the voorhees voice (spring/summer 2011)
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Changing Minds. Changing Lives.
New SGA President and officers installed and ready for change
THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND
FRIENDS OF VOORHEES COLLEGE
SPRING/SUMMER 2011
New Student Govern-
ment Association Presi-
dent Emmanuel Nwoko-
cha and other officers
are installed and ready
to get to action for the
betterment of the stu-
dent body.
6
Founder‟s Week events are held to commemorate
the 114th founding of Voorhees College.
20
22 The Voorhees College Women‟s Basketball
Team wins the Association of Independent
Institutions Championship.
The Voorhees Voice 1
6 SGA officers ready for change
New SGA officers are installed and ready for change
on campus
11 Summer internships
Voorhees students intern at various locations during
the summer
20 Founder’s Week Events
Voorhees celebrates its 114th founding with various
events during the week
22 A.I.I. Championship
Lady Tigers clinch the Association of Independent
Institutions Championship
26 Voorhees accomplishments
New appointments are made at Voorhees
30 Alumni achievements
Alumni have recent achievements in various career
fields
The Voorhees Voice Spring/Summer 2011
www.voorhees.edu
President Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr., Ed.D. „62
Editor
Teesa J. Brunson Communications Director
Editorial Committee
Jayme Bradford Priscilla Ferrette
Tifanie Lewis Sandra Rouse, Ph.D.
Curtiss Sumner
Contributors Marie S. Harrison, Advancement Services Director Dorothy Patterson, „73, Alumni Relations Director
Rolondo Davis, SCSU Photography Cecil Williams Photography, LLC
Justin Curry, „11
Kiera Hardy, „12 Tysha Hicks, „12
Tashianna Pointer, „12 Shaquetta Summers, „12
Communications Office
Phone: 803-780-1194 Fax: 803-780-1590
E-mail: tbrunson@voorhees.edu
The Voorhees Voice is published for alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends of Voorhees
College. All items may be reproduced with credit to The Voorhees Voice. Comments or suggestions
should be addressed to:
Teesa J. Brunson Communications Director
P.O. Box 678 Denmark, SC 29042
(803) 780-1194 tbrunson@voorhees.edu
Voice of Voorhees: Message of Change
Dear Tigers: Welcome to our Spring/Summer 2011 edi-tion of The Voorhees Voice. We are excited about this past academic year. We have ex-perienced much growth and new develop-ments on campus. As we continue on the pathway toward success, our top priority is to articulate our new learning outcomes for our students, which will help us measure the skills and abilities our students should demonstrate once they receive a degree
from Voorhees College. We must also improve and enhance our pro-grams and policies based on assessment data. Additionally, the institu-tion will continually implement new systems and procedures to increase our accountability and transparency. Keeping with our theme of “Changing Minds, Changing Lives,” our academic programs continue to positively impact the lives of many stu-dents. During the past academic year, we created a new writing center on campus, which will help ensure that our students are more proficient in writing. We have increased the percentage of faculty members with terminal degrees. Our Fall 2010 enrollment was the largest enrollment the institution has had in many years with approximately 750 students. Lastly, Voorhees is on its way to completing our SACS recertification. Our SACS Leadership Team has submitted our compliance certification (self-study) and is preparing to submit our Quality Enhancement Plan. Some of the achievements that took place during the academic year with our students and distinguished alumni are below.
Our Lady Tigers won the Association of Independent Institutions Basketball Regional Championship.
Dr. Pamela M. Wilson, a 1994 alumna, made history by becoming the first woman to serve as president of Allen University. Dr.
Wilson was also our Founder‟s Convocation speaker.
Dr. Lenny F. Springs II, a 1968 alumnus appointed by President Barack Obama‟s administration to serve in the U.S. Department of Education, was our 2011 Commencement Convocation speaker.
With the growth we are having at Voorhees, it is imperative for you to continue your contributions to the institution. We are in need of addi-tional support from our alumni and friends. Due to the poor global economy and harsh economic times we are living, the cost of a college education is increasing. Our students are in need of your help. We are asking that you contribute even more. Thank you again for your support of Voorhees College. We are taking huge strides toward becoming a premier liberal arts institution. I hope that you enjoy this issue of The Voorhees Voice! With Tiger Pride,
Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr., Ed.D. „62
2 The Voorhees Voice
The Class of 2011 receives words of wisdom from education official
T he 108 graduates from the Class of 2011 received words of inspiration from a current President Obama Admin-
istration appointee during Commence-ment Convocation. Dr. Lenny F. Springs II, who is a Fed-eral Student Aid Senior Advisor in the U.S. Department of Education, delivered the 2011 commencement address. Springs joined President Barack Obama‟s administration in November 2009. He works with the Education De-partment and Financial Student Aid (FSA) leadership to provide support to traditionally under-resourced colleges and universities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), members of the Hispanic Asso-ciation of Colleges and Universities (HACU) and other organizations devot-ed to helping schools transition success-fully to the Direct Loan Program. He earned a bachelor‟s degree in busi-ness administration from Voorhees Col-lege and was later awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Voorhees.
-Continued on next page
Dr. Lenny F. Springs II addresses the graduating class during the 114th Com-
mencement Convocation.
Above (left to right): Dr. Lenny F. Springs II, Britney Smith, Miss Voorhees Col-
lege 2011-2012, Emmanuel Nwokocha, SGA President 2011-2012, and Presi-
dent Sellers
Below: Board members, administrators, faculty and staff participate in processional for Commencement Convocation.
The Voorhees Voice 3
Dr. Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr. presents Dr. Prezell R. Robinson with honorary
degree in humane letters
Above: Reverend Canon Nelson Pinder accepts honorary degree in humane
letters from Dr. Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr.
Below: Dr. Donald L. Fowler, former board chairman, receives citation for his
dedication and service as chairman of the Board of Trustees
4 The Voorhees Voice
Above: Roosevelt Bryant, chief marshal
Below: President Sellers with recent graduate Erozi Regina Da Silva
Below: President Sellers with Tyquan Parker
Top graduates of senior class recognized
D etermination, persistence and resilience are the values that the first aca-demic honor graduate of
Voorhees College lived and practiced in her efforts to successfully receive a bachelor‟s degree. Yalanda Robinson, a native of York, S.C., not only achieved her goal of graduating from college, but she holds the title of first academic honor for the Class of 2011. “I am so proud to say that I am a Voorhees graduate,” Robinson said. “Voorhees has facilitated so much growth and maturity in my life, and I will forever be grateful for my alma mater.” Robinson, who majored in social work, plans to enroll at Winthrop University in the fall to pursue a master‟s degree in social work. “I would like to be in the position to help young children cope with so-cial and psychological problems that may arise at school, at home or at work,” Robinson said. While at Voorhees, Robinson was a member of various organizations in-cluding the Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Culture Club, Honors College, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society and the Student Support Services Program. Additionally, she was named Who‟s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. Kemar Hunter, who is an interna-tional student and native of Port-land, Jamaica, has been named the
second academic honor graduate for the senior class. Additionally, Hunter was the 2010-2011 Student Government Associa-tion President. During the 2010-2011 academic year, Hunter won an oratorical competition at the 2010 South Carolina District Conference for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Hunter‟s topic was, “A Call to Ac-tion: Alpha‟s Role in Reshaping the National Political Landscape.” “Serving as the SGA president has given me humility and a higher level of respect for Voorhees,” Hunter said. “Voorhees has equipped me with all the necessary tools I need to be successful, and it has made me a more diverse thinker. I have also been exposed to many new environ-ments and leadership roles.” Hunter plans to pursue a doctorate degree in cancer biology after gradu-ating from Voorhees. Some of the institutions he has applied to for graduate school include Emory Uni-versity, Vanderbilt University and Purdue University. Some of the organizations Hunter became a member of while at Voor-hees include the White Rose Social Club, Honors College, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Additionally, Hunter was the co-founder of the Voorhees College Ernest Everett Just Science Club.
Mark Your Calendar
Opening Convocation: September 8 Miss Voorhees College Coronation: September 23 Technology Week Activities: October 25-27 Homecoming Week: November 6-12 Choir Christmas Concert: December 4
Yalanda Robinson First Academic Honor
Kemar Hunter Second Academic Honor
For additional information on these
activities, contact Willie Jefferson,
special events coordinator, at (803)
780-1049 or williej@voorhees.edu.
The Voorhees Voice 5
New SGA President and officers installed and ready for change
T he 2011-2012 Student Gov-ernment Association Presi-dent is Emmanuel Okafor Nwokocha. A 21-year-old
native of Nigeria, he enrolled into Voor-hees College in the spring of 2009 as a dean‟s scholar, and he is currently a senior majoring in biology with a mi-nor in environmen-tal science. With his passion for a sustainable and eco-friendly environment, he was se-lected by the U.S. Environmental Pro-tection Agency (EPA) to serve as the only eco-Ambassador from the state of South Carolina in the EPA On-Campus Program. His goal is to shed
more light on the importance of sus-tainability on the college campus. “As an eco-Ambassador for the EPA On-Campus Program, one of my top
priorities will be to advise Voorhees on options to pur-chase green power, such as solar or wind energy, to reduce the envi-ronmental impacts associated with conventional elec-
tricity,” Nwokocha said. Nwokocha was also recently named an award recipient for the Fourth An-nual Undergraduate Fellowship for the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Tran-sition.
