Like a lot of high school students, Brett Hysinger was uncertain about his future. “I knew I was going to college – my parents had more or less made that decision for me, but I didn’t know where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do with my life.”

Hysinger answered the first question for himself during his senior year at Baylor High School in his native Chattanooga. Following the advice of a classmate, he made a trip to Coastal to look over the campus. “As soon as we drove on campus, that was it,” says Hysinger. “Although I had never been to the area before, I knew this was where I wanted to be. I liked the size and feel of Coastal.”

The answer to the second question was slower in coming, though in time “everything fell into place in ways I could never have imagined,” says Hysinger. He applied and was accepted at Coastal, enrolling in fall 1997. Like all freshmen who enter Coastal without declaring a major, he was required to take the Freshman Success Seminar, a two-semester course designed to help new students make the transition to university life. The seminar is taught by a faculty member and an upperclassman who serve as faculty and peer “mentors” for the freshmen in their class. Hysinger’s faculty mentor was Linda Kuykendall and his peer mentor was Pete Green, both of whom would have an impact on his college career.

Brett Hysinger

“I recognized that Brett had a natural gift for communicating with other students,” said Kuykendall, senior instructor in theater and speech at Coastal. “He had a wonderful rapport with them and I knew freshmen could talk to him about their problems and concerns.” Kuykendall recommended Hysinger to become a peer mentor when he became a junior, and the experience has helped him recognize and develop his leadership skills.

Green, a 2000 graduate who was president of Coastal’s Student Government Association (SGA) and active in Greek affairs, encouraged Hysinger to get involved in SGA and Greek life on campus, as well as intramural sports. During his junior year, Hysinger was appointed SGA communications director and he was elected SGA vice president for the 2000-2001 academic year. During his senior year he was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa, a prestigious national leadership fraternity. He has also served as an Orientation Assistant and has been active as a Student Alumni Ambassador and as officer in Coastal’s chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

“Through these activities, I found out that I get a real satisfaction in being an advocate for students,” says Hysinger. “I like negotiating and interacting – and sometimes disagreeing – with President Ingle, the administration and the board of trustees.”

In high school, he had played football, soccer and was on the track team. He wanted to continue his involvement in sports so he tried out for Coastal’s cheerleaders and has been a member of the team all four years of his college career. This past spring the team traveled to Daytona to compete in the National Cheerleader Associa-tion annual competition – the first time the Chanticleer cheerleaders have qualified to compete at the national level.

Hysinger first declared a major in accounting but later switched to finance – which is how he met his fiance, senior finance major Amy Self, a year ago in Kimbel Library when they were in the same study group. After graduating in May 2001, he plans to go on to graduate school and is thinking of law school as well, hoping to specialize in tax and contract law.

“So many great things have happened since I started here, I really kind of hate to leave – especially with all that’s going on now with the new buildings and the football program,” says Hysinger. “I’m already looking forward to coming back. You can bet I’ll be the first one in the stands cheering on the Chants in ’03.”