Spire Spring 2017

Professor Don Caudill Sees Opportunity in Adversity

B luefield College’s New Opportunity School for Women (NOSW) is bringing newfound hope to disadvantaged women from Appalachia. In its fifth year of operation, the NOSW has helped dozens of women in poverty or some other financial or personal predicament confront their circumstances, overcome their conditions, and pave the way for a new and better life. But, the New Opportunity School for Women could not function and the lives of these women would not have been changed without the support of NOSW donors like Dr. Donald W. Caudill. “Don is a great example of service and mentorship,” said Ruth Blankenship, vice president for advancement at Bluefield College and a member of the NOSW Board of Directors. “He’s a strong Christian, a successful businessman, and a man of character.

He has a long history of supporting Bluefield College, and the New Opportunity School for Women is one of his most greatest passions.” A native of Norton, Virginia, who lived in Bluefield, Virginia, for 12 years, Dr. Caudill understands poverty, said Amanda Wood Williams, who worked with Dr. Caudill at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina, where he has taught since 2008. Born in the geographic center of the Appalachian Mountains to parents who worked long hours for minimum wage, Dr. Caudill was determined to be the first in his family to attend college. “The only way out [of poverty] is education,” said Dr. Caudill. “Because when you learn to do something, you can make money. You just have to be creative in how you apply your knowledge.”

Having overcome obstacles to achieve success, himself, Dr. Don Caudill makes it possible for disadvantaged women from southwest Virginia to find hope through the New Opportunity School for Women at Bluefield College.

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