Left to right (front row): Emmanuel Nwokocha, presi-dent, Thomas Sumter, vice president, Jasmine Bethune, secretary, Hollie Garnett, business manager Left to right (back row): Britney Smith, Miss Voor-hees College, and Dayvon Goddard, first-ever Mr. Voorhees College
“This is our time to make a change, and we must embrace and take advantage of this wonderful opportunity we have.”
-Emmanuel Nwokocha
6 The Voorhees Voice
He was one of only five students selected from a di-verse pool of fellowship applicants by a special com-mittee composed of staff from the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. He was the only student from a HBCU selected as a recipient. His commitment to community service and humani-tarian activities inspired him to charter the Rotaract Club of Voorhees College, which is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Georgetown. The organization‟s im-pact has been felt by the community of Denmark and has been recognized by the mayor of Denmark. Nwokocha is a member of various other organiza-tions including the Rotaract Club of Voorhees Col-lege, SGA Senate, Honors College, Ernest Everett Just Science Club, White Rose Social Club, Alpha Kappa Mu Honors Society and Alpha Phi Alpha Fra-ternity, Inc. “As the SGA president, my major goal is to increase the communication between the students and the SGA so the organization can effectively represent its con-stituents to the fullest, while allowing the students to get involved in the whole process of progress on cam-pus,” said Nwokocha. After a receiving a bachelor‟s degree in biology from Voorhees, he wants to attend a graduate school for an environmental management degree. “These two degrees will equip me with the neces-sary tools to succeed in my career path,” he said. “They will also give me the knowledge needed in my efforts to reduce the effects of environmental pollu-tion.” The additional 2011-2012 Student Government As-sociation officers installed included Thomas Sumter as vice president. Sumter is a native of Bishopville, S.C. and a junior majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry. Throughout his tenure here at Voorhees, he has achieved much. During the summer of 2010, he be-came the first Voorhees student to be accepted into the Summer Medical Dental Education Program (SMDEP), the top program of its kind, held at the University of Virginia Medical School. “After participating in SMDEP, I was inspired to establish an organization on our campus for students who aspire to enter into the medical field,” Sumter said. The name of Sumter‟s organization is Emerging Healthcare Leaders. Jasmine Bethune, a native of Pinewood, S.C., has been elected to serve as secretary. Bethune is a junior majoring in business administration.
President Sellers and Emmanuel Nwokocha, who is an eco-Ambassador for the EPA On-Campus program
Above: Officers are installed during chapel service.
Below: 2011-2012 SGA President Emmanuel Nwokocha
The Voorhees Voice 7
Bethune‟s educational goals are to complete her un-dergraduate degree in business administration and attend Florida International University to obtain a Master of Science degree in business administration. Her ultimate goal is to become an executive director of Wells Fargo & Company. Bethune is confident that she will be able to excel after she graduates from Voorhees. “I know that Voorhees will give me the tools that are necessary to become successful in my future endeavors,” Bethune said. The business manager for the 2011-2012 academic year is Hollie Garnett, a native of Augusta, Ga. ma-joring in biology and minoring in chemistry. Some of Garnett‟s extracurricular activities include the Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Culture Club, Miss NAACP (2010-2011), Ernest Everett Just Science Club, Voorhees College Cheerleading Squad, Rota-ract Club and Student Support Services Program. Garnett has set high hopes for her future as a leader on campus. “I believe that to be an effective leader, one must possess not only strong character but a vi-sion for the future,” Garnett said. “When this vision is combined with a proactive leader, one can be sure that things will get done.” The new officers are excited about the upcoming academic year and ready to bring about change with-in the student body. “We would like for students on campus to become more involved in campus activities and more knowl-edgeable on the policies and procedures for imple-menting new ideas,” SGA President Nwokocha said. “This is our time to make a change, and we must embrace and take advantage of this wonderful oppor-tunity we have.”
Above: Student Government Association officers are ready for
business
Below: SGA President Emmanuel Nwokocha being
installed as president during chapel service
Newly elected Student Government Association officers continue to
light a flame symbolizing the unity they will develop as leaders
8 The Voorhees Voice
Mr. and Miss Voorhees College 2011-2012 make history
in different ways
B ritney Smith is the first-ever queen to hail from the historic town of Talbotton, Ga., which is the hometown of
Voorhees‟ founder Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Menafee. Smith, who is majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry, said she is proud to be given the chance to represent her institution. “I am ecstatic and blessed to uphold the title as Miss Voorhees College,” said Smith, who is 20 years old. “I am humbled to be given this opportunity to represent the school that has given me the knowledge and tools I need in or-der to succeed in life.”
Smith‟s platform is to increase the knowledge of AIDS in the black community. She plans to in-
crease more awareness about this phenomenon on the campus. “AIDS is increasingly becoming an epidemic of the black race, and I feel as though it is time to re-new our sense of urgency about HIV/AIDS preven-tion and transmission. We must all take steps to pro-tect ourselves and work to
end the many forms of oppression that are contrib-uting to the spread of HIV/AIDS,” Smith said.
-Continued on next page
Above: Dayvon Goddard becomes the first-ever Mr. Voorhees College and Britney Smith becomes the first-ever Miss Voorhees College from
historic Talbotton, Ga.
“AIDS is increasingly becoming an ep-
idemic of the black race, and I feel as
though it is time to renew our sense
of urgency about HIV/AIDS preven-
tion and transmission.”
-Britney Smith
The Voorhees Voice 9
Among being a Presidential Scholar, Smith has various ac-ademic honors including being a member of the Honors Col-lege and named Who‟s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. Smith has been involved in activities and organizations since enrolling at Voorhees College. Some of her member-ships include the Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Culture Club, Ernest Everett Just Science Club, Rotaract Club and Honors College. She also is a member of the Voorhees College Cheerleading Squad. Additionally, she took on numerous leadership roles when she first entered Voorhees College such as: secretary of the 2008-2009 freshman class, vice president of the 2009-2010 sophomore class, 2009 president of the Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Culture Club and 2009-2010 Miss Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. After graduation, Smith plans to attend the Medical Uni-versity of South Carolina to pursue a medical degree. The first-ever Mr. Voorhees College is Dayvon Goddard, 20-year-old native of Brooklyn, N.Y. Goddard is majoring in accounting and minoring in business administration. Goddard, who is a first-generation college student, is excit-ed about representing the institution and plans to do his very best in this role. “It is an honor to represent the institution that has molded me into the individual I am,” Goddard said. “I plan to set the bar high for the next person to serve in this role.” Goddard‟s platform will be based on mentoring the fresh-men of Voorhees College by giving various tips on the col-lege experience and how to successfully matriculate through college. “The majority of freshmen usually come into Voorhees College with the wrong impression of the college as a whole. These impressions can possibly lead these freshman students to go down the wrong path.” Maintaining a 4.0 grade point average in all of his major courses, Goddard is also involved in various organizations on campus including the Eta Iota Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., where he serves as vice president, White Rose Social Club, Students in Free Enterprise and Student Support Services Program. Additionally, Goddard was given a chance of a lifetime dur-ing the 2010-2011 academic year by visiting Brazil for an eight-week foreign exchange program with the Federal Cen-ters for Technical Education College (CEFET/RJ). “Voorhees has allowed me to accomplish much throughout my matriculation. I encourage other students to take ad-vantage of the various opportunities provided by Voorhees in an effort to gain more experiences and become more market-able.”
Above: Britney Smith, Miss Voorhees College 2011-2012
Below: Dayvon Goddard, Mr. Voorhees College 2011-
2012
10 The Voorhees Voice
Tigers spend the summer gaining invaluable hands-on
experience in various areas
Dayvon Goddard, accounting, Brooklyn, N.Y., Class of 2012
Dayvon will be interning this summer with T-Coombs Associates, a company
that specializes in accounting and information technology. Goddard said the
internship, which will be in Springfield, Va., will enable him to combine the
knowledge that he has learned at Voorhees in the area with real business prac-
tices in the field of accounting. The internship will last 10 weeks.
“It is a great honor to have the opportunity to represent my great institution,”
said Goddard. “I look forward to gaining real world experience in my field.”
Devon David Eilts, mathematics, Lithonia, Ga., Class of 2014
Devon will be spending his summer at an internship in Fort Collins, Colo. He
will be interning with Mountain View Systems, a company that specializes in
Microsoft Accelerated Certification training.
Eilts‟ duties will include assisting the company with hosting Microsoft Certi-
fication exams and participating in the Microsoft boot camp. The internship
will be 10 weeks.
