Carter Lacy and Bethany Milby, students in the 91福利社 College of Arts and Sciences, have been rehearsing for this year鈥檚 Dancing for Our Heroes event on behalf of HOPE Missions. It鈥檚 a cause that鈥檚 close to their hearts.

HOPE Missions exists to feed the hungry, provide clothing and shelter, empower and equip by showing each the love of Christ.

鈥淲e serve folks here in Anderson who are experiencing homelessness,鈥� said Jennifer Pray, who serves on the HOPE Missions Board of Directors. 鈥淲e serve breakfast six days a week, help connect our guests to community resources and provide cold weather emergency overnight shelter as well.鈥�

Dancing for Our Heroes, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Greater Anderson, takes place on April 20, 2023. In the event, patterned after the popular 鈥淒ancing with the Stars鈥� TV show, dancers representing several community causes perform a choreographed dance for a panel of judges. While it鈥檚 a competition and a winner is declared, anyone can win the People鈥檚 Choice Award by raising the most money for their organization.

Lacy and Milby, who have spent a lot of hours serving at HOPE Missions, were approached about dancing for the event. Since agreeing to take it on, they鈥檝e been rehearsing their moves in preparation for Dancing for Our Heroes.

鈥淲e鈥檙e doing a Cha Cha,鈥� said Milby, a junior from Greer who is a Human Development and Family Studies major with a double minor in Spanish and Sociology. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be fun, silly, funny and entertaining.鈥�

As a young girl Milby took dance classes, but has been away from dancing for a while. She and Lacy appreciate the chance to practice at the Anderson School of Dance with choreographer Anna Giles.

Lacy admits to being initially nervous when he started to rehearse, but Giles put him quickly at ease.

鈥淥ur choreographer just told us that everyone鈥檚 pretty bad when they start鈥� she鈥檚 been really helpful,鈥� he said.

HOPE Missions is aptly named, because they are there to give hope to those who need it the most. HOPE Missions CEO Dave Phillips says that since the organization was established in 2020, the number of people they serve has doubled.

For Lacy and Milby, volunteering at HOPE Missions is about more than just serving food to people who come in, then cleaning up afterwards.

鈥淚 go in the mornings and we give coffee and breakfast to the guests, then I usually just sit down, hang out with them and talk, play cornhole, shoot basketball鈥攊t鈥檚 all about the relationships,鈥� Milby said.

鈥淪he knows all their names. For someone so young I鈥檓 just so impressed by her heart for these people but also the ease with which she converses with them,鈥� Pray said.

鈥淯sually when I get there, I talk with people and wash dishes,鈥� said Lacy, who started volunteering at HOPE Missions the second semester of his freshman year. 鈥淚 feel like the environment is awesome, just a laid back environment where you can talk to people really easily and get to know their stories.鈥�

鈥淗OPE Missions is a place for people to feel safe, loved and not judged; a place to rest and make friends and feel like you鈥檙e part of a family,鈥� Milby said.

鈥淚t’s a place that’s really centered on the gospel, trying to give that love of Jesus through physical needs, through food and breakfast, clothes, a place that they can stay when it’s below 38 degrees at night,鈥� Lacy said.

鈥淚 know they love what they do and they love being here. We love having the students,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淲hen they see who we鈥檙e dealing with and who we鈥檙e loving on, they walk away with a whole different perspective of what it means to serve 鈥榯he least of these鈥� and what it really means to be walking alongside people who are experiencing homelessness and struggling.鈥�

More information about HOPE Missions and Dancing for Our Heroes can be found .

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February 27 is Study Abroad Day, and a chance to bring awareness to enriching experiences where students immerse themselves in other cultures.

91福利社 students Tanna Steverson and Caitlyn Wilde are studying abroad during the Spring 2023 Semester. Steverson is in Oxford, England, and Wilde is in Dublin, Ireland.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been a bit of a bookworm,鈥� Tanna Steverson admits. 鈥淚 discovered classics at a very young age and a lot of them took place in England鈥� Over time I really just fell in love with Europe as a whole and I wanted to experience this firsthand if I can, and then Oxford kind of fell into my lap.鈥�

Steverson, a junior clinical psychology major from Fort Mill, South Carolina, is studying at Oxford University in England through SCIO (Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford). 

鈥淩ight now I鈥檓 taking a cognition course and pretty much an abnormal psychology course. I鈥檓 writing around an essay a week鈥攕ometimes two,鈥� Steverson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of reading and a lot of writing.鈥� Steverson commented that in her studies she gets to spend quality time discussing course topics with her professors. Steverson also shares student housing with five other girls from across the U.S. 

Steverson is enjoying the atmosphere, history and culture of Oxford.

鈥淪ometimes I鈥檒l take day trips to places around and near Oxford. There鈥檚 this really cool manor house that I鈥檓 trying to get to. There are a bunch of bookshops, so we鈥檒l go to bookshops and get coffee and explore the city while we can,鈥� she said.

Steverson looks forward to traveling to new places before she returns home in April. Although in England folks are known for being a bit reserved, Steverson has enjoyed making friends with her British classmates. 

鈥淭hey鈥檙e fun in a different way from us,鈥� she said. 

A visit to the Netherlands through a Rotary short-term exchange program while in high school was life-changing for Caitlyn Wilde. A student in the College of Arts and Sciences, she found a study program in Dublin, Ireland, from CAPA, the Global Education Network. 

Wilde, who is a digital media communication major from near Asheville, North Carolina, is taking classes in international marketing, international business and analyzing Dublin from a global perspective. Her classes are small and tend to run longer; they also are more discussion than lecture. 

Making friends has come easy for Wilde. 

鈥淚 live in a townhome with five other girls, and we’ve all gotten really close. We just go out and do stuff together… We all learn together, which is really nice,鈥� Wilde said.

About adjusting to life in Dublin, Wilde commented, 鈥淚 love being in the mountains and in the farmlands, so I never thought the city would be good for me, but I think the sense of accomplishment from finally figuring out where I can go and how to take the buses鈥攂ecause I don’t normally take public transit鈥攂eing able to go out and do that on my own without being stressed out, and knowing exactly where to go, what time I need to be there, it鈥檚 so invigorating and I just love it.鈥�

In addition to exploring Dublin, Wilde and her classmates experienced the rugged beauty of the Aran Islands, just off the Irish coast.

Wilde also received a TikTokker grant through CAPA and is producing TikTok videos for the organization. 

91福利社 Director of the Center for Global Engagement Ann Themistocleous feels that an education abroad experience has become essential to students鈥� future career success, given the increasingly global nature of our economy.

