Alumni

Alumni Updates

2010

Elizabeth Bevill graduated from Troy University’s MS Counseling and Psychology program.

2014

Chad Norris is in his last year of school at Pentecostal Theological Seminary and has started an internship at North Cleveland Church of God. "My educational experience in Cleveland, Tennessee, has been life-transforming. Other than my classes at seminary, my internship has allowed me to work with the homeless, share Christ with them, and have numerous speaking opportunities. Excited to see what's next after graduation!"

Jonathan Foster is an Associate at Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A.

2015

Meghan (Chapman) DuBose and her husband, Coit, had their second baby girl on September 27th, 2021. Her name is Caroline Jane DuBose, who is also Cooper Chapman’s niece! (Sophomore at MDCA).

2016

Leah Germain started her own business, Case Creative Co. Case Creative Co. specializes in social media management and creative solutions for small businesses.

Jessica Hiteshew graduated from Marshall University with her Master's in Health Care Administration. She is currently working as a credentialing specialist at a surgery center in Boulder, Colorado. Jessie is also studying for test 1 of the CFA certification (Chartered Financial Analyst)!

2017

Cassie McWhirt started a new job at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, AL as a Rehabilitation Aide.

2020

John Brooks was promoted to private first class in the U.S. Marines.

Four Class of 2015 graduates were inducted into the Ring of Honor at the Nathan Hayes Shootout in January. Pictured is Coach Steven Hayes, former preschool teacher Sharon Crumity, and 2015 graduates Hayden Welter and Mason Harbeck. Not pictured are Lamar Smith and Chad Simmons.

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ALUMNI Bulldogs in Hollywood

2008 graduate, Kat Kemmet, and 2012 graduate, Caleb Emery, have both made it to the big screen.

Kat Kemmet has been living in Los Angeles for the past three years. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and earned her AA in 2020. Kemmet works multiple jobs at the moment. Her day job is as an HRIS Analyst for Mitsubishi Shared Services Americas, but she also writes, directs, and acts.

Her favorite memory during her time at CH&BS was a field trip to the Orlando Shakespeare Festival. “It was my first experience seeing Shakespeare performed live, and it completely changed the way I viewed theatre and made me fall in love with Shakespeare's writings. We saw "The Tragedy of Macbeth" performed in the round in 2008. I don't believe I would have the same reverence for classical theatre that I do today had I not seen that performance.”

He favorite teacher at CH&BS is Jody King. "Her classes still stick out in my mind because of how she encouraged and engaged us to read and constantly be curious. She taught me while I was in middle school (I was one of the students at CH&BS that attended from Kindergarten all the way through high school graduation). To this day, I have her on Facebook, and she is always full of the same kindness and warmth she had in her classes while teaching. I could tell she was a teacher that genuinely cared about her students and wanted them to succeed.”

Kemmet did not discover a love of acting until she was 25. “When I turned 25 I realized I had been placing my life on hold and waiting for the 'right time' to do anything. I decided that year to take a trip to Iceland by myself which was one of the best experiences I have ever had. When I got back, I determined that I needed to take more risks in my life and try to move out of my comfort zone, so I auditioned for a musical. I knew being on stage scared the daylights out of me, but I wanted to work on challenging my fears. When I got a role at The Melon Patch Players in Leesburg, I was initially excited but then horrified because I had no idea what I was doing! A friend I made in the show recommended an acting coach to me (Scott "Sharky" Hodges) and after a few classes with him, he told me that if I wanted to, I could really pursue this as a career. I hadn't given myself permission to even think about it before that point, but suddenly the scales fell from my eyes, and I knew I wanted to give it my all. I started taking classes in Orlando at Truthful Acting studios and auditioning for anything and everything. By the time I left Florida to study at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, I had participated in over 40 films, theatres, and commercial projects. After I graduated from AADA, I booked a role immediately in a feature film titled "Guilt". The director knew me from an audition I had done in Orlando three years prior and remembered me, asked me to audition, and I got the role.”

Kemmet has been in several features and short films including The Watchman's Edict, directed by Bryan Boykins and Guilt, directed by Tom Proctor. Kemmet has also written and directed a few short films to build traction for a feature she has been working on. Her latest short film, Boxes, won Best Short, Best Acting, and Best Screenwriting in several festivals worldwide. “Guilt will be released sometime this year. That is a film I am really proud of, and we had a marvelous cast and director. I am also working on a feature film centered around the drafts during the Vietnam War, but, unfortunately, I can't give much information on that one yet.”

Kemmets' advice to current MDCA students is, “to always look for ways to get out of your comfort zone. Be willing to fail! Be compassionate to others, and be compassionate with yourself. I would also say- don't be afraid to be passionate about something! There's often a fear that being passionate isn't cool, and there's often a desire (especially in high school) to squash or hide enthusiasm. Passion and the willingness to show I have passion for film and theatre is what got me as far as I am, and it led me to some of the best friendships and career relationships that I have. Everyone has a different path, and some find it immediately; others (like me) don't discover it until a little later on. Give yourself permission to follow your heart and do what you love. Give yourself permission to be passionate and compassionate. It makes a tremendous difference in your life in the best possible way.”

Caleb Emery graduated from CH&BS in 2012. During his time at CH&BS, he was involved in the golf program for seven years, where he competed in one state championship and multiple regional championships. Emery started helping the Boys Varsity Basketball team during his junior year and continued until a couple years after he graduated. “Working with Steven Hayes was not only fun, but also an honor. I love that man, and I am glad I can still call him a friend to this day.” sure if she enjoyed it as much as we did messing with her, but I will never forget those moments, and I know she is watching over me in heaven.”

During his sophomore year, Mr. Horton started a tv production class that helped Emery realize he wanted to pursue a career in the film industry. “This class basically taught us the ins and outs of filmmaking. From filming to editing, we had to learn it all. I say that because, if it wasn’t for that class, I don’t believe I would be doing what I am doing today.”

In 2016, Emery decided he was going to move across the country to keep following his dreams in Los Angeles, California. As of today, he has been pursuing acting for ten years. “Time really does fly when you are doing something you love.”

Emery has been seen in shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Scream Queens, American Vandal, and most recently, Amazons Hunters, acting alongside Al Pacino. He also played the role of Baby Tyler for four seasons of NBC’s Good Girls. Emery has been in movies like Goosebumps, Little, and Fist Fight. You can currently see him in upcoming episodes of Young Sheldon and the new movie KIMI.

The MDCA teachers that have inspired Emery the most are Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Grubbs, and Mr. McNeely. “When I think about my time [at MDCA] and teachers that inspired me, it's tough to talk about just one or two. First and foremost I will put Mrs. Reed at the top of my list. Not only was she very (and I mean VERY) patient with me as her student, but she also was the girls golf coach, so we got to spend extra time together. I'm not

Emery gives the following advice to current MDCA students, “The last thing I want to do is sound cliche, but it's just the truth. Chase it. Chase the dream you have. If I could tell you how many times I was told I wasn’t going to be on tv or I wasn’t ready, we would have a book. The only person that needs to believe in you, is you.”