“I am very blessed to have this opportunity,” Eilts said. “This is not an oppor-
tunity that comes to often, so I plan to do my best and not take this oppor-
tunity for granted.”
Brittany Lawrence-Lemon, business administration, Charleston, S.C., Class of 2013 Brittany Lawrence-Lemon will be returning for a second year to intern with
the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington, D.C.
Lawrence-Lemon will be working in the records management office. She will
gain more experience working with the budget for the Information Technolo-
gy and Cyber Security departments and making presentations on the best
ways to conserve energy.
“I feel that I represented Voorhees well last summer, and I am happy that I
was invited back for another summer,” Lawrence-Lemon said.
The Voorhees Voice 11
-Continued on next page
Emmanuel Nwokocha, biology, Nigeria, Class of 2012
Emmanuel Nwokocha will be interning this summer with Dominion, one of
the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy. Although the main
office is located in Richmond, Va., Nwokocha‟s internship location will be in
Mount Storm, W. Va. at Dominion‟s Mount Storm Power Station, the largest
coal-fired power station managed by Dominion.
Not only will Nwokocha be paid throughout the summer for his internship, he
will also receive a $5,000 scholarship.
“I feel privileged to be able to work for a Fortune 500 company and to be
mentored by professionals in the environmental science field,” Nwokocha said,
who is also minoring in environmental science.
“I know that I will learn a lot while expanding my experience. I will try as
much as possible to maximize this opportunity to the fullest.”
Wayne Davidson, accounting, Yonkers, N.Y., Class of 2012
Wayne Davidson will be joining his fraternity brother Dayvon Goddard on an
internship at T-Coombs Associates in Springfield, Va. Davidson‟s internship
will also be 10 weeks.
Davidson said he looks forward to the experience he will gain in accounting.
“This internship will enable me to obtain hands-on experience in the modern
day job market,” Davidson said.
Nathan Mack, computer science, Sumter, S.C., Class of 2013
Nathan Mack will also be interning at Mountain View Systems in Fort Col-
lins, Colo. Mountain View Systems specializes in training clients to pass vari-
ous computer certifications. Mack‟s internship will last 10 weeks as well.
Mack‟s responsibilities will include helping the company set up computers and
other materials for certification classes.
“I am excited about the many opportunities and skill sets that I will learn dur-
ing my internship,” Mack said.
Some of the locations students will be interning include Colorado,
Washington, D.C. and West Virginia
12 The Voorhees Voice
Honors Day Convocation recognizes Voorhees scholars
V oorhees College hosted its annual Honors Day Convocation with the president and co-founder of Kid Entrepreneurs Need Opportu-nities (K.E.N.O.) Micro-Fund, which is an
organization that fosters, grows and nurtures business-es formed by kid entrepreneurs. Adrienne Lance Lucas is no stranger to launching successful businesses. As principal and chief operating officer of ICG Real Estate Advisors, LLC, she helped the company grow from $0 to nearly $75 million in on-ly 18 months with the company‟s first fund, Inheritance Capital Group, LLC. ICG Real Estate Advisors cur-rently holds over $200 million in managed assets. After earning a B.A. in economics from Spelman Col-lege and an MBA from Harvard University, Lucas re-turned to her home state of Minnesota to work as a fi-nancial analyst for General Mills, Inc. She advanced quickly and gained valuable experience in marketing, sales and corporate finance and earned a reputation for being a solid manager and an exceptional developer of people. As a testament to her outstanding performance, in 1993, Lucas was the youngest person in the company‟s history to date to receive the coveted Chairman‟s Award for customer service for her work in reengineer-ing the administrative functions within the National Sales Division. Lucas shared encouraging words with the honor stu-dents. She advised them to have a vision of success for themselves and to know the steps needed to make their dreams a reality. “Be willing to reinvent yourself,” Lucas said. “As young people, your journey will be long. Hold on to whatever that vision is for you.” During the event, Lucas honored Voorhees students Darrius Snow, Ben Bakayoko and Darrell Spratley for submitting the best business plan. “We are very appreciative of Mrs. Lucas‟ donation and her support,” said Darrius Snow, a junior business major. “We hope that one day we will be presidents of successful businesses just as Lucas is.” During the program, Voorhees also recognized Ty-wana Branch, who received the Faculty of the Year Award. Assistant Professor of Psychology Tywana Branch received the 2011 South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) Excellence in Teaching Award at the Convention Center in Columbia.
114th Honors Day Convocation guest speaker Adrienne Lance
Lucas
Lucas, President Sellers, Dr. Carl A. Carpenter, former execu-
tive vice president/academic dean
Above: Lucas presents a check to students (left to right) Darrell
Spratley, Ben Bakayoko and Darrius Snow.
Below: Administrators present Tywana Branch with the
Faculty of the Year Award.
The Voorhees Voice 13
Coronation 2010 “A Testament to Royalty”
An intelligent young lady with elegance and class held the title of Miss Voorhees College 2010-2011. Nina Sutton, a native of Bronx, N.Y., officially began her reign as queen during Coronation with the theme, “A Testament to Royalty.” As queen, Sutton participated in various community service events including hosting a food drive at Voorhees, where the proceeds were donated to Golden Harvest Food Bank. A representative from Golden Harvest Food Bank expressed sincere thanks to Sutton for helping to fight hunger in the area. “Golden Harvest Food Bank works with close to 408 feeding pro-grams in 30 counties in Georgia and South Carolina with the Mas-ter‟s Table Soup Kitchen serving an average of 350 lunches seven days a week and 365 days a year,” said Carrie Jones, events special-ist. “We couldn‟t accomplish nearly that much without the support of people like you and everyone else with Voorhees College. The 68 pounds collected will provide more than 53 meals for people in our service area.” As a part of Sutton‟s platform Becoming Erudite Leaders in Every Voyage and Endeavor (B.E.L.I.E.V.E.), she hosted a Women‟s Histo-ry Month Empowerment Program. During this event, Sutton invit-ed women who are leaders in the Denmark and surrounding areas to share the experiences with the women of Voorhees College. “This event was my most memorable contribution as campus queen because I enjoyed hearing the stories that women shared with us on the strides they took to obtain equality and become successful,” Sut-ton said.
During her matriculation at Voorhees, Sutton was involved in vari-
ous activities and organizations including Sigma Gamma Rho Soror-
ity, Inc., the Student Government Association, the Ernest Everett
Just Science Club and the Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Drama Guild.
Sutton, who majored in biology and minored in chemistry, graduat-
ed May 14. Her future goals include attending University of New
York (SUNY) College of Optometry. Her ultimate goal is to become
an optometrist.
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Voorhees celebrates Homecoming 2010
Voorhees celebrated Homecoming 2010 with the theme “Revisit, Re-connect and Recommit.” One of the premier events during Homecoming included former and current students of the institution re-enacting the 1960 Denmark Sit-Ins, which took place in an effort to integrate local drug stores. The students were denied service from Talbert‟s Drug Store and Carolina Cut Rate Drug Store. After continuously entering the drug stores, the students were arrested on charges of disturbing the peace. They were later released the same day. The former and current students who participated in the sit-in were President Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr., Sidney Gleaton, Herman Young, Arthur Copeland, Herman Glouster, Darrius Snow and Ben Ba-kayoko. Following the demonstration, the National Alumni Hall of Fame re-cipients were recognized at the annual banquet held. The recipients were Kathleen Lebby Faust, Joseph T. Price, Milton Mel Gaines, Ro-sia Speach Gardner and Alfonso Lamback Sr. Additional Homecoming activities included the annual parade and games, the President and First Lady‟s Jazz Reception and the step show, which was won by the Eta Iota Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the Eta Omicron Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. “Our last Homecoming was such a great success,” President Sellers said. “I would like to thank all of our wonderful alumni and support-ers who participated in last year‟s events, and we hope that they will return to Voorhees for Homecoming 2011.”
Voorhees College celebrates National Library Week
I n April, Voorhees College celebrated National Li-brary Week with authors Sister Souljah, Wes Moore
and Shiela Martina. Sister Souljah was the featured presenter during an assembly during the week. Souljah is the author of three national bestsell-ers: “The Coldest Winter Ever,” “No Disrespect,” “Midnight, A Gangster Love Story,” and “Midnight and the Meaning of Love,” which was released on April 12. In 2008, within one week of the release of “Midnight, A Gangster Love Story,” she be-came a New York Times best-seller, entering the charts at number seven. As a community activist, Souljah organized against racial-ly-motivated crimes, police bru-tality and the miseducation of urban youth. She produced and promoted several outdoor rallies
and concerts in Harlem, N.Y., which drew nearly 30,000 youth each time, as well as the partici-pation of top hip-hop and R&B celebrities. During the week, Voorhees held its annual book fair featur-ing authors Wes Moore and Shiela Martina. Wes Moore was a featured speaker at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver and was named Crain‟s New York Business‟ “40 Under 40 Rising Stars” in 2009. He has been featured by The Oprah Winfrey Show, People magazine, USA Today, Essence, The View, Meet the Press, Charlie Rose, Tavis Smiley, and NPR, amongst others. Moore is committed to helping young people redirect their lives and supporting the parents, teachers, mentors and volunteers who care for and work with our
nation‟s youth. A portion of his proceeds from the sales of his book, “The Other Wes Moore,” are being donated to the U.S. Dream Academy and City Year. Shiela Martina recently wrote and published a children‟s book titled “Hannah and Dexter: The First Meeting.” She received a bachelor‟s de-gree from Claflin University and a master‟s degree from South Carolina State University. Mar-tina also received a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of South Carolina. Additionally, there were sever-al other local authors who partic-ipated in the annual book fair. National Library Week activi-ties were organized by Dr. Marie Martin, professor and librarian for the Wright/Potts library.
