Hollins University: Dreaming Big: Hollins Success Stories

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Dreaming Big: Hollins Success Stories

At Hollins University we are proud of our reputation for graduating a wide variety of impressive students who become impressive alumnae. Hollins is known for having alumnae in every field imaginable -- and these women come from many multicultural backgrounds. Hollins is committed to diversity on campus, and we encourage a sense of community while embracing each other's differences. What follows are success stories by alumnae of color.

Kate Gomez '76
Major: Theatre arts
Current work: I have been with S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co., one of Virginia's largest commercial real estate firms, for 23 years. I am the corporate marketing director. I went to Hollins because at 17 years old I didn't really know where to go to college, and several of my high school classmates were going to Hollins. After my first two years I decided I wanted to try a large coed school, so I transferred to Virginia Tech. What a mistake! After one year there I realized how wonderful a small women's college really is, so I went back to Hollins for my senior year.
   Hollins prepared me for the real world by exposing me to so many things and giving me the support to pursue my interests. It allowed me to be a real student in a true college setting, not a commuter who had to drive to class every day, find a seat in an auditorium, and hope the professor knew what she was talking about. Hollins has been recognized as being #1 for quality of life for a reason.
   My current job is fantastic. I am responsible for all advertising and public relations for S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. I handle all corporate contributions, advertising, press releases, our Web site, and intranet. Nusbaum has been named one of the top 25 places to work in Hampton Roads, and we recently won a Community Impact Award from United Way. I am a member of the steering committee of the Hampton Roads chapter of the Hollins Alumnae Association.

Tiffany Marshall Tiffany Marie Marshall '97
Majors: Political science and Spanish
Current: I am a full-time law student at the University of Virginia.
When I went to Hollins, the motto was "Women who are going places start at Hollins." My decision to come to Hollins is partly owed to that motto. I hail from a small city in Virginia and was anxious to attend a college that would expose me to things that I had never experienced before. I certainly got that at Hollins. Double majors in political science and Spanish afforded me the superb opportunity to interact with engaging professors and students who truly helped make learning fun.
  By the time graduation rolled around, I wasn't ready to leave! While I did leave the comforts of the campus, I remained in Roanoke for six years before coming to law school. I stayed on at Hollins as an admissions counselor for a year and then started a graduate program in media and public affairs at George Washington University. I soon realized that the program did not marry well with my future plans and returned to Hollins for a second year in admissions. I enjoyed the second year as much as the first and decided that I wanted to explore other areas of student services. I took on a marketing post where I was the point-of-contact for a fifteen-campus college that had branches in Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
  Before starting law school, I worked as an academic counselor with Upward Bound, a federally funded program that services low-income high school students who need assistance in preparing for college. Of all of my professional experiences to date, this work was the most rewarding, and I can trace my success in this position to my time as a student at Hollins, when I was engaged in many different community service efforts that partnered me with young people, and to my work in Hollins admissions.
  I am happy to be in law school now and am confident that my Hollins education will serve me well in yet another challenging endeavor. I look forward to my life after law school with the same degree of anticipation as I did in the spring of 1997. I know I'm one woman who is definitely going places and I know my Hollins education and experiences will be with me every step of the way.

Kimberly La Motta '99
Kimberly LaMotta Major: English with a concentration in creative writing
Current work: I am an information technology project manager with AmSouth Bank, a regional bank headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. After working as a technical writer for over a year, I was promoted to the position of IT planner. I am responsible for the management of technology projects that affect the bank's day-to-day operations.
  I wanted to attend a university where I would count as a student instead of just a number. After a visit to the campus as a prospective student, I fell in love with the beautiful surroundings and was able to attend a couple of classes. I knew right away that Hollins was my first choice. It was important to me that Hollins was a place where I felt that I could do anything.
  Hollins became a second home, and the benefits I received from my years there are almost too numerous to name. Through the flexible J-Term schedule, I was able to gain important job experience by completing several internships, including teaching a high school English class and writing for a local newspaper. The strong alumnae network has helped me find job leads in various cities, even after graduation. Most importantly, I learned to value the importance of my own achievements and not to underestimate my ability to set and attain goals.
  As an alumna, one of my favorite ways of giving back to Hollins is to volunteer as an area admissions representative and speak to high school girls about my experiences at Hollins. It is important to me that the legacy of Hollins continues for future generations of women.

Sabriana Rose Smith Sabrina Rose Smith '00
Majors: History and classics (ancient studies concentration)
Current work: I am an attorney with the law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker in Washington, D.C.
  When I told people back home in Alabama that I wanted to be an attorney, and eventually a Supreme Court justice, very few people took me seriously. I met a Hollins alumna who took my goals very seriously. When Jane Leslie Dees [class of 1991] introduced me to Hollins, she introduced me to a world of women who believed in hard work, great talent, and even greater goals. If Hollins had never given me the amazing education and preparation for the rigors of graduate school that it did, it would still have given me everything because Hollins first believed in my potential, and that support will always be invaluable to me.
  When I left Hollins, I was well prepared for the challenges of law school, and no stranger to speaking up and being assertive in my law school classes. As an attorney, I find that my writing skills and my wide range of classes from Hollins make the bulk of a lawyer's job -- writing -- interesting and varied. I owe all of that to Hollins. In addition, I am surrounded now by Hollins alumnae -- a group of smart and talented women with a beautiful Hollins spirit. I can't imagine a better group to belong to.

Martha Lopez Coleman '01
Major: History, plus completed the work for teacher's license
Current work: I taught seventh grade for two years and now teach social studies in a detention home.
  Before I entered Hollins, I knew I wanted to major in history and be a teacher. So I was able to reach goals and learn all about myself and how to work with others. My writing skills were greatly improved, thanks to all of the papers required for my history major. The research skills I acquired from my major have also been invaluable. As a teacher, I am often in search of books, facts, and lesson plans that require me to research via the Internet and library, and I got a great foundation at Hollins.
  The Hollins education department is the only reason I am a teacher today. Not only did they encourage me when I wanted to quit, but the internships, observations, and student teaching experience gave me a real-world, hands-on view of education in various settings. Unlike many of my new teacher counterparts, I had my foot in the door because principals could see from my résumé that I already had teaching experience. In a sea of new teaching faces, I was a voice of experience -- and I had just left college with a four-year degree.
  The number-one thing that I got from my Hollins education was the knowledge that I can do anything I set my mind to. Hollins was the only place that let me dream big and fulfill my dreams. I was able to cofound clubs, run a club, pioneer new SGA positions, and make friends with people from all over the world. While I was a student at Hollins, I cofounded Mujers Unidas [provides a supportive network for the Hispanic students on campus], was a First Club Coordinator, and was a member of Student Virginia Education Association (SVEA), Black Student Alliance (BSA), Women's Collective, and Catholic Campus Ministry.