College of Charleston Class of 2025 Ready to Take on the World

On May 8–10, the College of Charleston will celebrate the Class of 2025 at its spring commencement ceremonies.

These students are an impressive bunch, with a variety of passions, interests, accomplishments, talents and skills. One thing they all have in common, though, is that they have made the CofC experience their own, following their passion and forging their own path to success.

Here are 10 members of the Class of 2025 who took full advantage of the opportunities the College offered them while they were here and are now primed and ready to take on the next chapter of their journey!

Emily Alfortish will be a junior software develop in the Charleston office of Booz Allen Hamilton, a high-tech consulting firm that provides a wide range of services to both government and private clients, such as cybersecurity. Her role will focus on delivering high-quality software solutions to meet client needs.

“I am beyond excited to begin this next chapter of my life and apply my education to the real world,” says the New Orleans native, adding that her career goal is to use technology to drive meaningful, real-world impact. “I hope to grow into a leadership role where I can guide technical strategy, mentor others and solve complex problems to ultimately improve people’s lives.”

That’s exactly what her years at CofC did for her.

“My biggest takeaway from the College of Charleston is the value of community – whether it was the countless professors who mentored me or the friends who became family,” says the systems engineering major. “I learned how valuable a strong support system is for both personal and professional success.”

As a lifelong creative, arts management major Cora Dvorovy is continuing to pursue her passion for music and writing as a paid development intern for the Charleston Literary Festival.  

Being selected for this extremely competitive position is a reflection of Dvorovy’s dedication to the arts.

“I’ve been imagining the world onto a page for as long as I can remember,” she shares. “Music and writing have always been two of the most compelling forces in my life, but it’s only in my last four years at the College in such a welcoming and versatile creative environment that I have come to consider myself an aspiring artist.”

After graduation, Dvorovy will be diving further into her role with the Charleston Literary Festival, working at several music festivals across the country and pursuing personal endeavors in writing, photography and music.

“Long term,” she says, “I plan to pursue a master’s in creative writing with a focus on poetry and become a published author.”

While this next phase of life will bring many changes, her artistic spirit will always be her drive. 

“I think from an early age I’ve always had the passion and always found joy in the performing arts, but I didn’t really think a career could form out of the performing arts until I got to high school and got the full range of the theatrical world,” says Mekhi Gaither-Burris ’23, who majored in theatre for youth as an undergraduate at the College and is now set to receive his M.A.T. in Performing Arts.

Gaither-Burris credits the College and the Department of Theatre and Dance faculty for significantly influencing his theatrical journey – which has included major roles in local productions like PURE Theatre’s Fat Ham (Larry) and CofC productions like Pipeline (Dun).

“A lot of the productions I have been in at the College were directed by [theatre faculty members] Nakeisha Daniel or Michael Smallwood ’09,” he says. “Their emphasis on artistic freedom always stuck with me. They were the first directors to truly give me freedom as an artist to make decisions and not shoot them down immediately.”

Currently Gaither-Burris is interviewing for theatre teacher positions in the Charleston area.

Kora Hansen may have spent a couple of years researching local variation in snail eggs, but her college career definitely did not move at a snail’s pace. 

Along with being a biology major, a Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society inductee and a John Lewis Gervais, Jr. Award winner from the Honors College, Hansen is a member of the College of Charleston beach volleyball team.

The Canton, Georgia, native admits it wasn’t always easy juggling her many schedules.

“Balancing athletic commitments, travel and scheduling with striving to excel as an Honors biology student was challenging,” says Hansen, who managed a 4.0 GPA and was a top student in the herpetology lab, even presenting her research results at a national scientific meeting. “However, I have had significant support from my coaches and team with academics, so beach volleyball was able to remain an outlet for me rather than a burden. I am thankful because this balance and time management helped prepare me for post-graduation.”

After graduation, Hansen plans to attend veterinary school.

Chandler Harris is focused on building his legacy. 

After graduation, Harris will continue his service as a network communication systems specialist with the United States Army National Guard, maintaining cybersecurity and communications network operations to ensure the safety and security of the state and contributing to both national defense and disaster response efforts. After being commissioned as an officer, he hopes to pursue a master’s degree in epidemiology and biostatistics from Emory University. 

“My ultimate goal is to combine the knowledge I’ve gained during my four years earning a B.S. in public health at the College of Charleston – under the guidance of truly inspiring professors – with the information technology and cyber operations training from the National Guard,” he says. “With this powerful fusion, I hope to enter the health care world, focusing on machine learning, disease detection, progression analysis and prevention usability.” 

And he already has a head start: During his time at the College, Harris volunteered with the American Red Cross, served in the Students 4 Support program and interned with the American Lung Association, where he worked with donors and health care professionals to establish community outreach initiatives, raise awareness about lung disease prevention and advocate for clean air initiatives. He also volunteered with the Green Heart Project, where he focused on youth education programs.

Harris believes his most significant takeaway from his time at the College of Charleston isn’t just the degree, the knowledge or the experience he has acquired over the years. Instead, it’s the importance of individuality, the ability to stand out from the crowd and the wisdom to chart his own path in life.

Syd Jackson isn’t one to shy away from anything “foreign.”

As a fifth grader in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she began studying Chinese. As a double major in international studies and political science at the College of Charleston, the Honors College International Scholar studied abroad in Vieques, Puerto Rico, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. As a U.S. State Department intern in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, she visited embassies and international think tanks, foundations and nonprofit organizations.

“My biggest takeaway from my time at the College is learning to be comfortable with the uncomfortable,” says Jackson, a Global Ambassador with the College’s Mroz Global Leadership Institute who recently simulated the role of Ireland’s foreign affairs minister at the Midwest Model European Union, receiving second place for best delegate. “It is in those nuanced conversations, difficult courses and new experiences that you grow the most. Step outside of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.”