鈥淚n order to become globally competent, students need to appreciate other people鈥檚 cultural norms and be able to work with a diverse range of groups,鈥� Themistocleous said. 鈥淎 study abroad experience allows a student to gain the broad range of experiences required to prepare them for that diversity. It also allows them to excel professionally by gaining unique skill sets such as adaptability, flexibility, diplomacy and resiliency. Therefore, it not only promotes them academically and professionally, but helps them develop personally.鈥�

91福利社 offers over 50 different study abroad programs in 25 different countries. Programs are available for a semester, summer, or short-term. The Center for Global Engagement advises students and assists with program selection, financial aid, cost estimates for programs, and helps guide students throughout their study abroad application process. For more information on Study Abroad programs, contact the 91福利社 Center for Global Engagement.

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Internships are a huge part of the 91福利社 student experience.

Summer is a time for students to move out of the classroom and practice what they鈥檝e learned in a professional setting. These media communication majors represent a variety of internship experiences.

Morgan Lane

Morgan Lane, a student in the Communication Department of the College of Arts and Sciences at 91福利社, is a social media intern at Crawford, a Greenville-based full service marketing and branding agency.

Lane, a rising senior studying digital communications, works closely with the Crawford team managing social media accounts, planning content and developing strategies for a broad variety of clients.At 91福利社, Lane serves as President of the university鈥檚 Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter and is the social media manager for the campus recreation and fitness department.

When asked how she became interested in communications, Lane said it wasn鈥檛 her choice at first.

鈥淚 wanted to do nursing for a long time. I got into my first nursing class and knew it was not for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 got into communications after I realized that all my hobbies are communications related and I could actually make a career out of it. I always loved making videos and editing videos鈥擨 would do that for fun in high school. I would make social media pages for different clubs and groups I was involved with and I think whenever I got to college I realized I can do this thing that I love and have it be my job.鈥�

Lane loves the nature of her work for Crawford; no two days are the same. She enjoys being able to sit in on meetings and working with a variety of clients that run the gamut from healthcare to tourism鈥攅ven churches. She especially appreciates the valuable mentorship her internship supervisor provides.

During this internship, Lane鈥檚 fascination with the data side of social media has grown.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been very interesting to be able to see how a social media strategy is developed and be able to implement that and just be able to actually have hard data and numbers that inform decisions that explain why you do what you do in social media strategy.鈥�

Lane says studying digital communications at 91福利社 has helped her step right into the internship.

鈥淚 am so glad I went to AU. Without it, I would have had such a different trajectory. I think I have been so blessed to have amazing professors, like professor (Robert) Reeves and professor (Bobby) Rettew, who are just so passionate, have such knowledge and being able to work with them.鈥�

Cade Tessmann

Cade Tessmann, a public relations major and rising senior in the Communication Department of the College of Arts and Sciences at 91福利社, has been doing a marketing and public relations internship for the city of Anderson. A self-described people person, he enjoys his many interactions, making connections and organizing events.

鈥淚 really like to be able to meet new people and build my repertoire of contacts and help them, however they need me,鈥� Tessmann said.

Tessmann feels his education at 91福利社 has helped him go into his internship well-prepared.

鈥淲hen I do something in my job, it鈥檚 like 鈥榥ow that I think about it, we learned something similar in class,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淚n my public relations classes, we learned how we should use public relations and how it will affect the people, then I do something in my internship and it all sort of plays back into my studies.鈥�

91福利社 has offered Tessmann many different avenues to expand himself. For example, being involved in PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) and student government association (SGA) have been beneficial.

鈥淚鈥檓 on the executive board (of SGA); that helped me get a job with the city,鈥� Tessmann said. 鈥淎U offers a lot of different opportunities that, as long as you鈥檙e willing to utilize them, they can help you in all aspects of your life.鈥�

Tessmann has been involved with the Anderson Area Reconciliation and Remembrance initiative, creating a website and being involved in the planning for a Juneteenth event. His job has variety. One day he might be photographing and documenting various lots around Anderson or spending time with youngsters at the Westside Community Center.

鈥淪ocial media wise, I spent time with the city of Anderson and the police department鈥檚 social media people and figured out the analytics they use, how they monitor that, what posts are allowed or not, and how often they post. There鈥檚 a lot to learn,鈥� Tessmann said. 鈥淭he more I learn about Anderson, the better it helps me with my job and I can better relate to the people in the city.鈥�

Tessmann says his internship is extending into the new academic year. He hopes to work in municipal government鈥攑ossibly in Anderson鈥攚hen he graduates.

Ellie Yandle

A rising senior from Charlotte, North Carolina, Ellie Yandle pursued her personal interest in Christian standup comedy to land a unique internship.

Yandle, who excelled in public speaking competitions in high school, initially thought of majoring in public relations. During her first semester at 91福利社, she became more interested in digital media.

鈥淚鈥檓 still unsure of what exactly I want to do with that, but I know that I really want to get into entertainment. I know it takes a lot of different forms, but I think clean entertainment is really viable,鈥� said Yandle, who recently started listening more to podcasts from Christian comedians.

Though she thought it would be a longshot, Yandle emailed some of her favorite comedians, offering to help them with their social media. She finally heard back from the oldest daughter of comedian John Branyan, who works with her father. (Branyan鈥檚 daughters, Amanda McKinny and Tabitha Farcus, both happen to be media communication graduates from a different institution.)

鈥淪he reached out and said 鈥榶ou know, we鈥檝e never had an intern before, but that sounds cool. We鈥檒l give it a try.鈥� I remember thinking this can鈥檛 be real and this is really happening,鈥� Yandle said.

Yandle was put in charge of Branyan鈥檚 Instagram account, which had gotten less attention than Branyan鈥檚 other social media platforms. She has been focusing on Instagram Reels while putting her video editing skills to work, posting video clips from his standup routines and podcasts鈥攁lso promoting upcoming events.

鈥淗e has a weekly live show with a couple of other comics. I鈥檒l post little bits of that and sometimes I鈥檒l do my own little illustrations or doodles to kind of liven up the video itself,鈥� Yandle said. 鈥淥ne of my main goals was just to represent what he鈥檚 doing well鈥� I would love for his brand to look uniform across all platforms and still active.鈥�

These days Branyan does less standup comedy and more speaking and preaching engagements, but there鈥檚 a lot of video content Yandle wants to introduce to a new audience following him on Instagram.

Most helpful for Yandle has been her class in Photoshop and InDesign in the Communication Department of the College of Arts and Science. Yandle鈥檚 internship is still going on, and she finds time to do work on her own comedy material.

Grace Matthews

A rising senior from Hartsville, South Carolina, Grace Matthews loves producing fast-paced, high energy video content. The daughter of a journalist, she has been fascinated with the media from a young age.

