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Meet Our Alumni

• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/705-" title="John Honeycutt" aria-label="John Honeycutt"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/355_cb05c7c2dda509f77c32d255409bb14f_f3246.rev.1500387149.jpg" alt="John Honeycutt" title="John Honeycutt" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/355_cb05c7c2dda509f77c32d255409bb14f_f3246.rev.1500387149.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/705-"><p> John Honeycutt: Successful Attorney </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> John Honeycutt said his experiences as a student at Emory & Henry reached far beyond the four walls and whiteboard, making a positive impact in his life a decade later.</p><p> As an attorney in Abingdon, Va., Honeycutt believes his college experience opened the door for his eventual profession.</p><p> “Becoming an attorney was not a driving force for me during college, but I enjoyed the legal classes I took through the political science department and eventually decided the study of law was more than a passing interest for me,” he said.</p><p> Honeycutt credits many members of the College community, including political science professor <a class="soft-link" title="View Dr. Joe Lane's profile page" href="http://www.ehc.edu/profile/view/822/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dr. Joe Lane</a>, for building his confidence.</p><blockquote><a class="soft-link" title="View Dr. Joe Lane's profile page" href="http://www.ehc.edu/profile/view/822/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dr. Lane</a> helped me become a big fish in a small pond, but at the same time, he made sure I knew there were lakes and oceans out there. When I got to the ‘lakes’ and ‘oceans,’ I wasn’t shocked by the fact that smart, capable people are everywhere. Instead, I knew I was one of them and found my own place.<a title="Learn more about this outstanding Emory and Henry College alum" href="http://www.pennstuart.com/attorneys/jhoneycutt.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">John Honeycutt</a><br/> Attorney</blockquote><h2> A Successful Struggle</h2><p> As is typical for many college students, Honeycutt struggled early on to find the right academic path. “I come from a family of ministers, and I initially took a lot of religion courses with <a class="soft-link" title="View Dr. Joseph Reiff's profile page" href="http://www.ehc.edu/profile/view/888/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dr. Reiff</a> and Dr. Kellogg,” he said. “I was close to going down the path of religion for my major and profession, but I was never quite as comfortable and confident with religion as I am with the law.  It’s funny how things work out.  I really appreciate what Joe Reiff and Fred Kellogg taught me. What I learned from them was a vital part of my E&H experience.”</p><p> Following graduation from E&H, Honeycutt earned a Masters of Public Administration at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before attending the College of Law at University of Tennessee. For the past four years, he has practiced employment law at Penn, Stuart & Eskridge in Abingdon, primarily representing employers in workers’ compensation claims filed by their employees. He also represents employers in federal employment discrimination law suits.</p><p> “E&H challenged and grew my capacity to work hard,” said Honeycutt. “When I was in graduate school and law school, I drew on the experience of classes I took from Dr. Lane, Dr. Kathleen Chamberlain, and Dr. Joe Reiff to get me through. The papers, tests, and presentations for these classes made me realize I had to be better to be successful. Those challenges pushed my limits, and when I got to graduate school and law school, I was able to handle the difficulty when other students from less strenuous undergraduate institutions could not.”</p><p> Honeycutt said E&H helped him learn about work ethic and self-awareness. “Most any institution of higher education can teach students facts and figures, but E&H does better than most,” he said. “What sets E&H apart, however, is the unique environment in which it teaches students those facts and figures. To those students who engage the entire college community, E&H provides context better than any other institution of higher education I’ve seen.”</p><p> He added, “I also appreciate my experience at the College because it’s where I met some wonderful friends with whom I’m still close more than 10 years later. I also met my wife, Jenna, while we were students at E&H.  We have a precious little girl, Anna Claire.  We love her, and we’re so proud of her.”</p><div id="social-sharing-links" class="right clearfix"/></div><a href="/live/profiles/705-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/675-" title="Anne Driscoll" aria-label="Anne Driscoll"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,960/269_1912405_682582264006_8756799307793601402_n.rev.1496850332.jpg" alt="Anne Ryan Driscoll" title="Anne Ryan Driscoll" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,960/269_1912405_682582264006_8756799307793601402_n.rev.1496850332.jpg 2x" data-max-w="960" data-max-h="960"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/675-"><p> Anne Ryan Driscoll ’06 Honored for her Teaching and Research at Virginia Tech</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> A press release from Virginia Tech has announced the 2016 Dr. Carroll B. Shannon Excellence in Teaching Awards presented to faculty members in the College of Science and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.