Furman Fellows Class of 2025 previews and completes award-winning projects

The five members of Furman University’s Class of 2025, who each received a Furman Fellows award, have previewed or completed their work.

Furman Fellowships are awarded each year to recognize seniors’ accomplishments, contributions and potential, with a $10,000 award to pursue their academic, creative and professional pathways.

They all attended Furman Engaged on April 11 and presented their work in game development, animation, fashion, playwriting and visual arts.

The Furman Fellowship is an endowed scholarship fund founded in 2004 with a gift from Trustee Emeritus Robert H. Buckman and his wife, Joyce Mollerup. The fund was established to recognize seniors who use their creativity and imagination to make a difference in the university and in the lives of others, according to Buckman.

Stephen Turner ’25

Major: English

Hometown: Inman, South Carolina

Furman Fellow Stephen Turner ’25 works on his animation project in the communications lab in Furman Hall on Thursday, March 13. 2025. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

Stephen Turner has an Animated Take on Autism Education

Stephen Turner ’25 always knew he wanted to tell stories – but it wasn’t until the Furman Fellows opportunity arose that one long-simmering idea finally helped him find his voice.

“I’d always thought of doing something like this,” he said, “but never actually put any concrete words to it until I was forced to. That’s kind of the thing with a lot of writers.”

Turner’s project, part of the Furman Fellows initiative, is an animated series centered around a fictional character named Jacob, a young autistic college student, and a voice that follows him – offering advice, understanding and occasionally comic relief. It’s a parody of the well-meaning but awkward social skills videos Turner saw throughout his experience as a student on the spectrum.

“They were so stilted. Like, watch someone do it the wrong way, then the right way. It sends this message that there’s only one right way to be,” he said. “And that’s just not true.”

Originally conceptualized with sci-fi flair – a narrator with time-travel powers – the project evolved into something more grounded but equally bold. “The voice became more than a gimmick. It turned into a metaphor for ego, for that internal pressure to act ‘normal.’”

Stephen was diagnosed with autism at age 3 and said telling these stories from a place of lived experience is essential. “I want Jacob to feel like a real person even though they’re kind of two sides of the same coin.”

He’s animating the series himself, with a team of student voice actors and weekly independent study time carved out for production. He was able to debut a preview of the project in April during Furman Engaged.

“This is something I would’ve wanted as a kid,” he said. “Something that’s honest and funny and gets it. If I can make that, I think it could help a lot of people.”

Jalen Livingston ’25

Major: Computer science

Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina

Jalen Livingston ’25 works on a video game he is designing as part of his Furman Fellows project. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

Jalen Livingston Builds His Dream in Roblox with Project Chris

For Furman Fellow Jalen Livingston ’25, a dream that began over a decade ago is finally coming to life—inside a video game. “Project: Chris” is a narrative-driven Roblox role-playing game about a college student piecing together the memories of a mysterious breakup. But beneath the code lies something even deeper: a personal story of growth, resilience and representation.

“I didn’t grow up with a console,” Livingston said. “Roblox was my way in. All you needed was a computer and some imagination.”

After falling in love with game design as a kid, Livingston is using “Project: Chris” to bring his story full circle. The title pays homage to a Roblox fan game that sparked his love for virtual world-building. “All I had was a yellow-skinned avatar and a dream,” he laughed.

At the emotional core of “Project: Chris” is a young man navigating college while struggling with personal loss. It mirrors Jalen’s own experience.

“I went through a breakup last summer. I was in a slump for two months,” he recalled. “But I realized I can turn this into something. I needed a story for the game, and it was right there.”

With a goal to make gaming more inclusive, Jalen is also integrating accessibility features like colorblind modes and controller remapping. “If we’re talking about a game everyone can play, we have to include everyone,” he said.

Despite challenges, Livingston finds motivation in his purpose. “This is the thing that’s going to change my life,” he said. “It’s not just about making a game. It’s about proving to myself – and to Roblox – that I can do this.”

And he’s just getting started.

Torrey Kridel ’25

Major: Biology and studio art

Hometown: Clemmons, North Carolina

Torrey Kridel ’25 organizes art pieces in the Integration of Art undergraduate juried art show that is displayed in the Herring Center for Continuing Education. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

Torrey Kridel Breaks Boundaries with Undergraduate Art Showcase

For Torrey Kridel ’25, Furman’s campus was love at second sight. “I was in a bad mood the whole day,” she laughed, recalling her first visit. “But once I got here, I was like, oh wait – I really like this.”

Now a senior double-majoring in biology and studio art, Kridel has carved a unique path – one that blends science and creativity into a vision for the future: medical illustration. “People always say, ‘That’s such a weird combination!’ But for me, it makes perfect sense.”

