Alumni Association

The Alumni Advisory Council (AAC) comprised of current members of the Alumni Association will serve as the leadership branch of the Association. AAC members are selected via a nomination process for two-year terms and may serve two consecutive terms. Upon the completion of two terms, members must rotate off of the Council for at least one year. Terms will begin in August of the respective year. A Chair and Vice-Chair will be elected from amongst the members of the AAC and these members will serve as liaisons between the school, AAC, and Alumni Association.

The Alumni Association and its leadership serve as an advisory body to promote the goals of the school’s alumni.  Members of the AAC should be prepared to do the following:

1.    Attend (or participate via teleconference) at least 3 of the 4 yearly scheduled meeting.
2.    Regularly attend alumni events scheduled in their area.
3.    Make an annual financial contribution to the Foundation.
4.    Promote alumni, school, and Foundation events.

If you are interested in becoming a member of the AAC, please complete an application here.

Bella Bishara (Visual Arts,’23) is an artist and illustrator living in Greenville, SC. She graduated from SCGSAH as a visual artist in 2023 and is now working on her own business and independent art career. During her time at SCGSAH, she participated in many opportunities both in and outside of the school, such as Artfields Jr., Scholastics, YoungArts, and more, winning multiple awards and cash prizes. She also had works exhibited at several of those places as well as at SCGSAH. Now, she is working at the Greenville Center for Creative Arts and is also participating in many local art markets and events, such as Downtown Alive, the Southeast Punk Flea Market, the Weirdo Market, Prolific First Fridays, and Keipi Restaurant.

 

Brian Clement (Creative Writing, Summer Honors Program)  A member of the Founding Alumni, was the first student from Dixie High School in Due West, SC, to attend the Summer Honors Program for Creative Writing way back in 1989. After graduating from high school, Brian attended Winthrop University for English and later earned his certification in Advanced Technical Writing at Kennesaw State University. Currently, Brian can be found in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA, where he is married and the father of four daughters and three cats (also girls), works in logistics management, and seeks out time to create and encourage other writers and artists whenever possible.

 

Raekwon Fuller (Drama, ’15) is a SC native and a 2019 Drama Graduate of SCGSAH. Raekwon is an actor and an aspiring theatre founder, preparing to continue his studies at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale in the fall. Raekwon believes that SCGSAH has been an incredible blessing to his artistry and laid a firm foundation for his collegiate and post-collegiate journey as a New York-based actor.  Raekwon says he “Thanks God, for ordering my steps and letting me cross paths with SCGSAH."

 

Daquise Montgomery (Music, 07) currently serves as the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources at M&T Bank in the Greater Washington DC Area.  Daquise has embraced multiple leadership and service roles throughout their tenure in their professional career, taking on responsibilities as a board of director, board member, volunteer, mentor, and chair across a variety of organizations. They currently serve as the President-Elect for the DC Equality Chamber Foundation, Membership Steering committee with Alexander Chamber of Commerce where they were a recipient of the 2023 40 under 40 class and a graduate of their Leadership Development class of 2024, the DC Chamber of Commerce, and a board of director for Journey to Josiah, a nonprofit organization.  Hailing from Greenville, South Carolina, Daquise's academic background includes studies in music from the SC Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Liberal Arts and Music at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, as well as Music and English at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. They are currently completing their master’s degree in human resource strategic management, and they are also gearing up to pursue a Doctor of Business Administration at Bellevue University in the spring of 2024.

 

Kristen Murdaugh (Music, ‘12), mezzo-soprano, is a voice pedagogue, voice scientist, singer, and activist. An evidence-based, identity-affirming, student-centered voice teacher, she believes in helping her students find their most authentic voices through the intersection of cutting-edge voice science and tried-and-true voice pedagogy.  Kristen has a particular research interest in the intersectionality of gender studies and voice science, and through her work, she hopes to foster a more equitable, transparent, and diverse world of singing. With a passion for contemporary repertoire, her notable solo performances include the role of Estelle in Musto’s opera Later the Same Evening, and the contralto solos in the world premiere of LaRosa’s oratorio Joshua. Kristen’s affinity for musical collaboration has led her to performances in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Washington National Cathedral, and Duke Chapel, and she is particularly honored to be a founding member of the service-oriented vocal ensemble Servire.   Kristen is a doctoral researcher and PhD candidate in voice science at the University for Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria. She holds a Master of Music degree in vocal pedagogy from the New England Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance and German studies from Furman University. She is an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Pan American Vocology Association (PAVA), and Voice Foundation, and serves on the NATS Boston Board as Vice President where she continues to advocate for inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility in the field of singing.

 

Vicki Nooe (Music,’04) is a music director and collaborative pianist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and currently Lecturer at University of Texas Arlington. She is a proud alumna of the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, Southern Methodist University, and Boston University. She has worked with Dallas Theater Center, Theatre Arlington, WaterTower Theatre, Lyric Stage, and other local theatres. She teaches courses in musical theatre musicianship and musical theatre history at UTA. Vicky is passionate about equipping theatre artists with the practical music skills needed to succeed as musical theatre artists. She has previously taught in music departments at Dallas Baptist University and Southern Methodist University and worked as a vocal coach at Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute. She has been a staff pianist at Boston Conservatory, Texas Christian University, Hebrew College, and the Upper Valley Music Center. She is a member of the American Federation of Musicians, Pi Kappa Lambda, Music Theatre Educators’ Alliance, and the College Music Society.

