Alumni Spotlights: Col. Mike Smith ‘85

Caroline Martin married Kory LaBarge on November 21, 2020, at the Federated Garden Club. The couple now lives in Milledgeville, Georgia.

Mary Margaret Smith married Nathanael Mickelson on March 20, 2021. The couple now lives in Athens, Georgia, where Mary Margaret is a school counselor at Gaines Elementary School and Nathanael lectures at Athens Technical College while pursuing a Ph.D. in History from the University of Georgia.

Grace Tinkey was named the United States Air Force Airman of the Year for the 437th Airlift Wing for Joint Base Charleston. The 437th Wing commands the C-17 premier flying wing which provides a significant portion of Air Mobility Command’s Global Reach capability. Claire Crawford has been teaching for three years and recently began teaching first grade at Windsor Academy and was named the new head softball coach.

2014

Ryan Lindsey graduated from the United States Army Officer Candidate School with “Distinction” on May 1, 2020, and recently completed the Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course along with Airborne School. After completing Ranger School in June, he will be stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, and assigned to the 1st Calvary Division. He is scheduled to be promoted to First Lieutenant in October.

Caroline Stroud currently resides in Atlanta and paints at her studio during the week and travels around the southeast producing live wedding paintings on weekends. She is now represented by The Scouted Studio in Charleston and is exhibiting in various shows in Atlanta. Ashleigh Powers married Collin McDonald on December 12, 2020.

2017

Katherine Strickland married Nick Drury of Gainesville, Georgia on March 20, 2021, at First Presbyterian Church in Macon. They live in Augusta, Georgia where Nick is in the first year of his ENT residency at MCG. Katherine is a cardiac clinical specialist with Abbott.

2016

Leslie Bashuk has been living and working in Alexandria, Virginia. This spring, she became the editor and chief of the Alexandria Stylebook, a lifestyle publication supporting and empowering local businesses in Old Town Alexandria and surrounding areas. Leslie says she “loves being so close to our Nation’s Capital and connecting with people from all over!”

Lizzie Reed graduated from Auburn University in December of 2019, summa cum laude with a degree in Finance. She moved back to Macon and accepted a position with Day and Ennis, LLC as a Financial Advisor Associate and is working on her CFP. Lizzie is engaged to Skylar Gossett of Birmingham and plans to be married this August in Macon.

Susanna Adams married Daniel Wallace on August 8, 2020, in Fernandina Beach, Florida. The couple lives in Kennesaw, Georgia.

2017

Caleb Kelly was selected to sing at the 2021 Commencement Ceremonies for the University of Georgia. Caleb sang a beautiful rendition of Georgia On My Mind.