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Author: Amanda Franks

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Meet Pastor Shaun Brown

2022 Board of Directors Shaun Brown

Meet Our Board of Directors

Pastor Shaun Brown

Throughout the year you get to know our team and interact with us in different ways, but a side of that team you don’t get a glimpse of very often is our Board of Directors. These are faithful men and women from our community who have given a piece of their time to the ministry to help us continue to flourish and grow.

We want to take some time this year to introduce you to each of them and say thank you for the work they’re doing behind the scenes.

Pastor Shaun Brown and his family have been a part of the Care Net Family for over a decade, and we were thrilled to have him join the Board of Directors this past year.

“I am truly humbled and excited to be a new board member of Care Net, and excited to see what God has in store for the future of this ministry.”  – Pastor Shaun

Pastor Shaun is the Senior Pastor of Coastal Church in Yorktown and has faithfully led his congregation for over 20 years now. He received his bachelor’s degree from Moody Bible Institute and his Master of Divinity from the Reformed Theological Seminary. He has a passion for serving his community and leading people to the Gospel. 

We have been blessed by Pastor Shaun and his congregation’s commitment to speak for the unborn over the years by having Coastal as one of our church partners. Through the congregation, we have built some beautiful relationships with donors, volunteers, and even staff members over the years. Coastal has even been gracious enough to host and help out with our Drive-In4Life and Pop-Up Church4Life the last two years.  

It has already been a wonderful year with Pastor Shaun on board and we can’t wait to see how God continues to use him in his new role in the ministry.   

Amanda Franks, Marketing Director

February 3, 2022

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Joy from Pain

Joy from Pain

When I was a little girl, age 5, my mother had an abortion. There were medical reasons, but the effects of that decision were life-long for her and for my father as well as for myself and likely my other siblings. That moment stopped time for me, and what my parents thought would be the best answer for their situation ended up being a destructive decision that immediately brought remorse for the loss of a child who would’ve been my little brother.

Many struggles came from that painful decision. Most importantly, God used this terrible decision to help my mother make sure I understood that she was carrying a BABY that was taken from the world too soon and that that would never be an option again.

Fast forward 15 years, and my boyfriend and I discovered we were pregnant. We both loved the Lord but were in a promiscuous relationship together and those choices resulted in a pregnancy. There was no doubt that we were keeping our child even though some people pressured us to seek an abortion. We prayed that God would use our daughter to love others well and give us opportunities to share the Gospel with our story.

We have never regretted our decision, and 28 years later we have four children who love Jesus. We know and believe that God worked despite our sin through our repentance for our good and His glory. He is faithful in every situation. The daughter we chose to keep has made us grandparents twice over now, and we are so blessed.

Submitted Anonymously

January 14, 2022

The Care Net Peninsula Family is built up of so many amazing individuals. You encourage us with the ways you fight abortion in our community and work to provide help and hope to local women so they choose life for their babies. You each have a unique story of how God brought you to this moment to take up this charge and we would love to hear it. 

If you would like to share your story with the Care Net Family send an email to amanda@cnpeninsula.org

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Local Women Find They Don’t Need Abortion to Secure Their Futures – They Need YOU!

Local Women Find They Don't Need Abortion to Secure Their Futures - They Need YOU!

The front end is easy to see.  

You believe in life. It’s sacred. It’s undeniably alive. So you protect it. You speak up, you give money to Care Net Peninsula, and you pray that pregnant women won’t default to abortion. 

And that is what happens – women do choose life. 

Women bring us their unplanned pregnancies – unsure of what to do; full of the fear that their unplanned pregnancies will give birth to unplanned babies. With the culture screaming in their ears it’s hard to imagine anything other than an inevitable end – unplanned babies will ruin their lives. 

But then women find Care Net Peninsula and get the help and hope they need. 

And then they choose life. 

But in the back of your mind, you wonder. Then what? 

If you’ve supported Care Net Peninsula’s mission to serve moms and save babies, you may hit a wall when you try to envision what happens after her pregnancy decision. After the birth of the baby. As the reality of that choice weighs fully – with a new life sleeping in the next room. 

Pro-abortion advocates weave a pretty dismal story – a woman’s success and happiness hinges on her opportunity to abort her child. Without abortion, how will women survive? 

But here at Care Net we are not story-writers. We’re story-tellers. We tell true stories. Stories that you – our donors – help our clients create.  

We are privileged to see the women you help – months and years after they choose life for their babies. Incredible, successful, happy women. Doing life. Raising their children. Working hard. Proud, powerful women who defy the loud lie that abortion saves women.  

Women like Kapria . . .

