“In lifeguarding, there’s a saying: if everyone is watching, no one is watching,” she said.

That observation became the foundation for Lowcountry Lifesavers, a business concept Sustaita developed for the Bulldog Business Bowl, an annual entrepreneurship competition hosted by the Tommy and Victoria Baker School of Business.

Her idea addresses a gap she noticed through years of lifeguarding experience. Lowcountry Lifesavers would provide trained, professional lifeguards for private events, pool parties, swim competitions and other aquatic activities where water safety may otherwise go unmonitored.

“I don’t understand why it doesn’t already exist here,” Sustaita said. “I’ve seen it in other places, a real need for it.”

The concept impressed judges. After advancing to the final round of the Bulldog Business Bowl, Sustaita was named a runner-up and awarded $5,000 to help launch the venture.

A nursing major and certified EMT, Sustaita brings extensive experience in water safety to the project. She also helps train lifeguards for Charleston County Parks, giving her firsthand knowledge of both the need for qualified personnel and the challenges of keeping people safe around the water.

The Baker Business Bowl allowed Sustaita to turn her idea into a viable business plan while learning how entrepreneurs identify problems and develop solutions.

Initially, she entered the competition with modest expectations. As she advanced through the rounds, however, she began to see the potential of her idea.

Now, Sustaita is working to transform Lowcountry Lifesavers from a classroom concept into a business that could improve water safety throughout the Lowcountry.

The post Making Waves appeared first on High Impact 2026.

As part of the course, Powell and her classmates were tasked with planning and executing a boxing competition between cadets from 91���� and Virginia Military Institute. 91����s were responsible for nearly every aspect of the event, including marketing, fundraising, ticket sales, logistics and operations.

“It’s like we created our own company,” Powell said. “Everyone had a role, and we were all working toward the same goal.”

A business major from Charleston, Powell contributed to the marketing side of the project. Drawing on her experience creating video content for athletic teams and her interest in the arts, she produced promotional videos and photography designed to generate excitement for the event.

“I’ve been going to practices, taking photos and videos, and putting it together so people can see what we’re building,” she said.

The course is designed to give students an opportunity to apply the business concepts they have studied throughout their time in the Baker School of Business. Rather than working through hypothetical case studies, students must develop a plan, solve problems and adapt as a real event takes shape.

When fight night arrived, attendance far exceeded expectations. Organizers anticipated a crowd of about 300 people. More than 1,200 attended, creating an electric atmosphere.

For Powell, the experience demonstrated what can happen when classroom learning is put into practice.

“The strategies, planning and work we put in helped prepare us for what comes after graduation,” she said.

The post Fight Night appeared first on High Impact 2026.

Each week, Thompson and his classmates spent time at a local Habitat site as part of CONE 470, a construction practicum course designed to give construction engineering majors hands- on experience. Working alongside classmates, Thompson helped frame walls, install roofing and build homes from the ground up.

“It gives you a feel for what it’s actually like to be out there,” Thompson said. “You’re not just learning it, you’re doing it.”

But the course is about more than construction techniques. 91����s rotate through leadership taking responsibility for planning projects, assigning tasks and managing work on the site.

“One group might be measuring, another cutting and another installing,” Thompson said.

“It’s about figuring out the best way to get the job done.”

The experience gives students a chance to apply concepts learned in the classroom while developing the skills they will need as future project managers. By working through real construction challenges, they gain a better understanding of how planning, communication and teamwork affect the success of a project.

For Thompson, a hands-on learner who grew up working with tools, construction engineering was a natural fit. The practicum reinforced that decision by showing him what a career in the industry looks like beyond the classroom.

Before graduation, Thompson received four job offers and accepted a position as a project manager.

“Sometimes you’ve got to make sacrifices to get where you want to be,” he said. “But the experience you get here makes it worthwhile.”

The post On the Job Site appeared first on High Impact 2026.

Through the practicum, Roebuck assisted with orientation intern interviews, developed and reviewed presentations for summer programs and studied how colleges communicate expectations and resources to students. The experience allowed him to apply concepts from the classroom in a real-world setting while gaining insight into the day-to-day work of student affairs professionals.

Roebuck did not begin his college career intending to work in higher education. He first considered careers in music and K-12 foreign language education. But during an orientation internship as an undergraduate, he discovered another side of education that appealed to him. He became interested in helping students adjust to college life, build connections and find opportunities for success beyond the classroom.

