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///Doug Singleton
# Doug Singleton
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* Doug Singleton
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### Profile: Doug Singleton
Doug Singleton came from the Akron, OH area to UC in 1997. His decision to attend UC was a combination of scholarship opportunities, the ability to swim on the collegiate level, and the warm welcome by Dr. Bren Stevens.  “UC had a friendly environment where the student body and professors seemed to really know each other at a personal level.  Also, I just couldn’t resist our campus view of the Gold Dome across the Kanawha River,” said Doug.
Jeff & Diane Jost invited him to come back after his initial visit and experience the city for the weekend.  They introduced him to their network of friends and kindly opened their apartment for him to stay. “That second trip to UC, with Jeff and Diane, sealed the deal for me,” said Doug, “standing on that riverbank just felt right.”  Diane (Skaggs) Jost and Jeff Jost aka “Josty” both attended UC and graduated a few years ahead of Doug.  Jeff was a Senior Admissions Counselor at UC and a mentor to Doug along with so many other students.  Diane studied accounting and introduced Doug to accountants from the firm he would go on to work for after graduation.  Diane and Doug both come from Northeast Ohio and are still huge Cleveland Browns fans! Jeff and Diane each gave Doug valuable insights and indirect mentoring just through being the entertaining people they are to others.
In addition to his partial swimming scholarship, Doug was an Involvement Scholarship recipient.  This scholarship cultivated an atmosphere of volunteering and provided a direct impact on the local community.  “While attending UC, I was anything from a UC periodic sportswriter to part-time lifeguard at the aquatic center.  During the summer, I taught swim lessons and coached a local summer league swim team,” said Doug.  He was not only on the UC swim team all four years, he achieved recognition as Male Senior Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In-between classes and practice, Doug logged work-study hours at the Schoenbaum Library**.** This gave him a place to work and study, plus had a significant impact on Doug’s love of reading**.**  Doug shares, “From since I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated with books and their ability to tell a story through words and pictures. During my time in the library, I filed books and other media which gave me an insider’s view of what people read, viewed, and listened to. I would stick around after work just to read what others left out and compiled a list of future reads. By doing something as simple as filing books, I learned more about all genres, which lead to more questions and a newfound interest in studying accounting.”  That interest led to a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a specialization in Accounting.
“When I think back on my time at UC, it started with a beautiful sunny day, and ended the same way,” he said.  Graduation Day 2001 weather was perfect and, though Doug and his friends had celebrated all through the night before, this was a memorable time for him and his family.  Doug was the first male in his family to graduate from college.  He said, “It was really special seeing my parent’s faces and witnessing how elated they were.”
After graduation, he worked in Charleston at Arnette & Foster, PPLC, where he met his future wife, Jen.  In 2004, Doug and Jen relocated to Houston and both took jobs in the oil and gas industry.  Not too long after though, he found his career home in the residential construction industry working for Newmark Homes.  Over the years, and with the collaboration and successes of a great team, his role eventually evolved into being the CFO and a Newmark Partner.
The mission of UC is to prepare students for a life of productive work, community involvement, and enlightened living.  When asked how this mission has carried into his career, Doug said, “I think UC’s core values have always aligned agreeably with my own. Along the way, my career path changed from a *me* to *we* focus. Each one of us needs to make a living and put food on the table, so to speak, but feeding our minds and souls is also important.  Working in the homebuilding industry allowed me to be a part of something special – we literally make dreams come true!”  Newmark recently partnered with AGAPE Homes which provides affordable housing for underprivileged families and plan to build 80 homes over the next few years.
Doug and his wife enjoy living in the Houston area because of the world-class museums and performing arts available there.  They are patrons of the Museum of Fine Arts and enjoy taking in new exhibits.  Prior to the pandemic, they attended Symphony performances and popular music concerts throughout the year.  Doug said, “We are looking forward to being able to attend concerts again, as we enjoy music of all kinds from intimate jazz performances, blues clubs, to stadium arena concerts from classic rock to current pop.”
His love for music grew even more when he took up guitar lessons in his 30s.  He added it to his list of hobbies, but it also has connected him to a community of musicians that has provided long-term friendships and exposure to yet another walk of life.
Doug continues to be an avid reader, consuming one to two books a week. He has mastered the art of reading while also walking on the treadmill and makes it part of his morning routine.  He enjoys subjects of just about anything – fiction, biography, history, science, philosophy. Doug says, “It’s important to expose ourselves to as many points of view as possible and try to understand people from all different experiences and backgrounds.  We don’t always have to agree, but it’s important to try and understand one another.”
Speaking of being exposed to people from other backgrounds, Doug and Jen are currently hosting two exchange students.  Emanuele, turning 18 soon, enjoys cooking.  He studied under a pastry chef in Italy and occasionally prepares delicious meals and desserts for them – pizza, lasagna, pasta, cakes and Tiramisu.  Adrian is 17 and from Spain.  He loves to golf and is on the local high school’s golf team.  “It’s been a joy having young people in our home and introducing them to American culture and traditions, as well as Texas history – they were particularly impressed by the story of the Alamo and an in person visit there recently,” said Doug.  It’s been quite an experience going from having no children to two teenagers over night, but they are enjoying it immensely.
Doug shared a couple of mantras that influence his daily decisions.  The first is, “Be involved, be present, and don’t take anything personally.”  The second one he credits to his wife: “It is never wrong to do the right thing”.    These have helped him succeed with both professional and personal endeavors.
He continues to live out these mantras and the UC mission as he is now a member of the UC Alumni Association and serves as a Special Alumni Events Subgroup Co-chair.  “Being involved with the Alumni Association has allowed me to reconnect with old friends and get more involved with the alma mater that I care about deeply.  Perhaps most importantly, giving back has provided an opportunity to contribute to the University that empowered me for a life that has taken me beyond my own expectations.   I want future generations to be able to say that, too.”
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///Tianni Kelly
# Tianni Kelly
* Tianni Kelly
### Profile: Tianni Kelly
*Class of 2014 – Current Head Women’s Basketball Coach*
Tianni Kelly lead the UC Women’s Basketball team to the NCAA Elite Eight in her first year as a head coach.  This bright young leader expects the best from her players because that is what has always been expected of her.
Tianni was raised in a loving, Christian home with her parents and three brothers.  She is the third of four siblings which, according to her, means she has a mix of middle child syndrome and only girl syndrome.  “My brothers are a major part of who I am.  Growing up, I didn’t want to play alone, and they weren’t going to play with Barbies, so I had to learn to like soccer and basketball and get tough with the boys.  It made me tougher physically, because they never went easy on me, but it also made me tough mentally and emotionally.”
Tianni’s father was a teacher with a focus on keeping academics a priority.  “We always had workbooks to do even in the summer but I’m glad because now I am stern with academics, too, and that is what allowed me to do well in school my whole life.”
Tianni’s mother was a beautician.  “She had high standards and expected us to put our best foot forward.  I wouldn’t be who I am today without my parents, I’m very blessed to have them both,” she said.
The Kelly family was a resident of Queens and Long Island, NY until Tianni’s 8th grade year.  Her father took a new position to pastor a large church in Columbus, OH.  When she changed schools, her love of basketball really took hold.
Pickerington North High High School has a history of strong basketball programs and Coach Dave Butcher’s expectations pushed Tianni to work hard and focus.  “Leading up to this move, I always felt that I was good at basketball, but being part of this team showed me exactly where I stood.  I had work to do but this is where I realized I had the talent to really do something with the game.”
The Pickerington North team was Regional Champions and took a trip to states when she was a sophomore.  They were Conference and District Champions all four of her high school years.
When it was time to pick a college, UC stood out to Tianni because of the basketball program that had Sherry Winn’s proven winning record. Not to mention the beautiful campus was just the right distance from home.
Tianni was part of two UC teams that made appearances in the NCAA tournament (2011 and 2014).
During her senior year at UC, under Coach Adam Collins, Tianni says she saw a big development in her playing ability.  “I had more confidence and I pushed myself to work harder that year.  I wish I hadn’t waited to make that change and had worked that hard the entire time I had been at UC.”
In 2014, she graduated with a Business Administration and Sports Administration degree and a minor in Psychology.
“My original plan was to attend law school after graduation.  However, God had different plans and plan B became grad school back here.”  She returned to UC to be a volunteer assistant coach for women’s basketball and worked on her Master’s in Business and Leadership which she completed in 2015.
Her basketball career then continued as an assistant coach for two years at Florida Southern College and one year at Valdosta State University.
When she received a call from her former coach, Adam Collins, telling her that the head coach position was available, she “had more reasons why she shouldn’t than why she should”, but her former coach convinced her to apply.
Tianni has more than proven she was up to the challenge.  Coach Kelly was named MEC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year, led her team to the MEC South Division Title, and made a NCAA tournament appearance.
Her parents and two of her brothers were in the stands to cheer her on when the team took the court as Elite Eight contenders.  Tianni and the team represented UC well and ended their season with a 19-3 record.
“It’s been amazing to have so many people reach out to congratulate me.  All the coaches and ADs from my former schools, Dr. Welch, my family, even Coach Fitz, who recruited me to play at UC.”
Her first season is over but work on the next one has already begun.  Recruiting and training are in full swing.  Her message to potential players is clear: “Don’t come here if you are complacent.  Don’t waste the talent God gave you and the opportunity presented to use that talent.”
Tianni’s long term goal is to earn a PhD in Sports Psychology.  She stays busy with the team but enjoys being outdoors and looks forward to some downtime in a kayak on the water.  You’ve earned it, Tianni!