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Meet Our Alumni

• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1304-laura-duncan"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,68,1092,1156/1928_IMG-1206.rev.1515599982.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,68,1092,1156/1928_IMG-1206.rev.1515599982.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,68,1092,1156/1928_IMG-1206.rev.1515599982.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,68,1092,1156/1928_IMG-1206.rev.1515599982.JPG 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,68,1092,1156/1928_IMG-1206.rev.1515599982.JPG" alt="Laura Craven Duncan E&H '84" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,68,1092,1156/1928_IMG-1206.rev.1515599982.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,68,1092,1156/1928_IMG-1206.rev.1515599982.JPG 3x" data-max-w="1092" data-max-h="1088" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1304-laura-duncan"><p> Laura Craven Duncan is a teacher with a passion for the environment</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Laura Craven Duncan (’84) is National Board Certified Teacher, but she is not only known for her teaching skills.  Now a first-grade teacher in Perquimans County Schools in North Carolina, Laura formerly taught at Ballentine Elementary in Irmo, South Carolina.  While at Ballentine, she and her classroom were written up in the regional school newsletter for raising more than $3,000 for the South Carolina Sea Turtle Rescue  – a sea turtle hospital located at the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston.  This was their second year to accomplish this impressive feat.<br/><br/> She used the opportunity to teach her class about the plight of this endangered species, and the wonders of this magnificent creature. Students learned about South Carolina’s state reptile, the Loggerhead turtle, and got to see the Loggerhead up close when the senior biologist at the Sea Turtle Rescue visited the school. Her students visited the Sea Turtle Rescue facility to present the check, and to tour the operation. The school’s technology assistant creates sea turtle commercials to be shown during the school news each morning so that everyone in the school can learn about turtles.  Laura said the televisions spots had a dual purpose. “The commercials were so important to our students because they not only helped us advertise our fundraiser, but they also allowed students to share ways we can all make a difference in helping save the turtles.”  <br/><br/> Each year the class put together an item to sell that displays original artwork by the students –a calendar, a magnet, a book. One year they made reusable shopping bags which also encouraged less use of plastic bags.  (Bags floating in the water look like the sea creature that is a major part of a turtle’s diet:  jellyfish.)<br/><br/> “This experience impacted every child and showed them the importance of how we can protect endangered species. They are learning while making a positive difference for the environment.”<br/><br/> Now in a new school system, she received a grant in 2017 to take all the school’s first graders to the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island this semester.”Most of our students have never been to the beach, only 55 miles away, or explored any of our county’s 100 miles of shoreline.It will be the chance of a lifetime for many.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1304-laura-duncan" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2720-jelani-patterson"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,54,426,480/6497_jelani.rev.1561996179.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,54,426,480/6497_jelani.rev.1561996179.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,54,426,480/6497_jelani.rev.1561996179.jpg" alt="Jelani Patterson" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="426" data-max-h="426" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2720-jelani-patterson"><p> Jelani Patterson owns and operates “Exit Strategy” in Charlotte, North Carolina.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Jelani Patterson is a member of the Emory & Henry Class of 2003 and a businessman in Charlotte, North Carolina. He owns and operates “Exit Strategy” – an escape room business where friends and, often, co-workers attempt to find their way out of a locked room by using cryptic clues and hidden hints.</p><p> Jelani was inducted into the Emory & Henry Sports Hall of Fame, in 2018 for his accomplishments as an E&H football player. He played defensive end, and was part of the team that won the ODAC Championship in 2000. He is still in the record books at Emory & Henry for number of sacks in a single season (13) and number of career sacks (28). He was First Team all ODAC, First Team All-American AFCA, and Third Team All-American D3Football.com.</p><p> Jelani is a former police officer for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. He won the chief’s award for graduating at the top of his class: #1 out of 72 recruits.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2720-jelani-patterson" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2878-thomas-nelson"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/100,0,500,400/6696_Thomas_Nelson.rev.1565219739.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/100,0,500,400/6696_Thomas_Nelson.rev.1565219739.