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

by Monica Hoel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Open gallery

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

More News

<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2374-austen-bells-busy-summer-is-leading-to-an-even"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/30,204,796,970/11406_image.rev.1655252559.png 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/30,204,796,970/11406_image.rev.1655252559.png 2x"/> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/30,204,796,970/11406_image.rev.1655252559.png 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/30,204,796,970/11406_image.rev.1655252559.png 2x"/> <source type="image/png" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/30,204,796,970/11406_image.rev.1655252559.png 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/30,204,796,970/11406_image.rev.1655252559.png 2x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/30,204,796,970/11406_image.rev.1655252559.png" alt="Austen Bell Emory & Henry Class of 2020" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/30,204,796,970/11406_image.rev.1655252559.png 2x" data-max-w="766" data-max-h="766" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2374-austen-bells-busy-summer-is-leading-to-an-even">Austen Bell’s Busy Summer is Leading to an Even Busier Career</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Austen is spending the summer of 2022 in Emory, but there are bigger goals on the horizon.</span></p><a href="/live/news/2374-austen-bells-busy-summer-is-leading-to-an-even" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2298-massimo-tager-on-life-in-madrid"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,387,387/11091_Massimo.rev.1649337129.webp 1x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,387,387/11091_Massimo.rev.1649337129.jpg 1x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,387,387/11091_Massimo.rev.1649337129.jpg" alt="Massimo Tager E&H Class of 2020" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="387" data-max-h="387" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2298-massimo-tager-on-life-in-madrid">Massimo Tager on Life in Madrid</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p> Massimo Tager was the first person to go to Spain.</p><p> Well, he was the first E&H student to take advantage of a 6-month study abroad program in Spain.</p><a href="/live/news/2298-massimo-tager-on-life-in-madrid" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1487-patsi-trollinger-is-collecting-voices-beyond-the"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/1,0,252,251/8961_patsi_Tollinger.rev.1604948279.webp 1x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/1,0,252,251/8961_patsi_Tollinger.rev.1604948279.jpg 1x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/1,0,252,251/8961_patsi_Tollinger.rev.1604948279.jpg" alt="Patsi Barnes Trollinger, E&H Class of 1972" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="251" data-max-h="251" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1487-patsi-trollinger-is-collecting-voices-beyond-the">Patsi Trollinger is Collecting “Voices Beyond the Virus.”</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Patsi Barnes Trollinger (E&H ’72) has never been inhibited about asking questions, and right now she’s asking some really interesting questions. <a href="/live/news/1487-patsi-trollinger-is-collecting-voices-beyond-the" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2009-rayce-lamb-launches-financial-business-with-a"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,269,2393,2133/10159_Headshot_2.rev.1630351958.webp 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,269,2393,2133/10159_Headshot_2.rev.1630351958.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,269,2393,2133/10159_Headshot_2.rev.1630351958.webp 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,269,2393,2133/10159_Headshot_2.rev.1630351958.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,269,2393,2133/10159_Headshot_2.rev.1630351958.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,269,2393,2133/10159_Headshot_2.rev.1630351958.jpg 3x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,269,2393,2133/10159_Headshot_2.rev.1630351958.jpg" alt="Rev. Rayce Lamb Emory & Henry Class of 2013" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,269,2393,2133/10159_Headshot_2.rev.1630351958.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,269,2393,2133/10159_Headshot_2.rev.1630351958.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1862" data-max-h="1864" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2009-rayce-lamb-launches-financial-business-with-a">Rayce Lamb Launches Financial Business – with a Focus on Faith</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><span style="font-weight: 400;">We all know the rules. To avoid conflict, avoid talking about religion and politics. And to avoid seeming “tacky,” don’t talk about money. So how is Rayce Lamb going to traverse a world in which he will have to discuss religion and money?