</p><p> Emory & Henry’s Anne Ryan Driscoll (’06) was among the honorees for her work in the Department of Statistics.</p><p> Anne majored in Mathematics and Physics at Emory & Henry and played basketball and tennis as a student athlete, and did all this while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. Anne was a 3-time ODAC All-Academic selection and a 2-time ITA Scholar Athlete. She and her tennis teammates finished 2nd in both the ODAC regular season and in the ODAC Championship tournament in her junior year, where she played #5 singles and #3 doubles. Anne was also a member of Kappa Phi Alpha sorority and Sigma Mu Honor Society.</p><p> After graduation, Anne went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Statistics and a Ph.D. in Statistics from Virginia Tech. She currently works as an Assistant Professor of Practice at Virginia Tech teaching both undergraduate and graduate level courses in research and statistics. Anne has received other professional awards at Tech that honor her Outstanding Departmental Citizenship and twice was selected for an Excellence in Teaching award. She has published numerous scholarly articles related to research methodology and statistics. Additionally, Anne has collaborated on projects for the Department of Defense and with NASA.</p><p> An excerpt from the press release is listed below, and you may read the entire press release at the Virginia Tech webpage <a href="http://vtnews.vt.edu/content/vtnews_vt_edu/en/articles/2016/08/science-shannonteachingaward.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</p><p> August 3, 2016 – Four Virginia Tech faculty with the <a href="http://liberalarts.vt.edu/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">College of Science and College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences</a> have received the 2016 Dr. Carroll B. Shannon Excellence in Teaching Award.</p><p> The awards were presented to: Anne Ryan Driscoll, an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Statistics; Michel Pleimling, a professor with the Department of Physics and director of the Academy of Integrated Science; and Gordon Yee, an associate professor with the Department of Chemistry, all in the College of Science; and Marian Mollin, an associate professor in the Department of History, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.</p><p><br/> The award is made possible by an endowment established by Peter and Carroll Shannon, of Wilmington, Delaware, and is given annually to College of Science and College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences faculty members who demonstrate outstanding teaching skills, innovative methods, and dedication to learning. The colleges once formed the College of Arts and Sciences, which split in 2002.</p><p><br/> “Virginia Tech gave me the opportunity to become someone who I would never have become if it had not been for the university,” said Peter Shannon, who graduated from Virginia Tech in 1969 with a general science degree and who named the award in honor of his wife, Carroll, an educator for her entire career.</p><p><br/> “Outstanding teachers have the opportunity to be change agents in the lives of students. They inspire a love of learning, encourage students to reach their potential and discover their career path,” said Carroll Shannon, who worked in education for the state of Delaware. “Most importantly, they guide students in becoming contributing members of society who will impact positively the lives of others.”</p><p><strong>Anne Driscoll</strong><br/> Since joining Virginia Tech’s faculty in 2011, Driscoll has taught eight courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the <a href="http://www.stat.vt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Department of Statistics</a>. She also has collaborated on projects for the U.S. Department of Defense and with NASA, and she chairs the department’s corporate partners program, which is a cooperative outreach venture that links the department with 11 different companies.</p><p> Of Driscoll’s nomination, the college committee said, “The committee was particularly impressed with the strength of your teaching’s impact on your students and their careers.” Her research focuses on statistical process control, health care surveillance, and industrial statistics.</p><p> She earned dual bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and physics from Emory & Henry College in 2006, followed by master’s and doctoral degrees in statistics from Virginia Tech in, respectively, 2007 and 2011. Her awards won at Virginia Tech include the Jesse C. Arnold Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2010-2011, and the Rose Costain Award for Outstanding Departmental Citizenship, 2010.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/675-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1430-becky-kurtz" title="Becky Kurtz" aria-label="Becky Kurtz"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,232,216/741_kurtz.rev.1507059839.jpg" alt="Becky Kurtz" title="Becky Kurtz" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="232" data-max-h="216"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1430-becky-kurtz"><p> Kurtz is manager of the Atlanta’s Aging & Health Resources Division.