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/100,0,500,400/6696_Thomas_Nelson.rev.1565219739.jpg" alt="Thomas Nelson being inducted into the E&H Sports Hall of Fame." width="345" height="225" data-max-w="400" data-max-h="400" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2878-thomas-nelson"><p> Thomas Nelson is a coach and teacher at Murphy High School in North Carolina.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Thomas Nelson, E&H Class of 1998, is a teacher and football coach at Murphy High School in Murphy, North Carolina. He is also a personal fitness trainer at Murphy Health and Fitness.</p><p> Thomas was inducted into the E&H Sports Hall of Fame in  2011 for his versatile performance as a defensive back, defensive lineman, fullback, and offensive lineman. He was a four-year letter winner and accumulated 16 career interceptions, and has held the ODAC record for interceptions in a season (9) and interceptions in a game (4). He was a two-time All-ODAC First Team, All-State College Division, and All-South Region honoree. Additionally, Nelson was named Second Team Hewlett Packard All-America, as well as to the Burger King, Kodak, and Dan Hansen’s Football Gazette All-America First Teams.</p><p> In addition to his athletic pursuits, Nelson was a member of Habitat for Humanity and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also participated in the NCAA Youth Education through Sports (YES) program while he was in college.</p><p> After graduating, Nelson remained at Emory & Henry for eight years, serving as assistant football coach, head softball coach, intramural director, area coordinator, and strength & conditioning coordinator, before leaving to pursue a career in secondary education and coaching. In the 2010-11 academic year, he was named Murphy High School Teacher of the Year. </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2878-thomas-nelson" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/811-karen-todd"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/573_Karen_Griffey_Todd_EH_84.rev.1505494592.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/573_Karen_Griffey_Todd_EH_84.rev.1505494592.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/573_Karen_Griffey_Todd_EH_84.rev.1505494592.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/573_Karen_Griffey_Todd_EH_84.rev.1505494592.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/573_Karen_Griffey_Todd_EH_84.rev.1505494592.jpg" alt="Karen Griffey Todd poses with Rothschild, the carousel giraffe she adopted." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/573_Karen_Griffey_Todd_EH_84.rev.1505494592.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2400,3200/573_Karen_Griffey_Todd_EH_84.rev.1505494592.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2400" data-max-h="3200" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/811-karen-todd"><p> A tall tale of giraffes and philanthropy.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><blockquote><p><strong>It’s a tall tale.</strong></p></blockquote><p> When the City of Kingsport was building a carousel, they needed sponsors for the array animals that would soon be running in circles to the delight of young and old. When Karen Griffey Todd (’84) heard there was a giraffe that needed a sponsor, she was ready to step up.<br/><br/> On a trip to Africa in 2001 she fell in love with the long-necked creatures, and now she feels passionate about the real ones and the wooden one that delights children on Kingsport’s now-famous Carousel.<br/><br/><picture class="lw_image lw_image574 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/750/574_Kingsport_Carousel_Giraffe.rev.1505494593.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/750/574_Kingsport_Carousel_Giraffe.rev.1505494593.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img width="500" height="750" alt="Rothschild the Giraffe stands tall on the Kingsport Carousel" data-caption="Rothschild the Giraffe stands tall on the Kingsport Carousel" src="/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/750/574_Kingsport_Carousel_Giraffe.rev.1505494593.jpg" title="Kingsport Carousel Giraffe" data-max-w="683" data-max-h="1024" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture><span class="lw_image_caption lw_column_width_half lw_align_left" style="width: 500px">Rothschild the Giraffe stands tall on the Kingsport Carousel</span>“I will never forget the very first time I saw one in the wild in Tanzania. Then I started reading & learning about them & found that no one had really studied them that much. I was lucky enough to go back to Africa in 2014 to see them in Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe. They are already extinct in several African countries. The giraffe is now considered a “vulnerable” species for wildlife conservation with a few of the subspecies being endangered, including the Rothschild giraffe found in Kenya.”<br/><br/> In fact, Rothschild is the name Karen gave to her Carousel giraffe.  Hopefully, folks will give a second thought to the serious plight of Rothschild’s real ancestors as they take a turn for fun.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/811-karen-todd" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/675-"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,960/269_1912405_682582264006_8756799307793601402_n.rev.1496850332.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,960/269_1912405_682582264006_8756799307793601402_n.rev.1496850332.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,960/269_1912405_682582264006_8756799307793601402_n.rev.1496850332.jpg" alt="Anne Ryan Driscoll (right)." