Mr. Robert A. Murphy is a graduate of the Darla Moore School of Business at University of South Carolina, with a Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science Business Administration, and a Minor in Professional Writing.

Mr. Murphy served over 30 years in a myriad of international, national, and community-based positions. He is a military veteran with zeal, passion of quality leadership and team success, and is highly regarded as an expert in community relations, military veteran community reintegration, team building, and results-based leadership.

Robert was born in Upstate New York, loves the Adirondack Mountains, and misses the “feet” of snow that comes with living in Upstate New York.

Prior to joining the USC Aiken Team, Mr. Murphy served on Capitol Hill as the Director, United Stated Capitol Police Special Operations Unit protecting Congress from Weapons of Mass Destruction threats. Before his time on the Hill, Robert completed over 20 years of honorable service as a United States Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer-4. He held the position of Immediate Response Force Executive Officer and Operations Officer assigned to 4th Marine Expeditionary Force Anti-Terrorism. Mr. Murphy led Marines in both national and international operations participating in Operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle.

In his current position, he established the Office of Veteran and Military Student Success, which has seen a 116% enrollment increase, and a rapid increase in retention, progression, and graduation rates. Among several other prestigious awards, Military Times ranks USC Aiken as the #1 Best for Vets Universities in South Carolina. Mr. Murphy’s veteran and military student success practices are often cited as a national model for holistic reintegration and success services through collaborative community partnerships.

Mr. Murphy is also an Adjunct Professor in the University School of Business Administration. He loves the two courses he teaches: Principles of Management and Leadership, and Social, Ethical and Legal Aspects of Business. He is motivated to invest in the lives of students who aspire to realize their full leadership potential.

Robert’s community involvement includes being on the Board of Director’s for the Saratoga Warhorse Foundation. Saratoga WarHorse offers veterans a three-day experience that has proven to be effective and invaluable for those struggling to adjust to life after military service. The program is provided at no cost to the veterans.

Robert is proud to mention, he completed all of his formal education optimizing his Post 9/11 G.I. Bill.

Stephanie Williammee is a graduate of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences with a Bachelor of Agriculture in Animal Science, with an emphasis in Production and Management.

Stephanie was born in the "Great State" of Texas, and grew up in the city of Garland, Texas.

In her current position, she serves the Office of Veteran and Military Student Success as VMSS Program Coordinator and the School Certifying Official for Veteran and Military Student benefits. Her meticulous efforts and attention to detail helped in achieving an overall accuracy rate of 98.04% on this years VA benefit audit.

Mrs. Williammee's community involvement includes the organization of a recent charitable event run the "Dogs4Vets 5k", and continuous participation in a various number of triathlons. She inspires others with her optimistic personality, and exemplary dedication toward the achievement of personal goals.

She plans to further her education and to gather as much experience as she can in her current position.

Chelsea Henry was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She is currently enrolled at the University of South Carolina Aiken in the Master of Clinical Psychology Graduate Program.

Chelsea participated in the Army ROTC program throughout her years at Vanderbilt, and upon graduation she commissioned as an Active Duty officer. She spent a year in Korea and three years at Fort Gordon before departing the military.

Prior to working with the VMSSC, Chelsea also volunteered as a Crisis Counselor with the Crisis Text Line, where she was able to learn new skills in crisis management and coping skills. She joined the VMSSC team as a way to follow two of her greatest passions - the military family, and mental health.

Chelsea applied and was hired for the position as a Veteran Transition Success Advocate for the Office of Veteran and Military Student Success through the graduate student internship at USCAiken. In this role, she speaks with all incoming military affiliated members of the VMSS cohort on a one-on-one basis to ensure that their college transition is going as smoothly as possible. She makes continuous efforts to meet with students who are experiencing any mental health issues related to daily school, work, or personal stressors or concerns that may arise during their time at USC Aiken. This position was implemented in order to safeguard a successful and mentally healthy graduation for our military affiliated students.

After graduation Chelsea plans to continue her education through a PhD in Clinical Psychology, which will allow her to follow her dream of becoming a Professor of Psychology.

Ms. Anne Parent graduated from The University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She is currently enrolled at the University of South Carolina Aiken in the Master of Clinical Psychology Graduate Program.

Anne was born in Detroit, MI, and moved around a lot as a kid, living in Texas, Ohio, and Germany.

Prior to joining the VMSS team at USC Aiken, she taught 8th grade Math in Darlington, South Carolina through the program Teach for America. She enjoyed seeing her students grow in academic and personal areas and decided she wanted to work on developing student's full potential in higher education settings. Prior to working with the VMSSC, Anne also worked as a susbtance abuse counselor. Here, she learned invaluable clinical skills and loved seeing her client's reach their goals. She is interested in working with veterans, and it was because of USCA's strong ties to the veteran community and their own veteran population that she made the decision to accept the invitation to work for the VMSSC.

