Alumni & Friends

Meet Our Alumni

• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2306-cathy-bottrell" title="Cathy Bottrell" aria-label="Cathy Bottrell"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,8,214,222/4535_41368297_705985249770551_4194188508329410560_n.rev.1536365207.jpg" alt="Cathy Bottrell" title="Cathy Bottrell" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="214" data-max-h="320"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2306-cathy-bottrell"><p> Cathy Bottrell doesn’t wear a cape: but her work with families facing cancer is super.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Look at Cathy Bottrell’s Facebook photos and you’ll see a woman who takes her job <strong><em>very</em></strong> seriously;  there are pictures of her posing with fairy princesses, welcoming Storm Troopers, wearing pajamas to the office, dressed like a super hero, and doing a dance routine with a rolling office chair.</p><p> Cathy doesn’t work at a theme park: she works for the Inova Life with Cancer Center.</p><p> Inova offers a raft of free programming for individuals and families who are facing cancer, and Cathy is involved at every level to do her part to add simplicity to bureaucracy and lend guidance in what can be a stressful world of treatments.  She is a licensed clinical social worker who spent 8 years working with HIV patients, and now finds herself helping families maneuver complicated systems of health care while also finding time for the joys of life. Focusing on cancer treatment while also trying to maintain positive outlook can be tricky; Cathy’s work intervenes to help maintain a healthy balance.</p><p> She’s an oncology clinical therapist at Inova Life with Cancer - Inova Schar Cancer Institute – a large facility with 40 employees. They have a family center that is a like a large home where cancer patients can learn how to deal with cancer from day to day while also maintaining quality of life for their families.</p><p><a href="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/height/530/src_region/0,226,504,894/4532_Cathy_Botrell.jpg" class="lw_preview_image"><img width="400" height="530" alt="Cathy Botrell will go to extremes to cheer up her friends at work: even if it means dressing like..." src="/live/image/gid/68/width/400/height/530/crop/1/src_region/0,226,504,894/4532_Cathy_Botrell.rev.1536350726.jpg" class="lw_image lw_image4532 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half" data-max-w="720" data-max-h="960"/></a>Much of Cathy’s work is with children – hence all the princesses and storm troopers – and that can be difficult; but Cathy doesn’t let the sadness keep her away from the people she loves to serve. “The families I work with show me the strength of love and compassion and how strong and brave people can be. I’m so honored to be a part of their journey during their difficult times.”</p><p> So if you see Cathy headed to work wearing a funny mask or a cape, don’t be surprised. Just know that she’s on her way to the office – where she performs acts of heroic goodness, all in a day’s work.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2306-cathy-bottrell" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2725-fred-george" title="Fred George" aria-label="Fred George"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/153,25,2097,1971/6518_Fred_George.rev.1562175347.jpg" alt="Fred George" title="Fred George" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/153,25,2097,1971/6518_Fred_George.rev.1562175347.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/153,25,2097,1971/6518_Fred_George.rev.1562175347.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2136" data-max-h="3200"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2725-fred-george"><p> Fred George is a senior admissions counselor at Emory & Henry College.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Fred George is a senior Admissions Counselor at the Emory & Henry College. He took the job in August of 2014 after working for two years at the Washington County Recreation Department in Abingdon.</p><p> Hailing from Conyers, Georgia, Fred says he “found Emory & Henry College to be the right place for my higher education needs.” He played four years of football at the collegiate level and graduated with a B.A. in Sports Management, and a Minor in Mass Communications.</p><p> He was inspired to further his education and earned his M.A.COL. in Community & Organizational Leadership. “The hands-on education I received at E&H has set a foundation for the way I live my life, I’m extremely appreciative of the skills I gained through the liberal arts.”</p><p> He says he loved Emory & Henry so much he stayed on campus to become an Admissions Counselor, “helping others receive the enlightenment I have found from Emory & Henry College’s exceptional education.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2725-fred-george" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/704-" title="Rachel Dunne" aria-label="Rachel Dunne"><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="Rachel Dunne" title="Rachel Dunne" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="690" data-max-h="390"/></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/790-richard-groover" title="Richard Groover" aria-label="Richard Groover"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/564_2887April2917_005.rev.1505402809.JPG" alt="Richard Groover" title="Richard Groover" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/564_2887April2917_005.rev.1505402809.