Alumni Awards

Meet Our Alumni

• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2864-kelly-steele"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,114,750,864/6649_1A3D5553-3A82-41FD-9147-BA67509933FB.rev.1564602478.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,114,750,864/6649_1A3D5553-3A82-41FD-9147-BA67509933FB.rev.1564602478.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,114,750,864/6649_1A3D5553-3A82-41FD-9147-BA67509933FB.rev.1564602478.jpg" alt="Kelly Moss Steele, E&H Class of 2002" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,114,750,864/6649_1A3D5553-3A82-41FD-9147-BA67509933FB.rev.1564602478.jpg 2x" data-max-w="750" data-max-h="750" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2864-kelly-steele"></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Sales Training Manager for Bristol-Myers Squibb. E&H Class of 2002.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2864-kelly-steele" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/690-"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,450,299/340_195154692a4a9ca21aec2fe00c319ccd_f7172.rev.1500309442.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,450,299/340_195154692a4a9ca21aec2fe00c319ccd_f7172.rev.1500309442.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,450,299/340_195154692a4a9ca21aec2fe00c319ccd_f7172.rev.1500309442.jpg" alt="" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="450" data-max-h="299" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/690-"><p> It’s all Emory & Henry’s Fault</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> “While I was a student, I participated in a teaching abroad program in Brazil that was offered by the college, and I fell in love with the Brazilian culture and people. So I decided to make it my home.” So for 7 years he ran a school that taught English as a second language, and in 2008 he opened his very own such business in Londrina, Brazil, called High School Language Center.  Solving more than one need for the community, his school gives families a chance for constructive child care. “My school offers an alternative to a babysitter for families who think learning another language is important. The kids from ages 2 1/2 and up study 3 hours per day at my school. They have a lot of fun learning.” Look for his school online and you’ll find projects like mystery movies his students produce to practice their English.</p><p> Chris is just one of many alumni who are using their E&H degrees to solve problems. If you know a student who might like to use education to make the world a better place, check out the <a href="https://www.ehc.edu/ampersand/">Ampersand</a> project at Emory & Henry!</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/690-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1893-bobbie-larkins"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,33,512,545/3399_771885.rev.1519915305.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,33,512,545/3399_771885.rev.1519915305.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,33,512,545/3399_771885.rev.1519915305.jpg" alt="Bobbie Frentz Larkins, E&H Class of 2003" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="512" data-max-h="512" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1893-bobbie-larkins"><p> Bobbie Frentz Larkins is a great advocate for connecting E&H students to career possibilities at Eastman Chemical Company.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Bobbie Frentz Larkins received her Bachelors of Science degrees in Chemistry and Biology from Emory & Henry college in May, 2003.  Bobbie taught high school Chemistry and Biology in Washington County, Virginia, from 2003 to 2007.  In 2007, Bobbie joined Eastman Chemical Company as a part of the Specialty Plastics organization.  Currently, Bobbie is a Portfolio Specialist focused on managing the growth portfolio for the Plastics business.<br/><br/> Bobbie joined the E&H Alumni board in 2012 with a passion to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to benefit from an Emory & Henry education.  Bobbie has worked to develop an E&H Alumni network within Eastman Chemical Company as well as provide opportunities for E&H’s science students to interact with Eastman (networking opportunities, plant visits/tours, career mentoring, etc.).<br/><br/> Bobbie also has a focus on service within her community – a value instilled by E&H.  Bobbie was a member of the Kingsport Junior League from 2011 to 2016, a member of the Tri-Cities ALS Association Board of Directors from 2012 to 2015 and is currently an active member of the Tennessee Doberman Rescue and Calvary Church in Johnson City, TN.  Bobbie and her husband, David, are passionate about supporting animal rescues and providing for school-aged children in need.<br/><br/> In her spare time, Bobbie enjoys organic gardening and cooking as well as spending time with her husband, David, their two children, Katie (17) and Andrew (14), and their three dogs Matilda, Brodie and Shadow.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1893-bobbie-larkins" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2582-abby-hathorn"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,185,1326,1510/6069_53294665_1229786347177427_5300967083331289088_n.rev.1553045627.