From childhood football Saturdays to four degrees at SC State

The Bulldog Legacy Series: 130 Years of SC State

One family’s steadfast devotion comes full circle as a loyal Bulldog earns his 4th degree at SC State, cementing a legacy shaped by his mother’s decades of support for SC State.

Note: This is the latest in a series commemorating the 130th Anniversary of SC State's founding.

ORANGEBURG, S.C. -- For the Brandyburg family, South Carolina State University has never been just a place to attend school. It has been a constant presence in their lives.

That commitment reached a powerful milestone in December when Coby Brandyburg walked across the commencement stage to receive his Doctor of Educational Leadership.

The degree marked his fourth from the university and a moment years in the making for a family whose connection to SC State spans two generations of educational, personal and financial commitment.

For his mother, fervent SC State alumna Helen Corbett-Brandyburg, the moment represented something deeper than an academic achievement. 

“For me, it was an aha moment,” she said. “The things that we had planned and taught had made a full circle.”

A journey from Georgia to SC State

Corbett-Brandyburg grew up in Vidalia, Georgia, a small town known for its large, sweet onions.

“I said, ‘I want to go to college. My sister went to Tuskegee. My brother went to Tuskegee. I want to go somewhere different,'” she said.

Several of her teachers were SC State graduates, including one from Elloree, South Carolina, who urged her to visit the university.

“She said, ‘Why don’t you go to my alma mater?’” Corbett-Brandyburg recalled. “She got in the car with my mom, and we drove to Orangeburg, and that’s where I’ve been going ever since.” 

Corbett-Brandyburg earned her bachelor’s degree from South Carolina State University in 1974 and remained in Orangeburg to pursue graduate studies. While she was in graduate school, she met her future husband, Bernard Brandyburg.

Their connection to the university would become a defining part of their lives and the foundation of the upbringing of their only child.

Corbett-Brandyburg’s devotion grew into decades of alumni leadership, philanthropy and unwavering support for SC State.

A career shaped by leadership

As an SC State student, Corbett-Brandyburg initially planned to become a mathematics teacher.

“That was the goal,” she said. “I wanted to be a mathematics teacher. I wanted to teach people to love math. I loved it.”

She briefly worked with middle school students during a teaching assignment but realized classroom teaching might not be the right fit.

“I was working with eighth-grade kids, and I couldn't get their attention,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh no, this is not for me.’”

Instead, she continued her studies and completed a master’s degree at SC State. Her leadership on campus included serving as a residence hall head resident responsible for hundreds of students, an experience she credits with shaping her professional career.

After leaving Orangeburg, Corbett-Brandyburg moved to Columbia, where she began working in the telecommunications industry. She joined the Bell system and stayed with AT&T after the Bell monopoly breakup 

Her telecommunications career took her from Columbia to Atlanta. Over the years, she worked in a range of roles, including telemarketing management, engineering support and project-management work, a journey that lasted 43-years.

Over time, that decision to attend SC State would shape not only Corbett-Brandyburg’s life and career, but also the path her son would eventually follow.

The roots of a Bulldog family

While her career took her beyond Orangeburg, Corbett-Brandyburg’s connection to SC State never faded.

Her devotion to SC State extends well beyond her family. She has worked with the SC State National Alumni Association’s Atlanta chapter for more than four decades and has been recognized for her commitment to the university and its athletics programs, including being named Bulldog Fan of the Year in 2009 and No. 1 Fan in 2010.

In 2021, she was named the Atlanta chapter’s Golden Bulldog, recognizing her longstanding service and leadership among SC State alumni. Earlier in her career, she helped rebuild and expand the SC State National Alumni Association’s Columbia chapter, growing its membership and strengthening support for the university.

In 2022, she was inducted into the university’s Thomas E. Miller Society, which recognizes donors who have contributed $100,000 or more to SC State.

Her son grew up immersed in the culture of the university. Football Saturdays were family traditions. His mother rarely missed Bulldog football games.

“She's always been a very strong supporter of the university, especially through athletics, football primarily,” Coby Brandyburg said. “At one point, she traveled almost all the home and away games. I think the only time she missed games is if I had a game growing up.”