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/564_2887April2917_005.rev.1505402809.JPG 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2133"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/790-richard-groover"><p> Catching dragonflies for the National Park Service is only the latest of Richard Groover’s cool projects.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> It’s probably easier to ask Richard Groover what he HASN’T done. After being a scientist, a teacher, a field researcher, a government employee, a reserve deputy sheriff, hostage negotiator for 9 years, a documentary filmmaker, a National Park docent, a former member of the Governor’s Climate Change Commission for Virginia, a current member of the Board of Trustees for the Virginia Science Museum and now an author – you’d think there wouldn’t be much new territory left to explore.</p><p><a href="http://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/650/569_groover.jpg" class="lw_preview_image"><img width="500" height="414" alt="Richard Groover poses with his wife, Patti Jackson." src="http://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/414/569_groover.jpg" class="lw_image lw_image569 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half" data-max-w="629" data-max-h="521"/></a>But he has plans.</p><p> “I figure I’ve got about 10 years left in me before my brain goes, so I’ve got a lot to do.”</p><p> Richard graduated from E&H in 1971, and at the age of 68 he just this year completed his Ph.D. in Environmental  Science and Public Policy at George Mason University. “Well, you know, the dog died, the children grew up, the skies parted – I realized I had time to do my Ph.D.”</p><p> He speaks excitedly about his graduate work: he focused on Ecology and Policy. He says he studied with the best and brightest in public policy (including Lee Talbott who authored the Endangered Species Act), but his real passion is education and research in the field. He is a Biology and Environmental Studies teacher at Reynolds Community College in Richmond, and he is currently doing a project for the National Park Service studying dragonflies on National Battlefields. (For the record, he has nothing against damselflies he just thinks they’re “wimpy.” We couldn’t reach a damselfly for comment.)</p><p> He is just about to publish an ambitious reference book: <em>Second Edition of the Environmental Almanac of Virginia</em>. Richard approached the author of first edition to encourage him to write a second part – but the author, Frits van der Leeden (real name) said Richard ought to write it. The book will be out in October of 2017.</p><p> Richard says he doesn’t mind staying busy. “I’m worried about being bored. If I die tomorrow, I’ve had a really fun life!”</p><p> You can reach Richard speak of many things, including his upcoming book: <a href="mailto:rgroover@reynolds.edu"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">rgroover@reynolds.edu</span></a></p></div><a href="/live/profiles/790-richard-groover" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1229-michael-payne" title="Michael Payne" aria-label="Michael Payne"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,270,270/1710_michael_payne.rev.1513720647.jpg" alt="Michael Payne" title="Michael Payne" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="270" data-max-h="324"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1229-michael-payne"/></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Michael is a licensed and Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) working through Doctors Hospital of Augusta, Georgia. As part of an outreach program, he works mostly with the athletes at a 6A high school in Georgia, but also work through the Physical Therapy Department with prehab patients. As an athletic trainer, he is responsible for collaborating with physicians to provide preventative services, emergency care, clinical diagnosis, therapeutic intervention and rehabilitation of injuries and medical conditions in the athletic setting.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1229-michael-payne" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2769-andrea-pasillas" title="Andrea Pasillas" aria-label="Andrea Pasillas"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/39,241,1387,1589/6540_Pasillas.rev.1562876147.jpg" alt="Andrea Pasillas" title="Andrea Pasillas" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/39,241,1387,1589/6540_Pasillas.rev.1562876147.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/39,241,1387,1589/6540_Pasillas.rev.1562876147.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1586" data-max-h="1982"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2769-andrea-pasillas"><p> Andrea Pasillas is a Spanish teacher at Powell High School in the Knox County (Tennessee) school system.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p>  </p><p> Andrea is passionate about her teaching. She is dedicated to making the Spanish-speaking world accessible to every student by using comprehensible language acquisition theory and authentic cultural resources while emphasizing interculturality and celebrating multiculturalism.</p><p> The 2019-20 school year marks her sixth year teaching and she has spent all six years at Powell High School. “Over the last few years, I have learned that teaching is not for the faint of heart. Every day has a different struggle; however, every day presents itself with new opportunity: a new opportunity to interact with so many young minds and to play even the smallest role in shaping their view of the world. That interaction is one of the most rewarding aspects of this profession to me.”