Scholarship Support Helped Launch an SSU Alumnus's Mission to Save Lives
For Shawnee State University alumnus Conor Markins, donor-funded scholarships helped make his time at Shawnee State possible. Today, he leads a company putting life-saving tools in communities across the country.
Conor Markins (Owner and CEO of R3) with the company’s flagship product, ONEbox®
Markins, a native of Ironton, transferred to Shawnee State from Wheeling University in 2015 to be closer to home and joined the men's basketball team. He received a men's basketball scholarship beginning his sophomore year, and he was the first recipient of the Sean Elliott Memorial Scholarship, named in memory of his best friend and roommate.
"He always just spoke a lot of life and confidence into me," Markins said of Elliott. "It genuinely changed my life."
Conor Markins pictured next to the Sean Elliot Memorial tree and tree marker
When an ankle injury ended his playing career, Markins turned his focus to business classes. With guidance from professor Sarah Clausing, he began applying what he learned in real time, working in insurance sales during his junior and senior years. He graduated in 2019 with a year of professional experience behind him.
He later opened his own insurance branch in Memphis and now leads Rapid Risk Reduction (R3), which distributes risk reduction products to public health agencies, nonprofits, law enforcement agencies, K-12 schools, and universities.
ONEbox - Opioid/Naloxone Emergency Box
R3's flagship product, ONEbox®, is an opioid overdose emergency response system designed to guide everyday bystanders through a potentially life-saving intervention, much like an AED. With built-in video instructions and space for naloxone and emergency supplies, ONEbox helps make overdose response more accessible to communities nationwide. To date, more than 40,000 ONEbox units have been distributed nationwide, with over 800 lives reportedly saved through their use.
For Markins, who grew up in a region hit hard by the opioid epidemic, the work is personal.
"If naloxone is everywhere where it should be, we know for a fact fatal overdoses will drastically decrease," Markins said.
The support he received as a student reaches well beyond his own career. Today, several Shawnee State alumni work alongside him at R3, including his wife, Macee Markins, and Jaiden Rickett, both graduates of Shawnee State’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and registered nurses (RNs), as well as Brayden Montgomery, a graduate of the university’s Bachelor of Health Science program.
Together, they are leveraging their education and professional expertise to expand access to life-saving resources and make a meaningful impact in communities across the country.
"I've got 25, 30 people in my phone from Shawnee State that I could call right now and they'd do anything for me, and I would do the same for them," Markins said.
Markins' entrepreneurial drive extends beyond R3. In June 2024, he opened HOTWORX Huntington, a 24-hour infrared sauna fitness studio in downtown Huntington, West Virginia. Offering everything from hot yoga to high-intensity interval training, the studio has experienced strong growth and become a welcome addition to the local fitness community.
He hopes current students see what is possible.
"I had absolutely zero clue what I wanted to do with my life at 21 and a half," Markins said. "A year of focus and hanging around the right people and asking the right questions and seeking knowledge can truly change your life."
To make a donation to help fund scholarships and opportunities for students like Conor, please visit givetossu.com, and consider joining us this December 1 for Day of Giving 2026 to raise $50,000 for Shawnee State University.