President Sellers autographed copies of his book, “The River of No Return.”
President Sellers speaks to elementary stu-dents about the importance of reading.
Author Shiela Martina interacts with elementary students.
Wes Moore with students at the annual book fair
Sister Souljah autographs books for assembly participants.
Students pose with author Sister Souljah following the assembly.
18 The Voorhees Voice
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New organization on cam-pus works in the communi-ty The Golden Touch Organiza-tion, which was organized by staff member Allicia Golden during the 2010-2011 academic year, has been aggressively working in communities to im-prove the lives of elders and young women. The organization‟s highlight project was a trip to the Car-riage House in Sumter, S.C., a home for those who have Alz-heimer's disease (AD). The goal of the organization is to better communities and build character, self-esteem and stronger womanhood in the lives of young ladies. “Our organization believes that every young lady is equal no matter the color, income sta-tus or environmental status,” said Allicia Golden, founder and adviser.
Voorhees now has PDF de-livery option for official transcripts Voorhees College now offers a secure electronic PDF delivery of official academic transcripts. These transcripts will be ready for secure electronic delivery for recipients within 24 business hours after receipt of the re-quest. For academic records prior to 1990, additional processing time is required; therefore, electronic delivery will be within 32 busi-ness hours. Normal processing time for postal mail and hold for pickup options is within five to seven business days. Voorhees College prohibits issuing transcripts to any stu-dent indebted to the college. For additional information, con-tact the Office of the Registrar at 803-780-1250.
Sellers to serve on SCICU executive committee The South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees recently elected Dr. Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr., president of Voorhees College, to serve on the executive committee as a member at large. In this role, Sellers will be re-sponsible for developing new ini-tiatives to secure additional fund-ing for students at independent colleges. “In these extremely difficult economic times, it is imperative that administrators find addition-al resources to assist students,” Sellers said. “When our students graduate from college, we do not want them to leave with a lot of debt.”
Voorhees and Rep. Bakari Sellers host shoe drive for Bamberg community Voorhees College, along with Representative Bakari T. Sellers, hosted a “Voorhees Got Sole” shoe drive for the Bamberg coun-ty area during the 2010-2011 aca-demic year. An assortment of shoe sizes for men, women and children were available at no charge to the com-munity. “During these harsh economic times, it is important for all of us to help out those who are less fortunate than we are,” said Rep. Sellers. “Through this great community effort, we were able to collect more than 250 pairs of shoes to donate to families in the Bamberg county area. I appreciate every-one who came out to support such a worthy cause.” The remaining shoes left were donated to the Salvation Army.
Voorhees receives $40,000 toward going “Green” In an effort to continually make the campus aware of the importance of eco-awareness and ways to increase environ-mental consciousness, Voor-hees College received two grants totaling $40,000 to as-sist with this initiative. Most recently, Voorhees re-ceived a Building Green Plan-ning Grant Award for $20,000 from the United Negro College Fund. The funds from this grant will enable Voorhees to develop additional green policy initiatives on campus and pro-vide measures to reduce energy consumption. Voorhees was among several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to re-ceive this grant including Howard University, Spelman College and Morehouse Col-lege. Voorhees was the only HBCU in South Carolina to receive funding from the grant. Voorhees also received a $20,000 technical assistance grant from the South Carolina Energy Office to conduct an energy assessment on 17 of its facilities and buildings on cam-pus. This grant was funded through the stimulus bill. “We understand the im-portance of taking steps to save our environment,” said Presi-dent Sellers. “With the funding from these grants, Voorhees will be able to implement new initiatives and continually make our stu-dents aware of the benefits to going green.”
The Voorhees Voice 19
Voorhees celebrates Founder’s Week with various events
F or the second consecutive year, Voorhees College hosted its annual President‟s Scholarship Gala in an effort to raise money toward scholarships for deserving students to attend the institution. On April 9, the Voorhees College family, along with donors, sponsors, and alumni, gath-ered once again at the Charleston Place Hotel in Charleston for the second annual President‟s Scholarship Gala. “Voorhees would like to thank all of our sup-porters for making our second annual gala spe-cial,” said President Sellers. “Your kindness and generosity will make it possible for students to receive a quality education at Voorhees.” The 2011 Keeper of the Flame Awardee was Trustee Emeritus Ralph W. Voorhees for con-tinuing his family‟s legacy of supporting Voor-hees College. Trustee Voorhees became a mem-ber of the Voorhees College Board of Trustees in 2007. Prior to the gala on Saturday, Voorhees had various activities to commemorate the 114th founding of the institution throughout the week. Some of those events included Founder‟s Day Convocation with guest speaker 1994 alumna Dr. Pamela M. Wilson, who recently became the 24th president of Allen University and the first woman to serve as president in the 141-year history of the institution. During her address, Wilson discussed the importance of determination, commitment and perseverance. She said that if you have these three characteristics, you will be successful af-ter leaving Voorhees. “You can get there from here,” Wilson said. “Use obstacles as learning tools and stepping stones to reach what you envision.” Additional activities included a play produc-tion titled “Who Moves the Shade-The Life of Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Menafee,” a panel discussion on Voorhees‟ founder and a research exhibit grand opening featuring various materi-als and documents surrounding the founder of the institution collected by Voorhees‟ archivist Richard Reid.
From left to right: First Lady Gwendolyn Sellers, President Sellers, ABL Educational
Enterprise representatives Mary Higginbotham and Felicia Murray
Above: President Sellers along with Jocelyn Blitz and Jane Voorhees, the daughter and
granddaughter of Trustee Emeritus Ralph Voorhees
Below: Carolyn Murray of WCBD-TV in Charleston was the mistress of ceremonies for
the gala.
20 The Voorhees Voice
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Photos:
1. President Sellers, Dr. Wilson and Dr. Carpenter, former executive vice president/academic dean, Diane Oberry, vice president for fiscal and administrative affairs, during Convocation
2. Members of the White Rose Social Club, Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Culture Club and the Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Players
3. Richard Reid, archivist, and student from Grambling State University during the research display grand opening
4. The Voorhees family participates in the solemn procession to Memorial Garden 5. Participants during the research display grand opening 6. Ulysses Williams, communications/drama coach at Voorhees, along with Dr. King Godwin and drama students of Grambling State University
The Voorhees Voice 21
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T he Voorhees College Lady Tigers won the As-sociation of Independent Institutions Champi-onship Tournament defeating the Talladega College Lady Tornadoes 65-52.
“I knew that we could do it,” said Edward Glover, head women‟s basketball coach. “I knew that if we stayed focus, we would take the championship home.” Voorhees held Talladega to 19 percent shooting from the field during the first half causing Talladega not to break into double digits until the 4:30 mark before half. The first half ended with Voorhees leading 34-17. Voorhees‟ top scorers for the game were Rashonda May-field with 16 points, Mary Cason with 13 points and Da-vieena Kemp with 10 points. Additionally, Rayshonda Mayfield was named the tournament‟s Most Outstanding Player. The Lady Tigers ended the season with an overall rec-ord of 25-7. They were undefeated at home with a record of 12-0. Additional achievements of the Lady Tigers include be-ing ranked one of the top five defensive teams in the coun-try.
President Sellers, along with the Voorhees College Lady Tigers and cheerleaders, celebrate after winning the Association of Independent Institutions Championship Tournament.
Above: The Lady Tigers in action jumping for the ball Below: Lady Tigers’ huddle up
22 The Voorhees Voice
NAIA rankings include number two in scoring margin, number three in total rebound margin, number five in scoring defense, number eight in total steals and number 10 in total rebound defense. Lady Tigers Rashonda Mayfield, Kierra Patterson and Mary Cason were named to the 2010-2011 Association of Inde-pendent Institutions All-Conference Se-cond Team. Head Coach Edward Glover said that he expects his team to continue next year with having an outstanding season. “What we did this season is what we expect to do every season, which is to win a championship,” Glover said. “So, we will enjoy this, but we know it‟s time to get to work on next season so that we can continually build this program.”
