ROAN Alumni Updates

Caroline Parris ’22: “I am finishing up my year as a Leadership Development Consultant for Kappa Delta Sorority Headquarters! I also have a fun summer of travel planned: two weeks of backpacking in Europe and then two weeks exploring Australia and New Zealand! In fall 2023 I will be attending Western Carolina University to pursue my M.Ed in Higher Education Student Affairs.”

In May 2023, Taylor Osborne ’20 graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law with her Juris Doctor degree. After taking the bar exam in July, Taylor will join The Van Winkle Law Firm in Asheville, NC, as part of their litigation team.

Shivam Patel ’22: “I am happy to share that I have been accepted to The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine for their MD program. Even more exciting news is that I became engaged the same week! Makenzie and I will be making the move to Baltimore, Maryland, in July 2023 after we complete our AmeriCorps service year.”

Tiffany Cook Alford ’21 was recently promoted to a new role within her department, moving in early 2023 from her former position of Trauma Injury Prevention Coordinator into the role of Manager of the Children’s Resource Center at Niswonger Children’s Hospital in Johnson City, TN.

Seth Jewett ’20 is beginning his fourth year at Quillen College of Medicine. He plans to apply to residency programs in East Tennessee as a family physician. In May 2023, he became engaged to Kristen Bennett (ETSU ‘20).

U.S. Army First Lieutenant Braden Trent ’20 returned from a tour of duty in Germany and is currently stationed in the Washington D.C. area with the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard). Over ETSU’s spring break, Roan ’25s enjoyed the opportunity to connect with Braden when he led a tour of Arlington National Cemetery as part of their Leadership Learning Experience in D.C.

Mandy Dugger ’19: “I graduated with my M.A. Counseling degree (Clinical Mental Health concentration) in summer 2022 and am currently a full-time mommy to Ezekiel William, born in June 2022. My plan is to stay at home with our son while pursuing a Biblical Counseling career alongside my husband as pastors of New Life Church in Johnson City!”

Nathan Farnor ’18 and his partner, Seth, returned from teaching abroad in Madrid, Spain and Nathan now serves as the new Coordinator for Leadership & Civic Engagement at ETSU. In this role, he oversees the university's voter engagement, diversity education, and nonprofit and agency partnership efforts. Outside of work, Nathan serves on the leadership council for Young Professionals of Johnson City and has kickstarted the first phase of a new cultural education initiative, Unpublished.

Dr. Hunter Wike ’18 graduated from ETSU’s Quillen College of Medicine in May and will complete his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, beginning fall 2023.

Maddie Gilmer ’16: “I'm still working at New Orleans Boulder Lounge and have been acting as COO since November of 2022. I've loved combining leadership with my love for rock climbing to create a gym experience our staff and climbers are proud to be a part of. Michael (Stallard ’15) and I are very excited to be headed back to the mountains, the outdoors experience I've missed so much, and all the folks we love in Tennessee!”

Michael Stallard ’15: “Most importantly, I am now married to Maddie (Gilmer ’16) and we have 3 awesome dogs! Since the wedding we have been settling back into regular life. I am now a chief resident in orthopedic surgery at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans and was selected to serve as program representative for this year's AOA Annual Convention. I have committed to a practice in Kingsport, TN and we will be returning to the area in July 2024. Looking forward to getting more involved with the Roan when we return!”

Roan Alumni

Erika (Wild) Herrera ’14 and her husband Max recently welcomed their second child, Maya June “MJ” Herrera, on April 9, 2023. Erika, Max, MJ, and older brother Wilder live in Knoxville, where Erika is a family physician with Summit Medical Group and an active board member with VCOM – Carolinas. She continues to enjoy teaching and will begin taking medical students in the fall. She shares, “The Lord has blessed me with a beautiful family and, after many years of training/travel, I am excited to plant roots and give back to those who have given me so much!”

Allison Lowe ’08: “I will travel to Sweden and Norway this June, a continuation of my love of international travel that was sparked when I studied abroad for a semester in the Netherlands as a Roan Scholar in 2007. This trip makes 12 European countries I've visited since my time at ETSU.”

U.S. Navy Commander Allen Barnett ’05 checked in from his current duty station in Colorado, where he’s been serving since early 2023 with U.S. Special Operations Command North (SOCNORTH). Allen recently returned from an extended trip through the Arctic, where he helped conduct a series of training exercises in extreme cold weather environments.