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,185,1326,1510/6069_53294665_1229786347177427_5300967083331289088_n.rev.1553045627.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,185,1326,1510/6069_53294665_1229786347177427_5300967083331289088_n.rev.1553045627.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,185,1326,1510/6069_53294665_1229786347177427_5300967083331289088_n.rev.1553045627.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,185,1326,1510/6069_53294665_1229786347177427_5300967083331289088_n.rev.1553045627.jpg" alt="Abby Hathorn, E&H Class of 2018" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,185,1326,1510/6069_53294665_1229786347177427_5300967083331289088_n.rev.1553045627.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,185,1326,1510/6069_53294665_1229786347177427_5300967083331289088_n.rev.1553045627.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1326" data-max-h="1325" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2582-abby-hathorn"><p> Abby Hathorn is a Social Media Influencer Specialist.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Spend five minutes with Abby Hathorn and you will find yourself completely captivated by the world of sunscreen. “There’s a lot more to sunscreen than people realize…and more than even I realized before I took this job!”</p><p> Abby is the Social Media Influencer Specialist for Crown Laboratories, and works primarily with Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen and PanOxyl. “I work hands-on with influencers on social media and bloggers to create campaigns focused around a specific brand or product. I build and manage these campaigns by strategically recruiting professional bloggers and content writers with traits and engagement statistics that match brand standards and consumer profiles. The goal of these campaigns is to enhance Internet and social-media chatter about a specific product (or products) while also generating revenue growth–often from new demographics.”</p><p> She also gets to  create the graphic design and content-work associated with influencer campaigns – items like the fliers, personalized coupon templates, package inserts, and informational “E-Packets.” “E-Packets are my unique way of ensuring that  partners and ambassadors have the information and checklists needed to properly execute clearly written content and sharp photos that the consumer brands can promote and re-use in social media posts and inbound marketing promotions.”</p><p> Abby isn’t only about marketing and social media: she is intensely well-versed about the product line she’s been hired to promote – and can weave a great description of Blue Lizard’s Australian roots and their commitment to ingredients that won’t do damage to humans or the coral reef.</p><p> The Mass Communications graduate is grateful to former profs like Dr. Teresa Keller, Dr. Mark Finney, and Brent Treash and says her breadth of experience in college has given her flexibility for the work she’s doing now. “Because the Mass Communications program isn’t focused on just one skill set, I was able to learn about marketing before I realized that was the world I would be entering. I was very broadcasting/television focused at E&H as a student; however, I was able to change and adapt after college because I had had classes in social media, marketing and graphic design on top of participating in EHCTV, WEHC 90.7, and electronic media courses.”</p><p> Now she’s learning literally every facet of the work done by her employer and the elements needed to make their products successful. She is writing, blogging, photographing, emailing, and doing a lot of communicating….talking to customers, talking with other marketing partners, talking to people all over the United States. “Being a Mass Communications graduate, it’s obvious I love, love love to communicate!”</p><p> “Overall, this job is teaching me to appreciate every step and every person involved in a company–big or small. From marketing to the lab to the warehouse, every job is important. The marketing staffers recently got recruited to to add neck-tie labels to about 6,000 tubes of sunscreen! Sometimes duty calls: we are a small and growing team, so there has to be willingness to adapt to what’s needed to be done.”</p><p>  </p><p> Abby is another E&H grad who has completed her college days with self-confidence and a unique set of skills. “Emory & Henry College prepared me in so many ways. I was able to soar outside of the walls of Emory & Henry–which I think is every senior’s deathly fear after being involved in such a close-knit community for years.”</p><p>  </p><p><a href="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/1000/6070_53817009_2293269727602631_4509757811609042944_n.jpg" class="lw_preview_image"><picture class="lw_image lw_image6070 lw_align_left lw_column_width_full"><source media="(max-width: 500px)" type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/185/6070_53817009_2293269727602631_4509757811609042944_n.rev.1553045902.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source media="(max-width: 500px)" type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/185/6070_53817009_2293269727602631_4509757811609042944_n.rev.1553045902.