Rashonda Mayfield named MVP of the A.I.I. tournament
Above: Lady Tigers and Coach Glover receive awards after the tournament.
Below: Kierra Patterson (left) and Mary Cason (right) receive first-team honors.
The Voorhees Voice 23
Voorhees recognizes athletes for hard work during athletic banquet
Photos : 1. 2010-2011 cheerleading squad 2. 2010-2011 softball team with coach Tifanie Lewis 3. 2010-20111 male track team with coach Allicia Golden 4. Coach Adrian West with 2010-2011 volleyball team 5. Coach Adrian West with 2010-2011 baseball team award recipients 6. Coach Edward Glover with 2010-2011 women’s basketball team members 7. Coach Michael Cheaney with 2010-2011 men’s basketball team awardees
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24 The Voorhees Voice
Men’s basketball team looks to improve next season
Coach Glover recognized for accomplishments
The Voorhees College Men‟s Basketball Team is looking forward to the upcoming season to improve this past season‟s record of 16-16 ending the season at .500. Led by first-year head coach, Michael Cheaney, the Tigers were expecting to win both the conference and the coveted NAIA National Championship. Los-ing crucial games to Talladega College and the NAIA powerhouse Mountain State University de-terred that expectation. “The season could have been 10 times better if we were hungrier and more focused,” said Ryan Pickens, senior forward. Losing co-captains Antwan Carter and Antwon Allston, the Tigers are looking to the returners and a big recruiting class to fill the void. Tigers who will be returning include Sam Dotson, Garland McArthur, Brandon Coleman, Jeffrey Ev-ans, Andre Datcher, Willie Waters, Terrick Phillips, Tadavious Williams, Cyrus Green and Charles Jones. Coach Cheaney said that the team is very optimis-tic about next season. “We have majority of the team returning and some key additions will be made with new recruits coming in,” Cheaney said. Awards for the Tigers during last season include Garland McArthur being named to the 2010-2011 Association of Independent Institutions All-Conference First-Team and Antwon Carter being named to the 2010-2011 Association of Independent Institution All-Conference Second Team.
Above: Head Coach Michael Cheaney giving plays during a time out Below: Tigers at work on the court
After the completion of a successful season, Voorhees College Head Women‟s Basketball Coach Edward Glover was named the 2011 Asso-ciation of Independent Institutions Coach of the Year. “Receiving this individual award is a reflection of the team and pro-gram,” Glover said. “It just measures what the team has done overall.” Coach Glover completed his tenth season at Voorhees as the head coach. He said that he has en-joyed every minute of it. “It has been a blessing to do this
job, and I still have the desire after all these years to put in the time to be com-petitive.” Glover also received the 2011 Associ-ation of Independent Institutions Most Outstanding Tournament Coach after the Lady Tigers defeated Talladega College to win the Association of Inde-pendent Institutions Championship Tournament. The Lady Tigers com-pleted its season with an overall record of 27-7. Glover is a graduate of Claflin Uni-versity with a B.A. in sociology and South Carolina State University with an M.A. in rehabilitation counseling.
Coach Edward Glover
The Voorhees Voice 25
Changing Minds. Changing Lives. Voorhees family accomplishments
T he Voorhees College Board of Trustees unanimously ap-pointed Mary Ellen
Moule, Esq., as chairman of the board. Moule becomes the first woman to serve as board chair-person. Moule is an attorney and prac-tices in federal court in New York City. She earned her law degree at the Yale Law School in 2001, a master‟s degree in professional studies in African –American studies at Cornell University in 1995 and a bache-lor‟s degree from Williams Col-lege in 1991. Prior to entering the legal profession, she taught history in high school in Washington, D.C. Additionally, she taught courses in the College of Education at Oregon State University.
Voorhees College President Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr. was elected to serve as chairman of the Association of Episcopal Col-leges (AEC), the U.S. Chapter of the Colleges and Universities of the Anglican Communion (CUAC). CUAC is a worldwide associa-tion of more than 120 institu-tions of higher education that were founded by and retain ties to the churches of the Anglican Communion. The Episcopal
“I learned to love and respect Voorhees‟ mission at the knee of my grandfather, Matthew Gol-son, Class of 1940,” said Moule. “Since I began my service on the Board of Trustees four years ago, I have had the privilege to work with outgoing Chairman Dr. Donald L. Fowler and previ-ous Chairman Dr. Marshall Bass. I am honored to follow in their footsteps and to build on their commitment to Voorhees College. I look forward to working with Dr. Sellers and his dedicated staff as we face the challenges and develop strate-gies for educating the next gen-eration of Voorhees students.”
Sellers to serve as chairman of AEC
Colleges in the United States are Bard College, Clarkson College, Hobart and William Smith Col-leges, Kenyon College, St. Au-gustine College, Saint Au-gustine‟s College, Saint Paul‟s College, the University of the South and Voorhees College. As chairman of the Board of Directors, which is made up of all the presidents of the Episcopal Colleges, Sellers will be leading the colleges in developing new strategic initiatives for enabling
all these institutions to fulfill their public missions during the-se difficult financial times. “It is important for AEC to be committed to the vision of the churches,” Sellers said. “We will continually strive to alleviate poverty and injustice and work toward racial reconciliation and restorative justice.”
Voorhees welcomes first woman to serve as board chairperson
Mary Ellen Moule, Esq. Board Chairperson
26 The Voorhees Voice
Dr. Davis has SCSU’s building named in his
honor
S outh Carolina State Uni-versity (SCSU) recently dedicated the Leroy Da-vis Senior Research and
Science Complex to Dr. Leroy Davis, Sr., former president of SCSU and current executive di-rector for the Center of Excel-lence in Rural and Minority Health at Voorhees College. The new building is an annex to Hodge Hall. The complex houses the Department of Biolo-gy and Physical Sciences. From first serving as a full pro-fessor of biology to becoming the eighth president of the institu-tion serving from 1996 to 2002, Dr. Davis has contributed great-ly to the growth and develop-ment of SCSU. While at SCSU, he saw giving increase from $419,000 in 1996 to $2.1 million in 2001. The School of Business was accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and the university was reaccredited by the Southern As-sociation of Colleges and Schools. Additionally, he initiated a Bachelor of Science degree pro-gram in nuclear engineering. At Voorhees College, Dr. Davis has served as the executive direc-tor for the Center of Excellence in Rural Health.
With his leadership, Voorhees continues to investigate and combat health disparities in Bam-berg County by being the only historically black college in South Carolina with a Center of Excellence in Rural Health. Most recently, Dr. Davis spearheaded a completion pro-gram for the first cohort of health navigators to work in Bamberg County in an effort to prevent colorectal cancer by in-creasing access to colonoscopy screening. “Dr. Davis has accomplished much in his career and dedicated his talents to his alma mater South Carolina State University,” said President Sellers. “It is only fitting that this institution be-stows this honor to him with the dedication of the Leroy Davis Senior Research and Science Complex.” *South Carolina State University’s Web site (www.scsu.edu) was used as a reference for some information in the above article.
Dr. Davis cuts the ribbon to officially open the new building named in his honor
Dr. Davis addresses the crowd
Above: Dr. Davis and family at the ceremony Below: Dr. Sellers congratulates Dr. Davis on behalf of the Voorhees family
The Voorhees Voice 27
Branch is faculty of the year
T ywana Branch, assis-tant professor of psy-chology, received the 2011 South Carolina
Independent Colleges and Uni-versities (SCICU) Excellence in Teaching Award. Branch is currently in the dis-sertation writing phase of the Psychology Doctoral Program at Capella University. She received a Master of Education degree with distinctions in counseling psy-chology from Troy University, and she graduated from Voorhees College with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. She has taught in elementary, middle and high school sectors honing a variety of teaching skills,
which makes for a well-rounded teaching philosophy that she has brought to higher education for three years. Branch believes that intelligence is malleable and that each student learns differently. “As a facilitator of knowledge, I make content accessible to all stu-dents and give all students an equal opportunity to excel,” Branch said. Branch added the she broadens the psychology curriculum in the classroom to include the develop-ment of all intelligences and cele-brates the uniqueness and diversity of all students.
Bradford attends prestigious Poynter Institute
J ayme L. Bradford, mass communica-tions coordinator/assistant professor
at Voorhees College, was selected to participate in the 2011 Teaching Multi-media Journalism for
College Educators semi-nar in February at the prestigious Poynter Insti-tute for Advanced Jour-nalism Studies in St. Pe-tersburg, Fla. Twenty journalism edu-cators from across the
country were selected to participate in the week-long institute. Bradford was the only participant representing a historically black college. Al Tompkins, senior faculty for broadcast and online, served as the seminar leader. He is also one of Bradford‟s men-tors. “Everything I know about broadcast and online journalism, I learned from Al. He actually made us shoot video and edit multi-media packages,” said Bradford. “This information has been extremely useful in my Electronic News Gathering class. I don‟t like to be dependent on the textbook. I want to know firsthand what I am teaching about.” Bradford has been attending professional development seminars at the institute since interning in 1992 at the St. Petersburg Times, which is affiliated with the Poynter Institute. In 2001, she participated in a teaching fellowship at Indiana University, which was co-sponsored by Poynter, and she attended the Media Convergence for College Educators seminar in 2007.