“I was confused, sad, and at rock bottom” Kapria remembers the weariness of trying to make a pregnancy decision.  “I had to do something. I needed to be reminded in some way, somehow of Jesus being my anchor.” 

So she turned to Care Net’s clinic, Alcove Health – questions and all. 

She walked through our doors with confusing emotions of doubt and fear. Questions were flooding her mind – “Will I be a great mom?,” “Who will help me?” She even wondered, “Is God going to hear me?” 

After meeting with her advocate, Sheri, the confusion started to clear. She allowed the truth to overrule the lies and calm her fears.  

She was “confident and awakened.” She knew God wanted her to keep her child.  

Kapria says her pregnancy was “stressful, hard work, encouraging, and transformational.”  

Draw that picture in your mind. Kapria was not dragged kicking and screaming – fighting the pregnancy decision all the way to the delivery room. No, she found the truth and allowed it to change her. Her life was changed through her pregnancy. 

Wearing not-yet-two-month-old Baby Emmanuel swaddled in front of her, she told her own story at Care Net Peninsula’s Walk 4 Life this year. Far from that day she first walked into our clinic, she told a different story. With her own voice.  

With a mind full of gratitude and a heart full of love, Kapria spoke of her life. “I love my son. I love my children. I’m so very much grateful.”

“Thank you for reminding me that through God, all things are possible,” Kapria said. 

Abortion proponents would say her life is ruined. She’s lost her power, her voice, and her ability to have a successful, happy life. After all, they say, women need abortion to secure their futures. 

But women like Kapria – real women with their true stories – show us otherwise. Their lives stand in contrast to the idea that women need abortions. Women like Kapria choose their babies and themselves; their babies’ futures and their own futures. 

At Care Net Peninsula, our services start with a moment – that first call to our clinic.

And then there are more moments – that first connection with an advocate, that first peek at the ultrasound screen, that first conversation with one of our Registered Nurses.  

Every single life-changing event starts with one moment. 

But these moments turn into lifetimes. Lifetimes not doomed to failure because a woman chose to protect her unborn child. Women not living lives full of regret about what could have been – if only they aborted. 

No, we find women fully aware that they saved themselves when they saved their babies. 

When you’re part of the Care Net family, you empower women to understand the truth. You help women see a real future – one that does not need to include an abortion procedure.  

You see, the abortion industry may need women, but women do not need an abortion. Women live successful lives with their babies. 

When you give to Care Net Peninsula, you become part of every one of these life-changing moments. Your generous support – providing pregnant women with the help and hope they need to choose life – turns these moments into successful lifetimes. For babies and moms. 

Make A Year-End Gift Today
Sherri Pigue, Client Advocate

Sherri Pigue, Client Relations Manager

December 13, 2021

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Meet Our New Development Coordinator

February 8, 2023

We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Katelyn Carpenter. Katelyn joins us as our Development Coordinator, and she is someone you will get very used to seeing and talking to as the year goes on.

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In A World Filled With Lies . . .

In A World Filled With Lies, Local Women Need The Truth!

Too often in our culture, narratives don’t reflect reality. This is true on both sides of the political aisle and within all our different subcultures. Sometimes the lies don’t matter much – “Wow, Santa came and ate all those cookies! — Definitely NOT Dad!!” Other times, lives are at stake. If I’ve learned anything in my time at Care Net, it’s that the abortion industry lies, and then lies about lying.

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LIE: Abortion is an easy decision, like removing a mole.

Truth: The decision to have an abortion affects our clients physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually for years.

A clients’ decision often involves other people, especially the father. This is why she needs a safe place to go to process with the freedom to consider all aspects of her decision. It’s also why we’ve had our busiest year ever and have 99.5% 5-star reviews — we tell the truth.

At Home Abortions - Carafem

LIE: Care Net Peninsula is a fake clinic that manipulates women.

Truth: The Abortion Industry sells abortions, Care Net serves women for free.

This year, a national Abortion Pill Company started marketing At-Home Abortions to sell Peninsula women the abortion pill without ever leaving their homes. They also launched a Missed Period Pills brand to sell the exact same pill, only marketed to women who aren’t even sure they’re pregnant. Meanwhile, Care Net Peninsula offers counseling, STI testing, Ultrasounds, and more through highly trained staff, including 5 Registered Nurses. It’s hard for the ‘manipulative’ label to stick when all our services are offered with no strings attached and FOR FREE thanks to partners like you.

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LIE: Women who choose life for their babies are doomed to a life of poverty and unfulfilled dreams.

Truth: We hear from former clients almost every day who are incredibly grateful they chose life for their babies. 