</p><p> In addition to facilitating language acquisition, she also sponsors the Spanish Club, Junior Class Fundraising, the Annual Winter Semi-Formal Dance, and trips abroad with students. She says she is most proud of the work that her students do in Spanish Club. “With the service-learning mindset that I experienced while at E&H, my students and I volunteer with Knoxville’s Hora Latina to help with the annual Hola Festival, have sponsored the Pulsera Project at Powell, we volunteer for Work Days at the Beardsley Community Farm, and host cultural events at Powell to bring Hispanic culture to our community.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2769-andrea-pasillas" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2057-ed-moorer" title="Ed Moorer" aria-label="Ed Moorer"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/780,339,2681,2240/4139_030.rev.1525893965.JPG" alt="Ed Moorer" title="Ed Moorer" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/780,339,2681,2240/4139_030.rev.1525893965.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/780,339,2681,2240/4139_030.rev.1525893965.JPG 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2400"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2057-ed-moorer"><p> Ed Moorer is having a second career because he’s not finished learning or teaching.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Ed Moorer (’71) knows how to use his sense of humor to engage people. Having been part of the now-famous “Avis Rent-A-Car” ad filmed on the E&H campus in 1969, he jokes that this television debut was the beginning of his fame: “I’ve also done a talk about bird migration on Christian radio, recorded a CD with my college buddies, co-authored a book, and was an extra in the movie ‘Leatherheads.’  I still have time to do something else…I’m just not sure what it is yet!”</p><p> Ed is the site coordinator for Sassafras Mountain Hawkwatch in Pickens, South Carolina, and was named the 2016 Employee of the Year for Table Rock State Park located there. He has worked there for 18 years.</p><p> This is especially notable because he is retired after teaching and coaching in high school for 30 years – physical education, driver education, and coaching football and basketball (“Thanks, Coach Hutton.”). He built a log cabin and found a new passion: the outdoors. He started working part-time at Table Rock State Park in the northern part of South Carolina. He enjoyed greeting and talking with hikers at the nature center who stopped in on their way up the mountain, and he found that his E&H history degree was coming in handy. “This area is rich in history as well as nature and I talk to visitors about the Native Americans and about the Civil War era – all things that E&H professors lectured on while I was a student. (Thanks, Mr. Neal).”</p><p> He is particularly passionate about raptor migration, and is involved with an annual count that documents up to 15 different species as they fly south over the Appalachian Mountains in the fall. Sassafras Mountain is the highest mountain in South Carolina, and the count runs from Labor Day through Thanksgiving. “I have a small group of fellow birders who assist. Information is then entered at hawkcount.org where it becomes part of a much larger database that tells us how well our birds, and environment, are doing on a national and worldwide basis.”</p><p> “I love to be outside and still feel like education is an ongoing process which should be shared with anyone, especially our younger generation.  Find something that you enjoy and make the most of it!  Emory & Henry started my learning and I hope that since then that I have made a difference in somebody’s life that I have encountered.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2057-ed-moorer" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/13-" title="Sydney England" aria-label="Sydney England"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/22_fbd04c901271156159e4e275a5bf845f_f50561.rev.1490707796.jpg" alt="Sydney England" title="Sydney England" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/22_fbd04c901271156159e4e275a5bf845f_f50561.rev.1490707796.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1000" data-max-h="666"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/13-"><p> Sydney England (’14) Receives Prestigious Fellowship Opportunity </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> She received the Armbrister Memorial Scholarship for freshmen honors and the Outstanding Senior Award from the Sociology Department. She was on the dean’s list all eight semesters while a student at Emory & Henry, and she graduated summa cum laude with college honors. She also was inducted into several national honor societies.</p><p> Is it any wonder that Sydney England is one of only two students throughout the country selected to receive the Jessie Ball duPont Fund Fellowship, providing a two-year period of work and study in philanthropy and charitable work?</p><p> England, a 2014 graduate of Emory & Henry College, was nominated by the college, which is among many liberal arts colleges and universities eligible for support from the Jessie DuPont Fund. England was selected from a large field of applicants.