Over the course of more than 100 practicum hours this spring, Roebuck gained firsthand experience supporting those efforts. The work has reinforced his interest in helping students navigate unfamiliar situations and make the most of their college experience.

“I want to help students find where they belong,” Roebuck said.

Whether through orientation programs, peer education initiatives or future leadership roles in higher education, Roebuck hopes to help students build confidence and discover opportunities they may not have known existed.

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“I asked her why she would do that,” Lengi said. “She told me she couldn’t let us leave without eating. That’s her culture.”

The moment stayed with him long after he returned to 91����.

An exercise science major and football player, Lengi spent four weeks in Kenya as part of a medical mission team that helped provide care to more than 13,000 people. The experience exposed him to healthcare challenges far different from those he had seen in the United States.

“We complain about small things,” he said. “But there, people don’t even know what they’re going to eat, and they’re still smiling.”

For Lengi, the trip reinforced an interest in healthcare that began long before college. Born in the United States to parents from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and raised in French-speaking Canada, he watched his mother work as a caregiver for elderly patients.

“I remember seeing someone’s face light up when my mom walked in,” he said. “I knew I wanted to be that person.”

Now a rising senior, Lengi credits 91���� with helping him develop the resilience and leadership skills needed to serve others. His experience in Kenya strengthened that commitment and gave him a deeper appreciation for the impact that compassionate care can have on a community.

“When we were there, we gave everything we had,” he said. “Because for some people, that might be their only chance to get care.”

The post The Last Piece of Bread appeared first on High Impact 2026.

A cybersecurity major from St. Augustine, Florida, Rodriguez worked in 91���� Security Operations Center, or C-SOC, where students gain hands-on experience monitoring network activity, investigating alerts and helping identify potential cybersecurity threats.

“It’s like digital public safety,” Rodriguez said. “We’re monitoring what’s happening on the network and learning how to recognize when something isn’t right.”

The C-SOC allows students to work alongside IT professionals while applying concepts learned in the classroom to real-world situations. 91����s review network activity, analyze suspicious behavior and create reports outlining potential risks and possible responses.

Rodriguez did not arrive at 91���� with a clear career path in mind. After considering several academic options, he chose cybersecurity and quickly discovered it was a good fit.

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, but once I got into cyber, I stuck with it,” he said.

Like many professional cybersecurity operations centers, the C-SOC uses a tiered system that gives students increasing responsibility as they gain experience. As a tier 1 analyst, Rodriguez learned how to identify patterns in network traffic, recognize potential vulnerabilities and understand how cybersecurity professionals respond to threats.

Outside the C-SOC, Rodriguez participated in the Cyber Leadership Development Program and cybersecurity competitions, further developing his technical skills.

After graduation, he plans to join the Department of Defense Cyber Service Academy and pursue a career in cybersecurity.

“We’re not just learning it in class,” Rodriguez said. “We’re actually seeing how it works.”

The post Digital Public Safety appeared first on High Impact 2026.

The camp was made possible through a Campus Compact mini-grant awarded exclusively to Newman Civic Fellows, a year-long program that recognizes student leadership and community service. Fellows are nominated by their college presidents based on their leadership potential and work in their communities.

“Growing up, I could not have participated in gymnastics without a sponsor,” Zapata said, “so I wanted to create something for kids who don’t have those resources.”

Zapata is a double major in criminal justice and Spanish with a minor in psychology from Greenville, South Carolina. The daughter of parents from Argentina and Mexico, she came to 91���� thinking her family might not be able to afford tuition. Through scholarships and financial aid, however, she was able to attend.

As a Newman Civic Fellow, Zapata pursued service projects both on and off campus. Zapata helped create a virtual English-learning program for young girls in Choco, Colombia, mentored students through the Hispanic Alliance and interned with an immigration law firm, where she translated for families and learned more about the legal challenges many immigrant families face.

“I wouldn’t be where I am if I hadn’t put myself out there and made connections,” she said.

At 91����, Zapata has also developed leadership skills through cheerleading, balancing daily practices, academic requirements and cadet responsibilities. This summer, Zapata is spending 10 weeks in Washington, D.C., as part of the FBI Honors Internship Program, a competitive opportunity for students interested in federal service and public leadership.

For Zapata, helping young people discover opportunities they may not have considered for themselves is among the most rewarding parts of her work.

