Young alumnus publishes novel for young adults

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Book-seller by day at Athens’ Avid Bookshop and published author by night, former English major Will Walton (AB ’13) released his debut novel, Anything Could Happen, earlier this week. The book is being published by PUSH, an imprint of Scholastic. Jamie Lewis (AB ’12, AB ’12), assistant director of communications, recently sat down with Will to discuss the path to becoming a writer and his experiences at UGA.

Tell me a little bit about yourself. Did you always want to attend UGA? When did you decide to be a writer?

Both of my parents are Georgia Tech grads and initially, I always thought I’d follow in their footsteps. Lucky for me, I decided I wanted to be a writer in the eighth grade and chose to attend UGA.

What was your book writing process? Did any experiences at UGA (inside or outside the classroom) help prepare you for the experience?

I wrote a lot in the Jittery Joe’s downtown on my breaks between classes. I also took workshops with poet Sabrina Orah Mark (PHD ’08) and author and UGA professor Reginald McKnight. Reg and Sabrina helped me tremendously. I could not have made the book what it is without their early advice and encouragements. For that reason, they are the first two people to be named in my acknowledgments.

What were some of your most memorable experiences at UGA? Did you have a favorite class or professor?

I’ll never forget how excited I was to get into UGA’s Stillpoint Literary Magazine my freshman year, for a poem I wrote called “Bird’s Grandmother Discovers a Dead Calf.” (Ha!) I wrote it while sitting in the first floor laundry room of Creswell. As far as professors go, Reg McKnight is my hero. I loved basically every English class I took. Richard Menke, Chris Pizzino, and Douglas Anderson are amazing instructors.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to write a book?

I think the best advice is simply, “just write it.” I know that sounds a little annoying, but it’s sort of how you trick yourself. First you tell yourself, “just write it,” then, heroically, you do. Most likely, the result is terrible. But you just keep tricking yourself by saying, “just write it,” draft after draft, and eventually the result is okay!

Will and Jamie at his book launch party at Avid Bookshop

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Libba Bray, Anne Carson, Amber Dermont, Miranda July, David Levithan, Sabrina Orah Mark, Reginald McKnight, Annie Proulx, Jane Smiley, Andrew Smith, and Laurel Snyder.

Many grads only return to Athens once every few years. Where are 3 places you think someone should check out when they return to Athens? 

AVID BOOKSHOP (in all caps because it is my favorite place), Senor Sol on Oglethorpe Avenue for Micheladas and empanadas and Vision Video for the five-for-$5 movie rental deal.

The UGA Alumni Associations wishes Will the best of luck in all his future endeavors!

Once a Dawg, Always a Dawg

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“Mine was the best seat in the house at the 2015 UGA graduation exercises last Saturday in Sanford Stadium.  Not because I was a special speaker or honored guest but because I was sitting next to my youngest daughter as a member of the graduating class of 2015.”

Bulldog 100 business owner Frank Raiford’s (BBA ’15) story is a bit unique. Originally a student in the late 1970s, Frank left UGA to start his business career – just three credits shy of graduating. He intended to return and finish his degree, but months turned into years and the family (Frank’s wife, Melanie, is a member of UGA’s Class of 1984) and business continued to grow.

Flash forward to the fall of 2011. Frank’s youngest daughter, Meredith (BFA ’15), is a freshman at UGA and tells her father how much it would mean to her if they could graduate together.

“I had promised Meredith that I would “finish” the last class that I needed to graduate and walk with her during her graduation. I will always remember this brief and unique time spent with “my” graduating class. I could feel the energy of youth and sense their expectations as they moved across the field and transitioned from being students to graduates.”

After graduation, Meredith said “I was so proud and honored to graduate with my dad. It’s because of his hard work and dedication over the past 30 years that I have been able to succeed today. It was only fitting that we got to celebrate our accomplishments together Between the Hedges. We both enjoyed every minute of it.”

