My father always told me I was “less than” because I was female. He said girls didn’t need to go to college and always discouraged me from going.
I moved out of my home when I was 15 and lived on my own, worked, and homeschooled myself through high school. During this time, I moved to Michigan with a friend of mine. I married young at 19 and continued to work. By the time I was 20, I was the manager of an insurance office. At 22, I divorced (that’s another long story) and moved back to Kentucky and helped care for my grandmother. I found work with EQT, a natural gas company in the area, and worked for them for several years. I was transferred to their corporate office in Pittsburgh. I spent a year there, then had to move back to Kentucky to care for my grandmother. By this time, I was 27 years old. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO ATTEND CUMBERLANDS? Upon moving back, I decided to enroll in college. With the help of student loans and grants, I was able to attend a local school. I received my Associate in Science from Big Sandy Community and Technical College, then started seeking out further educational opportunities. I found University of the Cumberlands through my search. The first thing I read on the website was the school’s mission and vison. What stuck with me was this sentence, “The institution is grounded in Christian principles and leadership through service.” I thought to myself, “Leadership through service… Not a concept that’s taught these days.” I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Business Management in 2017. To say I was proud of myself is an understatement. I had gone through so many different struggles, and to finally have that degree and be one step closer to my goals in life was an amazing feeling. Though I didn’t have the support of my mother or father during any of this time, I had my own determination and drive to better myself.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH SOAR INNOVATION. I recently served as a Business and Innovation Champion for SOAR Innovation, during which time I helped many entrepreneurs and business owners start and develop their businesses. I led and taught classes on entrepreneurship and the basics of starting a business. I spent weeks traveling around Eastern Kentucky finding businesses we could assist. There is nothing like sharing in the joys of business owners’ success and being there to help them through the tough times.
WHAT DO YOU DO NOW? WHAT IS REWARDING OR INSPIRING ABOUT IT? I am now the Executive Director of the Pikeville location for Village Caregiving. It’s the perfect opportunity to apply all I learned through my studies at Cumberlands and my experiences with SOAR, and put my passion for business into action. Until working in this field, working with
elderly individuals, I hadn’t realized what a need there is for this type of work. To know these people, who otherwise would go without care, are getting taken care of on a regular basis is such a blessing to be a part of. I also get to help provide well-paying jobs to many women, several of whom are single moms. Jobs can be scarce in Eastern Kentucky. What better way to help Appalachia grow than to be a part of the growth? What better way to lead by serving others?
HOW HAS YOUR AREA CHANGED SINCE YOU MOVED THERE? I serve on the City Council in Prestonsburg, and the growth and changes I’ve seen in my little town over the past five years is amazing. Small businesses are popping up. We have so many local residents who volunteer their time to help clean up the city and work on special projects. Through a partnership between the city and the state park, we now have more than 20 miles of mountain bike trails that people from all over the country come to ride – all built by local volunteers, including myself. It truly is awesome to be a part of!
