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South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities • Alumni Newsletter • Winter 2016
… 1
Alumni Spotlight … 2
Contents
From the President
… 3
Keep Your Eyes on These Govies … 3
2015 Alumni Holiday Party … 4
Get Your Govie Alumni T-Shirt Now … 5
2016 Alumni Advisory Council … 6
Class Notes: Where Are They Now?
Spring 2016: On the Horizon
Post-Flood Recovery:
School Parnership . . .
7
… 7
A Govie Gathering in New York
… 8
News from the Governor’s
School for the Arts Foundation
10 Ways You Can
Show Your Support
… 10
… 10
From
the
President
Dear Alumni,
Happy New Year and greetings from the Governor’s School!
I trust that you had a wonderful holiday season and that
2016 is off to a productive start. The spring semester started
with a flourish in Greenville and we expect the remainder of
the year to continue with many exciting performances and
events.
The 2015 fall semester ended with many extraordinary
accomplishments by our students, faculty, and staff. We
were excited to learn that six students were recognized
by the National YoungArts Foundation this year with three
being selected as finalists to compete for up to $10,000 in
scholarships and a chance to be named a U.S. Presidential
Scholar. We were also proud to celebrate the recent honor
bestowed upon Dr. Bruce Halverson as Governor Nikki Haley
awarded him the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s
highest civilian honor.
Throughout the course of my first semester, I’ve been inspired by the success of our students and their ability to
achieve above and beyond their wildest dreams as a result
of this unique experience. As these students follow in your
footsteps, there is no doubt that we will continue to produce artists, scholars, and educators who will achieve at
the highest levels of success in their chosen professions.
Winter 2016
As 2016 gets underway, I’d like to take the opportunity to
invite you to keep your connection with us throughout the
year. Please consider making a resolution to stay engaged
by attending one of our many performances, presentations,
or alumni events. If you’ve not been back to the campus for
a while, you may not recognize it. As a graduate of this fine
institution, you will no doubt be proud of our growth and
the momentum that has become a natural part of Govie life.
As always, we welcome your support and look forward to
seeing you soon.
Wishing you the best in 2016!
Sincerely,
Cedrick L. Adderley, D.M.A.
President
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Spotlight
Alumni
What type of music do you most enjoy? Classic Rock.
Are you a good dancer? I’m a terrible dancer.
What are your hobbies? Who has time for hobbies?
Have you ever met a famous person? Who? I met Bono
once at a U2 concert. I shook his hand. He said, “How’s it
going?” I said, “Good.”
What was your last vacation? Last summer I went to
Disney World with a group of all adults. Best vacation ever!
Profile. Will Ragland.
Where were you born? I was born in Greenville and grew
up in Powdersville, South Carolina.
What one thing really makes your day?
A sense of accomplishment.
What is your most marked characteristic? Baldness.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
I’m an introverted extrovert.
What is your favorite movie? The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Is your desk messy or neat? Incredibly messy.
What was your first car?
A light blue 1983 Honda Accord hatchback.
What was your major in college? Studio Art.
What is the “coolest” Govie experience you have ever
had? Staying up all night, jumping in the Furman fountains,
and alerting campus police.
What is your favorite thing to cook? I’m a terrible cook.
What is one thing people would never guess about you?
I enjoy yard work and sometimes wish I was a farmer.
What was your favorite subject in school? American history.
What advice would you give to a current Govie?
Take advantage of the opportunities and friendships you
are offered.
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If you could invite five people, living or dead, to dinner,
who would they be? Jesus Christ, Elvis Presley, Thomas
Jefferson, Vincent van Gogh, and Buddy Holly.
What do you miss most about SCGSAH? The people!
Will Ragland attended the 1994 Governor’s School
Summer Honors Program for Visual Arts at Furman University, an experience he remembers as life-changing. He currently serves as the Executive Artistic Director of Mill Town
Players, a community theater based in Pelzer, South Carolina. He has worked in Upstate theaters for 20 years, mainly
as an actor, director, and scene designer, in 90 productions.
Some favorite performances include Javert in Les Miserables and Harold Hill in The Music Man at the Greenville Little Theatre, Sweeney in Sweeney Todd and Buddy Holly in
The Buddy Holly Story at Centre Stage, Emcee in Cabaret
and Dr. Frank-n-furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show at
the Warehouse Theatre, and Archibald Craven in The Secret
Garden with the South Carolina Children’s Theatre.