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source media="(max-width: 800px)" type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/800/height/296/6070_53817009_2293269727602631_4509757811609042944_n.rev.1553045902.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source media="(max-width: 800px)" type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/800/height/296/6070_53817009_2293269727602631_4509757811609042944_n.rev.1553045902.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source media="(min-width: 801px)" type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/1000/height/370/6070_53817009_2293269727602631_4509757811609042944_n.rev.1553045902.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source media="(min-width: 801px)" type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/1000/height/370/6070_53817009_2293269727602631_4509757811609042944_n.rev.1553045902.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img width="1000" height="370" alt="Abby Hathorn and a coworker doing photography for Blue Lizard Sunscreen promotions." src="/live/image/gid/68/width/1000/height/370/6070_53817009_2293269727602631_4509757811609042944_n.rev.1553045902.jpg" data-max-w="851" data-max-h="315" data-optimized="true"/></picture><span class="lw_image_caption lw_column_width_full lw_align_left" style="width: 1000px">Abby Hathorn and a coworker doing photography for Blue Lizard Sunscreen promotions.</span></a></p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2582-abby-hathorn" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/677-doug-dalton"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,640,640/272_11140356_10154000682162786_5533273719072550783_n.rev.1497276685.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,640,640/272_11140356_10154000682162786_5533273719072550783_n.rev.1497276685.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,640,640/272_11140356_10154000682162786_5533273719072550783_n.rev.1497276685.jpg" alt="" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="640" data-max-h="640" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/677-doug-dalton"><p> Doug Dalton (’94) is More Than Meets The Eye</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Ask anyone who follows Doug Dalton on social media and they’ll tell you that this guy knows how to have a good time. The Fairfax, Va., native is now a dyed-in-the-wool Californian, and photos of him wearing a cheetah suit and going to Burning Man, cocktail parties, and rock concerts might lead you to think he is just a playboy.</p><p> Think again!</p><p> He is also the owner of 9 very successful, very popular, very trendy bars in San Francisco, as well as 3 stores.</p><p> How — and why – does a former “dot com guy” end up as a bar entrepreneur? “I was working at Estee Lauder as the Chief Technology Officer living in San Francisco and New York City. New Yorkers would often speak poorly about San Francisco saying there was nothing interesting to do there. I wanted to contribute to San Francisco because I felt it was a wonderful town. San Francisco at the time was full of incredible restaurants and dive bars but nothing in between, so I ventured to make an elusive but not exclusive high-end bar experience on par with the New York nightlife scene.”</p><p> Doug and his partners venture into areas that some businesses are reluctant to consider (like the Tenderloin District) and his successes are reinvigorating long-ignored areas. “Our bars are bringing new life and other businesses to the area, helping to better them and make them more inviting.”</p><p> If you know a student who is interested in identifying a problem…and working for a solution…encourage him or her to look at Emory & Henry’s Ampersand project. Maybe they’ll grow up and be like Doug Dalton: an answer to community challenge.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/677-doug-dalton" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1430-becky-kurtz"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,232,216/741_kurtz.rev.1507059839.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,232,216/741_kurtz.rev.1507059839.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,232,216/741_kurtz.rev.1507059839.jpg" alt="Becky Kurtz E&H '84" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="232" data-max-h="216" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1430-becky-kurtz"><p> Kurtz is manager of the Atlanta’s Aging & Health Resources Division.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> After a successful stint in the office of U.S. Administration for Community Living, where she served as Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Becky Kurtz is now back in Georgia.