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,960/269_1912405_682582264006_8756799307793601402_n.rev.1496850332.jpg 2x" data-max-w="960" data-max-h="960" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/675-"><p> Anne Ryan Driscoll ’06 Honored for her Teaching and Research at Virginia Tech</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> A press release from Virginia Tech has announced the 2016 Dr. Carroll B. Shannon Excellence in Teaching Awards presented to faculty members in the College of Science and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.</p><p> Emory & Henry’s Anne Ryan Driscoll (’06) was among the honorees for her work in the Department of Statistics.</p><p> Anne majored in Mathematics and Physics at Emory & Henry and played basketball and tennis as a student athlete, and did all this while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. Anne was a 3-time ODAC All-Academic selection and a 2-time ITA Scholar Athlete. She and her tennis teammates finished 2nd in both the ODAC regular season and in the ODAC Championship tournament in her junior year, where she played #5 singles and #3 doubles. Anne was also a member of Kappa Phi Alpha sorority and Sigma Mu Honor Society.</p><p> After graduation, Anne went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Statistics and a Ph.D. in Statistics from Virginia Tech. She currently works as an Assistant Professor of Practice at Virginia Tech teaching both undergraduate and graduate level courses in research and statistics. Anne has received other professional awards at Tech that honor her Outstanding Departmental Citizenship and twice was selected for an Excellence in Teaching award. She has published numerous scholarly articles related to research methodology and statistics. Additionally, Anne has collaborated on projects for the Department of Defense and with NASA.</p><p> An excerpt from the press release is listed below, and you may read the entire press release at the Virginia Tech webpage <a href="http://vtnews.vt.edu/content/vtnews_vt_edu/en/articles/2016/08/science-shannonteachingaward.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</p><p> August 3, 2016 – Four Virginia Tech faculty with the <a href="http://liberalarts.vt.edu/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">College of Science and College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences</a> have received the 2016 Dr. Carroll B. Shannon Excellence in Teaching Award.</p><p> The awards were presented to: Anne Ryan Driscoll, an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Statistics; Michel Pleimling, a professor with the Department of Physics and director of the Academy of Integrated Science; and Gordon Yee, an associate professor with the Department of Chemistry, all in the College of Science; and Marian Mollin, an associate professor in the Department of History, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.</p><p><br/> The award is made possible by an endowment established by Peter and Carroll Shannon, of Wilmington, Delaware, and is given annually to College of Science and College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences faculty members who demonstrate outstanding teaching skills, innovative methods, and dedication to learning. The colleges once formed the College of Arts and Sciences, which split in 2002.</p><p><br/> “Virginia Tech gave me the opportunity to become someone who I would never have become if it had not been for the university,” said Peter Shannon, who graduated from Virginia Tech in 1969 with a general science degree and who named the award in honor of his wife, Carroll, an educator for her entire career.</p><p><br/> “Outstanding teachers have the opportunity to be change agents in the lives of students. They inspire a love of learning, encourage students to reach their potential and discover their career path,” said Carroll Shannon, who worked in education for the state of Delaware. “Most importantly, they guide students in becoming contributing members of society who will impact positively the lives of others.”</p><p><strong>Anne Driscoll</strong><br/> Since joining Virginia Tech’s faculty in 2011, Driscoll has taught eight courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the <a href="http://www.stat.vt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Department of Statistics</a>. She also has collaborated on projects for the U.S. Department of Defense and with NASA, and she chairs the department’s corporate partners program, which is a cooperative outreach venture that links the department with 11 different companies.</p><p> Of Driscoll’s nomination, the college committee said, “The committee was particularly impressed with the strength of your teaching’s impact on your students and their careers.” Her research focuses on statistical process control, health care surveillance, and industrial statistics.</p><p> She earned dual bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and physics from Emory & Henry College in 2006, followed by master’s and doctoral degrees in statistics from Virginia Tech in, respectively, 2007 and 2011. Her awards won at Virginia Tech include the Jesse C. Arnold Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2010-2011, and the Rose Costain Award for Outstanding Departmental Citizenship, 2010.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/675-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2568-jerry-york"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1536,1536/6061_jerry_york.rev.1552495017.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1536,1536/6061_jerry_york.rev.1552495017.