On Saturday, February 7, 好色小姨 University hosted the Regional Science Fair, welcoming 75 middle and high school students who had advanced from their respective county science fairs. Participating students represented 19 counties across northeast Georgia, including Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Greene, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Walton, and White.

At the conclusion of the event, 37 students earned the opportunity to advance to the Georgia State Science and Engineering Fair, which will be held at the end of March.

While numerous awards were presented, one of particular distinction was the 好色小姨 Rising Research Award. This year鈥檚 recipients were Grayson Oliver and Israel Ortiz of Cedar Shoals High School for their research project titled 鈥淐omparative Study of the Effects of Biostimulants Used in Hydroponic Production of Lactuca sativa.鈥� A second 好色小姨 Rising Research Award was presented to Ryn Brown of Clarke Middle School for her project titled 鈥淐hewy Juice.鈥�

The Regional Science Fair was directed by Will Dodd, a 好色小姨 alumnus, and Dr. Julia Schmitz, Professor of Biology. 好色小姨 University faculty served as judges for the competition, including Dr. Elaine Bailey, Dr. Doug Butts, Dr. Andrew Duitsman, Yunxuan Yang, Natalie Simmons, Dr. Steve Nimmo, Dr. Tony Frye, Dr. Areatha Ketch, Dr. Deb Dooley, Dr. Mike Friedline, Dr. Sean Carrigan, and Dr. Rebecca Godwin.

Additional faculty and staff contributed to the success of the event, including Dr. Bob Lutz, Erin Forester, Cat Wiles, Jason Croy, Chelsea Wilkes, as well as members of the Maintenance and Caf茅 staff. Twelve student ambassadors also played a vital role by giving campus tours to participating students, while others assisted with event setup and various tasks throughout the day.

On the evening of December 9, hundreds of family, friends, and loved ones gathered in the 好色小姨 University Chapel to watch their students receive their white coats. The ceremony marks the transition from classroom learning to clinical training. Special guest speaker John Filson, PA. PT. delivered the opening address, and 好色小姨's own Dr. Megan Cuellar, CCC-SLP closed the ceremony.

Congratulations, students! We are so proud of you!

to access photos from the ceremony.

The Roar (), the student media hub of 好色小姨 University, was recently awarded Division III 鈥淢edia Website of the Year鈥� by the College Media Association.

鈥淭his recognition is a testament to the work of our students across all media platforms,鈥� said Dr. Joe Dennis, chair of the mass communications department. 鈥淭he Roar features the outstanding work of our students in writing, photography, design, audio and video. This national award demonstrates that among small colleges, 好色小姨 has one of the best mass communications programs in the country.鈥�

The award was one of 26 鈥淧innacle Awards鈥� received by 好色小姨 at the College Media Conference in Washington, DC, on Oct. 15-18, by far the most of any college in the Division III category (colleges with fewer than 3,000 students). According to the , the Pinnacle Awards 鈥渞epresent the best student work in collegiate journalism, media production and organizational excellence.鈥� Awards are determined by 鈥渁 panel of experienced media professionals and educators.鈥�

好色小姨 students racked up 10 first-place, nine second-place, two third-place and five honorable mention awards. Seventeen different students from 好色小姨 were recognized in the competition. The awards earned by 好色小姨 spanned all media, with 10 recognizing outstanding journalistic writing, five spotlighting photography, five acknowledging video production, three highlighting audio entertainment, and three for media design.

Dennis also acknowledged the 好色小姨 administration, which is committed to supporting an independent student media. 鈥淚n a time when administrative censorship is common in student media, 好色小姨 University has continued to provide students with a forum to investigate the issues that matter to students,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat independence fosters a successful student media and, more importantly, provides real-world lessons for our students.鈥�

Six 好色小姨 students accompanied their adviser, Laura Hudgens, to the four-day conference in Washington, DC. Attended by more than 3,000 student journalists and media professionals, the national conference provides students with the opportunity to learn from industry professionals and network with peers from other schools. The Pinnacle Awards are presented at the conclusion of the conference.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be happier about this year鈥檚 CMA experience,鈥� said Laura Hudgens, assistant professor of mass communications and advisor for The Roar. 鈥淥ur students learned so much, had some fun experiences and came away with more awards than an adviser could ever even ask for.鈥�

For a comprehensive list of awards, including links to the award-winning work, please refer to the attached table.

