Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

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  Alumnus Combines GWU Academic, Athletic Experiences to Help Launch Pro Golf Career

  Office of University Communications

  Kris Gray’s choice to move from his home in England to the United States to attend Gardner-Webb paid off in the form of an all-conference collegiate golf career and a position as the University’s assistant coach. But it has also advanced his dream of playing professional golf by allowing him to combine his athletic skills and academic interests. Originally uncertain of his intended major, Gray enrolled in a marketing course in his first semester at Gardner-Webb and discovered he enjoyed the subject and the GWU marketing program’s faculty.

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  Gardner-Webb Gave Alum Opportunities to Explore Future Career

  Office of University Communications

  One of Michael Peterson’s favorite photos is a picture of himself in front of the U.S. Capitol. More than a souvenir from a vacation, the picture represents what Gardner-Webb University means to the 2015 graduate. “I never would’ve thought my journey at Gardner-Webb would take me from Boiling Springs, N.C., to Capitol Hill,” Peterson declared.

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  Gardner-Webb Prepared Alumna for Career in Public Relations

  Office of University Communications

  In high school, Alyssa Gutierrez (’14) wanted to be a journalist, but a teacher warned her the newspaper business was dying. “I knew I still wanted to stay in the same realm, so I did some research into public relations,” Gutierrez shared. “I came to find out that it was the perfect combination of media relations, writing, human interaction and networking. Public relations is what I was called to do.”

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  GWU Biblical Studies Degree Helps Graduate Determine her Future

  Office of University Communications

  While completing her degree in biblical studies at Gardner-Webb University, Chelsea Hearne (’12) became clear about her future. “I want to be a psychiatric nurse. By way of many conversations with my professors, I can say with confidence that my skill set is in mental health issues,” Hearne assessed.

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  For 40 Years, Gardner-Webb University Instructor has Offered Students Keys to Music Success

  Office of University Communications

  At age six, Betty Bennett began playing the piano alongside her church’s choir. That was nearly six decades ago, and Bennett has continued to play the piano and teach others ever since. She started teaching at Gardner-Webb in the fall of 1976 after deciding it was time in her life to switch jobs.

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  For Me, Community Made the Difference

  Office of University Communications and Becca Leap

  As a kid, Gardner-Webb University was one of my favorite places in the world. Playing tag on the quad, feeding the geese at Lake Hollifield, and splashing around in the University pool were treasured activities I looked forward to all year. I spent a week on the campus nearly every summer since my uncle, Mike Simpson, moved to Boiling Springs to pioneer Gardner-Webb’s women’s swim team in 1999.

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  Gardner-Webb Students Compete in Annual Ethics Bowl

  Office of University Communications

  For the fifth consecutive year, a team of students from Gardner-Webb University participated in the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) Ethics Bowl. The event was held Feb. 5-6 on the Meredith College campus near Raleigh, N.C., and featured 22 colleges and universities from around the state with the theme “Ethics in Technology.” Dr. Kent Blevins, professor of religious studies, serves as coordinator for the Gardner-Webb team.

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  GWU Alumnus Making a Difference for Deaf Children

  Office of University Communications

  Antwan Campbell was inspired to earn a degree in American Sign Language (ASL) because he witnessed how awkward it was for his deaf brother to communicate through a female interpreter. “I felt that he, being a black male, wasn’t being represented as much as he should be,” Campbell explained. “Caucasian females are the majority in the interpreting profession. There are very few male interpreters available, if any at all. My brother is three years younger than I am and seeing him have to go without an interpreter or have a female talk for him was a very eye-opening experience. This made me want to pursue an interpreting career.”

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  GWU Program to Feature Evangelist Clayton King

  Office of University Communications

  Evangelist and Gardner-Webb alumnus Clayton King (’95) will return to GWU to share an inspiring message during the University’s Dimensions program on Feb. 23. The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 9:25 a.m. in Paul Porter Arena, inside the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center (LYCC). King began preaching in 1987 at the age of 14 when he sensed a call from the Lord to be an evangelist.

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  Gardner-Webb University to Host Eating Disorder Awareness Events March 14-19

  Office of University Communications and Tyra Montour

  In an effort to encourage the prevention of eating disorders and body image issues, Gardner-Webb University will host an eating disorders awareness week, March 14-19. The National Eating Disorders Awareness (NEDA) week is recognized Feb. 21-27. NEDA is a collective effort of volunteers, including health professionals, students and educators, who are committed to raising awareness of the dangers surrounding eating disorders and the importance of early intervention and treatment.

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  Expert on Healthy Relationships to Speak at Gardner-Webb University

  Office of University Communications

  Kristin Rollins, an expert on the steps to building healthy relationships, will speak to the Gardner-Webb community during the Dimensions program on Feb. 16. The program, free and open to the public, begins at 9:25 a.m. in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center (LYCC) on GWU’s campus. Rollins has worked with Safe Harbor, an organization that provides support to adults and children impacted by domestic violence.

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  Gardner-Webb University to Hold Casting Call for Upcoming Play Production

  Office of University Communications

  The Gardner-Webb University Department of Theatre Arts will hold auditions Feb. 16 for roles in the upcoming comedy production of “The Servant of Two Masters.” Members of the Gardner-Webb and greater community are invited to contact the play’s director, Dr. Chris Nelson, at cnelson2@gardner-webb.edu to schedule a 10-minute audition time from 6:30-9 p.m. Parts are available for a variety of roles.