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> After a successful stint in the office of U.S. Administration for Community Living, where she served as Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Becky Kurtz is now back in Georgia.</p><div class="m_-8668633278848088304m_-3351044740351875199m_-7072934309234766291gmail-m_8690036448639047984gmail-formattedContent" id="m_-8668633278848088304m_-3351044740351875199m_-7072934309234766291gmail-m_8690036448639047984gmail-ctl01_formattedContent"><div class="m_-8668633278848088304m_-3351044740351875199m_-7072934309234766291gmail-m_8690036448639047984gmail-formattedContent-container" id="m_-8668633278848088304m_-3351044740351875199m_-7072934309234766291gmail-m_8690036448639047984gmail-ctl01_formattedContent_ctl00"><p> IN March, 2017, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) named <span class="il">Becky</span> <span class="il">Kurtz</span> manager of the agency’s Aging & Health Resources Division. <span class="il">Kurtz. She </span>will also serve as the Director of the Atlanta Area Agency on Aging (AAA). <br/><br/> At ARC, <span class="il">Kurtz </span>leads a team of 50 professionals who plan and provide comprehensive services to address the needs of the Atlanta region’s rapidly growing population of older adults and individuals with disabilities. As the Atlanta AAA Director, <span class="il">Kurtz</span> manages the allocation of more than $22 million in federal, state and grant funds annually to community-based organizations and local governments that provide direct services to older adults, persons with disabilities, and their families.<br/><br/><span class="il">Kurtz</span> has been a leader in aging issues at both the federal and state levels. She went to ARC from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, where she served as Director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. In this role, she worked to enhance the health, safety and welfare of long-term care facility residents and helped states carry out effective ombudsman programs.  <br/><br/> Previously, she spent 16 years as Georgia’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman and served on the leadership team of the Georgia Division of Aging Services.  She also held leadership roles with the National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs, including a term as president. <br/><br/> A native of western North Carolina, <span class="il">Becky</span> is also a graduate of Columbia University School of Law. </p><p>   </p></div></div></div><a href="/live/profiles/1430-becky-kurtz" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1433-toni-atkins" title="Toni Atkins" aria-label="Toni Atkins"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,56,800,857/2267_Toni_Atkins.rev.1516131104.jpg" alt="Toni Atkins" title="Toni Atkins" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,56,800,857/2267_Toni_Atkins.rev.1516131104.jpg 2x" data-max-w="800" data-max-h="1054"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1433-toni-atkins"><p> Toni Atkins is the leader of the California Senate – and is the first woman to hold this position.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Toni Atkins, E&H ’84, recently made history by becoming the first woman to serve as president pro Tempore of the California Senate.  She has served as interim Mayor of San Diego, and was Governor of California for nine hours in 2014 – making her California’s first openly gay governor, and it also landed her a spot on the Jimmy Kimmel talk show.</p><p>  </p><p> Below is an article by Lisa Renner written for Capitol Weekly in 2017:</p><p> State Sen. Toni Atkins has come a long way since she was a girl growing up poor without running water in rural Virginia.</p><p> This month, the San Diego lawmaker is set to replace Kevin de León as leader of the California Senate. She will be the first woman and first open lesbian to hold the position. She also will be the first person since the 19^th century to hold both of the Legislature’s top jobs – Assembly speaker and Senate leader.</p><blockquote><p> “She came with a sense of wanting to make a difference but didn’t think she could make a difference because of her background.” — Stephen Fisher </p></blockquote><p> Atkins, 55, is a real coal miner’s daughter who grew up in a house without indoor plumbing or running water, and her mother cooked on a wood stove, according to her college professor and close friend Stephen Fisher. When Atkins and her family moved to the city of Roanoke, she was teased for her hillbilly accent.</p><div id="div-gpt-ad-1395717372217-22_container" class="idm_ad_unit"/><p>  </p><p> Only two others have served as both Assembly speaker and Senate leader — Ransom Burnell (Assembly Speaker in 1861 and Senate pro Tem in 1864) and James T. Farley (Assembly speaker in 1856 and Senate pro Tem in 1871-1872), said Alex Vassar, author of <em>California Lawmaker: The Men and Women of the California State Legislature.</em></p><p> Fisher recalls that when she arrived at Emory & Henry College, where she ultimately majored in political science, she had a lot of “anger and shame” about her upbringing. “She came with a sense of wanting to make a difference but didn’t think she could make a difference because of her background,” he said.</p><p> But as she grew more comfortable, she became more confident in her skin. She was part of a group of students who asked Fisher to teach a course on feminism. He agreed if the students would help him create the course, including decided what texts do use and how the class would be structured. “It was a transformative experience for all of us,” he said, adding that Atkins wasn’t the only participant who went on to have great success in professional life.