Are you wondering what type of students are in the HTC Honors Program? Look at our Student Spotlight to find out! These students are doing great things both in and out of the classroom. The only characteristic that is common among them is they all want to be challenged academically. 

Profiles of our 2021 Honors Students »

Student Spotlights

Meredith LaLumia works at the greenhouse on-campus behind Tradition Hall and is one of 11 CCU students selected to be a Presidential Ambassador. She will be studying abroad at James Cook University in Australia during the fall 2022 semester.

Previously, she was an Eco-Rep for Sustain Coastal and served as Vice President of Panhellenic Relations for Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Meredith volunteers with Ronald McDonald House charity, which is Alpha Delta Pi's main philanthropy.

In March 2022, Meredith won the Best Undergraduate Poster Presentation award at the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society (SEERS) annual meeting. The title of her research was “Territoriality of the Atlantic Ghost Crab, Ocypode quadrata, Based on Anthropogenic Impact of Private and Public Beaches.”

Her hobbies include archery, weightlifting, and poetry. 

Meredith LaLumia
Moorestown, N.J.
Marine Science, Class of 2023

Olivia Stringfield is Co-Chief of Staff of the Wall Fellows Program and Vice President of CCU's Panhellenic Executive Council. In addition to these organizations, Olivia is a member of Alpha Xi Delta Sorority, Beta Gamma Sigma National Honor Society, Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, and American Marketing Association.

Outside of the classroom, Olivia gained valuable experience consulting for The Greenhouse Hotel in Hveragerði, Iceland and interning for several organizations. Her previous internships include working in engineering for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions and marketing for SORD Fishing Products and Alison South Marketing Group. 

Fun fact: Olivia researched and wrote an article for TEMPO magazine regarding the science behind fashion trends. Click here to read it.

Olivia Stringfield
Aiken, S.C.
Marketing (French minor), Class of 2022

Jessica Suhadolink is a member of Phi Eta Sigma honor society and has recently been accepted into the Research Fellow Program in the Gupta College of Science. As a Research Fellow, she hopes to learn more about how movies/tv shows affect development.

Jessica currently is interning for a nonprofit company called New Alpha CDC, which works in the areas of the environment, health, and community economic development. She is also part of the Floyd Mentoring Program, which gives members the opportunity to serve as role models for elementary students in schools around CCU.

Her hobbies include watching movies and tv shows as well as hanging out with farm animals. Jessica believes that if you have the chance to, you should to go to deans and donuts as it is a great way to talk to some of your deans!

Jessica Suhadolink
Mount Sinai, N.Y.
Psychology, Class of 2025

The HTC Honors Program offers more opportunities to do hands-on work in your major area and collaborate with your professors on their research, which is why Keegan Vath is here.

Just in case his coursework is not challenging enough, he is also part of the CCU Orientation Team, Community Council, Residence Hall Association, Coastal BCM, CRU, Sprout, Rotaract Service Club, CCU Climbing Club, Relay For Life, Colleges Against Cancer, American Cancer Society, Sea Turtle Club, and Hammock Club. If you want to know what is going on, on campus, ask Keegan.

Although he has not started formal research, he has presented a small research project to a 300-level Hydrodynamics and is looking forward to continuing his future projects.

Keegan Vath
Charleston, S.C.
Marine Science, Class of 2022 

Adonya Pertell is Treasurer of the Sociology & Criminology Club and a member of Social Justice Club, the Women of Color Initiative, and CCU's Chapter of the NAACP.

She is also an orientation leader, a peer leader for the Edwards College's advising department, and a research fellow for the Spadoni College of Education and Social Sciences.

As a research fellow, Adonya assists with Dr. Schlosser's prison research and educational program on-campus for incarcerated students. Prior to this, Adonya conducted research through the sociology department related to natural hair discrimination within the workplace for people of color. For her thesis, she studied sleep and social parameters in relation to virtual learning for college students. 

Outside of the classroom, Adonya interns for the non-profit Grand Strand Action Together (GSAT).

Adonya Pertell
North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Psychology / Sociology (Women's & Gender Studies / Criminology minors), Class of 2023

Jennifer Terry's love for writing is clear when you hear about her involvement on-campus. Jennifer is a member of the Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society, an intern for the Athenaeum Press, and a Writing Center tutor.

Jennifer was awarded "English Sophomore of the Year" for the 2020-2021 academic year and has been published multiple times in both Archarios and Tempo magazine 

When asked about her favorite part of being in the Honors Program, she responded:

"My favorite part of the program is that you can really make it your own with the classes you take that are Honors only, as well as the ones you choose to make Honors by special request. For example, I took a pseudoscience class with Dr. Rich and did a presentation about the pseudoscience of mermaids. How cool is that? I’ve also made both my poetry classes honors by special request, which has furthered my development as a poet."

Check out her podcast episode, "Music of My Father," that was published in the Fall 2021 issue of Tempo.

