Dr. Christopher Emerson is an assistant principal at Southside High School. Prior to working in Greenville County for the past ten years, he has taught at Florence Chapel Middle School and Cleveland Elementary School in Spartanburg. Over the past 20 years, he has obtained his Masters, Education Specialist, and Doctoral degrees from Converse University. He is married to his wife of 17 years, Lakeesha Emerson and has two daughters, Da'Shayah and Ellis. In his spare time, he enjoys family time, golf, reading and supporting his daughter's cheer team Athletic Cheer Extreme (ACX).

Shameka Dunlap is a native of Spartanburg, SC. Currently a Middle School Counselor and Doctoral student. She enjoys spending time with my family and friends, working part time at The Home Depot, reading research, journaling, music, and thrifting. I am the youngest of 4 children. Basketball was a huge part of my childhood and she learned how to play by watching the boys in her neighborhood. She was quite the tomboy, so her brother (Larry) taught her how to play just like the boys did, but academics was her thing in school. However, this past year she has enjoyed watching the students at her school play the game of basketball! She finds herself in the stands yelling and cheering them at each game she has attended. Watching their love for basketball has ignited her love for the sport, again. But this time, she has a love for watching children in our community build leadership and team building skills through basketball. She is super excited to be a part of the Upstate Sting Organization!

Wayne Copeland Jr. Duncan, SC -B.S. in Business Administration from North Greenville University -Master of Business Administration from North Greenville University -Ed.S in School Leadership from Furman University -Current Assistant Principal at Mabry Middle School in Inman, SC -Former Business Education Teacher at Dorman Freshman Campus -Over 15 years of working with youth and individuals with special needs -Former AAU and Church League basketball coach -Married to Katrina Copeland; two kids- Mya and Kingston Copeland -Personal hobbies include: spending time with family, gaming, and the Dallas Cowboys!

Mr. Christopher E. Ford is a native of Florence, S.C. and is the youngest of three children. He currently serves as a seventh and eighth grade English/language arts teach. Upon graduating from Wilson High School, Chris continued his educational aspirations by attending North Greenville University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications. While attending North Greenville, he served as a Resident Assistant, a campus bible-study leader, and became the first African American to sing with ‘Joyful Sound’, the university’s premier singing ministry group. He was voted ‘Most Talented’ by the senior class. Chris went on to complete post-graduate studies at Troy University, earning a Master of Education degree in English; and Furman University, earning a Master of Arts degree in School Leadership. He has taught 6th and 7th grade English/language arts in Georgia—where he still holds valid teaching credentials and South Carolina for several years. He served as an assistant principal for three years at Florence Chapel Middle School before becoming the principal of Beech Springs Intermediate School in 2015. Ford was named the 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year for Florence Chapel Middle School and in the same year was named the school’s 2009-2010 Distinguished Reading Teacher of the Year. In 2019, He was named principal of Florence Chapel Middle School and served in that role for three years. As the former instructional leader of Beech Springs Intermediate School and Florence Chapel Middle School, he challenged teachers to foster genuine, caring relationships with their students and parents. The mantra that was established out of this challenge was that teachers had to connect with the students’ hearts before they could connect with their heads. Under Ford's leadership, Beech Springs Intermediate and Florence Chapel Middle schools earned their first ever ‘Excellent’ South Carolina School Report Card rating. Florence Chapel Middle was also recognized by iReady Curriculum Associates for surpassing the national student academic growth rates, especially during a pandemic. Chris is passionate about mentoring and making sure all students are academically successful and have positive school experiences. Chris believes that all students should have at least one adult that they feel comfortable with sharing their life experiences. Chris has first-hand experience of the power of mentorship as he continues to have a positive and strong relationship with a young man he’s mentored since 2009. Chris is a member of many professional educational organizations and has been a featured speaker at several professional conferences. He has served as a board member for North Greenville University Alumni Association; North Greenville University Teacher Education Advisory Board; The Urban League of the Upstate Mentor 5 Advisory Board, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Upstate Advisory Board; and The Equipping Center Board of Directors. He is a published contributing writer for a book on leadership. In his free time, Chris enjoys reading for pleasure, traveling, playing tennis, being with family and friends, relaxing at home, and serving the less fortunate through local and international missions. He is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Austin Moss graduated from Claflin University in 2017 with a BA in Management Information Science. She also holds a Master’s in Business in Technology from the University of Georgia. Austin is currently a Senior Consultant at Ernst and Young within the Technology practice with a focus in Cybersecurity. Moss hopes to continue fostering her skills in the areas of problem-solving organization, leadership, autonomy, and divergent thinking. Her goal is to become the chief information officer of a preeminent organization like the WNBA/NBA. “My mentors have instilled in me the importance of stepping out of my comfort zone in order to be prosperous. It is important to me to have a solid platform to inspire others and to be an instrument for others dreams to come true,” Moss said.