</p><blockquote> Dr. Joe Lane brought the fellowship opportunity to my attention. I don’t know if I ever fully set my sights on the fellowship because it always seemed like a long shot.Sydney EnglandClass of 2014</blockquote><p> The Jessie Ball duPont Fund Fellowship program, headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., is designed to provide practical experience for students interested in careers with nonprofit, faith-based, or philanthropic organizations. As a fellow, England is exposed to foundation governance, grant making, governmental oversight, and industry events.</p><p> “Responsibilities shift daily, but primarily it’s a lot of research and grant management. The fellows are really there to support senior staffers with some of their project management and report preparation,” explained England.</p><p> “This fellowship will afford me an acute insight into the full life-cycle of a grant, from initial proposal to grant management and re-evaluation. It’s very rare to have the opportunity to see this grant maturation within a wide array of nonprofit organizations at my age and experience level,” she said.</p><p> “I’m really just hoping to develop a strong grant writing and nonprofit management portfolio and to engage in meaningful personal research during my two years at the Fund.”</p><p> England is among the fifth class of fellows at the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. Some of their predecessors work with the Peace Corps, religious organizations, and community-based nonprofits.</p><p> Her accomplishments at Emory & Henry are equally impressive.</p><p> The alumna doubled majored in sociology and history with a minor in women’s studies. “When I entered Emory & Henry, I was the conventional high-performing student who was primarily concerned with grades. If nothing else, E&H taught me that if you aren’t imagining beyond your goals, you aren’t giving yourself enough latitude to grow.”</p><p> While a student at Emory & Henry, England was a research assistant, and she also gained experience working for Terry McAuliffe’s campaign for governor in Virginia.</p><p> Her honors thesis was entitled “Check Here: A Critique of Normative Discursive Categorization within Survey Construction.” The premise of her research was to address some of the General Social Survey’s methodological limitations.</p><p> “I found that nominal and mutually-exclusive language, as it pertains to the General Social Survey categorization of sex, creates a false sense of normativeness within American society and harshly limits the accuracy of data when causal inferences link these two categories to various other demographic features within the data set. Ultimately, I created an alternative survey proposal that I hope will be adopted more frequently on campus.”</p><p> England said her experiences at Emory & Henry have enabled her to be a successful person, employee, and citizen.</p><p> “I feel the impact of my liberal arts education daily and in several dimensions. First, I often find myself willing to engage in critical, solutions-oriented dialogue, and I think that’s a direct result of the type of Socratic courses that you regularly find at Emory.</p><p> “Second, I’m acutely aware of the impact that place has on people, and this is really imperative when you’re in a workspace. I’m really aware of workplace dynamics and organizational core values. Those are really important to understand when you’re trying to figure out how you, the individual, fit into the structure. At Emory, we were constantly reminded of how people and place are inextricably connected.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/13-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/708-" title="Mary Beth Tignor" aria-label="Mary Beth Tignor"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,300,200/358_MaryBethTignor.rev.1500388800.jpg" alt="Mary Beth Tignor" title="Mary Beth Tignor" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="300" data-max-h="200"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/708-"><p> Love for the region keeps Mary Beth Tignor’s future local. </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Her love of this region and her passion for education are the fuel to her daily work. </p><p> Mary Beth was a part of the first Emory & Henry Honors Program cohort that graduated in Spring 2013. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Community Service. Currently, she is working as an AmeriCorps with Appalachian Sustainable Development and pursuing a Master’s degree in Education with a focus area of Middle School Science. </p><p> Serving the community of this region has always been one of Mary Beth’s passion and love. As a student at Emory & Henry, she served as a volunteer of an on-campus after school program called Highlands Project. She said, “Through this program and some of my courses, I developed a passion for education and the children in this area.” Since then, she has created and is the current coordinator of a after school program at a local elementary school. Her most memorable experience in the Honors Program is going to New York City as an upperclassman leader with First-Year Honors Scholars. After her first trip to New York City, Mary Beth had learned a lot from her experiences and really enjoyed sharing them with the First-Year Honors Scholars. </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/708-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2451-david-bledsoe" title="David Bledsoe" aria-label="David Bledsoe"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1024,1365/5644_David_Bledsoe.rev.1541708682.jpg" alt="David Bledsoe" title="David Bledsoe" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1024,1365/5644_David_Bledsoe.rev.1541708682.