Thuy Rocco, author of “The Last Surviving Child: A Memoir”

Posted March 08, 2022 by Monica Hoel

Nashville native Thuy Nguyen Rocco had never travelled the world until she came to Emory & Henry; and yet, she spent her first days in this world as an international refugee.

Thuy was born in Vietnam in 1980. Her family had helped the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war, so when the United States left it became crucial for people like Thuy’s family to leave the country. “We were considered traitors, so it would have been a death sentence to stay in Vietnam.”

But leaving wasn’t easy. Those wishing to leave had to know the right connections, they had to have money, and they had to avoid imprisonment and death.

Thuy’s family found an opportunity to leave, by boat, but they had a particularly difficult decision to make. Thuy’s mom was pregnant, with her, and couldn’t possibly make the difficult trip by boat. Her father didn’t want to leave part of the family behind, but he also didn’t want to miss the chance to get even part of his family to safety. So, Thuy’s father, her two brothers, her sister, and an aunt who spoke English left by boat to escape the death-sentence of staying in their home country.

But the boat capsized. Thuy’s father, aunt and all siblings died. Thuy’s mother was faced with having to deal with her grief while also giving birth to a child in a country where she knew they weren’t safe.

Thuy has written a book at this experience called The Last Surviving Child: A Memoir that tells of the harrowing experiences of her early childhood and her mother’s commitment to getting them to safer shores. “It took my mother seven tries to escape Vietnam, and she was imprisoned more than once for attempting to leave.”

Thuy remembers part of the escape journey – being terrified of getting caught and having to hide under mounds of fish on a fishing ferry. “I was only 1 or 2 years old. And sometimes we got caught trying to escape because I would cry.”

She also remembers being in the refugee camps along the way – where they didn’t have enough to eat, drank dirty water, and slept so close together with other families that illnesses passed easily and quickly. “A lot of kids didn’t survive the refugee camps.”

It was more than 30 years after these experiences that Thuy summoned the courage to write about what she and her mother had survived. She hoped that telling her story would provide an avenue of understanding for those who had never experienced such hardship; and she hoped it would offer strength and reassurance to others who had.

“When the book first came out, it got a lot of media attention and I got to do a lot of prestigious, high profile events; but my favorite moments were one-on-one conversations with young immigrants and refugees who said, ‘I know your story because I lived it. Thank you for sharing your story so I wouldn’t feel like the only one in the world.” She now leads workshops to help other refugees write their own stories.

Thuy encourages us to use local booksellers to order her book The Last Surviving Child: A Memoir. You can enjoy an extended conversation with Thuy on the Duck Pond Wall podcast, and her on-campus Lyceum talk will be at 7:30 pm on March 14, 2022.

Open gallery

Thuy Nguyen Rocco
E&H Class of 2002
“Author, consultant, activist, polyglot, martial artist, iron cook, life-long learner, teacher, storyteller”

