terms of playing time. But being a starter is only one very miniscule part of what a team is. Her role turned out to be to make her teammates better by her example, enthusiasm and hard work; it was a leadership role, and she grabbed it. Every day, she was happy, smiling

and working her tail off. She definitely improved our program. It’s no surprise that she would step up to give a kidney.”

The softball team had “Shak’s” back when she needed help with living expenses during the transplant surgery process.

“I worked on commission, so if I didn’t work, I didn’t get paid, and they told me to expect to be out of work six to eight weeks,” Shakarah explained, marveling that a “Go Fund Me” page set up by softball friend Sarah Moore (17C) exceeded its $4,000 goal in generous fashion ($4,615) with great support from softball team members and their parents, Berry faculty and staff, and members of her Madison and Rome church communities.

And of course, she was back to work early, five weeks out from surgery. Shakarah was employed by Bankers Life and Casualty in Atlanta at the time, but she’s a small-town girl at heart and has since moved back to Rome. She is working short-term in customer service for a call center with the goal of attending Berry again – this time for her MBA. “You know the saying, ‘If I could do it again, I would.’?” she asked. “Well, I probably will!”

WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND

Shakarah likes to share her family’s story because she wants people to know about the benefits of living donors. Experts are in agreement that those who receive a kidney from a living donor survive longer on average and their transplanted organs tend to start to work quicker, eliminating the need for post-surgery dialysis. Research also shows that living donors’ lives are not cut short by their generosity.

“If someone has a family member or friend with kidney disease,” Shakarah emphasized, “know that kidney donation is not a big deal. It is a few weeks of discomfort for something so important.”

Shakarah now takes joy in simple things with her father – things that he was too weak to do prior to the transplant. And she is happy that she was able to repay the sacrifices of her parents by mirroring their own qualities.

“It was the way my parents raised me – to be the type of person who wants to help others,” she said about giving her father the gift of life. “My parents put my sister and me before themselves. Selflessness is how we were raised.” B

Housecalls V

eterinarian Meridith Dawson (06C) and technician Teri Quesenberry stood watchfully to the side as Rufus, a 150-pound wolf/dog hybrid (above) that

looked to be a whole lot more wolf than dog, sniffed warily around the mobile veterinary clinic, repelling every friendly overture with a snarl. Their mission? To inject the beast with a sedating agent so he could be examined.

For 20 long minutes, the two women weighed possible options and the correlating probabilities of success.

Sedation was their only viable option based on his behavior, and they knew they would have just one chance.

Finally, a plan was determined.

“We threw a treat into the cab area of the truck, which has a partition,” Dawson related. “When the ‘dog’ went after it, we quickly closed the partition on his midsection and stuck the needle in his rear. After all that – 20 minutes of deliberating – he didn’t seem to mind a bit. He was totally unfazed. And he was sweet after all his shenanigans to start with. But I still wouldn’t trust him …”

Such is a day in the life of Dawson, a

Berry animal science graduate and Ohio State Universitytrained veterinarian, who struck out on her own in 2015 to launch Blue Door Veterinary Services, a 100-percent mobile veterinary practice in Portland, Ore. GOING MOBILE

Dawson’s practice is housed in a 26-foot-long truck that is 10 feet wide and 12½ feet tall. Inside is approximately 200 square feet of clinic space, including a 50-square-foot surgical suite at the far end. She is able to provide a full range of preventative, illness and end-of-life care at clients’ doorsteps, including surgery, x-rays and lab tests.

by KARILON L. ROGERS photography by GEORGE GILL

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

15

I learn a lot when I get to go into the homes and see the environment in which the animal lives. It helps greatly in terms of diagnosis.

MERIDITH DAWSON

Many of her patients’ owners are elderly individuals who aren’t able to bring their pets to a regular clinic; others are people without cars – a large population in Portland due to the availability of public transpor­ tation. She also treats animals with anxieties and fears – often of other animals or simply of going to the vet – and those with aggressive tendencies like, well, Rufus.

“What can happen when a dog or cat goes to the vet is that they get wound up on the ride there, and it gets worse in the waiting room,” Dawson explained. “By the time they get in to see the vet, the animal is very stressed and may not be manageable. We can eliminate some of the anxiety and fear by treating the animal in its own home, which also allows us a few more minutes of patience to get treatments accomplished. Teri and I are ‘Fear Free’ certified so we try to keep things as low stress as possible for all of our patients, but for some, we still have to use sedatives.”

Dawson has made house calls for bunnies, bearded dragons, birds, and various and sundry other exotic and pocket pets, but she primarily sees dogs and cats with a few goats and backyard chickens – “big to have in Oregon” – mixed in.

“The biggest advantage to a mobile clinic is the relationships we can develop with the pets and their owners,” she said. “In most veterinary practices, your appointment time with the vet is less than 15 minutes. My appointments run 60 to 90 minutes. I learn a lot when I get to go into the homes and see the environment in which the animal lives. It helps greatly in terms of diagnosis. For example, we have a lot of cases of animal toxicity in Oregon because of marijuana.

Even though it’s legal, people don’t want to admit to using it around their pets, but when we go into the house, sometimes we can smell it, making diagnosis that much easier.”

Sometimes going into the home can lead to a happy ending that otherwise might not have occurred.

“I was called to see a cat in kidney failure,” Dawson recalled. “When I went into the owner’s house, I saw a vase of lilies on

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

the kitchen table. Lilies cause kidney failure in cats. I would never have known the reason for the issue had I not walked into the kitchen and seen those flowers.”

For critically ill patients, Dawson also offers what can be a life-saving service.

“If we go there, and the pet is really sick and needs the ICU or advanced care we cannot provide, we will drive it to an emergency facility,” she said. “And we are able to offer IV fluid therapy and respiratory support as needed until we get there.”

One of the most difficult parts of her job – any veterinarian’s job – is euthanasia, but at the very least, providing the service on site is easier for the pet and its family, if not for the vet.

NO RISK, NO REWARD

Dawson made the decision to launch a mobile clinic after becoming disillusioned with work in corporate veterinary medicine in both Florida and Oregon. Still, she used those experiences to get to know the ins and outs of veterinary practice, soaking up everything like a sponge.

“I always knew I wanted to make my own rules, and in veterinary medicine the only

way to do that is to go out on your own,” she said.

The idea to “go mobile” started to form during her internship at a Florida mixedanimal clinic.

“Occasionally when out seeing horses, we would tend to dogs and cats of the horse owners,” she related. “It was amazing how appreciative the owners were. They seemed to appreciate us taking care of the dogs and cats on site even more than the horses.”

That insight, coupled with her desire for a better work/life balance and the knowledge that there were companies willing to build mobile vet clinics in just about any desired configuration, led her to consider starting her own mobile practice.

“I thought to myself, ‘If I do this, who would I want to work with me?’” Dawson said. “I thought immediately of Teri.”

Quesenberry, a colleague during Dawson’s time in Florida, jumped at the opportunity and moved to Portland with her husband and family within months.

“I was excited about the opportunity to be a part of something new and being able to continue working with Meridith,” Quesenberry explained.

The startup was not without risk for all parties involved. Dawson took out a sizeable loan to purchase the “truck” but considers her path to be an economical way forward for a veterinarian wanting to go out on his or her own.

“The average startup cost for a brick-andmortar facility is $1 million,” she explained.

“Mine was one quarter of that. And having just two employees – Teri and me – helped.”

SHE GOT TO DO WHAT?!

Dawson was born in Florida, where her passion for animals of all types – including horses – was ignited. She can remember 33 named pets over her lifetime, not counting any number of nameless chickens and litters of kittens, as well as kittens fostered from the humane society. But it wasn’t until her family relocated to central Ohio when she was 14 that she got her own horse. And that was pretty much it. She was hooked.

Dawson came to Berry because it was a school in the South where she could escape the cold, study animal science, take her horse and ride with the equestrian team. Her mom had seen an ad for the college in a magazine depicting one girl on a horse and another playing flute. Dawson did both, so the family visited.

“As soon as we drove on campus, it felt like home,” Dawson remembered.

Dawson competed successfully for the equestrian team, placing third in the western horsemanship class at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championships. She also held numerous

jobs both on and off campus to build her preveterinary school resume and “pay for my horse habit,” valuing every bit of learning.

“I can remember regaling my family at Thanksgiving as a freshman about how I got to palpate a cow in my first semester, which wasn’t such good dinner conversation because it involves sticking your arm up its butt all the way to your shoulder. But who gets to do that in their first semester? The faculty put so much emphasis on hands-on learning.”

After graduating from Berry, Dawson got additional experience in a veterinary clinic in Ohio before heading to Ohio State. Then, as a new vet, she had the “romantic notion” to move back to Florida where she had spent her earliest years, or to Oregon where she had family and relished the possibilities for outdoor recreation. She ended up in Florida, and although the dream melted in the state’s heat and humidity, romance did not.

She met future husband George Gill in a local tavern while an intern, giving him her business card if not a great deal of serious attention. The next thing she knew he brought his cat into the clinic as a patient.

“My cat is fat; what do I do?” was his admittedly lame question for the young Dr. Dawson.

The couple today lives in Portland with

I can remember regaling my family at Thanksgiving as a [Berry] freshman about how I got to palpate a cow in my first semester, which wasn’t such good dinner conversation because it involves sticking your arm up its butt all the way to your shoulder. But who gets to do that in their first semester?

MERIDITH DAWSON

four dogs, two cats and two horses, including the now 24-year-old mare that accompanied Dawson to Berry. They love to travel internationally and recently visited the Antarctic and New Zealand. Gill, a former professional photographer, is now a private jet pilot.

BLUE DOOR DEVELOPMENTS

Veterinarian Meridith Dawson (left) and technician Teri Quesenberry provide care in Dawson’s mobile clinic. Above: Dawson makes a house call.