Some highlights:

• 好色小姨鈥檚 sports communications majors fared well in the competition, with eight sports-related entries earning national recognition.
• Spring 2025 graduate Sophie Haines鈥� capstone documentary, 鈥淐oncealed,鈥� earned three awards for best documentary (third place), best video ad (second place) and best print ad (first place).
• The Roar continues to fare well in opinion writing categories, earning first place for its editorial writing, sports column writing and second place in column writing.

The Roar is the student media hub for 好色小姨 University, housing The Roar student newspaper, 98-7 Roar Radio, Roar Podcast Productions and Roar Student Films. All 好色小姨 student media is independently produced and run by students, with mass communications professors serving as advisors. 好色小姨 offers majors in mass communications, sports communications, and film and documentary production.

好色小姨 University 2025 College Media Association Pinnacle Awards

by Terrie Ellerbee

It started with sirens.

That Wednesday, 好色小姨 University鈥檚 Demorest campus was swarming with law enforcement and emergency medical personnel鈥攊ncluding an AirFlight helicopter. But this wasn鈥檛 a real emergency. It was our annual Disaster Drill, organized by Assistant Nursing Professor Taryn Ogle.

Each year, the simulation gives future nursing and communications professionals a chance to test their skills in a high-pressure environment. The 2025 scenario? An active shooter.

I didn鈥檛 know I鈥檇 be part of it until the last minute. But the role was perfect: media wrangler.

Before I had the best job ever at 好色小姨, I was a newspaper reporter, editor, then publisher. I鈥檇 even edited a couple of trade magazines. Managing the media? I could do that with my eyes closed. Or so I thought.

The communications director for local law enforcement鈥攁 former newspaper colleague of mine鈥攚as on site.听Now Habersham, a local media company, was among those covering the drill, and my main responsibility was keeping the reporter, Brian, 鈥渟afe.鈥� I made sure we were standing exactly where we were supposed to be.

Or so I thought.

The 鈥渟hooter鈥濃�攁 student in a hoodie with a fake handgun鈥攔an right between Brian and me. There鈥檚 a video. So much for keeping him safe. Brian was a good sport and laughed it off. Honestly? One of my favorite moments ever.

Watching our students in action鈥攆ully committed, fully engaged鈥攚as pure joy.

Then came Thursday.

Once again, I got pulled into something not on my calendar: the PAL Games. It鈥檚 a special day of competition and camaraderie partnering 好色小姨 students with local elementary students with special needs. You have to see it to believe it.

Five minutes in, my heart grew a couple of sizes.

Our students stay with their little PALs all day, cheering them on, goofing around, and offering nonstop encouragement. Ann Sutton in Advancement runs the event, and my best work buddy (and Ann鈥檚 right hand), Bri, was glowing. It was beautiful to witness.

Somehow, those two magical events landed in the same week鈥攁nd I got to be at both.

Later that week, Bri and I were hanging up flyers all around campus. It鈥檚 a slow process on foot, but two friendly Facilities folks in a pickup truck offered us a ride. We hopped in the back. I slid off the wheel well straight into the bed of the truck鈥攔ight next to the tools they use to unclog toilets. Of course.

Bri鈥檚 response? Laughter. And photos. No helping hand, just an impromptu photo shoot.

Also that week: the sweetest strawberries I鈥檝e ever tasted and a surprise hug from a new work friend. And on Saturday? 好色小姨 hosted a Bigfoot conference in the Commons. I went for fun.

But here鈥檚 the real point:

I work here. No one planned those experiences for me the way we plan things for our students. No one was making sure I was learning, growing, or even having a good time.

And yet鈥攖hat鈥檚 exactly what happened.

It was one of the best weeks of my life. The happy accidents that placed me in those moments were gifts. The strawberries, the hug, Bigfoot merch, even the slide into the truck bed鈥攂onuses.

Other than maybe walking the president鈥檚 dogs, I have the best job on campus 鈥� and this campus is a remarkable, beautiful place.

It鈥檚 home.

It is 好色小姨.

