Hello Everyone. My name is April Denning. I'm originally from Laurinburg, NC. I attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I received my bachelors degree in Clinical Laboratory Science. I've spent the last two years in Charlotte, NC working as a Medical Technologist. After a very busy summer, I recently moved to Roanoke the 1st part of August and I'm excited to begin this new chapter of my life with you all. See you soon!

 

Hey, all!

My name is Carla Roles, I am 25 years old, and just recently moved to the lovely town of Vinton, Va from Peoria, IL. So far, life is great and I'm getting antsy to meet everyone and get going with this PA training! I'm sure the feeling is mutual.

Well, I don't have any long strings of letters after my name (yet), but I did do some time at the University of Pittsburgh, as well as earning my associates from Illinois Central College. I have since spent the last three years working full time as a medical laboratory technician ( MLT) at a large teaching hospital in Peoria.

In my free time I enjoy reading, movies, and just about anything going on outside! Football season is coming up, so I have to ensure that I spend some quality tube time cheering on my Steelers! (You can't study all the time, it's really not healthy...)

I look forward to the learning and human interaction! It's getting old talking to myself.

Hello everyone. My name is Lorne Hartsock. I am 25 years old. I moved to Roanoke in the fall of 2004 from Bristol Tennessee with the goal of getting into this class and becoming a PA. During the past two years I have worked at both CRMH and CRCH hospitals as a Surgical Technologist in addition to taking the majority of my prerequisites at JCHS. My experience as a surgical tech has primarily been in dealing with trauma situations in the orthopedic, general, and GYN surgical specialties. In my spare time I enjoy attending concerts, theme parks, and stock car events. I also enjoy traveling, skiing, and the outdoors.

I wish all of you the best of luck with the challenges that face us over the next two years, and I look forward to meeting you all. Good luck again, and I will see you soon.

 

My name is Kristin Short.  I was born and raised in Archbold, Ohio.  I attended Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia for four years and received my bachelors degree in Biology.  I remained living in Harrisonburg following graduation for two years and worked as an outpatient physical therapy technician at a local hospital.  I'm very excited about returning to school and look forward to getting to know everyone. 

 

Hello everyone.  My name is Jerry Gouge, and I recently moved to Salem from Johnson City, Tennessee. I was ‘borned and raised” in Johnson City but moved to Knoxville shortly after high school to attend the University of Tennessee. I lived and worked in and around Knoxville until three years ago, when I moved back to JC and attended ETSU to take the prerequisite courses for PA school. I was an engineer for The Boeing Company before I decided to change careers and enter the medical field.   

I love the mountains, and hope there is time in the next couple of years to explore the beautiful areas around Roanoke. I like to run, workout, ski, play softball, and do just about anything else athletic in my spare time. Tennis is my real passion, and I’m a pretty fair 3.5 rated player, if anyone knows what that means. I’d love to find a partner to hit with, if there is any time for that sort of thing in the next 2 years. I look forward to meeting you all and congratulations on your achievements thus far. My email is zjkg13@imail.etsu.edu.  See you in August!!

Hello and congratulations to everyone! My name is Molly Sharp and I am from Botetourt County just outside of Roanoke. I like to spend time with my husband and my family. I also enjoy horseback riding, hiking, animals, going to the movies and the beach. I love Chinese food and don’t like cheese! I graduated from Hollins University with a degree in biology. I am really excited to meet everyone.  See you guys in August!msharp@hollins.edu 
 

 

Hi everyone. My name is Megan Via and I am from Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia (in Franklin County, just south of Roanoke). I am a 2005 graduate of Roanoke College where I earned my degree in Chemistry. I have always wanted to pursue a career in the medical field, so I am very excited to start the program! I am engaged to my high school sweetheart, Brady, and planned to get married next summer.

For the past year I have been working in the OR at Roanoke Memorial as an NA. I have seen some pretty amazing things! In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors, watching movies, reading books, shopping, and hunting. I am eager to meet all of you. Enjoy the rest of your summer! See you soon!!

Hello everyone.  My name is Laura Davis and I am 24 years old. I am from Waynesville, Ohio, and currently work at Walgreen’s Pharmacy as a Senior Pharmacy Technician and am also a medical assistant for a dermatologist. I have my bachelors degree in biological sciences.  In my spare time, I love to read, listen to music, watch movies, and hang out with my friends. I am a huge sports fan, especially during football season, supporting my Cincinnati Bengals and Ohio State Buckeyes.  I have been told I can play a mean game of darts and sometimes pool. 

I am very excited to start this new adventure in my life with you all. I am moving to my new home (Honeywood Apartments) at the beginning of August.  My email is Laura7839@msn.com and my cell is (937) 657-2145. 

Hi and Congrats to everyone!  My name is Breland Joines. I just got married on May 13^th of this year to a wonderful man, Justin. Justin will be attending Medical School, so I know we will have our work cut out for us. I graduated from Appalachian State University with a BS in Biology. I currently live in Durham, NC and work at Durham Regional Hospital.   

I love anything to do with the outdoors. Skiing, biking, fishing, and bird watching are a few of my favorites.

I hope everyone has a great summer and I look forward to meeting all of you.
 

Hello everyone. My name is Steve Young, and I am excited to be with you all in reaching our goal of starting the PA program.

I am 34 years old and have been married for 2 great years. I left Roanoke in 1990 at the age of 18 to serve in the U.S. Army during Desert Storm. I stayed in active duty Army for 9 years as a medic in a Special Ops unit, leaving Ft. Campbell, KY in 2000 to return to Roanoke to take care of my father. I was hesitant to leave the Army I so loved, but have enjoyed the life that I help fight to preserve. I am very supportive of our troops who continue to fight for the freedom I am presently enjoying.

