When Deshaun “Dee” Rogers `17 first started thinking about where he might attend college, Randolph-Macon had not made the list. A Mechanicsville native, he was sure he wanted to get beyond his own backyard for the next chapter of his life. Luckily, a recruiting trip to Randolph-Macon to learn more about Coach Pedro Arruza’s football program changed his mind, and indeed, his life.

“What I still remember about that visit is that Coach Arruza said he was much more concerned about the man I would become, about the leader I could become, than any performance on the football field. That really resonated with me.” In the summer of 2013, Dee arrived on campus as a first-year for his first RMC football season and by 2016, was serving as a Team Captain. 

Dee’s first season at RMC was the football team’s second season on the new Day Field. He remembers visiting the College as a middle and high school student for football camps when the baseball field and football field shared space. The generosity of the College’s athletic donors was made very apparent to him as he got to appreciate the campus transformation firsthand. “Coach Arruza made sure that we understood that our facilities, our equipment, our entire experience on the team was made possible by people who came before us and others who are invested in our success. I knew that was a legacy I wanted to be a part of.”

Dee made his first gift to the College during his senior year, inspired by meaningful words from President Robert Lindgren. “I have this vivid memory of hearing President Lindgren speak about the College’s scholarship program, and it really put priorities in perspective for me. I knew that I would not have been able to attend Randolph-Macon without the scholarship support that I had, and that is what motivates me to give back.”

An engineering physics major during his time here, Dee is grateful for the wide variety of experiences that RMC gave him both inside and outside of the classroom. “The curriculum was great, but it was the ‘in between skills’ that a liberal arts education provides that made such an impact on me. You are not just learning a new subject, you are gaining a new worldview. Without overtly saying it, the RMC experience regularly posed the question ‘How open-minded can we be?’ and ‘how big can our hearts be?’”

Today, Dee, alongside his wife Allison, is a regular and generous supporter of the College and our Football program. As a young alumnus, Dee has financially prioritized his commitment to RMC as a member of our Young Alumni Presidents Society and encourages his fellow young alumni to consider the impact their giving can make. “Take a step back and remember what was there [at the College] for you. Your gift, whatever the size, could change a life. I know the gifts of those who came before me changed mine.”