妻友社区

She wants to be a dentist. The Dr. John D. Pike scholarship gave her a bright smile

College can be a steep climb, and even steeper without financial support.

For Sami Tyehimba, a Virginia native who moved to Savannah 10 years ago, that climb has been shaped by an unwavering belief in what she can achieve.

Growing up homeschooled, Sami learned skills that became essential when she began supporting herself and balancing work with school.

鈥淏eing homeschooled taught me how to be self-motivated, organized, and comfortable taking initiative. Navigating the challenge of paying for school has strengthened my resilience and ability to advocate for myself,鈥� she reflected.

For four years, while pursuing a bachelor鈥檚 degree in health sciences and a minor in biochemistry at 妻友社区, she worked as a certified dental assistant at Dentistry for Children in Savannah.

鈥淓xplaining procedures to kids and their parents every day helped me develop communication and empathy skills,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hose real-world experiences are an important part of why I鈥檓 so committed to pursuing a career in dentistry.鈥�

The Dr. John D. Pike Memorial Scholarship, which supports aspiring healthcare professionals at Georgia Southern, has been a meaningful part of her story. 鈥淚鈥檓 honored to be a recipient,鈥� she expressed, 鈥渁nd it has meant a lot to me during my journey, financially and personally.鈥�

The Pike Scholarship was established in 1995 in memory of Dr. John Douglas Pike, who ran a private dental practice in Hinesville for 11 years. The award reflects the University鈥檚 commitment to supporting students beyond the classroom.

鈥淭he scholarship really alleviated some financial stress,鈥� Sami shared. 鈥淚 could afford to buy class materials, like my textbooks. It was such a big help.鈥�

A founder, a leader, a sorority sister

When Sami started at Georgia Southern in 2022, she arrived on the Armstrong Campus and hit the ground running.

As a freshman, she founded the Pre-Dental Society, an organization focused on academics and service, offering volunteer opportunities and connections with peers who share professional goals.

Sami鈥檚 leadership continued to grow. She proudly serves on the executive board of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She is also vice president of the Sigma Tau Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Her outstanding leadership at Georgia Southern was recognized with the Eagles Lead Scholarship Award, presented by the vice president of Student Affairs.

She has a life outside of school and work, too.

鈥淚 love giving back to my community through beach and park clean-ups, food drives, and service projects that bring people together,鈥� Sami said. 鈥淭hese events give me wonderful moments of emotional connection and thankfulness.鈥�

Empathy and belief

After graduation, Sami plans to apply to dental schools to become a dentist. She chose Georgia Southern because she saw the value in coursework and instructors who focused on both the technical side of health sciences, but also on a critical element she finds missing in healthcare: Empathy.

鈥淚鈥檝e felt kindness and care in my college experiences that I want to carry forward,鈥� she stated, 鈥渟ome of those moments came from conversations with professors.鈥�

Biology professor Heather Joesting has told Sami she stood out for her intellect, work ethic, and dedication. Organic chemistry professor Brandon Quillian told her he knows she will be a dentist one day.

No one who meets Sami today has any doubt.

She hopes more students will seek out the University resources available to them. Her story is still unfolding, but one thing is clear: she鈥檚 stepping into her future with purpose, compassion, and a smile bright enough to match the career she鈥檚 building.

A scholarship and a mission to serve

Thep Thepphalangsy helped operate a nuclear reactor in a submarine that cruised for months inside the Arctic Circle.

Twice.

鈥淚鈥檒l never forget the red-lit corridors, the constant hum of machinery, and the rhythm of a crew working tirelessly around the clock,鈥� Thep said. 鈥淥ur mission kept loved ones at home safe and free.鈥�

It might never have happened.

Exactly one day before high school graduation, the Riverdale, Georgia native says he 鈥渟tared at the ceiling of my barren, white-walled room in a sinking house with old furniture. I had two mandatory Social Studies online classes that I hadn鈥檛 even started. My weighted GPA sat at about 2. I had no scholarships. I had no plan. I felt stuck.鈥�

A recent conversation with a military recruiter kept coming back to Thep鈥檚 mind.

鈥淗e looked at my aptitude test scores and told me I qualified academically for a demanding job. But he also told me that I had to be fully committed to fixing myself.鈥�

If you do that, we鈥檒l help you the rest of the way, the recruiter said.

Thep cleaned up his act.

A new sense of purpose

Thep finished high school, graduated, then joined the U.S. Navy as a Nuclear Electronics Technician. The program deeply tested his discipline and focus, replacing bad study habits with tools and structures to help him thrive personally and academically. He even learned to manage ADHD without medication.