Jacqueline* was a Care Net client last year. She was planning to have an abortion but after a visit to our clinic chose life for her baby and re-dedicated her life to Christ. This summer she shared with excitement and gratitude that she’d been accepted into Nursing School and is. on track for her dream job. No Abortion Necessary!

*name changed

Make A Gift Today

Even as lies persist, we serve the one TRUE God. When you invest in Care Net Peninsula, you provide a way for 600+ local women to hear the TRUTH that God loves and cares for them and for their babies. 

Would you consider a year-end gift to Care Net Peninsula so that we can continue to combat the lies our culture tells women about their pregnancies?

2022 will be a crucial year in the fight for life on the Peninsula. With national companies now selling At-Home Abortions up to 11 weeks, we must invest more than ever to reach clients and expand our services. 

Your gift of $50, $100, $500, $1,000, or whatever amount God puts on your heart will provide the help. and hope local women need to choose life for their babies. We cannot continue to offer all our services for free without your generous support. 

Thank you so much for partnering with our ministry and on behalf of the whole CNP team we pray you have a very Merry Christmas. 

In Christ – Ryan

P.S. – The abortion industry lies to women about their pregnancies and about Care Net Peninsula. Will you consider a gift to this ministry to provide a safe place local women can go to–for free–to learn the truth about their babies? Thank you for your generous support! 

Make A Gift Today

Click to View Digital Copy of Year-End Appeal

Ryan Holloway, Executive Director

December 8, 2021

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Meet Our New Development Coordinator

February 8, 2023

We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Katelyn Carpenter. Katelyn joins us as our Development Coordinator, and she is someone you will get very used to seeing and talking to as the year goes on.

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Urgent Prayer Need

Urgent Prayer Needed

Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health

Hey Care Net Family, you may have heard about a very important case being heard by the Supreme Court this Wednesday, Dec. 1st – the case of Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health.

This case in itself will not end abortion. However, it could have a huge impact on abortion practices in our nation by taking abortion legislation out of the hands of the federal government and placing it into the hands of each state, allowing them the right to decide what they will permit. Many believe that this case could lead to the overturning of Roe vs Wade!

Read more about Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health here

Will you join with us to:

    • Pray. Gather your family, friends, and even church to pray for this historic case.
    • Pray that as the case is being heard that the Justices’ hearts will be softened to examine the truth about life and that justice will be served for the most vulnerable among us.
    • Pray for the lawyers that are boldly standing on the frontlines to fight on behalf of the unborn.
    • Pray that the Lord would raise up leaders in each of our states to stand for mothers and their children.
    • Pray for the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness in this nation for the shedding of innocent blood.

 

“If you faint when under pressure, you have need of courage. Go and rescue the perishing! Be their savior! Why would you stand back and watch them stagger to their death? And why would you say, “But it’s none of my business”? The one who knows you completely and judges your every motive is also the keeper of souls—and not just yours! He sees through your excuses and holds you responsible for failing to help those whose lives are threatened.” Proverbs 24:10-12

Ryan Holloway, Executive Director

November 29, 2021

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Meet Our New Development Coordinator

February 8, 2023

We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Katelyn Carpenter. Katelyn joins us as our Development Coordinator, and she is someone you will get very used to seeing and talking to as the year goes on.

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Prayer and Praises – November 2021

November Prayer & Praises

Harvest! That’s what this whole season proclaims; from pumpkin spice (sorry to those who hate it) and Thanksgiving to the success of this year’s Benefit Dinner and close-cropped fields edged by burnished trees.

We always want to see the harvest. We yearn for the success stories and the full coffers, especially in ministries that move our very core. He has brought so much in! This season calls for deep, lingering thanks for all that God has already done for Care Net Peninsula. 

Sometimes though, it can spiritually look like winter. So many lost moms and dads, so many babies. How can we see them saved? The cold deepens, leaves fall and winter comes. The ache in your heart may feel too heavy. Remember the trees outside: their buds are furled inside their branches already formed, ready for spring. He hasn’t stopped working, even when we strain to see.

Let us be people who rejoice over the harvest! Let us be the people who pray through the winter, plant in the spring, sweat, and labor in the summer.  Let us be willing to be part of the harvest from start to finish. His Kingdom will come. He will come.

"Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me." - John 15:4

We are thanking the Lord for our most successful banquet ever and seeking the Lord for wisdom as we move forward with initiatives to serve more women.

“They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” – Psalm 36:8-9

Pray that the Lord would interrupt women who are planning an abortion and bring them to us so that we can give them the help & hope they need to choose life for their baby.

“He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.” – Psalm 107:14

Pray for our Thanksgiving mailing that is going out now to people who have never heard of our mission. May it raise awareness & funds for the work we do here at Care Net.