Earlier this year, Frank’s company, Police & Sheriff’s Press, Inc. was recognized by the UGA Alumni Association as a member of the Bulldog 100 Class of 2015. The business was also recognized in 2014.

Frank had this to say about this unorthodox path to a degree, “Graduation was a long time in coming. My peers from ’76-’82 are ordering senior coffee, receiving letters from AARP and showing off pictures of grandchildren. My new peers have the world before them and are ready to begin their journey. My hope for each of them is to dream big, work hard, cherish the friends they have made at UGA and enjoy the journey.”

Whether you consider him a member of the Class of 1982 or 2015, we know that Frank, as well as Meredith, will represent the Bulldog family with pride wherever they go. Congratulations on graduating!

Meet the UGA alumna behind the Georgia Trail Summit: Tracie Sanchez (AB ’88, MPA ’11)

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The Georgia Trail Summit is excited to announce the schedule for its second annual event, which will take place in Athens, Georgia, June 4-6 at The Graduate. Continue reading to learn more about Georgia Trail Summit’s founder, Double Dawg Tracie Sanchez (AB ’88, MPA ’11), and the inspiration behind this organization. 

I’ve been riding bikes, hiking mountains and paddling rivers all my life. Being on a trail makes for wonderful escapes, new adventures and challenges, new friends, staying healthy and connecting with nature. And great photo memories.

Earning my Masters of Public Administration at UGA late in life allowed me to focus on which public policy I wanted to champion. Being part of the effort to build a world-class network of connected trails in every corner of Georgia is a cause I believe in deeply.

The first thing I did as an undergrad in 1985 was sell my car and become a bicycle commuter to campus. I still had that bike 24 years later when I returned to UGA for my masters’ in public administration. I caught trail fever in Athens biking the greenway, helping the Firefly Trail incorporate as a non-profit, and collaborating on a graduate project in Hartwell that led to inventorying regional greenspaces with UGA landscape architecture students.

Clearly, alternative transportation solutions involving active living are my passion. Eight years at UGA as a program coordinator for the Leonard Leadership Scholars and one-on-one chats with mentor Earl Leonard taught me a thing or two about leading an effort. So with a background in graphic design, leadership development, a public policy degree, and spare time during the job search, I reached out to all the trail hounds I knew in Georgia, and began to build a network.

Research in 2011 revealed there are 82 trail and greenway projects proposed or underway in Georgia. I was familiar with many of them from my own explorations and serving as a mobility manager for a regional commission. I learned of others while attending Smart Growth conferences, Transportation Camp, the Georgia Bike Summit and transit and mobility workshops. But something was missing. No one knew about anyone else’s project; no one seemed to be sharing lessons learned. Why wasn’t there an easy opportunity to convene Georgia’s entire community of trail experts in one place?

The Department of Natural Resources admitted they didn’t have staff capacity to update a 15-year-old comprehensive trail plan. With so much to learn from each other, I felt compelled to connect the dots…and the people.

The solution came when attending the National Bike Summit in DC. While visiting Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s development director, Kelly Pack, she inspired me with great advice, “Round everyone up and hold a Georgia Trail Summit.”  I pitched the idea that spring and have been recruiting and collaborating with trail, greenway and blueway partners ever since. The time was right and I visualized myself as the champion for the effort. UGA taught me how and now I’m on a roll.

Today, I lead a dedicated team of volunteer trailblazers planning the second annual Georgia Trail Summit. So far, we’ve raised $20,000 with 35 sponsors, including UGA College of Public Health, UGA Office of Sustainability, UGA Warnell School of Forestry, Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services Department, Athens-Clarke County Mayor’s Office and Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau. More importantly, we’re connecting people.

The Georgia Trail Summit has seen a drastic increase in presenters since its creation. You all know Athens is an ideal, walkable city with hotels right on the Greenway and other nearby trails for biking, hiking and paddling, which will be featured during 10 mobile workshops.