Matthews, a digital marketing major with a minor in marketing, has been spending her summer as a videographer for summer camps in the mountains of northern Greenville County. For her internship with Look Up Lodge, Matthews daily follows campers, capturing their activity.

鈥淚 partner with our photographer. We both do our content together and help each other out,鈥� Matthews said.

Look Up Lodge has 14 camps throughout the summer. They offer kids camps and teen camps.

鈥淚 go around and take videos of kids and teens doing activities throughout the week, such as chapel, group recreation and pretty much anything fun that they鈥檙e doing. I use all of that and make the weekly recap video that they watch on their departure day,鈥� Matthews said.

She has also done videos of skits and a staff intro video that gets played at the beginning of each camp. Matthews enjoys the challenge of capturing camp moments with her DSLR (camera) and uses a GoPro camera for action shots at Look Up Lodge鈥檚 water slide, zip line or swings.

鈥淚 enjoy interacting with the children, hanging out with them and getting to know them, and also getting to know our summer staff and getting to capture what it looks like with their lives into a video so other people can see and maybe want to come to camp,鈥� Matthews said.

Matthews, who has loved sports all her life, hopes to work in the sports media as a videographer.

鈥淚 would like to do hype videos for a sports team, maybe at a university level or high school level鈥攋ust getting to capture the action,鈥� she said.

91福利社 Department of Communication

The 91福利社 Department of Communication prepares students to handle the lightning-quick arena of transmitting ideas via words, videos and more and offers a concentration in Digital Media or Public Relations. Learn more about the Department of Communication online.

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As COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were relaxing, study abroad programs resumed this summer, again letting students experience other cultures firsthand. 

Traveling to Spain were Jenny Schaffer, Bryson Rose and Andrew Howard. Traveling to Italy was Madeline Selman.

Here are their stories.

Jenny Schaffer鈥擲eville, Spain

Schaffer, a rising senior from Hampton, South Carolina, is majoring in English Literature and Spanish. She took advantage of a program offered through the 91福利社 Center for Global Engagement and organized by Trinity Semester in Spanish. She was in Seville May 16 through June 13.

鈥淎s a Spanish major, I think that studying abroad is essential, honestly, and should probably be part of the curriculum. You can learn a lot in a classroom, but you鈥檙e not going to be able to speak the language and interact with the people unless you have the full immersion鈥擨 really wanted that鈥攁nd of course for the culture and just the chance to travel. I just really wanted a chance to work on my language skills in the country,鈥� Schaffer said.

Schaffer found that a great way to immerse herself in the culture of Seville was to try on traditional clothing of the area and take part in a master class, along with 91福利社 classmate Bryson Rose, to learn about and experience Sevillana, the local folk dance.

鈥淪evillana is a type of dance that鈥檚 closely related to Flamenco, but specific to that region of Spain. We spent two hours learning the first part of the dance. It was really complicated, so we couldn鈥檛 learn the whole thing. The next part, they had this room full of old flamenco dresses and dresses for sevillana. All of us got to go in, pick out a dress and try it on. There was one guy. They had stuff for him too鈥攋ust a black shirt and stuff to wear,鈥� Schaffer said. 

Schaffer鈥檚 classes took place Monday through Thursday from 9:30 in the morning until 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon. 

鈥淭he first class I took was about the literature and lessons of Sevilla. I think it鈥檚 the most fun I’ve had in a class in a long time. It was long鈥攖hey would go for half of the morning鈥攂ut (the professor) was literally acting out the stories and we鈥檇 all take turns reading sections then he would act out parts and get us to act them out. It was like kidding around and having fun with the story. We would travel parts of Sevilla and see specific sites that were featured in the stories. A lot of what we saw was not some touristy place; we saw some small corners of Sevilla,鈥� said Schaffer, adding that her class went on excursions into the area around Seville. 鈥淢y other class was Modern Spain. That class was all about culture and politics and the current events of Spain. I could definitely see how it helped me in my conversation at least, because my host family really liked talking about politics.鈥� 

The family Schaffer stayed with was an older couple who were both retired university professors. 

鈥淭he mom spoke the best English but she didn鈥檛 speak a lot. The dad could say 鈥榯hank you for your company,鈥� 鈥榟ave a good night鈥� and stuff like that. They basically learn the equivalent of what we learn in high school Spanish. We spoke Spanish all the time. It was very different for me,鈥� Schaffer said. 鈥淭hey had four grown sons with families. On any given night we would come home and the kitchen would be full of the families and the kids running around.鈥�

Another adjustment for Schafer was that people, including her host family, tended to be more outspoken in their conversations, had different views on social issues, and had different customs in their daily meals. 

鈥淧ersonally for my beliefs, I鈥檓 more conservative. I even got into debates with my host father. He鈥檚 agnostic. They start an argument in front of guests. There are no hard feelings for whoever is in the discussion, but they go at it right in front of you and you know like in the South we鈥檙e very polite,鈥� Schaffer said. 鈥淭hey eat at different times. In the mornings our host families only gave us toast, jelly and jams, which is fine. Then we didn鈥檛 eat until 2:30 or maybe 3 o鈥檆lock. Then we didn鈥檛 eat supper until 10 or 11:30 at night.鈥�

Schaffer, who hopes to make a future visit to a Spanish speaking country, said, 鈥淭here are a lot of programs that would allow me to go to a Spanish speaking country and speak English as a second language. I would love to do that in Spain or any Spanish speaking country. I would love to go back to Spain, thinking of how beautiful it was. I only saw a small part. A month was not nearly enough. I would love to go back and work for a couple of years.鈥�

Schaffer feels that the 91福利社 Center for Global Engagement, along with her Spanish professor, were invaluable in helping make her trip possible. 

Bryson Rose鈥擲eville, Spain

Rose is a double major in Biology and Spanish, a minor in Chemistry and a rising senior from Concord, North Carolina. He traveled with Schaffer and stayed for two terms, also through Trinity Semester in Spanish.

鈥淚n high school I had been to Nicaragua and Colombia, and absolutely loved being in an environment where you鈥檙e challenged to learn the language of the people there, because if you don鈥檛, then you can鈥檛 communicate with them,鈥� Rose said. 

Ever since he first arrived at 91福利社, Rose always wanted to study abroad and had an interest in Spain. As with other students, the COVID-19 pandemic put travel plans on hold, until this year.

鈥淚 would say the biggest part of studying abroad is the perspective of the differences in culture. One thing for example is that Spaniards tend to be more up front and brutally honest. The people in the program told us the first day, the host families you stay with, if they make you food and you don鈥檛 like it, tell them that you don鈥檛 like it. And me being from North Carolina, it鈥檚 hard to do,鈥� Rose said. 

