Brandi Blake proves the power of young alumni at SC State

 The 2011 graduate turned her education career into a springboard for her workplace culture consulting business.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – At South Carolina State University Homecoming, Brandi Blake is easy to spot. She is back on the Willie Jeffries Field sidelines with her fellow alumni cheerleaders, leading chants with the same energy she had as a student.

“We donate money every year, and we go back and cheer at homecoming annually,” she said. “So, I'm connected to that group heavily.”

That connection to SC State has never left her. A 2011 business management graduate from Summerville, Blake dove into campus life as a student, cheering for four years, mentoring freshmen as an orientation leader, and joining a business fraternity.

“I’m the quintessential ‘get involved and stay in school’ type,” Blake said. “And that was something that really helped carry me throughout my college career at South Carolina State.

“I love my college experience so much,” she said. “My experience at SC State prepared me and also set me up for a career in higher education.”

Becoming an entrepreneur

Blake earned a master’s in education at the University of West Georgia and launched a career helping students feel at home in higher education. She worked in housing and first-year experience at Coker College before spending six years at George Mason University in diversity, equity and inclusion.

Next, she took on a similar role back in the Low Country as the inaugural executive director for intercultural development at Charleston County School District. Blake was selected by Charleston Business Magazine for its “Best and Brightest Under 35” list in 2022.

Now, Blake has stepped out on her own. Living in Charleston, she is still cheering, still mentoring, and still building. She runs People Culture Power LLC, a consulting business focused on team building and workplace culture.

“We do consulting around team building, workplace environment, making sure that employees are happy, healthy and they belong to the culture,” Blake said.

As someone who knows the value of team building, Blake also is devoting her 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.