Among Thep鈥檚 Navy mates were Georgia Southern alumni. They raved about the school. After military service, Thep took a look. He鈥檚 never looked back.

鈥淭he experience of being a student here in Statesboro is heartwarming,鈥� he said.

鈥淓veryone has a focus and a story. All it takes to learn from them is a desire to get out there, listen, and collaborate.鈥�

In his mechanical engineering major, Thep is learning to master 3D-modeling/simulating software to design, build, and improve control panels, motors, generators, and the other complex mechanical devices that drive the modern world.

The Charles R. Pound Scholarship

As a mechanical engineering major and a junior with a GPA over 3.0, Thep qualified for the Charles Robert Pound Sr. Scholarship.

鈥淐harles Pound was the Auxiliary Services Administrator here at Georgia Southern,鈥� Thep said. 鈥淗is two sons set up the scholarship in his name.

鈥淢r. Pound held a deep commitment to this community. His efforts extended beyond his own success and created opportunities for others. That kind of leadership really resonates with me, because it reflects the same values I grew up with and that I鈥檓 now working so hard to carry forward.鈥�

Thep learned those values from his grandmother, who moved from Southeast Asia to the Florida Panhandle in the 1980s to start a small restaurant.

鈥淪he came to chase the American Dream,鈥� Thep said.

鈥淢uch like Charles Pound, my grandmother believed in building others up. She shared ingredients from her own garden, made small loans to help fellow business owners, and helped them earn U.S. citizenship or green cards. Through her generosity and community focus, she helped sustain not only her own business but also those around her in their growing native community in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.鈥�

Thep says that Charles Pound Sr.鈥檚 example reminds him that true leadership isn鈥檛 really about position or expertise in a certain field. It鈥檚 about people.

鈥淲hether I鈥檓 coordinating a volunteer event, taking measurements for a repair project, fabricating a piece of useful equipment, or helping plan a fundraiser,鈥� Thep said, 鈥淚 try to approach it with that same mindset.

鈥淯se what you know to make a difference, and lift others as you climb.鈥�

A good dog sleeps well tonight, thanks to a Georgia Southern scholarship

Angelina Madison鈥檚 blue-nosed pit bull, Ezekiel, is wagging his tail again.

Ezekiel can thank, in a roundabout way, a 妻友社区 scholarship.

When Angelina saw Ezekiel acting droopy and losing hair, the 19-year-old sophomore at Georgia Southern鈥檚 Liberty Campus in Hinesville, Georgia, put her University healthcare training to work.

鈥淚n my microbiology lab, we grew bacteria cultures,鈥� Angelina said. 鈥淚 learned to make stained slides and see all the little bacteria and identify them under a microscope.

鈥淲hen I saw something wrong with Ezekiel, I took a sample, stained a slide, and found he had a parasite. The vet confirmed it, and I thought, 鈥榃ow! I鈥檓 actually doing something with what I鈥檝e learned!鈥欌��

Soon, Angelina will heal human patients.

She plans to use her health sciences major (plus a minor in psychology) as a springboard to post-graduate training as a Licensed Practical Nurse. If all goes to plan, she鈥檒l eventually work as a Registered Nurse, helping patients at Fort Stewart in Hinesville.

鈥淰eterinary work,鈥� she laughed, 鈥渋s a strong Plan B.鈥�

Money worries relieved by a scholarship

A few years back, Angelina鈥檚 optimism wasn鈥檛 so high.

Worries over expenses for college created intense anxiety. Her GPA slipped from a 4.2 to a 2.3 as she juggled classwork and struggled to make ends meet financially. She even considered dropping out of school altogether.

Instead, she discovered the Liberty County Eagle Excellence Scholarship Fund. Established in July 2025, the scholarship fund supports Liberty County students attending the Liberty Campus.

鈥淭his scholarship embodies the power of partnership and the promise of place-based education. At Georgia Southern, we are deeply committed to ensuring students can thrive, contribute and lead in their own communities,鈥� said Dr. Alejandra Sosa Pieroni, executive vice president for Enrollment, Marketing and Student Success.

鈥淭he Liberty County Eagle Excellence Scholarship not only expands access to higher education but also fuels the kind of community-rooted success that transforms lives and strengthens regions.鈥�

As Angelina faced her moment of crisis, she discovered the scholarship, applied, and waited. The email she got in response changed everything.

