Success Stories

Katharine Payne Carnes Class of 1913

Even as a student, Katharine Payne Carnes knew she wanted to be a librarian, and six years after graduation, she became Wesleyan College’s first professional librarian. Her distinguished career at her alma mater spanned four decades (1919-1959). Students who knew “Miss Carnes” fondly remember her helpfulness, pungent wit, “Dear Girls” letters, and her unique Christmas book parties. More info

Kathryn Parsons Willis, Class of 1953

Perhaps being the middle daughter of community business leaders was the spark that inspired Kathryn Parsons Willis to find her path into the realm of service to others. Long before the term “servant leadership” became popular in our vernacular, Kathryn was devoted to improving life in Gwinnett County, particularly in her hometown of Duluth, as her way of thanking those who had blessed their Parsons Family Store so abundantly over the years. More info

Kathryn Stripling Byer Class of 1966

Former North Carolina Poet Laureate Kathryn Stripling Byer ’66 offers powerful advice to aspiring writers. “Begin where you are,” she said. “I would give that advice to writers entering the fifth grade just as I would to adult writers. Set up a dialogue –– a connection –– with your readers. I want writers to bring their own experiences into the art of poetry. Then, it’s fresh. From traditional forms of poetry to rap lyrics, it must be fresh and authentic.” In 2005, Byer was appointed North Carolina’s fifth poet laureate by Governor Mike Easley. She was the first woman to hold the post and served five years as ambassador of the state’s literature. More info

Laura Askew Haygood Class of 1864

Although she was nearly forty years old when asked to serve as a missionary in China, Laura Askew Haygood firmly set her sights on educating women in Asia and became the first female sent into foreign missionary work by the Women’s Missionary Society of the Methodist Church. With her strong commitment to equal education for women – unheard of in China at that time – Laura taught, served, and worked in China for seventeen years until her death in1900. After teaching for seven years at the Clopton School in Shanghai, Laura founded the McTyeire School as a home for missionaries and a Christian school for Chinese girls. More info

Lisa Ohman Class of 2011

Equipped with a double major in biology and chemistry plus minors in economics and finance, Lisa plans to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a physician. First, however, she will work in a research laboratory and shadow several experienced doctors to gain a broader perspective on the field of medicine. “Prior to attending Wesleyan, I intended to make practicing medicine in a small clinic my life’s work. My Golden Heart class is the first to study science all four years in the Munroe Science Center and my experience in these research labs has opened my eyes to another realm of science – medical research.” More info

Louise Futrelle Dodd Class of 1949

During a career spanning four decades, Louise wrote more than fifteen hundred food columns and, along the way, she dined with Jimmy Carter in the White House, Bill Clinton in Arkansas, Gladys Knight at her desert home in Las Vegas, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Willard Scott, and many other high profile people. She even dined with Sheriff Ray Wilkes in the Bibb County Jail. This extraordinary range of dining experiences led to her 2004 cookbook, Eating from the White House to the Jailhouse. Readers devour the fascinating stories that complement Louise’s recipes, like traveling and dining in New York, Brussels, Luxembourg, London, Dublin, Ireland, and Paris. More info

Lucia Hutchinson Peel Powe, Class of 1953

“You owe it to the world to give to others the best that is in you.” Lucia Hutchinson Peel Powe ’53 has spent her life living by this principle taken from Wesleyan’s Benson Charge. Whether teaching, writing, acting, singing, raising her family or volunteering – she has always given the best of herself. With endless passion and contagious vitality, she has generously shared her remarkable gifts to help transform each of the communities she has called home. More info

Lucretia Octavia Tripp Class of 1980

Whether escorting a group of students to Tanzania or promoting awareness of women’s roles in the space program, Dr. Octavia Tripp takes her students beyond the traditional classroom, encouraging them to reach for the stars. As associate professor in Elementary Education, Curriculum, and Teaching at Auburn University since 2002, Octavia is committed to helping her students understand the importance of using hands-on and minds-on activities to foster a love of learning for elementary level students. Effective teachers, she says, encourage students to problem solve, think critically, and promote inquiry and discovery. More info

Mary Catherine Collins O’Kelley Class of 1972

MC has used her vibrant personality, her quick wit, and her boundless energy to serve her alma mater in a myriad of ways. She became involved with the Atlanta Alumnae Club, hosting numerous events for alumnae, incoming freshmen, and prospective students. Recognizing her leadership abilities and her passion to serve, the Alumnae Board of Managers recruited her in 1984 as Member-at-Large for Nominations. In 1993, after serving as President of the Atlanta Club, MC began an unbroken tenure of service on the Board of Managers that continued through 2010 —18 years of leadership, including three years as President of the Wesleyan College Alumnae Association and six years as Alumna Trustee. More info

Mary Clare de Graffenried Class of 1865

Called a firebrand graduate by Atlanta Constitution columnist Celestine Sibley, Mary Clare de Graffenried began her long career as a community activist as a Wesleyan student. At commencement exercises in 1865, to the astonishment of the faculty, her classmates, parents, and audience, Clare set aside her faculty approved valedictory address and instead gave tribute to “the heroes in gray” and vehemently condemned the behavior of the Union soldiers encamped near the College. Angered by her scathing remarks, Colonel James Wilson, commanding officer of the federal troops in Macon, threatened to close Wesleyan Female College permanently. More info

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