Dawson has plans. Big plans. She recently added another veterinarian two days a week, freeing her up to handle the administrative end of the business, and she is looking to expand into the weekend. Next up is a second truck and, perhaps, further expansion of services.

“We might morph someday to include a pet taxi to take owners and pets where they need to go,” she said. “I’m always thinking about what I can move under the Blue Door umbrella.”

Whether Blue Door ends up with 100 trucks throughout the Northwest or remains a one-clinic operation, Dawson is gratified to have done everything she can “to start a business that will survive me.”

“I’m proud that clients can turn to me and get the attention they and their pets need,” she concluded. “So many of the pets we see wouldn’t get care otherwise.” B BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

by KARILON L. ROGERS

IRONMAN Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!*

I

N HIS FIRST ATTEMPT AT ONE OF THE MOST PHYSICALLY DEMANDING SINGLE-DAY

SPORTING EVENTS IN THE WORLD – a grueling

140.6-mile combination of swimming, cycling and running – Zack Jordan (15C) earned the coveted title of IRONMAN and qualified for the 2018 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona on the “Big Island” of Hawaii.

A distance runner at heart, Jordan won the 18-24 age group of the international 2017 IRONMAN Arizona in spectacular fashion to claim a spot in the world championship, beating the second-place finisher in his age group by nearly an hour and coming in 8th among all amateurs and 27th overall in a field that included 47 professionals. His time of 9 hours, 8 minutes and 50 seconds was impres­ sive for just about anyone, but particularly for a first-timer who had participated in only two half-IRONMAN events before making the leap to the big-time.

Jordan, however, said he has “always been training for something,” whether it was a high school cross-country meet, a spirited half-mile sprint up the House o’ Dreams’ “Hill of Death” with his Berry cross-country teammates, or a post-graduation marathon or triathlon.

“Zack has an uncommon work ethic,” said Paul Deaton (91C), Berry’s cross country head coach. “He loves to push the limits of endurance. It is no great surprise to see Zack continue to amaze us with his latest performances.”

This penchant for hard work will be put to good use as Jordan – currently a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in applied statistics at Kennesaw State University – prepares for the October championship that starts and ends in Hawaii’s historic town of Kailua-Kona. There, he will swim 2.4 miles in the open ocean, battle a blazing sun and dreaded “ho’omumuku” crosswinds as he bikes 112 miles across scorching-hot black lava fields, and finish with a hot and hilly 26.2-mile run.

His world championship goal?

“Do the best I can,” he said. “Time goals aren’t really feasible in IRONMAN races since the courses are all so different, and you never know how the weather’s going

to be. If I could place in the top 20, I think that would be really good, especially out of approximately 100 guys in the 25-29 age group. I would like to try to break 3 hours in the marathon, but as hilly and hot as Kona is, I don’t know how feasible that is.”

For Kona, he is working most on cycling, even though he won his age group in both the cycling and running portions of IRONMAN Arizona.

“I’m already strong in the run, and I’m never going to be a great swimmer, so the bike is where I can improve the most,” he said.

Jordan’s peak weekly IRONMAN training routine includes swimming 12,000 to 14,000 yards, cycling 150 to 200 miles, and running 55 to 75 miles.

“It’s usually between 18 and 22 hours a week of training between all three events,” he said, explaining that while other types of workouts can be helpful if one is careful, he focuses only on swimming, biking and running. “Being able to squat 400 pounds won’t make you any faster on the bike.”

IRONMAN training is tough, but at least it means never having to count one’s calories.

“For what it’s worth, my watch claimed I was burning about 4,500 to 5,500 calories a day during peak training season for Arizona,” Jordan said, “but I think it overestimates a little bit. I eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches – and bagels with peanut butter for breakfast. OK, a lot of peanut butter ...”

THE BERRY EFFECT

Jordan’s parents, Scott (88C) and Janet Payne (88C) Jordan of Ball Ground, Ga., gave their son many opportunities to spend time on Berry’s expansive campus as he grew up, and he quickly became hooked.

He didn’t think long about other schools and came to Berry with plans to run. The decision was a good one, as time spent with teammates became one of the most important parts of his Berry experience.

“College was the first time I was on a team that met every day and did things outside of practice together,” explained Jordan, an environmental science and

mathematics graduate who was homeschooled in high school. “I really think the best description is that we were like a family.”

The cross-country runners ate breakfast and dinner together after practices, and many roomed with fellow team members. A group also attended weekly Bible studies in Deaton’s home. It was a dynamic that made Jordan a more accomplished runner.

“It’s a lot different and better running workouts with a team because you’ve got people around you to push you – people your same talent level to run with and encourage each other. And you had a healthy mix of competition, trying to best each other in workouts and helping each other out, running workouts together so both people ended up running faster than they could have alone.”

Jordan helped the Vikings to back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Southern Athletic Association Cross Country Championships in 2013 and 2014. He was captain his senior year and was selected as the team’s most valuable runner. He also made the SAA’s Honor Roll for student-athletes three times.

THE CHALLENGE IS ON

IRONMAN Kona will definitely be Jordan’s greatest athletic test to date, but he is more than ready to tackle it.

“The key difference between Kona and other IRONMANs is that Kona is hot and humid,” he stated. “I’ve heard from other racers that the peanut butter sandwiches you store in your back pockets to eat on the bike rides are basically peanut butter toast sandwiches by the time you eat them on the bike.”

He fears not, however, and is ready to seize the opportunity before him.

“It’s a really big accomplishment to qualify for Kona,” he said. “Most athletes spend their entire careers trying to qualify, so just going is a big deal. It’s a hard race in Hawaii against the best in the world.

I’m very excited. I like a challenge.” * IRONMAN motto since 1978 inaugural race.

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

19

Campaign Priorities Expand opportunities for students to invest in their own success Develop leaders and entrepreneurs with character and compassion Create places and spaces that spur student achievement Meet current needs and fund future opportunities

GREAT SPACES INSPIRE GREAT PERFORMANCES

T

he arts have found many champions among Berry alumni and friends as a priority of LifeReady: The Berry College Campaign for Opportunity.

Already, campaign gifts have ushered in a new era for the dramatic arts on campus by funding the construction of Sisters Theatre and the renovation of Blackstone Hall.

Now the $5.3 million renovation and restoration of Ford Auditorium takes center stage with commitments exceeding $1 million. Here, talented trumpeter Dr. Adam Hayes, associate professor and chair of the college’s fine arts program, provides a personal perspective on the need to complete fund­ raising for a first-class venue that will serve the needs of all musicians at Berry.

photo by BRANT SANDERLIN

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

Dr. Adam Hayes

on the renovation of Ford Auditorium Q: Why is it important that the renovation of Ford Auditorium be funded and completed?

A: Berry College has a thriving music program with talented faculty and students. We offer instruction for strings, piano, guitar, woodwinds, brass and percussion, with distinguished artist faculty for each area. We have 17 ensembles from large to small, including the Berry College Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Berry Singers, jazz ensembles, concert choirs and several chamber music ensembles.

On average, 10 percent of the student population participates in music-making on our campus. They deserve both an aesthetically pleasing and acoustically vibrant performance space.

Q: What challenges does Ford Auditorium currently present for musicians and audience members?

A: Currently, our choirs, guitarists and some small ensembles choose to perform in the Berry College Chapel or Frost Chapel because the auditorium’s acoustics do not sonically support the extreme range of loud and soft passages featured in some performances. In addition, the current stage is too small for our large instrumental ensembles, which often limits our programming potential.

As for the audience experience, the renovation will provide much-needed upgrades to lighting, sound reinforcement and climate control. The lobby and bathrooms are also included in the renovation, as well as backstage spaces and the greenroom for performers.

Q: What excites you most about the renovation plan?

A: In my current role, I wear several hats.

As an educator, I am excited for our current and future students to have a world-class hall in which to rehearse and perform. As coordinator of fine arts programming for the college, I am excited about having a renovated performance space for our three concert series and student ensemble perfor­mances, which, combined, total more than 40 concerts annually. As a recruiter, I am excited about showing prospective students why Berry is a special place for music-making.

Lastly, as a performing artist, having an acoustically pleasing home to perform and record in would open up many possibilities for professional activity.

Q: After the renovation, will Ford Auditorium still be recognizable to those who know and love it as a symbol of Berry’s rich history?

A: The building’s exterior will not be altered. The “bones” of the building will remain. The planned renovations are to the interior. The new designs smartly incorporate much of the historic internal detailing, so it will remain uniquely Ford.

Q: How will the “new” Ford Auditorium compare to recital halls at other colleges in the state and elsewhere?

A: The Ford Auditorium renovation plans are very well designed, and acoustical engineers have been part of the process.

Aesthetically and acoustically, we anticipate the “new” auditorium to be first-rate and comparable to the finest halls of its size in the region.

Project at a glance The renovation plan for Ford Auditorium includes: • Enlarged stage • 366 seats in arched configuration • Redesigned balcony • High-performance acoustics • Digital lighting and sound systems • Climate-controlled instrument storage • Renovated foyer/lobby • Restoration of historical architectural elements

Q: How will the renovation impact Berry’s ability to draw top-quality prospective music students?

A: The need to stay up-to-date with all of our facilities is paramount if we hope to continue to attract top-quality students.

Much like with athletics, recruiting for collegiate musical talent is very competi­tive. Colleges in the region are all recruiting from the same pool of students, and many of our rival schools around the Southeast have state-of-theart facilities. This certainly impacts the decision-making. Berry is widely known for having a beautiful campus. We need our facilities to match that perception.

Editor’s Note: Visit berry.edu/ fordauditorium for more information and project updates. Commitments can be made online at berry.edu/gift. Call Scott Breithaupt (91C, 96G) at 706-238-5897 to learn about naming opportunities.

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

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Helping students become LifeReady THESE GENEROUS ALUMNI AND FRIENDS made LifeReady Campaign gifts, pledges, bequests and estate commitments of $10,000 or more from Nov. 1, 2017, to Feb. 28, 2018.