</p><div class="m_-8668633278848088304m_-3351044740351875199m_-7072934309234766291gmail-m_8690036448639047984gmail-formattedContent" id="m_-8668633278848088304m_-3351044740351875199m_-7072934309234766291gmail-m_8690036448639047984gmail-ctl01_formattedContent"><div class="m_-8668633278848088304m_-3351044740351875199m_-7072934309234766291gmail-m_8690036448639047984gmail-formattedContent-container" id="m_-8668633278848088304m_-3351044740351875199m_-7072934309234766291gmail-m_8690036448639047984gmail-ctl01_formattedContent_ctl00"><p> IN March, 2017, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) named <span class="il">Becky</span> <span class="il">Kurtz</span> manager of the agency’s Aging & Health Resources Division. <span class="il">Kurtz. She </span>will also serve as the Director of the Atlanta Area Agency on Aging (AAA). <br/><br/> At ARC, <span class="il">Kurtz </span>leads a team of 50 professionals who plan and provide comprehensive services to address the needs of the Atlanta region’s rapidly growing population of older adults and individuals with disabilities. As the Atlanta AAA Director, <span class="il">Kurtz</span> manages the allocation of more than $22 million in federal, state and grant funds annually to community-based organizations and local governments that provide direct services to older adults, persons with disabilities, and their families.<br/><br/><span class="il">Kurtz</span> has been a leader in aging issues at both the federal and state levels. She went to ARC from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, where she served as Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. In this role, she worked to enhance the health, safety and welfare of long-term care facility residents and helped states carry out effective ombudsman programs.  <br/><br/> Previously, she spent 16 years as Georgia’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman and served on the leadership team of the Georgia Division of Aging Services.  She also held leadership roles with the National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs, including a term as president. <br/><br/> A native of western North Carolina, <span class="il">Becky</span> is also a graduate of Columbia University School of Law. </p><p>   </p></div></div></div><a href="/live/profiles/1430-becky-kurtz" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2485-catherine-wiedman"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,115,1876,1989/5777_Catherine_Wiedman_Headshot.rev.1545251220.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,115,1876,1989/5777_Catherine_Wiedman_Headshot.rev.1545251220.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,115,1876,1989/5777_Catherine_Wiedman_Headshot.rev.1545251220.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,115,1876,1989/5777_Catherine_Wiedman_Headshot.rev.1545251220.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,115,1876,1989/5777_Catherine_Wiedman_Headshot.rev.1545251220.jpg" alt="Catherine Wiedman, E&H Class of 2017" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,115,1876,1989/5777_Catherine_Wiedman_Headshot.rev.1545251220.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,115,1876,1989/5777_Catherine_Wiedman_Headshot.rev.1545251220.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1876" data-max-h="1874" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2485-catherine-wiedman"><p> Catherine Wiedman is the Communications Coordinator for the Fairfax Bar Association.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Catherine Wiedman graduated from Emory & Henry in 2017 with degrees in Mass Communications and Philosophy.</p><p> She has wasted no time putting her education to work, and in August of 2018 she became the Communications Coordinator for the Fairfax Bar Association (FBA). The FBA is a professional organization with more than 2,000 practicing attorneys who serve in the Commonwealth of Virginia.<br/><br/> Catherine’s job is to oversee all digital and print media relating to the FBA, draft weekly newsletters to membership, and design flyers, programs, informational sheets, and other marketing materials for organization events. She is also in charge of social media posts and the organization’s website.  And she designs and oversees content for a quarterly magazine.</p><p> Catherine’s college experiences included serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Whitetopper and interning as a reporter for the <em>Smyth County News & Messenger</em>. But she says those things really helped prepare her for what she’s doing in the professional world. “There’s no way to really prepare for the world after graduation, but my experiences at E&H, specifically in the Mass Communications department, definitely provided me with the knowledge and confidence I needed to land this position and succeed in it. My job allows me to use many of the skills I gained in college and express my creativity in order to help people. I think that really exemplifies what we were taught in the MCOM department (but don’t tell Dr. Finney I said that!).”</p><p> (Dr. Mark Finney, by the way, is a mass communications professor at Emory & Henry.)</p><p> She is also busy in her community serving as a volunteer kitten snuggler at the Fairfax County Humane Society.</p><p> Catherine says the best thing about her job is the chance to make a lasting impact on her community.</p><p> “The work I do for the FBA directly affects our efforts in the community. I communicate with our members to gain donations for our Pro Bono program and recruit volunteers for court tours. The FBA offers many wonderful benefits to Fairfax County, and every day I get to communicate those programs in effective and creative ways. Attorneys also send us gift baskets sometimes; that’s pretty great.