Tywana Branch Faculty of the Year
Jayme Bradford, the first standing on the top row from the left, with other participants of the Poynter Institute seminar
28 The Voorhees Voice
Voorhees welcomes alumnus as admissions director
B enjamin Watson will focus on increasing the number of freshman, transfer and interna-
tional students in his new role as admissions director. “I have worked in admissions at other colleges, but there is noth-ing like being able to use your own personal story to help a young person realize what Voor-hees College has to offer,” said Watson. Prior to returning to Voorhees, Watson served as the assistant director of admissions at The Cit-adel since 2007. Since he arrived at The Citadel, the institution saw a record-breaking incoming freshman class each year. Currently, Watson is working to promote the Voorhees experi-ence to prospective students by taking advantage of social media outlets. Additionally, he hopes that current students, faculty, staff and alumni will assist him with getting the message out about Voorhees. “I look forward to working with the Voorhees College family to
initiate a campus-wide recruit-ment initiative.” Watson said. “Each student, graduate, faculty and staff member knows someone who needs the opportunity we provide at Voorhees College, and we need them to connect us to the people they know.” Watson, a native of Columbus, Ga., graduated from Voorhees with a degree in business admin-istration. He received his MBA from Claflin University in 2008. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and currently serves as the first vice president of the Voorhees College National Alumni Association. He is married to Valarie R. J. Watson, and they reside in North, S.C. President Sellers is looking for-ward to working with Watson, and said he knows that Watson will bring the experience that is needed to continually increase the number of new students. “Voorhees is fortunate to at-tract someone with a history of recruiting record-breaking fresh-man classes as Mr. Watson,”
Sellers said. “I know that he will help me meet my goal of in-creasing the student enrollment at Voorhees to 1200 students by 2013.” Voorhees has „rolling admis-sion,‟ meaning that students can apply for admission all year.
Voorhees hires program director for Male Mentorship Program
E ugene Smith was hired to serve as the pro-gram counselor for the African American Male
Mentorship Program. The purpose of the African American Male Mentorship Pro-gram is to increase retention, aca-demic performance and personal development of first generational African American males. Smith, who received his bache-lor‟s degree in sociology from Voorhees in 2003, is looking for-ward to motivating the young
men of Voorhees. “Some of the program aspects include faculty and peer mentor-ship, community service, financial literacy and tutoring,” Smith said. “I look forward to working with all of the mentors and mentees so that this program will be success-ful.” Since arriving at Voorhees, Smith already coordinated a freshman male recognition din-ner. During this event, Smith rec-ognized freshman males who re-ceived awards such as the highest
grade point average, mentee of the year and top student athlete. After receiving a bachelor‟s de-gree from Voorhees, Smith fur-thered his education by obtaining a Master of Education degree in counseling/psychology. Smith is currently working on a doctoral degree at Capella University in human services.
Benjamin Watson Admissions Director
The Voorhees Voice 29
Kelson becomes co-founder of a Christian publication
2010 alumnus Travis T. Kelson, along with his wife Ayanna Kel-son, are co-owners of a Christian publication, Renewed Magazine.
Renewed Magazine was first launched in November 2010, and it is based out of Hampton, Ga. The magazine is a quarterly
publication that strives to transform and empower the body, mind and spirit inspirationally.
Kelson, who received a Bachelor of Science degree in or-ganizational management from Voorhees, spoke highly of
his Voorhees experience. “Attending Voorhees was more than just getting an
education, it was an experience that helped build my very foundation as a person and helped me grow as
a professional,” Kelson said. “Obtaining my degree in organizational man-
agement has really helped me to organize our busi-ness. It also allows the world to see the finished product of
a Voorhees graduate on a global level. I am honored to be a Tiger.”
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Herbert L. Pittman, a 1984 graduate, completed the Defense Leadership and Management Program (DLAMP). He was one of 77 Department of Defense‟s senior civilian employees to graduate from DLAMP. Established in 1997 by the Department of Defense, DLAMP is the premier executive de-velopment program for senior defense civilians and a key component of the department‟s succession planning strategy. Pittman has a bachelor‟s degree in business administration from Voorhees College, a master‟s de-gree in business administration from Averett University, a masters‟ degree in public affairs from Indi-ana University, and a master‟s degree in strategic studies and national security strategy from the U.S. Army War College. He is an active member of the Kappa Epsilon Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the National Pan-Hellenic Council, and he is president of his homeowner‟s association. Additionally, Pittman is very active in his church participating in the church youth mentoring program for young men ages 10-18.
Pittman completes the Defense Leadership and Management
Program
Melton Gaines received the Outstanding Alumni of the Year award spon-sored by the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). He attended the awards ceremony in Birmingham, Ala. and New York City, N.Y. His picture will be placed in the Hall of Honors in Fairfax, Va. with other outstanding alumni, and it will later be moved to its new loca-tion at the UNCF headquarters in Washington, D.C. Additionally, Gaines was inducted in the National Alumni Hall of Fame during Homecoming 2010. Gaines graduated from Voorhees with honors in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in social studies and a minor in accounting.
Gaines receives alumni award from UNCF
30 The Voorhees Voice
Do You Know How Many Voorhees Graduates Currently Serve or For-merly Served as College Presidents?
Take a look...
Recent graduate Tyquan Par-ker was hired by Johnson and Johnson as a part of the compa-ny‟s initiative to recruit more African Americans. Parker, a 2011 graduate and native of Bennettsville, S.C., was selected to participate in the Information Technology Leadership Development Pro-gram (ITLDP). He will be relo-cating to Miami, Fla. during the summer for employment. Parker‟s responsibilities will include performing basic analy-sis, design, implementation and maintenance activities in Infor-mation Technology (IT) and assisting in conducting feasibil-ity studies and in the creation of solutions to IT problems. “This program is designed to take young, fast track leaders in
the world and mold them into managers,” Parker said. To be selected for the program, qualifications included the candi-dates having a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better, at least one year of work experience in IT, at least a bachelor‟s degree and demonstrating leadership skills, business acumen and tech-nical skills. Twenty-two-year-old Parker said he is blessed to have this op-portunity and thanks Voorhees for preparing him for this role. “Voorhees prepared me very well,” Parker said. “I owe every-thing that I have accomplished to Voorhees. I advise all students to take advantage of all the resources and opportunities Voorhees has to offer.” Parker added that he knows challenges will arise, but he feels that he will be able to overcome those challenges. “I feel that the most challenging part will be adapting to the Miami area and adjusting to the corporate environment.” Receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science, Parker was involved in various organiza-tions while a student including Honors College, Student Support Services Program, Mathematics and Computer Science Club and Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society.
Johnson receives master’s degree from Liberty
Parker lands job at Johnson & Johnson in Miami
Venus Johnson, a 2007 graduate of Voorhees, recently received a Mas-ter of Arts degree in human service counseling from Liberty Universi-ty. She had a concentration in marriage and family counseling. She currently serves as the morning radio personality and traffic pro-grammer at the campus radio station WVCD 790 AM.
Dr. Pamela Martin Wilson Allen University
February 2011-Present
Dr. Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr. Voorhees College
2008-Present
Dr. Prezell R. Robinson Saint Augustine‟s College
1967-1995
The Voorhees Voice 31
Dr. Sandra T. Thompson Florida Memorial University
Interim President August 2009-November 2010
1978 graduate serves as deputy director for DLA
Nate Robinson Sr., a 1978 graduate, cur-rently serves as deputy director for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) in Bat-tle Creek, Michigan. In this role, he manages and provides daily support to the directors for four core mis-sions: logistics data, logistics sys-tems, customer support/customer interaction center and infor-mation technology. He also approves U.S. posi-
tions to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Codifica-
tion System cataloging policy, data exchange standards, budget, strategy and systems moderniza-tion for potential use by 63 nations. Additionally, he assists the director with provid-ing leadership and oversight to 855 civilian employ-ees and 536 contractor support personnel.
Gardner receives master’s degree Rikita Gardner, a 2009 alumna, recently received a Master of Business Administration degree from Claflin University. Gardner is a resident of Sa-vannah, Ga., and she is current-ly employed by the Technical College of the Lowcountry as a financial aid specialist. She received a bachelor‟s de-gree in accounting, and she is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Columbia Alumni Chapter host planning meeting
The Columbia Alumni Chapter hosted the National Alumni Association planning meeting on April 2. The
purpose of the meeting was to finalize committees for the National Conference in Myrtle Beach, which was
held June 10-12, establish financial goals for the year and coordinate membership drives.
