By Kenzie Syiem ’23 and Brandi Wylie ’24
Michelle Green is a brand manager at Keurig Dr. Pepper in Atlanta, Ga., overseeing Peet’s RTD Coffee, Xyience and Peñafiel. She says her practical experiences at Wofford through internships sparked her interest in a marketing career. Green says her exposure to different framing and storytelling techniques in her English classes and sustainability exposure in her environmental studies courses have played a large part in her career. “I didn’t realize how frequently I would use that skill across varying scenarios, but it was a skill I leaned on at Deloitte, Rivers Agency and now at Keurig Dr. Pepper,” she says.
Dr. Michael Jones credits Dr. Ivan Curry ’90 for solidifying his interest in sports medicine and physical therapy. He saw Curry when he suffered a football injury his junior year at Wofford. Jones has since graduated from the University of St. Augustine and practices as one of six physical therapists at The Sports Rehabilitation Center in Atlanta, Ga. “In my practice, I see about 12 patients daily and have to be able to switch gears and treat each one to the best of my ability,” he says. “Having the liberal arts education that Wofford has given me helps me to be able to do this.”
Eliza Metts’ degrees in English and theatre provided the perfect springboard for her to dive into her current role as assistant marketing manager for Charleston Stage in Charleston, S.C. “My theatre background gives me a leg up because I didn’t have to have the quirky nuances of theatre work or the basics of the theatre explained to me,” Metts says. “The theatre is a really specific world, and I’m so grateful that I have a background that allows me to navigate it really well. To get to work in the heart of downtown at the oldest theatre in America is a delight beyond my expectations!”
While completing her master’s degree in behavior analysis, Paige Bolton Swafford began a student co-op position at BMW in January 2022. As the vocational training and apprenticeship co-op, she assists with the operations of the BMW Scholars Programs. She also has helped plan community outreach events, including the BMW Charity Pro-Am and the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Night at Fluor Field. “Wofford’s liberal arts environment provides the amazing opportunity to mix subjects that might not otherwise be taught together. This concept has led me down the educational path that I am on today,” she says.
Dr. Elizabeth Heinz Swails is communications coordinator at Upstate Forever, a conservation nonprofit based in Greenville and Spartanburg, S.C. Her work focuses on communications, marketing and advocacy strategies and initiatives in the rapidly growing Upstate. Wofford’s curriculum and professors, especially Dr. John Ware and Dr. Carol Wilson in the English department, prepared her well for her academic and communications career. “I never could have accomplished my professional goals without the help and support of my Wofford community, especially the English department,” says Swails.
Paul Walkup is a nonpoint source pollution specialist with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 in Chicago, Ill. He reviews grants and other policy documents for state and tribal agencies to ensure they meet federal guidelines. He credits Wofford’s environmental studies department with developing his ability to challenge critical concepts through different lenses of scientific, economic and social considerations. “The professors in this program and the teamwork they encouraged allowed me to step into a graduate program and then my current role with ease,” he says.