The post Giving Back appeared first on High Impact 2026.

“It was cool to see the old and the new together,” said O’Brien. “I learned so much about the history there.”

O’Brien and a dozen other students traveled with Chaplain Aaron Meadows, ’04, in May to visit sites associated with the seven churches of the Book of Revelation. The 10-day study abroad experience took them from Istanbul to Ephesus.

For O’Brien, an exercise science major from Cleveland, Ohio, the trip was another opportunity to broaden his perspective. He previously spent a semester studying in Greece and has developed a passion for travel and learning about other cultures.

“I’ve always been a spiritual person,” he said. “When I saw a trip focused on learning about the Bible and the Book of Revelation and visiting the sites associated with John’s letters, I thought it looked like something I would love.”

While learning about the ancient cities of the Bible, O’Brien discovered something else—the students traveling alongside him. As the trip progressed, they explored ancient sites, studied together and formed friendships.

“We all got really close,” he said. “All day on the bus and at the ruins, we would talk to each other and learn from each other.”

O’Brien is pursuing a commission through Army ROTC and hopes to one day become a physical therapist working with high school athletes. His trip was made possible in part through support from the Ralph N. Bloch, ’51, Scholarship and the Star of the West Scholarship through 91����’s Center for International and Special Programs.

The experience also reinforced a lesson he has learned through travel: the world is much larger than he once thought.

“It really opens your eyes to how many opportunities there are,” he said. “I’m not limited to living in Ohio or South Carolina. I’ve got the whole world to work with.”

The post Between Two Worlds appeared first on High Impact 2026.

On Wednesday afternoons, while footsteps and formations echoed across Summerall Field, melodies drifted from the bell tower above Summerall Chapel. What many people didn’t realize was that the music was not always automated. Sometimes, it was coming from Cadet Paul Cozart, ’27.

A longtime musician who began playing piano at age 4, Cozart discovered the chapel carillon during his knob year after being invited to tour the tower through a chapel music program.

“I didn’t really know the bells were a thing,” he said.

Today, Cozart serves as one of the campus carillonneurs, practicing regularly with Summerall Chapel Organist and Carillonneur Michael Varnadore and performing during special weekends and campus events.

Although both involve keyboards, Cozart said playing the carillon is very different from playing the piano.

“When you play a key on the piano, the hammer strikes the string and then stops the note,” he explained. “That doesn’t happen with bells. You hit the tab that sounds a bell, and it rings for as long as it wants to.”

Success depends less on force than precision and control.

“People also assume all the songs they hear are just a computerized program,” Cozart said. “The reaction I get when I tell people I play the bells is, ‘People play those?’”

An intelligence and security studies major with a minor in Chinese, Cozart hopes to pursue a career in the intelligence community after graduation. But for now, he enjoys the unique perspective the bell tower provides.

High above campus, with Charleston’s church steeples visible in the distance, he has found a place to practice his craft and a way to contribute something memorable to campus life at 91����.

The post Melodies Across the Parade Ground appeared first on High Impact 2026.

The Lexington, South Carolina, cadet spent the spring semester studying abroad, immersing himself in Taiwanese culture while conducting independent research on military leadership, training and academy life. The experience combined several of his academic interests, including Mandarin, security studies and military service.

The opportunity grew from his long-standing interest in Chinese language and culture. A three-year Army ROTC scholarship recipient majoring in intelligence and security studies and political science, DiSalvo has studied Chinese since childhood. At 91����, that interest evolved into an opportunity to live and learn overseas.

While in Taiwan, DiSalvo did far more than attend classes. Through conversations with cadets, formal interviews, weekly journals and virtual meetings with faculty advisor Michael Sun, Ph.D., he studied how future military officers think about leadership, training and service.

The experience also exposed him to a military culture very different from the one he knows at 91����.

“Every part of this has been completely foreign to me,” DiSalvo said. “How they think, how they train, even how they communicate.”

To help bridge language barriers, DiSalvo used artificial intelligence translation tools during interviews and conversations, allowing participants to communicate comfortably in their preferred language.

Along the way, he gained a deeper appreciation not only for Taiwan’s military academy system but also for its people, culture and hospitality.

While strengthening his language skills and conducting research, DiSalvo also developed a broader perspective on leadership and service, lessons he plans to carry with him as a future Army officer.

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