Greater Columbia Chapter SCSU National Alumni Association
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Mailing Address: PO Box 7831 Columbia, SC 29202
Email: GreaterColumbiaSCSUNAA@gmail.com​
Chapter Officers
2023-2025
Barbara Jean Whiteside, President
Barbara, a native of Greenville, SC graduated from South Carolina State College in 1976 as a Business Education major with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and licensed by South Carolina State Board of Education with a Professional Teaching Credential. Having worked for Southern Bell Telephone Company, Duke Power, Greenville Technical College, The City of Greenville, Greenville County Schools, and Phyllis Wheatley Association she retired as a high school teacher in 2018.
Before relocating to Columbia, SC in 2019, Barbara was active in church, community, and civic organizations serving as Church School Teacher, Superintendent, Trustee, Summer Program Director, Secretary with the Enoree River Association and Superintendents’ Forum, a member of the Greenville Chapter South Carolina State University National Alumni Association (Scholarship Chair), Sterling High School Alumni Association, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Barbara is a new member at Rehoboth Baptist Church and continues to support and visit her family churches Soapstone Baptist and Tabernacle Baptist.
When she is not devoting time with family, you might find Barbara at home reading a book, sewing/altering clothes, watching documentaries, sports, drama, westerns, game shows, musicals, religious, cultural, and current events on television, playing games on the computer, or talking on the phone.
Barbara is still feeling blessed and grateful for her family: 4 amazing children (2 sons and 2 daughters), 14 loving grandchildren (6 grandsons and 8 granddaughters), 3 sisters, 1 brother, a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and family friends. Her favorite scripture is Psalms 23.
Dian Alston, 1st Vice President
Dian, a native of Charleston, SC, is a 1977 graduate of Burke High School. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from South Carolina State College in 1981 and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina in 1984. She retired in 2018 with 20 years as an elementary school teacher and 17 years as an Instructional Specialist for Elementary Mathematics. As a member of Progressive Believers Baptist Church, she serves as an usher, a member of the Women’s Ministry and the instructor for the New Members’ Class.
Dian is a Life Member of the South Carolina State University National Alumni Association where she serves as a member of the Hospitality/ Social Welfare, Nomination/Elections and Adopt-A-Bulldog Committees. As a member of the S.T.A.T.E. Club, she volunteers when called upon. Dian has served the Greater Columbia Chapter as First and Second Vice President as well as a member of the Membership, Hospitality, Summer Fling and Hugine Suites Project Committees. Presently, she volunteers with the Information Technology and Bulldog Express Pantry Committees. Dian is an avid moral and financial supporter of SCSU Athletics and has been attending football games regularly since 1977. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Dian is the proud mother of one daughter, Sara Victoria.
Dana Smith, 2nd Vice President
Dana, born and raised in Richland County, a 1990 graduate of Eau Claire High School. After high school, Dana matriculated to South Carolina State College, now University, where she earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Computer Science. Employed as a Compliance Coordinator with Aflac, she also volunteers as a Lunch Buddy in Richland One, Ambassador on the Green Committee, and serves on the HBCU Alum Advisory Team.
Dana has been an active member in the South Carolina State University National Alumni Association and a member of the STATE Club. As a member of the Greater Columbia Chapter, she chairs the Public Policy Committee and has served on the Membership and Nomination Committees. She is a trained Ambassador who assists with Student Recruitment in the Midlands.
Dana has two sons, Chad, Jr (Arika) and Cameron Alexander. Two beautiful granddaughters, Janie and Jourdan.
Kashonna Price Oakman, Recording Secretary
Kashona Price Oakman is the daughter of Reverend Norman Price and the late Dorothy Price and graduated from Lamar High School in 1993. After taking a brief hiatus to join the military, I graduated from South Carolina State University in 1999.
I currently reside in Kershaw County. I was a first-generation college student and decided to attend SC State after an older cousin of mine did so. After 23 years of military service, I retired from the SC Army National Guard in 2018. My current and prior committee involvements in the Chapter are the Membership and Gala committees. I also started the Chapter’s first Facebook page. I have served on the executive board of my daughter’s elementary and middle school PTO and was on the board of Student Improvement Council at her elementary school.
My current hobbies are genealogy, reading and supporting Breast Cancer awareness causes.
Kashona has one daughter, Britton.
Bridget Woodbury, Corresponding Secretary
Bridget C. Woodbury is a School Counselor that enjoys working with young people. She has successfully earned a BS in Social Work (1995), MA in Rehabilitation Counseling (1997) and M.Ed. in School Counseling (2015) all from SC State University. Bridget has also earned certificates in American Sign Language from the University of SC and Midlands Technical College.
Bridget has been an active member of the Greater Columbia Chapter since 1997 and a former member of the Charleston Alumni Chapter of SCSUNAA (2004-2009).
During Bridget’s tenure in the Greater Columbia chapter, she has served as Chapter Queen, Membership Chair, Youth Day Chair, member of the Executive Board and Recording Secretary for the past 9 years. Bridget is also a current member of the SCSUNAA Communications Committee.
Bridget is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., School Counseling Association and the National Association of Social Workers.