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1536,1536/6061_jerry_york.rev.1552495017.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1536,1536/6061_jerry_york.rev.1552495017.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1536,1536/6061_jerry_york.rev.1552495017.jpg" alt="Jerry York, Class of 1984, with his fiance while visiting Bavaria." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1536,1536/6061_jerry_york.rev.1552495017.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1536,1536/6061_jerry_york.rev.1552495017.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1536" data-max-h="1536" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2568-jerry-york"><p> Jerry York is working around the world while serving American military personnel </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Jerry York is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®, and works through the Zeider’s company as a personal financial counselor helping our active duty military with financial literacy, debt reduction, budgeting, investing, estate planning, retirement, etc. Zeider’s is a veteran-owned government contractor that provides human services solutions to military and veteran communities.  He has worked in various locations around the world, and currently lives in Grafenwoehr, Germany.</p><p> A Business and Economics major at Emory & Henry, he got his start with Alex Brown & Sons. Eventually, he ran his own financial services firm, JD York, in Richmond, Virginia. He says Emory & Henry gave him just the start he needed to get his career underway. “At Emory & Henry, professors took the time to know and listen to my desires in education and career.  Dave Collins let me do an independent study in financial statement analysis which helped me pursue a career in the financial services industry.”</p><p> Jerry loves his work, and is proud of who he gets to work with. “It is a privilege to be able to help those who protect our right to pursue happiness participate in making their own American dream a reality.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2568-jerry-york" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2313-nicole-osborne"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/219,37,614,432/4595_Bambi.rev.1536937336.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/219,37,614,432/4595_Bambi.rev.1536937336.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/219,37,614,432/4595_Bambi.rev.1536937336.jpg" alt="Nicole Osborne is a 2003 E&H grad with the Waller law firm." width="345" height="225" data-max-w="395" data-max-h="395" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2313-nicole-osborne"><p> Nicole Osborne has created a reputation for excellence in law and government affairs.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Nicole (Bambi) Osborne (E&H ’03) is an attorney in the Government Relations segment in the Chattanooga office of the Nashville-based Waller law firm. Waller is a provider of legal services to the healthcare, financial services, retail and hospitality industries. Nicole has had years of experience  as an attorney and lobbyist, representing client interests with elected officials in the Tennessee General Assembly, the United States Congress and government officials in local, state and federal agencies.</p><p> Representing corporate clients, industry groups, professional associations and not-for-profit organizations, Nicole’s experience includes drafting and negotiating legislation, assisting with regulatory and rulemaking compliance strategy and traditional lobbying to the state legislature, the state executive branch, congressional representatives, state and federal agencies, city councils, county officials and community leaders. Additionally, she monitors legislative developments and educates clients on legislative processes, procedures and progress. She also manages political action committees (PACs) and fundraising programs for clients and provides guidance on grassroots advocacy efforts and the development of coalitions.</p><p> Prior to joining Waller, Osborne led government relations, public policy and economic development initiatives for a Chattanooga-based law firm. Earlier in her career, she gained valuable government and regulatory affairs experience with the Tennessee American Water Company and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. While earning her J.D. from Regent University Law School, Osborne served as a Federal Government Affairs Summer Associate for the National Rifle Association and a Government Relations Intern for a leading bipartisan government relations firm in Washington, D.C. Before attending law school, she served as a congressional intern on Capitol Hill for United States Senators George Allen (R-Va.) and John Warner (R-Va.).</p><p> Active in civic and community organizations in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, Osborne currently serves as president of the Junior League of Chattanooga. She is a graduate of the Women Mentoring Women program at the Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute. Additionally, she is a member of the Board of Directors of the Cherokee Area Council of Boy Scouts of America. Osborne is a member of the Chattanooga Rotary Club and an appointed member of Hamilton County Read 20, a public-private partnership that promotes the importance of reading with children.</p><p> She double-majored in Mass Communications and Political Science at Emory & Henry, and continues to be active with her alma mater as an alumni association event volunteer.