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…” – Colossians 1:9

Zipporah Young, Volunteer

November 17, 2021

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2021 Fall Newsletter

Fall 2021 Newsletter

As a physician, I am constantly asking the question, “WHY?” Why does this patient have pelvic pain? Why is this baby growing smaller in the womb than it should be? Why has this cancer developed?

I also like to evaluate my personal motivations with this same “WHY?” question. As an OB/GYN, why am I pro-life? In the midst of a busy medical practice and raising a family, why do I serve as the volunteer medical director after a 24-hour shift of delivering babies? When so many OB/GYNs in my field consider abortions to be no more than removing unwanted “products of conception,” why is my heart so grieved when I hear about these procedures?

    • God has given me a calling to help bring LIFE into the world. Life starts in the womb, and I believe in the sanctity and personhood of life along all parts of the journey.

    • I have seen the “products of conception” on the ultrasound screen return as a healthy baby in the arms of grateful parents (biological and adopted) to be loved and nurtured to full maturity.

    • I have seen the tears of women who have made decisions based in fear that cannot be undone . . . memories that can haunt them for years.

    • I see the true love and concern in the tone, facial expressions, and actions of the Care Net staff as they spend quality time caring for the clients in front of them, treating each one as an individual.

    • I love hearing the testimonies of redemption as we see children born into situations the world would deem hopeless, but our God redeems and restores.

    • I know that Care Net provides exceptional medical, spiritual, emotional, and truly holistic care to women, that is lacking in many medical settings due to time constraints and other factors.

    • I know that clients are being given the opportunity to receive accurate and complete information about their pregnancy without fear of coercion or cost.

    • I personally review every single ultrasound image and I know that the medical team are highly trained experts in Nursing and in Ultrasonography.

    • I know that clients receive medical screenings, pregnancy tests, prenatal vitamins, medical and spiritual counseling, community support referrals, and follow-up care instructions to optimize their health.

    • I know the ministry is backed by believers and churches who stand ready, willing, and equipped to mentor and support these new parents to care for their children.

I passionately support Care Net, as I know that innumerable lives have been saved by the decisions women made through receiving accurate and complete information about their pregnancy. Why? Because just as the ultrasound brings light into a dark womb, so we reflect the light of Christ into a dark world to bring spiritual and physical life, one soul at a time.

Digital Newsletter

Dr. Lunsford, Medical Director

November 15, 2021

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Meet Our New Development Coordinator

February 8, 2023

We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Katelyn Carpenter. Katelyn joins us as our Development Coordinator, and she is someone you will get very used to seeing and talking to as the year goes on.

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Prayer and Praises – October 2021

October Prayer & Praises

Isn’t it amazing that the Kingdom belongs to those who will become like little children? Let the weight of that sink into our prayers over this ministry!

Here we are: advocates for mothers and fathers who are confused by a world telling them life can only go on if the child within ends. Jesus’ heart is to save his children; from the babies deep in their mothers’ wombs to the children He sees in each mother and father, hungry for answers and hope.

The rescue story begins when they step into a place saturated with accurate portrayals of Him as holy, yet infinitely loving! Compassion enables relationship with their Father to begin.

Will we pray with childlike faith and eagerness? Will we beg for more children to join the family? May our every prayer (no matter how large in scope and vision) boil down to desiring deeper fellowship with our Father…then inviting more into the family where they may be truly alive.  

" ...but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 19:14

Pray for Ryan Bomberger as he prepares his message for the Peninsula4Life Dinner. Also, pray that the Lord would bring more monthly partners into this ministry through this event.

“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity…” – Romans 12:6-8a

Pray that the Lord would continue to bring vulnerable women to our clinic so that we can give them the help & hope they need to choose life for their babies.

“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.” – Psalm 57:1

Pray for wisdom and favor as we continue to expand our services to women and families facing life-changing decisions.

“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” – Isaiah 30:21

Zipporah Young, Volunteer

October 14, 2021

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A Debut 30 Years In The Making

30 Years In The Making

A Debut 30 Years In The Making

It has been a year of growth for our ministry; we’re seeing a rise in appointment requests and an increase in abortion-minded women. We have had to grow our team to meet these new demands, and we would like to introduce you to our newest team member, Sylvia Pottle. 

We welcomed Sylvia in June when she came on board as a Client Advocate. She immediately started training and started this fall off able to counsel women on her own. It’s not an easy task, and our advocates and nurses are prepped to handle any situation they may find themselves in. We are all proud of Sylvia for what she has accomplished. 

