ALUMNI NEWS
Tyiana Watt Thompson, ’05
Mrs. Kentucky 2017 As the newly crowned Mrs. Kentucky for 2017, Tyiana Watt Thompson, ’05, hopes to inspire others to pursue their dreams. “I can’t believe I am in a position to positively impact lives and be a role model,” she told her hometown newspaper, The Henderson (Ky.) Gleaner. “I hope I am an inspiration to everyone. I believe you truly can do whatever you want in life, but you have to work hard.” That’s exactly what Thompson does as enrollment manager for online learning at the University of Louisville’s Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning, working with “hundreds of people who come to me with no confidence or knowledge of how to make their dreams a reality.” Thompson, who was involved with the Delta Zeta sorority at EKU before earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, is the second African-American winner in the program. She also won Mrs. Photogenic, as well as awards for best interview, career achievement, contestants’ choice and ticket sales. n
who also volunteers with the Big Sandy Volunteer Fire Department, was honored last summer with the American Red Cross Firefighter of the Year Award. Andrew Greer, ’09, has been hired by the office of Kentucky Auditor Mike Harmon, ’09, as a public accounts auditor. Greer, who resides in Lexington, is originally from Floyd County. Jack Godbey, ’09, currently an administrator with the Kentucky Department of Corrections, is author of the recently published “Out of the Jaws of Hell: The Story of Criminal Punishment in Kentucky.” He and his wife, Jaime Sanders Godbey, live in Harrodsburg. Josh Nicholas, ’11, and Lauren Simpson, ’14, were married on July 15, 2016. Josh is an associate director of development at EKU, and Lauren is an early intervention speech-language pathologist at Wilson Pediatric Therapies. They live in Richmond, Kentucky. Brent “Eliot” Parker, ’12, has recently published a new novel, “Fragile Brilliance,” which has been named a finalist for the 2016 Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize for Thriller Writing. His book is one of 10 finalists, and he joins the finalists list with other prestigious writers such as John Grisham and Greg Iles.
48 SPRING 2017
Chris Cunningham, ’12, and Nicole Donnelly, ’14, married on July 1, 2016. They met at EKU when she was a freshman and he was a junior. They live in Appleton, Wisconsin. Chase Allen Weitkamp, ’12, and Jacob Kelby Daniel, ’15, were married on July 11, 2016, at the First Christian Church in Richmond. Chase is a seventh-grade math teacher at B. Michael Caudill Middle School and is pursuing a master’s degree at EKU in school counseling. Jacob is the operations manager of Hit and Run Indoor Athletics Center. KaShara Garrett, ’13, former EKU Dance Team captain, has become a member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Former EKU tight end Matt Lengel, ’13, joined the New England Patriots in November and played a role in their Super Bowl win in February 2017. The Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, native has been on the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad the last two seasons.
Morgan Anderson, ’16, and Jonathan “Jonny” Blount, ’15, were married on March 19, 2016, and currently live in Richmond, Kentucky. Brionne Beard, ’15, married Lamar Walker, ’14, on Aug. 20, 2016. Lamar is pursuing his MBA in sports management, and Brionne is also working toward an MBA, both from Midway University. Lamar is employed with Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown, and Brionne is employed with Eastern State Hospital in Lexington. They live in Lexington, Kentucky. DeLanna Johnson, ’15, and Dr. Ryne Scott Williams, were married on Aug. 29, 2015. Armando “Mandy” Alvarez, ’16, was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 17th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft in June. Alvarez and his wife, Caridad Alvarez, reside in Miami, Florida.
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