Pre-Ministry

During his time at Roanoke College, Benjamin Cowgill '17 completed research on youth persistence in the Anglican Church.

"In my coursework, I found many authors focusing on the negative (why young people are leaving the church) versus the positive (why they stay involved), and I wanted to look at why some people chose the latter," Cowgill says.

"Roanoke gave me an excellent opportunity to take a question from a regular class and pursue it in a way I would not have been able to without the generous support and encouragement of my mentors at the College."

Dr. Carol M. Swain '83 built a career as an author and professor.

Now retired from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she taught political science and law, her sixth book drew on her training to examine the religious significance of the founding of the United States. "Be the People: A Call to Reclaim America's Faith and Promise" offered a conservative perspective on America's political landscape.

Swain is a native of the Roanoke region and a past member of the Roanoke College Board of Trustees, where she was the second African-American board member.