Life after Roanoke: What’s next?

By Sharon Nanz '09

Commencement has come and gone, so what's happened to Roanoke College's recent class of graduates? More than 400 students earned their diplomas in May and have embarked on new endeavors.

Well-prepared by the College for graduate school, a large number have chosen that option. Schools from coast to coast have accepted Roanoke students for post-graduate studies. Adam Croft will head to the Los Angeles Recording School; Rebecca Perry will attend Columbia University Film School in New York, and Nuwo Johnson will by studying at the Miami International University of Art and Design. Michelle Cooke is heading to Boston University, Jake Bennett to Indiana University, Jessica Joyner to the University of Florida, Kimberly Kernan to Syracuse University, Melissa Puppa to the University of South Carolina and Logan Hardy to Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C.

Staying in Virginia will be Sade Younger, Ashley Beddingfield, Jena Lacoste and Ty Sigmon — all of whom have enrolled in Radford University's programs. Michael Henebry and Brandon Lamma are set to pursue degrees at Virginia Tech. Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond has accepted Courtney Ashby, Hillary Hudgins and Meredith Withers into its graduate programs. Just down the road at the University of Richmond, Katherine Brings will pursue a law degree.

Other graduates enrolled in law school include Katie Suehs at University of West Virginia and Jordan Green at Widener University School of Law.

Those pursuing medical degrees include Michael Bursey, Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine; Jeff Leiter, University of Maryland, and Allyson Weck, Shenandoah University School of Nursing. Both Neil Divers and Zack Gibson will attend Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary this fall, and Trent Thompson will head to seminary after he spends the last six months of this year working with a relief agency in India.

Quite a few new graduates will find themselves back in the classroom as teachers. Kevin Beck is going the farthest afield to work as an English assistant at the University of Murcia in Spain. Several will be teaching in Roanoke area schools, including Arielle Grim-McNally; Amy Chelgreen, who will be teaching fifth grade, and Kayla McKee, who will teach third grade. Others with teaching positions include Whitney Purvis, who will teach first grade in Hopewell, Va., Blair Conner, who will teach high school math in Fauquier County, Va., Melissa Sobanko, working in Harrisonburg, Va., and Tyler Hurd, with the Howard County Public Schools.

Here's what some of the recent bachelors of business administration recipients report they are up to: Matthew Anderson is director of sales at SOS Promotions; Christina Hendricks is working for PricewaterhouseCoopers; Ashley Hines is a benefits specialist at Richfield Retirement Community; Bailey Manuel works for Claire V. as a district coordinator; Lottie MacKinnon is a recruitment coordinator at Carilion Clinic; Brandon Miller is at Byrnes and Associates as an account manager; Brittany Quinn is a CPA with the accounting firm Foti, Flynn, Lowen and Co.; Donna Robertson is employed at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital as a patient financial advisor; Kristy Scott is a commercial credit underwriter at Valley Bank; and Ben Shrader is working with AXA Financial in Roanoke.

Stacy Chapman is working for the Naval Air Systems Command as a contract specialist, and Ashley Francis works for the Center for Army Analysis at Fort Belvoir, Va. More than a half dozen new grads have found employment with the Department of Veterans Affairs, working as veterans service representatives. They include Ashley Beddingfield, Jenna Burnop, David Clarke, Monica LaFavor, Lauren Sharpley, Sarah Smallman and Trista Wilkins.

Several area health and sports clubs have hired Maroons: Kyle Allen is the assistant tennis pro at Hidden Valley Country Club; Sylvia Anderson is a personal trainer at the Botetourt Athletic Club, and Austin McCabe, also a personal trainer, works at the Parisi Speed School at the Roanoke Athletic Club. Jennifer Bryan has a position at the Floyd Ward School of Dance.

Staying on campus is Barry Nichols, who will work in the College's Information Technology department as a systems support specialist. Also working in the IT field is Nathan May, who is employed at the law firm of Gentry Locke Rakes and Moore.

An interesting array of other positions has been secured by the College's newest alumni. Claire Catlett is with the Peace Corps; Britney Barrett is a curriculum support specialist at the CMR Institute in Roanoke; Adria Blouin works as a helpdesk analyst at Medstar; Caitlin Browne handles fundraising and special events at the American Cancer Society; Christine Casselano is a histology lab technician for Mid-Atlantic Pathology Services; Karri Cecil is a sales agent with Liberty Mutual; Lynsey Crantz is a veterinary nurse at Valley Animal Hospital; Caitlin Donnelly is in Boston with Xerox; Peggy Harnos is a field service engineer with Agilent Technologies, and Joanna Hertzog works as a program official for the Foundation for Roanoke Valley.

This is just a portion of the news from the Class of '08 (as reported to the Public Relations office by faculty and staff). If you know of more jobs or want to tell us about your new job, post a comment below.

All Maroon alumni can keep their friends and alma mater up-to-date on job and family news. You can update your information on the Alumni section of the College Web site.