Wofford College

Caroline Adams '27 was "brought up raising green beans, corn and cattle." Seems simple enough. Her platform with Future Farmers of America and her plan for the future, however, are anything but. Adams '27, an environmental studies major from Lake Wylie, South Carolina, grew up in a farming family. Her grandparents owned a small beef cattle farm. Her aunt owned a large turkey farm, and some of Adams' earliest photos include her holding baby animals. She took agriculture classes in middle school and became involved in the Future Farmers of American through those. She won an FFA regional tournament for creed speaking and became president of her high school chapter during her senior year. She served as statewide president during her first year at Wofford. "My grandfather introduced me to agriculture," says Adams. "When his health started to decline, and he didn't have insurance to deal with early onset dementia, our family had to sell the cows and equipment. Small family farms often fail because of medical emergencies and health care costs. I want to change that."

Wofford College awarded 421 baccalaureate degrees during its 170th Commencement Exercises on Sunday, May 19. The Hon. Costa Pleicones, a 1965 Wofford graduate, member of the college's board of trustees and retired chief justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court, delivered the keynote address to the Class of 2024. "The capacity to communicate, to create, to think and to adapt are the hallmarks of the liberally educated person," Pleicones says. "These are the skills and capacities Wofford has instilled in you." During the ceremony in the Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium, the college conferred honorary degrees to three individuals: Betty James Montgomery, Dr. Daniel Baker Morrison Jr. '75 and Tony L. Thomas. Special teaching awards were presented to Dr. Kimberly Hall, associate professor of English, and Dr. Natalie Spivey, associate professor and chair of the Department of Biology. Hall received the Philip Covington Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Humanities and Social Sciences. Spivey received the Roger Milliken Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Science. The college presented the prestigious Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards to Jack Galbraith (student recipient) and Craig Burnett '68 (non-student recipient). The student recipient of the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award was Arnise Wright. The non-student recipient was Ruth Littlejohn.

Becca Watson '24 arrived at Wofford College with her sights set on becoming an attorney. During the first week of her college journey, Becca, a government major from Chesnee, South Carolina, joined Wofford's Launch Program. Through the program, she gained insights that broadened her business knowledge and started her on a path to becoming a fourth-generation owner of Watson's Furniture, her family's 72-year-old furniture store in Chesnee.

Thirty Wofford College students and recent graduates were inducted as members-in-course during the college's Phi Beta Kappa ceremony on Thursday, April 18, in Leonard Auditorium, Main Building. Students are normally considered for election to Wofford's Phi Beta Kappa chapter after they have earned 100 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.6. Election is not automatic. Resident members of the chapter consider scholarship, character, intellectual curiosity, creative thinking, diversity of academic interests and pursuits, and other factors in the election process. The chapter may elect only 10% of a graduating class in any one year.

Thirty Wofford College students and recent graduates were inducted as members-in-course during the college's Phi Beta Kappa ceremony on Thursday, April 18, in Leonard Auditorium, Main Building. Students are normally considered for election to Wofford's Phi Beta Kappa chapter after they have earned 100 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.6. Election is not automatic. Resident members of the chapter consider scholarship, character, intellectual curiosity, creative thinking, diversity of academic interests and pursuits, and other factors in the election process. The chapter may elect only 10% of a graduating class in any one year.

Thirty Wofford College students and recent graduates were initiated as members-in-course during the college's Phi Beta Kappa ceremony on Thursday, April 18, in Leonard Auditorium, Main Building. Students are normally considered for election to Wofford's Phi Beta Kappa chapter after they have earned 100 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.6. Election is not automatic. Resident members of the chapter consider scholarship, character, intellectual curiosity, creative thinking, diversity of academic interests and pursuits, and other factors in the election process. The chapter may elect only 10% of a graduating class in any one year.