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2485-catherine-wiedman" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1840-adam-taylor"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/535,58,1256,781/3315_Adam_Taylor.rev.1519072284.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/535,58,1256,781/3315_Adam_Taylor.rev.1519072284.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/535,58,1256,781/3315_Adam_Taylor.rev.1519072284.jpg" alt="Adam Taylor" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/535,58,1256,781/3315_Adam_Taylor.rev.1519072284.jpg 2x" data-max-w="721" data-max-h="723" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1840-adam-taylor"><p> Adam Taylor is director of the Catawba Sustainability Center.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Adam Taylor is the manager of the <a href="http://vtrc.vt.edu/Catawba_Sustainability_Center0.html">Catawba Sustainability Center</a>, which is situated on a 377-acre property in the Catawba Valley and is devoted to environmental education activities.</p><p> The center is a collaboration between Outreach and International Affairs, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Roanoke County.</p><p> Adam previously worked at the West Virginia Farmers Market Association, a statewide organization in West Virginia, where he worked to support and grow West Virginia’s local food economy through project development and management, stakeholder outreach, and policy change.</p><p> Adam also carried out a two-year assignment with the Peace Corps as a forestry Extension agent in Zambia and a yearlong internship on the 100-plus-acre organic farm owned by Dr. Stephen Hopp, Environmental Studies instructor at Emory & Henry, and author Barbara Kingsolver. The farm is highlighted in the book <strong><em>Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life.</em></strong></p><p> A native of Tazewell, Virginia, Taylor earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Emory & Henry College in 2008 and a master’s degree in agriculture from Oklahoma State in 2014.</p><p> One of the projects that Taylor oversees at the Catawba Sustainability Center is a wetlands restoration project, which received a $15,000 grant from the Dominion Foundation.</p><p> The center, in collaboration with Virginia Tech and <a href="http://www.wetlandrestorationandtraining.com/">Wetland Restoration and Training</a>, plans to do three things:</p><ul><li>restore at least three wetlands in an effort to enhance a biologically diverse habitat for sensitive and endangered plant and animal species </li><li>improve water quality of Catawba Creek </li><li>train professionals in wetland design and restoration using techniques that can be replicated to restore wetlands in diverse environments. </li></ul></div><a href="/live/profiles/1840-adam-taylor" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1815-christina-druen"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/233,0,1593,1361/3301_IMG_2692.rev.1518713658.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/233,0,1593,1361/3301_IMG_2692.rev.1518713658.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/233,0,1593,1361/3301_IMG_2692.rev.1518713658.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/233,0,1593,1361/3301_IMG_2692.rev.1518713658.JPG 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/233,0,1593,1361/3301_IMG_2692.rev.1518713658.JPG" alt="Christina Druen, E&H Class of 2016" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/233,0,1593,1361/3301_IMG_2692.rev.1518713658.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/233,0,1593,1361/3301_IMG_2692.rev.1518713658.JPG 3x" data-max-w="1360" data-max-h="1361" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1815-christina-druen"><p> And on top of all this….she can really sing!</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><div> Christina Druen currently works as a graphic designer for K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. In this role, she creates various print materials, social media graphics, videos and other materials for the Food City stores and events they sponsor including the Food City Family Race Night, Food City 500/300, and their Annual Golf Tournament. Before coming to K-VA-T, Christina worked as a Marketing & Design Coordinator for Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems (SVCHS) where she aided in the re-branding of the organization, designed print materials and helped manage their website and social media. Right before graduation, she landed a job working for a NASCAR K&N team, Martin-McClure Racing as their Public Relations Representative. In this role, she managed the team’s social media accounts, escorted drivers to all appearances and helped manage the “Racing for 90.7 and Emory & Henry” project. Simultaneously, she worked for Dogwood Marketing located in Abingdon, Virginia, as a graphic designer and sales representative before coming to SVCHS. </div><div><br/> In her spare time, Christina works as a Marketing & Design Consultant to help smaller local businesses and non-profits with their marketing needs. She has completed work for Family Promise of Bristol, Garic Stephens and Lavelle Manufacturing, Borderline Billiards, Apple Ridge Photography, First Bank & Trust, Emory & Henry College, Clinch Valley Printing, and more. </div><div><br/> Christina also serves as a board member for the