Rose, who is studying to become a physician, took a Spanish class focusing on healthcare terminology. 

鈥淭he biggest reason for me is to immerse myself in an environment where I鈥檓 speaking Spanish so much that I鈥檓 forced to improve, so whenever I get back and I go to medical school, as I practice as a physician I can use my Spanish to communicate with my patients, which is why this healthcare class they offered went so hand-in-hand with what I wanted to do,鈥� Rose said. 鈥淲e mostly got into how to interact with patients respectfully and how to go about learning new words and breaking them down. There is actually an interesting similarity in the most advanced medical terms between English and Spanish because they both got them from Latin, so they resemble each other.鈥�

Aside from learning Spanish medical terms, Rose has other observations about how people in Spain speak.

鈥淭he accents in Spanish are different from anything I鈥檝e heard, because we learn typically Mexican, Puerto Rican, maybe Cuban accents in the states,鈥� Rose said.

Since booking travel from within Europe is more economical than in the U.S., Rose has taken advantage of opportunities to see more of the continent.

鈥淭here has not been a single weekend that I have just stayed in the city. I鈥檝e gone down to the Canary Islands, then over to Portugal and Paris for different weekends,鈥� Rose said.

Rose is appreciative of the assistance of Spanish Professor Dr. Krissie Butler and Ann Themistocleous in the Center for Global Engagement. 

鈥淚t felt like they had a level of excitement where I thought they were coming on the trip with me. They鈥檙e definitely dedicated to making sure that students are encouraged and excited to go on these trips,鈥� Rose said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been to Spanish speaking countries, but those were like a week tops. I definitely have seen an improvement in my Spanish and my accent has changed because I want to talk like a Spaniard when I get back.鈥� 

Rose hopes he鈥檒l have an opportunity to practice medicine abroad and feels that having stronger Spanish speaking skills will be a valuable asset in the U.S. or elsewhere. 

鈥淚n my practice or wherever I鈥檓 working, I always want to be able to cater to patients the best I can. Just like me being in this country and not understanding all that鈥檚 being said, I can imagine what it鈥檚 like for a Spanish speaker to come to America and not know English very well and try to communicate healthcare needs. That must be pretty scary and seemingly impossible, so for me to be able to reach out to them and say 鈥業 speak Spanish. Let鈥檚 communicate about this.鈥� I think that鈥檚 a great way to reach out and let you know you care about them.鈥� 

Andrew Howard鈥擲eville, Spain

Andrew Howard, an elementary education major and Spanish minor, is a rising senior from Williamston, South Carolina. 

Howard originally planned on a Scotland-Ireland study abroad trip. That was during Spring 2020 when travel became out of the question as COVID-19 spread globally. 

鈥淭he summer after that, I tried to study in Spain that summer too, because I wanted to work on my Spanish. COVID was still too bad. The trip got canceled again,鈥� Howard said. Finally, this past spring, Howard was able to enroll in the study abroad program for Seville, with the help of Dr. Butler and the 91福利社 Center for Global Engagement.

鈥淚t worked out. It was kind of crazy, kind of just God taking care of me. I鈥檝e been wanting to study abroad for several years and it just happened to fall into place this time,鈥� Howard said. 

Looking back on when he arrived in Spain, Howard readily admits to feeling like a fish out of water. 

鈥淚 get to my host mom鈥檚 house and then everyone in the neighborhood only speaks Spanish. I come into the house and everyone in the house also only speaks Spanish,鈥� Howard said. 鈥淎fter I got unpacked and took a little nap from the jetlag, I was like 鈥楪od, if you don鈥檛 show up here, I am in trouble.鈥� I鈥檓 a Spanish minor, so I鈥檓 taking several Spanish classes at AU and have had some really great Spanish professors preparing me well. At the same time, it鈥檚 a whole different thing to come here and not be able to revert to English. It just kind of threw me in the deep end and鈥� I think it鈥檚 helped my learning a lot.鈥�

While adjusting to the language and culture and settling into his Spanish Literature class, Howard became aware of all that Seville had to offer. 

鈥淭he city of Sevilla is actually home to a lot of the romanticist authors and poets鈥攕ome of Europe鈥檚 most famous poets. I鈥檝e been reading a lot of poetry in Spanish. I鈥檝e been reading a lot of Spanish literature,鈥� Howard said. 鈥淯sually everyone has classes from 9:30 to 1:30 in the afternoon. For the first two or three hours of class it鈥檚 all in Spanish. The professors know English, but we sign a contract that we can only speak Spanish in the school, so it鈥檚 completely immersive. For the last hour and a half of class, we go around the city. It鈥檚 kind of like a guided tour with the professor and we walk around and visit historical sites that we鈥檝e been reading about and settings from the literature that we鈥檝e been studying and we actually look at it and actually talk to people on the streets.鈥� 

Howard says his Spanish skills have improved.

鈥淓veryone鈥檚 going to be shocked when I go home, because I can actually hold my own now鈥� Some of the Sevillanos speak really fast and cut the ends off of some words, so this is actually considered a pretty difficult place for Spanish learners because they speak so fast and they kind of have a slang鈥� as compared to Barcelona and Madrid鈥攖hey speak really clearly and they speak slower. So I鈥檝e talked to a few people on the street. If I can figure it out here, then I can figure it out anywhere.鈥�

Howard also got to know fellow AU student Rose, sharing classes and traveling together.

鈥淏ryson and I have class together, so I see him every day. It鈥檚 been super fun because he does live on the other side of the river. Sometimes after class we鈥檒l go for ice cream together or on the weekends Bryson and I went to Paris together. We rented an AirBNB, went to see the Eiffel Tower and the ark, The Louvre, Mona Lisa and then last weekend me and Bryson went to Granada, which was the Moor capital of Spain. 

Thinking of his study abroad experience, Howard feels blessed. 

鈥淎t first I couldn鈥檛 really figure it out, but honestly God has really blessed me because my host family is great. My host mom gives me cooking classes, like traditional Spanish meals, so she teaches me how to cook things so I can take that home. They have Flamenco dancing; it鈥檚 like a native music dance; it was born in Sevilla; they say it鈥檚 the best Flamenco in the world. You can go to those shows,鈥� Howard said. 鈥淭hey have the largest cathedral in Spain. I pass it every day on the way to school. Sometimes I pray in there before class. I train Ju Jitsu back home at a gym in Anderson, so I wanted to fight a little bit while I was over here and just train. So last night I actually went and wrestled in Sevilla against some Spaniards and that was super fun too. I鈥檝e been putting myself in every situation I can.鈥� 

Madeline Selman鈥擣lorence, Italy

Madeline Selman is a rising senior from Anderson, South Carolina, studying Business Marketing and Public Relations.

