th
6
Annual
Stand Up Carolina
Hero Awards
James Ardis
James serves as a positive role model for a
young male who has a troubled home.
James makes visits to his home to see how
things are going and also signed the young
male up for the local SCSO Explorers
Program. James coordinated with all of his
partners to gather things at Christmas time
so that this young man could have a
special holiday since his parents were
unable to at the time.
Patricia Armstrong
Patricia Armstrong always goes
above and beyond to help me when
I need it. She makes sure that
students are being guided in the
right direction and she is always
there if you need to talk to her
about a situation.
Mary Barradas
A young woman knocked on Mary's door - she
was hysterical, having been hit on the head and
sexually assaulted. Mary called the police and
EMS and offered to accompany her to the
hospital until her mother arrived. She stayed
with the woman to help comfort her while law
enforcement talked with her. Mary helps
everyone, not just family or co-workers.
Debbie Beck
Dr. Beck went above and beyond
Student Health Service's general
policy to help a student. Dr. Beck
was approached and informed of
this student's dilemma and fragile
health. Her decision to support him
in this crisis and approve his
transport to and from MUSC by our
Medics was God sent.
Emily Bordiuk
During the campus lockdown, Emily
immediately took action by finding the
safest location for everyone to gather and
dealt with some adversity from those who
did not fully understand the severity of the
situation. She put aside her fears to be a
leader and calming presence when her
sisters needed it.
Rebecca Bradley
Becca is very concerned about safety on campus, especially
at night. She was part of the group that helped start Walk
Home Cocky and now serves as the Executive Director of
the program. Becca has the gift of words. I have seen her
talk with people for hours who are struggling with mental
illness, tragedy, stress, etc. She is a great listener and when
she speaks, I am always amazed at how much discernment
she shows. She is very involved at First Baptist Church,
helping with the college ministry leadership team and praise
band. She also helps with a middle school girls group,
volunteers at service events, and helps in any other capacity
that she can.
Davontay Brown
Davontay witnessed an intoxicated student getting kicked out of a
bar. Upon being kicked out, the student fell and hit his head on the
concrete. Once they realized he was bleeding, Davontay and a few
other students stepped up to make sure the student was okay.
Davontay and another student tried to control the bleeding, asked
the injured student questions to gage his consciousness, and kept
him attentive until the police arrived. Stepping up in stressful
situations and applying knowledge he learned to save someone's life
makes him a hero in my eyes.
Ashley Byrd-White
Ashley noticed an argument between 2 students in
front of the library. Thinking the argument
seemed too hostile to not intervene, Ashley
followed the female student into the library - she
had an appointment at the Student Success Center
- and checked in with her to make sure she was
okay. During this appointment the student
disclosed having been sexually assaulted. The SSC
staff contacted the appropriate resources to get
help for the student. I'm not sure if Ashley knows
how much she impacted this student's life. Just
five minutes of speaking to this student could
have changed things for the rest of her life.
Anna Capel
Anna is an alumna who is a survivor of being
drugged and sexually assaulted. With
encouragement of friends and family, Anna
has kept a blog about her experiences in
hopes of helping other survivors. It has taken
incredible courage for Anna to be so open
about her experience, but she is willing to do
so to help others.
Daniel Colascione
As a Residence Life Coordinator,
Dan responded to several high-level
incidents and ensured that each
student received the highest level of
care. He went above and beyond to
offer to drive one student home to
Charleston who was not receiving
support from home. The students in
East Quad are appreciative to have
an administrator who goes above
and beyond for them.
Dee Dee Cronise
She has always helped me
to solve the most delicate
problems concerning my
pay check and my status
as an international
graduate student. Those
people, like Dee Dee, are
the everyday heroes.
Tina Devlin
Tina Devlin is an asset to the University of
South Carolina. She is the Campus Wellness
Associate Director for Faculty and Staff. She
volunteers her time to many causes and
makes a difference in the lives of people at
USC and in the community. Tina puts in
countless extra hours to improve wellness
programs at USC. Because of Tina's warm
personality and smile, the Faculty/Staff
Wellness Office is a place where people feel
welcome. She encourages the community to
take small steps to become healthier
individuals. I admire her work ethic and
dedication to the USC family!