We are grateful for their support and for all who make a gift of any size to Berry. It is our privilege to recognize all donors annually in the online Berry College Honor Roll of Donors (berry.edu/honorroll).

Clinton G. Ames Jr., $20,000 for the Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Program Anonymous, $150,000 for the general fund Anonymous, $20,000 for the general fund ARAMARK Corp., $36,713 for the general fund Katherine Young Armitage (58c), $131,000, with $100,000 supporting the renovation of Ford Auditorium and $31,000 going to the Lawrence E. McAllister Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship in memory of Jack A. Jones (57C) Vaughn and Nancy Bryson, $10,000 for the John R. and Margaret Weaver Faison Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Callaway Foundation, $16,272 to support the F.E. Callaway Professorship Chick-fil-A Foundation, $25,000 for the Truett and Jeannette Cathy Expendable Scholarship Virginia Allen Cornelison (53C), $15,000 for the Rembert and Virginia Cornelison Endowed Scholarship Larry W. (69C) and Nadine NeSmith (71c) Covington, $10,170 for the Class of 1969C Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Ouida Word Dickey (50C, FFS), $10,000, with $5,000 going to the Angela R. Dickey Endowed Scholarship and $5,000 to the Jennifer W. Dickey Endowed Scholarship William H. Ellsworth Foundation, $10,000 for the renovation of Ford Auditorium Elster Foundation, $12,500 for the renovation of Ford Auditorium William R. Gaines Jr. (93C), $10,000 for the William R. Gaines Sr. Endowed Scholarship

22

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

Georgia Independent College Association, $29,143 for the general fund Georgia Power Co. – Atlanta, $10,000 for the Georgia Power Endowed Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellowship Georgia Power Foundation, $10,000 for the Berry entrepreneurship center Walter Gill (63C), $30,000 addition to the Lyn Gresham Endowed Scholarship Darrell E. (81c) and Sharon A. Gunby, $21,500 to support the Gunby Equine Center Ronda Mills Head (96C), $25,000 for the Ronda Mills Head Study Abroad Scholarship for the Campbell School of Business Dale Jones (71C), $13,000, with $12,000 going to the Dale Jones Expendable Gate of Opportunity Scholarship and $1,000 to the Dale Jones Expendable Scholarship Dwight Kinzer (FFS), $14,402 in-kind gift of equipment for the chemistry department Peter and Tamara Musser, $22,000, with $17,000 going to the Musser Expendable Scholarship and $5,000 to the Bettyann O’Neill Innovation Fund Joe (65C) and Nelda Parrish (64C) Ragsdale, $10,000 for the Class of 1965C Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Kenton J. Sicchitano and Bettyann M. O’Neill (FFS), $10,000 for the Bettyann O’Neill Innovation Fund Michelle and Steve Tart, $25,000 for the Football Booster Club The Nature Conservancy, $10,000 for the Longleaf Pine Forest Fund Rachel Amanda Tidwell (93C), $10,477, with $10,000 supporting the renovation of Ford Auditorium and $477 for The Trey Tidwell Experience: A Scholarship for Musical Discovery. This gift was matched by the Microsoft Corp.

Gene Wallace (51C), $12,217 for the Class of 1951C Memorial Endowed Scholarship Joe and Marti Berry Walstad, $10,000 for the general fund

Steve (80C) and Cindy Snead (80C) Wherry, $25,000 for the Steve and Cindy Wherry Endowed Accounting Scholarship WinShape Foundation, $285,100, with $12,000 for the Capitulum Scholarship, $5,000 for the Truett and Jeannette Cathy Expendable Scholarship, $10,500 for the WinShape Appeals Fund, and $257,600 for the WinShape Scholarship Mary Johnson Wooton, $10,000 for the Bobby Patrick Endowed Scholarship

Bequests The estate of Eugene B. Worrell, $719,315 unrestricted bequest

Priorities remaining ■ New animal science building ■ Renovation of Ford Auditorium ■ Entrepreneurship ■ Berry Center for Integrity in Leadership Always needed ■ Need and work-based scholarships ■ Crowdfunding and other annual gifts ■ Estate gifts For more information, visit berry.edu/lifeready.

Thank you!

News from you CLASS NOTES – THE ORIGINAL SOCIAL MEDIA

the loss of a loved one. Joe also is a cartoonist and author of Help! I’m a Deacon! His comics have been featured in Christian publications for more than 50 years and can be seen online at bpnews.net.

CLASS YEARS are followed by a letter that indicates Berry

status. Uppercase letters denote graduates; lowercase letters denote attended/attending and anticipated year of graduation.

C,c College G,g Graduate school A,a Academy H,h High school FS Faculty/Staff FFS Former Faculty/Staff

1970s

Bob and Janice Kayler Bob Kayler (59H), a retired Navy captain, recently celebrated his 51st wedding anniversary with wife Janice. The couple resides in San Diego.

Brian Griffith (75C) is “living the dream” on his own “little homestead” across the street from the Withlacoochee River in Dunnellon, Fla., where he tends to his garden, takes care of his chickens and dog, and enjoys spending time with his wife of nearly 40 years.

1960s

Lowell Loadholtz (60C) has been inducted into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame. During his career, the retired extension director for Brevard County and past president of the Florida Association of County Agricultural Agents authored more than 1,500 agricultural publications, hosted a daily radio program related to farm and home life, and attained the rank of full professor at the University of Florida.

Bill Burch (79C) has been appointed senior pastor at Northside United Methodist Church in Atlanta. He resides in the city with wife Tracy, a third-grade teacher at Morris Brandon Elementary School.

The couple has two adult children and one grandchild.

Debbie Gainey Herbert

Joe and Bertha McKeever Joe McKeever (62c) married Bertha Fagan on Jan. 11, 2017. Both widowed after 52 years of marriage, they co-authored Grief Recovery 101 to help people dealing with

online at berry.edu/classnotes or email to classnotes@berry.edu.

Photos of sufficient quality will be used at the discretion of the magazine staff. News in this issue was received Nov. 1, 2017 – Feb. 28, 2018.

1980s

Bill Burch

Lowell Loadholtz

SUBMIT YOUR PERSONAL NEWS, which is subject to editing,

Debbie Gainey Herbert (79C) made the Publisher’s Weekly bestseller list at No. 25 for her book, Appalachian Prey, published

by Harlequin/HarperCollins. She recently signed a two-book deal with Amazon’s suspense line, Thomas & Mercer. Gifting of Crows, the first book in the psychological suspense series, is slated for release in summer 2019.

Vincent Galan, M.D. (80C) has been named president of the Georgia Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. He recently opened his fourth surgery center in Atlanta.

Greg Hanthorn (82C) made Thomson Reuters’ 2018 Georgia Super Lawyers list in the area of business litigation. He is part of the business and tort reform practice in the Atlanta office of the international law firm Jones Day. Billy Grant (84c) has been elected to another four-year term on the city council in Canton, Ga., serving as mayor pro tem.

Bhakta family Dipak Bhakta (86C) is the new chief financial officer for California’s Merced Irrigation District. He brings more than 30 years of finance experience to the role, most recently serving as vice president of finance for The Save Mart Companies. A Berry double major in business and accounting, he also holds a master’s degree in finance from Georgia State University and is a CPA. Dipak lives in Newman, Calif., with his wife and two children.

Robin Sumners White (89C) has earned the Women in American History Award from the Emily Geiger Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

1990s Jeffrey W. Cavender (90C) was sworn in as a new judge for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia on March 2, 2018. He was appointed by the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit to serve a 14-year term.

David Jordan (92C) is a topproducing real estate agent with Keller Williams in the Nashville/ Murfreesboro market.

Matt Gunnin

1950s

Rebecca Keith and Jim True Rebecca Keith (92C) married Jim True at the First United Church of Bloomington, Ind., on Sept. 30, 2017. Her father, W. Andrew Keith, and 10-year-old son, Donovan, walked her down the aisle. Rebecca is director of talent management for the Indiana University Alumni Association; Jim is a system engineer for IU’s university information technology services.

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

23

NEWS FROM YOU

Master of the Masters Signed AJC print of Tiger Woods checking his ball placement under Charles Gibbs’ chair at the 1997 Masters. Gibbs has been a familiar face at the Masters for a half-century.

by KARILON L. ROGERS IF BERRY RAN A CONTEST FOR THE ALUM WITH THE MOST VISITS TO AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB for the Masters Tournament, Charles Gibbs

(61C) of Macon, Ga., surely would win hands down. And Sarah Harris Gibbs (62C), Charles’ wife, just might place second.

Charles has walked the plush-velvet green grounds of Augusta National for the biggest game in golf every April (except one) since 1966, so when he attended the 2018 Masters, it was his 51st trip. Sarah has been less fanatical, attending off and on, but that is not surprising considering the couple shares their two tickets – among the most coveted in sports – with two daughters and 10 grandchildren.

This year, Charles and Sarah sat greenside on the par-5 second hole – his preferred position on the course for more than four decades – on Thursday of the big event.

“We can see the drive, the second shot and the third shot,” Charles explained. “We see all the players come through, and we get to see a lot of golf on just one hole. After everyone has come through, we head to Amen Corner.”

His location of choice allowed him to see Louis Oosthuizen hole his second shot for a double eagle in 2012, the rarest shot in golf. In 1997, it enabled him to become part of the event when Tiger Woods overshot the 2nd green on the way to his first Masters win. Woods’ ball rolled between Sarah’s legs and stopped on Charles’

umbrella. A photo of the situation appeared the next day in the Atlanta JournalConstitution.

Charles has a copy of the photo, which Woods signed at a later Masters.

It was not golf that brought Charles and Sarah together. They were neighborhood sweethearts as children who went to high school and college together. She earned a degree in home economics at Berry and worked 25 years in the library for the Bibb County (Ga.) School District after first teaching for five years and earning a master’s degree. His degree was in chemistry, and he retired in 2007 as director of the chemical and environmental laboratory at Robins Air Force Base, where he worked for 45 years. Sarah is not a golfer; Charles is, although health issues have his clubs in mothballs for the time being.