Our team is made up of women, who like our clients, all have their own unique stories.  

Sylvia joined our team after years in the marketing world – she holds a Bachelor’s in Business with a minor in Marketing, and a Master’s in Education with a concentration in adult learning and training.  

God used a specific moment in her life to place a desire in her heart to protect the unborn and to serve women in need. That moment came 30 years ago when she found herself as a teenager sitting in a Crisis Pregnancy Center expecting her first child. Since then, Sylvia has devoted time and resources to serving local centers. Her heart is to support the women and babies that come through Crisis Pregnancy Centers, including ours.  

Sylvia and her husband John reside in Williamsburg and attend Christ Fellowship Church. Together they share three adult children and children-in-law and five grandbabies … with a sixth due very soon! When Sylvia is not at work or with her family, you can surely find her gardening, reading, or hiking.  

We are grateful that thirty years after that first visit to a pregnancy center, Sylvia has found herself yet again in one – but this time ministering to young moms like her looking for someone to listen and be there for them. She has blessed so many already and we continue to pray for her time with each and every one of the women she meets. 

Amanda Franks, Marketing Director

October 14, 2021

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Meet Our New Development Coordinator

February 8, 2023

We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Katelyn Carpenter. Katelyn joins us as our Development Coordinator, and she is someone you will get very used to seeing and talking to as the year goes on.

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Local Single Mom Awarded University Scholarship

Local Single Mom Awarded University Scholarship

Newport News Resident Nominated by Care Net Peninsula

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Tiffany Cusick received a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to Regent University during an emotional awards ceremony at the Care Net National Conference in San Antonio, TX on August 26, 2021. Cusick, 22, plans to study theology and Christian Ministry, beginning in the Fall of 2022.

“When I first went to Care Net I was afraid and unsure,” Cusick remembers from her early visits to Care Net Peninsula. “I am super thankful to have found Care Net.”

Cusick expressed gratitude for the scholarship and the free pregnancy-related services she received through Care Net Peninsula, thanking the women on staff: “Their confidence in me has really given me the courage to step out in faith and pursue this and I do believe the Lord has put those women, along with this opportunity, in my life.”

Originally from Gloucester, MA, Cusick moved to Newport News as a young teen. She graduated from Woodside High School in 2016. Now a mom to a 2-month baby girl, Cusick hopes to work in ministry, serving women and children, upon completion of her college degree.

Erin Forsythe, Care Net’s Vice President of Strategic Programs, and Kathleen Patterson, Director of the Doctorate of Strategic Leadership Program at Regent University and Care Net board member, presented the scholarship to Cusick on August 26th in front of pregnancy center leaders from across North America. She is the 10th client of a Care Net affiliated pregnancy center to receive the scholarship from Regent.

Sheri Coker, Advocacy Manager with Care Net Peninsula, nominated Cusick for the scholarship, stating, “In a culture where many view themselves as victims in their circumstances, Tiffany stands out. She works hard without complaining.”

“We know that as a single mom this is a rare opportunity for her to gain the academic knowledge to succeed in both business and ministry,” Coker adds. “We also believe it would set an example for her daughter, that you can accomplish great things in life when you set your mind to it. We believe Tiffany will change the world around her.”

During Cusick’s pregnancy, she experienced compassion, help, and hope at Care Net Peninsula, where she received a free pregnancy test and ultrasound, ongoing consultations with client advocates and nurses, parenting classes, and more. “These women have become my friends,” Cusick said in her application, “They have really been just such a positive impact on me. And even now I know that if I needed something I could call and they would do everything in their power to help me.”

Since opening in 1986, Care Net Peninsula has been the first call for thousands of local women facing unplanned pregnancies. Services include options consultations, pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, parenting support, and more. Through these services and ongoing support, pregnant women receive the help and hope they need at a time when many feel scared and alone. All of Care Net Peninsula’s services are provided at no cost, thanks to the generosity of donors in the community.

Care Net Peninsula is among more than 1,200 pregnancy centers in North America that are affiliated with Care Net. Through a competitive selection process, the Regent Scholarship has been awarded to a Care Net affiliated pregnancy center client for the last eight years. Ursula Penn, the first scholarship recipient to graduate from Regent, matriculated on May 6, 2016. Another scholarship recipient, Lizzie Burton, matriculated in May 2020.

Watch Tiffany receiving her scholarship.

Anne Sych, Director of Development

August 31, 2021

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Meet Our New Development Coordinator

February 8, 2023

We are excited to introduce you to our newest team member, Katelyn Carpenter. Katelyn joins us as our Development Coordinator, and she is someone you will get very used to seeing and talking to as the year goes on.

Read More »