By Macy Petty
During her third week at Wofford, Grace Harrison ’26 lost her grandfather. Later, during her spring semester, her father began experiencing medical issues.
“These were the most impactful men in my life,” she says. She had already made the huge step of enrolling in a college 150 miles away from her hometown of Morristown, Tenn., and she was trying to navigate a new way of living and studying.
She says her First Year Interaction seminar with Beth Wallace ’82, vice president of Campus Life and Student Development and dean of students, helped her get through.
“To have someone who could help advise me in those situations was extremely helpful,” says Harrison, who majors in English with a minor in education. “I learned that I could overcome hard personal things.”
Wofford’s Division of Campus Life and Student Development is committed to helping students thrive. It starts with an intentional four-year plan and a network of resources that blends wellness, counseling, student involvement, leadership development, residential education, accountability and safety. Along the way, the team in CLSD gives students opportunities to connect to the people and programs that guide a student’s transition through phases of personal growth and the development of purpose and confidence that students take with them when they graduate.
“We try to strike a balance of challenge and support,” says Wallace.
Year one
This starts the moment students step on campus for orientation and begin their FYI seminar, which introduces them to campus resources and helps them transition into college. The course helps them navigate common first-year challenges like time management and life with a roommate.
The course also encourages students to reflect on how Wofford is helping them grow. Wallace says one assignment involves writing a ‘Who Am I?’ essay at the beginning of the semester and a ‘Who Am I Now?’ essay as they approach final exams.
Even before students arrive on campus, they are assigned student success teams with an academic advisor, staff guide and FYI instructor, student peer mentors and a personal librarian. The staff in CLSD also has systems in place to recognize students who may not be connecting or taking advantage of resources, or who may be struggling socially or academically.
Year two
After exploring Wofford and who they are, students begin to discover what they like, both inside and outside the classroom. Sophomore year is often a time when students become more active in student organizations. Most declare a major and begin to explore potential careers with the guidance of academic major advisors and the Career Center.
For Harrison, this meant rooting for the Terriers on Wofford’s cheer team and meeting new friends through Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. “Being involved in groups made me confident,” she says. “The people I met really believed in me and poured into me.”
It also meant diving headfirst into her classes in the English and education departments and meeting influential mentors along the way.
According to Harrison, Dr. Kristy Hammett, assistant professor of education, is a “wonderful mentor,” and Dr. Carey Voeller, associate professor of English, has “pushed me academically.” Dr. Allison Douglass, assistant professor of English, is her English major advisor. “Her door is always open to me,” says Harrison. “She is genuinely curious as to how I am doing, not only academically, but personally.”
Dr. Cynthia Curry, director of academic advising, says that strong relationships with professors and academic advisors are invaluable to student success. Her department often partners with CLSD to make sure students are on track academically.
“Certainly, these are people who students can reach out to for academic support, but they can offer so much more,” she says. Her office empowers students as they define and pursue curricular and co-curricular opportunities for self-direction and growth. “Sophomore year — or at the point the student earns 60 credit hours, whichever is later — students are required to officially declare their major. This gives students time to explore courses that will be an important part of their education.”
Year three
Junior year brings opportunities for internships, study abroad, community engagement and leadership roles in campus organizations.
“Our goal is to not just help students get involved, but help them recognize and develop their leadership skills,” says Ashley Mamele Owen ’06, associate dean of students. Events like the Greek Leader Summit, a retreat for sorority and fraternity presidents to learn about their roles and set goals for their organizations, and the Leadership Wofford Summit, a similar retreat for leaders of student organizations, are aimed at supporting students in on-campus leadership positions.
Harrison says her leadership roles have made her feel more at home at Wofford. She is director of social events for her sorority, cheer team captain and huddle leader with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, for which she oversees prayer groups and Bible studies with other student-athletes.
“It is great to be part of a community,” she says. “There is such value in being around people you can learn from.”
Year four
By senior year, Wallace hopes these experiences prepare students to leave Wofford with a sense of purpose and identity, as well as a desire to engage in their communities.
“There is no exact checklist for student development,” says Wallace. “Each student will develop at their own pace. Our goal in Campus Life and Student Development is to assist and support students through their years at Wofford.”
Harrison says her time at Wofford has taught her to believe in herself. She plans to earn a master’s degree after graduation with the goal of becoming a teacher.
Owen has seen many students face difficult situations, like family issues or illness, that could derail their graduation. She says CLSD’s mission is to help students overcome these circumstances and reach their full potential.