Anne applied and was hired for the position as a Veteran Transition Success Advocate for the Office of Veteran and Military Student Success through the graduate student internship at USC Aiken. In this role, she speaks with all incoming military affiliated members of the VMSS cohort on a one-on-one basis to ensure that their college transition is going as smoothly as possible. She makes continuous efforts to meet with students who are experiencing any mental health issues related to daily school, work, or personal stressors or concerns that may arise during their time at USC Aiken. This position was implememnted in order to safeguard a successful and mentally healthy graduation for our military affiliated students.

In her spare time, she loves to run, sing, and play her ukulele. She is involved with school affiliated ICE Events, and presentations to USCA staff and students regarding mental health.

Anne is currently using her efforts to gauge the effectiveness and efficiency of graduate students, such as herself, that work with veteran students at USC Aiken. She would like to leave USCA knowing that she successfully assisted in furthering the research base for impact of mental health stigma and how to break it. She also hopes to work with veterans as a counselor, and with the community organizations that assist veterans in the transition from military service into civilian life.

Mr. Tristan Stone is a current student in the School of Business Administration studying to achieve his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Management by May 2019.

Tristan was born and raised in Harford County, MD. He served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve with 4th Combat Engineer Battalion from July 2007 to May 2013. He was forward deployed in 2008 to Iraq and to Afghanistan in 2011 in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Upon honorable separation from the Marine Corps, he entered the workforce in a Management position for a local Insurance Restoration Firm where he worked for 3 years before deciding to return to higher education.

Upon making the decision to return to higher education, he researched his options in great detail and sought out universities with a high rate of veteran program success. It was only after speaking with the VMSS team at USC Aiken that he immediately felt comfortable and at home with his transition process.

Working at USCA's VMSSC as the new student orientation coordinator is not Tristan's only devotion to bettering campus life for his peers; he is also the Vice-President of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity at USCA. He was also the Student Veteran Senator for the Student Government Association from 2016-2017, and Interim Secretary and Treasurer of the Inter-Fraternal Council in 2017. His efforts to make an impact do not stop there, he is also an active member of the community, and was awarded the Sunrise Rotary Club Student of the Month as well as being a recipient of the Aiken-Augusta Wounded Warrior Project Scholarship.

While at USCA Tristan hopes to improve the collegiate experience of as many individuals as possible. As he recently wrote, "College isn't just about academics, it improves the opportunity for students to connect, network, and interact with all individuals in many different settings." His future aspirations are to continue his education to obtain not only his Bachelor's, but also his Master's and Doctorate, so that he may one day become a professor of Business Management.

Ms. Shianne Huffman is a current student in the College of Sciences and Engineering studying to achieve her Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sports Science with a minor in Professional Writing by May 2019.

Shianne was born in Fort Stewart, GA and was raised in Havana FL. She honorably served in the United States Air Force from February 2008 to June 2010, and the United States Army from November 2010 April 2015. After honorably separating from the military she attended Midlands Tech, and graduated with an Associates in Science.

Shianne joined our team here at USCA in the Spring of 2017 after her acceptance to USCA in the astrophysics program. after some time, she changed majors to Exercise Science. She is currently the VMSS back office team lead, and is in charge of pre-certifying benefits for students. Her community passions include cross-fit, Sprint Triathlons, and going to the local planetariums.

After graduation her long term goals include opening an Occupational Therapy Company for Civilian and Veteran amputees, and have ESA dogs that are amputees for emotional support.

Ms. Rebecca Baxa is a senior in the communications program perusing a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Business.

Rebecca was born in Slippery Rock, PA, but has been a proud resident of Blythewood, SC since the early age of 7. She has always been active in the community and school organizations, and by the time she reached high school she was a member of the varsity cheer squad, student council, culinary, FFA and even the bowling league. She was raised with a unique set or moral and ethical values instilled upon her by her father who honorably served the United States Army, and retired after 29 successful years of service to our country.

Rebecca carried this mindset of hard work and dedication into her college experiences here at USCA. She quickly became involved on campus as an active member, standard chair, and planner of philanthropic events for Alpha Omicron Pi. She also served on the leadership council, and recently partook in the Disney College Program, where she lived and worked in entertainment as a character attendant at Disney Orlando for 4 months.

Rebecca became an integral part of the Veteran and Military Success team 2 years ago, because she wanted to assist other students in the same way the VMSSC student advocates helped her with her college transition. She is currently one of our student success advocates and spearheads the events as Event Coordinator for the center.

Upon graduation in May Rebecca has plans to continue in the field of event planning, and gain a full time position with Disney Company.

Ms. Samantha Dominguez is a sophomore pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Sociology. She is currently in charge of the daily administrative aspects of the Veteran and Military Student Success Center, as well as Front Office responsibilities. She is also a member of the national Society of Leadership and Success, as well as a MCL Riverfront Marine Photographer.

Samantha is a proud daughter of two Marine veterans, Stepdaughter to a Navy veterans, and Stepsister to a Navy Veteran. She was born in Oceanside, California, and like most military dependent children, she frequently moved to new locations. She had the privilege of living in Stuttgart, Germany, and all across the southern United States. This allowed her to experience many different cultures, languages, and many military functions.