Lauren Eck
In January, on the Yik Yak app, an anonymous
person posted that they were on top of a
parking garage on campus and that they were
going to jump if no one talked them out of it.
Seeing this, Lauren proceeded to comment on
the post saying that people cared about them
and that they were an important part of the
“Gamecock family." The person responded
saying that no one cared because no one came
to talk to her. Lauren then called the campus
police to get them involved and was informed
that they successfully talked the student out of
the attempt and they received help.
Michelle Eichleberger
“She helped me out through the difficult
times I had. She was always making time
for me even if she was busy. I truly
appreciate all she did for me. I will never
forget Michelle. She has a golden heart”
Brooke Everhart
I am nominating my wonderful friend
Brooke Everhart because she has ensured
that I, a kidney patient, can make it through
graduate school here. Sometimes I had to
wait an hour for an evening shuttle to pick
me up. Brooke volunteered to take me to my
car every night. She knew it was too far and
too dangerous to walk from the Horseshoe
to the Coliseum. In January of 2014, I
received a call from my transplant center
suggesting that I go to the hospital. Having
no direct knowledge of where I should go,
she came to my apartment and drove me to
the closest hospital that could handle my
case.
Julia Ferillo
Julia has helped so many of us who are
international students in countless ways.
From helping us access medical care, to
helping register our children for school,
to navigating traffic fines and emergency
room visits, we all know we would not
have been able to do any of these things
without Julia's kind help. These are things
she does not have to do; she does them
because she cares deeply and wants to
provide all the support she can. We
cannot thank her enough for her help to
us as international and EPI students.
Tayler Flowers
Tayler advocates for a future that includes fewer
adolescents and young adults who are closedminded and commit horrible acts of hate,
discrimination, and intimidation. Tayler finds ways
to educate herself about diversity and how to create
an inclusive environment for others to mitigate
bigotry, hatred, and misunderstanding of others'
lifestyles and beliefs. She is using this knowledge to
positively influence her young students.
Erik Frankforter
Erik noticed a friend posted a suicidal
statement on Facebook and acted fast
by contacting police and resident
mentors. As a result, his friend received
medical help. Erik has continued to
provide support to this friend.
Christy Friend
Christy Friend is the Director of the
Center for Teaching Excellence. She
touches the lives of her staff and visitors
to the CTE in a very positive way. She
gives us a voice and provides us with the
confidence to help faculty and graduate
teaching assistants to become better
teachers. Christy writes powerful handwritten thank you notes. She is always
willing to give her time and contributions
to university and community service
projects. Christy looks to make us better
in our positions and seeks to foster a
positive and inspiring environment for all
who teach at USC.
Adam Hartstone-Rose
While working on research with Dr. HartstoneRose in Washington DC, I learned that my mom,
who lived in Alabama, had died unexpectedly.
Dr. Hartstone-Rose made arrangements for me
to get home and gave me emergency cash and a
comforting hug. I truly believe that without my
experience in Dr. Hartstone-Rose's lab, I would
be in a much darker place emotionally. He
deserves recognition for his excellence as an
academic mentor, and on top of that, he
certainly deserves recognition for the warmth he
shows toward his undergraduates outside of
academia. Dr. Hartstone-Rose has saved my life
and my future simply by offering a kind word
and checking in when I'm feeling most alone. He
is, without question, a hero in my eyes.
Shannon Henry
A mother of 3, a wife, a daughter, and a
teacher are all words that describe Shannon
Henry. What you may not know about her
though, that is weaved into her very core, is
her passion for teaching women of all ages
how to defend themselves if ever presented
with a life threatening situation. Shannon is a
certified women's self-defense instructor. If I
were to give you a word or phrase that
describes her it would be “She’s all heart!”
Shannon not only shows up to teach, she
invests in the lives of her students. I am
amazed and impressed by the consistency of
her character, which is shown each time she
walks onto campus.
