The 34th B. G. Raines Education Forum was held in March at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Va. The forum is an annual event held to bring together individuals from Emory & Henry, surrounding schools, businesses, and industry to establish an ongoing dialogue regarding educational needs and opportunities in our region. The speakers included keynote speaker Valerie Ellery (right), an international educational consultant and best-selling author, and Fabiana Parker, 2023 Virginia Teacher of the Year. “For thirty-four years the B. G. Raines Education Forum has brought exemplary educators and leaders from all regions of our nation to Southwest Virginia,” said Dr. Sandra Frederick, Education Department chair. “These guests provide our local educators and community partners with insights into student learning, current educational research, and sound teaching pedagogy that can immediately be taken back into our regional schools to benefit the children of Southwest Virginia.”
In late spring, the Student Government Association announced plans for a new student space on campus, “The E&H Chestnut Commons.” The new space will be located between Elm and Hickory halls and feature a large firepit with lawn chairs, a permanent large outdoor games area, a hammock village, concrete walkways with custom E&H-inspired bricks, two large “spirit” boulders and a native plant garden.
More than 100 alumni and friends gathered in December 2022 for a Virginia Tech basketball game in Blacksburg. It wasn’t all about sports. Most fans in the crowd were old friends and classmates of VT head men’s basketball coach and Emory & Henry alumnus Mike Young, ’86.