</p><p> Atkins also showed courage by helping arrange for a visit to campus by lesbian folk singer Holly Near in the early 1980s when the college “was not a safe place to come out in,” Fisher said.</p><blockquote><p> Atkins was elected to the state Assembly in 2010. becoming Speaker of the Assembly in 2014. </p></blockquote><p> But Fisher said he had no idea back then that Atkins would end up where she is now. “I knew that she was going to do well but I had no notion that she was going into public work.”</p><p> Atkins ended up continuing her education at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University before relocating to San Diego in 1985.</p><p> She initially served as director of clinic services of Womancare Health Center but soon began working for then San Diego City Councilmember Christine Kehoe, the city’s first openly gay elected official. Atkins’ first jump into elected office came on the San Diego City Council in 2000, when she replaced Kehoe after Kehoe moved on to the state Legislature.</p><p> Atkins was herself elected to the state Assembly in 2010. becoming Speaker of the Assembly in 2014.  She set her priorities as access to health care, affordable housing and educational opportunities.</p><p> Among her achievements was getting the bipartisan support for a $7.5 billion water bond approved by voters in 2014. “That was a clear example of her leadership because folks believed it could not be done,” said Assemblymember Shirley Weber of San Diego.</p><blockquote><p> “She has that coal miner’s daughter perspective that comes out of that environment.” — Shirley Weber </p></blockquote><p> Weber also credits Atkins with getting her to run for office. Weber was recently retired after a long career as a professor of Africana studies at San Diego State University when Atkins asked her to consider running for the Assembly.</p><p> When Weber won the election and joined the Assembly in 2012, it was Atkins who opened doors for her and helped her make the transition. “She said I will help you do this and she did,” Weber said. “Other people say I’ll help you and you can’t find them. They don’t do anything for you.”</p><p> Weber said she is impressed that Atkins has been able to rise so far while keeping her dignity and maintaining her integrity.</p><p> “She has that coal miner’s daughter perspective that comes out of that environment,” she said. “You don’t get out of that environment if you don’t take what you have, make it better, learn from strengths and minimize your weaknesses.”</p><p> Atkins was elected to the state Senate in 2016 and was able to get all 12 bills she sent to the governor, signed and approved. In her December newsletter, she said she is especially proud of Senate Bill 2, which creates a permanent funding source for affordable housing and Senate Bill 179, which requires the state to legally recognize “nonbinary” as a gender for people who do not identify as male or female.</p><p> Rick Zbur, executive director for Equality California, said Atkins is one of the best advocates for the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. He applauded her upcoming advance to leadership of the senate.</p><p> “It’s important that she has shattered yet another glass ceiling,” he said. “These kinds of achievements are important for LBGTQ people because we have been historically underrepresented in government.”</p><p> Through it all, she remembers her Virginia roots. She invited Cameron Chase, a 20-year-old Emory & Henry student, to Sacramento for a three-week internship with her earlier this year. “Sen. Atkins is literally so down to earth and so kind and generous,” he said.</p><p> In a 2014 statement to the Washington Post, Atkins reflected on her rise from poverty to high office in California. “What that says about our opportunities as Americans and our democracy is profound.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1433-toni-atkins" 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/1953-chris-kolakowski" title="Chris Kolakowski" aria-label="Chris Kolakowski"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1500,1499/3488_Kolakowski_Chris_0501.rev.1520631894.jpg" alt="Chris Kolakowski" title="Chris Kolakowski" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1500,1499/3488_Kolakowski_Chris_0501.rev.1520631894.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1500,1499/3488_Kolakowski_Chris_0501.rev.1520631894.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1500" data-max-h="2100"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1953-chris-kolakowski"><p> Chris Kolakowski is the Director of the MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk, VA. </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Christopher L. Kolakowski was born and raised in Fredericksburg, Va. He received his BA in History and Mass Communications from Emory & Henry College, and his MA in Public History from the State University of New York at Albany.</p><p> Chris has spent his career interpreting and preserving American military history with the National Park Service, New York State government, the Rensselaer County (NY) Historical Society, the Civil War Preservation Trust, Kentucky State Parks, and the U.S. Army. He has written and spoken on various aspects of military history from 1775 to the present. He has published two books with the History Press: <em>The Civil War at Perryville: Battling For the Bluegrass</em> and <em>The Stones River and Tullahoma Campaign: This Army Does Not Retreat</em>. In September 2016 the U.S. Army published his volume on the 1862 Virginia Campaigns as part of its sesquicentennial series on the Civil War. He is a contributor to the Emerging Civil War Blog, and his study of the 1941-42 Philippine Campaign titled <em>Last Stand on Bataan</em> was released by McFarland in late February 2016. He is currently working on a book about the 1944 India-Burma battles.</p><p> Chris came to Norfolk having served as Director of the General George Patton Museum and Center of Leadership in Fort Knox, KY from 2009 to 2013. He became the MacArthur Memorial Director on September 16, 2013.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1953-chris-kolakowski" 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/812-beth-hudak" title="Beth Hudak" aria-label="Beth Hudak"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,824,662/575_Beth_Hudak_EH_10.rev.1505495071.jpg" alt="Beth Hudak" title="Beth Hudak" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,824,662/575_Beth_Hudak_EH_10.rev.1505495071.jpg 2x" data-max-w="824" data-max-h="662"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/812-beth-hudak"><p> Beth Hudak’s work caught the attention of the National Science Foundation.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> A press release from the University of Kentucky tries to explain the science in terms we can all understand: haven’t we all held a cell phone in our hands and noticed it getting a bit too hot? The research and discovery done by Beth Hudak just might make that sensation obsolete.</p><p> Beth earned a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Emory & Henry in 2010, and finished her Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky in 2017. While working with a team of researchers she has just made an exciting breakthrough in polymorphs of the inorganic compound hafnium dioxide – used commonly in optical coatings.</p><p> The results have implications for more efficient microchip technology.</p><p> The paper on the work was recently published by Nature Communications, and the work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the U.S. Department of Energy, and NASA Kentucky. The research is getting national attention, and is currently featured as a banner headline on the website for the National Science Foundation.</p><p><a href="https://uknow.uky.edu/research/hafnia-dons-new-face">Read the press release</a> from UK explaining the work here.</p><p> Beth is now working at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.</p><p><img width="1000" height="563" alt="This screen shot shows Beth's work featured on the NSF webpage." src="/live/image/gid/68/width/1000/height/563/576_Screen_Shot_of_NSF_webpage.rev.1505495071.png" class="lw_image lw_image576 lw_align_left lw_column_width_full" data-max-w="1920" data-max-h="1080"/></p></div><a href="/live/profiles/812-beth-hudak" 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/1446-cathy-lowe" title="Cathy Lowe" aria-label="Cathy Lowe"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1248,1419/2404_IMG_0480.rev.1516308322.jpg" alt="Cathy Lowe" title="Cathy Lowe" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1248,1419/2404_IMG_0480.rev.1516308322.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1248,1419/2404_IMG_0480.rev.1516308322.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1248" data-max-h="1419"/></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/1946-brooklyn-sawyers-belk" title="Brooklyn Belk" aria-label="Brooklyn Belk"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,28,347,376/3466_BrooklynSawyersBelk.rev.1520453426.jpg" alt="Brooklyn Sawyers Belk" title="Brooklyn Sawyers Belk" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="347" data-max-h="495"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1946-brooklyn-sawyers-belk"><p> Brooklyn Sawyers Belk is an Assistant United States Attorney for the Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Brooklyn Sawyers Belk is an Assistant United States Attorney for the Department of Justice, United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.  Sawyers Belk was admitted to the United States Supreme Court bar in November 2015. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee (UT) College of Law, where she teaches trial practice and interviewing and counseling. Additionally, she teaches a host of undergraduate history and pre-law courses. <br/><br/> Sawyers Belk graduated from Emory & Henry College in 2002 and serves on the College’s Board of Trustees. She obtained a Master of Arts degree in history in 2004 from East Tennessee State University and is a 2006 graduate of the UT College of Law. She resides in Knoxville with her husband, Lamont Belk, who practices civil law for the Tennessee Valley Authority. They have a daughter, Tressany, and a son, Joseph Matthew. </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1946-brooklyn-sawyers-belk" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2028-stewart-whitmore-plein" title="Stewart Plein" aria-label="Stewart Plein"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2133,3200/3894_34169_S_BFP_0136_XX.rev.1522863006.jpg" alt="Stewart Whitmore Plein" title="Stewart Whitmore Plein" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2133,3200/3894_34169_S_BFP_0136_XX.rev.1522863006.