Bulldog in their blood: Legacy families embrace opportunities at SC State University

News Media Contact: Sam Watson/Director of University Relations/swatson2@scsu.edu/803-747-1223

Sept. 12, 2023

For immediate release

1992 SC State graduate Cynthia Keller and her daughter, Tamara, an SC State legacy freshman.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – You can’t turn a corner in Cynthia Keller’s family without running into a South Carolina State University Bulldog.

Keller graduated from SC State in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering technology, which she has used in her career at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. Twenty-one years later, her daughter, Tamara Keller, is enrolled as a freshman at the university, continuing a legacy shared by several family members.

“I am happy for her to be here because I too am a legacy,” Cynthia said. “My father went here. He graduated in 1977.

“So, for her to come to South Carolina State, it is a family tradition. I have cousins who are more like my siblings – we were all raised at my grandmother’s. Out of the six of us, five are South Carolina State graduates,” she said.

Being a legacy was not automatic for Tamara, though, as she initially considered a university a 12-hour drive from home.

“But I think this was the best choice for me,” she said. “After coming to visit, I could see myself here. I felt like this was home for me.

“I expect to get a great education and learn more about myself. I’m already independent, but I think I will learn to be more independent and think on my own,” Tamara said.

A graduate of the High School for Health Professions in Orangeburg, Tamara is majoring in biology at SC State with the intention of entering the medical field.

“I wanted to do biology because I wanted to see how things came about -- how things work,” Tamara said.

She got a head start on her education as a dual-credit student in high school, earning three certifications -- EKG technician, phlebotomy technician and medical assistant – en route to graduating with honors.

“So, we are looking for the same thing here at South Carolina State,” her mother said. “She’s focused. When she’s determined to do something and sets her mind to it, that’s what she does.”

Earlier this semester, Cynthia addressed incoming freshmen and their families at SC State’s annual legacy pinning ceremony, a tradition university President Alexander Conyers initiated in 2021 to recognize the loyalty to SC State.

“I encouraged the freshmen to get involved on campus – get involved in organizations,” Keller said. “I also encouraged them to go to career development and seek out internship opportunities and cooperative education experiences because they will give them experiences they can use after graduation to get jobs.”

Among those in the audience were 2002 SC State graduate Michael Asbury and his daughter, Mayah Asbury, who completed high school in Columbia in three years.

“I’ve always been in predominantly white schools, so I wanted to know what an HBCU was like – seeing people who look like me around,” said Mayah, who hopes to have a career in law. “I want to know the campus. I want to try new things and experience new things.

2002 SC State graduate Michael Asbury and daughter, Mayah, a legacy freshman at SC State.

“I’m really an extroverted introvert, so I can be nice to people, but at the same time, I’m really shy until I get to know you,” she said.

Mayah is Michael’s third child to go off to college, but the first to attend SC State. His confidence in SC State grew with Conyers’ arrival as president.

“With President Conyers, it felt good again to come back home to Orangeburg and South Carolina State,” Michael said. “President Conyers was part of the reason we came. His plans for the university, he is an alumnus, his wife is an alumna, and he sent his son here made a huge difference.

“That’s a family connection, and I thought that connection would transfer to my family,” he said.

After completing his biology degree at SC State, Michael earned his physician’s assistant (PA) credential at the Medical University of South Carolina and has practiced as a dermatology PA for more than 20 years.

An Orangeburg County native, Michael said the foundation he got from SC State resulted from a faculty committed to getting to know their students.

“My experience at South Carolina State University was interesting because I come from a close-knit family – we have a large family,” he said. “So when I came here, it felt like family. A lot of places you go, the teachers don’t care whether you go to class, they don’t keep up with your name. They treat you as a number.

“At South Carolina State, I was treated as a person,” he said.

SC State is accepting applications for the Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 semesters. To learn more about SC State and joining the Bulldog family, visit www.scsu.edu.

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About South Carolina State University

Founded in 1896 as a land grant institution with a mission of providing service to the citizens of the state, South Carolina State University has evolved from a small teachers’ college into a major University center of learning and research. Located in Orangeburg, S.C., South Carolina State offers more than 50 different fields of study on the undergraduate and graduate levels. South Carolina State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools.