Dr. Beverly Rice McAdams 

Director of the Anderson Campus

Bachelor of Arts in English, Erskine College

Master of Education in Counseling, Clemson University

Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Leadership, Clemson University

Having been a first-generation college student, Dr. Beverly Rice McAdams believes her calling is to help other students to successfully navigate their educational journeys.

“I’m a first-generation graduate and realize the importance that higher education had on my life.  I’m the youngest of five and one of two siblings to graduate from college. College was never a possibility in my mind, but a scholarship made it possible,” said Dr. McAdams, who credits her T.L. Hanna High School guidance counselor, the late Richard Thompson, with helping her to navigate the college admission and scholarship application processes.

“When I was a high school senior, Mr. Thompson inquired about my college plans. I told him college was not on my radar because no one in my family had ever gone to college.  He connected with individuals at Erskine College, his alma mater, and arranged for my parents and me to tour the university,” she said.  She learned about scholarships available to Erskine students.

“Receiving a scholarship as a participant in the E.B. Kennedy Scholarship competition was the determining factor for me to attend Erskine College,” she said. 

“If Mr. Thompson hadn’t asked about my college plans that day, I would have graduated from high school, found a job and gone to work. So, my family and I were so appreciative of Mr. Thompson. My going to college set the example for my nieces and nephews,” said Dr. McAdams.

“I relate to the first-gen students at TCTC because I was one. Education is do-able when they have a support system and financial support,” said Dr. McAdams, who began her career at TCTC as a transfer counselor in TRIO. “It became a part of my mission to work with students who were like me. That’s what drew me back to TCTC,” she said.

“Like me, many first-gen students don’t know how to navigate college. That’s why I made higher education my career, to be the person who can help students feel comfortable in a college environment and to connect them with the resources and/or the right person to get their needs met and their questions answered,” she said.

“That’s why it’s great to start your education at TCTC, where there are so many support services and people who have been there and can help you find the answers. We all want students to feel safe and to be successful in their educational journeys.”

Prior to TCTC, she held a number of executive leadership roles at both Clemson University and Anderson University.  Dr. McAdams serves on a number of local community and state boards and is the current president of the Greater Anderson Rotary Club.