Alumni & Friends

Meet Our Alumni

• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2543-dr-clarissa-tatum"><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." class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="127" data-max-h="127"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2543-dr-clarissa-tatum"/></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/2122-gabrielle-gregory"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,316,316/4237_gg.rev.1529087746.jpg" alt="Gabby Gregory is a 2018 E&H Graduate" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="316" data-max-h="316"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2122-gabrielle-gregory"><p> Gabby Gregory’s great internship led to a great job offer.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><div> Gabby Gregory is a 2018 E&H graduate who added some additional education to her degree by heading to New York University the summer after graduation. She entered their 6-weeks long Summer Publishing Institute right before heading to Stuart, Florida, for a job with Ocean Media Solutions. She’ll be writing for their Living Magazines. She also did her internship with Ocean Media.<br/></div><div id="m_1151371537258667902yahoo_quoted_8493402470" class="m_1151371537258667902yahoo_quoted"><div id="m_1151371537258667902yiv7151432304"><div dir="ltr"><div/><div> Gabby was an English major at Emory & Henry, earning a degree in Pre-Professional Publishing. She was active in Pi Sigma Kappa social sorority, Blue Key Honor Society, Pi Gamma Mu, Peer Educators, the Frostiana Poetry Society, Sigma Tau Delta, and Phi Eta Sigma. She was also an honors program scholar, student government senator, and writing tutor. She founded A Read of Our Own, which is a feminist activist book club on campus. </div><div><br/> She says her E&H experience gave her the confidence to trust her education and move to a new city and state to start her career. “I learned so much not only from the faculty and staff of the college, but also from my fellow students. I made both amazing professional connections and wonderful, lasting friendships during my time at E&H. Because of the community-minded culture of E&H, I was able to work one-on-one with my favorite professor, and gained incredible knowledge from her that directly led to my successes beyond my undergraduate career. I cannot imagine myself today without my experience at Emory & Henry College. I will always have a deep love and respect for those hills in Virginia, and hope to go to as many Homecomings as possible as an alumna! Emory & Henry will always be my home away from home.” </div><div/><div><div/><div>   </div><div/></div><div/></div></div></div></div><a href="/live/profiles/2122-gabrielle-gregory" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1446-cathy-lowe"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1248,1251/2404_IMG_0480.rev.1516308322.jpg" alt="Cathy Lowe, E&H '11" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1248,1251/2404_IMG_0480.rev.1516308322.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1248,1251/2404_IMG_0480.rev.1516308322.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1248" data-max-h="1251"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1446-cathy-lowe"><p> Cathy Lowe (E&H ’11) is serving as the mayor of Abingdon, Virginia.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Cathy fell into the category of “non-traditional” student while getting her E&H degree. She was already a grandmother when she walked across the stage and received her diploma. Cathy is also proof that it’s never too late to start a new project.</p><p> She is Executive Director of Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator, and oversees all of the daily operations of the 40,000 square foot Economic Development Facility. She has served on the Abingdon Town Council since 2006, and in 2015 she was honored with a YWCA Tribute to Women Award.</p><p> In 2016 she was elected Mayor of Abingdon, Virginia. She was appointed in 2015 as a citizen member of the Virginia Tobacco Commission, and serves as the Governor’s Representative for the Commonwealth of Virginia to the Cultural Heritage Foudation.</p><p> She is a member of the Abingdon Rotary Club and has been named a Paul Harris Fellow multiple times. She also serves on numerous community boards including Barter Theatre, William King Museum, and Virginia Highlands Community College.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1446-cathy-lowe" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/3035-noah-hayden"><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" class="lw_image" 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"/></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/791-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 is serving as the 2017 Rhythm & Roots President" 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/2569-ryan-hasty"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,960/6063_profile_1.rev.1552564875.jpg" alt="Ryan Hasty E&H Class of 2010" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,960/6063_profile_1.rev.1552564875.jpg 2x" data-max-w="960" data-max-h="960"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2569-ryan-hasty"><p> Ryan Hasty is in research and development at Makani Power, a spinoff of Google X. And while he values his science education, he especially appreciates the ethical discussions behind science that punctuated his education at Emory & Henry.