PIRATE SPIRIT A flare for excitement

Kasey Rogers

Year: Junior

Major: Public health, minor in nutrition

Hometown: Sykesville, Maryland

If you’ve watched halftime shows at Pirate football games, you’ve probably seen Kasey Rogers. She’s the one twirling fire.

“The fire element is crazy,” said the junior public health major who hopes to become a physician assistant working in orthopedics. “I used to make sure my hair was completely pulled back, and I was wearing tight clothing just in case. Now I go out in front of thousands with my hair drenched in hair spray, and everyone loves it.”

Rogers started twirling batons when she was 4 years old. “My mom signed me up, and I just never stopped,” she said. She did teams, then individual events and added flames in high school.

Being the featured twirler at ECU isn’t easy. Rogers had to audition.

“Usually, one of the highest levels you can reach in baton twirling is the collegiate level,” she said. “Collegiate baton twirling is what a lot of girls spend their whole careers working for, so getting the email that I was becoming the featured twirler for ECU was a moment I will never forget.”

Rogers has always loved parades, and performing in the ECU Homecoming parade each year has been no exception. “When you go to a school you become a part of that community, and with that comes a sense of pride in representing that community,” she said. “Meeting the alumni was an amazing experience for me because we all share the same love for ECU.”

Band director Joe Busuito described Rogers as “a 10/10ths person.”

“Kasey brings a fire, passion and energy to the field that the whole band feeds off,” he said.

That dedication was clear last year when she won the title of 2022 Miss Majorette of North Carolina. In the NBTA Nationals last July, she placed eighth in the Miss Majorette of America contest and qualified for the International Baton Twirling Federation Nations Cup being held in Liverpool, England, Aug. 4-9 as part of the NBTA-USA Nations Cup Team. She has a GoFundMe site to help cover the costs of attending.

– Hannah Eccleston

5 minutes with SEAN

REYNOLDS ’08

By Patricia Earnhardt Tyndall

Position: Chief of facility management, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods National Monument, Fort Point National Historic Site

Degree: Bachelor’s in construction management

Hometown: Corte Madera, California

What led to your career with the National Park Service?

I didn’t expect to work in the public sector. Through a National Park Service career program, I was hired as a facility operations specialist. My background in construction fit well with overseeing maintenance, repair and rehabilitation of facilities.

What do you do as a chief of facility management?

I oversee the facilities program at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This is one of the largest urban parks in the world. Managing facilities includes preserving and protecting assets, including more than 400 historic and nonhistoric buildings and structures.

What’s one of your latest projects?

Recently, I worked on the design and installation of a new fire suppression system for an historic Army barracks building that is being converted into a dormitory for seasonal park employees. Such a project means finding creative solutions for balancing preservation and safety. The stakes are higher for historic facilities because, in a sense, they are priceless.

Was there an experience or class at ECU that helped lead to your success?

Construction management provided me a solid foundation of technical skills I use on a regular basis. The skills I learned at ECU I have found to be most useful are writing and leadership. As a manager, effective communication and leadership are critical to success.

Anything else to add?

As a public servant and steward of public lands, it is rewarding to know that the work I do serves the American people and will continue to do so for future generations. I am grateful that I can work in these beautiful places.

We want to hear stories from alumni about how their experiences at ECU shaped them today and how they pass those lessons to others. Send us an email at easteditor@ecu.edu