Three Wofford College students are leading women's health outreach on campus and in the surrounding community. Madelyn Wilson '25, Gabby Gecan '25 and Mary Charles Burke '25 have founded the Wofford Women's Health Coalition with the aim of combining education and awareness on women's health topics with monthly service opportunities in Spartanburg, South Carolina. "We needed a space where we can talk about women's health, benefit the community and promote education," says Wilson, a psychology and Spanish major from Apex, North Carolina, who is serving as the coalition's co-president.

Tiana Kidd '25, a biology and physics double major from Greenwood, South Carolina, has been selected as Wofford's 2024-25 Presidential International Scholar. Kidd, the 40th recipient of the scholarship, hopes to journey to Cameroon, Ghana and Morocco, where she hopes to conduct research for her project "Beyond Aesthetics: Exploring Fashion as Identity."

Alexis DeLoach '25 won the Outstanding Oral Presentation Award in Cell and Molecular Biology at the Association of Southeastern Biologists 85th annual meeting held March 20-23 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. DeLoach led a research team that included Sebastian Sisk '24, a biology major from Inman, South Carolina, and alumnus Daiven Sharma '24. She presented evidence for the phosphate-dependent control of symbiont cell division in the model anemone Exaiptasia diaphana.

This week, Connelly, the founder of Non Disclosure Apparel, a bra company based in Charleston, South Carolina, returned to campus to share her experience with students. Connelly is serving as Wofford's entrepreneur in residence for the week as part of The Entrepreneurial Mindset Interim course. She's giving lectures, working with students individually and in groups on their startup ideas, helping them prepare to pitch those ideas and more. "Becky is a dynamic, passionate and seasoned entrepreneur," says Sarah Butler, manager of Wofford's Launch Program in the Career Center in the Mungo Exchange, who is teaching the course. "With her knowledge and experience, I knew our students would enjoy and benefit from having her here."

Charles Beltz '25 wasn't thinking of himself when he decided to take the plunge during Interim. "I took this course because I might have kids one day and I want to be able to save them if they have a near-drowning experience," says Beltz, a biology major from Inman, South Carolina. "I swam in the deep end for the first time. I could barely float when I started." The Learn to Swim course, guided by Drs. Kim Rostan and Grace Schwartz, aims to teach students basic water safety and swimming skills. Students also are learning about the history and cultural significance of the favorite recreational pastime. They're also studying the societal barriers that contribute to an alarming rate of people who are unable to swim the length of a pool, a statistic that affects more than one-third of adults in the U.S., according to the USA Swimming Foundation.

Mary-Patterson Suggs '24 knows how difficult it can be for students lacking clinical experience to choose career specialties in health care. For that reason, Suggs, a biology major on the pre-med track from Charleston, South Carolina, picked Clinical Internship in Medicine as the final Interim course of her Wofford career. "I'm a senior and have some pretty big decisions coming up," Suggs says. "I wanted to challenge myself and explore at least some of the options out there. Interim is such a special tradition and, this being my last one, I wanted to make the most of it."

Maggie Genoble '24 dives into complex ideas about the modern dilemma of bodily awareness in the digital age in her exhibition "Touchy Subjects." The exhibition is on display through Feb. 28 in the Richardson Family Art Gallery. Genoble, the 2023-24 Whetsell Fellow, will give an artist talk at 6 p.m. on Feb. 22 in the gallery. The exhibition and the talk are free and open to the public. Each year, the Whetsell Fellowship is given to a student-artist to provide mentorship and funding for a personal project. Genoble, an art history and studio art double major from Jonesville, South Carolina, took inspiration for her sculpture exhibit from Donna J. Harraway's book "A Cyborg Manifesto," which explores ideas of feminism and materialism through the lens of technology, as well as an interwoven connection between nature and machine.

Before taking the For the Love of Coffee course during Interim, iced lattes from a national chain were the be-all, end-all for Sarah Greenlee '24. Greenlee, an international affairs and Spanish double major from Spartanburg, South Carolina, and her group scored the top prize in the class' brewing competition. "My palate matured to enjoying many flavor notes and roast styles," Greenlee says. "It was incredible to explore the range coffee has and the community it brings." Caroline Doss '24, an English and Spanish double major from Greensboro, North Carolina, echoed the fascination with the social and cultural impact of coffee, and wouldn't have experienced her last Interim any other way. "This class has been the best start to my last semester at Wofford," Doss says. "I tried unique coffee with interesting flavors from all around the world, and I loved showcasing our new brewing skills at the community coffee exhibition."

