Highlanders in the News: Week of Jan. 6, 2025

Our Highlanders are using their education to do extraordinary things. Every other week, we'll highlight some notable mentions from local, regional, national and international news media. Whether our students, alumni, faculty and staff are featured as subject matter experts in high-profile stories or simply helping make the world a better place, we'll feature their stories.

File "Under 40"

After receiving and evaluating more than 120 nominations, The Roanoker magazine has once again delivered its annual "40 Under 40" list of promising young professionals, and this year, seven of the honorees boast formative ties to Radford University.

"These changemakers represent the very best of our region - leaders, innovators and visionaries who are shaping the future of the Roanoke Valley and beyond," the magazine's editors wrote of its talented twoscore.

Here are the Highlanders who are part of The Roanoker's 'Class of 2025':

Jamie Brackenrich , a nurse practitioner, earned both a Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing from Radford, the latter in 2020, and afterward founded Align Neurology in Roanoke, at which she is the medical director. Brackenrich specializes in headache medicine: "By helping others find relief, I am improving quality of life and mental health for countless individuals who may have previously felt isolated in their pain," she told The Roanoker. "My dream is to make [Align Neurology] an all-inclusive headache clinic."

Alexandria Pilot Chambers is assistant director of operations at the Center for Neurobiology Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion. She's worked at the center for the past 10 years, largely overseeing student research programs, and earned her Doctorate in Health Sciences at Radford University in 2021. "Providing students with the opportunity to work in an incredible, state-of-the-art research institute and helping make even the slightest impression on their education and career aspirations is truly what drives my passion," Chambers said.

Amanda Holcomb is director of community engagement with the Council of Community Services, an organization she's now served for 14 years. "She leads a statewide team to promote awareness and accessibility for 211 Virginia, a health and human services referral system," and "co-leads GIVE Roanoke, a local philanthropy event that has raised over $1 million for nonprofits since 2022," the magazine said. Holcomb completed her Bachelor of Science in Communications in 2010.

Danielle Johnson received her Master of Social Work in 2018. As a school social worker with Roanoke City Public Schools, she has created such initiatives as the "Back to School Block Party" and Warm Hands to Warm Hearts." She told The Roanoker: "I hope to inspire others to care for themselves and their community, creating a ripple effect of empathy, resilience and transformation that strengthens the very fabric of Roanoke."

In 2023, Johnson's face was a key image in a Northwest Roanoke community mural.

Brooke Keen earned a B.A. with a double major in psychology and sociology in 2014 and is a quality assurance coordinator with Wall Residences. "With experience in mental health case management, admissions coordination and program management … Keen has worked across Virginia's Western Region to advocate for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities," the editors wrote. Additionally, she serves on the Special Education Advisory Committee for Botetourt County Public Schools.

Sara Millehan owns Ivybrook Academy in Roanoke and is its director of admissions. She got her Associate of Applied Science degree at Jefferson College of Health Sciences (now Radford University Carilion) in 2018. "Millehan has cultivated a space where young children can explore and learn in a nurturing environment," the magazine said. Millehan noted: "Building relationships is essential, especially in the context of motherhood, where it's vital for individuals to feel a sense of belonging and support."

Caitlyn Scaggs completed her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice in 2007 and her Master of Science in Strategic Communications in 2023. She founded the public relations firm Connect 936 and wrote "Worth It & Wonderful: Inspiration for Christian Women to Live Bravely and Boldly," among other achievements. "It matters to me that I encourage our local community to live and lead with more intention and a mind toward impact," she told the Roanoker. "My primary goal is to celebrate and elevate others."

A friend of the court

Those thirtysomething upstarts weren't the only Highlanders making their presence known in the most recent issue of The Roanoker - Carter Turner put in an appearance as well.

2025 marks Turner's 20th year working at Radford University, and in that span, he has worn a number of different hats, from being a longtime professor of religious studies to currently serving as the school's senior director of advancement.

But this recent profile focused on another of his other enthusiasms, that being pickleball, a sport similar to tennis but played with paddles and hollow plastic balls, among other differences.

"Three or four years ago, I made the decision to see how good I could get at pickleball," Turner said in the article, and soon enough, he became a USA Pickleball Ambassador, got his coaching certification from the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR) and, in early 2021, branched out as a freelance player and teacher.

It's "the fastest-growing sport in human history," he noted, adding that it's "great for the body, improves the memory, eyesight, balance. It brings people together."

Those seeking to increase their levels of exercise in the new year could do worse than to find a court for the sport, which can be played indoors or out.

"If you are isolated, you can get active. Physical advantage is negated," Turner explained. "I think it will be an Olympic sport soon."

Strengthening your resolve

The new year, for many, brings the promise of change, often a desire to kick off January with some self-improvement by getting into running or hitting the gym.

For those who might find themselves wading into better shape a little more tentatively than others, Maci Keaton Faulkner '21 has some welcome advice: "Work into it slowly."

Faulkner is a personal trainer and massage therapist who earned her bachelor's degree in sports medicine and health sciences, and she played volleyball for the Highlanders in 2017 and 2018.

Today, she works at Body Kinect Wellness Center in Camden, North Carolina, and she was profiled in a Dec. 28 article in her hometown newspaper, The Daily Advance (Elizabeth City). In the piece, she shared some tips about getting healthier without getting hurt.

"If you haven't been to a gym in 20 years, don't overdo it," Faulkner told the paper, saying her clients run the gamut from teens to seniors

"We are a sitting culture," she noted, "Strengthening through the mid-back is important."

For young people who are still developing, she also recommended stretching exercises and practicing good posture.

"I am 6'1", so I know what growing pains are," Faulkner said.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.