alumnae Connection
’74
Jeanne “Cookie” Parker Guthrie Newton writes that she loves her work as the family life coordinator at Brentwood Academy, an independent private school outside of Nashville, Tenn. Newton was in Beaufort, N.C., for a family reunion in the summer of 2012 that included her own Meredith alumnae legacy connections with her sister, Suzanne Guthrie Letchworth, ’68, their mother, Lucille Parker Guthrie, ’36, and cousin, Jenny Reynolds Plummer, ’95.
’75
Kay Smith Jones retired from BB&T in March after almost 35 years.
’78
After 16 years of moving during her married life, Laura Maynard Beall lives near Beaufort, S.C. They have lived in the north, the south, the east, the west, Mexico City and Mendoza, Argentina. She writes that it has been a great adventure! Beall stays busy with church work at the Episcopal church, DAR and fund-
raising volunteer work for Beaufort Memorial Hospital. She feels very blessed and has great memories of her days at Meredith. Leigh Anne Boone McLean received a Master of Arts degree in Christian clinical counseling. She has ministerial credentials and is licensed by the National Association of Christian Counselors as a pastoral minister and temperament counselor. She writes that it is a dream come true!
’80
Kim Smith Ball has joined the North Carolina Com-
munity Foundation as a regional associate for the Coastal Plain south region.
’87
Donna Wilson Thagard’s son Nick received his
Eagle award, the highest achievement in Boy Scouting. He led the refurbishment and installation of a flagpole at St. David’s School.
’88
Kelly Aman was appointed principal of West
Millbrook Middle School in Raleigh, N.C. Previously,
Aman served as assistant principal at Millbrook High School since 2004. Dottie Bass Burch has been named chair of the Equine Law subcommittee for the American Bar Association.
’90
Susan Worley Forbes is assistant director at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Library in Research Triangle Park, N.C. She is serving as the 2012 president of the NC Special Libraries Association and enjoys volunteering at the Wake County SPCA. Deanna Harris started her sixth year as the media and technology coordinator at East Cary Middle School, where she shares her love of reading young adult novels and using technology tools with students and staff. Harris and her family live in southern Wake County. Katie Powers Sparks, after being a stay-at-home mom/room-mom/school volunteer for 16 years, has decided to start her own business, launching CitrusChick.com in November 2011. She writes that she has been blessed with a great first year and looks forward to a busy holiday season. Conswella Long Timmons is currently the training special-
Meredith Career Services: Focus on Alumnae
Networking and Career Tips By Marie B. Sumerel
Y
ou may have heard that Meredith College alumnae have access to free career counseling and coaching services for their lifetime. This is true! And for alumnae, these services tend to focus on career change or re-entry, career management, and/or career enhancement. Since graduating, you may have had a variety of work experiences, participated in community service, or pursued educational programs. You do not look at work the same way you did at graduation. You are probably much more aware of the careers that exist. I imagine you also have more roles in life – partner, parent, caregiver, to name a few. Life may be complicated, with little time to consider making career changes. With just a little time, you can assess your motivation in order to guide your
24
/ Meredith M a ga z i ne / fa l l 2 0 12
career with intentionality. Why don’t you start here? Reflect on your interests and what brings you satisfaction. Are you realizing your primary interests through your work? What about your abilities … are you fully utilizing your motivated skills? These are the skills that you most enjoy using – those skills which bring you energy and a positive feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day. There are other areas that are important to examine but identifying interests and motivated skills are the important “first steps.” This reflection will help you be more deliberate about any changes you make. Please realize that one of the biggest barriers to making a career change is procrastination. Yes, it takes time, a personal commitment to stick with it, and the
ability to step out of your comfort zone to make it work. Rather than procrastinate, grab a journal and begin to write: • Develop a timeline and set goals – be as specific as possible. • Tap into your creativity – think outside the box, realize strengths you have in areas other than work, create a mosaic of words that describe you and what you value. • Identify mentors in your career field and friends that can support you during the process. • Embrace change. So, begin the process! At Meredith, we have exceptional career counselors who can help you. We are available by phone, email, and in person. Simply reach out. Academic & Career Planning (919) 760-8341 career@meredith.edu