She volunteered at Charlie Norwood, VA Medical Center of Augusta, Georgia while still attending High School, for three years. After her parents' retirement, she began volunteering her time to help military veterans, and acted as a photographer for the Marine Corps League, Riverfront Marines Detachment #1132.

The experiences she gained with her volunteer experience inspired her to seek out an opportunity to work with more veterans and led her to become a team member of USCA VMSSC where she is a lead team member in administrative facilitation and social media enterprises.

After graduation Samantha hopes to continue her education and gain a Master of Science in Sociology, and to eventually transition into a position as a social worker for the VA, so she may continue to help veterans.

Ms. Megan Elledge is a Senior pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Business Management. She currently works as a student success advocate specializing in student pre-certification of military and family member educational benefits, chapter 33 invoicing, as well as being the lead in the website design for the Veteran and Military Student Success Center.

Megan was born in Marathon, FL. She was raised in the Florida Keys and in our local Aiken community. Her love for the ocean was something that she had from the very beginning, and upon graduating South Aiken High School, she decided to join the United States Navy.

While Megan served in the U.S. Navy, she was stationed aboard carriers, destroyers, LHD's and shore commands from February of 2002 through November of 2013. She successfully completed 4 deployments and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement medal twice in her Naval career, all while maintaining high marks a leader in her field of navigation. She also served as her local command Sexual Assault Prevention Advocate, worked to support the City of Jacksonville, Florida as part of the volunteers for city clean up, and volunteer math-tutoring services to Duval County elementary and middle schools.

After an honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, Megan decided she wanted to go back to further her education here at USCA. However, due to life's little speed bumps she found herself having to wait two years before starting, during which she worked as a Marketing Manager for top fortune 500 companies around the country in conjunction with attending college in North Florida. Once she was in a place where she could successfully transition back to Aiken, she quickly returned as a full time student to USCA.

Upon reconnecting with the Director of the Veteran and Military Student Success Center and observing the genuine and hardworking efforts of student advocates toward fellow student success, she quickly joined the team.

While at USCA, she hopes to build her student relations through daily interaction and educational support. She also hopes to gain the necessary skills to enter into the human resources community as a Human Resource Manager and Generalist upon successfully completing her degree plan. She also hopes to become an independent business owner after retirement, where she can display her artwork as well as the artwork of local artists within the community.

Mr. Jeremy Dumont is a junior pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Theatre. He is currently a student success advocate for invoice management and pre-certification of military and dependent benefits in the Veteran and Military Student Success Center.

Jeremy was born in Georgetown, VA, and was raised in our local Aiken community. After graduating high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps. After an honorable discharge from the USMC he worked in a number of job position, but quickly realized he needed more. This led to his decision to apply to the University of South Carolina, where he decided a larger campus was not for him and quickly transferred here to USCA where he could experience a personal campus experience.

During Jeremy's time on campus he would frequent the VMSSC during lunch, and when working on various school assignments. After building a bond with the staff members in the VMSSC, he decided he needed to be part of the team. He hopes to build strong connections, and successfully complete his degree in order to achieve his goals toward a prosperous and eventful future.

Mr. Cruiz Emery is a junior pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on Accounting, and a minor in professional writing. He currently works as a student success advocate with a primary focus on auditing and processing back office paperwork for the Veteran and Military Student Success Center.

Cruiz was born in Sayre, PA and raised in King Ferry, NY. After graduating high school, he attended a few semesters at a local college, worked a few jobs and finally decided to join the United States Navy. He served five successful years in the military, during which time he learned how to be a leader, married and started a family. After honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, he worked in his local community and spent 5 summers as a counselor at Freedom Recreational Service day camp for special needs children. He also decided he wanted to go back to school to finish his degree and provide a better life for his family.

USCA was one of his top choices for higher education, because of its location and small personal campus environment. He joined the VMSSC team to build experience and to help his fellow veterans in completing their goals. Cruiz serves as the President of the Pacer Accounting Club, where he hope to transition the club into Beta Alpha Psi. He is also the Treasurer of Enactus, and hopes to help the team get to the National Competition.

Upon completion of his Bachelor's degree, he plans to transfer to USC in Columbia, SC to attain his Masters of Accountancy, and hopes to open his own business someday.

Ms. Kaitlyn Baxa is a freshman and pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education.

Kaitlyn was born in Slippery Rock, PA, but has been a South Carolina resident since she was the age of 4. Kaitlyn has always been one to give back to community and serve as a leader within her community and her school. Throughout middle and high school, she was captain of her cheerleading teams. While in high school, she became a part of FFA, culinary, volunteered with Helping Hands on Fort Jackson, and was captain of her bowling team. Kaitlyn is also a proud daughter of an Army Veteran of 29 years. Like her sister, she was raised on a set of moral and ethical values taught by her father.

With this in mind, Kaitlyn strived to be a part of the USCA community from the time she has arrived. She has joined the sorority Alpha Omicron Pi and has taken over the leadership positon of VP of administration and recording secretary. She became a part of the VMSS team in the Spring of 2019.

Once she graduates, Kaitlyn plans to pursue her dream of teaching kids so that she may have a part in molding the minds of the next generation.