Class Notes

1960s

A book of poetry, An Echo in the Wind, written by Dr. Marie Parsons ’64, was recently published by Main Street Rag Publishers. A few years ago, Parsons wrote and published a novel, “The Devil’s Back.”

Shelby Stanley Martin ’68 retired as a teacher of secondary and postsecondary English from Virginia Public Schools. Martin moved to Florida for the first six years of her retirement, but because of health issues, she recently moved to Spring Lake, N.C., where her son, his wife and daughter live. She says she loves the quiet and simplicity of living in a gated community located in the country.

1970s

Dr. George Evans ’71 and his wife Barbara Gail (Boyd) Evans were the first to be married in the college chapel while attending then Pikeville College. Having served three churches over a span of 40 years, Evans retired after serving 17 years at Cooks Creek Presbyterian Church in Harrisonburg, Va. The couple moved to South Carolina to be near their children and grandchildren.

James Burke ’71 is the owner of Burdisco Imports, LLC, in Greeneville, Tenn. The company is a major supplier of personal protection equipment during the pandemic.

After a 31-year long career with Kentucky Farm Bureau Randy Thomas ’74 is enjoying retirement in Frankfort, Ky. He says he is always amazed to see how much campus has changed since the ʼ70s.

1990s

Pike County Central High School English teacher Angela Lockhart ’96 won the Department of Kentucky Smart Maher VFW Kentucky Education Teacher Award for the 9-12 grade category. VFW Post 3769 nominated Lockhart for the award. The award contest recognizes three exceptional teachers for their outstanding commitment to teaching Americanism and patriotism to their students. Lockhart will be competing for the National Smart Maher VFW Teacher Award.

Angela Lockhart ’96

2000s

After 15 years of being a successful trial attorney with the Department of Public Advocacy in Lexington, Ky., Bonnie Potter ’02 accepted a new position as an attorney in the Capital Trials East office. The Capital Trials East office represents defendants charged with capital murder throughout the eastern half of the state. Potter lives in Lexington with her husband, Roger Mullins ’01, and their two beautiful children.

Bonnie Potter ’02

Brittany Potter, MSN, ’08 joined the UPIKE family faculty as assistant professor of nursing in August 2020. She graduated with her bachelor of science in nursing from Chamberlain University in 2015 and earned her master of science in nursing from Western Governors University in 2018. Potter worked at Pikeville Medical Center in inpatient rehab for eight years before transferring to hospital education for three additional years.

2010s

Former UPIKE Assistant Sports Information Director/Athletic Assistant Lakia Bailey ’12 accepted a job as corporate sales executive for the Lexington Legends professional baseball team in Lexington, Ky.

Last year, Cliff Bowers KYCOM ’13 was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait with the U.S. Army. After returning home, he opened a new, thriving direct primary care practice serving Greenville and Spartanburg, S.C., Carolina Health Direct Primary Care.

Cliff Bowers KYCOM ’13

Trevor Hoskins ’13, MBA ’15, who played football for the Bears, received his master’s degree in business administration while he was a graduate assistant football coach at the university for the 2013-2014 football seasons. He returned to UPIKE in 2018 as a full-time assistant quarterbacks’ coach. Hoskins is now head football coach at Paintsville High School in Paintsville, Ky.

Trevor Hoskins ’13, MBA ’15

Newly appointed City of Pikeville Office of Economic Development Business Retention and Expansion Manager Jeffery Justice ’15 says 2020 was a year of unexpected events, but it was still one of the best of his life. He and Whitney Hogg ’09 were engaged on November 7, 2020.

Jeffery Justice ’15

2010s

Former sports reporter for Mountain Top Media Makayla Meddings ’15 has accepted a job as associate producer on The Morning Show for News4Jax, a top-rated media outlet in Jacksonville, Fla. During her time at UPIKE, Meddings was a member of the softball team, dance team, Zeta Omega Chi, Chi Omicron Mu, president of the breast cancer awareness club and the first female to graduate with a major in film and media arts. She resides in Jacksonville with her husband, David, and their three beautiful children, Maleeah (7), Paxon (2) and Kayden (1). She says she has met some amazing people along her journey and without her time at UPIKE, she would not be where she is today. “Being grateful is an understatement.”

Makayla Meddings ’15

Brianna LeRae Blackburn ’18 is a financial advisor with Raymond James where she is deeply committed to helping her clients realize their longterm financial goals. She is also currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration online at UPIKE.

Aaron Hedgecock ’19 works as a lab technician at Bluegrass Testing Laboratory where he tests asphalt samples for Louisville Paving in Louisville, Ky. Hedgecock was accepted as a Louisville Fire recruit and began fire school in May.

Upon graduation, Matt Neace ’19 enrolled in the Appalachian College of Pharmacy in Grundy, Va., where he is currently a P2 student. Neace is the treasurer for the Student Government Association, president of the Fellowship of Christian Pharmacists and vice president of the Carter Christmas Foundation. He says attending and graduating from UPIKE truly prepared him for the road that he is currently traveling. Neace plans to seek a residency in oncology pharmacy from the University of Tennessee Health Center in Knoxville, Tenn., after he graduates.

2020s

Shane Williams ’19 is currently working as a full-time dispatcher at the SDFAS UPS in Louisville, Ky., and is also enrolled part-time at the University of Louisville School of Public Health working toward completing a master of science in biostatistics.

MaKayla Wells Holbrook ’20 is working at the transportation cabinet in Prestonsburg, Ky. Holbrook started attending UPIKE in 2015, and after her first semester, she became pregnant with her son. While working full-time, she completed finals two-weeks after her son was born. She says she truly had a baby bear and is thankful for the role that her family, friends, UPIKE family and God has played in her life.

MaKayla Wells Holbrook ’20

Kentucky College Coach and Service Member with the Kentucky AmeriCorps Program Trenedy May ’20, who was part of the cross country and track and field teams at UPIKE, has been named track and field coach for Belfry Elementary, Belfry Middle and Belfry High School in Belfry, Ky. May plans on bringing cross country to the elementary and middle school and back to high school. May will also be assistant football coach at Belfry Middle School. He is currently enrolled in the MBA program at UPIKE where he says he hopes to gain more knowledge to help run his family business.

Happily Ever After...

KYCOM Class of 2021 Vice President Adam Reitz, D.O., KYCOM ’21 and KYCOM Class of 2021 President Amber Sexton, D.O., KYCOM ’21

KYCOM Class of 2021 Vice President Adam Reitz, D.O., KYCOM ’21 and KYCOM Class of 2021 President Amber Sexton, D.O., KYCOM ’21 were married on April 17, at Ashford Acres Inn in Cynthiana, Ky. The couple met at KYCOM, and they say the rest is history. Reitz, who is from Columbus, Ohio, will begin his residency in internal medicine at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, and Sexton will begin her residency in anesthesiology at The Ohio State University.

Charles Mims ’15 and Lexie Stapleton

Charles Mims ’15 and Lexie Stapleton were married on April 9. Mims is the director of operations and arts at Mountain Top Media in Pikeville and Stapleton is the 340B director at Williamson Health and Wellness Center in Williamson, W.Va.