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Barrera is a health educator and community engagement specialist with the South Carolina Department of Public Health. Continuing along a career path she shaped at Wofford, she earned a Master of Science degree in community engaged medicine from Furman University. Previously, she participated in Prisma Health’s Medical Experience Academy (MedEx). Barerra emphasizes the impact of her time at Wofford. “My hands-on experiences created a passion for community engagement, and that helped shape me as a person,” she says. “It also helped shape my career interests and develop applicable skills.”

From pitch to print, Hollifield is using his experience with the Old Gold & Black student newspaper to bring literary works to life. As managing editor at Evening Post Books in Charleston, S.C., he helps direct the publisher’s editorial vision, evaluates submissions and manages relationships with independent bookstores and authors. “Having a creative and editorial outlet on campus advised by dedicated professors and staff was instrumental in getting me to where I am today,” Hollifield says. “Wofford allowed me to take two majors and mold them into a concentrated career path with my internships and extracurriculars.”

Lancaster, who worked in community mental health for the past two years, is a counselor with Washington and Lee University’s Counseling Center. She is excited for the new challenge of focus on the mental health space for college students. Lancaster reflects on the inspiration and preparation she gained from her Wofford experience. “Professionally, my clinical psychology class with Dr. John Lefebvre, professor of psychology, laid the foundation for my interest in social work,” she says. “He brought in professionals from the Spartanburg community who shared their professional experiences and the journeys that led them to their fields.”

Thomas has been promoted to manager of Deloitte’s accounting and reporting advisory practice in Phoenix, Ariz. She assists with financial reporting and technical accounting for companies transitioning to public markets. Previously, she earned a master’s in accounting at the University of Virginia. Thomas attributes her leadership skills to the experiences she had at Wofford as a student-athlete, which included being captain of the women’s soccer team. “Wofford inspired me to step outside my comfort zone and embrace new challenges,” she says. “Those challenges helped me develop leadership qualities that have been invaluable in my career.”

Stokes recently began working for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock, which conducts engineering and testing of ships for the U.S. Navy. He focuses on the proliferation of metal additive manufacturing technologies. Stokes, who completed his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Mississippi State University, cites the mentorship of Dr. Daniel Welch, the late professor emeritus of physics, and others at Wofford. “I had to adapt to new instruction methods and quickly learn some software in my first semester of graduate school,” Stokes says. “I attribute my time at Wofford with preparing me for that transition.”

Woodward, who completed a master’s in public health from Emory University, is an evaluator with Emory Centers for Public Health Training and Technical Assistance. She works with state and local departments of health and nonprofit organizations. Research at Wofford with Dr. Alysa Handelsman, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, and experiential learning in the Spartanburg community laid the foundation for skills she uses daily. “To current students, my advice is to make sure you take advantage of office hours with your professors,” Woodward says. “It’s a great way to learn from their wealth of experience and to build lasting relationships.”