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Rising Star Young Alumni Awards
2007 Recipients
Laurie A. Bragg, Class of 1996
Laurie A. Bragg received her B.A. degree in History. Laurie transferred to JSC after a first semester of "being a nameless face at a big university." She loved JSC, and says that transferring here was one of the best decisions of her life. “This small college offered so many leadership opportunities,” she says. She was active in the Student Association, was treasurer and chair of the Activities Committee, and was responsible for a $600,000 budget - student groups wrote grants and presented them to her (there was no staff person student advisor at the time). While at JSC, she had her own radio show. Laurie lived on campus for two years, then downtown her last year. Laurie says that her college friendships have lasted forever. Now, 11 years later, 20 from her class still get together once a year. Laurie went to the University of Nebraska for graduate work (museum services degree), stating that her undergraduate experience was much better than graduate school.
Laurie is Development Director for Youth Alternatives, a major social services organization in Portland, Maine.
Rebecca K. Fay, Class of 2001
Rebecca K. Fay graduated with a B.A. degree in History. A former Ellsworth Scholar and JSC Student Association president, Rebecca graduated in the top quarter of her class from Williams University School of Law in Bristol, Rhode Island. Rebecca served as a board member of the Multicultural Student Association and Women’s Law Association while in law school. During law school she clerked in the Law Office of Patrick Quinlan in Providence. After successfully passing the bar, she was admitted to practice law in the State of Vermont.
Her most recent career opportunity was with the law firm of Johnson & Perkinson in South Burlington where she co-managed a discovery review team of 35-40 contract attorneys for a high-profile Securities Class Action for violation of federal securities laws. She also brought actions under the state and federal consumer protection laws and federal antitrust statutes.
Karen Marineau Mabe, Class of 2000
Karen Mabe received her B.A. degree in Business. During her time at Johnson she received numerous scholarships: Staff/Faculty Scholarship, Alumni Council Scholarship, the Freda Hebb Alumni Council Scholarship and the Fund for JSC Scholarship.
Karen is a newlywed and resides in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she is Field Operations Human Resources Supervisor for the City of Greensboro.
Rebecca Smith McGregor, Class of 2002
Rebecca McGregor earned her B.A. degree in Exercise and Health Sciences and earned her Teacher’s License in Dance Education at the Secondary Level in December 2002.
While at Johnson, Rebecca worked with professionals Liz Lerman in modern dance and Danny Burezski in jazz dance. She also attended the American College Dance Festivals in New England, and became a member of the Vermont Dance Collective (folk dance).
Following graduation she became a full-time dance instructor in the fine and performing arts department at Lyndon Institute. In 2004, Rebecca founded the Vermont State Dance Festival. She also taught and choreographed for the Youth Advisory Council’s 2006 Youth Town Meeting Day at Lyndon State College. Last year she won the Youth Impact Award.
Rebecca has continued her professional development by attending Dance Teacher Magazine’s New York City Dance Teacher Summer Conference each August for four years and taking re-certification courses - Explicit Teaching and Latin Jazz Immersion.
Rebecca serves as a trustee on the Burklyn Arts Council, is the Vermont Dance Coordinator for a tri-state project called Extending the Dance, and is a co-founder of Thrive Dance Company.
Julie A. Ruth, Class of 2004
Julie Ruth graduated with a B.F.A. degree through the External Degree Program, having completed two years at Bluffton University in Ohio prior to coming to JSC. Julie and her husband, Shannon Long ’05, are the owners and managers of Great Big Graphics in Morrisville. Most recently she served as the director of the Department of Marketing and Printing Services at JSC. Julie is a fine artist who has been exhibiting professionally since 1994. Before relocating to Vermont, she made her living showing her work at juried fine art shows and festivals in the Midwest region. She arrived in Johnson in 2002 on a painting fellowship and decided to stay. Julie has exhibited in numerous group and solo shows in the local area, including the Vermont Arts Council in Montpelier.
Julie has received numerous awards including the CASE Silver Award, a Vermont Arts Council Artist Development Grant, first place in the Helen Day Art Center’s For Arts Sake, and a Vermont Studio Center Fellowship Award, in addition to two residency awards which include a residency/solo show fellowship provided by the Pouch Cove Foundation in Newfoundland.