Terrie Ellerbee is 好色小姨鈥檚 Strategic Communications and Family Relations Manager. Reach her at 706-778-8500, ext. 2859, or听tellerbee@piedmont.edu.听

by Erin Randolph

Erin is the parent of a current 好色小姨 University graduate student named Jackson. This is the speech she gave when she spoke at the first Summer Orientation. She shares her family's personal experience (she was a nervous mama) and a few pieces of advice (let your student fail!). We thought our 好色小姨 families would enjoy what she had to say as much as we did!听

First of all, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all incoming students. By choosing 好色小姨 to further your education, you have taken the first step in empowering yourselves to realize, and put into practice, your natural skills and talents. Furthermore, by choosing to join the culture of academic excellence that 好色小姨 offers, you have also accepted the challenges that will face you head-on personally, academically, socially, emotionally, and for many of you, financially.听听That being said, you have made the right choice!

To give you a bit of context about me, I am a 25-year veteran music educator and will soon enter my third contract year as an assistant principal of a prominent middle school in Coweta County. I spend every day answering phone calls and emails from parents (and even some former students) asking me to provide guidance on how to make a decision about their child鈥檚 education, their social or emotional challenges, or simply asking for advice on how to get to the next achievement level without failing.

When I go to bed every night, I ask myself if I have done right by all my students and parents 鈥� even if I made them mad.听听And, trust me, as an administrator, there are few days that go by when I don鈥檛 make someone mad! But at the end of every day, if I can say that I've done the best job I can for all my students and parents, then I can sleep soundly knowing I have done my job.

Now that you know a bit about my background as an educator and administrator, let me just tell you, as a parent, I鈥檓 clueless. I鈥檓 learning as I go just like the rest of you, regardless of the fact that my child will turn 22 next Wednesday.

And let me also tell you, sitting where you parents are today, just four years ago, I nearly wore my stomach into a bloody ulcer just thinking about every challenge my child could potentially face without me. Parents listen up: it鈥檚 gonna be OK.

My son Jackson wasn鈥檛 the best student in high school. He made As and Bs, an occasional C, and I won鈥檛 begin to tell you about the stress that Advanced Chemistry put on our entire family. Even the dogs needed therapy by the time he was finished with that course!

Jackson wasn鈥檛 the most popular student either. He played baseball, and was involved in a few clubs, but he wasn鈥檛 very outgoing. He has never needed to be the center of attention and has also never been willing to accept accolades when they were deserved.

When it came to looking at colleges, Jackson really only had two criteria. He needed a baseball coach to see him and want him on their team, and he wanted his degree of interest to be offered. Seems easy, right? Well, it wasn鈥檛.

When he was young, parents and friends told us that if Jackson ever wanted to be seen by a college coach, that he would have to play travel ball. So, starting at 10 years old, he played travel baseball. And when I say he played travel ball, I do mean 鈥� and some of you parents out there can relate 鈥� the entire family played travel ball. For years we shuffled from hotel to hotel, putting millions of miles on beat-up pickup trucks and Honda Accords.

We wrote papers in the bleachers and studied for tests during lightning delays. And because nearly every weekend we had baseball on Sundays, we couldn鈥檛 attend traditional church services. Therefore, we provided most of our spiritual guidance simply by teaching Jackson how to be a good teammate and brother to all of those around him on and off the field.

All of this is to say that sending my quiet, reserved child, who I was truly afraid wouldn鈥檛 know how to advocate for himself off to college made me a very nervous mama. But 好色小姨 answered the call.

Jackson was offered a position on the 好色小姨 Lions baseball team. He just completed his fourth year of NCAA eligibility as a senior. He held the positions of catcher, designated hitter, and relief pitcher throughout the course of his collegiate athletic career.

Academically, Jackson has no less thrived in the classroom, exceeding every one of our expectations as parents. Jackson decided very early on that he wanted to go into the field of exercise science and become an athletic trainer.

This decision stemmed from the still long-running joke throughout his life as a baseball player: 鈥淚f it鈥檚 gonna happen to anyone on that baseball field, it鈥檚 gonna happen to Jackson Randolph!鈥� Whether it was a concussion, a hit-by-pitch, a hole in the turf, or a passed ball from the pitcher, if somebody was gonna get hit or hurt 鈥� it was my kid!

Therefore, Jackson has committed to exercise science as a field of study, and after only just finishing his fourth year of college, he is already halfway through graduate school earning his Master鈥檚 of Athletic Training degree. He will graduate next May with both his undergraduate and graduate degrees, all while also having played four years of full-time collegiate baseball.