32 The Voorhees Voice
Voorhees College 2010-2011 Honor Roll of Donors
It is our intent to thank all donors for investing in the growth and development of Voorhees College. Your sup-
port is crucial as we strive for excellence and to become one of the premier undergraduate institutions in the
world. It will also enable us to attract the best and the brightest students and preserve the Voorhees legacy.
Care has been taken in the preparation of this report to assure complete and accurate recording. However, it is
possible for errors to occur; if such is the case, the Division of Institutional Advancement would appreciate
knowing as soon as possible.
This report includes gifts and contributions received July 1, 2010 – May 26, 2011. Thank you again for your
loyal support.
GIVING LEVELS 21st Century Society
$25,000 and Above
President’s Society
$15,000 - $24,999.99
Founder’s Society
$10,000 - $14,999.99
College Associates
$5,000 - $9,999.99
Ebenezer Forum
$3,000 - $4,999.99
Dean’s List
$1,000 - $2,999.99
Scholars’ Circle
$100 - $999.99
Donors’ Club
Less than $100
21st Century Society
$25,000 and Above Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society/
The Episcopal Church
Matthew A. & Johnnie Mae Golson
Tom Joyner Foundation
President’s Society
$15,000 - $24,999.99 UNCF, Inc.
Founder’s Society
$10,000 - $14,999.99 Alfonso Lamback
AT&T
Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC
James L. & Rosia Gardner
Jerome Geathers
College Associates
$5,000 - $9,999.99 Episcopal Diocese of S.C.
Milton M. Gaines
Otis Flicking Scholarship Fund
Patricia A. Golson
The Links, Inc./Jacksonville, FL
Mary Ellen Moule
Joseph T. Price
Nathaniel M. Robinson
S.C. Bank & Trust
Cleveland L. Sellers, Jr.
Ebenezer Forum
$3,000 - $4,999.99 Frazier Family Foundation
Union of Black Episcopalians/
DC Chapter
The Voorhees Voice 33
Dean’s List
$1,000 - $2,999.99 Billye S. Aaron
Theodore Anderson, Jr.
Association of Episcopal College
Atonement Episcopal
Bronx, NY Alumni Chapter
Zessie Chambless
JoAnn Coaxum
Leroy Davis
Denmark Alumni Chapter
Gloria J. Donald
Hezikiah Dority
Episcopal Church Women of Long Island
Donald L. Fowler
Franklin United Methodist Church
Richard C. Garrett
Norma N. Givens
Herman Gloster
Adolph Green
Clarence Grimes
William Hamilton, Jr.
Moses James, III
Taylor H. Johnson
Doris Matthews
Lillie G. Miller
Freddie Meyer
David G. Miller
Anthony J. Morley
Willie B. Owens
St. Claire P. Guess
Rita J. Robinson
Ronnie A Sabb
Savannah River Operations
D. L. Scurry Foundation
Joseph Lloyd Serling
Donald R. Small
George B. Thomas
Lassie L. Tobin
George Voorhees
James L. Weldon
W.C. Marshall Scholarship Fund
Scholars’ Circle
$100 - $999.99 Allen Anderson, Sr.
Alumni Funds
Eva Anderson
James H. Arrington
Hayward Barnwell
Leland & Adra Barrows
Marshall B. Bass
Kenneth Baxter, Sr.
Virginia K. Bell
Larry B. Benjamin
Beulah Grove Baptist Church
Samuel Blackwell
James D. Brabham
Bernie Breeland
Belita B. Broadus
Lewis H. Brown
Ruthy G. Brown
Sara M. Broxton
Nicholas Brumfield
John E. Brunson
Jonathan Burke
Eustace Burnett
Herbert Bynoe
Viola J. Caldwell
Santria Canzater
Carl A. Carpenter
Cynthia Carr
Charleston Alumni Chapter
Theodore Chaplin
Shelton Clark
Carl M. Cochran
Joan W. Cohen
Barbara Coleman
Elouise A. Coleman
Willie M. Cornelious
Charles M. Crump
Phala Daniel-Diggs
Courtney L. Davenport
Donella R. Davis
Bernice DeLoach
Benjamin Dent
Vivian Dicks
Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
Episcopal Diocese of Delaware
Bryan K. Dirke
Benjamin F. Dodd
Deloris N. Donaldson
34 The Voorhees Voice
Embassy Suites Hotel/Charleston, SC
Elias Etinge
Kenneth E. Evins
Kathleen L. Faust
Peggy S. Faust
Clarence Fennell
Gwendolyn J. Folk
Linda W. Foster
Joan C. Franks
Marvin Franks
Wilmer Freeman
Betty J. Funderburke
James Gallman
William W. Gardner, Jr.
Joe E. Gaskins
Alfonso Gibbs
Edna Glover
Albertine W. Grant
Janice Grant
Margo L. Grant
Polly B. Green
Catherine O. Griffin
Veronica G. Gromada
Willie Green
William F. Gunn, Jr.
Hartford Union of Black Episcopalians
Ervin E. Henderson
Andraea D. Herrin
F. Bruce Herrington
James E. Hicks, Jr.
Mary H. Houser
Doris A. Houston
Leonne M. Hudson
W. Michael Humbert
Marlene C. Ivanisko
Carrie James
Jefferson High Class of 1965
Willie & Lynda Jefferson
Richard C. Jenkins
Carolyn J. Johnson
Vermelle J. Johnson
Mary J. Jones
Samuel Jones
Dorothy D. Kennedy
Timothy Kentopp
Roy J. Kerlegan
Theodore R. Ladson
Marcel G. Lapierre
Deborah K. Lawrence
Connie T. Leverett
Robert Leverett
Allen M. Little
Karen Mack
Patricia G. Major
Eva O. Manigault
Charles Marshall
Hazel E. Martin
Marie S. Martin
Ruth R. Martin
Mamie H. Matthews
Henry & Corine Maynard
Freddie McCloud
Nancy McCormick
Jessie N. McCormick
Heyward L. McKie
Harriet P. McKnight
Michelle S. Meekins
Joseph O. Montgomery
Brooks P. Moore
Christine L. Moore
Theodore E. Moore
Willie L. Morell
Roger & Clara Moses
Mt. Zion Baptist Church/Denmark, SC
Lillian V. Mullino
Dane H. Murray
James Nimmons
Lillie Nimmons-Pough
V. Diane O’Berry
Gwendolyn A. Parker
Shirley M. Patterson
Geraldine S. Pinkney
Herbert L. Pittman
Elizabeth Pressley-Orr
Joseph T. Price
Province of Sewanee
Franklin D. Pryor
Deborah Rand
Jimmy L. Reaves
Christine Redish
Jessie R. Robinson
Lugenia Rochelle
Paul Russell
Alvin Sanders
Leamon Sanders
Johnnie Mae Sapp
John L. Scott
William Scott
Alfredia Session
Susie W. Sexton
The Voorhees Voice 35
Sarah R. Simpson
Chandra B. Singh
Betty L. Singleton
Danny Singleton
Evelyn M. Singleton
Kenneth Singleton
Peter L. Singleton
Raymond Singleton
Stephen N. Singleton
Kathleen G. Snype
Thelma Sojourner
St. John’s Episcopal Church
Blossie Stephens
Janet Dickerson Stephens
Wilson L. Steward
Beverly Stewart
Joy S. Streets
June D. Streets
Sandra Sweat
Loretta A. Taylor
Knox W. Tull
Curtis Tyler
Helen Tyler
J. D. Tyler
Michael Valentine
Voorhees Piedmont Alumni Chapter
Julia M. Walker
Pamela Walker
John L. Wallace
Elijah Washington
Benjamin O. Watson
Katherine Whitaker
Orlando H. White
Barbara Wiggins
Cecil Williams
Genice E. Williams
Clemmie M. Wilson
Michael S. Winters, Sr.
Mary Womble
Xiqiang Zheng
Donors’ Club
Less than $100 Sidney J. Alston
Sibyl Anderson
Ebony M. Armstrong
Dawn Atkins
Yolanda K. Bacon
Jamal L. Bailey
Catherine Bamberg
Nancy Bamberg-Rivers
Monae M. Barbee
Candis Barnes
Carla Barnwell
Gloria L. Barnwell
Patricia A. Bartell
Wayne Battle
Freddie M. Baxter
Sheila Beasley
Tanika Beard
Jonnie Bell
Bernard Bembry
Walter A. Bethune
Suman Bhatt
Rashell L. Blake
Thomas S. Blanton
Jenee S. Bolton
Jayme Bradford
Martha Bradley
Russell & Tywana C. Branch
Kimberly E. Brazell
Ella Breland
Eddie Brooks
Leslie Brooks
Beryle R. Browman
Britney N. Brown
Clarence R. Brown
Clarice Brown
Connie Brown
Latasha S. Brown
Monica A. Brown
Moses Brown
Nakeya S. Brown
Terrance A. Brown
Vanessa Brown
Latoya Brunson
La’Toya F. Brunson
Teesa Brunson
Arthur M. Butler
Jamelle Burroughs
Brandon Byrd
Alice Bryant
Celeste Bryant
Lenora J. Caldwell
Jeremiah Carter
Mary Cave
36 The Voorhees Voice
William T. Chandler
Michael Cheaney
James L. Cheatham
Tammy M. Childs
Jason D. Clarke
Betty Cobbs
Constance Colter-Brabham
Thomas L. Colleton
Hallie V. Conyers
Winifred Crosby
Cynthia M. Daniels
Jacqueline S. Davis
Larry Davis
Sandra Davis
Wiley M. Davis
John M. Dean
Helen R. Deas
Matilda Dargan
Erozi DaSilva
Gerald DeVaughn
Taichien Dickerson
Joseph A. Dingle
Diocese of Upper South Carolina
Bridgett Doctor
LaToya D. Dobson
Lena M. Dobson
Carla Donaldson
Evelyn Donaldson
Allen Dowling
Regina J. Durham
Joni Dye
Lawrence Edmonds, Jr.