Julia Richardson '24 followed her fascination for religious traditions to Vietnam in January. In the Land of the Blue Dragon, Richardson, a Chinese, philosophy and religious studies major from Moore, South Carolina, found inspiration for her future academic pursuits. "I plan on pursuing a Ph.D. in Buddhist studies, and I have research interests surrounding Buddhism in the contemporary world," Richardson says. "The temples I saw and experienced in Vietnam strengthened these interests."

Wofford students escaped a serial killer and saved Boss from Professor F. Urman during Interim. The two adventures were part of the Breakout Games course. Taught by Dr. Jenny Bem, associate professor of accounting, and Dr. Amanda Olsen, associate professor of accounting, the course was designed to help participants sharpen their critical thinking and teamwork skills through breakout games and escape rooms. "Each class, we would work on logic problems to push our brains," Bem says. "We also visited some escape rooms to challenge ourselves and put those skills to use." For their final project, students created their own escape rooms in Olin Building and invited their peers to try to break out of them.

Kaitlyn McCoy '26 didn't just study ancient Egyptian history in January. She lived it. McCoy was part of the Egypt: Temples, Tombs and Ancient Egyptian Religion course. The study abroad opportunity was part of a pilot program offering departmental courses during Interim. The course was taught by Dr. Jessica Tomkins, assistant professor of history, and counted as a general education course. "We learned about the gods that were worshipped, the kings who served and the architecture built in honor of the kings and gods at the time," says McCoy, a biology major from Greensboro, North Carolina. "What was so unique about this experience was having the opportunity to learn about a specific temple or tomb of a king while standing inside it."

Wofford College will host students from 16 colleges and universities on Feb. 24-25 as they compete in an American Mock Trial Association Regional Tournament. This is the second year Wofford has hosted the regional. The competition was held on campus last year. This year, the opening and closing ceremonies will be held in Leonard Auditorium, but the competitions will move to the newly-opened Spartanburg County Courthouse. Teams from Berry College, College of Charleston, Duke University, East Tennessee State, Florida State University, Georgia College and State University, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, LaGrange College, New College of Florida, Spelman College, the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia, the University of South Carolina, the University of South Carolina Upstate and Western Carolina University will compete in the regional. Wofford will not compete this year.

Wofford College provost Dr. Timothy Schmitz has announced Dean's List students for the fall 2023 semester.

The Southern Guards Battalion Army Reserve Officers Training Corps held its annual tribute on Saturday, Nov. 18, commemorating the 101 Wofford College students or alumni who have fallen in combat since World War I. As the morning sun rose above the treetops, cadets gathered in front of the Charles E. Daniel Building and read aloud the names. Jason Kellinger '24, an international affairs major from Calne, England, played "Taps" on a trumpet to conclude the brief but somber ceremony.

Emmy Monteverde '24 is making the most of her last time around with Wofford's Pulp Theatre Interim. In addition to serving as assistant director and set designer, Monteverde, a theatre and English double major from Easley, South Carolina, plays the role of Joshua, an associate pastor, in the group's production of Lucas Hnath's "The Christians." As the only senior in the course this year, she's also taken on an extra leadership role.

