Alumni

Georgia College & State University’s golf team has entered the chat – technologically speaking.Since the start of the calendar year, players have been refining their games using virtual reality, in a new performance lab housed on the bottom floor of the Centennial Center.The centerpiece of the lab is the new Trackman golf simulator, gifted to the university by a generous, and anonymous, donor.“It has enabled them to work on their club paths, club face and where they are hitting the...

By Nadirah MayweatherThe Golden Slipper contest – an annual tradition from 1935 into the ‘70s, when Georgia College & State University was known as Georgia State College for Women – still leaves an impression on the hearts and minds of many alumni.Meant to foster creativity and leadership skills, the event challenged students to a slate of unique activities, culminating in the awarding of a gold-encrusted slipper. Competitors would build prop mascots using found materials, write and...

By Margaret Schell
Charm Mapp (’03, ’06, ’10) always knew that she wanted to be an educator, and after two decades on the job, she has been named the Jones County, Georgia, 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year. “I fell in love working with middle school-aged kids,” said Mapp, who teaches eighth-grade math at Clifton Ridge Middle School, where she’s worked for the past 22 years. “I wanted to help them through their struggles.”Mapp earned her bachelor's, master's and education specialist degrees...

By Margaret Schell
When Georgia College & State University alumna Melanie Stephens Walls (’96, ’98) first picked up a basketball in fourth grade, she was hooked. 
She discovered her competitive spirit, which she still taps into daily in her role as associate head coach of the Tennessee Tech University’s Women’s Basketball Team.
“I love to win no matter what,” Walls said. “In doing so, I've failed a ton. As I've gotten older and having coached for 26 years, it's not about being afraid...