Highlanders in the News: Week of August 14, 2023
Every other week, our Highlanders are using their education to do extraordinary things. Here, we’ll highlight some notable mentions from local, regional, national and international news media. Whether our students, alumni, faculty and staff are featured as subject matter experts in high-profile stories or simply helping make the world a better place, we’ll feature their stories.
Change, of course
When he was a Radford undergraduate earning his degree in psychology, Mark Eggleston ’91 made his living as a carpenter.
Later, he shifted into mental health, working for years as a psychotherapist and in other related capacities.
More recently, he transitioned to an entirely different field of well-being and now works as chief information security officer (CISO) for Corporation Service Co. (CSC) in Delaware.
This month, Eggleston is a guest on the Security Weekly podcast for a half-hour episode called “Security Musings from a Psychotherapeutic Perspective.”
He walks host Todd Fitzgerald through his different fields and how they relate to one another, delving into such topics as cybersecurity, stress reduction, mentors and the ways that workers can make time for professional development.
Eggleston still holds affection for each of his careers, noting that “all three … [were] wonderful for different reasons,” he tells Fitzgerald, but adds that he remains partial to his job as a CISO: “I’d say this one’s a keeper.”
The Security Weekly podcast was also posted online on the websites of SC Magazine and National Cybersecurity.
Incoming!
On Aug. 15 and 16, Radford University’s 2023-2024 freshman class arrived and began its first year on campus.
While it’d be great to meet each new student, most are probably still busy decorating their dorms, finding their way from place to place and preparing to begin their undergraduate careers.
To offer just one random sample of the Highlanders to come, however, we dug into the grab bag of Virginia news and found this Aug. 9 article from the Suffolk (Virginia) News-Herald, a profile of incoming freshman Alexis Perkins.
Perkins, a recent graduate of Lakeland High School in Suffolk, talked about being named valedictorian, how she handled the pressures of her graduation day address and her plans for a career in nursing.
“I want to be able to have connections with my patients, to give them the best care and to make them feel safe and welcomed,” she told the News-Herald. “I hope to also inspire my younger patients to want to make a change in the world as well.”
She also explained exactly why she wanted to attend Radford.
“I chose this college because I fell in love with the campus, and the environment seemed very positive and uplifting,” Perkins said. “I felt like a perfect fit at that school.”
For more of the sights and sounds of move-in day – while still staying out of the sun – here’s a WSLS-TV spot on the topic from Aug. 15.
“This is one of the best times of year to be on campus because the energy is high,” Susan Trageser, vice president of student affairs, told the Roanoke station. “It’s great to welcome our students to be back on campus and to see all the vibrancy.”
Tour of duty
Floyd County High School teacher Jennifer Hendrick ’13 spent part of her summer break getting a closer look at a crucial phase of world history.
Hendrick attended the eighth annual Friends of the World War II Memorial teacher conference in Washington, D.C., according to an Aug. 2 story in the Floyd Press.
Her group visited locations that included the Holocaust Museum and the Women’s Military Memorial, and she also toured the National Archives accompanied by a pair of special guests, the story said.
Hendrick teaches history and geography to ninth, 10th and 11th graders. She earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and police science from Radford.
The Friends of the National World War II Memorial ran from July 17-21. According to its website, it brings educators from around the nation together for an annual conference.
It’s free and open primarily to elementary, middle or high school teachers or college professors, and participants receive continuing education hours. Teachers who take part agree to work with their students, school and community to fulfill a community service project.