Zoe Henrickson
Although Zoe does not live close to campus,
she is always the first person people call when
they need a ride. Not only does she insist that
you ride with her instead of walking across
campus at night, she makes sure you get all the
way to your door before she leaves. Zoe is my
support system, and without her this last year
would have been much, much worse.
Derek Homad
After struggling with epilepsy, there
was no one besides Derek Homad
who helped me through an
emotional time. I cannot explain
how much his friendship has meant
to me over the past few months.
Janet Hudson
Janet Hudson was recently named the
Faculty Associate Director of Innovative
Teaching at the Center for Teaching
Excellence. Janet is very involved on the
USC campus and in the community. Janet is
always the first person to support my
community service causes. She donated to
my scholarship fund and supported me
during my Campus Wellness food and
supplies drive. Janet is also very involved
with the 2015 heart walk, wellness, and
academic committees on campus. She is a
positive presence at the CTE and in the
USC community.
Steven Hughes
On October 7, 2013 Steven Hughes witnessed an escalating
incident between an off-duty police officer and a female patron.
The escalation of events became verbal and physical as the offduty police officer physically restrained the patron against her will.
Steven was able to intercede on the female patron’s behalf by
videotaping this incident, and then assisting the responding police
with information that supported the female patron's complaints
of being physically abused. The videotape of the incident was
shown locally and then nationally on the news as it became
evidence in the case against the off-duty police officer. Steven had
multiple interviews after the incident, with a variety of media
outlets, and in each interview he did a great job of representing
himself well, and of course advocating for the patron that had
been assaulted. If Steven had not interceded this woman's rights
would not have been protected! Steven is a great role model for
the College of Nursing, USC, and of course the military where he
is employed as a helicopter/aircraft mechanic.
Ashton Jones
Ashton is an Ed.S. student in the School
Counseling program. At her school placement,
she dealt with a student who had suicidal
ideations and when doing so, remained so calm
and professional. This student wasn't seeing
Ashton regularly, but heard she was a good
person to talk to when they were feeling upset.
Ashton touches everyone she meets and she is
the kind of future school counselor anyone
would be lucky to have.
Mac Juraschek
“He has been my best friend since I
have been at school. He is my mentor
and my role model. Mac is the nicest
and best friend I have ever had. I love
him”.
Ebony Langhorne
Ebony Langhorne participates in all forms of
leadership. As both a student and a philanthropist,
she has gone above and beyond the call of duty
each year since beginning her Ed.S. program in
Counselor Education. Though she is a full-time
graduate student, Ebony still makes time to serve as
a Peer Health Educator for Student Health Services
and became the Founding President of Phi Sigma
Theta Honor Society. In this role, Ebony organized
fundraising initiatives for Ronald McDonald House
Charities and Relay for Life. She also arranged the
First Annual Clothing Drive for Transitions
homeless shelter. Ebony always finds time to help
other people and that speaks volumes about her
character.
Alisa Liggett
This past year, my life had been filled will
more downs than ups. Thankfully, I had
Alisa. No matter how busy her schedule was,
she made time to listen to me and help me
work my way through the things that I could
control. In a time where things in my life
could have gone terribly wrong for me as a
person, as a student and as a Carolinian, Alisa
was there to remind me that the world still
cared. She impacted me in ways that she does
not even know about. I am forever thankful
for her presence in my life.
Lil’ Mama
Lil' Mama is an unsung hero who
brightens the day of everyone she
meets. This woman has changed my
world forever by encouraging me to
keep my head up and strive for my
goals when I was ready to give up.
Claire Mariaca
This young lady took the action to warn
other female students about a situation that
she experienced to prevent anyone else from
going through what she experienced. She
took the initiative to reach out to others even
when she was going through a time of
healing. This takes strength to do and really
shows that she cares for others.
