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energies to building relationships with students at her alma mater and alumni across the country.
In 2023, SC State’s Dr. Emily England Clyburn Honors College invited her to deliver the keynote address at its induction ceremony, and in 2024 she returned to SC State to speak in the College of Business and Information Systems (CBIS) Executive Speaker Series.
Those experiences led her to work with a fellow alumna to donate business attire – a necessity they recalled from their days as SC State business students – for current CBIS students.
Rallying the next wave of Bulldogs
Her Bulldog commitment also runs through her work with the SC State University National Alumni Association (SCSUNAA) and the association’s Dorchester County Chapter. Her leadership role started as the chapter’s Membership Committee chair before rising to vice president and to her current role as president of the Dorchester County chapter for 2025-2027.
“When I was a freshman coming to SC State in 2007, President Andrew Hugine came to Summerville and gave us a warm welcome into Bulldog nation,” Blake recalled.
“This was before Dorchester was an official chapter. The community has always been nurturing and encouraging.”
Blake attended her first national convention in 2024, and this year, she was back for the convention in Charlotte, where she was among the youngest alumni at the event.
“The National Alumni Convention is a great experience,” she said. “Last year was my first year attending, and I said I’m not going to miss it any year in the future.”
Blake believes a concerted, personalized outreach strategy using social media and influencers will generate more involvement in the SCSUNAA and its annual convention.
“I know at my age people are building and growing families, traveling a lot, and alumni activities may not be a priority,” Blake said, “but we talk so much about how fond our memories are of SC State. Whenever we get back together, it’s always magical.
“I love SC State, and I hope to get more young alumni engaged in the future,” she said.
For more information about alumni involvement at SC State, visit www.scsu.edu/ alumni or email alumni@scsu.edu.