</p><p> When asked which of her E&H experiences best prepared her for the work she’s doing now she says: ”From honing my research and writing skills in my political science and mass communications classes (looking at you, Dr. Samir Saliba and Dr. Teresa Keller) to landing an internship on Capitol Hill in D.C. with the help of former E&H President, Dr. Tom Morris, my time at E&H not only prepared me for my current career, but life in general. When I arrived at law school I was equipped with the skills I needed to succeed because of E&H. When I entered the workforce I was equipped with the skill sets needed because of E&H. AND, I have some of my best, lifelong friends because of E&H. Simply put: I loved my time at E&H and it helped prepare me in all aspects of life.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2313-nicole-osborne" 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/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/3035-noah-hayden"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,118,1372,1490/7202_Noah__Stephanie_1.rev.1575494231.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,118,1372,1490/7202_Noah__Stephanie_1.rev.1575494231.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,118,1372,1490/7202_Noah__Stephanie_1.rev.1575494231.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,118,1372,1490/7202_Noah__Stephanie_1.rev.1575494231.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,118,1372,1490/7202_Noah__Stephanie_1.rev.1575494231.jpg" alt="Noah Hayden, E&H Class of 2011" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,118,1372,1490/7202_Noah__Stephanie_1.rev.1575494231.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,118,1372,1490/7202_Noah__Stephanie_1.rev.1575494231.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1372" data-max-h="1372" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/3035-noah-hayden"><p> Noah is serving in the U.S. Army.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Noah Hayden’s accomplishments since graduation make it seem like he’s been out of school for a very long time. But, he only graduated in 2011.<br/><br/> He quickly earned an MS in communication from North Carolina State University and then joined the Army. “I joined the Army because I wanted to make a tangible difference in the world in a complex and demanding environment.”<br/><br/> He describes himself as “an adrenaline junkie” who enjoyed the grueling workouts required by the E&H basketball program. In addition to playing sports, he also completed multiple internships while a student. “Dr. Teresa Keller set me up with awesome internships at Johnston Memorial Hospital and The Corporate Image while at Emory & Henry. I got to experience working in the public relations world. I loved it but wanted something more physically demanding. Before the Army I had traveled across the world, spending a summer in Italy, rebuilding houses in Haiti, teaching English in China, and playing semi-professional basketball in the Middle East.”<br/><br/> Noah commissioned as an Infantry Officer in 2013, and had his choice of jobs to pursue in the Army. “I chose the infantry because it was the most difficult.”<br/><br/> As a rifle platoon leader, he was directly responsible for the training, development and combat readiness of a 42-man infantry platoon. He was responsible for the accountability of $5.5 million of military equipment, and was ultimately responsible to prepare his team to deploy anywhere in the world.<br/><br/> As a heavy weapons platoon leader, he was responsible for the training, development and combat readiness of a 19-man specialty platoon with 5 vehicles (HMMWVs) and $8 million of military equipment. Again, he was ultimately responsible to prepare them to deploy anywhere in the world.<br/><br/> After his third platoon, he became a rifle company executive officer and worked directly for a Captain (Company Commander) and reported to the battalion executive officer (major). He resourced, planned and facilitated operational readiness while managing the logistics and supply chain of a 130 Soldier rifle company, and was accountable for $15 million of military equipment.<br/><br/> “My mass communication experience has been incredibly useful. As a rifle platoon leader, we walked everywhere, relying on hand-held radios. As a heavy weapons platoon leader, we operated out of vehicles, utilizing additional communication platforms. Public speaking is a dying skill and I easily out-performed many of my peers. Hosting a radio show and television show at Emory directly translated to my everyday job. The hands-on experience and ability to troubleshoot any communication platform prepared me for the Army’s equipment. It is imperative that I am able to speak clearly and concisely. Emory & Henry helped prepare me for that.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/3035-noah-hayden" 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/1746-cathy-large"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/201,93,535,426/3153_cuskey_large.rev.1518207527.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/201,93,535,426/3153_cuskey_large.rev.1518207527.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/201,93,535,426/3153_cuskey_large.rev.1518207527.jpg" alt="Cathy Cuskey Large" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="334" data-max-h="333" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1746-cathy-large"></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Cathy Cuskey Large (’93) used to avoid physics like the plague: so, of course, she is now flourishing as a Medical Physicist.