Emily Martin
Emily is one of the most amazing women I have had the
pleasure of knowing. She works with local women's shelters
for battered women constantly. Her devotion to Sistercare
and spreading domestic violence awareness is astounding and
the importance she places on them is evident to everyone she
knows. Along with Sistercare, Emily has brought recognition
to a non-profit organization called "Free the Girls", which
collects gently used bras and gives them to women who have
been involved in sex trafficking with hopes of putting an end
to it. She continues to shed light on issues such as sex
trafficking and domestic violence every day. Emily is not one
who brags or expects respect for what she does. She does
these things because she loves them, and she is a true
philanthropist.
Alan McDonnough
After seeing a post on Yik Yak that
indicated a suicide attempt, Alan took
screen shots of the post and walked to
the police department to make sure that
we were able to see the post. Alan's
quick actions allowed investigators to
review the post and comments and gain
enough information to identify and
locate the person who posted it,
potentially saving their life. USC needs
more people like Alan in its community,
someone who will go out of their way to
help a complete stranger.
Frederic “Baker” Mills
Baker noticed a young man
standing on the rails of the
Blatt bridge saying that he was
planning to take his life. Baker
convinced the young man to
come inside to talk with him
and got him to the hospital and
to safety.
Kyle Monts, David Parks,
and Walter Harper
Kyle, David, and Walter were in an Introduction to
Counseling class in the fall. For their final project they
updated a popular negative phone app to use it for
positive feedback. When one user noted that counseling
had not helped and that they were depressed, these
young men intervened to encourage that person to seek
help. They also explained that there is no shame in
seeking mental health services. They very well may have
saved a life.
Jennifer Myers
Jennifer Myers is a licensed counselor
and is the Assistant Director of Campus
Mental Health Initiatives. She has worked
tirelessly to train suicide prevention
gatekeepers and to help reduce the
stigma around seeking mental health
services. This campus is a better place
simply because Jennifer is here.
Cedrick Nelson
Mr. Nelson reflects the pillars of an
exceptional leader and passionately
serves students and staff beyond the
delivery of emergency care, which is
his current role as the EMT-I First
Responder Supervisor Assistant
Chief. Striving to uplift those around
him on campus he aims to bring
comfort to those in need and takes
the additional steps to confidently
ensure quality in his care for the
patients he serves.
Aakash Patel
Mr. Patel noticed a student in distress and
took a risk. He initiated conversation with a
person who was at risk for taking a suicidal
action, and responded quickly. He activated
an emergency response, getting assistance
to the student quickly. This defines a hero.
Thank you, Mr. Patel, for being a part of
our Carolina Community!
Venisha Pendergrass
Venisha uses her education to
advocate for all students she comes in
contact with. As a woman of color,
Venisha has set a prime example of
strong leadership and has paved the
way for other minority leaders like
herself to step in to new leadership
roles.
Ashton Peterson
Ashton really changed
my outlook on others
and what they may
have to deal with.
Christine Rinehart
Dr. Rinehart inspires her female
students in her WGST class and
exemplifies women
empowerment through her
research on terrorism in Israel.
Dr. Rinehart gave us information
about harassment, sexual assault,
hate crimes, and domestic
violence. She also took the time
to hear our voices on the matter.
Tiffany Rogers
Tiffany Rogers is one of my colleagues in the
Counselor Education Ph.D. program. Tiffany
has a passion for research regarding
relationships and gender. During Fall 2014,
Tiffany presented to my U101 class on
relationship violence. After class, students
pulled Tiffany aside to talk to her about their
relationships and issues with dating/
domestic violence. Tiffany's ability to make
people feel at ease while learning about such
uncomfortable topics is what makes her a
hero regarding relationship/dating/ domestic
violence.
Allison Ryan
Allison uses her leadership positions here
at USC to help minimize incidents of hate
and discrimination and raise awareness
about the cultural diversity of students on
campus. Allison is my Hero because she
makes it a point to educate at least one
person every day about what it means to be
an inclusive and accepting individual.
Gabriela Santos
After being hit by a car on campus while walking to
class, my roommate Gabriela immediately dropped
everything she was doing to accompany me to
Student Health Services as well as driving me to
meet my mother. After the incident she drove me to
my internship and picked me up from classes, as I
was unable to drive. Her display of friendship was
extremely touching and without her I would not
have been able to successfully resume a normal
schedule.