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  GWU Grad Student has a Passion for Helping Young Educators

  Office of University Communications

  An educator for 21 years, Brian Sherman of Campobello, S.C., has experienced all levels of the profession, from teacher and coach to administrator. Now serving as assistant to the superintendent and district ombudsman for Greenville County (S.C.) Schools, he is responsible for helping parents resolve issues involving their child’s education. But he also has a passion to help young educators grow in their careers and is working to complete his doctor of education degree at Gardner-Webb University.

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  Gardner-Webb Alumna Passing on Love of Music to Elementary Students

  Office of University Communications

  When asked to reflect on her experience at Gardner-Webb University, Samantha Collins (’14) realizes her thoughts center on one word: Relationships. “I formed friendships. I met my husband, Kenny. I made relationships that will last a lifetime,” she elaborated.

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  Gardner-Webb Alumnus is Vocalist for Celebrity Cruises

  Office of University Communications

  A specialty vocalist for Celebrity Cruises, Otto Reynolds III (’11) of Charlotte, N.C., has experienced success on a variety of stages, including an MTV reality show. The Crouse, N.C., native discovered a desire to perform in middle school when a friend asked him to audition for a play. He started performing in local theater groups and singing at church and school.

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  Gardner-Webb Professor to Speak at University’s Dimensions Program

  Office of University Communications and Brooke Kelly

  Dr. Eddie Stepp, professor of religious studies and philosophy at Gardner-Webb, will speak at the University’s Dimensions program on Feb. 9. The event is free and open to the public. Beginning at 9:25 a.m. in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center (LYCC), Stepp will share on the topic of “Growing Up in the Land of Never.”

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  Math Degree Offers Alum Track to Career in Education

  Office of University Communications

  Kevin Parsons imagined building a career on the racetrack. The son of NASCAR driver Benny Parsons, his aspirations were centered on stock cars, pit stops, and checkered flags. Yet his parents wanted their son to earn a college degree.

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  GWU Professor Selected to Participate in Slave Narratives Seminar at Yale University

  Office of University Communications

  Dr. Joseph S. Moore, assistant professor of history at Gardner-Webb University, has been selected to participate in a seminar on Slave Narratives sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. He is one of 25 CIC faculty members from across the nation chosen to attend the program, which will be held at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. David Blight, Class of 1954 Professor of American History at Yale, will lead participants through a study of the texts of freed and runaway slaves.

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  Gardner-Webb The Magazine Wins Gold Award in National Competition

  Office of University Communications

  For the second consecutive year, Gardner-Webb University was named among the top in the nation in the 2015-2016 Collegiate Advertising Awards (CAA) program. The elite program recognizes higher education organizations for excellence in communications, marketing, advertising and promotions of their institutions. Only three institutions were honored with a gold award for an individual magazine issue.

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  GWU Alum Dolly Wilson (’12) Serves as Breast Cancer Patient Navigator

  Office of University Communications

  The term “true colors” is used to describe one’s authentic self; a person’s real character. Career nurse Dolly Wilson bleeds one color: pink. Known as the “Pink Nurse,” this Gardner-Webb University alum is making a difference for women diagnosed with breast cancer.

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  Theatre Alum Experienced Key Stage of Growth at Gardner-Webb

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University provided theatre alumnus Nathan Rouse (’02) with a solid Christian education that has impacted both his work for the stage and his life. It was the University’s Christian foundation, as well as the beauty of its campus and surrounding countryside, that first attracted Rouse to Gardner-Webb from his native Georgia. He credits GWU’s role in his spiritual growth, while he majored in theatre and minored in religious studies, as a significant influence on both his career and his relationships with others.

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  Gardner-Webb Centered Student-Athlete on Nursing Career Field

  Office of University Communications

  When Ashanti McPhee came to Gardner-Webb University to play football, he never expected he would discover his career in nursing. Through a curriculum that broadly exposed him to a variety of subjects, he uncovered an interest in the profession and an opportunity to help others. McPhee initially thought he wanted to pursue a degree and career in marine biology, but a general biology course helped him realize it was the human body that fascinated him enough to pursue further studies.

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  Gardner-Webb Offered Music Graduate Full Scale of Opportunities

  Office of University Communications

  A band of musicians and instruments filled Bonnie Scruggs’ childhood home near Gardner-Webb University. Her father, Johnny, was a high school drum major, and her mother, Pam, played piano and wrote songs. Earl Scruggs, the late legendary banjo musician from Cleveland County, N.C., was her third cousin.

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  Protecting the Little Ones

  Office of University Communications

  When Dawn Stover (’01) was in college, she studied criminal justice so she could one day become a police officer. But when life circumstances forced her to reconsider the career she had always dreamed about, she ultimately discovered a position that perfectly suited her skill set and capitalized on her passion for helping kids. “It was always about children for me, I knew that whatever I did in life was going to have to impact children,” Stover offered.

  WGWG: Guardian ad Litem program- An Interview with Dawn Stover

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  Gardner-Webb Music Alum Finds Success on Several Stages

  Office of University Communications

  Since his graduation from Gardner-Webb University, trumpeter Ty Sheets (’13) has performed on a cruise ship, placed in a national competition, played at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., and completed his master’s degree on a full graduate assistantship. He credits his successes to the teaching and mentoring of Tim Hudson, Gardner-Webb assistant professor of music. “He taught me to start thinking of myself as a professional musician, even when I was only in my second year of music school,” Sheets reflected.