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Ryan Hasty works at Makani Power, a wind energy R&D project that was spun off from Google’s <a href="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/650/6062_ryan_hasty.png" class="lw_preview_image"><img width="500" height="333" alt="A photo of Ryan Hasty's flight project at Makani Power." src="/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/333/6062_ryan_hasty.rev.1552504772.png" class="lw_image lw_image6062 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/500/height/333/6062_ryan_hasty.rev.1552504772.png 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/500/height/333/6062_ryan_hasty.rev.1552504772.png 3x" data-max-w="2000" data-max-h="1333"/><span class="lw_image_caption lw_column_width_half lw_align_left" style="width: 500px">A photo of Ryan Hasty's flight project at Makani Power.</span></a>secretive research division known as X. “We are developing an airborne energy kite technology that integrates advances in aerospace engineering, materials science, and autonomous controls. As a prototype engineer on a small team, my objectives range from flight hardware integration to prototype design and flight testing.”<br/><br/> He says what he loves most about the work is “the amalgamation of advanced aerospace concepts with experimental clean energy. The evidence of anthropogenic climate change is clear and unequivocal. Our decisions from here forward with respect to energy production will have a significant impact on future life on earth. This project is one of many new energy technologies aimed at pushing the limits of what we know to be possible.”<br/><br/> He says research and development work is challenging by definition – the whole idea is to try something that has never been done before. But therein also lies R&D’s greatest excitement.  “Exploration and creativity speak to something innate and instinctive within us as humans, and the highest expression of these instincts are the things or ideas we bring into the world.”<br/><br/> Ryan studied Chemistry and Environmental Studies at Emory & Henry. He says he is, of course, benefiting from the technical aspects he learned from his major study areas, but he especially values the opportunities Emory & Henry gave him to ask the ethical questions behind science and technological development. “It’s not enough to ask ourselves whether we <em>can</em> build something, we must seriously ask whether or not we <em>should</em>. These questions are critical to our future with the rapid progression of aerospace technologies, robotics and artificial intelligence.”<br/><br/> When he’s not creating and molding new ideas, he can be found serving as a mentor to several local high school F.I.R.S.T Robotics Teams and can be found building combat robots for ABC’s ‘Battlebots.” He is also a dedicated practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and supports homeless rights efforts in the Bay Area.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2569-ryan-hasty" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/853-tess-teasley-and-zach-triplett"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,500,500/859_teasley_triplett.rev.1507737965.jpg" alt="Tess Teasley in the cockpit of a jet: Zach Triplett traveling the world." class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="500" data-max-h="500"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/853-tess-teasley-and-zach-triplett"><p> Tess and Zach are keeping the skies friendly!</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> If you talk with Tess Teasley or Zach Triplett, you’ll hear the same thing about their jobs: it is difficult, the hours are crazy, you have to be patient about working your way up the ladder – and neither would trade a minute of their hard work.</p><p>  </p><p> Tess is a pilot for GoJet, and Zach is a flight attendant for Delta. While the two haven’t met yet, they answer questions about their job with a very similar level of enthusiasm.</p><p>  Zach is now a Flight Attendant and Instructor in the In-Flight Service Learning Department at Delta Air Lines, and his primary job is teaching in the flight attendant training center in Atlanta. But he also works as a flight attendant approximately 6-8 days per month. In the training center he teaches a requalification course that all 20,000 Delta flight attendants are required to attend once per year, and he teaches the 7.5 week long initial class for new flight attendants.</p><p> Zach remembers the moment when he knew he loved his job.  He had been waiting on standby in case he needed to fill in for someone at the last minute. He got a call, and instead of sitting in an airport for 4 hours, he was suddenly whisking his way to Rome. “I spent the entire next day exploring the city. That evening, I sat by myself having a glass of wine and watching the sunset over the Tiber River. It was at this point I realized I’m extremely fortunate to have the job I have, and to love what I do!”</p><p> But getting to this point isn’t easy, and Zach emphasizes the need for commitment. “As a junior airline crew member (flight attendant or pilot), you are at the bottom of the seniority list. You have to be willing to work long, irregular hours, and be prepared to work weekends and holidays for the first few years you are doing the job. In my opinion, the benefits FAR outweigh the cons! We may have to work holidays, but on our off days we spend time exploring the world!”</p><p> Tess says much the same of her work, as well. Tess is a First Officer at GoJet airlines, and is second in command on a CRJ700 Jet for Delta Connection.  She hasn’t gotten to this status without a lot of hours in the air and on the ground, but her enthusiasm for the work is palpable. If you ask her about what she would say to anyone considering this career path, she says, “Do it! Go to the nearest airport and take an introductory flight lesson right now!”</p><p> She goes on to explain that she was hooked on flying at the end of her very first flight, but that was just the beginning of a long road that included hard work, study, hours of practice, lessons, and networking. “Networking is key. Meet anyone you can. Join pilot groups and organizations.”