Melvin L. Cox, Sr., Treasurer
A 1970 graduate of Rosenwald High School, Society Hill, SC, began studies at South Carolina State College in August 1970. Graduated May 10, 1974, with a BS Degree in Mathematics and with commission as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. Melvin retired from the US Army in December 1993. He also retired from the US Federal Government, Department of Defense, December 30, 2018.
Melvin works as a contract negotiator, negotiating contracts for fighter aircraft engines, purchase of the B-w Bomber, C-17 Cargo aircraft and MRAP vehicles for the war in the desert.
Melvin enjoys attending football and basketball games. He has resided in Columbia since June 2004.
Avia Brown, Financial Secretary
Avia Brown Steele is from St. Matthews, SC where over 80% of the degrees earned in her family are from South Carolina State University. She continued this tradition as a member of the Class of 2000 by earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She is a 2011 graduate of Webster University where she earned a Master of Business Administration.
Avia is currently the Financial Planning & Analysis Manager with Zeus Incorporated. She has been a finance professional for the past 23 years and enjoys all aspects of financial data integrity & budgeting. Avia’s career has afforded her the opportunity to work for several major corporations such as Mars Inc., Eaton Corporation, and TE Connectivity.
She has been a member of the Greater Columbia Chapter since 2003. Despite several relocations to advance her career, she always returned to serve SCSU through this alumni chapter. Avia and her husband Lomon reside in Columbia, SC. She is the owner of Steele Away Travel and Essie's Cakes. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and supporting SC State Athletics as a season ticket holder and State Club member.
Lavet Young-Pilot, Chaplain
Lavet is a native of Greenville, South Carolina and the youngest of five children. She is the daughter of the late Deacon Bobby Joe Young and Deaconess Mrs. Bobbiejean Young. Mrs. Pilot is married to Dr. G. Cleve Pilot, and they have one daughter, Payton and a fur baby Callie. She is the Social Work Director of Operations. She also served as a social worker supervisor with United Health Care for the NICU centers across the Southeast and the Midwest region. Mrs. Pilot started her career with Lexington Medical Center as a medical discharge planner/social worker for the hospital. Mrs. Pilot has over 20 plus years of experience working in the medical field as a Social Worker and is delighted with the work she coordinates as a social worker.
Mrs. Pilot is a graduate of South Carolina State University with a bachelor's in social work. She also received her master's degree in social work from the University of South Carolina and earned her license shortly afterwards to become a LMSW.
Mrs. Pilot has served on several committees throughout South Carolina and has conducted several professional development classes for current professionals and graduate students who are in the master's program. She currently serves on the Council of Nephrology Social Workers. Her philosophy on providing social work services is, "All individuals should be treated with respect and dignity to ensure social justice and equality.”
Lavet was inducted to the Beta Sigma chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in 1997 and currently is an active member.
Carolyn Clark Cannon, Parliamentarian
Carolyn, a native of Camden, SC, graduated from South Carolina State College in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in Spanish Education. She earned a master's degree from the University of Connecticut in 1976 in Guidance, Counseling, and Student Personnel Work. Carolyn had a 36+ year career in public and higher education. She taught high school Spanish and she served as an administrator in higher education in the areas of law placement, academic support services, and academic advising. She retired in 2010 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after 27 years of service.
In 2012, Carolyn relocated to Elgin, South Carolina. Before returning to SC, she was a member, recording secretary, and scholarship coordinator for the Raleigh-Durham (RDU) Chapter of South Carolina State University National Alumni Association. She joined the Greater Columbia Chapter in 2018 and chaired the scholarship committee from 2019-2021. Currently, she is a member of the Greater Columbia Chapter, a member of the nominating committee, and a member of the association's National Scholarship Committee.
Carolyn is a member of the Canty Hill Baptist Church and a dedicated follower of the Brookland Baptist Church West Columbia via Brookland Beyond.
She loves cooking, traveling, walking, listening to music, reading fiction by African American women, watching movies and selected sports, playing the NY Times Spelling Bee and Word Master, and interacting and communicating with family and friends.
She is married to Robert Cannon and they are parents of two (2) sons, three (3) granddaughters, and godparents of three (3) godchildren
Wanda Beatty, Historian
Wanda Herrin Beatty is a retired educator for over 45 years. She taught at the Department of Defense Schools at Fort Jackson for over 38 years and Richland one for more than 5 years. She is a 1975 graduate of South Carolina State with a B.S degree, Cambridge College in 1997 with a MA degree and in 2001 an EDS degree from Cambridge. Wanda served as President of the Greater Columbia Alumni Chapter for four years and as 2nd Vice President for 6 years. She is currently Chair of Recruitment for the Greater Columbia Chapter and has and served and is presently serving as volunteer in the Admissions Office since 2015. She is a Life Member of South Carolina State University National Alumni Association and also, serves as Chair for History/Archives Committee. In July of 2022, she received The South Carolina Coaches MVP Community Award. Wanda is member of Francis Burns United Methodist Church where she sings on the choir. She enjoys reading, baking, playing cards, listening to gospel and jazz and good football. Wanda has one son, Brandon and daughter in law, Lyndsey.