Her study abroad experience took place May 20 through July 2 in Florence, Italy, a program she found through the Center for Global Engagement from CAPA, a global education network. 

Selman would walk each day through a city rich in history, passing the Duomo, a majestic 14th-Century cathedral. In the city that gave the world Michaelangelo, it seems fitting that one of her favorite classes has been oil painting.

鈥淚鈥檓 learning art in the best place to do so, which is very cool. I鈥檝e been able to create some pieces here and learn the basics of it,鈥� Selman said.

鈥淚 knew I wanted to study abroad since high school, so going into college I knew I was planning on doing it. I started looking into it freshman year of college and then COVID happened, so it kept getting pushed back. I had met with Ann (Themistocleous) since freshman year and in junior year we were finally able to feel safe about traveling abroad with the pandemic,鈥� Selman said. 鈥淚鈥檓 taking two classes here. We go to school on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays for about six hours and I鈥檓 taking a cross-culture psychology class鈥攚e鈥檙e comparing American versus Italian culture, the differences and the behaviors that make up each culture. 

Although Selman is the only 91福利社 student to study in Florence this summer, she鈥檚 become friends with many classmates that came from colleges and universities across the U.S.

鈥淲e鈥檙e all in the same situation of trying to figure out life abroad, how to handle it and all the challenges. You bond really quickly because you鈥檙e all in the same boat of trying to figure out how to do that,鈥� said Selman. 鈥淚鈥檓 in an apartment. There are seven of us, so I share this apartment with six other girls. There are three bedrooms鈥攖wo girls in two and then one of the bedrooms holds three girls. We hang out all the time. We love going for walks. We go see the sunset on the Ponte Vecchio. We get gelatos every night and just love wandering the city and just finding new places. We love to go dance to live street music, doing some shopping of course.鈥�

Being in Florence, the language barrier hasn鈥檛 been as much of a challenge as in other parts of Europe, since the Italian city caters to tourists, many of them English-speaking.  

鈥淚鈥檇 say 95 percent of the people speak at least basic English if not more advanced English,鈥� Selman said, adding that even restaurant menus have an English version. 鈥淪ome of the signs are not in English, but you figure it out. All the places in Italy鈥擱ome, Milan, Sienna鈥攖hey all had pretty much English speakers.鈥� 

Selman also took trips outside of Italy to Croatia and Switzerland, which she said was the most beautiful country she has ever seen.

鈥淚 would say the hardest place with the biggest language barrier was when we went to Croatia. There was very little English speaking and everything was in Croatian, but we just used Google Translate and kind of figured it out,鈥� Selman said. 

鈥淓verything is so connected and it鈥檚 so much cheaper to travel once you鈥檙e in Europe. You literally can take a train or bus somewhere for the weekend for about a hundred bucks and it鈥檚 so convenient. The train station in Florence is only about a 20-minute walk from our apartment. All of us who were in this apartment knew we wanted to travel on the weekends together, and so when we first got here nailed down some places we wanted to go and looked into planning those trips,鈥� Selman said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have class Fridays or Mondays, so we have super long weekends to travel.鈥� 

Selman is a strong believer in study abroad programs and encourages others to take advantage of any opportunities.  

鈥淚t takes you out of your world for a little bit and gives you a new life for a while, which is an incredible feeling. Being fully immersed into a new culture is something you鈥檙e never going to get unless you just actually go and take the time to visit or even live in another country,鈥� Selman said. 鈥淭hese memories are going to last me forever. Just seeing the different ways people live鈥� the culture shock is real, but it is all worth it and so amazing. I have some friends I made who are locals and I鈥檓 going to miss them so much. Florence is such a dream. I would love to come back and do more of the seaside of Italy.鈥�

Studying Abroad with 91福利社

91福利社 is dedicated to creating unique study abroad experiences that last a lifetime. The Center for Global Engagement coordinates all study abroad programs for 91福利社 students. The center advises students regarding their study abroad options and helps them locate a program that fits their major, career objectives and interests. The Center for Global Engagement also assists with researching financial aid for programs and helps students develop a fiscal plan for their study abroad experience.

The Center for Global Engagement directs short-term programs, mission trips, faculty-led experimental learning programs and semester-long programs. 91福利社 has cooperative agreements so students can take part in semester-long programs in such countries as: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the Netherlands and Uganda.

For more information, contact the Center for Global Engagement at studyabroad@andersonuniversity.edu or (864) 231-2141.

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If you had the chance to save a life, would you? A few years ago, Danielle Rondinelli came across a social media post about becoming a bone marrow donor and felt led to respond. 

鈥淲hen I was 18 I signed up for the registry. I didn鈥檛 think anything would necessarily come of it. Then about a year after I joined the registry I got an email saying I had been matched to a potential donor,鈥� said Rondinelli, a marketing major and supply chain minor in the College of Business at 91福利社.

Coming to Anderson

When Rondinelli first visited Anderson, traveling from her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, she felt a peace in her heart. 

鈥淚t was truly a God thing, because He put the right people in the right place.鈥�

Rondinelli has been serving in Anderson鈥檚 SGA (Student Government Association) as secretary for diversity and inclusion. She feels her work at SGA has been a blessing as she serves students and is gratified by the professional skills she uses daily.

Becoming a Donor

Rondinelli approaches things with a servant鈥檚 heart. So when she found out she was a match for a potential donor, she went through the steps toward the donation process. Individuals with various types of bone and blood cancers face an untreatable illness, so bone marrow transplants give them the gift of time.

Rondinelli submitted her DNA sample to the bone marrow registry, run by a nonprofit organization, followed by lab work and several doctor visits. In early March, when it was time to donate, she flew to Chicago to the facility where the procedure was performed.

What used to be a relatively painful, invasive procedure has improved over the years. Still, the process for Rondinelli to prepare for her donation was a lengthy one. 

鈥淚 received injections of a medication over several days that encourages the stem cells to move from the bones where they usually are into the bloodstream,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat way they can collect all of the stem cells. It took a while. My donation time was from about 11 in the morning until about five in the evening.鈥�

walked Rondinelli through the process every step of the way. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 honestly fantastic,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y dad was able to come with me. We didn鈥檛 have to pay for anything; the organization takes care of everything financially.鈥� 

As she was going through the donation itself, Rondinelli鈥檚 thoughts focused not on what she was going through, but rather on who she was helping. She thought about her donation as a way to show Christ鈥檚 love toward another person. 

