All doors were closed. That’s why Melissa Benson ’11 came to Berea College. “I was in my 30s,” she explained. “I had never finished college, and it was…
When Jonathan “JJ” Johnson ’99 thinks back on his childhood in Fairfield, Alabama, in greater Birmingham, he remembers a life that was both loving and precarious. He grew…
Sidwell Ferguson-English wasn’t sure at graduation in 2011 where his political science degree would lead him. Turns out it was to the largest library in the world, the…
It may seem that Cory Schlesinger ’09 is living the dream, but he longs for 50 acres and some chickens. For now, he is leaning into his position…
Nay Kaw ’23 and his brother Ehku ’26 were born into a country that had been at war with itself for 70 years. And they were born into…
Deep in the quiet hills of Jackson County, Kentucky, a young Talina Mathews ’89 held dreams of being a math teacher. In a place where middle school drop-out…
In a historic courthouse nestled in Scottsboro, Ala., Judge John Graham ‘85 walks a different path than most who wear a robe. He greets defendants with questions, not…
Free tuition and insistent grandparents drew Ejim Dike ’94 to Berea in 1990. The college’s rich history and commitment to being a strong beacon in perilous times made…
For many people across Afghanistan, obtaining an education can be very difficult. Feda ’27 struggled for the chance to go to school and endured great hardship and tragedy…
The world is unfair. For Jennan ’25, that doesn’t mean give up. Born and raised in Berea, Kentucky, Jennan grew up surrounded by Berea College’s influence. Her dad…