Ellen Schlaefer
I was in the School of Public Health
building when the shooting occurred.
My class was evacuated. We left all our
belongings in the classroom and were
evacuated to a room in the School of
Music. Mrs. Schlaefer not only kept us
safe inside the school of Public Health
while we were there, but she also
arranged for water, food and cell phone
chargers to be brought to us during our
6 hour evacuation in the School of
Music. These may seem like small acts
but they meant the world to us.
Jessica Sido
When I was physically assaulted recently, Jessica Sido
reported the incident to the SAVIP office. She inquired
about the resources for survivors on campus and
accompanied me to all the offices including SAVIP,
Student Conduct, and the Police Department. Her
willingness to go out of her way to support and
empower me made a powerful difference to my
emotional state and condition. Jessica is a compassionate
young lady on her way to graduating from the University
and I nominate her because I feel like she deserves
recognition for boldly standing up for me in my time of
crisis.
Caitlyn Smith
After having a stressful
interaction with a student in a
class, I became extremely anxious
and upset. Caitlyn realized that I
was having difficulty attending
classes and offered to go with
me. In addition to her own
classes she attended mine and
also sat in on the labs I taught. I
am truly blessed to have her in
my life.
Marla Smith
Marla has encouraged me to get my
documentation complete for Student
Disability Services, understanding how
participating in University events, clubs, and
activities not only helps occupy our time but
helps us grow as leaders. Ms. Smith is always
introducing people to new parts of campus
and also goes above and beyond to make
sure every Gamecock feels at home when
they walk into her table time.
Paul Solomon
I have been fortunate to have Dr. Solomon as an instructor during
my SLIS studies. I appreciate that he allows us to send him
assignment drafts and provides feedback so assignments may be
improved until the due date. I feel that I have grown into a more
competent and confident librarian because of his positive and
instructive feedback. Now a doctoral student, I was sexually
harassed by a fellow student in my department. Once I informed
Dr. Solomon of the harassment, he has supported me 500%
percent. He not only listened, but he stood up for me when it
mattered most. The aftermath was almost just as bad as the
harassment and I would not have continued my enrollment thus far
without Dr. Solomon's support.
Alexander Sougiannis
During the tragic events that occurred in
the Arnold School of Public Health, Alex
took the necessary precautions to ensure
that the laboratory was safe and quickly
notified the police of the situation. He
demonstrated composure and quick
thinking to ensure the safety of many
other individuals all while giving little
regard for his own personal safety. Alex is
a role model in which the University and
the Exercise Science Department can take
pride.
Mindi Spencer
When I asked graduate students
to describe Dr. Mindi Spencer,
these were some of the answers
that came up: "caring", "selfless",
"a true advocate",
"compassionate", "strong" and
"free spirited." Dr. Mindi Spencer
is a gracious mentor and is
passionate about her students’
learning. By her academic
guidance and emotional support, I
was able to get through the
hardest times of my PhD journey.
She is truly a hero, not only for
me, but for a lot of students
whose lives she has touched.
Emily Thickens
Emily provides support and mentorship
to all class levels in Preston Residential
College, specifically first years. Emily is
willing and available at any hour of the
day and night to help someone if they
ask. She makes sure everyone feels
included, and like they are truly home at
Carolina at Preston. Emily demonstrates
the University of South Carolina's motto
of "No Limits" because for Emily, as a
Gamecock, her support and love have
no limits.
Laura Thompson & Lori Vann
My 9 year old son Gustavo periodically suffers from
seizures. In general, medication controls his seizures.
When he experiences an increase in metabolism, or
a change in weight and height, which all growing
kids do, he has a spike in epileptic episodes. During
the Fall semester his seizures went on for two
weeks. During these two weeks, Lori Vann and
Laura Thompson helped in so many ways from
answering calls from my son's school when a seizure
happened, to tracking me down in the middle of a
lecture to notify me, and taking over a class when I
had to leave campus urgently. They dropped what
they were doing and helped me and my son out.