Will founded the award-winning Wildcat Players of
Woodmont High School and recently started a new theater program, Mustang Stage Company, at Palmetto High
School. He holds a BA in Studio Art from Davidson College
and an MA in Theatre Production from Central Washington
University. He is a board member of the South Carolina Theatre Association, a 2010 recipient of Greenville First Best
and Brightest under 35 in Greenville Business Magazine, a
2012-13 Greenville County Schools Teacher of the Year, is
a member of Class 41 of Leadership Greenville, was voted
the 2015 Best of the Upstate Best Local Actor by readers of
The Greenville News, and was recently elected to Pelzer’s
town council. Will is grateful for the opportunity to bring
quality, affordable live theater to the Pelzer community. He
looks forward to performing in Uncle Vanya at the Warehouse Theatre January 29 - February 20 and in Greater Tuna
with Mill Town Players May 20 - June 12.
SCGSAH Alumni Newsletter
Class
Notes
Where Are They Now?
Monika Alston-Miller (Creative Writing, Summer 1996) was named the
2015 University of Central Arkansas Faculty Excellence Award winner in
two of the three categories: Teaching Excellence and Public Service. This
was the first time a faculty member has won more than one award in the
same year. The Teaching Excellence award is the highest honor presented
to a faculty member on their campus.
Emily Alverson (Creative Writing, 2011) graduated from Tulane University
in 2014 with a degree in Psychology and Early Childhood Education. She
received her Louisiana teaching certificate after completing her first year
of full-time teaching this past spring. Currently, Emily works as a Pre-K3
teacher at Ursuline Academy in New Orleans as part of their Reggioinspired early childhood program.
Liza Bennett (Drama, 2006) attended The Juilliard School after graduating
from SCGSAH. She played the role of Mistress Ford in the 2013 Oscar
Award-winning film Twelve Years a Slave and currently is a recurring character on Elementary (CBS), Chicago Fire (NBC), and Billions (Showtime).
Next year, Liza will portray Junie Lee in Free State of Jones starring Matthew McConaughey.
An honors graduate from the University of South Carolina, Katherine
Carter (Creative Writing, 2011) works for Archaeological Associates of the
Carolinas, Inc. in Raleigh, North Carolina, as a staff archaeologist and lab
technician. Katherine has plans to pursue her M.A. degree in archaeology
after another couple of years working in the private sector. Katherine is
engaged to a fellow archaeologist she met on her first dig at USC!
Kamry Goodwin (Creative Writing, 2012) is currently a junior at Duke University, pursuing a degree in linguistics along with minors in cultural anthropology and history. She is Editor-in-Chief for The Archive, Duke’s oldest
student publication, and was recently chosen as the Director of Creative
Writing for Project Arts, Duke’s new pre-orientation program for incoming
first-years.
Sarah Hammond (Creative Writing, Summer 1996) has been commissioned by Theatreworks USA to write a musical adaptation of the popular
children’s book Pete the Cat. That show will go on tour next year and it’s
slated for a production at the Lucille Lortel Theater in New York during
summer 2016. She is also working on a Sloan commission to write a musical about an astronomer who curates messages from humanity to visiting
aliens.
KEEP YOUR
ON
THESE GOVIES!
Danielle Brooks
(Drama, 2007)
At 16, Danielle came to
New York for the first time
with her family and saw
her first Broadway production: The Color Purple.
A decade later, Brooks
is making her Broadway
debut in the Oprah Winfrey–produced revival of
the musical. Brooks spoke with Vogue.com about
her tearful first night of previews, filling Oprah’s
shoes, and the moment during the show when
she pays tribute to Sandra Bland and Eric Garner.
Read the interview here.
Brandon Brooks (Music, 2011)
Brandon Brooks doesn’t graduate from the College of Charleston until next month, but the enterprising musician can already call himself a business owner. After participating in the college’s
first semester-long Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Technology, or ICAT, program in the spring,
Brooks was able to realize his idea for a program
that could essentially be the LinkedIn for local
music communities in Charleston and across the
country — maybe even the globe. Read the entire
Post and Courier article here.
Ashley Herron (Visual Arts, 2007) recently moved to New Orleans and
works 3 months out of the year for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest
in HR (returning for the 2016 Jazz Fest) and recently started working at
Gallery I/O, owned by metalsmith Thomas Mann, as a Gallery Attendant.