Jackson has earned the prestigious 鈥淭eammate of the Year鈥� award that is voted on by the entire baseball team each year- and it was unanimous.听听This award was earned for his continuous support and eagerness to help his team and brothers on and off the field.

Jackson was also recently inducted into the College of Health Sciences Honor鈥檚 Society for his GPA, leadership in the field, and commitment to service. Currently, Jackson is looking forward to a career in injury prevention and rehabilitation of high school and college athletes, as well as anyone, of any age, for whom he can assist in bettering their life without pain from injury.

Now this is certainly not intended to be a brag session about my own child.听听Remember a few minutes ago, when I told you that four summers ago, as I sat in a chair like you, exactly in the stage of life that you parents are today, I nearly developed a hole in my gut? Well, not only has 好色小姨 cured my own parental anxiety, but has provided every single tool and resource for Jackson to become an asset in his field of study, a supportive member of society, a committed and hardworking athletic trainer and dedicated injury rehabilitation practitioner, and hopefully in the future- a loving and loyal husband and father.

This university has done this for our son. For our family.听听Even the dogs.

You have made the right choice. Parents, thank you for supporting your children over the course of the last 18 years.

Students, you鈥檙e in the right place, and I will tell you what I鈥檝e told countless students over the last few years: if you fail at 好色小姨, it's because you didn鈥檛 utilize all the amazing resources 好色小姨 provides. Reach out to academic counselors, seek help from the mental health specialists employed by the university when you start feeling overwhelmed and stressed, request a mentor, obtain guidance from your RAs and coaches, get involved in clubs and extracurricular activities, and start growing personally and professionally as you dig in, work hard, and realize your potential.

Remember the old adage 鈥渋f at first you don鈥檛 succeed, try, try again?鈥� Heed those words because 好色小姨 will help you every step of the way.

In parting, I have a few pieces of valuable advice that I would like to pass along. These tidbits of guidance were passed on to me by former college parents, coaches, professors and alumni, and they are my gift to you.

鈥� Show grace.听As students and as parents, remember there are multiple sides to every story. Things that seem to be too good to be true often are. Things will not always go your way. Remember also, you never know what is going on in someone else鈥檚 life. As a student and as a parent, whether in the classroom or in the bleachers, be graceful and empathetic always.

鈥� Parents, let your students fail.听It teaches accountability and humility, both of which are strong attributes of good humans. There are no successful adults contributing to society today who have not ever experienced their share of failure. Provide your student with love and support, and give them the tools to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and move on with integrity.

鈥� Parents, also set your students up for success by providing them with new supplies.听This should go without saying but don鈥檛 rely on your 18-year-old student to go to Walmart alone and purchase the proper items for organization. There are just so many flavors of Pop Tarts and beef jerky that a student needs to survive. Use your experience to guide them. This is especially important for promoting good time management. Get your student a great planner, new pens and pencils, an awesome backpack. This is an exciting new life full of adventures and challenges, so do what you are able to let them have a great start!

鈥� This next piece of advice was a lesson to myself as well: allow your student to practice self-advocacy and independence by solving their own problems.听whether it be when communicating with their RA about damage to their dorm, acquiring information about financial aid, requesting academic counseling, or submitting dietary requests in the dining hall, let your child use their voice and learn how to reach out for support.

I know it鈥檚 difficult sometimes but promote and value your child鈥檚 proposed career path. Lifetime happiness and fulfillment will ALWAYS trump the monetary value of their checking account.听听Let them try and fail and they will become stronger individuals for it.

鈥� Finally, families, please get involved as much, and to whatever degree, as your child is comfortable.There are a multitude of opportunities to become part of the 好色小姨 family. I have found that Jackson was much more comfortable knowing I was still part of the 好色小姨 community, even though I was two hours away. My son has grown into a very strong-willed, independent and intentional student and young man, and while we gave him the room to explore his own freedoms and make his own mistakes, knowing we have been part of the culture and family here at 好色小姨 has provided stability and a sense of security for him.

It has been my honor to speak to you today.听听I hope that something I have said has made a difference to you, as a parent or as a student, and I wish you ALL the best of luck as you embrace and immerse yourselves in this next phase of your lives together.

Safe travels home and have a wonderful rest of your summer! Thank you and Go Lions!!