Office of University Relations

universityrelations@scsu.edu

Oct. 4, 2022

For immediate release

Alumni, faculty and staff share thoughts on inauguration of SC State's 13th president

SC State alumni applaud President Alexander Conyers during inauguration. 

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – On Saturday, South Carolina State University students, faculty, staff and alumni gathered at SC State’s Smith Hammond Middleton Auditorium to witness the inauguration of the university’s 13th  president, Alexander Conyers.

During the inaugural ceremony, President Conyers offered words of encouragement and assured them that he would do any and everything possible to uplift the students at the university.

Alumni, faculty and staff recognized his hard work, determination and commitment to the university over the course of his tenure as acting and later interim president. After the inauguration, they expressed how excited they were for Conyers and shared their expectations for the university going forward.  

SC State Alumni, Rev. DeMett Jenkins and Rev. Dr. Aileen Maddox. 

Rev. Dr. Aileen Maddox

Class of 1989

“Just knowing him in the past and watching how he came in, what he was doing for the school at that time, how he was solving problems – I feel assured that he’s going to be able to take SC State to the next level,” Rev. Dr. Aileen Maddox said. “I think he’s going to continuously climb because he has that type of tenacity. When he sets a goal, he’s going to go do it. All I can see in the future is greatness.”

Maddox graduated from SC State the same year as Conyers. She now works for the Senior Chaplin Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s office in Charlotte, North Carolina. As a longtime friend and classmate of Conyers, she was excited to see him as the new president of their alma mater.

“He’s always been a great guy – before all of this happened, before knowing where his military career was going to go -- he’s always been a great guy and a great friend,” she said. “What I foresee is that the enrollment will continue to go up, and I agree with his wife when she said we’re going to see some things we’ve never seen before.”

Rev. DeMett Jenkins

Class of 1989

Rev. DeMett Jenkins is another alumna of SC State who was a classmate with Conyers and Maddox. They all majored in criminal justice and were in ROTC together. She works for the International African American Museum as a faith-based director. 

 “It was truly an honor to see this -- that’s why we made our way here because he’s our classmate,” Jenkins said. “Before all of this, he was our friend, he was our hangout buddy and ROTC buddy on campus. So, we’re proud and honored that he sits in that seat.

“To have the president of the university be your friend and classmate, it is an honor. And I agree, we’re going to see things we haven’t seen, and I think that’s the creativity that he’s going to bring,” she said.

Jenkins described the university as being a “university without walls” because even though SC State has a campus, it’s alumni can be found all over the world.

“We have an opportunity to engage education in ways that are not typical, and that’s what I think he’s going to bring to the university. We as alumni are excited about helping him do that,” she said. 

SC State alumni, State Rep. Jerry Govan Jr. and his wife Wanda Govan. 

State Rep. Jerry Govan Jr.

Class of 1980

“This is really an exciting time for SC State. I’ve been with the general assembly for 30 years, so I’ve seen all the highs and lows with the university,” State Rep. Jerry Govan Jr. said. “I’m very familiar with the challenges we’ve faced, and I think it’s a proud moment for the alumni of the university.

“Once again, we finally have one of our own as head of the institution. And as a result of that, we see the excitement, the commitment and the level of support that has jumped ever since Col. Conyers was selected as president of the university,” he said.

Govan graduated from SC State in 1980 and marched in 1982. He served as a state representative for South Carolina, District 95 for Orangeburg County since 1992 and was recognized as a senior ranking member of the House of Representatives.

Along with serving as a legislator for 30 years, he also has 27 years of experience as an educator.

“I think with him being an alumnus of the school, it has really inspired a lot of alumni support, and he’s great with the students. The members of the general assembly are really pleased with the selection,” he said.

Govan said as alums, they want to see the university get back to its level of excellence. He believes under Conyers’ guidance, the university will continue to increase enrollment and retention rates.

“You can see the excitement in the air and the results. The number of students that they were able to recruit for this class – that’s a tremendous accomplishment because enrollment had dipped low for quite some time,” Govan said, referring to the current freshman class of more than 900 students. “We as alumni are very excited about his leadership and what has been going on at the university since his tenure. We’re really looking forward to the future.”

Wanda Govan

Class of 1983

Wanda Govan is another proud alumna of SC State who met her husband Jerry Govan at the university.

“I’m glad for today. It’s a great day for Orangeburg County, it’s a great day for SC State with President Conyers and his family,” Govan said. “He’s a person’s person and you can see that he does well with the students, they seem to love him and the great things he’s done.

“I hope that the moral of faculty and staff continues to rise, and I just see something great happening for the university, and I’m so proud to be a Bulldog. This is home, this is where we live, so we want to see our university do well and we have a vested interest in the school,” she said.

Sharon Heatley

Administrative assistant for the Dept. of Family and Consumer Sciences

“Out of my 15 years of being employed at SC State, this was the first inauguration that I actually wanted to attend,” Sharon Heatley said.

This year, Heatley was a member of the Inauguration Committee. She enjoyed getting to know Conyers throughout his interim presidency and throughout the process of planning the event.

“I know that President Conyers is going to do great things for the university because we’ve seen it already,” she said. “My expectations of him and the first lady are very high because I know when he sets out to do something, he’s going to accomplish it.

SC State faculty, staff, Mary White and Sharon Heatley. 

“He has a strong support system with the first family, and I just love that. I was even brought to tears several times, but I really did enjoy the inauguration, and I would serve in the committee over and over again if we could always keep someone like him,” she said.

Mary White

Class of 2017, dean of students

SC State alumna and staff member Mary White is the university’s newly appointed dean of students. She attended as an undergrad and also received her master’s degree in civil engineering and transportation from the university in 2017.

White has been employed with the university for more than 20 years. She worked for the Honors College and the Brooks Health Center during her time at SC State.

“My first job back in 1985 as a student here, was in the Vice President Student Affairs Office. So, God has led me back to where I began in my new current role. To serve under this president – the moment he stepped on campus, you saw change,” she said.

This is White’s second time serving on the inauguration committee, and she enjoyed every part of it. White is proud to be under the guidance of Conyers because of his selflessness and appreciation toward his staff. Along with trying to accommodate students, he is also committed to accommodating his faculty and staff.

“He was interactive with the students, and he never meets a stranger, because he’s always going to introduce himself and speak. I was shocked when he knew my name before introducing myself to him. That’s how thorough President Conyers is,” White said. “Not only that, he’s personable and when he sets out to do something you can see it in his walk – he’s on a mission to do it.

“With him being a military person and a leader, that just helps the university because that means he’s a strategic thinker and is guided in his thoughts. When you have someone who puts family first, country, God and the university, we can’t help but to succeed,” she said.

President Conyers gives encouraging words during inauguration.

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Media Contact

Allie Harris-Beeks 

Communications Specialist

South Carolina State University

aharrisb@scsu.edu

803-747-4098 (Cell)



About South Carolina State University

Founded in 1896 as a land grant institution with a mission of providing service to the citizens of the state, South Carolina State University has evolved from a small teachers’ college into a major University center of learning and research. Located in Orangeburg, S.C., South Carolina State offers more than 50 different fields of study on the undergraduate and graduate levels. South Carolina State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools.