Volunteer

Meet Our Alumni

• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1228-auburn-barrett" title="Auburn Barrett" aria-label="Auburn Barrett"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,7,265,272/1709_auburn_barrett.rev.1513720110.jpg" alt="Auburn Barrett" title="Auburn Barrett" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="265" data-max-h="392"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1228-auburn-barrett"/></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><div> Auburn was an Athletic Training student at Emory & Henry, and is currently serving as an athletic trainer hired by a hospital. She is also contracted out to work sporting events at a local middle school. She worked as a Physical Therapy Tech during the summer after she graduated from college.</div><div/><div/></div><a href="/live/profiles/1228-auburn-barrett" 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/786-julie-meadows" title="Julie Meadows" aria-label="Julie Meadows"><img src="/live/image/gid/16/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,50,375,424/562_Julie_Meadows.rev.1505324079.jpg" alt="Julie Meadows" title="Julie Meadows" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="375" data-max-h="532"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/786-julie-meadows"><p> Julie Meadows, ’17: Youth Advocate and Traveler</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><h4><strong>Julie Meadows - CityYear Mentor, Milwaukee, WI</strong></h4><p>  </p><p> “Through my time in the program, I had the opportunity to practice what I had learned while serving abroad in Dublin, Ireland and working on a major project in my local community. My professors were willing to help in times of need and did a fantastic job in preparing me for a future career, and I would not be where I am today without their guidance.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/786-julie-meadows" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1295-sarah-agron" title="Sarah Agron" aria-label="Sarah Agron"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,857,1132/1875_me.rev.1515517710.png" alt="Sarah Agron" title="Sarah Agron" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,857,1132/1875_me.rev.1515517710.png 2x" data-max-w="857" data-max-h="1132"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1295-sarah-agron"><p> Sarah’s work with Migrant Health Network gives her a new perspective on the world.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><div> Sarah Agron’s internship with the Migrant Health Network was likely the key to her being hired. And she credits her E&H professors with pushing her to try new challenges. “My professors helped to push me out of my comfort zone in many different ways, and encouraged me to push through my timidity when it came to speaking another language.”<br/><br/> Her job title is Outreach Worker. with Migrant Health Network. “What I do is reach out to the migrant farm worker population here in Washington and Smyth counties and offer my help with anything they might be needing regarding health care. I offer interpretation, transportation, and care navigation. I’m basically a bilingual case manager. Also, I try to help with filling out insurance applications and providing health education materials in Spanish.”<br/><br/> Sarah says the Migrant Health Network’s goal is to provide services/care to as many migrant workers as possible. “Our group has 4 workers each serving about 3 counties a piece here in Southwest Virginia. In 2017, we served 720 farm workers. We hope for that number to grow for 2018. Our organization is about providing care to those who would normally feel helpless to try to go about taking care of their health care needs.”<br/><br/> She says every day presents a new challenge, and because the culture is so different from hers and because she’s dealing with medical issues, she is always having to expand her vocabulary. “I can go in with a patient to a regular check-up, and the next thing I know, the doctor is talking about different kinds of deep sea fish the patient should be eating, or maybe some kind of neurological illness I’ve never heard of before.”<br/><br/> She says she appreciates not only the education she got at Emory & Henry…but also the empathy she gained. “By the time I graduated from E&H in 2015, I had learned to see what was going on in the world through other people’s eyes, which has helped me considerably in a job where I am almost constantly with those from another culture and background.”</div><div/><div/><div/></div><a href="/live/profiles/1295-sarah-agron" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1745-becky-edmondson-pretzel" title="Becky Pretzel" aria-label="Becky 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" title="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="1500" data-max-h="2250"/></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/2314-tammy-mcmillan-parks" title="Tammy Parks" aria-label="Tammy Parks"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/6,0,157,150/4597_Tammy_Parks.rev.1536941020.jpg" alt="Tammy McMillan Parks" title="Tammy McMillan Parks" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="290" data-max-h="150"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2314-tammy-mcmillan-parks"><p> Tammy McMillan Parks is making sure her students see art all over the world: paying forward a gift bestowed by an E&H faculty mentor.