I remain committed to my vision for Georgia’s trail movement to grow into an established and influential organization helping non-profits, governments and communities focus on connectivity, conservation and comprehensive planning.

UGA alumni are personally invited to attend this timely conversation on the future of Georgia’s trails June 4, 5 and 6 in Athens at the Graduate Hotel. For a closer look, stroll on over to georgiatrailsummit.com.

Alumni Spotlight: Josh Collins (BSEH ’97, MS ’99)

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Josh Collins (BSEH ’97, MS ’99) is the proud owner of Athen’s newest juke-joint style restaurant, Champy’s Famous Fried Chicken. Located at 1120 Baxter Steet, Athen, GA, the restarunt stives to bring together traditional, southern-family recipes with an atmosphere that will attract a diverse crowd.

The UGA Alumni Association’s Strategic Communications intern, Emilie Clarke ’15, had the opportunity to catch up with this outstanding alumnus. Read below to find out more about Josh’s entrpreneurial endeavors.

You recently opened Champy’s Famous Fried Chicken, tell me a little bit about the restaurant. What steps did you take to open your own business? What accomplishments are you most proud of?

Champy’s was founded in Chattanooga in 2009 by a good friend of ours, Seth Champion, who was raised on the Mississippi Delta.  Although Champy’s of Athens is the fifth location, which also includes Daphne, Alabaster and Muscle Shoals, AL, we are not a franchise. We refer to ourselves as a “friendchise” between buddies that enjoy great food in a fun atmosphere. The atmosphere is fun for all ages.

My wife, Amy, and I have talked about moving to Athens for the past 10 years and I knew that Athens was a Champy’s explosion waiting to happen. We worked on selling the idea of Athens to Seth for over two years then invested everything we had into opening, including having to go all the way to Mississippi to get a business loan because local banks wouldn’t work with us. We cashed in our 401Ks, are still living in an RV and continue to invest all of the elbow grease we have every day.

 

Interior of Champy’s Famous Fried Chicken

Where do you see the company in five years?

For the Athens Champy’s, I can see a destination spot that draws customers from all over Georgia and visiting sports rivals, a thriving catering business for everyone that wants good southern food, and a restaurant full of locals that are drawn to our bluesy atmosphere. As for expansion, I definitely see a second location in five years, maybe an hour or two from Athens.

What chefs or types of cuisines are your biggest food influences?

Flavors from the Deep South – Mississippi Delta hot tamales, fresh fried chicken and homemade sides. Our recipes were handed down from Seth Champion’s grandfather over 40 years ago.

How did your time at UGA help you achieve your personal and professional goals? Did you have a favorite professor or class that really stuck with you? Favorite memory from your time at UGA?

My environmental health sciences degree kick-started my corporate career and provided me with 15 years of business experience that I lean on every day to run the restaurant.

I would have to go with two professors, Dr. David MacIntosh and Dean Phil Williams of the Health Science Campus. You didn’t ask, but I couldn’t forget about Ms. Sandra McPeake who was the department’s assistant in the late 1990s. She couldn’t always keep me out of trouble, but she tried her best!

Football Saturdays in Athens are my favorite memory.  All of them…

What advice would you give to future graduates or young alumni who aspire to own their own business?

Just do it.  No one is going to make it happen, but you.

To learn more about Josh Collins (BSEH ’97, MS ’99) and Champy’s Famous Fried Chicken visit ChampysChicken.com.

Alumnus Spotlight: Carlton Curtis (ABJ ’72)

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Former UGA Alumni Association President Carlton Curtis (ABJ ’72) has been honored with the 2015 Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality Award. Presented by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), this award goes to an individual who has shown extraordinary achievement and exemplary leadership in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

“It’s a privilege to recognize Carlton and his lifetime of achievements with one of the NRAEF’s and the industry’s highest honors,” said Rob Gifford, executive vice president of strategic operations and philanthropy of the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF. “During his tenure with Coca-Cola and as a member of the NRA and NRAEF boards, Carlton has been steadfastly passionate and committed to improving the industry. He is a tremendous industry advocate, and an exemplary role model within the nation’s restaurant and foodservice sector.”