Every year, Charles makes a bet with granddaughter Rikki, an avid follower of golf, about who will win. Each picks three golfers; the loser’s fate is to wash the winner’s car.

This year, neither was left with a bucket in hand. Charles picked Woods, Phil Mickelson or Henrik Stenson as the winner, while Rikki went with Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler or Hideki Matsuyama. Patrick Reed was the victor.

Charles Gibbs with his collection of Masters badges.

24

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

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Stacy Swofford Garmon Stacy Swofford Garmon (93C) received the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Board Member Leadership Award for her work with Children’s Voice: CASA in Douglasville, Ga. She was chosen for the honor from more than 500 board members across Georgia.

Crissy Stover Matlick (94c) is a math teacher at Rome High School.

Shane Tucker Shane Tucker (94C) is the 2018 Teacher of the Year for the Chattooga County (Ga.) School System. He is a literature teacher at Chattooga High School, his high school alma mater and professional home for 24 years. Previous accolades include CHS Teacher of the Year and STAR Teacher. Shane also is a former coach with more than 250 wins across all sports (baseball, basketball, football and cross country) who now runs ultramarathons, often training at Berry.

Deanna Bryant Whitfield (95C) was honored as 2017-18 Grady County (Ga.) Teacher of the Year for her work teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at Southside Elementary School in Cairo.

NEWS FROM YOU

and coach resides in Albertville with wife Beth and children Caleb and Caroline.

Elizabeth on Nov. 21, 2017. The family resides in Canton, Ga. Lindsey Haines Strippelhoff (09C) and husband Cade Strippelhoff (09C) live in Phoenix with children Caleb (6), Lilly (4) and Claire (3). Lindsey is a stay-at-home mom; Cade works as an auditor at Northern Trust.

Genyth Travis (96C, FFS) earned a Master of Science degree in hospitality and tourism management from the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. She was inducted into the Rosen College chapter of the Eta Sigma Delta Honor Society for high academic achievement and the UCF chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society. Genyth currently serves as senior assistant director of undergraduate admissions for UCF.

Thompson family Catherine Phillips Foster Catherine Phillips Foster (02C) is president and CEO of Americans United for Life, the country’s first national pro-life organization and the nation’s premier pro-life legal team. She lives with her husband and children in the Washington, D.C., area.

Matthew Scott Thompson (05C) earned his doctorate of education from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2015. He currently serves as associate pastor of worship and family ministry at Bloomfield (Ky.) Baptist Church. He and wife Torey have welcomed four children: Ezekiel, Esther, Ezra and the late Eunice. Matt is the proud uncle of current Berry student Trey Thompson (20c) and future Berry student Ansley Thompson.

2000s

James Garner and son Benjamin Briscoe

Ben Loeffler (00C) was named to Forbes’ inaugural list of Best-inState Wealth Advisors for his work with the Northern Colorado office of Merrill Lynch. He resides in Fort Collins.

Joshua Bradley Hatcher

Brian Sauls Brian Sauls (01C) has earned National Board Certification as a science teacher at Albertville (Ala.) Middle School, where he has taught for 12 years. The 15-year teacher

Leslie Rivet Hatcher (05C) and husband Paul announce the Sept. 26, 2017, birth of son Joshua Bradley. He joined sisters Clara Davis (7) and Nora Denise (4) at the family home in Acworth, Ga.

Perkins family Scott Perkins (08C) and wife Kaylin Gadoua Perkins (08C) expanded their family on Jan. 15, 2018, with the birth of daughter Erica, who joined big sister Sadie (3) in the family’s Duluth, Ga., home.

Scott is manager of global internal communications at Verifone, a payments technology company in Alpharetta.

Clarissa Brinkley

Ben Loeffler

James Garner (02C) and wife Kynna announce the Feb. 1, 2018, birth of son Benjamin Briscoe. The new arrival joined siblings Eli (5) and Ezra (3) at the family home in Marietta, Ga. James is employed by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Audrey Nell and Caroline Elizabeth Hearn

2010s

Bethany Battig-Ramseur Bethany Battig-Ramseur (10C) was the 2017 recipient of the Sigma Delta Pi South Carolina Spanish Teacher-of-the-Year Award. She resides in Hilton Head, S.C., and teaches at Hilton Head Preparatory School. Bethany offered a “huge shout out” to Berry advisor Dr. David Slade (97C, FS) for his encouragement and support, noting that his nurturing teaching style has provided inspiration in her career as an educator.

Little Life Photography

Genyth Travis

Alison Crane Alison Crane (12C) is the sheep and meat goat extension specialist at Kansas State University. The Berry animal science alumna holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. from North Dakota State University.

Derek Hay (12C) is area director of Young Life for greater Milledgeville, Ga.

Ellen Dutro Hearn (09C) and husband Mike Hearn (07C) announce the birth of twin daughters Audrey Nell and Caroline

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

25

Kelly Blinson Photography

NEWS FROM YOU

Oliver Mark Pacheco Gustavo Pacheco (12C) and wife Jeannene Parsons Pacheco (10C) announce the birth of second son Oliver Mark on June 22, 2017.

Gustavo is a pastor at the Summit Church in Durham, N.C. Oliver Mark is pictured wearing a Viking hat made by Magan Stephens Dickerson (09C).

Benson Phinazee (13C) is the junior project manager at Concord Creative, a custom fabrication and design company.

Haleigh Nicole Schrote (13C) is working as a small animal veteri­ narian in Oregon.

Preston is events coordinator for the WinShape College Program and Emily is program coordinator of the University of Georgia’s Small Business Development Center.

Michelle Yarbrough (13C) is a third-year teacher at Oliver Elementary School in Clayton County, Ga. She credits Berry with helping her to fulfill her life’s calling.

Cooper Elliot Stocks

Ellen Register Ellen Register (12C, 14G) is a second-grade teacher with Quality Schools International in Vietnam.

She previously taught for three years at an international school in Belarus after finishing her master’s degree at Berry.

Mary Liz Taylor

Will Corley (13C) is a secondyear psychology student with a cognitive neuroscience concen­ tration at the University of Louisville.

He and his mentor recently received a large federal grant from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Mental Health to study the effects of chemotherapy drugs on memory.

Jared Hall (13C) has opened his own State Farm agency in Knoxville, Tenn. He lives in Knoxville with wife Jamie Carelson Hall (13C).

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

Nancy Lovas (14C) has lived in Washington, D.C., for the last four years, working at the Library of Congress, earning her master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Maryland, and exploring hiking trails. After finishing her master’s degree in May 2017, she traveled to the United Kingdom to visit friends made as a participant in the Honors at Glasgow study-abroad program.

Brittany Huckle (15C) is teaching chemistry at First Presbyterian Day School in Macon, Ga.

Danielle Guy Womack (16C) and Nathan Womack (15C) were married at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Rome on Oct. 21, 2017.

A reception followed at Ford Dining Hall. Members of the wedding party included Ian Nugent (14C), Ben Riggs (15C), Matthew Murphy (16C), Daniel Hawes (15C), Drew Wharton (16C), Kevin Mason (16C), Brittany Campbell (14C), Sarah Brown (14C) and Valerie De Wandel (17C). Danielle works at Noble and Main Coffee Co., and Nathan is a funeral director and deputy coroner.

The couple resides in Dallas, Ga.

Morgan Benson Morgan Benson (17C) had an eventful first semester as a student in Barry University’s highly selective physician assistant program in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, finding success in her coursework despite being evacuated to Barry’s main campus in Miami due to two Category 5 hurricanes.

Logan and Savannah Staples

Hunter Jones

Will Corley, top right, with other researchers

Mary Liz Taylor (13C) is finishing her master’s degree in dance/ movement therapy and counseling at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Currently, she is interning at HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy. Her thesis focuses on developing a method at HMS for using developmental movement in a dance/movement therapy session.

Nancy Lovas

Hunter Jones

Lucas Stocks (13C) and Jennifer Cook Stocks (12C) announce the Dec. 29, 2017, birth of son Cooper Elliot. The family resides in Dallas, Ga.

Danielle and Nathan Womack

Preston and Emily Tippett Preston Tippett (13C) and Emily Ambrose were married Oct. 14, 2017, at Frost Chapel and honeymooned in Maui. The couple resides in Rome, where

Logan Staples (15C) and Savannah Wofford Staples (17C) were married at Cloudland Station in Chickamauga, Ga., in May 2017.

The wedding party included Logan Ramsey (17C), Nicole Nichols (17C), Kenny Bittick (15C), Franklin Staples (20c), Conner Walsh (15C), Preston Willis (15C), Justin Smith (15C), Stefan Arroyo (17C) and Chandler Warren (19c).

Shelby Smith (16C) has been accepted into the physician assistant program at Mississippi College.

Heather and Jacob Lammie Heather Wade Lammie (17C) married Jacob Lammie (17c) at Frost Chapel on Nov. 4, 2017, with Dr. Dale McConkey (FS) officiating.

The bride and groom both work for Chick-fil-A, Heather as a marketing director and Jacob as an operations director. They reside in Bethesda, Md.

NEWS FROM YOU

don't forget to send your photos

Taking the lead Brad Wheeler (76C) may refer to himself as an “old-school coach,” but he is now providing 21st century leadership for the second-largest school system in Georgia and one of the

The next time you’re

largest in the nation.

typing a status update

Since January, the retired educator has chaired the Cobb

or tweet, be sure to

County Board of Education, the governing body charged with

share with us as well.

setting policy and direction for 112 schools and 112,000

Submit your news

students. A board member since 2013, Wheeler twice served

(and digital photos!) online at berry.edu/

as vice chair before fellow board members tapped him for his current role.

