Success Starts Here — Even When the Path Changes: Rebekah Rogers ’26

Written by Lindsay Bartholomew

For this Converse graduate, the path to the stage didn’t follow the plan. But it led exactly where it needed to. 

When Limestone University in nearby Gaffney, South Carolina, announced its closure in May 2025, the end of her junior year, Rebekah Rogers’ journey was suddenly thrown into uncertainty. 

“I remember standing right outside my clarinet professor’s studio,” Rogers says. “Once it was announced, I instantly came to tears and dropped right at his door.” 

In that moment, she wasn’t just losing a school – she was losing a community that had helped shape her. “It really felt like I was losing someone close to me,” she recalled. “Limestone was such a huge part of who I was. It felt like all of those memories would just disappear, too.”

What she needed next was more than a place to transfer. She needed a place to belong. She found that at Converse. 

A Place to Belong

In the midst of uncertainty, Converse offered something Rebekah hadn’t expected: stability and opportunity. 

“My biggest fear was how I would be able to afford college anywhere else, just for my senior year,” she says. “Converse made it a cake walk with transferring credits and gave me a lot of scholarships that no other school did. It truly was a blessing in disguise.”

But what made the transition even more meaningful was something she didn’t have to leave behind.

Her clarinet professor, Dr. Chip Hill – who had been there in the moment Limestone’s closure was announced – was now part of her experience at Converse, too. 

“When Limestone closed, it was devastating for the students,” Hill says. “While many institutions reached out, the Petrie School of Music showed genuine care, and the majority of our music students transitioned here.”

Rebekah quickly found support in the Petrie School of Music. “It started to feel like home once I got settled into all the ensembles,” Rebekah says. “Everyone was so welcoming.”

In the midst of uncertainty, Converse offered something Rebekah hadn’t expected: stability and opportunity. 

More Than Notes on a Page

Rebekah has always loved music, but it wasn’t until college that she began to understand its depth.

“When I first started, I could play little tunes here and there,” she says. “I had a deep appreciation for it, but I didn’t quite understand what being a musician really meant.” That understanding grew over time. 

“Being a musician is not about how well you can play. It’s how you can deliver a message with no words to the people around you. Music is a universal language.”

At Converse, surrounded by accomplished musicians and pushed to new levels of performance, Rebekah has found her perspective coming into focus.

“Limestone was a great learning experience for me, so that I could succeed at Converse,” she reflects. 

A Defining Chapter and A New Beginning 

What began as one of the most uncertain chapters of her life became one of the most transformative. 

“I’ve gained a lot of confidence and connections through this experience,” Rebekah says.

“In my 41 years of teaching at the college level, I can honestly say that Rebekah is a model student for both institutions.”

Dr. Chip Hill

Dr. Hill has seen that growth firsthand and celebrates Rebekah’s resilience. “Rebekah thrives on challenges, particularly those outside of her comfort zone,” he shared. “She viewed this transition as another opportunity for growth. In my 41 years of teaching at the college level, I can honestly say that Rebekah is a model student for both institutions.”

Now, as she walks across the stage in Twichell and prepares for the next chapter, Rebekah is already looking ahead to what’s possible. “It means a new beginning, a fresh start. I want to continue my education at Converse for my master’s. I think there is so much more to this school that I’ve yet to explore!”