ippa’s ong ALICEP LLOYD COLLEGE • THE JUNES BUCHANAN SCHOOL Fall 2020 Vol. 71 No. 3 Message from the President Dear Friends, 100 Purpose Road As the semester and year once again come to an end, Pippa Passes, Kentucky 41844 we look back at the challenges of 2020 and are grate- Pippa’s Song is published for ful. Through our many trials, we have grown stronger friends, alumni, and students of and more appreciative of the little joys in life. As we Alice Lloyd College. Third class postage is paid at Pippa Passes, approach the holiday season, we hold onto the hope of Kentucky. our Savior’s birth and give thanks for our many bless- ings. Alice Lloyd’s 100-year-old mission of providing Fall 2020 | Vol. LXXI No. 3 education for Appalachia continues because of our Institutional Advancement Office friends’ generosity. I missed not being able to catch up of Alice Lloyd College with most of you at our Appalachia Day Homecoming, 100 Purpose Road but I’m glad we can still connect through phone calls, Pippa Passes, Kentucky 41844 Zoom conferences, and this issue of Pippa’s Song. 606-368-6024 | www.alc.edu Throughout this fall issue, you will see the hard work Joe Alan Stepp and dedication of our students. From a freshman’s perspective of her first semester at President ALC (page 1) to a graduate’s opportunity to play basketball in Ireland (page 5), ALC stu- Robert M. Duncan dents are the leaders Appalachia needs. Faculty and staff work tirelessly to ensure students Chairman, Board of Trustees develop and expand upon their leadership skills. We look forward to seeing where the Purpose Road takes them. Jim Stepp Executive Vice President ALC has once again gained national recognition by U.S. News and World Report. On page 3, you’ll notice the wonderful accolades bestowed upon the College. This year, we were Allison Southard blessed to be named #1 among all regional colleges and universities for alumni giving. Our Director of Development alumni give back so others can move forward, and we are grateful for the contributions Jennifer Hall they make. We also ranked among the top in the nation for student selectivity, best value Director of Marketing & schools, and social mobility. Every year, we are humbled to receive such prestigious recog- Communications; Editor nition for our service to the Appalachian region. Teresa Grender Mrs. Lloyd taught the Purpose Road Philosophy and instilled in her students the notion Director of Alumni Relations of service to God and their fellow man as purpose of life. Today, the College remains com- mitted to that teaching philosophy. Many of our alumni go on to serve their communities Russell Printing Options Printing through their chosen careers. ALC trustee member, and class of 1982 alumnus, Jerry Edwards has been serving his community for over 30 years. Recently, his former students Contributors: and neighbors named a community park after him. Read more of Jerry Edwards’ story on Amanda Clark page 8. Furthermore, we are privileged to recognize two alumni who have continued to Linda Eastland carry on the mission of Alice Lloyd long after their journey on the Purpose Road ended. Priscilla A. Fraley Although we can’t celebrate in person, we are honored to recognize Mary Lois Jacobs and Natalie Holt Jolene Roberts Cloys Thornsberry as our Alumna and Alumnus of the Year. Read about their accomplish- Roy Salmons ments on page 9. Margo Sparkman Kala Thornsbury Thank you for your continued support of Alice Lloyd College. It is through your prayers Jerri Whitner and generosity that “The Miracle on Caney Creek” can continue to become a reality for our Appalachian youth. You touch not only the lives of our students, but also those that are Student Contributors: served by them. As you read the remainder of Pippa’s Song, I hope you are as impressed Jordan Burton with our students, past and present, as I am. Abigail Dobson Kimberly Lee On behalf of the entire Alice Lloyd College family, I would like to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 2020 Fall 2 4 8 2020 Fall From Laundry to Learning: An ALC Freshman’s Reections on Her Ties to the College By Abigail Dobson My great-great-uncle Charles used to tell me stories of how his mother, Idy Rice, washed Alice Lloyd’s laundry. She sent Uncle Charles and his brothers to make the long journey by foot from Mousie over Caney Mountain to Mrs. Lloyd’s residence to get her dirty laundry and then make the long trip back while doing their best not to get the clothes anymore dirty. Idy washed the clothes as hard as she could on her wash- ing board to make sure all the blouses and skirts were clean for the woman who was bringing education to the mountains. She washed them from daylight to dark nonstop until they were spotless; then, after they dried and were neatly folded, the boys once again made the long trip on foot back to Mrs. Lloyd’s. Uncle Charles said one time a black snake chased them all the way across Caney Mountain and left them just as they were arriving at Mrs. Lloyd’s. When they returned the clothes, she told them to thank their mother and give her the seventy-five cents she handed the boys. Coming into freshman year, I was Growing up in Knott County, Ken- “Education … provides opportunities, so excited to be a freshman again. tucky, I have always heard of Alice opens minds, creates financial security To prepare, I spent the entire week Lloyd College and how it provides and gives us an understanding of before school memorizing all my those in the Appalachian region with classes and professors; I shopped a respectable four-year degree while what is around us.” online for months preparing my staying close to home. When senior professional dress outfits, which year started and I was comparing colleges, I noticed ALC’s are planned out for the whole semester; and on the first day of national rankings, such as #4 for selectivity, and that ALC class, I got to campus an hour and a half early because I just students graduated with minimal to no debt. ALC’s rankings could not wait for my first class to start. As my senior year stood out to me, and I was also impressed that the college ended a little rocky due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I did gave me the opportunity to stay home and commute while not really have many expectations for this year. I was simply obtaining a bachelor’s degree in English Education (8-12). happy to be back in a classroom. The semester has had lots So, when making my final decisions about which college to of twists and turns with classroom changes, finding my way attend, I chose ALC. From the first time I stepped on campus, around campus, and learning to be independent. Neverthe- I knew I made the right decision. I am excited for these next less, I can say so far I have loved my time at ALC, from hav- few years as an Eagle where I can further my education. ing the campus dog, Sandy, greet me in front of CAC every morning to the good friends I have already made, and now I Education means so much to me because it provides oppor- am getting to witness how beautiful the campus is during fall. tunities, opens minds, creates financial security, and gives an Alice Lloyd College already holds a place in my heart. understanding of what is around us. I want to become a teacher and provide my students with an education and encourage Although this first semester has been challenging on many them to further their education so they can experience all levels, I am excited to take the memories and life lessons of the benefits that come with one. So far, I have loved my first this semester with me into the next three and a half years education class, which is Education 200 with Dr. Herr. In at ALC. When my Uncle Charles drove through campus in his class, we discuss the basic struggles and benefits teachers his seventies, he couldn’t believe how much the campus and experience daily. My favorite memory in his class is when he school had grown, and he was eager to see how it would con- danced to an entire three-minute song to demonstrate that tinue to grow in my lifetime. I am honored to spend the next when our classrooms get out of hand, it is better to be weird three and a half years here at ALC and will one day tell my than grumpy. I look forward to more education classes in the kids and their grandkids about how their great-great-great- future and, hopefully, the teaching program. great-grandmother did the laundry of the woman who estab- lished a four-year college in Knott County. 2020 Fall – 1 – ALC News Serving Others Near and Far: Mark Slusher Many attend Alice Lloyd College to stay close and go far, walk in faith by following the Purpose Road is something but for Mark Slusher, a junior Kinesiology major, he has ALC strives to do. already been far and now wants to stay close. He says, “My family has been to many different places. I heard The opportunities ALC provides and the close-knit com- about ALC from family members who attended the Col- munity where students can thrive is made possible be- lege as well as just the fact that I always wanted to remain cause of friends of the College.