</p><p> Tess says she can’t point to one particular moment when she knew she loved her job, but her description of her of her work explains why she has been so willing to put in the long difficult hours to get where she is today. “I am reminded everyday how much I love my job. Every time I take the runway, advance the thrust levers and feel the powerful engines spool up, barrel down the runway hitting about 140 mph, pull back on the yoke and launch into the air, I am reminded how amazing my job is. Being able to see New York City all lit up on a clear crisp night is simply breathtaking. I never tire of looking out the window seeing amazing sunrises and sunsets. It is always an amazing view. Playing among the ever-changing clouds, seeing the snow-covered mountains in Yellowstone, coming into LaGuardia on a windy, bumpy night, having to work the plane all the way down and making a smooth landing, seeing loved ones reunited at airports, traveling and exploring many cities- I truly have a very amazing job that I love.”</p><p> Tess and Zach both say it’s a great time to consider a career in their respective fields. Zach says Delta is looking to hire around 2,000 new flight attendants next year, and Tess says there is going to be a big need for pilots in the coming year. And honestly, when have you recently heard this much enthusiasm about work?</p><p>  </p><p><em>Tess gets to meet a lot of interesting people in her work. Here she is meeting the music icon Meatloaf!<a href="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/650/890_IMG-1189.jpg" class="lw_preview_image"><img width="500" height="375" alt="Tess Teasley recently was the pilot when rocker Meatloaf was on the jet!" src="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/375/890_IMG-1189.jpg" class="lw_image lw_image890 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half" data-max-w="960" data-max-h="720"/></a></em></p><p>  </p><p><a href="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/650/874_IMG-2727.JPG" class="lw_preview_image"><img width="400" height="400" alt="Zach Triplett poses with 747" src="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/400/height/400/874_IMG-2727.JPG" class="lw_image lw_image874 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half" srcset="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/400/height/400/874_IMG-2727.JPG 2x" data-max-w="1080" data-max-h="1080"/></a></p><p>  </p><p> Zach recently got to work on a 747 and he had a little fun with the experience!</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/853-tess-teasley-and-zach-triplett" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2706-zach-hupp"><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." class="lw_image" 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"/></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"><img width="500" height="667" alt="Zach Hupp at his military advancement ceremony with his daughter Lennox, wife Olivia,  and frat..." src="/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/667/6402_IMG_3288.rev.1558644278.JPG" class="lw_image lw_image6402 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half" 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"/></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>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/837-randall-meadows"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,360,359/726_IMG_3080_4.rev.1506973300.jpg" alt="Randy Meadows E&H '88" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="360" data-max-h="359"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/837-randall-meadows"><p> As a psychotherapist in Los Angeles, Randall talks to a lot of people. But he finds that in many ways, people are very much the same.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Randall “Randy” Meadows LCSW (E&H ’88) talks to a lot of people during a day’s work. He’s a psychotherapist in Los Angeles, and part of his week is spent doing outpatient psychiatry Kaiser Permanente Medical Group; his role there is as a crisis therapist and he deals with things like work stress, panic attacks, and suicidal and homicidal impulses.</p><p> He also has a private practice where he does weekly therapy with individuals seeking personal internal growth. He says therapy is a “strange thing. It is a very intense relationship with a lot of boundaries.”  But despite the angst he deals with daily, he doesn’t get frustrated because he has seen so many people grow and succeed past current problems. “I routinely see people overcome their challenges.”</p><p> In fact, he sees his role as a privilege. “I’m fortunate: I get to see behind the masks of janitors, lawyers, and movie stars. In one conversation, a janitor may be worried about being judged by the head janitor while a movie star is worried about being judged by Jack Nicholson. We are all pretty much the same on the inside.”</p><p> Randy majored in economics and political science at Emory & Henry. And even though he wasn’t loving the program he had nearly completed his MBA at the University of Maryland when his father died. This big life event made him realize life was short and gave him need for some time to reflect; he entered therapy.  He was so impressed by the process that he decided to go into the profession.</p><p> Randy didn’t get a background in psychology at Emory & Henry, but he credits the College (particularly the political science department) for preparing him for a meaningful adult life. He loves living in the melting pot of Los Angeles, and says his E&H classes started him on the process of embracing the joys of living in a “liberal and inclusive” community. A self-declared Republican when he came to Emory & Henry, Randy recalls a day in class when Dr. Steve Fisher listened closely to what Randy was expressing and said, “You know you’re not a Republican, right?” He gave Randy a stack of books to read that paved the way for the rest of his life. He says his professors never tried to sway his thinking, but they challenged him to “make educated decisions.” </p><p> It’s not all work for Randy, and he says he plays as hard as he works. He says Los Angeles has an amazing array of cultural offerings including “theatre, concerts, museums” and more. And he takes full advantage of the California climate: “I can have breakfast at the beach, drive up the mountain to snowboard in the afternoon, and drive down the mountain for evening cocktails by the pool in the desert!” All in a day’s work.