1988
Theresa Ferguson Rogers is a nurse manager in endoscopy for the Spartanburg Regional Outpatient Center and the Mary Black Campus. She gets to share her passion for nursing and hands-on patient care with her daughter, Tyler Rogers ’19, who has also found a career in nursing. They are one of several mother-daughter duos who work together at Spartanburg Regional and bond over their love of nursing.
1989
John Everett Robinson is a Realtor in the Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, area and is a past president of the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors. He is also a member of the Golfweek Amateur Tour and competes in amateur golf tournaments around the country.
1994
C. Scott Tripp is a mortgage banker at South State Bank, with expertise in first-time homebuyer loans, government home loan payments, lot loans, and construction loans. He enjoys being outdoors for a run or on the range.
1997
Edria Rowland Emory got married on May 28, 2011, and now has an 11-year-old son. She works for a nonprofit.
Robert (Bobby) Logan Wilder III has run 25 consecutive Boston Marathons since graduating from USC Upstate. He has run a total of 48 marathons in 12 states. Bobby has been working for the Assessor’s Office in Horry County, South Carolina, for three years.
2002
Robert Taylor Reid graduated from Duke University School of Nursing in May 2023 with a postgraduate degree in family practice nursing.
2003
Rory Joseph Scovel is currently on a national comedy tour and has a new series on Max.
2004
Natasha Nesbitt Pitts developed her passion for serving the community while working for the city of Spartanburg after graduating from USC Upstate. She spent 17 years working for the city in various roles, overseeing minority business development and, later, equity and inclusion. She currently serves at the vice president of diversity and economic inclusion at the Greenville Chanber of Commerce.
2008
Krish Vijay Patel (Photo) is the founder and CEO of KVP Inc., a private equity management and real estate development firm. He also is a member of the Entrepreneurs Organization and Young Presidents' Organization. Patel serves on the board of directors for Urban League of the Upstate, the advisory board for United Community Bank and the city of Greenville's Board of Zoning Appeals. "I love being an entrepreneur. I love creating opportunities for other like-minded individuals," Krish says. "The other think I'm really proud of when I think of small business and entrepreneurship is the impact of creating communities along the way. To me, community is everything."
2009
La Tonya Evonne White is a proud graduate of USC Upstate's Mary Black College of Nursing. Since her graduation, she has been living in Columbia and has completed her master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing with an emphasis in nursing administration. She currently serves as a hospitalist at Dorn VA Medical Center. She was recently awarded the Secretary's Award for Excellence in Nursing in the expanded RN role category. This is the highest nursing honor in the VA.
2011
Danielle Monique Harris is working full time while attending nurse practitioner school. She will graduate in the summer of 2025.
Shameeka Juanet Spann published her first children's book in December 2021, titled "Super Girl Azalee.”
Ivey Gregory Vaughan was married in October 2023 to Christopher Vaughn. They are expecting their first child in June 2024.
2013
Larry Dale McCrum Jr. has recently taken a new job as middle school principal at Bob Jones Academy. Prior to that, he taught at Bryson Middle School and then at Bob Jones Academy as the learning resource teacher for ninth-12th grade, as well as serving as the LRC coordinator for K-12th grade. He credits his degree in special education from USC Upstate with preparing him to be an advocate for teachers and students.
Trent Douglas Randles recently spoke at the 48th Industry and Education Collaboration Conference hosted by the American Society for Engineering Education. He states it was a great opportunity to share insights about running co-op programs from an industry perspective, to hear from leaders of co-op programs in both academia and industry, and to facilitate discussions about the challenges both sides face. He has also recently been elected as a board member of the executive committee of the Cooperative and Experiential Education Division of the American Society for Engineering Education.
2014
Joshua Emmitt Durham has a new job as a banker at Bank of America.
Daniel K. Francis started a new job on Nov. 29, 2023, as the interim director of student engagement at Spartanburg Community College. As a student at USC Upstate, Daniel says he was surrounded by great student leaders and mentors across campus. He says being involved in various clubs sparked a love for helping students, which turned into a lifelong career. At SCC, he has the opportunity to serve local students and help them feel connected to the college.
Casey Earl Frick credits USC Upstate and his biology degree, along with his work experience as a medical scribe, with giving him the skills to succeed in his current role as global study manager at Labcorp Central Lab Services.
2015
Kayla Rose Underdahl says USC Upstate's nursing program gave her the foundation to start her nursing career. She is nine years into her career, often works as a charge nurse on her unit, frequently trains new hires, and serves as a professional role model to her peers.
Benjamin (Ben) Eugene Womick is currently teaching a course for the Johnson College of Business and Economics.
2016
Ellen Bright Borland married Tyler Borland in June 2019. She received her Master of Education in May 2020 and was promoted from teacher to assistant principal in August 2020. She earned her educational specialist degree in May 2022. In April 2022, she gave birth to her daughter Sutton. She is hoping to complete her doctoral degree by August 2024. She credits the mentorship of several professors and coaches for her maturity and strong character.
