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Held on October 2 at The Chattanoogan Hotel in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, Southern Adventist University’s fourth annual A Taste of Southern gala invited guests to sample what Southern has to offer, join in honoring community organizations and individuals with awards, and support first-generation college students with a scholarship. More than 300 local professionals attended the gala, raising in excess of $182,000 toward Southern’s endowed scholarship for first-generation college students.

Iliana Klaczynski, sophomore business and marketing major, was a scholarship recipient this school year. “Being the first in my family to go to college is opening a new door for my family,” she says. For those who have donated toward the scholarship, she shares, “I can’t even thank you enough for this opportunity. It’s something that I never would have been able to experience without your sacrifice, without your help, without your generosity. It’s truly a blessing, and I’m so beyond grateful that I don’t even have the words to express it.”

New this year, Southern recognized individuals and organizations in the Chattanooga area with three awards, honoring efforts to serve the community, support emerging talent and career growth, and represent Christ in the marketplace.

The Southern Impact Award was presented to a Southern alum, student, or employee who excels professionally while representing Christ in the marketplace. This year’s recipient was Sherry Campbell, ’11, co-founder and executive director of Welcome Home of Chattanooga.

“I saw such courage with the professors and the founders of the Master of Social Work program at Southern,” Campbell shares. “I had no idea at the time that I wanted to start Welcome Home, but I knew what leadership looked like, and I felt like God was just saying to just put one foot in front of the other, and I’ll show you the way.”

Campbell followed God’s lead, and the nonprofit is now celebrating 10 years of serving the Chattanooga community.

The Partners in Service Award recognized an organization or individual in the greater Chattanooga area who demonstrates a deep commitment to community through service or philanthropy; it was awarded to the CHATT Foundation.

“We wouldn’t be the organization we are today without partnerships,” says Baron King, Chief Executive Officer for CHATT Foundation. “Our partnership with Southern Adventist University has been really fantastic. I used to work in higher ed, and I’ve always loved giving young people who are striving to improve themselves real hands-on opportunities to use the skills and talents that they’re learning and put them to use for a good cause for a good purpose.”

The Career Pathway Award honored a local business that creates meaningful opportunities for emerging talent and career growth, with Erlanger receiving this year’s distinction.

Rachel Harris, executive vice president and chief nursing officer for Erlanger, shares her vision, saying, “Nurturing nurse talent is not just a strategy. It’s a foundation, and it’s our commitment to nurses. If we build those nurses, we are building our future of healthcare. We’re building the nurses that will take us into the next century, taking care of us.”

Janee Cantrell, clinical coordinator for Southern’s School of Nursing, notes, “The School of Nursing has sent over 600 students to Erlanger’s various institutions over the last two years for their clinical rotations. This semester alone, we are sending about 325 students.”

View videos from all three award winners and place your nomination for next year here at southern.edu/tasteawards.

The evening showcased a live demonstration from the university’s blacksmithing club, presentations highlighting the recently expanded engineering program, and dinner entertainment from the Nashville-raised and New York-trained Annie Moses Band, accompanied by a string octet of Southern students. Guests were also invited to attend a pre-show archaeological lecture by Southern professor Michael Hasel, PhD, and peruse the exhibit “Peace and War: The Assyrian Conquest of Lachish.”

Part of the Chattanooga region for more than 130 years, Southern Adventist University provides a quality, Christian education to more than 3,300 students currently earning degrees ranging from associate to doctoral. It has been identified in “Best Colleges” rankings for 24 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report.

Sponsors for this year’s event included the Irvin C. and Evea J. Bainum Foundation, San Sebastián Development, and the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Grant and Pam Tuttle, Maurice and Karen Simpson, Morning Pointe Senior Living, Plainview Outdoor Advertising, SouthEast Bank, and others.

Visit southern.edu/taste to view photos of the event.

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