As a Furman Fellow, Kridel created and curated an art show highlighting the intersections of art and other disciplines – biology, botany, politics, religion. Hosted by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute on Furman’s campus, the exhibit features work by undergraduate artists from across the region. “It’s crazy to see it all come together – it’s no longer just a theoretical idea in my head.”

The project began after Kridel was inspired by another fellow’s work and her own experience exhibiting at Clemson University’s undergraduate show. “I realized how rare it is for undergrad artists to have a platform,” she said. “So, I wanted to create one – especially to show how art can intersect with other fields.”

The show includes everything from political photography to therapeutic teaching tools. “You might not see the connection right away, but when you read the artists’ statements, it all starts to click.”

Kridel’s own journey has been just as interdisciplinary. From summer internships in Furman’s biology collections to field guides featuring hand-drawn local species, she’s constantly bridging worlds. “It’s not just about doing both majors. It’s about finding where they meet.”

Up next: a gap year focused on portfolio-building and research before applying to one of the world’s nine medical illustration graduate programs. “There are only 60 spots in the U.S. – but I’m ready,” she said.

Seth Jones ’25

Major: Theatre arts and English

Hometown: Tifton, Georgia

Furman Fellow Seth Jones ’25, right, listens as the cast of “Sparta,” a play he wrote, performs a read through of the script at The Playhouse on Nov. 21, 2024. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

Seth Jones Reimagines Representation Onstage with Bold Original Play

For Seth Jones ’25, theater isn’t just entertainment – it’s a vehicle for truth. As a Furman Fellow, the English and theatre arts double major from Tifton, Georgia, wrote “SPARTA,” a bold, unapologetic original play that wrestles with masculinity and identity through the lens of a high school boys’ wrestling team.

“I started writing ‘SPARTA’ right after I came back from studying abroad in the UK,” Jones said. “It all began with a scene full of fragmented dialogue. From there, I built the characters and their stories outward.”

The play follows seven wrestlers in the days leading up to regionals, centering on the tensions between a star athlete, his nonbinary sibling and their coach – who is also their father. The play specifically cast any gender as actors, even those in male roles, adding a layer of distance that invites deeper reflection. “You’re hearing something a man would say, but a man’s not saying it. That changes how you engage with it,” he said.

With support from the Furman Fellows program, Seth held a summer workshop with paid local actors to workshop the play – a pivotal experience. “Having outside voices in the room who weren’t tied to Furman gave me honest, unbiased feedback.”

“Sparta” explores themes often sanitized in queer storytelling. “I didn’t want to write characters that watered themselves down,” he said. “These queer characters are flawed. They’re angry. They’re human.”

Despite early uncertainty about audience reactions, the play was a success, selling out performances and resonating deeply with students and community members. It also reinforced his next steps as he looks toward a post-grad move to New York.

“Furman helped me find my voice. I’ve learned that I do have good ideas – and people will say yes,” Jones said.

David T. Jones ’25

Major: Studio arts and theatre arts

Hometown: Piedmont, South Carolina

David Jones ’25, a 2025 Furman Fellow and Theatre Arts major, looks through a book of medieval art to get inspiration for the costume design of a theatre department play that will be held at The Playhouse. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.

David Jones Weaves Story and Style into a Visionary Furman Fellows Project

For David Jones ’25, a double major in theatre and studio art, creativity has always been about storytelling. His Furman Fellows project, “Everyman: Son of Eros,” merged costume design, poetry and apocalyptic fashion to produce a bold, immersive artistic statement. “It’s a very odd project,” David admitted, “but I just wanted something that was dedicated to this kind of scope…to really develop what it is I like to do as an artist.”

Inspired by the medieval morality play “Everyman” – which he “hated so much” it sparked a burst of creativity – Jones reimagined its themes through a fashion show that flipped moral messaging on its head. “I thought it would be fun to kind of do the opposite of the play…make a fashion show out of it.”

He collaborated with writer Savannah Jones to produce a zine pairing costume pieces with poetry to round out the way the fashion and the words come together to create the narrative.

Jones’s artistic vision is deeply shaped by his past. A former robotics student, he started sewing during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was just looking for a way to explore creatively,” he recalled. “I wanted to solve my problem of not having fun clothes to wear.” By the time he got to Furman and started exploring his newfound passion, he also found professors who encouraged this self-direction, allowing him to reinterpret class projects and blur the lines between disciplines.

“I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this before,” Jones said of his project. “For better or worse. But Furman’s support made it possible. All of my professors have always just let me try what is academically sound and what I can sink my teeth into.”

Looking ahead, David hopes to continue in costume design and build a slow fashion brand rooted in storytelling. “Everything has a purpose,” he said. “Even a blue handkerchief is there for a specific reason. That’s my creative style and that’s what I hope to be able to do no matter where I end up.”