Curtis spent the past 43 years with the Coca-Cola Company, while volunteering his time, resources and expertise to restaurant operators and retailers around the globe in an effort to raise the stature of the industry. He has served as chairman of the board of the NRAEF, serves on the Board of Directors of the International Franchise Association, is the current chair of IFA’s Diversity Institute, and is a member of the Hall of Fame of the Distinguished Restaurants of North America. He serves his alma mater as an emeritus trustee of the UGA Foundation. He will be recognized today at the National Restaurant Association’s Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C.

Continue reading this news story.

Alumna Spotlight: Christina Sass (AB ’02)

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Since graduating from UGA, Christina Sass (AB ’02) has led a successful career in the for-profit and nonprofit world. Her passion for empowering others inspired her to co-found Andela, a global talent accelerator that produces world-class remote developers and connects them with top employers. Andela finds the brightest young people in Africa and gives them the training and mentorship to thrive as full-time, remote developers for companies around the world.

The UGA Alumni Association’s strategic communications intern, Emilie Clarke ’15, had the opportunity to catch up with this outstanding alumna:

Tell me a little bit about Andela. Where do you see the company in five years?

Andela began as a pilot of a model that I’ve been dreaming about finding for years — a scalable way for brilliant young people living in places where economic opportunities are scarce to receive training and employment that leads to lifelong careers without debt and without leaving home.

At Andela, we find and train these young people – starting in Lagos, Nigeria – to be world-class remote web developers. We are unlocking the world’s untapped human potential and creating a talent pipeline for global industries, most of which struggle to find tech talent. With more than 10,000 applications coming in from across Africa to participate in the program and with 100 percent client retention so far, I’d say we are onto something!

Walking into the Andela office in Lagos, Nigeria and seeing 70 people (25 percent young women) who have a new career path and who feel like a family because of Andela — that is my proudest career accomplishment.

In five years, we plan to scale, scale, scale. I foresee us having centers in Kenya, Ghana, South Africa and others across Nigeria. I foresee companies viewing us as the go-to place for world-class software developers. They can feel great about hiring through Andela because of the social impact.

Christina Sass (AB ’02) at an Andela exposé

How did your time at UGA help you achieve your goals? Did you have a favorite professor or class?

I met a group of friends in Myers Hall that are still some of my closest friends in the world. We all spent the millennium New Year’s Eve together and have spent every single New Years together since 1999. You read that right – 15 years of dear friends who meet annually to watch UGA bowl games and to ring in the New Year together. Individuals from that group are now teaching literature at top high schools. They are teaching media and communications at UNC and philosophy at Purdue. They are city planning for Los Angeles. They are professional musicians who got their start in Athens. They are dear friends who have shaped me personally and professionally since we were all at UGA.

My favorite professors were Dr. Loris Magnani in Astronomy and Physics and Dr. Edward Halper in Ancient Philosophy. Both are still st UGA. If you are a student, stop what you are doing and sign up for their classes immediately.Dr. Magnani’s classes left me in awe of the universe. Dr. Halper made Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, and Maimonides come alive and showed how their work can guide our everyday lives.  Personally, his own life exemplified how unity and purpose in one’s thinking and one’s action shape a life well-lived.

You are being honored by the New York Business Journal for its Women of Influence Award. Who are some influential figures in your life? Where do you draw inspiration?

My father, Jurgen Peter Sass, is the greatest inspiration in my life. He left post-war Germany at twenty-two with only a suitcase and $200 and built a meaningful life. He instilled in my brother and me, the way that only a German can, that education would be the greatest determining factor of the quality and richness of our lives. We had Aristotle and FDR quotes on our fridge. We debated literature and politics over long dinners. We traveled and studied the geography and history of new places as a family. He fueled my endless curiosity about the world and gave me the initial courage and street smarts to travel everywhere!