鈥淲hen you鈥檙e sitting there and you鈥檙e looking at this machine鈥� I was looking at the bag of my cells. It鈥檚 just kind of a moment where that pain, it just doesn鈥檛 become important anymore, because you鈥檙e able to see what a blessing it is that you鈥檙e able to do something,鈥� she said.

Rondinelli is currently off campus completing a co-op at BMW Manufacturing Company鈥檚 Plant Spartanburg, where she assists the training department in coordinating approximately 120 co-ops and interns. She appreciates the opportunity to take time off for this lifesaving procedure and looks forward to connecting with the recipient of her cells. 

鈥淲e have to have anonymous contact for about a year,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really looking forward to being able to just communicate with that person and say 鈥業 know that I don鈥檛 know you, but I鈥檓 fighting for you, I鈥檓 here for you, I鈥檓 in your corner,鈥� and just letting people know they鈥檙e supported, even if they don鈥檛 know by who. It鈥檚 honestly the best feeling.鈥� 

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Maya Learmonth, a senior from Austin, Texas, and a student in the 91福利社 College of Arts and Sciences, has been studying how Thyme, a Mediterranean herb, can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells.

Learmonth was awarded for her presentation, titled 鈥淢itochondrial Activity and Future Metabolic Profiling of Breast Cell Lines MCF7 and MCF12-A Treated with Thyme, a Mediterranean Herb鈥� at the 22nd Ernest E. Just Scientific Symposium held virtually February 25 at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC).

Learmonth鈥檚 presentation focused on the herb thyme and how its properties affect the growth of cancer cells.

鈥淓ssentially we鈥檙e treating these rapidly growing cancer cells with these extracts made from thyme and it鈥檚 stopping the growth to some extent of these cancer cells. The idea is to be able to keep the healthy cells alive and to kill the cancerous cells at the same concentrations,鈥� Learmonth said.

According to Dr. Diana Ivankovic, director of the 91福利社 Center for Cancer Research (2022 A Day Cause), this is the fifth time that an AU student won national research awards at MUSC. Past winners included Jamena Anderson, with Zoe Sanders and Maddie Treaster, winning first place; and Rakish Taylor, Jonathan Low, Eslie Aguilar, winning second place in a national research competition.

Dr. Ivankovic is proud of Learmonth for successfully balancing being a cancer scholar with her being a student-athlete as a member of the Trojan Women鈥檚 Volleyball team. Students become cancer scholars based on class rank and recommendations.

鈥淢aya Learmonth managed to shine and represent our university gloriously,鈥� said Dr. Ivankovic. 鈥淢aya is working with Ashley Larkins and Niko Khulordava of Clemson University.鈥� Their zoom presentation was impeccable. I am so proud and blessed to have such amazing students work at our Center for Cancer Research.鈥�

Coming to Anderson

Learmonth fell in love with 91福利社 and its people when she visited during Welcome Week. She found Anderson鈥檚 faculty and staff to be welcoming. What鈥檚 more, if they offered to help her with anything, she found they backed up their words with actions.

Originally interested in entering healthcare as a physician鈥檚 assistant, Learmonth was reluctant to enter a career in research, but as she worked with Dr. Diana Ivankovic on cancer research, her eyes were opened to the possibilities.

鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting to see what I can do in this lab and what I鈥檓 working on can actually help in the healthcare field without actually having to be in it directly,鈥� Learmonth said.

For more than a decade, students in the 91福利社 Center for Cancer Research have advanced-level opportunities for research on the undergraduate level. They work with advanced equipment and skilled researchers to study cancer treatments and causes, all with a focus on community outreach and education. The center has been recognized and honored by South Carolina鈥檚 scientific community. Also, many students have received awards and grants for their research. Dr. Diana Ivankovic, herself a breast cancer survivor, has led cancer research for years at 91福利社.

The Ernest E. Just Symposium celebrates the life of the noted African-American biologist and is held annually in February.

Dr. Ivankovic feels blessed as she watches students at the Center for Cancer Research contribute to a growing body of knowledge about breast cancer.

鈥淢y dream has come true, since with every new finding we get a step closer to finding the cure for breast cancer,鈥� Ivankovic said.

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Nathan Jones and his sister Olivia Jones have been living in the United States for most of their lives. By all appearances they鈥檙e pretty much like any American college student. But only lately have they become American citizens.

Their dad, Martin Jones, was an attorney practicing law in Northern England. Feeling God鈥檚 call on his life to minister, he looked into seminaries in the United Kingdom and around Europe. He then learned about Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas, and felt God was leading him in that direction; so in 2007, Martin, his wife Fiona, and their two children, Nathan and Olivia, made their move.

Nathan and Olivia鈥檚 family came from Inskip, a small village of 200 inhabitants located near Manchester in northern England. Inskip consists of little more than a couple of churches, a school, a pub and some houses along a rural road.

Nathan recalls a Skype call they made with their old school shortly after they moved to Texas. Looking back, he鈥檚 amused at the questions from his English schoolmates:

鈥淎re you going to wear a cowboy hat?鈥�

鈥淎re you going to get a horse?鈥�

鈥淗ave you had a tornado yet?”

鈥淲hen we first moved to the United States, our dad had a student visa, and so you don鈥檛 just move to a country and become a citizen. He had a student visa for several years,鈥� Olivia said. 鈥淢om and dad weren鈥檛 super eligible to work, so that was just an immediate need.鈥�

Nathan and Olivia鈥檚 family moved at a time when the British pound was strong against the American dollar, which worked in the Jones鈥� family鈥檚 favor initially, according to Nathan. Their dad was able to earn honoraria for speaking at various churches, but finances became tight. There was a time Olivia recalled that the family needed $500 for some bills. On the day the bills were due, someone had left at their doorstep $500 cash in a blank envelope.

鈥淲e saw how to truly depend on God and what trust in God looks like from our parents, which is absolutely incredible,鈥� Olivia said, adding that her dad eventually had a work visa when they moved to Chicago to follow God鈥檚 call to a church there.

鈥淲e thought we would be returning to England after our dad studied and he kept us here; and me and Nathan, we really have grown to love America the same as our parents, and our plan is to stay here,鈥� Olivia said.

Martin is currently an adjunct professor at 91福利社 as well as a professor at North Greenville. Fiona teaches middle school English and Bible at Asheville Christian Academy, where Nathan and Olivia graduated.

Discovering Anderson

While living in Chicago, one of Nathan and Olivia鈥檚 friends had an older sister who graduated from 91福利社. After Nathan and Olivia鈥檚 family moved to North Carolina, they were looking into college options and Anderson came up in a search.