</p><p> “I took physics in high school and just hated it. But I had a teacher at Virginia Highlands Community College who made me love it.”</p><p> So she transferred to Emory & Henry, graduated with a major in physics and a minor in math, and then headed to UT for a master’s in physics. While there she ventured into the engineering department to explore a more applications-based area of physics (less theoretic), and that’s where she first heard about medical physics. She’s never looked back.</p><p> She has worked at the clinic level where she had to implement logistics necessary to make it safe for cancer patients and health workers to be around radiation treatment. “We even have to take into consideration someone who might be working on the roof on a given day.”</p><p> Her work there involved everything from selecting proper building materials to measuring wall widths. These days she’s working for Phillips Medical as a consultant, and is writing algorithms for the administration of radiation. “It’s a great career, and there aren’t a lot of people doing this – so there are great opportunities for new grads.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1746-cathy-large" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2706-zach-hupp"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/438,0,1298,859/6403_IMG_3293.rev.1558644302.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/438,0,1298,859/6403_IMG_3293.rev.1558644302.JPG 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/438,0,1298,859/6403_IMG_3293.rev.1558644302.JPG" alt="Zach Hupp and fraternity brother, Dale McGlothlin, at Zach's advancement ceremony." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/438,0,1298,859/6403_IMG_3293.rev.1558644302.JPG 2x" data-max-w="860" data-max-h="859" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2706-zach-hupp"><p> Zach Hupp is a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Coast Guard.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Zach Hupp is a Petty Officer 3^rd Class for the U.S. Coast Guard and serves as a Public Affairs Specialist.</p><p> “I work in the Public Affairs office of the First Coast Guard District with two other petty officers, and the three of us are the primary spokespeople for the Northeast region of the U.S., including Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, most of New York and parts of northern New Jersey. My team is responsible for telling the Coast Guard story; some days that means taking photos or videos of our cutters and stations around the Northeast, some days we are doing live on-camera interviews about cases involving the Coast Guard, and some days we are flying on helicopters as part of a response to a national disaster. With each of those things, we are the ones that make sure the Coast Guard looks good.”<br/><br/> Zach is no stranger to military service; his grandfather retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1970 after serving for over 20 years. “When I was in high school, I thought it would be cool to follow in his footsteps. But when I told him my plan, he sat me down and said, ‘I have seen what the Marines can do to a young boy, and I want more than that for you.’ To me, that meant I was going to college instead!”</p><p> So he landed at Emory & Henry, but his junior year he decided to join the Coast Guard.  But there was a hitch: he was carrying a little too much weight to meet the Coast Guard’s physical qualifications.</p><p> So, he finished his Emory & Henry Mass Communications degree, and then worked for awhile as a financial analyst for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as a team-member of CGI Federal. He loved the work and his team, but he never stopped thinking about the Coast Guard, so he got in shape– and lost about 75 pounds.</p><p><a href="/live/image/gid/68/height/667/6402_IMG_3288.JPG" class="lw_preview_image"><picture class="lw_image lw_image6402 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/500/height/667/6402_IMG_3288.rev.1558644278.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/500/height/667/6402_IMG_3288.rev.1558644278.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/500/height/667/6402_IMG_3288.rev.1558644278.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/500/height/667/6402_IMG_3288.rev.1558644278.JPG 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img width="500" height="667" alt="Zach Hupp at a military ceremony with his family and fraternity brother, Dale McGlothlin." data-caption="Zach Hupp at his military advancement ceremony with his daughter Lennox, wife Olivia, and fraternity brother, Dale McGlothlin." src="/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/667/6402_IMG_3288.rev.1558644278.JPG" title="Zach Hupp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/500/height/667/6402_IMG_3288.rev.1558644278.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/500/height/667/6402_IMG_3288.rev.1558644278.JPG 3x" data-max-w="2400" data-max-h="3200" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a>In the Coast Guard, he has served on an 87-foot patrol boat (Coast Guard Cutter HERON) in Virginia Beach, VA. He has done a lot of Search-and-Rescue and Law Enforcement work and eventually was sent to school at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Charleston, SC to train and qualify as a Coast Guard Boarding Team member. “That qualification was my first real step towards law enforcement. I was also taking every opportunity to become as knowledgeable as I could about the Coast Guard.”