Kevin A Rasberry is a native of Orangeburg SC and son to the late Edward J. And Carolyn W. Rasberry. He is a sibling of academic standouts Debra (Waymer) George. Randy Waymer and Cynthia Waymer. Though Rasberry had many struggles academically during school, he played football for Orangeburg Wilkinson before a car accident derailed his career. He was a four-year cadet in ROTC before his graduation in 1988.
Rasberry’s ROTC career led to his entrance into the United States Army and proceeded to have a well-decorated career. Rasberry became a certified cook, pathfinder, Sniper, Airborne Ranger, and scout platoon leader. Rasberry was a guard at the DMZ located at Panmunjeom, now located in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. After being shot at a disclosed location in Korea, Rasberry rehabbed while becoming a cook. Rasberry became a two-time cook of the year in Korea.
Rasberry was a part of Operation Nifty Package and the arrest of Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. Rasberry also participated in the surveillance and the arrest of well-known terrorist groups around the world. Rasberry’s military career resulted in being rewarded soldier of the year twice and a Purple Heart recipient.
As Rasberry exited the military as a disabled veteran, he began a twenty-year career in finance with companies such as TranSouth Financial and Citigroup. Rasberry became a business development specialist assisting with the start of three hundred plus businesses in the state of South Carolina and Georgia over twenty-five years. Rasberry also worked as a project and on-site manager for Federal-Mogul (Kelly Services) Lang Mekra (Kelly Services) and NCR Corporation.
Rasberry is an Alumnus of Limestone University, Claflin University, and the University of Phoenix. Kevin holds a Bachelors degree in Business Administration, Bachelors's degree in Psychology, and an MBA. He also has an associate's degree in food service and Human Resources.
Rasberry is the best-selling author of the self-help book, Decisions and Consequences-the realities of being a man. His second book, Evolution of The Good Man which was adapted into the stage play by WOW Productions, Confessions of a Good Man. The stage play opened to four consecutive sold-out shows.
For the past 20+ years, Kevin has been a mentor to countless boys and men across the state of South Carolina. Because of this dedication and commitment to developing great men and leaders for our communities, Rasberry devised an even greater plan of development. In 2013, Rasberry became the founder of the historic charter school Garden City Preparatory Academy for Boys in Orangeburg SC.
The school earned a dual designation in the state as the first single-gender public school in the history of the state of South Carolina and it was founded by an African American. Rasberry currently is a high school business educator and retail business owner of three businesses in the state of SC.
Rasberry is a member of the 100 Black Men of Greater Columbia, SC Combat Veterans Group, Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the Director of the LegacyEd Foundation nonprofit organization. Currently, Rasberry is developing a series of books detailing the greatness of his hometown of Orangeburg SC, and a professional league developing talent for the Olympics.
#orangeburgblackhistory #humbled #gratefultobealive #DaBurg