American Advertising Federation of Southwest Virginia. As the Communications Team Leader, her responsibilities include getting information out about their events, managing and updating their website, creating graphics and content for their social media platforms, writing press releases, creating email campaigns and aiding in planning events. </div><div><br/> During her time at Emory & Henry, Christina worked as an Events and Operations Intern for the Academy of Country Music in Los Angeles, California, and a Volunteer Captain for the Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Los Vegas. She also interned for a popular local band, Annabelle’s Curse, as well as Family Promise of Bristol as their Communications Intern. On campus, she was the Director of EHC-TV, President of Alpha Psi Omega, President of the E&H Choral Department, Treasurer and Founding Member of the AAF Student Chapter, Business Manager of the Whitetopper, Manager of The Sphinx, House Manager and Volunteer Coordinator for the McGlothlin Center for the Arts, Graphic Design Intern for the Admissions Office, and Writer for The Odyssey Online. </div><div><br/> Christina resides in Abingdon, VA. When she’s not working, you can catch her at Borderline Billiards bar-tending and shooting pool. </div></div><a href="/live/profiles/1815-christina-druen" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1449-peggy-callison"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,305,361/2422_Peggy_Callison.rev.1516637873.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,305,361/2422_Peggy_Callison.rev.1516637873.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,305,361/2422_Peggy_Callison.rev.1516637873.jpg" alt="Peggy Ireson Callison E&H '77" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="305" data-max-h="361" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1449-peggy-callison"><p> Peggy Callison didn’t start college until she was in her 30s…so it is no surprise that she has authored a great book in her retirement. </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Peggy has a great sense of humor about being a more mature author. In 2017, she stated, “Without doubt, I belong to the ‘Grandma Moses’ group of authors.  I am nearing seventy-nine, and I published my first novel in 2015.”</p><p>  </p><p> Peggy has raised her children and had a stellar, 25-year career as a secondary school educator, teaching speech and drama, debate, and creative writing. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Speech from Emory & Henry College, and a Master’s Degree in English from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English, Vermont.  Her final semester was spent at Lincoln College, Oxford, England.  </p><p>  </p><p> Her book, Sock Monkey Doll, reflects her love for the region where she grew up:  in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee.  “My novel reflects the beauty of those majestic mountains and the harshness of cultural expectations.” She is mindful of the fact that she came of age at a time when education and career weren’t always on the list of expectations for young women. “The true stories of the lives of  mountain women need to be written.  My own life could have been very different.  I graduated at the top of my high school class in 1958, and instead of sending me to college, I was told to go find a good man to marry. Not until I had been married  twelve years did I go to college.”</p><p>  </p><p> Peggy’s book is available through Amazon and Books-A-Million.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1449-peggy-callison" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1924-major-warner"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/43,48,449,456/3461_mwarner.rev.1520382856.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/43,48,449,456/3461_mwarner.rev.1520382856.JPG 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/43,48,449,456/3461_mwarner.rev.1520382856.JPG" alt="Major Warner, E&H 1991" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="406" data-max-h="408" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1924-major-warner"><p> Major Warner, a 1991 Emory & Henry graduate, is Associate Superintendent for Instruction with Fauquier County Schools.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Major Warner, a 1991 Emory & Henry graduate, is Associate Superintendent for Instruction with Fauquier County Schools.<br/><br/> He  is a 1987 graduate of Fauquier High School. He was a standout basketball player at Emory & Henry, and is a member of the E&H Sports Hall of Fame. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management.<br/><br/> His work with students began when he worked as an admissions counselor for two years after graduation.  His post graduate work in counseling began with a  two-year program at  Tennessee Tech University, where  he finished ahead of schedule in 1.5 years.   <br/><br/> In 1996, Warner returned to Fauquier County where he worked at Liberty High School as a guidance counselor for four years.   During this time Major began his postgraduate work in Educational Leadership with the University of Virginia,  that would eventually allow him to serve as assistant principal at both Parkview High School in Loudoun County and Battlefield High School in Prince William County.   <br/><br/> He was selected as principal of Kettle Run High School in 2007 serving for 10 years in this capacity.  He currently serves as the Associate Superintendent for Instruction with Fauquier County Schools. <br/><br/> In 2015, Warner won the The Washington’s Post Distinguished Educational Leader from Fauquier County.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1924-major-warner" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2543-dr-clarissa-tatum"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,5,127,132/6005_EASTMAN_u772853_LThumb.rev.1551199284.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,5,127,132/6005_EASTMAN_u772853_LThumb.rev.1551199284.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,5,127,132/6005_EASTMAN_u772853_LThumb.rev.1551199284.jpg" alt="Dr. Clarissa Tatum, E&H Class of 2005." width="345" height="225" data-max-w="127" data-max-h="127" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2543-dr-clarissa-tatum"></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Clarissa Tatum was a chemistry major at Emory & Henry, and played tennis on the varsity team.</p><p> These days she is a research chemist at Eastman Chemical Company focusing on a polymeric fiber product used in a number of applications.  Aside from developing and optimizing product applications, she also oversees the product’s analytical testing lab and provides technical assistance to customers.</p><p> She serves as a representative on the E&H Alumni Board of Directors and is a volunteer for an alumni event called “E&H in the City” where alumni are invited to a happy hour event in order to meet other grads in their neighborhood. In 2018, more than 600 alumni participated in this all-volunteer-led event. </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2543-dr-clarissa-tatum" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2553-dana-hutton"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/13,72,400,458/6046_Dana_Hutton.rev.1552059001.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/13,72,400,458/6046_Dana_Hutton.rev.1552059001.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/13,72,400,458/6046_Dana_Hutton.rev.1552059001.jpg" alt="Dana Broyles Hutton E&H Class of 2007" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="387" data-max-h="386" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2553-dana-hutton"><p> Dana Broyles Hutton is president of Southeastern College West Palm Beach.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Dana Broyles Hutton is president of Southeastern College West Palm Beach.</p><p> Hutton’s career in education began in admissions in at National College in Bristol, Tenn. She was named the school’s rookie of the year for 2008. Hutton received numerous promotions before joining Southeastern College as the regional director of admissions in 2014.</p><p> Two years later, Hutton was tapped for her current role as president. She was instrumental in leading the campus through a reaccreditation visit and introducing two new programs – Cloud and Information Technology and Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Under her leadership, SEC West Palm Beach was named a finalist for the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges (FAPSC) School of the Year in 2018; and Hutton was nominated for FAPSC Administrator of the Year.</p><p> Dana graciously gives a nod to her alma mater for preparing her for this important leadership role.“Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of going to Emory & Henry College and it was the best decision of my life. E&H not only provided me the education but also instilled a student first culture in which has become a core value of mine as an Administrator in higher education.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2553-dana-hutton" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/704-"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,690,390/354_25f3d785419f0eb611f94ba17fd1703d_f1833.rev.1500386495.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,690,390/354_25f3d785419f0eb611f94ba17fd1703d_f1833.rev.1500386495.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,690,390/354_25f3d785419f0eb611f94ba17fd1703d_f1833.rev.1500386495.jpg" alt="" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="690" data-max-h="390" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/704-"><p> Rachel Dunne Finds Unlikely Path in Alaska </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> When Rachel Dunne (’04) was a student at E&H, she pretty much set the woods on fire. Lately, she’s been busy putting out fires. This is truly a young woman who knows how to fire up a Liberal Arts degree. </p><p> This is all a corny way of saying that Rachel has been fighting wildland fires in Alaska.</p><p> A double major in Public Policy & Community Service and Psychology, Rachel was a top notch student with a heart intent on making a difference. And it comes as no surprise that she is finding such a creative means of making her way in the world.  She wanted to pursue work in the area of disaster relief response after graduate school, but needed job experience.  She spent 10 months in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps doing a lot of work in the Gulf region of the U.S. working on Katrina recovery efforts.  