 

John Funchess Ott, Jr., graduated from SCGSAH in 2009 with a pre-professional degree in creative writing and currently works at GREEN Charter School as a Social Studies teacher.  After graduating from Governor's School with an 800 out of 800 reading SAT score and a Palmetto Fellows Scholarship, he attended the University of South Carolina Honors College and studied abroad in South Korea and Kenya.  Besides teaching, he is also a professional writer and illustrator and currently lives in Greenville, South Carolina.

 

Josh Myers graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.  As an undergraduate student, Josh was a fellow with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, focusing his work on federal arts policy, and subsequently interned with Americans for the Arts.  He also served as a long-term intern for Congressman James E. Clyburn [D-SC-6] and worked as an undergraduate music admissions counselor. Josh received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, Virginia. After law school, Josh clerked for the Honorable J. Michelle Childs of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina.  He then practiced law at Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough LLP in Washington, D.C.  After almost two years of private practice, Josh then clerked for the Honorable Henry F. Floyd of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for the 2021-2022 term.  He returned to Nelson Mullins to practice law following his second clerkship.  In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, exploring museums, reading novels by Stephen King, and writing on employment law topics.  
  

Taylor Peterson is an accomplished horn player and arts administrator with over a decade of experience in arts and cultural management. A 2011 graduate of the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, he holds a Bachelor of Music in Horn Performance from The Juilliard School, a Master of Music from Northwestern University, and a Master of Arts in Performing Arts Administration from New York University. As a musician, Taylor has performed with esteemed ensembles such as The Juilliard Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, West Point Army Band, Spoleto Festival Orchestra, and New England Symphonic Ensemble. He has appeared at Carnegie Hall over 40 times, showcasing his artistry on some of the world’s most prestigious stages.
Currently, Taylor serves as Capital Campaign Manager at The New York Historical, where he spearheaded a $175 million capital campaign in partnership with The American LGBTQ+ Museum, successfully achieving full funding. He has held development and marketing roles at renowned institutions, including the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, where he led initiatives to grow donor bases, managed multimillion-dollar campaigns, and enhanced audience engagement. Taylor also serves on the fundraising committee of the Alumni Advisory Council for SCGSAH and is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals-New York Chapter. With his unique blend of artistic talent and administrative expertise, Taylor is a dynamic leader making a significant impact in both the performing arts and nonprofit sector.
 

Julia Jacobsen is a graduate of the SCGSAH class of 2020, having studied violin with Deirdre Hutton and Jennifer John. She is currently based in Columbia, South Carolina, and a senior in the Honors College at the University of South Carolina where she studies as a violin performance major under Dr. Ari Streisfeld and as a marketing major at the Darla Moore School of Business. Julia is a section violinist for the Aiken Symphony and a substitute violinist for the South Carolina Philharmonic and Long Bay Symphony. Julia works as a marketer for Boulanger Initiative, the USC Symphony, and the USC School of Music. She has also held summer marketing positions at Spoleto Festival USA and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Her mission is to bring full diversity, equity, and accessibility to the classical music industry through her performing and arts marketing. 

 

 

Blakely Francis, graduate of the SCGSAH Music Class of 2012, is a native of Anderson, South Carolina. Blakely started playing violin at the age of five. She attended both the Odyssey and Academy summer programs which led her to want to be a part of the Govie family a little longer by attending the residential high school. Blakely went on to attend Anderson University. She graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science with a degree in Business and a concentration in Marketing. Since graduation, Blakely has worked with companies in advertising, education, and manufacturing over the years. She current works at a manufacturing plant in Talent Acquisition. Although she does not currently work in music, she continues to gig, play in church, and play in the Anderson Symphony Orchestra. Blakely loves being a part of the Alumni Council to always remember the memories, the growth she gained from the school, to stay connected with her peers, and to be an advocate for SCGSAH and the arts. She lives in Anderson with her Australian Shepherd/Irish Setter mix, Dublin.

 

Tammy Adams Westafer, (Dance, Summer Honors Program) originally from Jackson, SC attended the SC Governor's School as a dancer in the summer of 1987. She attributes the Governor's School with making a massive impact on her young life! After attending, she continued studying ballet under Ron and Zanne Colton at the Augusta Ballet (now Colton Ballet Company) in Augusta, GA. She later attended Brenau University in Gainesville, GA, where she majored in Ballet Pedagogy and danced with the Gainesville Ballet. She then danced professionally for the Augusta Ballet Company and taught dance at Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School in Augusta, GA. Tammy later went on to become a freelance choreographer and had several of her works commissioned by regional ballet companies across the Southeast.  After retiring as a dancer, Tammy completed a Masters degree in Nonprofit Management and worked as Executive Director of the Gainesville Ballet Company for three years. In 2019, she completed a Masters degree in Education and now works as a School Counselor for the Aiken County Public School District in Graniteville, SC.