Those early experiences made the university feel like a second home.

“I thought everybody did it when I was younger,” he said. “But I found out how blessed and fortunate my parents were and how much they allowed me to be blessed and fortunate.

“I came to really just appreciate the HBCU experience,” Cody Brandyburg said. “I am humbled to have parents who were able to provide me that opportunity to go ahead and embark upon the journey myself and keep it going.” 

His mother remembers those years with the same pride.

“He had season tickets when he was 2 years old,” Corbett-Brandyburg said.

A journey that came full circle

Despite growing up around the university, attending SC State was not always part of Coby Brandyburg’s plan.

“I was not really going to hold to going to South Carolina State early on,” he said. “I didn’t even know if I wanted to go to college.”

Sports had always been part of his life, though not initially football. Brandyburg played soccer growing up, and the strength of his kicking leg eventually led him to try football. By his senior year of high school, he had become the team’s punter.

He entertained the idea of going to mortuary school and explored other universities, including Tennessee State, Jackson State, Tulane and Georgia Tech. He was destined, however, to be a Bulldog for life. 

Eventually, the decision to attend the SC State came together quickly. He joined the Bulldogs as a punter for legendary Head Coach Buddy Pough, who is now the university’s athletic director. 

“I said, Coach, send me the paperwork,” he recalled. “I'm pretty sure my mother had it in the back of her mind. It was something that I never thought would come to reality the way it did. I think it was God's will.” 

What followed was a journey that would tie his educational path entirely to one institution. He earned his bachelor's, master's and educational specialist degrees at SC State before completing his doctorate in December.

The final stretch required persistence.

“When it came down to writing the dissertation, I kind of kept kicking the can down the road because it really requires a lot of discipline within yourself,” he said.

Eventually, he decided it was time to finish what he had started.

“You’ve been kind of working on this long enough,” he said. “And it’s time to bring this thing full circle.”

A moment shared by the family

The milestone in December meant even more because of who was there to witness it.

Cody Brandyburg’s grandmother, who was 96, attended the celebration shortly before her passing.

“It means a little bit more because my grandmother was able to come down and be a part of the celebration,” he said. 

For his mother, watching her son reach the academic level she once hoped to achieve herself made the moment especially meaningful.

“I did not finish my doctorate,” Coby Brandyburg said. “It would have been that high point in life where you reached the highest degree that you can get.”

Seeing him accomplish that goal was deeply fulfilling.

“That’s what I think he resolved yesterday — that we’ve got the highest degree,” she said. 

Support every step of the way

While Helen and Coby share the distinction of being SC State graduates, Bernard Brandyburg has supported their connection to the university throughout the years.

After graduating from high school, Bernard Brandyburg entered the military and served two years before beginning a long career in the automotive collision repair industry. Over the years he worked in Orangeburg and Columbia before relocating to Atlanta, where he worked at dealerships and later with an independent business before retiring.

Watching his wife’s dedication to SC State and his son’s academic achievements has been a point of pride, Bernard Brandyburg said.

“Always with support. Support, support, support,” he said. “I’m proud of both of them.” 

Maintaining the commitment to education

Today, Coby Brandyburg serves as assistant principal and athletic director at Allendale-Fairfax High School.

With his doctorate complete, he hopes to continue expanding his impact in education.

“I definitely want to be able to impact as many students as possible,” he said. 

Working in education is demanding, he said, but the reward comes from watching students succeed. 

“It’s a grind every day,” he said, “but when you get to the end, and you get to see student athletes graduate, it’s very rewarding.” 

For the Brandyburg family, the moment Coby Brandyburg completed his doctorate was more than a personal achievement. It was the continuation of a story that began decades earlier when a student from Vidalia, Georgia, followed a teacher’s advice and enrolled at South Carolina State University.

Since then, the university has been part of nearly every chapter of their lives -- football Saturdays, alumni stewardship and a total of six academic degrees.

Together, their story reflects the enduring bonds many families form with SC State, where education, tradition and Bulldog pride often span generations.