Prior to his election to the school board, the Berry health and physical education

classnotes or email to

alumnus spent 25 years as an educator in the system, first as a teacher and coach at

classnotes@berry.edu

Pebblebrook High School in Mableton and later as an assistant principal at

for inclusion in News

McEachern High School in Powder Springs. Career honors include his 2017 selection

from You. Be sure to

as the Georgia School Counselor Association’s Advocate of the Year.

include your class year.

Wheeler lives in Powder Springs with wife Kathy. The couple has two sons, Zach and Seth.

Brant Sanderlin

Let it snow!

AN UNEXPECTED EARLY-DECEMBER SNOWFALL set just the right

holiday mood as members of Berry’s five most recent graduating classes returned home for the secondannual Young Alumni Christmas Party. The accumulation – nine inches in all – forced a change in venue from Oak Hill to the Ford Living Room, but that didn’t stop attendees of the Scandinavian-themed party from having a toe-tapping good time renewing friendships and enjoying the jazz stylings of vocalist Greg Robbins (15C).

We can’t guarantee snow for this year’s party, to be held Saturday, Dec. 8, at Oak Hill’s new event pavilion, but a good time will be had by all. Call 706-236-2256 or email alumni@berry.edu for information.

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

25 27

Kip Hopkins Webster (09C) and husband Jonathan in the Czech Republic

Mountain Day 2018

Fulbright Scholar DR. ELIZABETH “KIP” HOPKINS WEBSTER (09C) HAS TRAVELED MANY MILES SINCE COMPLETING HER BERRY PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE.

Last

fall, she added a new destination as a Fulbright

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Scholar in the Czech Republic.

Webster, an assistant professor in Louisiana State University’s School of Kinesiology, spent 16 days sharing her expertise as a top specialist in physical activity behaviors and motor skill competency among children.

Selection to the Fulbright Specialist Program is the latest in a series of educational and professional milestones for the Griffin, Ga., native. From Berry, Brant Sanderlin

she went to Auburn University, where she earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. in exercise science. Webster then completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Michigan (during which she briefly served as a visiting assistant professor at Michigan State) before landing at LSU, her professional home since 2015. Now she has extended her experience abroad.

“I was very honored to have the opportunity to work as a Fulbright Scholar with the Faculty of Education at Palacký University,” Webster said. “This was a great opportunity to share my research on early childhood motor development and physical activity with a distinguished group of researchers who share similar research interests and goals.”

mark your calendar

Saturday, Oct. 6 • Reunion Classes: 1973C, 1978C, 1983C, 1988C, 1993C, 1998C, 2003C, 2008C, 2013C • Reunion Brunch on the Mountain Campus • Grand March and Picnic • Football: Berry vs. Sewanee, 6 p.m.

Watch berry.edu/alumni for more details

28

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

Brant San

derlin

Condolences

BERRY COLLEGE EXTENDS SINCERE CONDOLENCES to family and friends of the following alumni and former faculty/staff. This list includes

notices received Nov. 1, 2017 – Feb. 28, 2018.

1940s Willie Frank Allmond (43C) of Canoochee, Ga., Feb. 4, 2018.

Camella Comer Garner (43c) of Baxley, Ga., June 5, 2017.

Eva Olene Cain Dowell (44C) of Ames, Iowa, Nov. 19, 2017.

Roberta Scott Williford (44c) of Chattanooga, Tenn., Feb. 11, 2018.

Dawes Hardy Reeves (46H) of Jonesboro, Ga., Jan. 10, 2018.

Jeannette Morris Campbell (47C) of Marianna, Fla., June 17, 2017.

Orin O. Kell (47H) of Rome, Feb. 3, 2018.

Loyce Vance Tatum (48C) of Cumming, Ga., March 18, 2016.

Lois Yates Watson (48C) of Huntsville, Ala., Nov. 26, 2017.

William Ebbert Evans (49C) of Clarkston, Ga., Feb. 2, 2018.

William Seaborn Everett (49H, 53C) of Rome, Dec. 1, 2017.

Leona Clack Garner (49c) of Dahlonega, Ga., Dec. 3, 2017.

Louise Nichols Strickland (49c) of Covington, Ga., Dec. 8, 2017.

1950s Wildred Crumley Durham (50C) of Cincinnati, Dec. 17, 2017.

Ivester A. Pope Sr. (50c) of Pell City, Ala., Dec. 18, 2017.

Rhuel J. Baughtman (51C) of Dalton, Ga., Nov. 14, 2017.

H.E. “Gene” Jones Jr. (51H, 55C) of Peachtree City, Ga., Aug. 1, 2016.

Frederick Earl Kilstrom (52c) of Penrose, N.C., Nov. 29, 2017.

Kemple Mullis Faircloth (53c) of Dublin, Ga., Feb. 7, 2018.

Chester Hyers (53H) of Alma, Ga., Nov. 30, 2017.

James Vern Williams (53c) of Tallahassee, Fla., Nov. 6, 2017.

John O. Glenn Jr. (55H) of Huntsville, Ala., Aug. 28, 2017.

Harold Kinnard Pike (57c) of Montezuma, Ga., Nov. 16, 2017.

Jeannine Williamson Garrison (58c) of Dawsonville, Ga., Dec. 28, 2017.

1960s Martha McDaniel Cowart (60c) of Winder, Ga., Dec. 31, 2017.

Frederick F. Crosby (60c) of Panama City, Fla., Dec. 26, 2017.

James K. Strickland (60C) of Gainesville, Ga., Jan. 14, 2018.

William M. Barksdale (61c) of Sylvania, Ga., Jan. 22, 2018.

Warren Grey Martin (61H, 65C) of Lincoln, Neb., Nov. 27, 2017.

Rachel Reese Askew (62C) of Dawson, Ga., Nov. 7, 2017.

Charlotte Dobbs Elliott (62c) of Rome, Dec. 28, 2017.

Elton Louie Petty (64A) of Yantis, Texas, Feb. 9, 2018.

Sherry Barton Gatlin (65C) of Rome, Dec. 8, 2017.

Joel Bryant Knight (65C) of Defuniak Springs, Fla., April 26, 2017.

Darrell M. Bailey (66C) of Lakeland, Fla., Nov. 3, 2017.

Grant Van Keuren Hagge (66C) of Rome, Feb. 6, 2018.

Ariel A. Rodriguez (66A) of Ramsey, N.J., Nov. 10, 2017.

Susan Keene Timberlake (66C) of Cary, N.C., Jan. 30, 2018.

Kenneth G. Bruu (67C) of Canton, Ga., Dec. 17, 2016.

Betty Selman Nolen (67C) of Rome, Nov. 6, 2017.

Barbara Hayes Bruu (69C) of Canton, Ga., Feb. 14, 2018.

C. Warren Hulme Jr. (69C) of Elberton, Ga., March 7, 2016.

Mark A. Mulrain (69C) of Fernandina Beach, Fla., Aug. 8, 2017.

In Memoriam

1970s

Wesley Edward Jones (70A) of Mobile, Ala., Dec. 24, 2017.

Thomas Edwin Stinson Jr. (71A) of Jacksonville, Fla., March 20, 2017.

Linda Prestwood Cane (75C) of Rome, Nov. 18, 2017.

Barbara Findley Stegall (77C) of Rome, Nov. 11, 2017.

Andrew C. Baxter (79C) of Cheraw, S.C., Nov. 16, 2017.

1980s Martha Groves Burnett (81C) of Rome, Oct. 21, 2017.

John Rule Martens (86C) of Rome, Feb. 2, 2018.

1990s Brent E. Moody (94C) of Hayesville, N.C., Nov. 13, 2017.

2000s Kimberly Ann Pace (00C) of Nairobi, Kenya, Jan. 23, 2018.

Alton Lawrence Vandiver (04c) of Cartersville, Ga., Jan. 20, 2018.

2010s Kimberly Teague Dotson (10c) of Ringgold, Ga., June 30, 2016.

Former Faculty/Staff Brenda Gail Sanders Baldwin of Aragon, Ga., Nov. 20, 2017.

Matthew Jones Duffy of Roswell, Ga., Jan. 17, 2018.

Vonnie Fuqua Griffeth of Statesboro, Ga., Dec. 5, 2017.

Carolyn L. Guthridge of Rome, Dec. 5, 2017.

Roston Miels Smith Jr. of Chattanooga, Tenn., Dec. 19, 2017.

James Richard Thompson of Rome, Feb. 17, 2018.

Elizabeth R. “Betty” Van Hoff of Rome, Feb. 11, 2018.

Bobby Earl Wilder of Panama City Beach, Fla., Feb. 18, 2018.

James Turner “J.T.” Wright of Rome, Nov. 27, 2017.

Alan Storey

1930s

J. Mitchell Elrod Jr. (37H, 41C) of Asheville, N.C., Dec. 9, 2017.

Sam Spector

The Berry community mourns the loss of Dr. Sam Spector, who died March 13, 2018, at the age of 93. Spector made an indelible mark on what is now Berry’s Campbell School of Business, attaining the rank of full professor and department chair and leading the establishment of the MBA program during his nine years on the faculty.

An honorary member of the Berry Alumni Association, Spector held doctorates from American University (laws) and Georgia State (business administration) and was a 2008 recipient of Berry’s Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of his achievements on campus and beyond. He was a World War II hero who later served with the CIA in Washington, D.C., before settling in Rome. His work as president of Garden Lakes Realty, the Chamber of Commerce and the Rome Homebuilders Association had a significant positive impact on the community.

Spector and wife Virginia had two children, Julie and Tom, and celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2017. The family requests tributes be made to the Sam Spector Scholarship Fund at Berry.

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018

29

THANK YOU

Thank y ou

SPECIAL THANKS FOR: Memory and Honor Gifts and Gifts to Named Scholarships and Work Endowments. The following gifts were made in memory or honor of an individual and/or to named scholarships or work endowments Nov. 1, 2017 – Feb. 28, 2018.