Jennifer Terry
Lancaster, S.C.
English (Creative Writing minor), Class of 2023

Didi Zacks is President/Co-founder of Shalom CCU and a member of Upstage and the Inclusive Theatre Group.

Beyond acting, Didi is passionate about photography. She is a freelance photographer that specializes in headshots and she works for CCU's photography department.

• Her hobbies include slacklining, hiking, meditating, yoga, sheng zhen, playing guitar, and learning new instruments.

Fun fact: Catch Didi on Episode 1 of Amazon Prime’s new show No Rest for the Wicked. To learn more about her acting experience, visit DidiZacks.com.

Didi Zacks
Milltown, N.J.
Theatre Arts (Acting concentration), Class of 2022

Hannah Flick currently serves as the President of Women's Club Volleyball and is a member of the Chanticleer Intelligence Brief and Women in National Security (WINS).

One of her hobbies includes studying and speaking different languages. She previously interned with Escuelita, a Spanish-speaking daycare in Pittsburgh, and she plans to travel abroad to both Costa Rica and Spain. Others have also taken notice of Hannah's dedication to learning other languages. During the 2020-2021 school year, Hannah was named "Student of the Year" for Languages and Intercultural Studies.

Hannah Flick
Pittsburgh, P.A.
Intelligence & National Security / Languages & Intercultural Studies (Psychology / Peace & Conflict Studies minors), Class of 2023

Katherine Kline is Vice President of Catholic Chants and a member of Chi Omega. Previously, she worked as a Teal Trailblazer tour guide and participated in the 2021 FOCUS summer project.

She is currently working on her Honors Thesis, which focuses on analyzing the seasonal abundance and patterns of reproduction of redfin pickerel in a tributary of the Waccamaw River. This May she will be studying shark biology abroad in Bimini, Bahamas.

In her free time, Katherine enjoys playing guitar, surfing, running, and going on spontaneous adventures.

Katherine Kline
Reedsville, P.A.
Marine Science (Biology minor), Class of 2022

Cole Hancock is an executive member of the Chanticleer Intelligence Brief and a member of the Coastal Law Enforcement Research Analysis (CLEAR) team, Coastal Solar Ambassadors, and Surf Club. 

Cole has been a United Nations Youth Corps Intern for the Georgetown Police Department, a staff member at the Hackler Golf Course, and an INTEL tutor for the Athletics Department.

When asked what advice he would give to future Honors students, Cole said:

"Build good relationships with professors and classmates all throughout your time at CCU. Networking is so important, and these relationships that you build at CCU can lead to job opportunities in the future. My other piece of advice to future Honors Students would to not be too hard on yourself. It is ok to make mistakes and not be perfect - you're a young student in college. While you should always take school seriously, be sure to enjoy your time here at Coastal and have fun - the 4 years truly do fly by."

Cole Hancock
Delran, N.J.
Intelligence and National Security Studies (Criminology minor), Class of 2022

 You may have already seen Jefferson Bennett around CCU's campus. He's a tour guide, an orientation leader, a resident advisor, and he's on the executive board for the American Sign Language (ASL) club. 

When asked what his favorite Honors class has been so far, he said:

“My favorite Honors class would be a History of Cities class I took last semester. It allowed me to know the ins and outs of different major cities and how they came to be. It also sparked a sense of wanderlust in me that I never knew I had (hence the pic of me in Times Square)."

Jefferson Bennett
Manning, S.C.
Graphic Design, Class of 2024

Anna Tingler is President of Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society and one of 11 CCU students selected to be a Presidential Ambassador.

If you're studying chemistry, you have probably met Anna. Anna is a general chemistry tutor, a member of Chemistry Club, and a lab assistant for the chemistry department.

She has also been a part of two research projects. Her freshman year she worked on a Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) project, and she is currently conducting research focused on synthesizing Phidianidine analogues.  

Anna Tingler
Hurricane, W.V.
Biochemistry, Class of 2023

Madison Klump is Secretary for Honors Student Council and a member of Eta Sigma Gamma Health Promotions Honor Society. She is also in charge of social media for Colleges Against Cancer/Relay for Life.

During the spring and summer of 2021, Madison interned for the non-profit Multiplying Good. In her internship, she did preparatory and promotional work for an inaugural walkathon that benefitted Students In Action in Pittsburgh. Students In Action is a youth service, leadership, and recognition program that empowers today’s youth.

Outside of school, Madison enjoys painting, embroidering, designing digital art, and paddleboarding. She even owns an Etsy shop called Klump's Kreations.

Madison Klump
Ashland, Va.
Public Health (Pre-Health Professions minor), Class of 2024

Zach Green enjoys being a part of the HTC Honors Program because, “being around academically ambitious peers is the best way to make the most of your college experience.” 

He is the Founder and President of the Speed Racer Club, Upstage, and works with the Musical Theatre department.

Zach has published an original play "South Dakota Is a Lie," and was published in the 2017 issue of The Outlet, an award-winning high school literary magazine.

Zach Green
Charleston, S.C.
Musical Theatre, Class of 2022