鈥淲e came and toured, and a few months after the tour I was able to stay overnight and just felt very welcomed at All Access Weekends by the faculty and students,鈥� Nathan said. That visit confirmed in his heart that he belonged at 91福利社. When Olivia visited Nathan at Anderson, she felt at home there, so during her sophomore year of high school her heart was set on Anderson.

Nathan is a senior Accounting and Financial Economics major, and Olivia is double majoring in Media Communication and Christian Studies. Both have been active in campus life鈥擭athan as current Student Government Association President, and both have been involved in Base Camp and various ministry organizations.

Journey to Citizenship

When Nathan wanted to apply for an internship in Washington, D.C., he learned that to be eligible, he had to be an American citizen. The process of gaining citizenship is a lengthy one, according to Olivia.

鈥淲e had to wait 13-14 years to begin the application and then be eligible to take the test. You鈥檝e got to go to appointments that are two hours away just to get your fingerprints scanned, and then you have to wait another three months for them to approve you to take the test,鈥� said Olivia. Nathan commented, 鈥淲e knew 95 percent of the answers to the questions, and for our parents it was slightly different because they had finished school when they came to the states, so they had to really study. They have not had 12 years of American school. Their history with what we had told them and watching Hamilton鈥攖hat was about 80 percent of what they knew.鈥�

鈥淚 applied for those D.C. internships and COVID-19 happened. I had an appointment the week after all the schools shut down. Of course that was all of the nonessential part of the government and they weren鈥檛 doing appointments, so I had to wait months and months before they were able to open up again,鈥� Nathan said. 鈥淭hen in July 2020 I was able to take the citizenship exam. I pictured this grand celebration with everybody there, waving American flags like you see in movies. It was just me, a lady from the Middle East and another lady from India鈥攋ust three of us with our little flags saying the Pledge of Allegiance together.鈥�

Olivia recalled 鈥淚 think that was something really difficult because the four of us had always pictured this grand thing of citizenship being done together, so it was hard enough that we were doing it across this time span of about a year and a half, all of us taking this test, but the hardest part was not being able to celebrate together.鈥�

Nathan鈥檚 citizenship became official while he and Olivia were involved in Base Camp, 91福利社鈥檚 orientation. Students and others at Anderson threw a huge celebration. Olivia鈥檚 citizenship came just before final exams in the Spring 2021 semester.

One of the sacrifices of living in the United States has been living an ocean apart from family members.

鈥淥ur grandparents were literally a stone鈥檚 throw across the road, lived directly opposite from us, then my mom鈥檚 mom lives maybe 10 houses down the road,鈥� Olivia said.

Since coming to live in the United States, some of Nathan and Olivia鈥檚 relatives have come for visits, and the family has also returned to Inskip; mostly for mission trips with their dad taking groups to conduct a Vacation Bible School.

鈥淚t worked very well for a week, but then you kind of see the drop off,鈥� Olivia said, adding that many people they approached were cold to the gospel. 鈥淭here鈥檚 just a lot of what I would call 鈥榣ost Christianity鈥� where a lot of people go to church but nobody really takes it outside of a Sunday morning,鈥� she said.

Nathan and Olivia hope to return to England someday after graduating from 91福利社.

鈥淯nless God pulls us somewhere else, this has really become home for us. Obviously England is still home because of family, but we would really consider that America is our true home because we鈥檝e lived here for so much of our lives,鈥� Olivia said.

The post A Calling Across the Atlantic: Ministry and Journey to Citizenship appeared first on 91福利社.

We鈥檙e attached to our sneakers in so many ways. Maybe we鈥檙e looking for a way to quite literally put our best foot forward. We want our feet to feel good and, at the same time, express ourselves in a cool, fashionable way. 

Regardless of the reason, sneakers are a multibillion dollar industry.

Two 91福利社 students who are self-professed sneaker lovers saw potential in sneakers already worn, but still with life in them. They named their business Sneaker Salvage, because they take used sneakers and make them like new, then sell them at an affordable price.

Patrick Polston is a senior majoring in Secondary Education and minoring in Youth Ministry. His interest in education grew out of an experience as a teacher cadet in high school. Recognizing the impact he can make on students, Polston feels God is calling him into education, but also to minister to youth. 

Olivia Jones is a junior and double major in Christian Studies and Mass Communication. She and her brother Nathan, who is current Student Government Association President, both recently became U.S. Citizens鈥擭athan in 2020 and Olivia in 2021. Their journey to the United States began when her father enrolled at Dallas Theological Seminary to prepare for ministry (he currently serves as an adjunct professor at 91福利社). Though Olivia and Nathan have been in the U.S. most of their lives, the path to citizenship has taken several years. 

Polston and Jones, friends with a mutual appreciation for footwear, feel that they鈥檙e onto something more than just cleaning and fixing sneakers. Polston was inspired by a video he saw on YouTube about restoring sneakers. Looking at his own shoes with dangerously worn soles, he started thinking about how others, like him, could have high quality name brand sneakers without the sticker shock of new ones. 

Jones recalled, 鈥淲e went to Goodwill and bought one pair of shoes to begin with and spent a good five or six bucks. From there it continued to grow. We would get more pairs of shoes and clean them up; then, after we would clean them, Patrick came to me and he was like 鈥榓ll right, we鈥檝e got to get an Instagram running.鈥欌��

Polston and Jones check eBay, Goat, StockX or other shoe reselling places to determine the market for particular shoe styles. Together they evaluate whether a pair is a good candidate for restoration. The decision is driven partly by style, but also condition. They鈥檒l reject a shoe that鈥檚 torn or worn bald, or in otherwise disgusting condition.

鈥淧atrick鈥檚 more of a big idea kind of person and I鈥檓 much more of a detail person,鈥� Jones said.

Polston and Jones set up an Instagram account (Sneaker_Salvage), where they display sneakers they restore and announce 鈥渟neaker drops,鈥� offering their 鈥渓ike new鈥� shoes for sale, usually for around $15 to $25 a pair.

Polston said 鈥淲e want it to just be a very simple and community-driven way of purchasing, so we鈥檒l obtain a sneaker either through purchasing or donations, we鈥檒l clean it up and restore it to as close to brand new as we can, then we post it as an Instagram post on our account.鈥�

So far their primary Sneaker Salvage customers have been other 91福利社 students and friends, but their Instagram following is growing, slowly but steadily. 

Restoring sneakers and selling them for a modest profit is just part of the idea behind Sneaker Salvage.

鈥淥bviously we鈥檙e going to be public about that and we鈥檙e not going to be ashamed of the faith we have. We want to bring into play that we鈥檝e been restored in Christ and are being restored and transformed daily. It鈥檚 also something we want to do with shoes,鈥� said Jones, who along with Polston pray over each pair of shoes before restoration begins. 

