Damian Dominguez, Senior Writer
Steve Christopher ’15 and his parents, Scott ’83 and Pamela ’83, are supporting Furman University’s Greek life on campus with a $100,000 gift to bolster leadership experiences for students in fraternities and sororities.
Steve knows firsthand how a student’s life can be transformed through the lifelong bonds formed through Greek life. He was his fraternity chapter’s president by junior year.
“The community it offered was phenomenal, and it really shaped my college experience, Christopher said. “The friendships and connections you make in fraternities and sororities can last a lifetime.”
Members of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity make stress balls in the Trone Student Center as part of the MLK Day of Service on Jan. 20. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.
Greek life is part of the Furman experience
Furman’s students are high performers who stay involved in their campus community, and Greek life is part of that broader experience, said Jordan King, director of student involvement. About 35% of the student body was involved with a fraternity or sorority in 2024-2025, and King said, “that’s a lifelong commitment that results in long-term bonds.”
Students don’t typically expect that Greek life will make up the bulk of their college experience, though; they join for the connections, said Caro Douglas, assistant director of student involvement. Deferred recruitment means students can focus on getting acquainted with the campus, faculty, staff and their peers before getting involved with a fraternity or sorority.
Christopher, who is in Kappa Alpha, said it was motivating to be part of a community of men and women “who share a common goal and common passions.” His fraternity brothers are still some of his best friends, and he speaks to them every week. After he graduated, the organizational skills and professional connections he made leading his chapter and keeping his fraternity brothers engaged proved invaluable to his career.
Passing the torch as a tribute
Members of the Sigma Nu fraternity volunteer at the Furman Farm as part of the MLK Day of Service on Monday, January 20, 2025. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.
Christopher said his family’s gift is also a way to honor the memory of his late wife, Lindsay Cunningham ’14. The two met at Furman through fraternity and sorority socials and formals, then reconnected after college and began dating.
“Being able to find someone from Furman in the community, we had a lot of instant connections,” Christopher said.
Cunningham, who was a member of Chi Omega, wasn’t one to miss any event her sorority hosted, he said. She made best friends among the Chi Omega sisterhood, and the Christopher family’s gift is a tribute to the joy and fellowship she found through Greek life. Cunningham died in 2021 of cancer.
“Furman means a lot to my family,” Christopher said. “Sharing that common connection with Lindsay, my family and I thought she would appreciate this gift and love to see it make an impact for students.”