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,2133,3200/3894_34169_S_BFP_0136_XX.rev.1522863006.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2133" data-max-h="3200"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2028-stewart-whitmore-plein"><p> Stewart Whitmore Plein (E&H ’82) is the Curator of Rare Books and Print Resources in the West Virginia & Regional History Center, the special collections unit of West Virginia University. </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Growing up, Emory & Henry was always an essential stop for Stewart Whitmore Plein and the Whitmore family, on the way to visit grandparents in Gate City, Virginia. Her father, Ernest, a 1956 E&H graduate in History, made the detour through campus, driving slowly and pointing out favorite places and telling stories of his time at E&H. From her first trip through campus, Stewart knew she wanted to attend Emory & Henry someday. That day arrived in 1978, when she enrolled as a freshman.</p><p><br/> Born in Abingdon, Stewart is a 1982 graduate of Emory & Henry, with a degree in History, just like her father. She met her husband, Christopher Plein (’84) on campus and they married in the Emory & Henry Chapel in 1983. Stewart’s first job after graduation was working in the E&H Admissions office.</p><p><br/> Stewart is the Curator of Rare Books and Print Resources in the West Virginia & Regional History Center, the special collections unit of West Virginia University. Stewart says, “I double majored in history and religion at E&H and I use my degree every day in my work. My love of history and my education at Emory & Henry have been essential to my success as a curator, teaching students, working with donors and collections, and assisting faculty.”</p><p><br/> Stewart is also the Managing Director for the West Virginia National Digital Newspaper Project (NDNP) National Endowment for the Humanities grant in partnership with the Library of Congress. She received her Masters of Library Science from the University of South Carolina, and a certificate in Rare Book Librarianship from the University of Virginia’s Rare Book School.</p><p><br/> Stewart’s research and publishing interests include book history, bookbinding design, and Appalachian Studies. She is currently working on a book focusing on the development of the Appalachian stereotype on the covers of local color literature. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Appalachian Studies, the West Virginia History Journal and the Smithfield Review, among others. Her forthcoming book chapter, “A Sense of Place: The Rhododendron as Regional Identification on the Covers of Appalachian Local Color Literature,” is forthcoming in the two volume ecocritical anthology, Appalachian Nature, Appalachian Environment, from West Virginia University Press.</p><p><br/> Stewart works extensively with donors, teaches book history and rare book pedagogy sessions in the WVU rare book room, guest lectures, and always looks forward to reading a good book!</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2028-stewart-whitmore-plein" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/838-matt-reedy" title="Matt Reedy" aria-label="Matt Reedy"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,309,309/727_Matt_Reedy.rev.1506974745.png" alt="Matt Reedy" title="Matt Reedy" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="309" data-max-h="309"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/838-matt-reedy"><p> We don’t often get to meet a real live hero. So, meet Matt Reedy!</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p style="text-align: left;" align="center"> Matt Reedy (’00) was one of only ten people in the country chosen as a 2017 Community Hero by the ICMA.</p><p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><br/> The award was presented by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Matt is the Recreation Manager of Centers, Camps, Programs, and Youth Advisory Board for the City of Oak Ridge,Tennessee.</p><p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><br/> The award is part of ICMA’s “Life Well Run” initiative that intends to spotlight local government officials for outstanding work done ethically, efficiently, and effectively. </p><p style="text-align: left;" align="center"><br/> According to the press release, a member of Matt’s Youth Advisory Board had particularly great things to say about his work for the Oak Ridge community:  “As a mentor, Matt believes in each board member more than they believe in themselves… he is always eager to turn the hushed, half-hearted suggestion of a quiet student into action.”<br/><br/></p><p> Matt has been with the City of Oak Ridge for 11 years, and part of his work is making sure local youth learn about governmental processes through participation and service. <br/><br/> Watch for news of a video that ICMA will be making about Matt’s work and his award. Read more about the Community Heroes and the Life, Well Run initiative at ICMA’s website: <a href="http://lifewellrun.org/lwr-recognizes-community-heroes/">lifewellrun.org/lwr-recognizes-community-heroes/</a>.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/838-matt-reedy" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2122-gabrielle-gregory" title="Gabrielle Gregory" aria-label="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="Gabrielle Gregory" title="Gabrielle Gregory" 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/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>