As a long-time journalist and a story crafter, my curiosity gets the best of me when I talk to other alumni about the journey that brought them to our home in the North Carolina mountains. So I wanted to take a few minutes to share my story with you.
When I went to a college fair in Greensboro, N.C., in 1995, I didn’t know it would lead to the place that would shape my future. But when I picked up a brochure from the Brevard College recruiters, I was intrigued. During my campus tours, I knew as soon as my family drove onto Brevard’s campus that I was home. It was where I was supposed to be.
Brevard is where I grew and found my purpose. I chose English as my major after my first semester, but my education went far beyond that program. I got to expand my love for the outdoors, taking WLEE classes like rock climbing and mountaineering, and participating in the second Voice of the Rivers trip — paddling from Brevard to Charleston, S.C. I learned to be a leader as president of Twister Productions, the student activity organization that put on haunted houses, dances, homecoming court, to name a few. I served as a peer advisor (now a resident advisor), an ambassador to perspective students, a member of SGA, and more. I truly did “learn in order to serve” while at Brevard.
My senior year, I was part of The Clarion staff, and was able to intern on holiday breaks at the newspaper in the small town my parents had moved to, Mount Airy, N.C. After graduation, and a couple of short-term jobs, I started an over 18-year career as a reporter and then editor with The Mount Airy News group of newspapers. It was a career I had never entertained before my work with The Clarion.
In 2019, I transitioned to a position with Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation as the manager of communications and community relations. This role has allowed me to continue my service to the community through my leadership roles in two area chambers of commerce, Scouting America units and the local district, the Yadkin Valley United Fund board and other community support opportunities.
Another important service role to me has been my time on the Alumni Association Board. I joined the board prior to the COVID pandemic and was honored to be elected by my alumni peers as president of the board in the fall of 2025. The board is an important connection for Brevard College to keep in contact with its alumni community. You, as alumni, are an important part of the College, to its success and the support for its students and its mission. Being part of that support has been exciting for me, and that involvement and service is a focus I look forward to continuing.
Thank you for your support for our alma mater! You are an integral part of Brevard College. Once a Tornado, always a Tornado!