鈥淚 ran to my mom, just shocked,鈥� Angelina remembered. 鈥淚t made me so happy to know I would be able to keep going, that this would reduce the financial burden on me and my parents.

鈥淭he scholarship really put me back on my feet.鈥�

Lifelong learner

A passion for learning has shaped Angelina鈥檚 life.

The child of a military family 鈥� her dad put in a full career before retiring from Fort Stewart, and she has two brothers in military service 鈥� Angelina sang in choral groups, learned piano, fell in love with tennis, practiced archery, mastered video games, and cooked up a storm in culinary classes.

鈥淢y parents are always supportive when I鈥檓 interested in a new thing,鈥� she said. 鈥淣ow, I want to learn how to drive a stick shift. I want to learn how to drive a motorcycle. I want to always be learning something, every day.鈥�

鈥淢y scholarship will help me learn so many new things. It really keeps me motivated.鈥�

It鈥檚 very good news for Ezekiel, that good dog. Angelina鈥檚 love for life and learning keeps him healthy, too.

A passion for fashion, with a scholarship lift

Kaytlin Maflin sized up several schools as she prepared to graduate from high school in Powder Springs, Georgia, in 2023.

鈥淚 wanted Division 1 football 鈥� I鈥檓 a huge football fan. And I love a pretty campus. I also wanted something away from home, a place where I could spread my wings a little,鈥� she said.

鈥淏ut most of all, I have a passion for fashion. When I saw that Georgia Southern has a fashion major, it sealed the deal.鈥�

Surprised there鈥檚 a Fashion Merchandising and Apparel Design major in rural southeast Georgia?

Don鈥檛 be. It鈥檚 a powerhouse.

Graduates of the Georgia Southern fashion program work at Nike, American Eagle Outfitters, Kohl鈥檚 Department Store, Coach, and elsewhere. And the median annual pay in 2023 for fashion designers? Just a thread under $80,000.

No wonder Kaytlin found Statesboro and the University a perfect fit.

Retail experience in Statesboro

When she鈥檚 not in classes, Kaytlin works at Uptown Cheapskate Statesboro, a retail clothing store that buys and sells second-hand designer apparel and accessories for young adults.

鈥淚鈥檓 a manager,鈥� the junior said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great job in Statesboro, good for my career. I鈥檓 in the fashion and clothing business 鈥� buying, selling, trading, management, retail practices, even sustainability. I鈥檒l put this hands-on experience to use all my life.鈥�

The real-world retail work dovetails perfectly with Kaytlin鈥檚 course work, where she unravels the complex layers of fashion merchandising.

She gets to travel, too. In summer 2024, about a dozen fashion students spread their wings in New York City on a study-away trip. They met face-to-face with names in the business.

鈥淥ne of the most impressive designers to me, with my interest in sustainability, was the Brooklyn designer Zero Waste Daniel,鈥� Kaytlin said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 known for taking thrown-away fashion scraps, then repurposing them into beautiful pieces. We visited him and got to hear his process, his values. Fashion is a wasteful industry, and it鈥檚 important to me as a young person in the business to do what we can to set that right.鈥�

The tour group also visited Union Bay鈥檚 offices in NYC. 鈥淲e got to hear the merchandising side of things, where I have the most interest,鈥� Kaytlin said. 鈥淲e saw spreadsheets of coming collections. We met so many cool people. I still have connections, and I鈥檒l make sure I keep those.鈥�

Kaytlin鈥檚 tour was led by her instructor, Kyler Arnold.

鈥淗e鈥檚 my favorite teacher of my entire educational career, ever. He鈥檚 so passionate about the fashion industry,鈥� Kaytlin said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 made this program especially great. He鈥檚 been so supportive. When I鈥檝e run into hardships in the program, he鈥檚 always been there to encourage me.鈥�

The Betty Lane Scholarship

Georgia Southern鈥檚 rich scholarship program has encouraged Kaytlin, too. As an incoming freshman, she applied for The Betty Lane Family and Consumer Sciences Scholarship.

鈥淭he scholarship is named in honor of professor emeritus Betty Lane, who graduated in 1949 and gave decades of service to Georgia Southern,鈥� Kaytlin said. 鈥淪he retired in 1986, but she鈥檚 still active today, giving back to our school.鈥�

Rising-star students like Kaytlin feel Lane鈥檚 presence.

鈥淭he scholarship really made a difference,鈥� Kaytlin said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 given me more freedom to fashion my life into something really special.鈥