</span> <a href="/live/news/2009-rayce-lamb-launches-financial-business-with-a" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/893-emory-henry-made-all-the-difference"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,147,2220,1835/6551_66257874_2424062467823220_760622803857702912_n.rev.1563304661.webp 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,147,2220,1835/6551_66257874_2424062467823220_760622803857702912_n.rev.1563304661.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,147,2220,1835/6551_66257874_2424062467823220_760622803857702912_n.rev.1563304661.webp 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,147,2220,1835/6551_66257874_2424062467823220_760622803857702912_n.rev.1563304661.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,147,2220,1835/6551_66257874_2424062467823220_760622803857702912_n.rev.1563304661.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,147,2220,1835/6551_66257874_2424062467823220_760622803857702912_n.rev.1563304661.jpg 3x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,147,2220,1835/6551_66257874_2424062467823220_760622803857702912_n.rev.1563304661.jpg" alt="Rachel Harrison, E&H Class of 2019, at the duck pond. Dr. Foye Gibson, by the way, was the E&H president who brought the pond to ..." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,147,2220,1835/6551_66257874_2424062467823220_760622803857702912_n.rev.1563304661.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/531,147,2220,1835/6551_66257874_2424062467823220_760622803857702912_n.rev.1563304661.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1689" data-max-h="1688" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/893-emory-henry-made-all-the-difference">Emory & Henry Made All the Difference</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Rachel Harrison (E&H ’19) gleaned the full Emory & Henry experience before graduating. <a href="/live/news/893-emory-henry-made-all-the-difference" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2192-victory-ime-is-finding-happiness-and-success-at"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,461,461/10801_Victory.rev.1644336778.webp 1x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,461,461/10801_Victory.rev.1644336778.jpg 1x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,461,461/10801_Victory.rev.1644336778.jpg" alt="Victory Ime E&H Class of 2020 Business Development Consultant at Oracle" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="461" data-max-h="461" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2192-victory-ime-is-finding-happiness-and-success-at">Victory Ime is Finding Happiness and Success at Oracle</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Life is full of surprises, and Victory Ime is finding a way to succeed not in spite of the curve balls – but because of them.</span> <a href="/live/news/2192-victory-ime-is-finding-happiness-and-success-at" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2281-eamph-mass-comm-student-story-jackson-arnold"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,300,400/11063_Carolyn_doss.rev.1648505296.webp 1x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,300,400/11063_Carolyn_doss.rev.1648505296.jpg 1x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,300,400/11063_Carolyn_doss.rev.1648505296.jpg" alt=" Carolyn Foster Doss E&H Class of 1986 " width="345" height="225" data-max-w="300" data-max-h="400" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2281-eamph-mass-comm-student-story-jackson-arnold">E&H Mass Comm Student Story: Jackson Arnold highlights a big award for Carolyn Foster Doss</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><em>This is part of a series of stories by members of the 2022 E&H Mass Comm 302 Class. </em><br/><br/>The first woman to score 1,000 points at Holston Highschool, has just been named Damascus Middle School teacher of the year. Carolyn Foster-Doss turns everything she touches into gold, elevating the Southwest Virginia community to great heights on and off the court. <a href="/live/news/2281-eamph-mass-comm-student-story-jackson-arnold" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1203-tempting-god"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,500,499/8025_george_stuart.rev.1586791776.webp 1x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,500,499/8025_george_stuart.rev.1586791776.jpg 1x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,500,499/8025_george_stuart.rev.1586791776.jpg" alt="Rev. George R. Stuart, E&H Class of 1882" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="500" data-max-h="499" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1203-tempting-god">“Tempting God”</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Rev. David St. Clair shares an interesting bit of insight from a former E&H alumnus that he ran across in <em>The Christian Century.