Jackson’s next challenge will be this fall, when she begins law school to study international, national security and Native American law.

“I am most excited to take on a new academic challenge and share that experience with my future colleagues,” she says, adding that she eventually wants to serve as a legal specialist and officer in an internationally focused government agency.

In the meantime, she looks forward to finding her own comfort zone in law school: “I hope to find a close-knit community of like-minded people who inspire me and help me strive toward my career goals, similar to those I met at the College.”

While at the College, Meghan Lord has conducted and presented research at national conferences, earned Center for Sustainable Development Cougar Changemaker grant awards and served on multiple advisory boards. But it is the community of people she’s built and served during her time here that she finds most valuable. 

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with people from various perspectives and backgrounds, which has deeply enriched my education, professional experience and life,” says the double major in psychology and environmental and sustainability studies. “I have built an incredible, interdisciplinary foundation that inspired me to combine my passions for psychology and environmental studies to accomplish practical and innovative change in my community.” 

And she will continue to do so after graduation. 

“I look forward to continuing to build a strong community in the Lowcountry that works collaboratively to create an equitable, regenerative and sustainable future,” says Lord, who volunteers with local organizations such as the Charleston Climate Coalition, the Charleston Parks Conservancy and Slow Food. “I’m excited to continue working with the amazing people involved in these groups to advocate for and help build a healthy community.” 

Indeed, Lord will stay in Charleston to work as the donor relations coordinator at the Lowcountry Land Trust, a local nonprofit organization that permanently protects land throughout coastal South Carolina. Eventually, she plans to pursue a graduate degree in sustainability management to build a career at the intersection of community engagement, environmental justice and sustainability planning. 

“I am driven by the belief that sustainability is not just a discipline,” she says, “but an invitation to build a world in which people and the ecosystems in which they live can thrive.” 

Few things are as scary as starting a new job, but – thanks to his time at the College – Shane Love learned how to be comfortable with being uncomfortable as he starts his job as a junior buyer on the purchasing team at IFA Rotorion in Summerville, South Carolina.

“My biggest takeaway from my time at the College is learning to embrace discomfort as a catalyst for growth – and discovering how much you gain by seeking out new perspectives,” says the double major in supply chain management and German studies, pointing to the summer of 2023 he spent studying in Berlin, Germany. “At first, navigating a foreign city with its complex history felt overwhelming, but bit by bit I adapted – mastering the transit system, learning how to buy groceries and striking up conversations with locals. I grew to appreciate the layered, nuanced culture of former East Germany. That experience showed me that stepping outside my comfort zone not only builds resilience, but also opens your eyes to insights you’d never encounter otherwise.”

His day-to-day responsibilities at IFA Rotorion will include negotiating with suppliers, managing relationships with automakers and working closely with the engineering division to meet automaker specifications.

“I’m thrilled to launch my full-time career in the automotive industry while staying in Charleston,” he says. “As the city rapidly becomes a hub for international automakers, my experience with the College has prepared me well – its rigorous business curriculum gave me the analytical skills to thrive in this environment, and its liberal arts tradition sharpened my soft skills and cross-cultural awareness, helping me stand out in a crowded market.

“Most of all,” he concludes, “I am excited for the opportunity to work alongside and learn from my new colleagues at IFA.”

When Sydney Pearson was a senior in high school, she met with the dean of what was then the School of Sciences and Mathematics, sealing her decision to pursue systems engineering at the College of Charleston.

“Dr. Van Delden explained the world of opportunity offered by a brand-new engineering program in a city where there was a desperate need for local engineering talent,” she recalls. “His explanation, specifically of how much visibility CofC engineers would have to local industry leaders, ultimately led me to choosing this path, and CofC exceeded my expectations with opportunities for industry involvement from my very first day on campus.”

Pearson, an Honors College student, is now preparing for her new career as an industrial engineer for special projects at Cummins Turbo Technologies in Ladson, South Carolina, where she is currently serving in a student-to-work role. “The constant search for mentorship and requests for advice from senior leaders at work also distinctly shaped my aspirations and career trajectory.”

She is also a second lieutenant in the Military Intelligence branch of the North Carolina Army National Guard.

“My career as an Army ROTC cadet at CofC has enhanced my abilities as an engineer by developing my leadership and collaboration skills further than I believed was possible,” says the Charleston Fellow who has also been active in the Engineering Club and the School of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering Ambassador Program. “The military preparation to be an intelligence officer has given me an added level of discipline, grit and communication expertise that I would not have developed as a civilian engineer alone.”

After college, Kiara Williams is staying in the classroom. But this time, she’ll be sitting at the teacher’s desk.

“I’ve known I’ve wanted to be a teacher all my life,” Williams shares. “From playing ‘teacher’ with kids in the neighborhood and my baby dolls to helping my uncle who had a learning disability, it feels as though being a teacher is in my blood.”

Her role as vice president of the S.C. Teaching Fellows has been especially pertinent in Williams’ education journey. It has pushed her to find a voice for advocacy, develop her professional network and build relationships with fellow teaching peers. She is incredibly grateful to teacher education professors like Tracey Hunter-Doniger and Ian O’Byrne, who have been instrumental mentors, encouraging her to take risks and embrace new experiences.

Now, Williams has a position as a middle school English teacher in Charleston County lined up for August.

“The biggest thing I am doing is advocating for them and supporting their foundational needs,” Williams explains. “It starts with helping them read what they are passionate about and giving them grace. I want to help grow the minds of the younger generation and inspire them the same way my teachers inspired me!”