Jessica Ker (Music, 2006) attended Shenandoah Conservatory and received her Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance and went on
to earn a graduate degree in Suzuki Pedagogy at East Carolina University.
She has been teaching Suzuki violin lessons in Charlotte since 2011 and
this year she began teaching part time with the Suzuki strings program
Lucas Sams (Visual Arts, 2007)
The 26-year-old’s paintings are a steady, often
highlighted presence in galleries around South
Carolina. His short film, The Barking of the Dog,
Continued on page 7
Continued on page 5
Winter 2016
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H O L I D A Y P A R T Y
The 2015 Alumni Holiday gathering was held in the new Welcome Center lobby on campus, Friday, December 18.
Keep Your Eyes on These Govies, Continued from p. 3
was featured at Jasper magazine’s 2nd Act Film Festival for 2015.
He’s currently working on a trilogy of comic books about the apocalypse. His reputation looms large among the ranks of Columbia’s
creative class. Read more about Lucas here.
Latria Graham (Music, 2004)
People often ask me when I plan to move out of the American
south. I’m an indignant, disenfranchised, educated black woman –
and they wonder what kind of future South Carolina can offer me.
I tell them that it isn’t perfect, but it’s my home. I choose to make
it so. I’m staying because I want to help fix what I can. Read more
about Latria Graham here.
Edmund Bagnell (Music, 2003)
Well-Strung, a New York City-based string
quartet, derives their unique blend of vocals
and strings by fusing classical music with
the pop music of today. Members Edmund
Bagnell (1st violin), Chris Marchant (2nd
violin), Daniel Shevlin (cello), and Trevor
Wadleigh (viola) spend their time making new
music and touring internationally. Watch them
perform here.
Michelle Beck (Drama, 2001)
Fifteen years after David Auburn’s Proof opened in New York, the
unknowns that generated the dramatic tension in his Pulitzer-winning theatrical equation should be pretty familiar to many theatergoers. Michelle Beck and her cast mates are so fully invested in
every moment that we buy into each plot twist as if we didn’t know
what was coming as Auburn’s story of the young, insecure mathematics genius develops. Read more about Michelle here.
Cameron Mitchell Bell
(Music, 2004)
Cameron Mitchell Bell of North Augusta finished shows in Cairo and Istanbul earlier this month and will soon
take the stage in Beirut. Bell, 30, is a
South Carolina Governor’s School for
the Arts and Humanities and University of South Carolina School of Music alum. He plays a townsperson in
the Beauty and the Beast ensemble
and understudy for Cogsworth the
clock and Belle’s father Maurice. Read more here.
Maggie Gould (Music, 2008)
Maggie recently performed with
singer Andreas Bocelli on Late Night
with Seth Meyers as well as on Good
Morning America. Catch the Late
Night clip here. Maggie also recently
appeared on The Tonight Show with
Jimmy Fallon and performed alongside Stevie Wonder during his Songs
in the Key of Life tour. Maggie is excited to join the pit orchestra for the
hit Broadway show Hamilton, later
this month.
Engagements, Weddings, and Births
Congratulations to Amanda Sweet (Visual Arts, 2003) on
her engagement to Andrew Norsworthy!
Congratulations to Matthew Wilson (Music, 2007) and Andrew Dancy on their recent marriage!
Congratulations to Stefani McGougan (Music, 2002) and
Justin Spruill on their November 14th marriage!
Congratulations to Sarah Crosby and Brian Horn on their
November 28th marriage!
Congratulations and best wishes to Morgan Voke (Music,
2010) and Josh Thomason (Music, 2010). Morgan and
Josh were married on December 5th.
Congratulations to Barrett Newman (Music, 2004) and
Adrienne Doctor on their December 23rd wedding!
Get your Govie Alumni T-shirt today!
$17 (includes shipping) • Many Sizes
To order: aking@scgsah.org or 864.282.3724
4
SCGSAH Alumni Newsletter
Winter 2016
5
2016
AlumniAdvisoryCouncil
Laura Nevitt is a
graduate of the University of South Carolina. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music
Composition, a Voice
Performance Certificate, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music
Education. She graduated from the South
Carolina Governor’s
School for the Arts
with an Artist’s Certificate in Classical Guitar and Voice. Laura
is a music intern at
First
Presbyterian
Church in Columbia,
South Carolina. She directs their primary and junior choirs,
supervises the children’s music program, and is a section
leader in their chancel and chamber choir. She maintains a
private studio of guitar and voice students and is the chorus
teacher at Cross Roads Intermediate School in Irmo, South
Carolina.