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Tammy McMillan Parks (E&H ’95) is taking a page out of the Royce Morris handbook.</p><p> Tammy was an art major at Emory & Henry, and loved classes with E&H’s classics and art history professor, Dr. Royce Morris (deceased). She went with him on his semi-annual trip to Rome, and found the experience to be life-changing. Now that she is an art professor herself, she is carrying on his legacy of sharing the world’s most amazing art with young people.</p><p> She is a professor of art at New River Community College (Dublin, Virginia), and she is committed to offering her students opportunities to see, try, and experience art in every possible fashion.  Study abroad is a huge part of her teaching method. “Travel accomplishes two wonderful things: it makes them appreciate things at home they never really paid attention to before and it makes them consider how their home could benefit from doing things in some of the ways they encountered abroad.”</p><p> Her last trip with students was to the Balkan region of Europe – Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. She said the experience was great. “This past summer is no different from my many years of taking students abroad…our plane flight back home was filled with their new memories, laughter, plans for future travel and all their ideas for new art projects and trips.”</p><p> She is known as a professor who goes beyond the classroom to serve her students. Right now she is involved in expanding the clubs at NRCC to create opportunities for students to travel more – not only to see the world but also to experience the history and culture of the area. “I want them to see places like Biltmore and museums and festivals that are accessible within our own region and surrounding states.  We don’t have to go to Rome to appreciate other cultural experiences! These experiences can have a strong influence on their understanding of the arts in and around place they study and live.”</p><p> Tammy earned her bachelor’s degree in art from Emory & Henry, she earned a master’s in Spanish from the University of Southern Mississippi, and an M.F. A. in public art from Goddard College in Vermont. She is currently working on a Ph.D. at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, Portland, Maine.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2314-tammy-mcmillan-parks" 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/2855-bradley-seay" title="Bradley Seay" aria-label="Bradley Seay"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/36,0,588,551/6565_Bradley_Seay.rev.1563898067.jpg" alt="Bradley Seay" title="Bradley Seay" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/36,0,588,551/6565_Bradley_Seay.rev.1563898067.jpg 2x" data-max-w="709" data-max-h="551"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2855-bradley-seay"><p> Bradley Seay is an arborist who is committed to knowing not only the trees but also their environs.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> If you follow Bradley Seay’s Facebook page, you might wonder if he’s in a Disney nature documentary. Little birds sit on his shoulder. He gets up close and personal with frogs and turtles. And he’s Bradley-on-the-spot when it comes to naming plants and wildflowers.</p><p> Bradley lives in Maryland, and is an arborist with Bartlett Tree Experts. He says his time in the forest has solidified his passions for the outdoors and turned him into a true nature buff.</p><p> He left Emory & Henry with plans of being a nature photographer. He had dreams of being one of those guys who set up in a remote and wild region of the world, hiding under a shrub, looking patiently through the viewfinder for hours until he caught a breathtaking shot that would be seen around the world. What really happened was that he ended up at Kmart doing family portraits. “It just wasn’t what I had in mind.”</p><p> As he began to put aside dreams of becoming a nature photographer, he had the opportunity to join the crew of Schiller Trees in Charlottesville. He soon felt like this was a different, but important, way that he could be connected to nature. He soon joined Bartlett, and now, all these years later, he seems so suited for the role that it’s hard to imagine him as anything else.</p><p> His duties are varied, and include everything from evaluating the health of trees to offering consultation on best use of forested property to trimming older trees correctly to finding the right spot for new trees. </p><p> He emphasizes that it is really important to evaluate whether you’re putting in a tree that is suited for the region and the climate where it is being planted. “A tree is an investment of time and energy as well as money – so we want to make sure a property owner will spend the next 10 years watching a tree flourish, not watching it slowly die. Some of the most emotional discussions I have to have are when I have to tell someone that a beloved tree is not going to make it.”</p><p> So, while Bradley isn’t making a living taking photos of his beloved natural surroundings, he is making sure everything is picture perfect for those who love trees.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2855-bradley-seay" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1893-bobbie-frentz-larkins" title="Bobbie Larkins" aria-label="Bobbie Larkins"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,33,512,545/3399_771885.rev.1519915305.jpg" alt="Bobbie Frentz Larkins" title="Bobbie Frentz Larkins" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="512" data-max-h="768"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1893-bobbie-frentz-larkins"><p> Bobbie Frentz Larkins is a great advocate for connecting E&H students to career possibilities at Eastman Chemical Company.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Bobbie Frentz Larkins received her Bachelors of Science degrees in Chemistry and Biology from Emory & Henry college in May, 2003.  Bobbie taught high school Chemistry and Biology in Washington County, Virginia, from 2003 to 2007.  In 2007, Bobbie joined Eastman Chemical Company as a part of the Specialty Plastics organization.  Currently, Bobbie is a Portfolio Specialist focused on managing the growth portfolio for the Plastics business.<br/><br/> Bobbie joined the E&H Alumni board in 2012 with a passion to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to benefit from an Emory & Henry education.  Bobbie has worked to develop an E&H Alumni network within Eastman Chemical Company as well as provide opportunities for E&H’s science students to interact with Eastman (networking opportunities, plant visits/tours, career mentoring, etc.).<br/><br/> Bobbie also has a focus on service within her community – a value instilled by E&H.  Bobbie was a member of the Kingsport Junior League from 2011 to 2016, a member of the Tri-Cities ALS Association Board of Directors from 2012 to 2015 and is currently an active member of the Tennessee Doberman Rescue and Calvary Church in Johnson City, TN.  Bobbie and her husband, David, are passionate about supporting animal rescues and providing for school-aged children in need.<br/><br/> In her spare time, Bobbie enjoys organic gardening and cooking as well as spending time with her husband, David, their two children, Katie (17) and Andrew (14), and their three dogs Matilda, Brodie and Shadow.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1893-bobbie-frentz-larkins" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/683-" title="Victor Trussell" aria-label="Victor Trussell"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,33,533,566/322_Victor_Trussell.rev.1499440958.jpg" alt="Victor Trussell" title="Victor Trussell" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="533" data-max-h="800"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/683-"><p> Victor Trussell ’13 starting acting on a whim – and now he’s acting professionally.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Victor says he started acting his freshman year of high school, enjoyed it so much he majored in theatre at Emory & Henry, and now he on the stage all the time.</p><p> “I have been performing with a variety of different professional theatre companies since graduation. I have toured the country multiple times with companies like Bright Star Touring Theatre and The National Theatre for Children, both listed by Backstage as ’12 Touring Theater Companies That Make a Difference.’” Not only has acting become his vocation, but he is proud of the impact he is having on school kids.  “These experiences have allowed me to perform for thousands of children, educating them on a range of topics spanning from historical figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. to the importance of energy conservation.”</p><p> His range of theatre involvement shows an amazing array of skills. He has performed with <em>Trumpet in the Land</em>, a historical outdoor drama in New Philadelphia, Ohio, that tells the story of frontier Ohio.  And he has also been in <em>Hairspray</em>, <em>Les Miserables</em>, and even <em>Winnie the Pooh</em>.</p><p> In the summer of 2016, Victor will be performing at the Tecumseh Theater in Ohio doing Shakespeare. “Either <em>The Tempest</em> or <em>Macbeth</em>, or both!”</p><p> Victor is also a playwright. His one-act play <em>Millennial Show</em> has been published in the first edition of <em>Young Scribblers</em>, a publication started by fellow E&H alum Forrest Williams (E&H ’16). “The play, in the form of a variety show, pokes fun at generational stereotypes as well as challenges the ‘problems’ young people face today. Taken from real interviews, <em>Millennial Show</em> also features commentary on related topics addressed within the play.”</p><p> Victor ended up at Emory & Henry because he “loved the intimacy of the campus and classes. I had a ton of hands-on experience in the theatre department.” He is planning to use that experience to keep on writing and performing and inspiring others.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/683-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1432-josh-myers" title="Josh Myers" aria-label="Josh Myers"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,427,427/1596_Josh_Myers.rev.1513028145.jpg" alt="Josh Myers" title="Josh Myers" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="427" data-max-h="427"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1432-josh-myers"><p> Myers is president of EMM Financial Services.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Josh Myers, is president of EMM Financial Services, Inc. in Greensboro, North Carolina.<br/></p><p> His post-college experience has varied widely.  He spent a bit of time in the nation’s capitol working for a large national lobby based in Northern Virginia. He attended the University of South Carolina for graduate studies in public administration. And he ran a statewide political campaign in South Carolina. He says that all his experiences and especially his education at Emory & Henry have given him the confidence, as well as the financial and analytical tools that prepared him for his leadership position with EMM.<br/></p><p> A management major at Emory & Henry, Josh says working collaboratively within groups and having real-world experiences through internships were the most helpful tools he acquired as an undergrad. He credits the compassionate community-based mantra of E&H as being an underlying guide to how he lives his life and serves his clients. He is reminded daily to always put people first and the rest will follow.<br/></p><p> He also says he has one very simple and helpful word of advice to anyone planning for the future: Save early and save often. No one ever got to the end of the road and said they wish they’d saved less.<br/></p><p> Josh is married to Catherine “Katie” Reynolds Myers (E&H ’08) who is a speech pathologist in the Guilford County, North Carolina, school system and the couple have two children, Carter and Emily. </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1432-josh-myers" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2896-andy-zimmerman" title="Andy Zimmerman" aria-label="Andy Zimmerman"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,720,960/6757_zim.rev.1566937340.jpg" alt="Andy Zimmerman" title="Andy Zimmerman" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,720,960/6757_zim.rev.1566937340.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/2896-andy-zimmerman"><p> Andy Zimmerman is a medical technologist in the hematology department at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Andy Zimmerman is a 1990 graduate of Emory & Henry College.</p><p> He grew up in the suburbs of Washington D.C. and after he finished high school he decided he wanted a change of scenery. “So I went to college 360 miles away, at a pretty little school in Southwest Virginia.”</p><p> After four memorable years at E&H, he moved to Knoxville for graduate school, and then stayed because he loved hiking in the Smokey Mountains.  He has worked as a medical technologist in the hematology department of the core lab at the University of Tennessee Medical Center since 2001.  In his spare time he loves travel, reading, hiking the Smokies and the Appalachian Trail, working on his house, and anything he else he can do with his loyal dog Walter.</p><p> Andy is serving as president of the E&H Alumni Board of Directors.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2896-andy-zimmerman" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2655-mark-handy" title="Mark Handy" aria-label="Mark Handy"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,531,531/6281_Mark_Handy.rev.1554843091.jpg" alt="Mark Handy" title="Mark Handy" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,531,531/6281_Mark_Handy.rev.1554843091.jpg 2x" data-max-w="768" data-max-h="768"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2655-mark-handy"><p> Dr. Mark Handy (E&H Class of 1986) is recognized for unusual personal service as a physician.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Dr. Mark Handy is not a typical physician. For starters…he plays the banjo.</p><p> Dr. Handy is known throughout the region of Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee, and Western North Carolina as an accomplished musician, a fine flat-footer, and he was even in a music video with Zach Galifianakis.</p><p> It’s enough to make you forget that he is also a beloved physician, a decorated medical school educator, and a tireless volunteer for emergency services.</p><p> In 2019, Dr. Handy was honored by being named the 2019 Volunteer Clinical Faculty Awardee by UVA’s Alpha Omega Alpha. It is given annually to a volunteer clinical faculty member for excellence in clinical mentorship. </p><p> The nomination for Dr. Handy might just be the best description of this unconventional doctor that can be assembled: </p><p> “Dr. Handy embodies the commitment to education, compassion and service that Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) society strives for its members to embody. I spent one month working with Dr. Handy during my family medicine rotation caring for the under-served patients of Abingdon in rural Southwest Virginia. Despite a busy practice where we saw 30+ patients everyday in addition to numerous house visits, Dr. Handy provided me the platform to develop my critical thinking skills by giving me  the independence to create plans for patients. At end of every shift, he would assess gaps in my knowledge with the simple statement “tell me about x,” and would spend the next hour filling in the gaps. Furthermore, in a primary care climate where every clinic visit is scheduled to be ten minutes long; he emphasized the importance of compassion by giving me the flexibility in the amount of time I spent with patients listening to fascinating stories about their lives and their lost loved ones. Dr. Handy also ensured that patients treated me with respect. I distinctly remember an occasion when he was quick to provide education to a patient who made a racially insensitive comment in reference to me. Unsurprisingly, the utmost respect in which I hold Dr. Handy is shared by all students that I have encountered who have worked with him. As such, I strongly believe he is a deserving candidate of the AOA Volunteer faculty award.”</p><p> Dr. Handy is also a 2014 winner of the Carl and Ruth Looney Humanitarian Award granted by the Emory & Henry Alumni Association.</p><p> Mark finished at Emory & Henry with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, and graduated from East Carolina School of Medicine and the ETSU Family Residency Program. He is a family medicine practitioner in Abingdon, Virginia. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, the ISHN Board of Quality Assurance, is Medical Director of Hometown Hospice, and is Medical Director for Intrepid Home Health. He received the Board of Governors for East Carolina University School of Medicine. He is President and CEO of Abingdon Medical Arts, President and CEO of Triple H Farms of Alleghany, President and CEO of William M. Handy, MD, PC, and Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Virginia.  He is a past winner of the Teacher of the Year Award at UVA, the Resident Teacher Award, and was named Medical Director of the Year for Emergency Medical Services.  He is an accomplished banjo player and champion clogger, and is a member of Mountain Park Old Time Band and Tune Town Band, which won Vocal Group of the Year at Blue Ridge Acoustic Uprising in 2014.</p><blockquote type="cite"/></div><a href="/live/profiles/2655-mark-handy" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1840-adam-taylor" title="Adam Taylor" aria-label="Adam Taylor"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/535,58,1256,781/3315_Adam_Taylor.rev.1519072284.jpg" alt="Adam Taylor" title="Adam Taylor" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/535,58,1256,781/3315_Adam_Taylor.rev.1519072284.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/535,58,1256,781/3315_Adam_Taylor.rev.1519072284.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1280" data-max-h="853"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1840-adam-taylor"><p> Adam Taylor is director of the Catawba Sustainability Center.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Adam Taylor is the manager of the <a href="http://vtrc.vt.edu/Catawba_Sustainability_Center0.html">Catawba Sustainability Center</a>, which is situated on a 377-acre property in the Catawba Valley and is devoted to environmental education activities.</p><p> The center is a collaboration between Outreach and International Affairs, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Roanoke County.</p><p> Adam previously worked at the West Virginia Farmers Market Association, a statewide organization in West Virginia, where he worked to support and grow West Virginia’s local food economy through project development and management, stakeholder outreach, and policy change.</p><p> Adam also carried out a two-year assignment with the Peace Corps as a forestry Extension agent in Zambia and a yearlong internship on the 100-plus-acre organic farm owned by Dr. Stephen Hopp, Environmental Studies instructor at Emory & Henry, and author Barbara Kingsolver. The farm is highlighted in the book <strong><em>Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life.</em></strong></p><p> A native of Tazewell, Virginia, Taylor earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Emory & Henry College in 2008 and a master’s degree in agriculture from Oklahoma State in 2014.</p><p> One of the projects that Taylor oversees at the Catawba Sustainability Center is a wetlands restoration project, which received a $15,000 grant from the Dominion Foundation.</p><p> The center, in collaboration with Virginia Tech and <a href="http://www.wetlandrestorationandtraining.com/">Wetland Restoration and Training</a>, plans to do three things:</p><ul><li>restore at least three wetlands in an effort to enhance a biologically diverse habitat for sensitive and endangered plant and animal species </li><li>improve water quality of Catawba Creek </li><li>train professionals in wetland design and restoration using techniques that can be replicated to restore wetlands in diverse environments. </li></ul></div><a href="/live/profiles/1840-adam-taylor" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1442-lindsey-kincaid" title="Lindsey Kincaid" aria-label="Lindsey Kincaid"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1080,720/2356_LIndsey_kincaid.rev.1516296175.jpg" alt="Lindsey Kincaid" title="Lindsey Kincaid" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1080,720/2356_LIndsey_kincaid.rev.1516296175.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1080,720/2356_LIndsey_kincaid.rev.1516296175.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1080" data-max-h="720"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1442-lindsey-kincaid"><p> Lindsey Kincaid is a custom jewelry apprentice.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Lindsey Kincaid is an apprentice at <em>Simply Unique</em> – a custom Jewelry design studio in Yorktown, VA. She’ll be studying under artist Alex Maryaskin, who has twice won the prestigious Saul Bell Award.  Lindsey has been working at Emory & Henry’s McGlothlin Center for the Arts as the Arts and Marketing Coordinator and Box Office Manager.</p><p><br/> She says she is excited to “have the ability to create something new and beautiful every day.” Her ultimate goal is to someday have a sculpture studio of her own creating works in a variety of mediums.<br/><br/> Lindsey majored in Studio Art with a focus in ceramics at E&H and says her E&H education prepared her for this moment by providing her with the base knowledge, skills, support and professional development experience that has allowed her to flourish.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1442-lindsey-kincaid" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>