</em><a href="/live/news/1203-tempting-god" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2010-eamph-rampr-party-goes-hybrid-for-2021"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/124,0,368,244/10186_rr.rev.1630438448.webp 1x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/124,0,368,244/10186_rr.rev.1630438448.jpg 1x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/124,0,368,244/10186_rr.rev.1630438448.jpg" alt="" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="244" data-max-h="244" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2010-eamph-rampr-party-goes-hybrid-for-2021">E&H R&R Party Goes Hybrid for 2021!</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Bristol’s big music festival, Rhythm & Roots, is Sept. 10-12, and whether you’re attending or staying home, we’ve got a way to help you celebrate the music you enjoy and the college you love. <a href="/live/news/2010-eamph-rampr-party-goes-hybrid-for-2021" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1338-got-a-minute-get-to-know-susannah-davis-eamph-92"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/140,0,2272,2128/8423_DSC_0087.rev.1597088838.webp 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/140,0,2272,2128/8423_DSC_0087.rev.1597088838.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/140,0,2272,2128/8423_DSC_0087.rev.1597088838.webp 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/140,0,2272,2128/8423_DSC_0087.rev.1597088838.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/140,0,2272,2128/8423_DSC_0087.rev.1597088838.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/140,0,2272,2128/8423_DSC_0087.rev.1597088838.jpg 3x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/140,0,2272,2128/8423_DSC_0087.rev.1597088838.jpg" alt="Susannah Davis, E&H Class of 1992" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/140,0,2272,2128/8423_DSC_0087.rev.1597088838.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/140,0,2272,2128/8423_DSC_0087.rev.1597088838.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2132" data-max-h="2128" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1338-got-a-minute-get-to-know-susannah-davis-eamph-92">Got a minute? Get to know Susannah Davis, E&H ’92</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Find out what it means to welcome “everyone, everyone, everyone.” <a href="/live/news/1338-got-a-minute-get-to-know-susannah-davis-eamph-92" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/50-72-grad-is-champion-horse-trainer"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,877/563_Joe_Shortt.rev.1505400886.webp 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,877/563_Joe_Shortt.rev.1505400886.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,877/563_Joe_Shortt.rev.1505400886.webp 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,877/563_Joe_Shortt.rev.1505400886.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,877/563_Joe_Shortt.rev.1505400886.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,877/563_Joe_Shortt.rev.1505400886.jpg 3x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,877/563_Joe_Shortt.rev.1505400886.jpg" alt="Joe Shortt at the American Saddlebred Horse Association of Virginia's Hall of Fame" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,877/563_Joe_Shortt.rev.1505400886.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1200,877/563_Joe_Shortt.rev.1505400886.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1200" data-max-h="877" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/50-72-grad-is-champion-horse-trainer">’72 Grad is Champion Horse Trainer</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Joe Shortt, E&H Class of ’72, was recently inducted into the American Saddlebred Horse Association of Virginia’s Hall of Fame. <a href="/live/news/50-72-grad-is-champion-horse-trainer" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1445-a-gift-for-a-lifetime-chuck-alexander-found-a"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/409,314,1054,960/8741_me_and_bro.rev.1602621613.webp 1x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/409,314,1054,960/8741_me_and_bro.rev.1602621613.jpg 1x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/409,314,1054,960/8741_me_and_bro.rev.1602621613.jpg" alt="Chuck Alexander, E&H Class of 1989 (right), with his twin brother, Chris." width="345" height="225" data-max-w="645" data-max-h="646" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1445-a-gift-for-a-lifetime-chuck-alexander-found-a">A Gift for a Lifetime: Chuck Alexander found a unique way to say thank you</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Chuck Alexander (E&H ’89) remembers a lot of details about what it was like for him and his twin brother, Chris, to be raised by a single parent. <a href="/live/news/1445-a-gift-for-a-lifetime-chuck-alexander-found-a" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2322-bishop-phyllis-spiegel-honored-with-2023-eamph"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/104,700,1200,1796/11191_Phyllis_Spiegel.rev.1651497615.webp 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/104,700,1200,1796/11191_Phyllis_Spiegel.rev.1651497615.