鈥淲e feel like we can be purposeful and also be helping other people, because I think we both have some kind of drive for ministry,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淓ven though it might not look like leading in a church, it might be just a small sneaker business to help people any way we can, just to provide means for a cheaper shoe, a nicer shoe, in that kind of capacity.鈥�

For someone who鈥檚 attached to their own sneakers, Sneaker Salvage will also restore them at a modest price.

鈥淭he heart of the business isn鈥檛 purely to make money, it鈥檚 to impact the lives of the people who buy shoes from us,鈥� Polston said.

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Bonnie Frick, a rising senior communication/history double major in the 91福利社 College of Arts and Sciences, is spending her summer working as an Endowment Intern for South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV). After her first week, she was already featured on their website.

Frick wrote a blog post describing the first week of her internship on the SCETV website as 鈥渁n exciting rush of new places, people and roles to fill.鈥�

Frick knew she wanted to intern at either PBS or SCETV and found the internship application just in time to apply before the deadline passed. She feels blessed that she was selected to be a SCETV Endowment Intern.

鈥淚 really enjoy the broadcasting side this internship has allowed me to get,鈥� said Frick, who previously interned at her home church, Riverland Hills Baptist in Columbia. There she produced video content and managed social media, roles that became increasingly important to keeping parishioners connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Frick loves the sense of accomplishment that comes from a completed video package. 

鈥淎t the end of the day, making a video that will be published, that type of content … I really enjoy the editing process, watching that all come together. When you lay it out on the computer and you have everything in front of you, at that point most everything is filmed and it鈥檚 just a matter of making it what you want. And once that鈥檚 out there, once that鈥檚 published, it鈥檚 a huge weight off your shoulders, but it鈥檚 also just a fantastic sense of 鈥業 made that.鈥� I know it鈥檚 out there and it鈥檚 doing what it needs to do,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very intentional process of knowing what your goal is and what you have to get done, then using the materials that either you have to go out and film and create or what some body gives you and just work with what you have.鈥�

鈥淏onnie has what I call contagious enthusiasm,鈥� said Dr. Robert Reeves, assistant professor of communication. 鈥淪he鈥檚 energetic and excited about the things she鈥檚 involved with and those around her can鈥檛 help but get excited as well.鈥�

Since her SCETV internship started, Frick has traveled to their Lowcountry studios in Beaufort to help shoot 鈥淏y the River,鈥� an interview show featuring local authors. She has also gained valuable soft skills experience assisting guests for a televised panel discussion in Columbia. 

鈥淚 was working backstage getting things set up for that and ushering all of the guests to where they needed to be and signing all the forms they needed to sign. It was a great experience and it was very satisfying for me because I just like being in charge of tiny tasks. If they say these people need to be here at this time to sign this form, I can get that done,鈥� she said. 

When Frick鈥檚 internship ends in August, she鈥檒l return to 91福利社 where she will become the new AU chapter president for the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and a resident assistant (RA) in Stringer Residence Hall.

鈥淚 am looking forward to her serving as president of AU鈥檚 chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America this coming year,鈥� Reeves said. 鈥淎s we pull away from the limitations put on us by COVID-19 during the last academic year, our chapter will be able to do a lot more. Bonnie鈥檚 leadership will be invaluable.鈥� 

Frick shares more of her experiences in her . She and other interns will be writing blog posts about their experiences throughout the summer.

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A sports injury helped direct Nicholas Hattaway towards a profession devoted to helping others move and live better.

This December, Nicholas Hattaway is among the first students set to graduate from the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the 91福利社 College of Health Professions.

When Hattaway was hurt while playing basketball in high school, his coach suggested he get checked out by a physical therapist. Up to that point he was unfamiliar with physical therapy.

Hattaway knew he wanted to pursue a career in health care, though being a doctor or surgeon didn鈥檛 appeal to him. While going through physical therapy two or three days a week, he became fascinated by the process of helping patients work through their pain towards restored mobility.

鈥淚 was interested in 91福利社 at the time. A lot of my friends who were at AU were talking about how nice the faculty was and were really enjoying it,鈥� Hattaway said. 鈥淲hen I was looking at colleges I went on their website and saw they had an undergraduate degree in kinesiology and that they had a pre-physical therapy concentration.鈥�

Not seeing many institutions offering a pre-physical therapy program, Hattaway enthusiastically enrolled at Anderson. He became involved in the Kinesiology Club and the Anderson Science Association. He was also shadowing physical therapists and taking courses that would give him an advantage in his further studies.

鈥淟uckily at the time one of my professors was a physical therapist,鈥� Hattaway said. 鈥淒r. Chris Hopkins was a really good influence.鈥�

Hattaway feels his undergraduate work prepared him for a more seamless transition into the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program offered by the 91福利社 College of Health Professions. Hattaway鈥檚 shadowing experience prior to physical therapy school took place in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings such as a hospital skilled nursing facility, and he had already taken several DPT-level courses. He did his clinicals at a small regional hospital and a locally owned clinic while in his DPT program.

鈥淚 enjoyed the courses, but they were tough; that helped me tremendously, because in your first few classes in the AU physical therapy program you have anatomy, biomechanics and physiology,鈥� said Hattaway. 鈥淭he undergraduate pre-physical therapy concentration prepared me very well; It was almost like a review, but at the same time I had more tools than my classmates who were unfamiliar with the territory.鈥�

Looking forward to his upcoming graduation, Hattaway says he鈥檚 鈥渟till an open book鈥� and is considering several options. One possibility Hattaway is considering is developing a sort of injury prevention program for young men and women entering the military.

鈥淭ypically those who go into basic training are just normal high school kids, so they don鈥檛 really have any formal fitness training or evaluation. They just go and start running and lifting and all this other stuff they鈥檙e not used to and then they get overuse injuries,鈥� Hattaway said. 鈥淚f I can help them better prepare their bodies for that type of work and help them prevent injuries, that鈥檚 something I鈥檓 really interested in.鈥�

Of his DPT program at 91福利社, Hattaway said that he鈥檚 learned there’s much more to the patient than just a diagnosis.

鈥淭hat patient can come in with all kinds of baggage, whether it be emotional baggage or just some type of unfortunate situation they鈥檙e in, so they鈥檙e really learning how to empathize with our patients versus just surface level interaction and the treating of the injury,鈥� Hattaway said.

His advice to others considering a physical therapy career is 鈥渇ocus on really connecting with your patients so that at the end of the day you鈥檙e a human helping out another human.鈥�

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