</p><p> He was eventually deployed to Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA), which is a forward-deployed unit consisting of six 110-foot patrol boats and a shoreside support unit based in Manama, Bahrain. Zach says he didn’t know what to expect there. “There is no real way to describe how hot it gets in the middle east, short of experiencing it first-hand. While there, I was stationed on Coast Guard Cutter MAUI with 21 other crew members. We patrolled the Arabian Gulf, often making stops in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qatar, and Oman. Some of our missions there included escorting Army and/or Navy vessels through the gulf, interdicting migrants and drugs, collecting pattern-of-life data, and building community with the local fishing fleet.”</p><p> Zach liked law enforcement, but he found himself taking pictures and videos in his spare time until one day he left the Middle East and went to the Defense Information School located in Fort Meade, Maryland. He took a course to become a Public Affairs Specialist, and transferred to Boston, Massachusetts, and that’s where he is stationed now.</p><p> “Being in public affairs for the Coast Guard is important to me because it lets me use my skills to tell people all of the great things that the smallest branch of the armed forces does. I have been able to meet senators, congressmen, and many other prominent political figures just in the first six months of being in Boston. I have prepared senior officers for on-camera interviews on national television. I get to write the press releases, take the pictures, and go on camera for major events in our area. I spent two weeks as gathering information and imagery during and after Hurricane Florence, traveling between the storm-ravaged Conway, South Carolina and the flooded towns of eastern-North Carolina. All of that comes back to being able to be a story teller, to be a voice when otherwise there may not be. I love being able to use my skills in a way that makes a difference, and as cliché as it sounds, I get to highlight the great things that the men and women of the Coast Guard do every day.”</p><p> And it all started with a little Mass Communications 101 course at Emory & Henry.</p><p> “When I was at Emory, I started as a math major. It wasn’t until my 4^th semester that I took MCOM-101 with Dr. Teresa Keller and found out that communications was pretty fun! I switched majors. Because the classes at Emory make you so well rounded, I attribute a lot of my success in press releases to the fact that Dr. Kasoma never gave me an easy grade in Writing, Reporting, and Editing. I attribute my love for making videos to Dr. Keller always driving me to do better. I am thankful every day for the education I was able to get at Emory & Henry; from the professors who always saw through my excuses and knew I could give more effort, to the lifelong friends I met along the way. I always tell people that an education from Emory is more than ‘paying for a degree,’ but rather it’s the experiences of a small school in a beautiful area that makes it so unique. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words: In the end, my degree is but a few lines of text culminating from a million memories.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2706-zach-hupp" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2963-homecoming-contest"></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p><a href="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/650/4903_IMG-1479.JPG" class="lw_preview_image"><picture class="lw_image lw_image4903 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/500/height/376/4903_IMG-1479.rev.1540254881.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/500/height/376/4903_IMG-1479.rev.1540254881.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/500/height/376/4903_IMG-1479.rev.1540254881.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/500/height/376/4903_IMG-1479.rev.1540254881.JPG 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img width="500" height="376" alt="Friends reconnecting on Homecoming Day, 2018." src="/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/376/4903_IMG-1479.rev.1540254881.JPG" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/500/height/376/4903_IMG-1479.rev.1540254881.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/500/height/376/4903_IMG-1479.rev.1540254881.JPG 3x" data-max-w="3088" data-max-h="2320" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a>Homecoming is about alumni coming back to visit friends and see their old college. They want to hear what’s going on at Emory & Henry! They want to see what’s new on campus! They want to know about current students and what they’re doing!</p><p><strong>But how much do you know about alumni?</strong></p><p><strong><a href="/live/blurbs/1269-more-emory-henry-alumni-stories" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CLICK HERE</a> to find a bunch of stories about former students.</strong></p><p> If you will share your favorite E&H alumni story on social media, you’ll be in the running for great prizes: an E&H blanket and more!!</p><p> So read a cool story…share that story with your friends…and screen shot it to share with the alumni office: 276-944-3516 or <a href="mailto:alumni@ehc.edu">alumni@ehc.edu</a>.</p><p> And let’s get to know our E&H alumni this Homecoming!</p><p>  </p><p> Please note: This contest is only for current students…not alumni. Sorry! :)<br/> Please include your name and current class year when you submit your entry. </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2963-homecoming-contest" 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>