2017
Khadijah D'Onna Kerri Cooke is the lead consultant of Essential Designs, which supports project planning, market analysis, web content writing, and improvement of customer service practices and processes for small businesses.
Kelsey Cobb DeLeon was married in May 2023.
Madison Duncan Goretoy was married in 2015 and is currently pregnant with their second child. She is also applying to graduate schools to get her master’s in forensic psychology. She wants to work as either a forensic child welfare case manager or a forensic investigator. Her dream is to get a job in the CIA and move farther north.
Nia Thomas Payne announced her candidacy for Greenville County Council this spring. Nia is a volunteer at the South Carolina Native Plant Society and is passionate about preserving and protecting the native plants and habitats in South Carolina. She is also fluent in three languages and is starting a career in environment, health and safety focusing on industry pollution control and water treatment.
Tess Ellis Russell received an associate degree in American Sign Language from Spartanburg Community College. She then came to USC Upstate, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication. After leaving USC Upstate, she earned a Bachelor of Science in education from Valdosta State University in 2022. She now serves as an education sign language interpreter in the Cobb County School District in Atlanta, Georgia.
Alexis (Lexi) Shubert Wilson was married in July 2020 and gave birth to her first child in March 2023.
2018
Danielle Louise Cassells will soon be an attorney in the state of Alabama. She credits her USC Upstate experience for preparing her for law school, and appreciates the help she received from a political science professor who went to law school and served as her mentor.
Myra Jasmine Covington gave birth to a baby girl, Amina, in December 2021.She also works as an office manager at the University of South Carolina. She credits the knowledge and skills she learned at USC Upstate with giving her confidence in the workplace.
Ludovic H. Nkoth, a Cameroon-born, New York-based figurative painter, was recently the inaugural recipient of a residency run by Académie des Beaux-Arts and Cité internationale des arts in Paris. In October 2023, Nkoth presented a series of new works at Le Corbusier's Maison La Roche, becoming the second living artist in the villa's history to exhibit there. He was also among a group of artists invited by Christian Dior to customize their Lady Dior bag with their art. He was recently named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list.
Alana Kummer Ray moved to Hawaii for two years after graduating from USC Upstate. She has recently moved back to South Carolina and now has a job at USC Upstate as an admissions counselor.
2019
Alexis McAllister Aiken married Kameron Aiken in February 2021. They now have two children, Kannon and Eliana.
Drake Reeves DelosSantos works at Midlands Technical College in Columbia, South Carolina, as public relations manager. He also works part-time on the weekends at WIS-10, the local NBC affiliate.
Tyler Jordan Rogers is a nurse at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. Her mother, Theresa Ferguson Rogers ’88, is also a nurse in the Spartanburg Regional system.
Andriana Velichko is now a sixth-grade science teacher for Spartanburg District 2 schools.
2020
Aidan Gabriel Dingler is a communications coordinator for Purpose Financial. He was married in September 2023 to Abigail Shackley, also a graduate of USC Upstate.
Brooke Rebecca Graydon is currently managing five accounts as a marketing coordinator and graphic designer. She also does social media management for all five companies.
Robert Gene Harris received a master’s degree in management and leadership from Western Governor's University in December 2023.
Kacie Manning Jackson was married in 2020, following her graduation from USC Upstate. She had her first child in October of 2021 and her second child in May of 2023. She has led two North Dakota statewide social services-related programs for individuals with mental health or behavioral health disorders. She attributes the child advocacy studies program at USC Upstate for giving her the knowledge and passion for her field.
2021
Erin Lee Greeley was married on Nov. 12, 2022, to Douglas Greeley III, her former classmate at USC Upstate. They met in chemistry lab.
Julian Cal Rip received his Master of Science in exercise and sport science from USC Upstate in December 2023, and began a new job as a strength and conditioning coach for the Atlanta Braves.
La'Kenya Dawkins Young recently celebrated her one-year work anniversary with the United Way of the Piedmont, as well as her sixth wedding anniversary.
2022
Kayla Morgan Hall was recently accepted off the waitlist of the University of Georgia for veterinary school. She also works at a veterinary clinic.
2023
Seth Campbell was married in August 2023.
Samantha Marie Cappatt was hired by Sherman College of Chiropractic as an admissions counselor just before she graduated from USC Upstate in spring of 2023. She says se could not have succeeded in her role without the support she received while at USC Upstate.
Zuri Marquaye Chancler had a baby boy in June 2023.
Steven Weston Hiott IV received the Outstanding Nonprofit Administration Student Award for the Interdisciplinary Student Awards.
You Can Go Home Again
Four USC Upstate alums shared their professional insights with the public relations class taught by senior instructor Allison Lane, at left. Alex Love ’17, a reporter at KCTV in Kansas City, Missouri, appeared via Teams, while Samantha Swann ’18, a reporter for the Spartanburg Herald Journal; Garrett Mitchell ’17, a reporter for the Woodruff Times; and Drake DelosSantos ’19, at right, public relations manager at Midlands Technical College in Columbia, all visited in person.