I have also had the privilege to meet and work with vibrant young people across the globe who fight to get an education. From my first campers at the YMCA in Athens to my current Fellows at Andela who are teaching me to code, young people who hustle and succeed against all odds inspire me every day. At Andela we call this #allheartallhustle.

What advice would you give to future graduates or young alumni looking to create global impact?

Find the overlap between what you are passionate about and what the world needs most. Start with the Millenium Development Goals or focus on job creation in areas of highest unemployment. Doing what feels good is not enough. Don’t side-step the hard work of researching what really works: what is scalable and sustainable, what is safe for local communities, and what is aligned with what local communities need and want. Do the research and then go apprentice with those who are doing it best. Listen when you are out in the field. Have hundreds of cups of tea and just listen. Never stop asking yourself if this is truly the best (most efficient, most effective) way to solve the problem you are trying to solve. And no matter where you go – even to the farthest corners of the earth- never stop loving the Georgia Bulldogs.

The UGA community is proud to call Christina a member of the Bulldog family.

Visit Andela’s website to learn more.

Alumnae Work to Save our Hearing

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Athens, a town where music flourishes, is packed with music venues and sold-out shows. However, two of Athens’ biggest fans , alumnae Katie Carmody (BSED ’08) and Caroline DeCelles (BSED ’08, MED ’10), realized that most people were unaware of the long-term, damaging effects concerts can have on hearing.

Inspired by their undergraduate studies in music business and communication sciences and disorders and by their passion for music, the two graduates started We’re hEAR for You, a non-profit organization that raises awareness for hearing conservation. We’re hEAR for You supplies free earbuds to concert-goers in Athens and across the nation.

Earbuds provided by We’re hEAR for You

In an interview with the Red & Black, Carmody and DeCelles shared their passion for hearing protection.

“We’re trying to break the stigma of hearing protection. People think that hearing protection will decrease the quality of a show, but it actually filters out damaging frequencies. We’re hEAR for You focuses on education. Once people understand the science on why they need to protect their hearing, they are so much more likely to use hearing protection,” said Carmody.

We’re hEAR for You has established chapters in Atlanta, Nashville, Denver, Boulder, and Fort Collins, but the group’s largest chapter is in the Classic City.

In Athens, the organization’s major effort is to supply music venues, bars and other music-related operations, such as Nuci’s Space, with free ear buds and hearing protection resources. The public is taking full advantage of the earbuds because they have to be restocked frequently.

DeCelles and Carmody are working in collaboration with the UGA Hugh Hodgson School of Music and to encourage students to get involved in advocating for hearing protection. The organization takes part in the annual International Hearing Awareness Day on campus, too.

As the organization continues to grow, it will work with musicians nationwide to promote hearing conservation. Currently, We’re hEAR for You has recruited 25 bands to carry its earbuds on tour. Carmody operates as a liaison with these artists and ensures the bands remain stocked. The organization even coordinates with music festivals to provide the earbuds to fellow music lovers.

Visit We’re hEAR for You online to partner with them or learn more about their cause.

Source: This was originally published in the Red and Black. 

Alumnus Spotlight: William Shepard Rose III

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William Shepard “Shep” Rose III (AB ’02), business owner and entrepreneur, is a familiar face to many fans of reality television. Having spent a few years after college in Charleston, Shep recently returned to his Southern roots to star in the popular Bravo television show “Southern Charm.” Bravo describes the show as “a peek into the notoriously closed society of Charleston starring a group of the city’s most charismatic gentlemen and their Southern belle equals.”

Season two airs Monday, March 16 at 10:00 p.m. on the Bravo network.

Shep, far left, and the cast of “Southern Charm”

Bravo describes Shep’s accomplishments since season one, “The success of the show has allowed him to cultivate a number of endeavors. He’s opened up a new restaurant and bar called The Palace Hotel that serves gourmet hot dogs, tacos, and cold beverages in an ‘off the beaten path’ neighborhood in downtown Charleston. He also built a home in this same neighborhood, and has begun renovations on an old nightclub nearby that should be ready in the Spring.”

