Category: Alumni & Friends

Lives Transformed: Chowan’s Holy Week Revival Sparks Faith and Community

Revival Baptism

Chowan University recently concluded its annual Holy Week Revival — a four-day spiritual gathering filled with worship, powerful testimonies, and deep reflection. The campus came together to celebrate the Easter season, honoring Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection while encouraging each other in faith. The revival opened with a moving worship service in Chowan Chapel, led by […]

Alumni Spotlight: Manuela Jimenez Pursues Sports Analytics Dream

Manuela Jimenez

Manuela Jimenez, a first-year master’s student in Science and Statistics at Florida State University, is on a clear path toward a career in applied statistics — with a special passion for the sports industry. As a Graduate Assistant in Teaching, she’s finishing her first year in the program this semester. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Manuela […]

Former Chowan Standout Named Minor League Baseball Player of the Week

EUGENE, O.R. – Former Chowan University baseball standout, Shane Rademacher, is off to a good start in the opening month of play in the High-A Class league. Rademacher plays for the Eugene Emeralds and tossed a gem of a game last week to earn the Minor League Baseball Northwest League Player of the Week.  Rademacher, […]

Global Adventures, Military Missions, and Ultramarathons: The Hughes Story

David and Courtney Hughes

David and Courtney Hughes first crossed paths in 2004 on their very first day at Chowan University in North Carolina. Like many student-athletes arriving early on campus, their meeting marked the beginning of both a collegiate journey and a life partnership that would take them around the globe. David, originally from Virginia Beach, came to […]

Chowan University Receives Portrait Donation Honoring Olevia Frances Benthall Jenkins

Chowan University President Dr. Rosemary M. Thomas proudly holds a painting of Olevia Frances Benthall Jenkins’ home, while Drs. Stephen S. Marsh and William H. Marsh present the portrait of their great-grandmother, donated to the Wayland Jenkins Fine Arts Center in honor of her lasting legacy.

Chowan University proudly announces the addition of a significant historical portrait to the Wayland Jenkins Fine Arts Center, honoring Olevia Frances Benthall Jenkins (1863–1967). The portrait, commemorating her 100th birthday, was generously donated by her great-grandsons, Dr. William H. Marsh and Dr. Stephen S. Marsh, ensuring her enduring legacy remains a part of Chowan’s rich […]

Rouson Memorial Lecture: A Legacy of Faith, Family, and Service

Rouson Memorial Lecture

The Chapel at Chowan University was filled with enthusiasm, heartfelt exchanges, and warm embraces as the Rouson family gathered for the annual Reverend George T. and Luvenia B. Rouson Memorial Lecture. Some traveled from outside North Carolina—including a father and son from Atlanta—making the event a true family reunion. The congregation overflowed, with many standing […]

Former Chowan Baseball Coach Makes His Way Home

MURFREESBORO, N.C. – Longtime Chowan baseball coach, Jerry Hawkins, was called home on Monday, February 17th, 2025. Jerry Hawkins was more than just a baseball coach at Chowan. He was also a professor, an assistant football coach, Hall of Fame inductee, community advocate, and lifelong learner. “Coach Hawkins”, as he was known, was wholeheartedly committed to […]

Dedicated Chowan University Hall of Famer, Ben Rich, Succumbs over Weekend

NEWPORT NEWS, V.A. – Longtime Chowan University “Jim Garrison” Sports Hall of Fame member, Ben Rich, lost his earthly battle on Sunday, January 5th, 2025. Rich was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987 after a standout football career during the 1950’s at Chowan. Rich was inducted into the Chowan University “Jim Garrison” Sports […]

Donor Spotlight: Welton DeShields

Welton and Lottie DeShields at Chowan University’s annual Scholarship Luncheon.

Welton DeShields loves Chowan University. He is a Vietnam War era veteran, where he served as a Military Policeman in Okinawa. When returning home from the war he attended Chowan College, then a two year institution. He received his Special Education teaching degree from East Carolina University and  M.Ed focusing on the hearing impaired from […]