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/837-randall-meadows" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1745-becky-edmondson-pretzel"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/198,324,1490,1615/3152_edmondsonpretzel-1122.rev.1518207187.jpg" alt="Becky Edmondson Pretzel" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/198,324,1490,1615/3152_edmondsonpretzel-1122.rev.1518207187.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/198,324,1490,1615/3152_edmondsonpretzel-1122.rev.1518207187.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1292" data-max-h="1291"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1745-becky-edmondson-pretzel"><p> Rebecca Edmondson Pretzel (E&H ’82) is the Associate Director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) at UNC Chapel Hill. </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Rebecca Edmondson Pretzel (E&H ’82) is the Associate Director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) at UNC Chapel Hill. </p><p> The CIDD is a comprehensive program for services, research, and training relevant to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. The CIDD provides for clinical services that range from complex interdisciplinary evaluations on-site to more limited and selected clinical services. They also provide training in all 100 counties in North Carolina. (<a href="http://www.cidd.unc.edu/">CIDD website</a>)</p><p> According to a press release, Becky is a “psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UNC. At the CIDD, she serves as the Associate Director of our federally-funded University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) program, Director of Clinical Services, and Psychology Section Head. In addition, she is an investigator on a variety of research and training grants and supervises numerous graduate students and junior faculty.</p><p> Through her longstanding experience working with many N.C. service agencies (e.g., the Department of Public Instruction, Early Intervention Branch and Division of MH/DD/SAS), Dr. Pretzel has played an important role in raising the level of care for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in the state. Dr. Pretzel is currently serving as Act Early Ambassador in North Carolina, a program directed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designed to improve early identification of young children with or at risk for developmental delays.”</p><div id="social-sharing-links" class="right clearfix"><div class="muted"/></div></div><a href="/live/profiles/1745-becky-edmondson-pretzel" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1841-linda-coutant"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg" alt="Dr. Linda Coutant" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2133" data-max-h="2131"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1841-linda-coutant"><p> Linda Coutant is senior editor and writer in the communications office at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><div class="gmail_extra"><div class="gmail_quote"><div id="m_-4766316923025457948m_6126689255754143167pseudoBody"> Dr. Linda Coutant completed her Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) in educational leadership in May 2017 at Appalachian State University, with a research focus on the use of mindfulness and other contemplative practices in higher education.  </div><div/><div> In December 2017, her research was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Contemplative Inquiry with the title “The Mindful Campus: Organizational Structure and Culture.”  </div><div/><div> She is senior editor/writer in University Communications at Appalachian State University and teaches journalism as an adjunct instructor in the University’s Department of Communication. </div><div/></div></div></div><a href="/live/profiles/1841-linda-coutant" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/16-"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/25_3352ba2f2869555aca164cdd562e5444_f47341.rev.1490710878.jpg" alt="Hannah Taylor" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/25_3352ba2f2869555aca164cdd562e5444_f47341.rev.1490710878.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/16-"><p> Hannah Taylor (’15) Exploring Gender Stereotypes</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Hannah Taylor, a member of the E&H Class of 2015 from Atkins, Va. majors in psychology. Using her pet rabbit in an animal therapy program she seeks to help mentally challenged individuals and residents of nursing homes.</p><p> “They love getting to see him (the rabbit), and it warms my heart to see their reactions and how much they enjoy visiting with him. This is one of my passions, because it amazes me how people can connect with animals, and he is always able to put a smile on their face, even if they are having a bad day.”</p><p> Hannah Taylor, a member of the E&H Class of 2015 from Atkins, Va. majors in psychology. Using her pet rabbit in an animal therapy program she seeks to help mentally challenged individuals and residents of nursing homes. “They love getting to see him (the rabbit), and it warms my heart to see their reactions and how much they enjoy visiting with him. This is one of my passions, because it amazes me how people can connect with animals, and he is always able to put a smile on their face, even if they are having a bad day.”