More News

<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2760-david-graybeal-has-published-a-book-faith-in-the"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1365,2048/13395_David_graybeal_1.rev.1676671868.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1365,2048/13395_David_graybeal_1.rev.1676671868.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1365,2048/13395_David_graybeal_1.rev.1676671868.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1365,2048/13395_David_graybeal_1.rev.1676671868.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1365,2048/13395_David_graybeal_1.rev.1676671868.jpg" alt="Rev. David Graybeal E&H Class of 1995" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1365,2048/13395_David_graybeal_1.rev.1676671868.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1365,2048/13395_David_graybeal_1.rev.1676671868.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1365" data-max-h="2048" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2760-david-graybeal-has-published-a-book-faith-in-the">David Graybeal Has Published a Book: Faith in the West Wing</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p> Rev. David Graybeal has just published a book called <em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089565096055">Faith in the West Wing</a></em> that deals specifically with the presidency of Jed Bartlet. Do you not remember that U.S. President?</p><a href="/live/news/2760-david-graybeal-has-published-a-book-faith-in-the" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1089-michael-shipley-is-serving-the-us-army"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,48,1113,1161/7227_70f32a45-9878-4491-8077-bd32ad638569_1.rev.1576081946.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,48,1113,1161/7227_70f32a45-9878-4491-8077-bd32ad638569_1.rev.1576081946.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,48,1113,1161/7227_70f32a45-9878-4491-8077-bd32ad638569_1.rev.1576081946.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,48,1113,1161/7227_70f32a45-9878-4491-8077-bd32ad638569_1.rev.1576081946.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,48,1113,1161/7227_70f32a45-9878-4491-8077-bd32ad638569_1.rev.1576081946.jpg" alt="Michael Shipley (E&H '13) and his wife Nicolette and daughter Elizabeth." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,48,1113,1161/7227_70f32a45-9878-4491-8077-bd32ad638569_1.rev.1576081946.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,48,1113,1161/7227_70f32a45-9878-4491-8077-bd32ad638569_1.rev.1576081946.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1113" data-max-h="1113" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1089-michael-shipley-is-serving-the-us-army">Michael Shipley is Serving the US Army</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> He is a Company Executive Officer in the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy. <a href="/live/news/1089-michael-shipley-is-serving-the-us-army" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1546-kishanna-caesar-heyward-says-credit-is-queen"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,11,300,312/9072_Kishanna_Heyward.rev.1705252474.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,11,300,312/9072_Kishanna_Heyward.rev.1705252474.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,11,300,312/9072_Kishanna_Heyward.rev.1705252474.jpg" alt="Kishanna Caesar Heyward, Emory & Henry Class of 2008." width="345" height="225" data-max-w="300" data-max-h="301" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1546-kishanna-caesar-heyward-says-credit-is-queen">Kishanna Caesar Heyward says, “Credit is Queen, Charlene!”</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Color me better informed about how credit works. <a href="/live/news/1546-kishanna-caesar-heyward-says-credit-is-queen" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/191-marsha-wagoner-kayaking-into-the-sunset"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.JPG 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.JPG" alt="Marsha Wagoner at Farmer's Hardware in Sparta, NC." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2400/1727_IMG-4387.rev.1513886589.JPG 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2400" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/191-marsha-wagoner-kayaking-into-the-sunset">Marsha Wagoner: Kayaking into the sunset??</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> After 80 years in business, Farmer’s Hardware in Sparta is saying goodnight. <a href="/live/news/191-marsha-wagoner-kayaking-into-the-sunset" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1216-abingdon-farmers-market-is-open-with-a-twist"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/934,478,2579,2119/8046_IMG_9596_1.rev.1587141136.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/934,478,2579,2119/8046_IMG_9596_1.rev.1587141136.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/934,478,2579,2119/8046_IMG_9596_1.rev.1587141136.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/934,478,2579,2119/8046_IMG_9596_1.rev.1587141136.JPG 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/934,478,2579,2119/8046_IMG_9596_1.rev.1587141136.JPG" alt="The Abingdon Farmers Market at Berry Home Center in Abingdon." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/934,478,2579,2119/8046_IMG_9596_1.rev.1587141136.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/934,478,2579,2119/8046_IMG_9596_1.rev.1587141136.JPG 3x" data-max-w="1645" data-max-h="1641" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1216-abingdon-farmers-market-is-open-with-a-twist">Abingdon Farmer’s Market is Open – with a Twist</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Kyra (’77) and Tom (’75) Bishop are providing a safe way for local farmers to offer curbside service. <a href="/live/news/1216-abingdon-farmers-market-is-open-with-a-twist" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2214-eamph-friends-on-center-stage"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/119,0,919,800/10834_Free_Spirit_photo.rev.1645106838.