LaToya M. Ephram
Oluwaseun Fakunmoju
Melina H. Favor
Leslie W. Floyd
Neyvonnda L. Flynn
Priscilla Ferrette
Audrey D. Funchess
Beverly Frazier
Gloria Frazier
Ann L. Freeman
Edwina N. Gadsden
Veronical Gadsden
Sha’ron A. Gaines
Vera M. Gaulden
Michael J. Gaynor
Jane H. Geiger
Lakeisha Germany
Brittany M. Gibson
Jackie Givens
Shantez S. Givens
Kelly J. Gladney
Lovette H. Glasgow
Lisa Gleaton
Jonathan A. Gloster
Sandra Gloster
Jonathan Goodman
Walter Goodson
Sharon R. Goodwin
Shane Gorham
Ashley C. Graham
Myra Grant
Shirley Green
William & Tamekia Green
Flossie C. Grundy
Feng Gu
LaShandra N. Hagood
Eartha Hammond
Paulina Hammond
Lori A. Hampton
Vernie L. Harney
Michael Harper
Oparebea Y. Harriott
James J. Harris
Marie S. Harrison
Doris Hickson
Eavon H. Hickson
Glover M. Hickson
Sherman R. Hickson
Robert Hill
LaJean M. Hogans
Julia C. Horne
Harry Howren
Wendy Hyland
Quinton A. Isaac
Rose Islar
Sherry C. Ivery
Melika Jackson
Merita J. Jackson
Talarria S. Jackson
Tamara Jackson
Freddie James
Omar M. James
Glenn L. Jeffcoat
Barbara A. Jefferson
The Voorhees Voice 37
Shirley R. Jefferson
Jade J. Jenkins
Veronica W. Jenkins
Vanessa R. Jennings
Latasha N. Joe
Justin S. Johnson
Bridgett Johnson-Doctor
Ira Johnson
Josephine E. Johnson
Yolanda D. Johnson
Desta B. Jones
Joseph Jones
Letha Hall Jones
Thomas H. Jones
Wanda J. Jones
Kendra S. Jordan
Y. W. Kinlaw
Cheryl Knight
Horace T. Lamback, Jr.
Osha D. Lane
Kyle S. Lawton
Gloria Lebby
Melvin Lewis
Tifanie Lewis
Rochelle R. Link
Courtney Livingston
Jasper Lloyd
Stacey L. Manigault
Bennie Manuel
Yvonne W. Manning
Hazel Martin
Lionell Martin
Tanya Martino
Rekha Mathur
Mecca Mays-Holman
Karmaine T. McClary
George McCray
Kelly A. McCray
Edward McMorris
Mary N. McTeer
Shirley A. Miller
Derwin C. Mitchell
Mark D. Mitchell
Ester Renee Moffitt
Barbara Moore
Wilhelmina S. Moore
Bernard Moses
Ebony V. Moses
Marie Myers
Edith M. Nimmons
Wanda Nimmons
Adrian L. Odom
Tekara M. Odom
Constance M. Paino
Latoyia N. Palmer
Mustafa Palmer
Natalie T. Pascoe
Nikita L. Patten
Eddie & Dorothy Patterson
Mark Paul
Arnold Pierce
Karey L. Poinsette
George Pondexter
Don Powell
Jason W. Powell
Connie Priester-Robinson
Bobby Priester
Keshia J. Priester
Taneka R. Priester
Georgia A. Prince
Keisha R. Prophet
Dwight S. Rabb
Maurice Ransom
Jamal J. Rasheed
Gregory Ray
Natalie Z. Raysor
Richard Reid
Willie Rice
Christine N. Richberg
Stephen Rifenburgh
Ella Risi
Ella M. Rivers
Nicole Rivers
Gwendolyn Robinson
Janay M. Robinson
Lorinda Robinson
P. Thomas Rogers
James A. Ross
Sandra Rouse
Ilean G. Rowe
Gloria A. Ruth
Carlette P. Sanders
Shakeya S. Sanders
Brenda Sabb
Gloria Savage
Aaron J. Shaw
38 The Voorhees Voice
Veronica Shaw
Harvey E. Shiver
Chandra Singh
Robin P. Sligh-Johnson
Angie T. Sims
Yvonne Singleton
Joshua E. Slaughter
Latrica V. Smalls
Ave-Marie Smith
Carolyn T. Smith
Carrie Smith
Grace E. Smith
Lionnell Q. Smith
Brenda Spellman
Derrick A. Spriggs
St. Barnabas Episcopal Church
Loretta Stackhouse
Brittiane Staton
Joseph Staton
Douglas L. Stephens
Joe Staton
Ketha Stokes
Stephanie Stokes
Jelani L. Stubbs
Lisa Stuckey
Curtiss Sumner
James Swinton
Keith Tarrant
Carla D. Taylor
Gwendolyn Timms
Cynthia Thompson
Alvin Tuck
Moriah Vaughn
Robert F. Voorhees
Shameeka L. Waiters
Trina N. Walker
April D. Ward
Inell Waring
Erica Washington
LaKeshia Watts
Adrian West
Pia S. West
Harold E. Whetstone
Teri Whetstone
Tamatha White
Jerrell M. Wilburn
Evonne Wiggins
Clair Williams
Cory G. Williams
Debra Williams
Deloris A. Williams
Dorothy F. Williams
Jarvis Williams
Myrtis D. Williams
Shampale F. Williams
Valrie Williams
Willie W. Williams
Ebony A. Wilson
Marvin Wilson
Dwight E. Womble
Earl Woodberry
Iris Woodson-Trapp
Julian A. Yarwood
5/26/2011
Thank you for
supporting our
education!
The Voorhees Voice 39
In Memory
Ruby Gilyard ‘71
Harold Grant ‘72
Jessie Jones Jr.
Ralph Eugene McMillian
Robert Elmore Steedly ‘58
Jerome M. Summers
Tonya Barnwell Thomas ‘97
Yolanda Wright Waring ‘89
Changing Minds. Changing Lives.
Alumni and Supporters…
Voorhees needs your help with contributing to a student‟s education at the institution.
Please continue to commit yourself to enabling more students to receive a quality educa-
tion. Donate NOW to Voorhees College.
You may donate online by visiting www.voorhees.edu/give or you may mail a check to the following address: Voorhees College Division of Institutional Advancement P.O. Box 678 Denmark, South Carolina 29042
For more information, contact the Division of Institutional Advancement at (803) 780-1191 or visit Voorhees online at www.voorhees.edu.
40 The Voorhees Voice
SPECIAL NOTICE TO ALUMNI AND FRIENDS
FROM: OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
TO: VOORHEES COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
RE: THE VOORHEES VOICE MAGAZINE
The Voorhees Voice magazine will continually be published twice an academic year; however, due to the
downturn in the economy and fiscal restraints, the Office of Communications can no longer provide free
copies of the magazine to the thousands of alumni and friends we serve. As a courtesy, we will post portions
of the magazine on the college Web site.
Please visit www.voorhees.edu for more information.
If you would like to continue receiving a hardcopy of The Voorhees Voice, we encourage you to contact us
and subscribe to the magazine for only $30 a year. Your subscription will help us reduce costs and continue
to provide you with a quality college magazine to enjoy to keep you updated on events happening at Voor-
hees!
To subscribe to The Voorhees Voice Magazine, please mail a check or money order in the amount of $30 to:
Office of Communications
P.O. Box 678
Denmark, SC 29042
Attn: Voorhees Voice Annual Subscription
You can also visit us online at www.voorhees.edu/give to make your payment. You will receive a copy of
the magazine twice an academic year.
NOTE: Be sure to indicate that your payment is for your subscription to The Voorhees Voice magazine.
Office of Communications
Booker T. Washington Building
803-780-1194
Voorhees College Division of Institutional Advancement P.O. Box 678 Denmark, SC 29042
Changing Minds. Changing Lives.
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