She also got sent to a very small town in Arizona where her team was assigned to assistance with brush clearing to prevent wildfires.  Her superiors suggested she come back after AmeriCorps for a job.</p><p> While she only intended to do the job for a year, she stayed for two and a half years honing her skills not only in firefighting and prevention but also in coordinating fire response, GIS, HAZMAT, EMT, and learned how to drive a water tender (please Google this to see how impressive this feat is).</p><p> After Arizona she found an opportunity to continue this good work and to see some of the country’s most beautiful land. She considered Big Sky country, but ended up in Alaska because of their unique challenges in fire logistics. She served as a fire logistics dispatcher for the Alaska Fire Service, which is part of the Bureau of Land Management. In this role, she helped get the people, supplies, and aircraft out to remote areas of Alaska for wildland fires.</p><p> As is wont to happen, while in Alaska, Rachel ran smack into another Emory & Henry person! Daniel Griggs (’07) was there doing similar work and putting his geography background to good use. Giving Dr. John Morgan all the credit for getting him the right start, Daniel says he finds working for the fire service very “real” in the sense that there is “immediate need for accurate geospatial information.”  He ended up in Alaska because he had always wanted to visit the state, so when he got a job offer in Anchorage he jumped at the chance.</p><p> Rachel says folks in her position work seasonally—putting in 6 months of work and then filling the other half of the year with school, other work, travel, or personal projects and hobbies.  While the job sounds pretty cushy, it turns out those six months are pretty demanding.  On a fire assignment, dispatchers and firefighters alike usually work 14 straight days of up to 16 hour shifts.  In many ways, it’s more of a lifestyle than a job.</p><p> So what happens during those long days? This season, Daniel got sent out to the field as a GIS specialist, providing custom real-time maps of fires for the incident decision-makers.  Rachel moved to another dispatch center as an aircraft dispatcher, where she finds the helicopters and planes that support both fires and scientists in interior Alaska and the lower 48.  “It’s not every day you get to say, ‘Yeah, I ordered a jumbo jet at work today’,” says Rachel.  “The best part of the job is the constant challenge—you never know who is going to call or what they are going to need, and it’s great to be able to say, ‘Sure, I can make that happen,’ even when it means getting people or supplies into parts of Alaska your average tourist will never even think about visiting.”</p><p> With these new job demands, Rachel is less “fire fighter” and more “travel agent” – booking flights into all corners of the state.  Whether they are VIPs touring Alaska before making recommendations on energy or land management policy, scientists researching animal habitats and archeological sites, or firefighters protecting Alaska’s assets, everybody knows they’ll have to fly to get to their Alaskan destination.  “I may miss the smell of smoke and getting to do things with my own hands, but what I can do with a phone and a radio allows those professionals to make the difference, and I’m proud to be part of their support network.”</p><p> While Daniel will stay on with Alaska Fire Service in Fairbanks for the near future, Rachel plans to move on after this season ends.  “What’s next? I don’t know, but if you’d told me I was going to be a firefighter or live in Alaska while I was at Emory, I’d have laughed.  I just keep believing in the hope that people can do amazing things when we are willing to take on a challenge, even if it means leaving our comfort zones behind.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/704-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1841-linda-coutant"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg" alt="Dr. Linda Coutant" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2133" data-max-h="2131" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1841-linda-coutant"><p> Linda Coutant is senior editor and writer in the communications office at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><div class="gmail_extra"><div class="gmail_quote"><div id="m_-4766316923025457948m_6126689255754143167pseudoBody"> Dr. Linda Coutant completed her Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) in educational leadership in May 2017 at Appalachian State University, with a research focus on the use of mindfulness and other contemplative practices in higher education.  </div><div></div><div> In December 2017, her research was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Contemplative Inquiry with the title “The Mindful Campus: Organizational Structure and Culture.”  </div><div></div><div> She is senior editor/writer in University Communications at Appalachian State University and teaches journalism as an adjunct instructor in the University’s Department of Communication. </div><div></div></div></div></div><a href="/live/profiles/1841-linda-coutant" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>