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/119,0,919,800/10834_Free_Spirit_photo.rev.1645106838.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/119,0,919,800/10834_Free_Spirit_photo.rev.1645106838.jpg" alt="The cast of Love, Loss, and What She Wore performed at the Free Spirit Theatre in Knoxville. (Front left is Cheri Compton, E&H " width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/119,0,919,800/10834_Free_Spirit_photo.rev.1645106838.jpg 2x" data-max-w="800" data-max-h="800" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2214-eamph-friends-on-center-stage">E&H Friends on Center Stage</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Three of the stars in a recent Knoxville production of <em>Love, Loss and What I Wore</em> had more than a love of theatre in common: they also had a certain tiny college in Virginia as a mutual bond. <a href="/live/news/2214-eamph-friends-on-center-stage" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2191-ashlee-griggs-rector-loves-being-a-nurse"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/191,145,985,939/10796_269308837_689528192461925_5141171863114002798_n.rev.1644160607.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/191,145,985,939/10796_269308837_689528192461925_5141171863114002798_n.rev.1644160607.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/191,145,985,939/10796_269308837_689528192461925_5141171863114002798_n.rev.1644160607.jpg" alt="Ashlee Griggs Rector E&H Class of 2013" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/191,145,985,939/10796_269308837_689528192461925_5141171863114002798_n.rev.1644160607.jpg 2x" data-max-w="794" data-max-h="794" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2191-ashlee-griggs-rector-loves-being-a-nurse">Ashlee Griggs Rector Loves Being a Nurse</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Ashlee Griggs never imagined herself in the field of nursing, but now she’s a registered and nurse and says, “I can’t imagine doing anything else.” <a href="/live/news/2191-ashlee-griggs-rector-loves-being-a-nurse" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2349-richard-joyces-artwork-featured-in-gallery"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/121,157,480,515/11317_image1.rev.1652968760.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/121,157,480,515/11317_image1.rev.1652968760.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/121,157,480,515/11317_image1.rev.1652968760.jpg" alt="Richard Joyce Emory & Henry Class of 1969" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="359" data-max-h="358" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2349-richard-joyces-artwork-featured-in-gallery">Richard Joyce’s Artwork Featured in Gallery</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> In 2003, life changed dramatically for Richard Joyce, E&H Class of 1969. But nothing could change his love for life’s beauty. <a href="/live/news/2349-richard-joyces-artwork-featured-in-gallery" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1553-james-mccracken-is-making-a-difference-where-he"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/35,0,890,854/9226_Headshot_small.rev.1609977744.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/35,0,890,854/9226_Headshot_small.rev.1609977744.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/35,0,890,854/9226_Headshot_small.rev.1609977744.jpg" alt="James McCracken, E&H Class of 1999." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/35,0,890,854/9226_Headshot_small.rev.1609977744.jpg 2x" data-max-w="855" data-max-h="854" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1553-james-mccracken-is-making-a-difference-where-he">James McCracken is Making a Difference Where He Never Expected to Be</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Dr. James McCracken spent years in scientific laboratories completing his post grad work, and most people figured he was headed for teaching or research. But as it turns out, it was the hardware in those labs that really caught his imagination. <a href="/live/news/1553-james-mccracken-is-making-a-difference-where-he" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2453-donald-thurston-is-living-a-life-of-promise"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,14,1165,1180/12028_Donald_Thurston.rev.1662723843.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,14,1165,1180/12028_Donald_Thurston.rev.1662723843.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/png" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,14,1165,1180/12028_Donald_Thurston.rev.1662723843.png 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,14,1165,1180/12028_Donald_Thurston.rev.1662723843.png 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,14,1165,1180/12028_Donald_Thurston.rev.1662723843.png" alt="Donald Thurston Emory & Henry Class of 1999" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,14,1165,1180/12028_Donald_Thurston.rev.1662723843.png 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,14,1165,1180/12028_Donald_Thurston.rev.1662723843.png 3x" data-max-w="1165" data-max-h="1166" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2453-donald-thurston-is-living-a-life-of-promise">Donald Thurston is Living a Life of Promise</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Donald Thurston has pledged to be his best: and he is setting a fine example for a younger generation. <a href="/live/news/2453-donald-thurston-is-living-a-life-of-promise" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/156-eamph-alumnus-gary-reedy-named-ceo-of-american"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/851_alumni-gary-reedy.rev.1507730801.