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It seems hard to believe that it has been a decade since I first walked through the doors as a Freshman at Mars Hill College. I think I had intended on being a psychology or a political science major, but after my first religion class with Dr. Kathy Meacham, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to resist my pull to study religion and philosophy. I quickly changed my major and later added Women’s Studies minor and found myself at home for the first time. I could never choose only one favorite class because it seems like every class I took at Mars Hill helped me dive deeper and deeper into my learning. I took an ethics class with Dr. Meacham where I was forced to put my beliefs to real-life experiences. I learned that it is very easy to have opinions and positions on issues like abortion, immigration, health care, etc. But, until you have met the faces behind these “issues,” until you have at least tried to see the situation from an alternate point of view, our opinions or positions are quiet uneducated and maybe even worthless. My Feminist Readings class with Dr. Betty Powell forced me to think critically about my life, my calling and my relationships as a daughter, a wife, a sister and as a woman called to ministry. And my weekly service work through the Bonner Scholar Program gave me the real-life opportunities in which to live out my learnings. My time at Mars Hill educated my entire being.

What Mars Hill gave me is a holistic education. While I learned plenty of facts, the most useful part of my education was that I learned how to learn and was moved to give my learning legs in the world. My education that started at Mars Hill pushed me to take my learning abroad and spend time across North America, Central America and Africa both as a student and as a leader for students. And more importantly, it was the foundational education that I received at Mars Hill that has pushed me to take a look at my local community and search out the places where I can make a difference and tap into my life’s passion on a daily basis. I learned the value of a liberal arts education and I learned how to ask good questions at Mars Hill and my life’s path was changed because of what I learned.

After graduating in the spring of 2001 I worked as the Field Coordinator in the LifeWorks Department for the next two years. A little uncertain about my first career path, I knew two things: my life had been changed dramatically by the education that I received and I wanted to do help other students connect the learning from the classroom and the needs of our communities and world. Cindy Frost and Stan Dotson taught me what this sort of inspiration looked like on a daily and visionary level. Those people showed me as much patience, love and care as my parent’s and it is to them that I owe the discovery of my passion.

After earning my Masters in Theological Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School, I took a brief hiatus out of the south and served as the Coordinator of Community Outreach and Service at the University of Dayton in Dayton, OH. After a couple of years, my husband and I decided to move back south and I am now the Director of Community Outreach at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC. After only a few months here I already feel like I am at home and hope to be here in the years to come and am working hard to help our students have the sort of education that I was so fortunate to experience at Mars Hill.

It was at Mars Hill that I discovered my calling. Beginning as a freshman unsure of where life would lead me, I was searching for the right path to take. It was through my experiences at Mars Hill, especially those as a Bonner Scholar that helped me find my passions and mold my future. During my four years, I found that I loved working with at-risk children and wanted to commit myself to that population.

At Mars Hill, I was urged to think outside of the parameters of what I had always been told, and I was able to form my own opinions. My eyes were opened to the social inequalities that are prevalent in our society, and I took personal responsibility for making a difference in any way I could. It was through these experiences that I decided on a career in the field of social work.

Upon graduation in 2006, I worked for one year as a member of the LifeWorks staff at Mars Hill through the AmeriCorps*VISTA program, which I felt was a positive way to give back to a school that meant so much to me throughout my four-year career. I worked with students who were volunteering in the wider community with hopes of helping to cultivate their love for service and for Mars Hill College.

I am currently pursuing my Master of Social Work degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon graduation in May 2009, I hope to find a job doing direct practice work with children and families in the non-profit sector.

What was your major and why did you choose that field of study? My major was social work. I chose social work because I’ve always wanted to have a career that impacted the lives of others in a positive manner.

What was your favorite class at MHC? I enjoyed all my classes. Each one provided me with the knowledge and skills that I needed to be successful in my field of study.

What advice would you give current students? Enjoy the journey. Don’t just rush to get things done, focus on attaining and retaining the knowledge you receive from you time at MHC.

Travis Durham, MSW, P-LCSW

Assistant Principal, Sixth Grade

Asheville Middle School

Travis' favorite quote:

"No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship." - Dr. James Comer

What was your first job after graduating from MHC, and what was the most
valuable thing you learned there?
My first job was to go back to school, graduate school that is. I’ve been a graduate assistant since I left Mars Hill, working as a research assistant in various offices and centers around Virginia Tech. The most valuable thing that I’ve learned in my capacity as a graduate assistant is that there is a process you need to go through for a reason. The quicker you understand this the faster you will learn the most from the opportunities presented to you no matter where you are.

What was your major and why did you choose that field of study?
I majored in sociology while at Mars Hill. It was through a serendipitous event that I ended up in an introductory course, but after a few classes I knew that I could use the knowledge from the discipline to try and make a change in the world.

What was your favorite class at MHC?
I enjoyed all of my classes, but the “class” I enjoyed most was the time I was able to spend with my professors learning the odds-and-ends outside of the classroom.

What is your fondest memory of MHC?
Although I have so many fond moments, I would have to say that my fondest memory is coming back from a cross country meet with my teammates my senior year, taking Nina out to dinner and knowing that I had found the one person that would make me happy.

In one word, how would you describe MHC?
Erudite

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In ten years, I’d like to see myself at a large research university pursuing my research interests of understanding diversity and inequality in higher education and improving the access and degree attainment of all those who want to pursue a college education. I’m sure that in ten years Nina and I will be celebrating ten years of love together as well.

What advice would you give current students?
John Stewart poked fun at his generation during the 2004 commencement ceremony at William & Mary, apologizing for how they had “broke” the world. Be generous to one another, take advantage of all the opportunities in life no matter how small they may seem, and let’s be the generation that changes the world for the better, let’s fix what others have broken.

What is your edge (strength)? What at MHC gave you your edge?
I don’t necessarily have an edge, just a passion. Mars Hill showed me the field with which I could apply myself to make a difference.

Now and Immediate Future Plans:
I’m currently pursuing my doctorate in sociology at Virginia Tech. At the end of the semester I will take my place as a graduate research assistant under the Vice President of Multicultural Affairs at Virginia Tech and continue the final years of graduate study following my goal of establishing myself as a scholar of sociology and higher education.

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