Spring 2008 PDF - University of South Carolina Upstate

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USC Upstate alumna Carolyn Turner ‘07 organized the tax preparation clinic at the Middle Tyger Community Center to help low income and elderly community members file their taxes online. More Than a Paycheck BY HEATHER ALEXANDER-ENGELBRECHTENGELBRECHT For a relatively small program that has only 40 majors, USC Upstate’s Nonprofit Administration students and professors logged more than 5,636 hours in 2007 volunteering or interning with nonprofit organizations to help make our community a better place to live, work and play. The Nonprofit Administration program, offered by the Center for Nonprofit Leadership as both a major and a minor, prepares graduates for careers in management and administrative positions within a wide variety of nonprofit organizations such as social services, youth activities, health, the environment and the arts. Basic leadership and management principles are key components of the curriculum. Students also gain real-world experience through the required internships and service learning projects with local nonprofits and have a chance to see if a career in the nonprofit sector is a good fit for them. “We’re able to connect academic majors with practical experience,” says Dr. Theresa Ricke-Kiely, director of the Center. “Often an organization will mentor the student during the internship and create a position for them after they graduate.” And more often than not, the hard work and energy the students bring to their internships continues to flow into the community after graduation as most nonprofit leadership graduates find full-time jobs with nonprofits in the Upstate. At one such organization, 12 University Review the United Way of the Piedmont, several recent USC Upstate graduates are working in the community through the AmeriCorps*VISTA program, a national service program that places volunteers with other agencies in communities to alleviate poverty by building capacity and programs to sustain their missions. Rochelle Ladson ’07 is working with Bethlehem Center in Spartanburg, providing public relations assistance and volunteer recruitment and has made it a personal goal to help keep the food pantry stocked. She joined the VISTA program “because I wasn’t done giving back.” Ladson graduated from Upstate with a degree in interdisciplinary studies and credits her experience with the nonprofit leadership program as shaping her as a person. “Nonprofit leadership is a good fit for people who aren’t just looking for a paycheck,” she says. Lakisha Spears ’07 agrees and says all students should take at least one class in nonprofit leadership. During her senior seminar, Chris Steed, vice president of community impact at United Way, gave a presentation about the VISTA program and she liked what she saw. “I was the first person to sign up!” Spears is working at SAFE Homes Rape Crisis Coalition in Spartanburg providing domestic violence and sexual assault education in an age-appropriate manner to K-2 students. The outreach program she is helping to develop will eventually be used in all schools in Spartanburg and Cherokee counties. Spears will soon begin a new position with the Girl Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands as a development and marketing assistant. Her advice to students “Join AmeriCorps. It is a great learning experience,” she says. As a nonprofit administration intern with the United Way last spring, Carolyn Turner ’07 helped Chris Steed write the grant that now funds the VISTA program at the United Way. She is now a VISTA member herself, working with the Middle Tyger Community Center where she is researching parenting among adolescents, creating a volunteer training manual and writing a report on programs to address teen pregnancy. Turner says working with the center “makes you very appreciative of all you have.” “The agencies we work with have had great experiences with VISTA members,” says Callie Hammond, director of Volunteer Connections & AmeriCorps*VISTA at United Way. She adds that the nonprofit leadership graduates “have a clear understanding of the structure of nonprofit agencies; however I think they have really learned a lot from actually working in nonprofits. They all have been extremely grateful for their experiences. What you learn in a book can often be a lot different in reality.”
Founders’ Day Celebration Honors Loyal Supporters BY TAMMY E. WHALEY Toney J. Lister J. Eugene (Gene) Adams H. Spencer King Each February the University holds its Founders’ Day Celebration to honor friends and supporters of USC Upstate who have been instrumental in the development of the institution. This year was exceptionally special as we are celebrating the institution’s 40th anniversary. “As we look at today’s campus and reflect on our humble beginnings, the sheer magnitude of our accomplishments is sometimes hard to fathom,” said Chancellor John Stockwell at the February 19 reception. “We owe our thanks to dedicated individuals, such as those we celebrate tonight, for believing in USC Upstate and leading the way for this University to become a driving force in the Upstate.” Both the Spartanburg County Commission for Higher Education and the Carolina Piedmont Foundation presented awards at Founders’ Day. The Commission bestows its prestigious Founders’ Day Distinguished Service Award to friends and supporters of the University who have made special and important contributions to USC Upstate and to the community the University serves. Receiving the 2008 Distinguished Service Award were Joel Eugene (Gene) Adams, H. Spencer King and Toney J. Lister. The Commission also presented two Awards for Distinguished Service in honor of long and distinguished careers of service to the University. Nancy Bailey, who retired as budget director and financial planner after a 27- year career, and Howard “Buddy” Nance, who retired from the facilities department after a 32-year career, received this award. “The careers of Nancy and Buddy are both characterized by exceptional dedication, exceptional work ethic and persistent commitment to quality,” said Jim Smith ‘72, chairman of the Commission. The Carolina Piedmont Foundation, the fundraising entity of the University, presented two awards at Founders’ Day. The Service Award, given to the individual who represents the very ideals of volunteerism and commitment, was presented to Karen Calhoun. The Foundation Award, given to the individual or organization that has provided exceptional philanthropic support, was presented to The JM Smith Foundation. “The Foundation and the University are indeed blessed to have generous and supportive friends, such as Karen and The JM Smith Foundation, who work to ensure that our students have access to scholarships, facilities and technology,” said Mike Irvin, vice chancellor for advancement and executive director of the Carolina Piedmont Foundation. University Review 13
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