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1024" data-max-h="1365"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2451-david-bledsoe"><p> David Bledsoe started making headlines before he ever graduated from law school.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> David Bledsoe is an associate attorney for Breeding Henry Baysan PC that dedicates his practice to a variety of legal fields including criminal defense, business litigation, personal injury, and general civil litigation.</p><p> Mr. Bledsoe is originally from Big Stone Gap Virginia and subsequently received his undergraduate degree from Emory & Henry College located in Emory, Virginia, where he majored in Business Management and subsequently graduated Magna Cum Laude.</p><p> After obtaining his undergraduate degree, Mr. Bledsoe attended law school at Lincoln Memorial University where he graduated 6^th in his class with the honorable distinction of Cum Laude. Mr. Bledsoe was awarded the Justice Gary R. Wade Award in his second year in law school, which is given every year to one law student who demonstrates outstanding academic performance and an unwavering dedication to the community. Mr. Bledsoe was also awarded the Lincoln Memorial University Lincoln Lawyer Award, a faculty-voted award given to three students annually who demonstrate strength in legal writing, oral argument, and leadership. Mr. Bledsoe was also a member of the Duncan School of Law Mock Trial Team, where he competed as both a witness and as an attorney in both civil and criminal cases. Mr. Bledsoe received a CALI award in his Federal Income Taxation class, an award given to the student with the highest overall grade in a class for that semester.</p><p> David has worked in a variety of areas and has achieved a variety of notable accomplishments since he began working in the legal field. One of which was clerking for his father, where he successfully assisted in writing an appellate brief to the Virginia Court of Appeals, which subsequently received a favorable reversal on an underlying felony conviction. He has interned for the Washington County Commonwealth Attorney’s office in Virginia, clerked for the Honorable Judge Tim Irwin of Knox County Juvenile Court, worked as a research assistant to various law professors in academic writing, and clerked for other esteemed criminal defense attorneys in Knoxville.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2451-david-bledsoe" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2568-jerry-york" title="Jerry York" aria-label="Jerry York"><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" title="Jerry York" class="lw_image" 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="2048" data-max-h="1536"/></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/2685-katelyn-shaver" title="Katelyn Shaver" aria-label="Katelyn Shaver"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,720,720/6354_katelyn_Shaver.rev.1557175245.jpg" alt="Katelyn Shaver" title="Katelyn Shaver" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,720,720/6354_katelyn_Shaver.rev.1557175245.jpg 2x" data-max-w="720" data-max-h="960"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2685-katelyn-shaver"><p> Katelyn Parks is using a liberal arts preparation to connect her to every aspect of the National Park where she’s employed.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Katelyn Shaver’s “world of work” gives her a job description that covers a lot of areas: </p><p> -Inspecting reproduction period weapons.</p><p>             -Dressing in period outfits and acting like a person from the 1830s.</p><p>             -Public Speaking: Educating about history, lifeways, and skills from the 19^th Century.</p><p>             -Writing: Writing text for exhibits, waysides, publications and grants.</p><p>             -Biology: Working with the prairie/marsh restoration and wildlife.</p><p>             -Community service: Working with Texas Master Naturalist volunteers.</p><p>             -Transportation: Driving different types of vehicles and us various tools.</p><p>             -Art:  Making supplies for interpretive programs.</p><p>             -Public Relations: I usually get asked to help with traffic control.</p><p><a href="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/height/672/src_region/88,105,645,854/6353_katelyn_shaver_2.jpg" class="lw_preview_image"><img width="500" height="672" alt="Katelyn Shaver at San Jacinto Battleground/Battleship TEXAS State Historic Site." src="/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/672/crop/1/src_region/88,105,645,854/6353_katelyn_shaver_2.rev.1557175245.jpg" class="lw_image lw_image6353 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half" data-max-w="720" data-max-h="960"/></a>As a Park Ranger I – Interpretation/Volunteer Coordinator at <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/battleship-texas">San Jacinto Battleground/Battleship TEXAS State Historic Site</a>, Katelyn’s job description could probably be summed up by this single quote: “It is not an experience I expected to have but there we are.”</p><p> Katelyn became passionate about the world of park interpreters after working a stint at the Petersburg National Battlefield site. She is now in one of the country’s most unique parks, far from Petersburg, because she understood that to get a job or a promotion in the National Park Service, she had to be willing to move.</p><p> Katelyn double-majored in English, with a focus on creative writing and literature, and History and minored in Sociology. . She took classes in psychology, biology, and anthropology.  