MEMORY GIFTS

Mr. Ray Abernathy Martha Bentley Abernathy (52c) Mrs. Natalie Henderson Bates Scott Jarvis (05C) Mr. Andrew C. Baxter Charles (76C) and Terri Albright (77c) Wilkie Mr. George H. Bedwell Paul Clark (88G) Dr. and Mrs. John R. Bertrand Gina Carter Mounfield (77C) David (66C) and Diana Bertrand (68C) Williams Mr. and Mrs. Dan U. Biggers Stacey Miller (70C) Mrs. Barbara Hayes Bruu Giles (66C) and Iva Madden (69C) Chapman Mrs. Shannon Gregory Burgess Robert and Brook Gibbons Mrs. Francis Black Cain Darlene Black Cartwright (89C, 03G) Dr. D. Dean Cantrell Steven Strickland (83C) Mr. S. Truett Cathy George and Rosalind Simpson Mr. and Mrs. A. Milton Chambers Mary Sexton Mr. George H. Clark Paul Clark (88G) Mr. Audrey W. Coleman Flo Unbehant Schaefer (69c) Mrs. Martha Page Cousins William Cousins Mrs. Lou Agnes Wright De Ramus Vera Lowery Pennington (48H) Dr. Garland M. Dickey Jim Blake (80c) Mr. J. Mitchell Elrod Ouida Word Dickey (50C) Bill and Faye (92c) Fron Mr. William Ebbert Evans Mr. and Mrs. Ralph H. Baird Jr. Mr. and Mrs. William F. Hauserman Dave (78C) and Ann Copeland (79C) House Gene Johnson (54C) Jon Lanier (63C) Cathy Smith Mr. James R. Fletcher Lamar Fletcher (66A) Billy Nicholson (68C) David (66C) and Diana Bertrand (68C) Williams Mrs. Sandra Gresham Frost Leon Frost (63C) Ms. Cheryl E. Fuller Jason Thompson Baker Funeral Home Mrs. Sherry Barton Gatlin Ouida Word Dickey (50C) Mr. Jorge Luis Gonzalez Karl Lehman and Ondina E. Gonzalez (76A)

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Mrs. Cathy Graham Bill Hopkins Mr. Edwin Gray Cliff Gray (55H) Dr. G. Leland Green Richard and Susan Green Mrs. Anne Sims Hawkins Jim Hawkins (49H, 53C) Mrs. Edna F. Hetsko Jeffrey Hetsko Mr. Jimmy E. Hinton Velma Mitchell Hinton (66C) Ms. Barbara Sue Holbert Sara Peel Fallis (63C) Mr. Christopher N. Holcombe Rachel Phillips Holcombe (90C) Rear. Adm. and Mrs. Lewis A. Hopkins Howard Richmond Mr. Jonathan Colin Howard Shirley R. Knippenberg Mr. Chester Hyers Charlie (53H, 57C) and Hazel Guthrie (59c) Underwood Mr. and Mrs. H.E. “Gene” Jones Jr. Larry (55C) and Dixie W. Schoolar Mr. Jack A. Jones Katherine Young Armitage (58c) Daughters of Berry Mr. Wesley Edward Jones Charles Downey (64A) Mrs. Betty Jean Hurst Little Charles and Virginia Greene (52H) Mosby The Hon. William Grey Martin Charles Downey (64A) Mrs. Patricia L. McPartlan Greg Ambra Mrs. Nan Lipscomb Nelms Frank Nelms Mrs. Dora Patterson Buford Jennings (58C) Mr. Elton Louie Petty Charles Downey (64A) Mr. Billy Alvin Phillips Connie Phillips Stewart (53H) Mr. and Mrs. Ralph H. Phillips Kit Forshee (99C) Mrs. Emily L. Pope Dick and Bobbie Pope The Rev. Ivester A. Pope Sr. Carryl Annette Pope Mr. and Mrs. Neal Q. Pope Dick and Bobbie Pope Jim and Joanna Pope The Hon. Ariel A. Rodriguez Charles Downey (64A) David Geraldson (66A) Mr. Henry Salman Mike Thornton (90C) Mrs. Laura Sexton Elaine Foster Mr. David Christopher Shankles David and Margaret Bowers Shari Fitzsimmons Carolyn S. Holden

Timothy Jay Leber Douglas Matthews Mr. and Mrs. Michael M. Moore James and Karen Shankles Eugene S. Stowers III David and Vicki Tucker Mrs. Evelyn Spradlin Standridge Donald Rhodes Mr. Eugene Wade George (55C) and Barbara Calhoun (55C) Wade Mr. Gene T. Warren Buford Jennings (58C) Mr. J. Lee Waller Betty Connell Waller (58C) Mrs. Lucy Williams Jeffrey Hetsko Mr. Hoyt B. Wood Robert Kayler (59H)

MEMORY GIFTS TO NAMED SCHOLARSHIPS Beatrice Lockerman Bollam (39C) Memorial Endowed Concert Choir Scholarship Richard Bollam Frank Campbell Memorial Fund Mildred Campbell Tietjen (61C) A. Milton and JoAnn Chambers Endowed Scholarship Allyson Chambers (80C, 84G) Susan Chambers (77C) John R. and Margaret Weaver Faison Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Vaughn and Nancy Bryson Jorge A. and Ondina S. Gonzalez Family Endowed Scholarship Georgette deFriesse Ondina Santos Gonzalez Larry A. Green Memorial Scholarship Janna Johnson (81C) Walter B. and Flossie R. Jennings Memorial Endowed Scholarship Buford Jennings (58C) Dr. Peter A. Lawler Endowed Scholarship Rita Lawler Frank Miller Memorial Scholarship Ron (65C) and Evonne Dyer (65C) Dayhoff Marvin McGinnis (65C) Janelle Cato Sabourin (65C) Everett (61H, 65C) and Donna Solomons Alexander Whyte Whitaker III Endowed Scholarship Whit (81C) and Maria Crego (85c) Whitaker Jeff Wingo Memorial Scholarship Janna Johnson (81C) Kay Wingo Craig Allyn Wofford Scholarship Ron Dean

HONOR GIFTS

1976 Women’s Basketball Deborah Rice Parker (78C) Ms. Amber Nicole Adams Barney and Pamela Rickman Dr. Susanna L. Baxter Violet Boyer Mr. David L. Beasley Nathan (07c) and Whitni Bledsoe (09C) Freeman Mr. D. Randolph Berry Jessica Berry and José Avila Jim and Molly Berry Kate Berry and Jon Grant Lynne Berry and John Joseph Berry Football Team Debbie Heida Berry Volleyball Team Debbie Heida Dr. Stephen R. Briggs Marti Walstad Mr. Robert Todd Brooks Tom and Betty Carver Ms. Mackenzie Hidell Bryan Sandra Pastorello Dr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Carver Meredith Lewallen Roberts (07C) Mr. W. Milton Chambers Jeffrey Horne (87C) Mr. John Phillip “J.C.” Chamblee Allison Chamblee Phillip and Beth Chamblee The Hon. Thomas A. Clark John Morris Ms. Emily Millicent Cornell Clayton and Katherine Cornell Mr. Richard Norman Duncan Tom and Betty Carver Mr. Jonathan William Tyler Fisher Celia Fisher Mr. Adam Christopher Fleck Jillian Andersen Krystine Castner Barbara Fleck Jacob Fleck Mr. and Mrs. Robert Alan Fleck Linda Park Suzanne Pidgeon Dr. Christopher Edward Freeman Jeffrey Horn (87C) Mrs. Megan Stone Fullgraf Fullgraf Foundation Mrs. Ondina S. Gonzalez Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Gonzalez Ms. Gayla L. Green Melanie Green Jones Ms. Melanie Wynne Gregory Lynn Hicks Ms. Jerrica Ann Harness Jerry Harness Dr. William R. Hoyt Harriette Hoyt

Ms. Paula Watters Johnson Malisa Hagan Ms. Andrea J. Jones Will Enloe Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Knox Kellie Knox (89C) Richard and Judith Knox Mr. Anton Z. Kunczewski Tom and Betty Carver Debbie Heida Mr. Nathan Andrew Masters Tom and Betty Carver Mrs. Laura Barbarito Miller Delanie Miller (13C) Dr. Barbara Abels Mixon Mike (77C) and Anneliese Rogers (79C) Blanchard Mr. Amos Montgomery Jr. Christ Temple Holiness Church Mr. James Turner Moore Jr. Dan Alban (00C) Ms. Madison Alexandra Morgan Gregory and Carrie Morgan Mrs. Caitlyn Jansen Moriarty Tom and Betty Carver Debbie Heida Mrs. Bettyann O’Neill Tom (55H) and Martha Wyatt (55H, 59C) Bowen Al (61c) and Becky Browning (61C) Christopher Jean Druckenmiller Paul Ferguson Bill and Faye (92c) Fron Jean Miller Hedden (52C) Sylvia Howard Pat Tutterow Jackson (82C) Jeanne Mathews Buzz and Barbara Mote (61C) McCoy Mary Grace Meeks Peter and Tamara Musser Joanne Owens Mary Camp Patrick (69C) Bill Pence (76C) Kathy Robinson Ray (79C) Reg (51C) and Maxine Strickland Leila Trismen Michael (67C) and Penny White (69C) Walker Rick Woodall (93C) Coxe Curry and Associates Mrs. Martha Sheats Perkins Lori Kipnis Dr. Robert R. Richardson John (04C) and Jackie Feit (05c) Coleman Ms. Barbara S. Robertson Bud Hall (79C) Mrs. Mika Sampson Robinson Ashley Weider (09C) Ms. Paton Michelle Roden Jean Beeland Mrs. Suzanne Widener Scott Vera Lowery Pennington (48H) Mr. Winston White “Trey” Sharp III Mr. and Mrs. Winston W. Sharp Jr. Mr. Mamadou Soumahoro Debbie Heida Mr. Samuel Alexander Starks Michael and Melody Starks Mr. Maurice B. Thompson Bryan Thompson Vikettes Dance Team Jessica Gross (17C) Mrs. Andrea Cole Wahl Brad Cole Mr. Rick Walker Sean Walker (96C) Mr. A. Whyte Whitaker IV SunTrust Banks – Atlanta Mr. and Mrs. Robert Williams Raymond (50C) and Lacora Adams (54C) Douglas

