Travelers Rest Mayor Encourages Graduates to Follow God’s Plan at Fall Commencement
Posted on: December 12, 2025
Tigerville, SC—Travelers Rest Mayor Brandy Amidon encouraged North Greenville University’s fall 2025 graduates to consider the plan God has for their lives as they navigate their next steps.
NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr. conferred degrees on 197 graduates during the ceremony in the university’s Turner Chapel on Friday night.
“God knows you,” Amidon said as she delivered the Commencement Address. “One day you’ll be able to look back and see how obvious it was that God knew his plan for you all along. He made you purposefully and wonderfully. While God’s plan comes as a surprise to us, it’s never a surprise to him.”
Amidon, a 2002 NGU graduate, emphasized that the road ahead would be full of pivots.
“Life happens to all of us. Maybe you won’t land that job you’ve been dreaming about for all these years. Maybe you get that job, but you’ll want something else,” she said. “Maybe you still don’t know exactly what you want to do even though your degree is in hand. But you will be OK. You’ve got a firm foundation from North Greenville University, and family and friends to support you.”
Amidon said despite the inevitable transitions that life brings, the best solution is always to pray and consider what God has for your future.
“As time goes on, you’ll start to ask God what he wants for you and it’s the most important pivot you’ll ever make,” she said. “It’s normal to work to exhaust our plans for what we think our path forward is. One day it will become so obvious that you should have been asking all along: ‘God, what is the plan you have for me?’”
The ceremony also included the presentation of an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to Spartanburg resident Bea Dillard. The native of western North Carolina formerly operated Merry Land day care centers. She and her late husband Ray gave the leadership gift for NGU’s all-weather baseball field, which was named in their honor.
“Bea Dillard has a Christ-first commitment to serving her community as a prayer warrior and as someone who believes that lives can be changed, not only through prayer, but through the investment of resources,” said NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr. “Her family raised her to believe in two things: prayer and generosity. She has allowed those to be the governing principles of her life, not only in the way she has lived her life and run her business, but in the way she has led and cultivated her family.”
President Fant opened the evening with a welcome, and Rev. Joshua Powell, who serves NGU as chairman of the Board of Trustees, followed with a prayer.
“Finish Well” was performed by the NGU Choral Group, and graduating senior Mallory Arp read passages from Jeremiah 29 and Colossians 3.Following the presentation of diplomas by deans of NGU’s six academic colleges, Andy Ray, senior director of enrollment operations, led a a blessing of the graduates.
The ceremony concluded with the singing of the Alma Mater led by graduating students Rebekah Lee and Isaac Carmitchel, and a benediction by Dr. Christine Haltiwanger, associate dean of NGU’s School of Health and Wellness.
Graduate Spotlight
Joshua Rains (’25)
Joshua Rains moved across the world to pursue his degree at North Greenville University.
Relocating from Kenya, where his parents serve as missionaries, Rains knew he would need to find a community.
“Coming to NGU was a difficult transition,” he recalled. “I arrived in the winter, midway through the academic year. At first, I had a difficult time connecting, but through my classes and work study opportunities I was able to begin building community.”
That community led to new experiences and friendships. Eventually, Rains found himself serving as the president of NGU’s Biology Club and serving as an officer in the Tri Beta National Biological Honor Society.
“I enjoyed growing alongside my peers and classmates,” he said. “Classes such as biochemistry were very helpful for learning to think critically and applying knowledge to real world scenarios.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the thought-provoking discussions in Integrating Biblical Worldview, as well as learning new skills and making new relationships in Backcountry Skills,” Rains continued. “The variety of classes I was able to take at NGU were very beneficial and greatly increased my appreciation for learning.”
Rains, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology on Friday, plans to pursue fisheries research with the hopes of working for a state agency such as the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Rains currently serves on the facilities staff at Awanita Valley, a Christian camp and retreat center. He said he will pursue his graduate degree in the coming years.
As he reflects on his time in Tigerville, Rains would offer some simple advice to incoming freshmen.
“Connect with community,” he said. “Whether that’s through class study groups, work study opportunities, campus ministries, or clubs. Build those relationships.
The faculty at NGU care deeply about their students and you would be missing out by not getting to know them.”