She’s now in a job that requires her to use a wide range of skills and experiences. “I had some good history professors at EHC that helped grow my interest in the field. Every NPS site is unique and so the requirements for jobs at them differ; we ‘wear many hats’ in my profession and so the skills I learned from different subjects have proved to be useful in the long run.”</p><p><img width="200" height="267" alt="Katelyn Shaver at San Jacinto Battleground/Battleship TEXAS State Historic Site." src="/live/image/gid/68/width/200/height/267/6355_katelyn_and_dg.rev.1557175347.jpg" class="lw_image lw_image6355 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/200/height/267/6355_katelyn_and_dg.rev.1557175347.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/200/height/267/6355_katelyn_and_dg.rev.1557175347.jpg 3x" data-max-w="720" data-max-h="960"/>You’ll see a lot of articles these days about how people don’t appreciate the value of a liberal arts degree. The “connected learning” experience offered by places like Emory & Henry might seem like it isn’t getting you to your job goal fast enough. Katelyn Shaver is a perfect example of why having a broad range of skills and experiences can prepare you for what you don’t see coming.</p><p> She just celebrated her five-year work anniversary, and she is well-versed in the fascinating history of her park. Fun fact: this park site is considered the birthplace of Texas because the last battle of the Texas Revolution occurred here on April 21^st, 1836: the same year Emory & Henry was founded.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2685-katelyn-shaver" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1750-monica-jacobe" title="Monica Jacobe" aria-label="Monica Jacobe"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,411,357/3169_Jacobe.rev.1518210604.jpg" alt="Monica Jacobe" title="Monica Jacobe" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="411" data-max-h="357"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1750-monica-jacobe"/></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Dr. Jacobe holds a bachelor’s degree in English and Mass Communication from Emory & Henry College, an MFA in creative writing from The American University, and a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from The Catholic University of America.  For over fifteen years, she has been a teacher of writing and American literature, teaching at TCNJ, Princeton University, The University of Maryland College Park, The Catholic University of America, and The American University.  She held previous administrative posts at both Catholic and American, where she helped run the writing programs and writing centers of those universities.  Dr. Jacobe is also a certified ACTFL OPI Tester for English language and will complete training to become an ACTFL Tester Trainer in 2016.</p><p> She is the co-author of Final Draft 4, a bridging level ELT writing textbook from Cambridge University Press, the author of over a dozen scholarly articles, and nearly two dozen pieces of public commentary on the state of higher education in America, appearing in such publications as <em>Western Humanities Review, Academe, College English, Inside Higher Ed, How the University Works</em>, and the <em>University of Venus</em>, among others.  In 2006, she was a research fellow with the American Association of University Professors, thanks to a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and since then, has given 20 invited talks on academia across the country and the world. Monica is also at work on a scholarly book about the impact of globalization on concepts of regional identity in the American South and its literature.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1750-monica-jacobe" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/791-brent-treash" title="Brent Treash" aria-label="Brent Treash"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/568_brent.rev.1505410086.jpg" alt="Brent Treash" title="Brent Treash" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/568_brent.rev.1505410086.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1000" data-max-h="666"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/791-brent-treash"><p> An E&H alumnus is the top dog at Bristol’s biggest music festival this year.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p><strong>Emory & Henry</strong> has more in common with Bristol’s <strong><a href="http://www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/festival/">Rhythm & Roots</a></strong> event than just an ampersand: we also share Brent Treash.</p><p> Brent is a 2001 Emory & Henry grad who works in the College’s communications office…AND he is the 2017 chair of the biggest music festival in the region. Bristol’s Rhythm & Roots Reunion boasts of nearly 80,000 patrons in 2016 – including the nearly 500 musicians and countless food and merchandise vendors.</p><p> Brent got involved with Rhythm & Roots because local organizers wanted to pick his brain about jambands. While the festival takes place in the city that proudly hails as the Birthplace of Country Music, the event prides itself in offering a wide range of music styles. Brent says that’s very intentional. “When The Carter Family and Jimmy Rodgers recorded those first songs at the event now called ‘The Bristol Sessions’ they were sharing a new kind of music with the world. We like to think that Rhythm & Roots does the same thing; it exposes the audience to new bands and new music styles.”