Ms. Laura Catherine Yount Thomas Vanderhorst

HONOR GIFTS TO NAMED SCHOLARSHIPS

Julie Ann Bumpus Endowed Scholarship Kay Gardner Marcia Rary McConnell (83C) Laura Phillips Katherine Powell Carol Story Dr. J. Paul Ferguson Endowed Scholarship Paul Ferguson Dr. Robert L. Frank Legacy Scholarship Kay Gardner Steven Hames Diane Land (88C) Jerry Shelton Endowed Scholarship funded by the Class of 1958C Hazel Weaver Bagwell (58C) Morris (58C) and Lecy Garner (59c) Brunson Harlan (58C) and Doris Reynolds (57C) Chapman George (58C) and Miriam Clark (59C) Hunt Buford Jennings (58C) Doyle (58C) and Rheba Burch (57C) Mathis Bill (57C) and Mary Charles Lambert (58C) Traynham Robert M. Skelton WinShape Scholarship Niel Brown (90C) Melissa Fairrel (90C) Greg (91C, 05G) and Michelle Beavin (90C, 01G) Major Stacy Doster Wilson (92C)

OTHER GIFTS TO NAMED SCHOLARSHIPS AND WORK ENDOWMENTS

Dr. Frank and Kathryn Adams Endowed Scholarship Frank (54H, 58C) and Kathy Adams Tina Bucher Jim Watkins African American Alumni Chapter Scholarship Melissa Ransby Hunt (91C) Agriculture Alumni Endowed Scholarship Rodney Hilley (76C) Leo W. Anglin Memorial Scholarship Jacqueline McDowell Lemuel, Mary and James Banks Endowed Scholarship Wayne (61C) and Madeline Banks (63c) Canady Glenn W. and Hattie McDougald Bell Scholarship Bob Thesing Alva Sanders Bennett Endowed Scholarship Mary Lewis Berry High Schools and Academy Work Scholarship Charles Downey (64A) Bill Harrison (64A) James Kinney (51H) Everett (61H, 65C) and Donna Solomons John R. and Annabel Hodges Bertrand Endowed Scholarship Fred and J’May Rivara Dan Biggers Distinguished Actor Award Reed (77A, 82C) and Shannon Walburn (81C) Biggers Selma Hall Browning Memorial Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Ed (60c) and Benita Hall (60c) Sims

Emily and Jerry Bullock Endowed Scholarship Jerry Bullock (66A) Cannestra Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Dianne and Kenneth Cannestra Capitulum Scholarship WinShape Foundation N. Gordon Carper Endowed History Scholarship Joyce Carper Garry Osborne (71C) Kathryn Roseen (76C) Truett and Jeannette Cathy Expendable Scholarship Chick-fil-A Foundation WinShape Foundation Dr. Harlan L. Chapman Gate of Opportunity Scholarship funded by the Class of 1958C Hazel Weaver Bagwell (58C) Elizabeth Ashe Cope (58C) Chiaha Scholarship Award Chiaha Guild of Arts and Crafts Judge Thomas A. Clark Endowed Scholarship Lem (63C) and Gayle Miller (64C) Sumner Class of 1943C Scholarship Eloise Cooper Crowder (43C) Class of 1951C Memorial Endowed Scholarship Reg (51C) and Maxine Strickland Gene Wallace (51C) Class of 1953H Staley/Loveday Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Bernie Spooner (53H) Harold Stamey (53H) Bernice Ogle Whaley (53H) Class of 1954C Endowed Scholarship Leon Elder (54C) Jean Mitchell Sheffield (54C) Wayne Wagnon (54C) Class of 1956C Endowed Scholarship Ginny Atkins (56C) Bobby Walker Fulmer (56C) William Keith (56c) Tillie Marlowe Parker (56C) Norfolk Southern Foundation, matching the gift of Russ Evans (56C) Class of 1957C Scholarship Tom Mullis (57C) Class of 1960C Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Loyd Gass (60C) Henry (55H, 59c) and Jan Deen (60C) Howell Lowell (60C) and Dee Hysinger (60C) Loadholtz W.C. (60C) and Sylvia Davis (60C) Rowland Glynn (56H, 60C) and Gwen Mize (60C) Tindall Class of 1961C Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Loyd Gass (60C) Class of 1962C Dairy Milk Quality Manager Endowed Work Position John (62C) and Geraldine Johnson (62C) Bridges Class of 1963C Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Hazl Paige Brumby (63C) Don (65c) and Hiawatha Banks (63C) Henry Dorothy Stinson Nolen (63C) Class of 1964C Campus Carrier Editor-inChief Endowed Work Position Carl Goodman (65C) Penny Vaughn (64C) Jim (64C) and Charlotte Ray (64C) Williams

Class of 1965C Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship James (65C) and Susie Cook (65C) Campbell Don (65c) and Hiawatha Banks (63C) Henry Herb Jones (65C) Joe (65C) and Nelda Parrish (64C) Ragsdale Ralph Rodgers (65C) Janelle Cato Sabourin (65C) Larry (65C) and Jerry Sculley Guy Sims (65C) Class of 1966C Assistant Gardener Endowed Work Position Raiford Cantrell (66C) Rufus Cantrell (66C) Lois McAllister Hatler (66C) Werdna Hill (66C) Cecil (66C) and Sallie Moore (66C) Keith John Provine (66C) Class of 1967C Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Peggy Dalton Smith (67C) Andrea Boyd Stanley (67C) Class of 1969C Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Diane Poole Blair (69C) Larry (69C) and Nadine NeSmith (71c) Covington William (69C) and Sally Schwartz (69C) Epps Raiden Sherman (69C) Jane Terry (69C) Ray Tucker (69C) Class of 1979C Internship Scholarship Barbara Robertson (79C) George W. Cofield Memorial Scholarship Fund Harlan (58C) and Doris Reynolds (57C) Chapman Shannon Cofield George (58C) and Miriam Clark (59C) Hunt Buford Jennings (58C) Bill (57C) and Mary Charles Lambert (58C) Traynham Hetty McEwen Coleman Scholarship Warren Coleman Fund Rembert and Virginia Cornelison Endowed Scholarship Virginia Allen Cornelison (53C) Angela R. Dickey Endowed Scholarship Ouida Word Dickey (50C) Jennifer W. Dickey Endowed Scholarship Ouida Word Dickey (50C) Jessiruth Smith Doss Scholarship Calvin Doss (49C) Edwards Endowed Scholarship Randy Edwards (66C) B. Leon Elder Endowed Scholarship Leon Elder (54C) Joe (63C) and Shirley Bowen (63c) Elder Ed and Evelyn England Endowed Scholarship Ed (57C) and Evelyn Quarles (57C) England First Families of Georgia Expendable Scholarship First Families of Georgia Jimmy R. Fletcher Memorial Endowed Scholarship Helen Jessup Albanese (68C) Louie (68C) and Marilyn Hill (71C) Canova Anne Johnson Coffman (68C) Patricia Massingill Folsom (68C) Jim Hairston (68C) Louise Buffington Miller (68C, 89G) Carol Graham Minshew (68C) Emma Fears O’Neal (68C)

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Rex and Glenda Haney (68C, 76G) Puckett Ron (64A, 68C) and Judy Senger Pedro (68C) and Hellen Guantt (68C) Zuazo Harwell and Lillian Free Scholarship Jeanette Justice Fleming (72C) Ellen Free Lueck (73C) William R. Gaines Sr. Endowed Scholarship Will Gaines Jr. (93C) Robert W. Gardner Endowed Scholarship Pamela Gardner Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Clinton Ames Jr. Joy Walker Bornheimer (83C) C. Warren Dunn (77C) Rebecca Underwood Sewell (55C) Frank Windham (57c) Gail Howard Gibson Endowed Scholarship Maria Ann Daniel Gail Howard Gibson (82C) George M. Glover Endowed International Scholarship Dwight Glover (84C) Ed and Gayle Graviett Gmyrek Scholarship Gayle Graviett Gmyrek (67C) Lyn Gresham Endowed Scholarship Eddie (63C) and Rosa Nutt (64C) Fite Walter Gill (63C) Roberta Thrasher Gresham (64C) Larry (63C) and Kathy Osborn Larry Webb (63C) Matt and Kelly Grisham Scholarship Fund Matt (02C) and Kelly Daly (03C) Grisham Hamilton/Smith Scholarship Evelyn Hamilton (68C) Jonathan Randall Hardin Endowed Scholarship Fund Bobby and Robbie (94C) Abrams Jonathan Baggett Dan (94C) and Christel Harris Boyd John and Brenda Cannafax Daniel Carpenter Lee Carter (76c) Laurie Hattaway Chandler (95C) Donna Childres Penny Evans-Plants (90C) Jonathan Floyd (04C) Cindy Gillespie Marvin Howlett (72C) and Annette Axley Jeff Smith Monica Willingham Ronda Mills Head Study Abroad Scholarship for the Campbell School of Business Ronda Mills Head (96C) Jean Miller Hedden Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Jean Miller Hedden (52C) Heneisen Service Award Laurie Hattaway Chandler (95C) Howell Hollis Scholarship Howell Hollis Janet Hollis Becky Musser Hosea Scholarship Paul and Margaret Musser William R. and Sara Lippard Hoyt Scholarship Bill and Sara Hoyt Nancy Lippard Alice Anderson Hufstader Scholarship Peter Hufstader Barbara Ballanger Hughes Scholarship Barbara Ballanger Hughes (71C)