To learn more about Shep’s restaurant, The Palace Hotel, check out its feature in Charleston Magazine.

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UGA Grady College announces recipients of 2015 Alumni Awards

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The University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication has honored four outstanding graduates with 2015 Alumni Awards.

“Recipients of Grady’s annual Alumni Awards serve as a vivid reminder of the excellence of our graduates, and of the varied paths they take upon graduation,” said Charles Davis (MA ’92), dean of the Grady College. “From the boardroom to the classroom, Grady graduates lead. This year’s winners embody the fine work being done by Grady alums far and wide, and serve as a point of pride for all of us.”

Joel Babbit, a 1976 Grady College graduate, received the John Holliman Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award; Michael Giarrusso, a 1992 Grady College graduate, was honored with the Henry W. Grady Mid-Career Alumni Award; Dawn Brun, a 2004 Grady College graduate, is awarded the John E. Drewry Young Alumni Award; and Denise E. DeLorme received the Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award. DeLorme has three degrees from Grady College: a Bachelor of Arts in advertising in 1989, a master’s in journalism in 1991 and a doctorate in mass communication in 1995. They will be recognized during the college’s Centennial Gala on April 18 at the Classic Center.

Learn more about these outstanding alumni.

Alumnus Spotlight: Alex Crevar (AB ’93)

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The University of Georgia, which ranks among the top 20 public universities by U.S. News & World Report, has a student body of more than 34,000. While many students arrive at UGA right out of high school, many do not. For example, consider journalist Alex Crevar (AB ’93). After graduating from UGA in the early 1990s, Alex spent nearly 20 years traveling abroad and working as a freelance journalist, contributing to The New York Times, Men’s Journal, National Geographic and more.

Alex has returned to UGA to pursue a masters degree from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. He still works full time as a travel editor for Paste Magazine and part time as a spin instructor at the Ramsey Student Center. Assistant Director of Communications Jamie Lewis (AB ’12, AB ’12) sat down with Alex to discuss the biggest changes he’s noticed at UGA since his undergraduate years and what it’s like to return as a non-traditional student.

What prompted you to first attend UGA? What was your major and were you involved in any students activities? 

UGA was one of the only schools I applied to and it was where all my friends were. Frankly, in those days, it was not a hard place to be accepted. I knew I would have fun. As a student, I was a communications major. I ran triathalons and played ultimate frisbee for UGA. I took a semester off to ski. I had a great time and still graduated with fairly good grades.

What did you do between graduating from UGA the first time and returning to earn your masters? How did your time at UGA prepare you for your career?

For the last 18, I have been a journalist. I lived between Europe and the U.S., covering travel for a variety of newspapers and magazines.

During my time at UGA, I became an adult — of sorts — and someone who was confident that he could try new things and visit new places. UGA and Athens have always been comfortable for me and because of those roots, I could live elsewhere knowing I always had a place to return, which is no small thing for any person.

Alex during his undergraduate years at UGA in the early 1990s

What made you want to return to Athens and UGA?

I came back to earn a masters in journalism. I want to eventually teach journalism at the college level while continuing to freelance.

Briefly discuss some of the biggest differences between your first time at UGA and now? How has campus changed, biggest difference in the student body, etc.

The biggest difference, without question, is technology. There was no Internet when I attended UGA. Now, of course, people are on their phones and laptops all the time. I find myself a little frustrated by the constant need to be in touch by device and the Internet.

The students today seem to be much more focused on school than I was … or my friends were. But again, UGA wasn’t the kind of place you had to fight to get into back then. Having said that, my generation loved Athens for Athens. Largely we were here because of the town. It seems that students are here now more for the school, which is appropriate, of course.

Are you interested in returning to UGA to earn a graduate degree? Click here to learn more about opportunities with UGA’s Graduate School, which has many nationally ranked programs.