Laura is also an accomplished composer. Her choral
piece In Bethlehem has been performed by the USC Concert Choir in Columbia, South Carolina, the East Central
College Choir in Zion, Missouri, and by the First Presbyterian Church chamber choir in the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in
Charleston, South Carolina. Laura also conducted the performance of In Bethlehem at Piccolo Spoleto. Her song A
Child has been performed in concerts and is featured on the
Christmas album Dawn On Our Darkness: Modern American Carols with the choirs of First Presbyterian Church.
She also recently conducted a chamber ensemble and
soprano soloist performing Bach’s Cantata 51, Jauchzet
Gott in allen Landen. Laura plans to pursue a master’s degree in choral conducting
within the next few years and
a composing career at the
collegiate level. She is very
excited to be serving as the
Chair of the SCGSAH Alumni
Advisory Council this year.
Ian Burnette is an Associate
at The Kenyon Review and a
student at Kenyon College.
His poems have appeared in
The Forward Book of Poetry,
Plain China: Best Undergrad6
New Officers and Members
Post-Flood Recovery:
School Partnership
uate Writing, The Kenyon Review, The Adroit Journal, The
826 Quarterly, and elsewhere. Most recently, he was selected by Tracy K. Smith for inclusion in Best New Poets 2015.
He lives in central Ohio.
Brian Matheny is now
serving as a paramedic in Augusta, Georgia.
He is a 2004 graduate
of SCGSAH in Voice.
Brian has served on
many committees for
emergency management and preparedness throughout South
Carolina and is very
excited and honored
to be serving as Vice
Chair for the Alumni
Advisory Committee
at SCGSAH.
Stephanie Cureton’s passion for
dance was sparked at the age of
3 in Fort Knox, Kentucky. After
moving back to Greenville, South
Carolina, she started her training
with Barbara English at English
Theatre Arts. She graduated from
the South Carolina Governor’s
School for Arts and Humanities in
the dance program. While there
she studied ballet, pointe, and
modern under the direction of
Llyod Whitmore, Irina Ushakova,
and Stanislav Issaev. She then went on to receive her BA
in dance/psychology from Agnes Scott College where she
studied ballet, Martha Graham modern technique, jazz, and
Labanotation under Bridget Roosa. Not only did she perform in Studio Dance Theatre, the school’s dance company,
she also choreographed several pieces for the company.
She has choreographed and performed for local projects
both in Atlanta and Greenville. Currently, she teaches full
time with Carolina Dance Collaborative, Dance United, and
English Theatre Arts while also being a freelance performer
and choreographer. In the future she plans to pursue a masters degree in dance and physical therapy.
As we all know, many communities in South Carolina were hit exceptionally hard by the historic flooding in October. It is no small task to recover
from a disaster of this magnitude, and Carol Baker (Outreach) and Katie
Goslin (Community Service) have spent the last few weeks assessing how
our Govie community can be of service in the rebuilding process. Through
these efforts, we have decided to partner with Kingstree Middle / Williamsburg County Magnet School of the Arts for the remainder of the 2015-2016
school year.
Kingstree, like many communities, was hit surprisingly hard. As we have
many strong Govie ties to their community, including a longstanding relationship for Outreach programming, Kingstree Middle stood out as the top
choice for a year-long partnership that will support arts-focused education
— an important issue for our school. Our goal for the year is to assist in
their recovery efforts by supporting their students artistically, academically,
and emotionally/socially.
The Alumni Office will be working with Outreach and Community Service
to develop a formal assistance plan for 2016. We have already discussed
several ways in which alumni can be involved in the assistance efforts and
look forward to presenting those options to you in the near future.
I hope all alumni, especially those from the Kingstree area, will join us in
supporting the students, teachers, and families of Kingstree Middle.
Spring
2016
ONTHEHORIZON
Class Notes, continued from page 3
at the University of South Carolina. Jessica
has performed with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in a five-show tour. She played at the
Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort
Wayne, Indiana, the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, and The Nutter Center in Dayton Ohio.
This was a life-long dream of hers and to have
this opportunity was an amazing experience.