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/851_alumni-gary-reedy.rev.1507730801.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/851_alumni-gary-reedy.rev.1507730801.jpg" alt="Reedy, class of 78, speaks on campus." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/83/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/851_alumni-gary-reedy.rev.1507730801.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1000" data-max-h="666" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/156-eamph-alumnus-gary-reedy-named-ceo-of-american">E&H Alumnus Gary Reedy Is CEO of American Cancer Society</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Gary M. Reedy serves as the chief executive officer of the <a title="American Cancer Society Homepage" href="http://www.cancer.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">American Cancer Society</a>, placing the 1978 Emory & Henry graduate atop one of the most influential non-profit organizations in the nation. <a href="/live/news/156-eamph-alumnus-gary-reedy-named-ceo-of-american" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2298-massimo-tager-on-life-in-madrid"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,387,387/11091_Massimo.rev.1649337129.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,387,387/11091_Massimo.rev.1649337129.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,387,387/11091_Massimo.rev.1649337129.jpg" alt="Massimo Tager E&H Class of 2020" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="387" data-max-h="387" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2298-massimo-tager-on-life-in-madrid">Massimo Tager on Life in Madrid</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p> Massimo Tager was the first person to go to Spain.</p><p> Well, he was the first E&H student to take advantage of a 6-month study abroad program in Spain.</p><a href="/live/news/2298-massimo-tager-on-life-in-madrid" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2611-alexandria-pollard-an-attorney-accepting-the"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/333,0,1132,800/12566_IMG_0380.rev.1667396103.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/333,0,1132,800/12566_IMG_0380.rev.1667396103.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/333,0,1132,800/12566_IMG_0380.rev.1667396103.jpg" alt="Alexandria Pollard Emory & Henry Class of 2018" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/333,0,1132,800/12566_IMG_0380.rev.1667396103.jpg 2x" data-max-w="799" data-max-h="800" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2611-alexandria-pollard-an-attorney-accepting-the">Alexandria Pollard: An Attorney Accepting the Challenge to Do Good in the World</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> It was always a given that Alexandria Pollard would go to college. The real decision was where to focus her talents. It was speech she heard on her first day of law school that would confirm her decision to tackle law school – and inform her path moving forward. <a href="/live/news/2611-alexandria-pollard-an-attorney-accepting-the" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2037-andrew-mcclung-reporter-and-story-teller"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/765,40,1859,1134/10327_IMG_8505.rev.1632857131.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/765,40,1859,1134/10327_IMG_8505.rev.1632857131.webp 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/765,40,1859,1134/10327_IMG_8505.rev.1632857131.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/765,40,1859,1134/10327_IMG_8505.rev.1632857131.jpg 3x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/765,40,1859,1134/10327_IMG_8505.rev.1632857131.jpg" alt="Andrew McClung Emory & Henry Class of 2019" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/765,40,1859,1134/10327_IMG_8505.rev.1632857131.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/765,40,1859,1134/10327_IMG_8505.rev.1632857131.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1094" data-max-h="1094" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2037-andrew-mcclung-reporter-and-story-teller">Andrew McClung: Reporter and Story-Teller</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Andrew McClung is a reporter for WCYB-5 in Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee. But it might be more appropriate to say that Andrew is a story-teller.</span> <a href="/live/news/2037-andrew-mcclung-reporter-and-story-teller" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/605-dr-beth-hudak-in-the-news-for-nanoscience-work"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/20,11,283,273/5707_Beth_Hudak.rev.1544217579.webp 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/20,11,283,273/5707_Beth_Hudak.rev.1544217579.jpg 1x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/20,11,283,273/5707_Beth_Hudak.rev.1544217579.jpg" alt="Beth Hudak, E&H Class of 2010" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="263" data-max-h="262" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/605-dr-beth-hudak-in-the-news-for-nanoscience-work">Dr. Beth Hudak: in the News for Nanoscience Work</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Beth’s work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is groundbreaking. <a href="/live/news/605-dr-beth-hudak-in-the-news-for-nanoscience-work" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>

Thuy Rocco, author of “The Last Surviving Child: A Memoir”

Open gallery

Save & Share:

More News