Two Bobcats. Two very different journeys. One Foundation making both possible.

For many Bobcats, the journey at Georgia College & State University is characterized by the connections realized between rigorous academics and real-world impact; connections made possible, in large part, supported by the Foundations of Excellence Fund supports. Two members of the Class of 2026, Karli Galloway and Mara Bean, show just how differently that journey can unfold, while sharing the same throughline: a campus that invests in students long after they arrive, and long after they leave.

Karli Galloway (’24, ’26)

Galloway earned both her Bachelor of Science in Public Health and her Master of Science in Health & Human Performance (Health Promotion concentration) from GCSU. Her time on campus was defined by service, earning her both the Abby Savoie Community Service Medallion with the Public Health Student Organization and the Center for Health and Social Issues Community Service Medallion.

Much of that work took place at the CHSI under the mentorship of director Dr. Damian Francis. Moving through roles as community outreach coordinator, graduate assistant and program manager for a CDC-funded food service guidelines project, Galloway helped serve the community via the mobile health unit and partnered with local food pantry owners and GCSU's auxiliary services to make healthy choices more accessible.

Her studies also took her beyond campus this summer through a GCSU study abroad trip to Belize, further expanding her perspective on community care. Along the way, she credits professor Dr. Ernest Kaninjing with instilling an "upstream approach," the public health philosophy of preventing problems before they happen rather than only treating them afterward, and learning that how you deliver a message matters just as much as the message itself.

Thanks to the relationships built at CHSI, Galloway is stepping into a role in Academic Advising at GCSU, ready to guide the next generation of Bobcats using the same communication and outreach skills that shaped her own path, a full-circle moment where a student supported by Foundations-backed programs now becomes part of delivering them.

Mara Bean (’26)

Bean transferred to GCSU during her junior year, leaving the University of South Carolina to pursue law school while remaining financially responsible. She graduated as a member of the Honors College, with majors in philosophy and interdisciplinary studies, a minor in criminal justice and concentrations in pre-law and race & social justice.

Within a single semester on campus, Bean recognized that pre-law students needed a stronger community, so she founded Phi Alpha Delta, the university's pre-law fraternity, and served as its president as it grew into a chapter of more than 100 members. Her leadership extended well beyond that. However, in the Student Government Association as secretary, founder and chair of its Student Culture Committee, sitting on the Foundation Board as student trustee and holding leadership roles in Best Buddies, Amnesty International and Mock Trial.

Much of her experience was shaped by her Phi Alpha Delta advisor, Mark Dehler, who guided her through the law school application cycle, reminding her to "trust the process" during its hardest moments. Dehler continues to support Bean today, long after her time as an active student passed. That mentorship taught Mara that the strongest educational communities don't end at graduation; Georgia College invests in its students well into their future as alumni.

This fall, Bean begins law school at the University of Georgia School of Law, carrying with her a lesson she says defines her time at GCSU; leadership isn't about waiting for opportunity, it's about creating it. Alongside practicing law, Bean hopes one day to build a charitable organization serving vulnerable communities.

Different paths, same throughline: Galloway's global classroom in Belize and Bean's packed leadership roster on campus were both made possible by the same infrastructure the Foundations of Excellence Fund sustains. The Advancement community continues to walk beside its graduates, turning a diploma into the start of a bigger story and turning today's alumni into tomorrow's leaders.