Anna Pittman (Creative Writing, 2012) is a
senior and Dean’s Scholar in NYU Tisch’s
Dramatic Writing Program. Two of her oneact plays have been produced in Tisch’s
Goldberg Theater. After completing a producing minor with Tisch’s film program, she
works as a screenwriter, script consultant,
script supervisor, location manager, special
effects makeup artist, and Foley artist on independent film projects. Anna reports that
she is using the reading and workshopping
skills she honed in SCGSAH’s Creative Writing program as a script development intern
at Jean Doumanian Productions.
Congratulations to John Reese on his leading role in The History Boys at Palm Beach
Beach Dramaworks! following The History
Boys, John will be traveleing to Salt Lake
City where he will be in An Inspector Calls at
Pioneer Theatre.
Mike Roberts (Creative Writing, 2009) recently finished a six-week tour of the U.S.
and Canada playing bass with the band Elvis
Depressedly. He has toured with the band
since 2013 and appears on their album, New
Alhambra, on Run for Cover Records. The
record has received favorable reviews from
Pitchfork, Stereogum, Alternative Press, and
others, including Rolling Stone. To see the
Rolling Stone review, click here.
After studying advertising in New York,
Temnete Sebhatu (Creative Writing, 2007)
moved to Los Angeles and is currently working as a copywriter with the advertising agency
Media Arts Lab, a division of TBWA Worldwide.
All those cool Apple ads you’re seeing on television? Temnete’s agency helped create them.
Friday, February 12, 2016: Alumni Drop-In, Charleston,
Location TBD
Friday, May 27, 2016: #GovieDay, Marks Govie Graduation Day
August 5-7: 2016 Govie Alumni Reunion Weekend
SCGSAH Alumni Newsletter
Winter 2016
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SCGSAH Alumni Newsletter
E
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Winter 2016
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SCGSAH is life changing
—you’ve said it yourself.
1
Show your support.
Advocate for the school. Contact your member of the state
legislature and the governor and share what the Governor’s
School means to you and our state. Not sure who to contact?
Check out our website for contact information.
Join the Party. Our summer reunion and regional events are
great ways to celebrate with fellow Govies.
Serve as an alumni representative. Help us stay connected
with your class.
Attend a current event. Come back, reminisce, and support
current Govies. A performance calendar is on the website.
Spread the word. Be a proud Govie. Your success illustrates
the impact of arts education.
Help find a future Govie. See a Govie. Know a Govie. Refer a
Govie.
Update your alumni contact information. How can we tell
you what’s happening here if we can’t find you?
Join the alumni community and help reach others. The
official SCGSAH Alumni Group is up and running on social
media. India to California, we’ve got the Govie World covered—
but only if you are in it.
Donate to the GSA Foundation. Give small, give big.
Everything donated directly helps fund artists, activities, and
students.
Fill in the blank. With a creative, diverse group of alumni, new
ideas for involvement are always developing; share them!
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SCGSAH
Anna King, Alumni Coordinator
864.282.3724 • www.SCGSAH.org
alumni@scgsah.org
GSA Foundation
Becky Pearson, Program Director
864.282.1570 • GSAFoundation.net
becky.pearson@gsafoundation.net
News from the
Governor’s School for
the Arts Foundation
Mark your calendar! Artists in
Bloom will be held April 27, 2016
This is the GSA Foundation’s premiere annual fundraising event, the highlight of which
is the presentation of the President’s Young
Alumni Award. If you would like to nominate
a Govie alumnus to be considered for this
award, please send a letter of support (minimum 100 words) to becky.pearson@gsafoundation.net.
Bricks are still available!
Click here for more information or to place
your order.
The GSA Foundation
2015 Annual Report is online
The 2015 Annual Report features alumni quotes and perspectives. Find out what
we’ve been doing here in the GSA Foundation. Click here to read it!
Show your Govie Support and
make a donation today!
The Governor’s School needs your help to
support the programs that the state budget
does not fund. This includes the Guest Artist program, Meal Plan Scholarships, Professional Development for Faculty, and the
Medici Fund that helps students who are
struggling financially to pay for things like flu
shots, performance attire, eye exams, and
bus tickets home for the holidays. Click here
to make a contribution today!
We are so proud to have you as alumni of the Governor's School and to have
an opportunity to hear from you and share information with you.
Please let us know news, updates, and celebrations by sending them to alumni@scgsah.org.
For ongoing news and updates, please check the SCGSAH Official Alumni Group on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Like us on Facebook • View our profile on LinkedIn • Follow us on Twitter
15 University Street, Greenville, SC 29601 • p 864.282.3777 • www.SCGSAH.org
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SCGSAH Alumni Newsletter