“My favorite days are Orientation and Commencement. Seeing students who persisted through challenges and have developed and grown so much over their four years at Wofford walking across the stage is incredibly rewarding,” she says. “We have so many wonderful students who have so much to give the world.”
For Harrison, looking back on the hardships she faced her first year motivates her for the future.
“You have to have a little bit of grit, buckle down and get things done,” she says. The Wofford community gave her the support and tools she needed to overcome. “If I could go back and talk to myself as a first-year student, I would say, ‘You’re capable of more than you think.’”
Care on campus
When Kellie Nakatsu Buckner ’01 joined the Wofford staff in 2011, she was part of the college’s plan to bring mental health professionals to campus for student counseling. Today, she’s director of counseling services, which, as part of the Wellness Center, makes up what Buckner calls “a holistic approach to wellness.”
“There are so many things a young adult can encounter as they enter college,” says Buckner. “Counseling helps them develop skills so they can navigate these events in a healthy way.”
Counseling services offers both individual and group therapy for students, and Buckner hopes that students will go through their Wofford experience knowing they can seek out help when they need it.
“Students need the skill of recognizing that they can be interdependent, that they don’t have to do everything on their own,” she says. “We provide a space for people to learn about themselves. We are not here to solve problems; we are here to help students figure out how to solve their own problems.”
Ways we’ve changed
Wofford students share how they’ve grown since their first year — intentionally and in surprising ways — through campus involvement and experience.
“You get out of college what you put in,” says Billig, a biology major on the pre-dental track from Greenville, S.C. Billig had a hard time finding his place on campus his first year. His involvement with Kappa Alpha Order, Campus Union and Orientation Staff has given him the opportunity to develop leadership skills. “I have found that leadership is more about making connections. I have met so many people I would not have met otherwise,” he says. Billig will serve as the head of Orientation Staff this summer. He plans to go to dental school after graduating from Wofford.
Gammah says he discovered his capacity for helping others by being a part of Wofford’s Bonner Scholars Program. A computer science major from Ghana, he says that experiences volunteering at Spartanburg’s Adult Learning Center helped him overcome homesickness when he first came to America. “A lot of the people I work with there are not from the United States,” he says. “I see myself in them, and being able to help them helps me.” Gammah is a resident assistant, a member of the Black Student Association and a club soccer player. He says all have allowed him to try new things and meet new people. After graduation, he plans to work as a software development engineer in the finance and global business services division at Amazon, where he interned in the summer of 2025.
“I’ve grown a lot in being an advocate for myself and others,” says McGee, a government and history major on the pre-law track from St. Matthews, S.C. She says she struggled with loneliness in her first year, but joining Zeta Tau Alpha sorority introduced her to important friends and mentors. “I met a lot of older women who guided me along the way. Now, I’ve been able to give that to others,” she says. McGee says her relationships with her professors in the history and government departments also have helped her grow. Her advice to first-year students: “Trust your gut and invest in what feels right to you.” After graduation, McGee plans to attend the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Miller says Wofford has taught him how to connect with others. A physics major from Atlanta, Ga., he is the president of Wofford Men of Color and a member of Minorities in STEM, Campus Outreach and Black Student Alliance. Miller says his time in college has taught him to be more confident in himself. “Through my involvement on campus, I’ve found a lot of things I enjoy and learned what is important to me,” he says. “I’ve learned how to reflect my core values.” Miller is currently applying to Ph.D. programs to study radiation oncology.
Owens’ Wofford journey has shown her the importance of helping others. “I’m more plugged in to the campus and community than I thought I would be,” says Owens, a biology major from Charleston, S.C. She is especially grateful for experiences like the Northside Living-Learning Community course with Dr. Kimberly Hall, associate professor of English, and Dr. Alysa Handelsman, associate professor of anthropology, which allowed her to do service-based learning in the Spartanburg community. “If I could talk to my first-year self, I would say dedicate yourself to a few things you are passionate about and don’t forget why you are doing them,” she says. Owens plans to get a Master of Arts in Teaching at Converse University after graduation, with the goal of teaching in Spartanburg.
“Wofford made me more independent,” says Thurmond, a biology major with a minor in chemistry from Aiken, S.C. He says his study abroad experiences — especially a semester in Australia — made him a better problem-solver and taught him to be more outgoing. “I’ve really challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone,” he says. Thurmond is a member of Campus Union, Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and Wofford Activities Council. His experience as an Orientation leader was especially meaningful. “My first-year leaders went above and beyond in making me feel welcome,” he says. “I wanted to give that back.” Thurmond plans to attend medical school after graduating from Wofford.