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/104,700,1200,1796/11191_Phyllis_Spiegel.rev.1651497615.webp 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/104,700,1200,1796/11191_Phyllis_Spiegel.rev.1651497615.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/104,700,1200,1796/11191_Phyllis_Spiegel.rev.1651497615.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/104,700,1200,1796/11191_Phyllis_Spiegel.rev.1651497615.jpg 3x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/104,700,1200,1796/11191_Phyllis_Spiegel.rev.1651497615.jpg" alt="Rev. Phyllis Spiegel E&H Class of 1988 (This headshot was taken by E&H alumna Brenda Kiekhefer Pottinger. Phyllis and Brenda met ..." width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/104,700,1200,1796/11191_Phyllis_Spiegel.rev.1651497615.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/104,700,1200,1796/11191_Phyllis_Spiegel.rev.1651497615.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1096" data-max-h="1096" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2322-bishop-phyllis-spiegel-honored-with-2023-eamph">Bishop Phyllis Spiegel Honored with 2023 E&H Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p> The award is given to an individual who has attained distinguished achievements in a professional or volunteer capacity, or has shown special creativity and ingenuity.<br/><br/><br/><br/></p><a href="/live/news/2322-bishop-phyllis-spiegel-honored-with-2023-eamph" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2505-mollie-gore-on-the-evolving-energy-industry"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,332,2400,2732/12148_Gore_2022.rev.1663783764.webp 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,332,2400,2732/12148_Gore_2022.rev.1663783764.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,332,2400,2732/12148_Gore_2022.rev.1663783764.webp 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,332,2400,2732/12148_Gore_2022.rev.1663783764.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,332,2400,2732/12148_Gore_2022.rev.1663783764.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,332,2400,2732/12148_Gore_2022.rev.1663783764.jpg 3x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,332,2400,2732/12148_Gore_2022.rev.1663783764.jpg" alt="Mollie Rorrer Gore E&H Class of 1984" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,332,2400,2732/12148_Gore_2022.rev.1663783764.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,332,2400,2732/12148_Gore_2022.rev.1663783764.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2400" data-max-h="2400" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2505-mollie-gore-on-the-evolving-energy-industry">Mollie Gore on the Evolving Energy Industry</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"> Mollie Rorrer Gore feels hopeful about the future of energy. <a href="/live/news/2505-mollie-gore-on-the-evolving-energy-industry" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>
<div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/2784-ali-singleton-reilly-honored-by-eamph-alumni"><picture class="lw_image"> <source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,441,1774,2213/13457_Ali_Reilly.rev.1677706125.webp 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,441,1774,2213/13457_Ali_Reilly.rev.1677706125.webp 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,441,1774,2213/13457_Ali_Reilly.rev.1677706125.webp 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,441,1774,2213/13457_Ali_Reilly.rev.1677706125.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,441,1774,2213/13457_Ali_Reilly.rev.1677706125.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,441,1774,2213/13457_Ali_Reilly.rev.1677706125.jpg 3x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,441,1774,2213/13457_Ali_Reilly.rev.1677706125.jpg" alt="Ali Singleton Reilly Emory & Henry Class of 2018" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,441,1774,2213/13457_Ali_Reilly.rev.1677706125.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,441,1774,2213/13457_Ali_Reilly.rev.1677706125.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1774" data-max-h="1772" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/2784-ali-singleton-reilly-honored-by-eamph-alumni">Ali Singleton Reilly Honored by E&H Alumni Association as Young Alumna of the Year</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><p> Ali Singleton Reilly is the 2023 recipient of the A.L. Mitchell Young Alumnus Award. The award is given to someone who has made unique and outstanding accomplishments during the first 15 years after graduation. <em>The award bears the name of A.L. Mitchell, E&H class of 1946, who began his employment at Emory & Henry while still a very young alumnus and served students faithfully for 38 years.</em></p><a href="/live/news/2784-ali-singleton-reilly-honored-by-eamph-alumni" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>

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

Open gallery

Save & Share:

More News