</p><p> Taylor says about Emory & Henry: “Emory & Henry is known for its quality education, which is ranked nationally, and when you attend Emory, you know you are getting a great education that you will always take with you. The professors at Emory are also ranked nationally; they do not hand you anything, you really have to earn it. With that being said, even though the professors are tough, they are always there for you and to help you in anyway they can. When you graduate from Emory & Henry College, it is something you can be proud of because you know you have worked very hard for your degree and your achievements. “</p><p> As a student at Emory & Henry, Taylor is currently completing her second internship through Abingdon Health and Rehabilitation in occupational therapy. Her first internship was completed last fall with Highlands Community Services at the Stepping Stones location where she worked primarily with bipolar and schizophrenic individuals. Last spring, Taylor and fellow classmate, Amy Wilson, completed a research project involving gender stereotypes and careers. Although the research did not bear significant findings, Taylor plans to expand her sample group and explore a wider range of demographics.</p><blockquote> Emory & Henry inspired me to become a psychology major, and I am very thankful for that. I love it, and couldn’t imagine majoring in anything else. Emory & Henry also has helped me gain professional contacts through internships. Being able to go out and intern at a future place of work is amazing; you are able to gain valuable experience while getting class credit. It has been an amazing experience for me, and I will always be thankful for it.</blockquote></div><a href="/live/profiles/16-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/790-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's hand holding a dragonfly." 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/2451-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, Emory & Henry Class of 2014." 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/2718-leilani-tizon"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/369,0,1305,938/6484_file3-1.rev.1560975311.jpg" alt="Leilani Tizon, E&H Class of 2018" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/369,0,1305,938/6484_file3-1.rev.1560975311.jpg 2x" data-max-w="936" data-max-h="938"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2718-leilani-tizon"/></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Leilani Tizon (E&H Class of 2018) is in a plum job: but she’s quick to point out that she worked hard to get there. “People who say they’re jealous of what I’m doing don’t really understand just how hard it was to get here.”</p><p> When Leilani was a senior at E&H she was led to believe her internship would turn into a full-time job so she thought she was graduating ahead of the curve.  But the company she was interning with decided not to fill her position full-time, and she was suddenly in a world of career uncertainty.</p><p> But Leilani doesn’t take anything lying down: and she started a personal networking campaign that was street-savvy and textbook-worthy. “I had a part-time job that only required 25 hours a week, so I spent the rest of my week networking like it was hobby! I went to networking events and lunches and one day the right door opened.”</p><p> Everyone she met was impressed with her energy, and even if they didn’t have a job open they remembered her when having conversations with friends and colleagues. Eventually, she got a call saying a friend of a friend had a job that sounded just right for her skill set.</p><p> She is the Marketing Communications Coordinator for the currency management solutions division of <a href="https://vimeo.com/295234250">Giesecke+Devrient Currency Technology</a> – and she is the youngest employee among 12,000 employees worldwide (500 in the U.S.). The company specializes in currency counting machines around the world – and they do a lot of business in casinos. “I spend a lot of time traveling to trade shows – and I’m heading to Las Vegas next month for another show.”</p><p> Leilani has a great perspective on the pressures and expectations put on young professionals her age. “Some people think people in my generation are demanding an unrealistic salary, but if we are going to live in metropolitan centers like Washington D.C. we can’t afford to live on meager earnings. We have to be our own best promoters in order to survive in this economy.”</p><p> She is grateful to the professors in the E&H Mass Communications division because they, as she said, “prepared me for things I never anticipated!” And she is grateful for an internship that gave her real-world experience. “I work with people who went to bigger universities who weren’t required to do an internship – but I’m so glad they made us do one!”</p><p> Leilani ended up at Emory & Henry because she wanted to be far enough away from home that she could fail on her own without her parents being close enough to swoop in and save the day. “I had real meltdowns as a student – but I learned how to take care of myself. And now I’m in a high-stress job where I’m still figuring things out; but every day is a blessing!”</p><p> Her best advice to current students? “Believe in yourself and promote yourself: you cheer for you!”</p><p><a href="https://archive.org/details/OntheDuckPondWall/Leilani+Tizon.mp3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Listen to an interview with Leilani</a> on WEHC-FM radio….the Emory & Henry College and Community station! </p><p><img width="1000" height="882" alt="Leilani Tizon, E&H Class of 2018" src="/live/image/gid/68/width/1000/height/882/6486_file1-5.rev.1560977950.jpg" class="lw_image lw_image6486 lw_align_right lw_column_width_full" data-max-w="875" data-max-h="772"/></p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2718-leilani-tizon" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>