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Emily T. Ingram Endowed Scholarship Emily Thomason Ingram (47c) Dr. Janna S. Johnson Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Jim (85C) and Jennifer Smith (85C) Johnson Walter and Mabel Johnson Scholarship Walt Johnson (41H) Dale Jones Expendable Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Dale Jones (71C) Dale Jones Expendable Scholarship Dale Jones (71C) H.I. “Ish” Jones Endowed Agriculture Scholarship Ish (49C) and Frances Jones Joy Jones Neal (83C) Kappa Delta Pi Endowed Award Mary Clement Keappler Family Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mark (82C) and Judy Howard (82C) Keappler Lois and Lucy Lampkin Foundation Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Lois and Lucy Lampkin Foundation Land Management Scholarship Anonymous Brad and Kimberly Bushnell Fred H. and Mary Loveday Endowed Scholarship Bill Bannister (56H) Henry (55H, 59c) and Jan Deen (60C) Howell Waymon Morris (54H) Everett (61H, 65C) and Donna Solomons Ross Magoulas Endowed Scholarship Darlene Daehler-Wilking Judy Peal Williams (70C) Dr. Charles Scott Markle Award Douglas and Faye Owens Martha! Centennial Scholarship Reg (51C) and Maxine Strickland Dr. L. Doyle Mathis Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship funded by the Class of 1958C Hazel Weaver Bagwell (58C) Doyle (58C) and Rheba Burch (57C) Mathis Lawrence E. McAllister Endowed Scholarship Katherine Young Armitage (58c) Typhnes Fish and Donald Midkiff Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Donald (57C) and Typhnes Fish (57C) Midkiff Linda Mills Memorial Endowed Scholarship Stacey Spillers Amos Montgomery Scholarship Evelyn Hamilton (68C) Stacey Spillers Lee-Anda Hutchens Uter (92C) Graden Mullis Scholarship Tom Mullis (57C) Musser Expendable Scholarship Peter and Tamara Musser Mary and Al Nadassy English Scholarship Tina Bucher Mark Taylor Jim Watkins Mary Finley Niedrach Endowed Scholarship Mary Finley Niedrach (75A, 97G) NSDAR Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Montrose M. Ballard Jr. Elizabeth Garner DAR – Anan Harmon Chapter DAR – Annis Avery Hill Chapter DAR – Arrowhead Valley Chapter DAR – Ashmead Chapter DAR – Atascosa Chapter

DAR – Beaver Chapter DAR – Birmingham Territory Chapter DAR – Brunswick Town Chapter DAR – Canton Chapter DAR – Captain Molly Corbin Society DAR – Chancellor Wythe Chapter DAR – Columbine Chapter DAR – Daniel Cooper Chapter DAR – Four Peaks Chapter DAR – Francis Nash Chapter DAR – Gaspar De Portola Chapter DAR – Governor Edward Coles-Sally Lincoln Chapter DAR – James Breckinridge Chapter DAR – Jane Long Chapter DAR – Jean Ribault Chapter DAR – John Bell Chapter DAR – Kanyuk Sa Chapter DAR – Lexington Chapter DAR – Mahoning Chapter DAR – Major George Gibson Chapter DAR – Martin Severance Chapter DAR – Mary Butler Chapter DAR – Mary Clap Wooster Chapter DAR – Michigan DAR – Olathe Chapter DAR – Old Glory Chapter DAR – Overwharton Parish Chapter DAR – Pelican Chapter DAR – Robert Loughridge Chapter DAR – Sam Houston Chapter DAR – Sandhills Chapter DAR – Sauk Trail Chapter DAR – Skokie Valley Chapter DAR – Texas Society DAR – Vieux Carre Chapter DAR – Virginia State Society DAR – Washington-Lewis Chapter DAR – Washoe Zephyr Chapter DAR – William Marsh Chapter DAR – Williamsburg Chapter NSDAR Tim and Mary A. Page Scholarship Mary A. Page Bobby Patrick Endowed Scholarship Mary Camp Patrick (69C) Mary Wooton Willis and Nora Pirkle Endowed Scholarship Alice Suroviec Neal Quitman and Emily Lowe Pope Scholarship Fund Neal Pope Pope Automotive Foundation Sara Powell Expendable Scholarship John Powell (58H) Kelley Bennett Poydence Endowed Scholarship Raytheon Company, matching the gift of Dan and Kelley Poydence Amber T. Prince Memorial Scholarship Janna Johnson (81C) Jamie (97C) and Elisha Wright (98C, 04G) Lindner Bernard and Doris Rowland Scholarship Doris Rowland Vesta Salmon Service Scholarship Angie Reynolds Jason (00C) and Ashley Harp (01C) Sheppard Alfred and Martha Shorter Endowed Scholarship Suzanne Scott Michele Norman Sims Endowed Scholarship Bobby (92C) and Amy Tuten (96C) Bergman Silver and Blue Save a Student Scholarship A total of 132 current students and recent graduates contributed to this scholarship through Berry’s Silver and Blue student philanthropy program.

Visit berry.edu/silverandblue/donors to see their names.

Tom and Barbara Slocum Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Thomas and Barbara Slocum Maxine Strickland Endowed Nursing Scholarship Jean Miller Hedden (52C) Deborah Hill Reg (51C) and Maxine Strickland Student Scholarships David Bayne (06C) Doug (83C) and Sabrina Vail (84C) Carter Doris Gentry Collum (59C) Kristen Diliberto-Macaluso Jennifer Harris (93C) Sue Richardson Hartley (74C) Monica Byrne Holmes (04c) Timothy Larsen Michael Maney (98C) Matt Ragan (98C) and Shelly DriskellRagan (96C) Trevor Scoggins (94C) Bill Spooner (50H) Sidney Stowers (67A) Price/Blackburn Charitable Foundation Study Abroad Award Vincent and Mary Gregoire Brandon (10C, 13G) and Madison Willoughby (13C) Whisonant Fred J. Tharpe Endowed Scholarship Turner Broadcasting System, matching the gift of Fred J. Tharpe (68A) Grace and Maurice Thompson Scholarship Maurice Thompson (40c) Michael and Elizabeth Thompson Scholarship Michael (87C) and Elizabeth Thompson Tibbals/Zellars Endowed Scholarship Randy Tibbals (79C) John Zellars John Zellars Jr. Foundation The Trey Tidwell Experience: A Scholarship for Musical Discovery Mandy Tidwell (93C) Microsoft Corp., matching the gift of Mandy Tidwell (93C) Troy/Gardner Endowed Art History Award Virginia Troy Courtney M. Urquhart Endowed Communication Scholarship Randy and Judy Urquhart James Van Meerten Study Abroad Scholarship Jim Van Meerten (70C) Steve and Cindy Wherry Endowed Accounting Scholarship Steve (80C) and Cindy Snead (80C) Wherry Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholars Fund Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation WinShape Scholarship WinShape Foundation Richard Wood Scholarship Linda Willoughby (71C) David (68A, 72C) and Alta Breeden (70C) Wood Work Week Endowed Service Award Frances Denney Barnett (49c) Larry Posey (54H) Young Alumni Save a Student Scholarship Cynthia Luanne Spell

I

In the end it’s about the students.

NOT JUST A JOB T

wo weeks as a 12-year-old patient at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta set Melody Dreyer (18C) on a dream path to becoming a pediatric nurse – in that same prestigious institution. A decade later, before she’d even completed her Berry nursing degree, she had a job offer to do just that.

Since May, Dreyer has walked the CHOA halls recalling her own experiences and striving to extend the same type of compassionate, capable care she received from her nurses to the next generation of sick children.

“I remember what it was like to be there and how the nurses went above and beyond to make sure you still feel like a kid because it’s scary being at the hospital,” said Dreyer, who still smiles at the thought of joining the other hospitalized children in picking out a Halloween costume.

MAKING HER OWN LUCK

A lot of time has passed since Dreyer’s own experience as a patient, but she never wavered in career choice, staying in touch with her doctor and working hard to make her own dream come true.

When it came time to pick a college where she could pursue that path, Dreyer quickly was drawn to Berry, a school her mother had once attended. She competed successfully for the Leadership Fellows Scholarship and got down to business.

Dreyer gained valuable knowledge and insight working alongside Berry’s nursing faculty on state-of-the-art patient simulators. At the same time, she challenged herself through the work program by taking a job as a resident assistant. This potent combination of education and experience helped prepare her for the stressful world of nursing.

Her efforts and attitude did not go unnoticed.

“Melody always has a huge smile on her face and always seeks to make the day better for others,” said Dr. Rebecca Logan, assistant professor of nursing. “She was a wonderful student, both academically and clinically, and will make an incredible nurse.”

Dreyer paved her own way to CHOA when she applied for a summer internship there prior to her senior year, competing against 500 applicants for one of 50 spots. Her academic accomplishments at Berry and demonstrated interest in pediatric nursing resulted in a slot in the cardiac-step down unit, where patients – some just a few months old – prepare to go home after undergoing serious heart procedures.

Her lifepath was reconfirmed on Christmas Eve when her manager went around to each patient’s room with donated presents for the children and their parents. Seeing the joy on the families’ faces and the generosity of others was deeply moving for her.

“It was a reminder that this is not just a job,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to make an impact on families at one of the hardest points of their lives.”

Before the end of her summer internship, Dreyer had secured a full-time post-graduation nursing position, completing her journey from CHOA patient to caregiver.

“It is really cool to see that come full circle,” she said. “Now I get to be the nurse.”

reporting by student writer KENDALL ARONSON | photography by BRANT SANDERLIN

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Berry magazine P.O. Box 495018 Mount Berry, GA 30149-5018

Art takes flight Student Aubrey Clark soars across the stage during dress rehearsals for Passages, the Berry College Dance Troupe’s 21st annual concert. Clark also was a choreographer for the show, which featured ballet, contemporary, Latin, tap, jazz and hip-hop dances. Photo by Brant Sanderlin.