CHARLESTON, S.C. - Derrick Henry recently graduated from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. In doing so, he joined a small group of individuals who hail from Newton County and who graduated from The Citadel.

Henry studied and played basketball at Newton High School, graduating in 2011. He said he would not be where he is today without the experience he had at Newton High.

After high school, Henry attended Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. There he played basketball for three years and completed a bachelor’s degree in business finance before enrolling in the master’s in business administration (MBA) program at the Citadel.

When asked about his academic experience there Henry said, “It was good. My teachers were cool. My professors were very informative. It was definitely a great experience.”

Although as a graduate student Henry did not go through The Citadel’s cadet program, he has great respect for the college and the experience undergraduate students receive.

When asked if he would recommend The Citadel, Henry said, “I definitely would. The military aspect of the undergraduate experience will test you in ways you never thought you would be tested. I believe that if you can overcome four years at The Citadel, there is not going to be too much that life throws at you that you will not be able to handle.”

While studying for the MBA, Henry also worked as a leasing agent and played his final year of collegiate basketball. He says that year, playing for The Citadel Bulldogs, was statistically the best of his collegiate career. When basketball ended he was promoted to leasing manager. He completed his MBA in August 2016.

Henry still works as a leasing manager in Charleston. However, his goal is to someday own his own business.

He is interested in the TV and film industry. He has been a cast member on three different MTV reality shows, including “Are You the One,” “Are You the One: Second Chances,” and “The Challenge.” He has written some scripts for TV shows. He expressed excitement about the development of Three Ring Studios in Covington.