There's one message Dr. Begona Caballero-Garcia shares with all of her students. "People shouldn't be valued based on their job, title, wealth or position. Their value is determined by how they make other people feel," says Caballero-Garcia, a Spanish professor at Wofford and 2023 recipient of the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities' Excellence in Teaching award. Caballero-Garcia and Diana Farfan Valente, a sculptor and ceramics instructor at Wofford, put this principle into practice on Wednesday, Nov. 29, by honoring a few of the college's unsung heroes - its Latina housekeepers. The group was recognized at an event showcasing the works of 10 talented female artists and writers from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Three Wofford College students have been recognized for their service to the campus and local communities. Taylor Fuller '24, a biology and sociology and anthropology double major from Roebuck, South Carolina; Ashley Manigault '24, a French and psychology double major from Charleston, South Carolina; and MauriAnna Richardson '25, a chemistry major from Columbia, South Carolina, have earned the Penny Koger Memorial Scholarship. They were honored during the Black Alumni Summit held during Homecoming. Fuller also earned the inaugural Harold Mitchell Jr. and Marlon Hunter ReGenesis Healthcare Undergraduate Scholarship for students pursuing studies in health care-related fields at a four-year college or university in South Carolina. In addition, Nadia Ferguson '25, a chemistry major from Spartanburg, received the 1854 Heritage Fund award.

A childhood love for performance art led Audrey Buffington '24, a theatre major and business and film and digital media minor from Greenville, South Carolina, to make a short film about her experience. The film, "Love Letter to SCNPF," recently earned first place in the AWE College Student Film Competition at the Tryon International Film Festival. "My dream, as long as I can remember, has been to perform, and I've pursued that in every possible way," Buffington says. "I've always been told I have to leave and go somewhere else. Then this festival showed up and said we have opportunities right here."

Sugar plus spice equaled a winning recipe for Heide Woodworth and her daughter, Colette, in the Department of Mathematics' annual dessert competition. Heide, administrative assistant for math and computer science, and Colette took top honors with a three-layer cake topped with a gingerbread house and copious amounts of frosting. "It was unexpected, and I'm honored to have won the competition," Woodworth says. "I had a vision in my head and a lot of spices around the house, so I looked up a recipe that could use those."

Evan Bergman, visiting assistant professor of theatre, has been working with a cast of 12 and crew of 14 to make the town of "Almost, Maine" come to life on a Wofford stage. "Almost, Maine" is a magical realism production that plays on the complexity of relationships. There are eight separate scenes, each focusing on a different storyline and all dealing with relationships in the fictional town of Almost.

Maggie Genoble '24 is going big with her upcoming solo exhibition in the Richardson Family Art Gallery, taking on the theme of technology and its connection to the human body and society. The 2023 Whetsell Fellow from Jonesville, South Carolina, spent her summer working on numerous mixed media pieces, from etched computer screens to silicone molds of body parts. "During my summer research, I began diving into readings about the posthuman body - the cyborg - and what that means for identity," says Genoble, who is majoring in art history and studio art.

Promise Henry '25 knew she didn't want to pursue a traditional internship in finance at a bank to gain experience in the financial field. "I have an interest in higher education," says Henry '25, a double major in finance and accounting with a minor in education from Cowpens, South Carolina. "I thought it would be best for me to reach out to one of the finance professors here at Wofford to see what things look like in academia." Henry contacted Josh Harris '09, visiting assistant professor of finance, and Harris introduced Henry to a long-term project that explores the impact of self-esteem in personal finance.

Maya Gentilin '24 was hoping for a passing grade for the short film she helped create as a final project for a Spanish cinema course she took while studying abroad in Granada, Spain during the 2022-23 academic year. She got that, and much more. Gentilin's film "Lost Time" was selected as one of three finalists in the IES Abroad Film Festival. Gentilin, a Spanish and art history double major from Charleston, South Carolina, attended the festival Oct. 11-13 in Chicago. She was Wofford's first finalist in the annual film festival.

Laila Villeda '26 is accustomed to being a trailblazer in her family. Not only is Villeda the first in her family to go to college. The finance major from Cumming, Georgia, also is the first to graduate from high school. "For my parents to not even have finished middle school, me going to a four-year college is unheard of," says Villeda. "I am so happy to be paving the way for my family, and to be able to help others like me." Villeda and 25 other first-generation students were the first inductees into Wofford's Theta Omicron Chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha on Nov. 8. Students with a minimum 3.2 GPA and at least 30 earned credit hours are eligible for induction into the honor society for first-gen students. Tri-Alpha was founded in 2018 at Moravian University.