Category: Student Stories

Piedmont Grad Puts His Degree to Work in the Classroom and the Weight Room

Piedmont University alumnus Killian McClain is now a an assistant strength and conditioning coach and adjunct professor at Norfolk State University.

As a lifelong athlete, Killian McClain wanted a career that would keep him close to sports. After graduating with his master’s degree in Health & Human Performance from Piedmont University, McClain got exactly what he was looking for, landing a job as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Norfolk State University. “Athletics has always…

Piedmont Grad Living Professional Dream Come True

Mackenzie Wilcox graduated with her master's degree in Health & Human Performance in July and is now designing a new fitness center. Here, she holds blueprints of the fitness center, which is currently under construction.

Just weeks after graduating from Piedmont University with her master’s degree in Health & Human Performance, Mackenzie Wilcox is living a professional dream come true: designing a fitness center from the ground up. “It’s crazy,” said Wilcox, who graduated in July 2021. “I’m amazed every day that I’ve gotten this opportunity.” Always athletically inclined, Wilcox…

Piedmont University’s Roar Receives First-Ever National Recognition

Piedmont University’s student newspaper, The Roar, is a finalist for the College Media Association’s Pinnacle Award, the most prestigious national award for individual work in collegiate journalism. The Roar is one of five finalists for the CMA’s Best Editorial Award, vying against entries from Appalachian State, Baylor University, UCLA, and Vanderbilt.  The Roar was nominated…

Student Organizations Fair Set for Aug. 12

Environmental science student with binoculars on bridge over wetlands

Student Life and Leadership will host a Student Organizations Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 12, in the Commons. More than 40 groups across a wide range of interests provide opportunities for social interaction, service to others, and exploration of subject matters beyond the classroom. Social clubs bring together like-minded students…

Piedmont University to Celebrate Summer Commencement on July 30

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More than 200 students will graduate from Piedmont University this summer. “On behalf of everyone at Piedmont University, I extend my sincerest congratulations to the graduates and their families,” said President James F. Mellichamp. “You are to be commended for your persistence and commitment to your education, even in the face of a global pandemic….

Jasmine Sanchez Overcame Challenges to Earn Nursing Degree

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Piedmont University promises students a personalized educational experience, marked by small class sizes and close relationships with their instructors. Jasmine Sanchez is proof of just how powerful that combination can be. “My life changed here at Piedmont. I learned to never give up, and I learned it’s OK to ask for help,” said Sanchez, who…

Hatfield making her own history in the Nacoochee Valley

As a preteen, Madison Hatfield ’21 wanted to take a “fun family weekend trip” to Andersonville, a tiny Georgia town once home to a prisoner-of-war camp. Thousands of Union soldiers died of scurvy and dysentery in the 14 months the Confederacy operated the camp during the Civil War.            Dr. Beth Lovern, Associate Professor of anthropology…

Murley found a mission helping homeless in Dublin

Bethany Murley ’13 has been in Dublin, Ireland, since October 2019 serving as a volunteer for the Dublin Simon Community. The 50-year-old organization battles homelessness with the attitude, “Until they can close their own door behind them, the most vulnerable members of our society will always be at their most vulnerable.” Murley’s father was a…

The Art of Aiming High

Hayden Giovino’s grit, determination, focus, and passion, along with the help of art professor Rebecca Brantley, helped get him a coveted spot in a program with the High Museum in Atlanta….