</p><p> Those early Bristol Sessions are now considered the big bang of country music – <em>Keep on the Sunny Side</em> being the genesis that led to <em>Mama’s Broken Heart</em>. The big Rhythm & Roots festival celebrates all those nuances of country music (Dwight Yoakam is headlining this year) while also giving you a taste of blues, rock, folk, Americana, and more.</p><p> Brent has been on the Rhythm & Roots board for a decade so he has seen every aspect of the event: from tickets to stage set-up to cleanup. The contacts list on his phone can get you to hundreds of bands and just as many music managers. He is a walking Wikipedia of musicians, music, and music history. But in the end, he still enjoys the music. “The festival roster has no shortage of legendary musicians, but I love that our event has become a place where people come to discover new talent. We’ve been fortunate in the past to have artists like the Avett Brothers, Sturgill Simpson and St. Paul and the Broken Bones as they were just starting their careers. People come to Bristol each September looking for the next big thing. This year we have a Canadian singer-songwriter with a deep baritone voice named Colter Wall. He might be the best songwriter I’ve heard in several years.”</p><p> Brent also serves on the board of directors for the festival’s parent organization the Birthplace of Country Music.</p><p> In addition, he does a weekly radio show on WEHC 90.7 that highlights some of the great music discoverable at Rhythm & Roots. And his thoughts are never far from the event. “Every year we start planning earlier and earlier for the following year. I’m getting messages on a daily basis about bookings for 2018.”</p><p> Planning an event this huge doesn’t come without a share of disappointments and Brent occasionally has to suffer the pain of losing a band or performer he was really set on having at the event. But with a festival that features nearly 130 different acts, there will be music aplenty to console his broken heart.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/791-brent-treash" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/841-pat-bear-huber" title="Pat Huber" aria-label="Pat Huber"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,500,700/743_huber.rev.1507060606.jpg" alt="Pat Bear Huber" title="Pat Bear Huber" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="500" data-max-h="700"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/841-pat-bear-huber"><p> Pat Bear Huber is the first female president of New River Community College.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Dr. Pat Huber is the president of New River Community College, in Dublin, Virginia, as of July 1, 2017.</p><p> Huber becomes the sixth person, and first woman, to serve as the college’s permanent president. Her hiring ended a process that began with a national search, which attracted more than 90 candidates.</p><p> “I’ve known Pat for a long time and have always been impressed with her remarkable passion and dedication for the people community colleges serve,” said DuBois. “Pat has dedicated her entire career to community college education, and I know that she is going to do a terrific job as New River’s president.”</p><p> Huber has worked in education for 41 years, and has worked at New River Community College since 1988 where she began as an adjunct English instructor. She began working at NRCC full time in 1992 as an assistant professor. From there, she rose through the ranks becoming an assistant division chair in 1999, a dean in 2005, and vice president for instruction and student services in 2007 – the position she holds today. Huber also served as the interim vice president for academic and student services at Wytheville Community College during the spring and summer of 2003.</p><p> Huber earned a doctorate in community college leadership from Old Dominion University; a master’s degree from West Virginia University in Morgantown; a bachelor’s degree from Emory & Henry College in Emory, VA; and an associate degree from Wytheville Community College.</p><p> “The quality of the candidates this process produced made this decision a tough one,” said Steve Harvey, chair of the New River Community College local board. “That said, Dr. Huber has demonstrated outstanding leadership at NRCC in the past. She is focused on curriculum, certifications and credentialing, student success, and intentional engagement in the education of students. She is committed to outreach to the local businesses, school systems, and higher education facilities within the five localities serviced by NRCC. Under Dr. Huber’s guidance, NRCC will continue to be an affordable educational option to help provide the local economy an educated workforce. The board will work closely with her during her transition, and I encourage the local stakeholders to be engaged in the process.”</p><p> Huber succeeded Dr. Jack Lewis, who retired last year after serving NRCC for 42 years, including 17 as college president. Longtime Virginia community college leader, Dr. Charlie White, is currently serving at the college’s interim president.</p><p> New River Community College, which opened in 1969, is a comprehensive community college located in Virginia’s New River Valley, serving an estimated 4,500 students in the counties of Montgomery, Floyd, Pulaski and Giles and the city of Radford.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/841-pat-bear-huber" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>