Charlie Magazine continues to release their selection of the “50 Most Progressive” people in Charleston for 2015, and more and more Cougars are making the cut. Charlie has designated each of them as “forward-thinking” and “making a positive impact on the future of Charleston.”
Previous progressives covered by Charlie include anthropology and African American studies professor Ade Ofunniyin, and leader, musician and transgender student Ansley Pope.
More recently Charlie has featured the following progressive College alumni:
- Deborah Shogry Blalock ‘81, executive director of the Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center, which treats more than 200 people a day. Blalock is a hopeful caregiver and administrator. She explains “the goal is to not come to the Mental Health Center every day for the rest of one’s life. With treatments now, people get better.”
- Dan McCurry ’07, founder of the Charleston independent music label Hearts & Plugs. McCurry, too, is an optimist when it comes to his career: “I look around Charleston and I think: this is an exciting place to be,” says McCurry. “We have the people, we have the talent. I don’t see why Charleston couldn’t be recognized as a music town. Bands are not necessarily better in other places. It’s just that other places have more in place for those bands.”
- Lindsay Windham ‘00 and Nate Justiss (who attended the College before graduating from Auburn University), owners of lifestyle product design and manufacturing firm Distil Union, makers of iPhone wallets and more. As writer Jason A. Zwiker says, “They’re two creative, talented friends doing what they love to do: finding solutions to everyday problems.”
- Sara Peck ’09, a poet, teacher, writing mentor and bookstore manager. Does she sound busy enough? “If I wanted to, I could probably fill every minute of every single day with something…that’s maybe not normal,” Peck admits.