They deserve a big raise for their efforts and most
certainly this award.
Ford Thrift
My roommate became intoxicated to the point of
incoherence. It became apparent that he was in no condition
to remain at the game and that he needed to go home
immediately for his safety. So a friend and myself got together
and put him in a cab and sent the cab to our apartment. At
some point along the way my roommate had decided to hop
out of the cab and run off. We were unaware of this fact, and
continued on to the game. Mr. Thrift, who happened to be
walking along the road towards the game, spotted him
staggering and wandering through the streets. Ford then took
great effort to hail a cab, placed him in the car, and gave the
cabby $20 to take him back to the apartment complex.
Toni Torres-McGehee
Dr. Torres-McGehee went above and beyond
to help a graduate student that was involved in
a violent relationship. Dr. Torres McGehee
immediately got her out of the violent
situation and set her up with medical care. In
addition, she opened up her home for the
student and her mother to stay for over two
weeks during her recovery, allowing her to get
out of the violent relationship. She also
provided the student with academic assistance.
I am proud to work with Toni and she is truly
an inspiring representation of a University of
South Carolina Hero.
Barbara Wachobe
Mrs. Barbara always stood by all graduate
students in my department. She has always
supported me by providing the best and clear
information so I could have success achieving my
objectives. For these reasons, and all the
moments she helped me, I would like to name
her my hero.
Lynwood Watts
Mr. Watts is always friendly and helpful
to students, faculty, and staff. He treats
everyone with respect and is very
understanding. He will bend over
backward to see you succeed and always
has the best advice personally, financially,
and academically. He is not my advisor
but once helped me through my entire
advisement process.
David Wheaton
Sometimes it's not a single event that defines someone as
extraordinary, but rather a culmination of small acts that build
upon one another. I am nominating David because he is the
definition of generous and kind, which he shows in both his
actions and words. He is in no way materialistic, nor does he
aspire to be; his goal in life is to give back to the world.
David is one of those rare people who is genuinely happy for
other people and is more than willing to listen and help those in
need. When he does help, whether that involves dropping
everything to take a friend to the emergency room or making
sure a friend is safe walking back to campus at night, he does
not complain and expects nothing in return.
Skylar Woodberry
Skylar is a second year Ed.S. student in
the Marriage, Couples and Family
Counseling program. She is a
volunteer advocate for STSM and
leads and observes groups on
substance abuse, relationship violence
and sexual assault. She has also done
counseling at Epworth Children's
Home and is a victim service provider
for the state of SC. As a Gamecock,
Skylar's compassion has no limits.
Jessica Velders
Jessica was attempting to locate a student
who could be at risk for harming or
killing themselves and did not stop until
she had activated other campus partners
to put together the very small amount of
information available to her. Using her
resources, Jessica was able to respond
appropriately and ensure the student’s
safety. She works tirelessly in situations
like this on a daily basis to monitor any
risk to our community and responds
quickly and efficiently to keep individual
students and our community safe.
Tushar Yadav
Dr. Yadav is one of the most compassionate
people I know. On January 23, he called the
police upon witnessing a person jumping off
of the Blossom Street Bridge - and aided them
in catching the suspect. In an earlier incident he
assisted one of his classmates who had a
seizure in the school, and helped her recover
before Emergency Services arrived.
He volunteers much of his time in underserved
areas in the Columbia community. He deeply
cares about the community and is eager to
serve and to help those who work to protect it.
Vinny Bocchino
Vinny always put the best interest
of others before his own. Outside
of his regular job duties, he
worked overtime patrol hours as a
Lieutenant of USCPD, keeping
the university and students safe.
Vinny will always be remembered
in the hearts of those who knew
him as a hard-working,
compassionate, energetic, and
generous member of the Carolina
community .
Kendra Cusaac
Dr. Cusaac always took a big
stance when it came to
informing us on sexual assault,
relationship abuse, and things of
that nature. By not sharing the
information with her students,
many may have not been able to
escape. She impacted many lives
and there are simply no words
to describe it.