‘A bright light in this world’: ShDonna Drumgoole shines at AU and beyond

When ShDonna Drumgoole is on the AU campus attending her graduate school classes, it’s as if Summerville shines a little brighter. Her professor, Richard Deaner, PhD, says she has infused the program with warm and optimistic energy during her time in the College of Education and Human Development. 

He’s not exaggerating. Drumgoole’s warmth is undeniable, and she leads with a smile that exudes joyfulness. Deaner expects those qualities to make her an exceptional counselor. 

“ShDonna easily connects with others with humility, kindness and respect. She is an outstanding graduate student, yet she is incredibly humble,” said Deaner, an associate professor and program coordinator of counselor education. “She has always demonstrated a focused commitment to lifelong learning as she strives for growth as a dynamic counselor. I know she will make a significant and meaningful impact on the counseling community.”

Drumgoole is leaving quite a legacy of kindness as she graduates with a master’s in clinical mental health. She returned to graduate school later in life and has no regrets, though she concedes the idea was daunting at first. 

“To walk into a classroom with all these 20-year-olds was very intimidating, because I’ve been out of school for a very long time,” she explained. “So I was like, ‘Can I do it now? Am I going to be able to keep up?’ I can’t say that it was easy, but I would 100% do it again. It was all worth it.”

Looking back on her time at AU, Drumgoole is quick to encourage others to follow their hearts. If the dream is there, don’t put it off because it’s difficult. 

“Do it! If you have the thought of ‘Maybe I should, should I do it?’ Just do it,” she said. “I didn’t want to wake up 20 years from now wishing I’d gotten my degree. I knew I always wanted to be a counselor; I feel it’s my mission in life. I don’t want to leave this earth knowing that was something in my heart I didn’t go for.”

Since working early on in her career as a social worker at what is now Child Enrichment in Augusta, her heart for children in the foster care system has only grown, particularly teenagers aging out of the system. On one of their first dates, Drumgoole recalls her now-husband, Jackson, sharing a dream: He wanted to open a home for foster children. He had no idea at the time that she was a social worker.

Decades later, the couple is married, raising children of their own, and that now joint dream is coming to fruition. After traveling the world as a family with the U.S. military, the Drumgooles returned to Augusta in 2020, and the plans for Bridge Builder Communities started taking shape. 

Slated to open in 2026, Bridge Builder Communities, co-founded by the Drumgooles, is being built on the site of a former park that the City of Augusta gifted to the nonprofit organization. The development will include 25 tiny homes and a larger cottage for the “houseparents,” along with a community center to serve the teens who have aged out of the foster care system. Many in this population lack families or strong family support of their own, and the goal is to give them a soft place to land – a safe environment to transition into the real world. 

Drumgoole will put her new degree to use in that community center where activities including finance, cooking classes and therapy sessions will take place. She will be the program director for Bridge Builder Communities, where the young adults up to age 24 can stay on the property for as long as three years. When they leave, they’ll be able to take household items, like bath towels and kitchen utensils, with them. It’s all about setting them up for success as independent adults. 

She hopes delving deeper into the study of mental health will strengthen her work with the young adults, helping them with the complex problems they face. 

“This degree gives me that. It allows me to see deeper what is really going on. And that way I can get to the root and then hopefully allow them to move forward in their life,” she said.

Balancing school with family life as a wife and a mom to triplets in high school, a daughter in college and a grown son has not always been easy. Her family, though, has provided unwavering support and will be there cheering her on as she graduates. Adding to her juggling act, she’s been working to get the community off the ground while working on her master’s degree.  

“I am definitely an empath, so I take on other people’s stuff. I think I do need to be better about self-care,” Drumgoole said. “What I have done is make sure that I take time for myself. You know, after a hard day of talking to others about issues, I go to my favorite restaurant, get my favorite meal or just sit and watch a show to take my mind off of things. I just try to make sure I kind of balance it out because it can be hard work. Meaningful work, though.”

Meaningful work with meaningful outcomes, Drumgoole is leaving AU better and brighter than before. 

“ShDonna is remarkably consistent,” said Meredith Rausch, PhD, an associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development. “Academically, she’s high-achieving. In her relationships with family and friends, she exhibits tremendous warmth, compassion and understanding. Socially, she works hard to contribute to the community she lives in and truly leaves it better than it was before she arrived. ShDonna is a person who makes others find hope and joy again — a bright light in this world.”