I have worked in the medical field for 16 years as a Paramedic and a Critical Care Nurse (ER specialty). I enjoy helping patients in every way I possibly can and feel that becoming a PA is the way to help them even further. I have attended JCHS the past 2 years to complete my prerequisites for the PA program and am very excited that I recognize some of my classmates. For those of you just coming to JCHS, this group of men and women are very intelligent and fun to work with. To see them reassures me that we will all have excellent teamwork and ensure we have great success.

On my personal time, I enjoy playing golf, piano, and going on dates with my wife. Congratulations to everyone and I look forward to seeing you in orientation.

E-mail: swyoung5@mail.jchs.edu  phone: (540) 580-9193

My name is Dana Hurt. I am 27 and live in Bedford, Virginia. I graduated from Radford University in 2001 with a B.S. in Physical Education/Sports Medicine. I graduated from Marshall University in 2004 with a M.S. in Health and Physical Education/Athletic Training. I have been a Certified Athletic Trainer since 2002 and have worked for 3 years, 2 in the high school setting and 1 at a Div. II college in North Carolina. After several years of working, I decided to return to Virginia to pursue my PA degree. I am very excited and can't wait to meet all of you in the Fall.

Contact info: battrup1@aol.com

Jackie Zeltvay: Hello to my fellow PA students for the Class of 2008.  Congratulations to everyone for achieving this first goal on the road to your new career or in my case second career.  I am very proud to have been chosen to participate in this class at JCHS.  I am so happy to see such diversity within our class.  I was somewhat concerned that I would be the “Grandma” of the group.  I am 49 years old, have been married to my terrific and very supportive husband for 25 years.  We met in college at Virginia Commonwealth University while I was in my senior year at Medical College of Virginia.  We do not have children with exception of our two West Highland Terrorists, Abby and ZuZu.   

I was born and bred in Rocky Mount, Franklin County, Virginia (just south of Roanoke).  My husband and I have lived in Southwest Roanoke County for the last 15 years after bouncing around the country for my husband’s education and career aspirations.  For those of you new to this area, welcome to one of the most beautiful places on earth.  I am the Laboratory Manager at Roanoke City Health District and have been a board certified Medical Technologist for 27 years; I have worked in laboratory medicine since the ripe old age of 14.  I am excited about making a career shift.  My first experience working Physician Assistants was in Philadelphia, PA.  I have worked with several since relocating back to Virginia in Public Health as well as with Kuumba Community Health and Wellness Center.  Public Health and my devoted husband have played a significant role in my new pursuit.  I will be leaving the health department August 1^st to embark on this adventure with you.   

I am also the Business Manager for my husband’s office.  In my spare time, I enjoy gardening and landscaping, cooking, swimming, and scuba diving.  I look forward to meeting all of you.  I wish you much success in the program and rest and relaxation this summer.  My email address is zeltvay@cox.net. 

Hey There! I can't believe we are almost there! My name is Angela Struna, I'm 36, I have two terrific boys, Kyle almost 13 and Kody 10½, and a one-year-old lab retriever named Precious. My husband Tim is a retired US Marine. We celebrated our 14th anniversary this year! I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my family's love and support!

I have spent the last 17½ years as an Air Force/Air Force Reserves medic. I'm a true "Floridian," born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, but my family and I have spent most of our lives in Northern Virginia, California and Virginia Beach. We moved to Roanoke three years ago to attend JCHS. We love the area, especially the mountains!

I would like to welcome those of you that are new to the area. I am so humbled to have been accepted into the program and look forward to meeting and working with each member of our class. I hope you enjoy your summer, get lots of rest and I'll see you this fall!

Please feel free to email me: jastruna3@mail.jchs.edu

Hi, My name is Jamie Stevens and I am from Lynchburg, VA. I went to Virginia Tech and have a Bachelor Degree in Psychology and I am twenty-four years old. Psychology taught me a lot about myself and others and I thought it would be a strong foundation for my education as a PA. I graduated and started doing sales and always had the goal of continuing my education with a focus on physical health. The last three years has been spent getting prepared. My cousin's wife is a PA and I learned more about the profession and was able to volunteer with her at St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, TN. Although, my heart may be too sensitive to work in pediatric oncology, the experience was unforgettable and I knew I wanted to become a PA and help others pursue health on more than one level: physical, mental, and spiritual. Working in sales built my confidence and allowed me to have the funds to pay for all those pre-requisites for PA school. I also volunteered with the Christiansburg Rescue Department and became an EMT. Having this background as an EMT helped me to get a job working at a Drug Rehab Center and a Crisis Stabilization Unit in the New River Valley.

I just moved to Roanoke this summer and I am doing Behavioral Therapy with three children who have autism and am learning a lot. Other than that, I am ready to meet new friends. In my free time, I love the beach and being outside. In the winter my new favorite thing is snowboarding. I am nervous but very excited to be a full-time student again. I feel very blessed to be where I am and look forward to meeting all of you. My email is Jasteve4@vt.edu . Good luck, see you in August.

It is with immense gratitude and joy that I look forward to joining the PA class of 2008! My name is Caroline Miller, but friends and family call me Bonnie. To my fellow classmates: we will soon be great friends and close as family in many ways; please call me Bonnie.

I grew up in Wellesley, Massachusetts, but I have lived in Virginia for the past eight years. When I graduated from high school, I joined the US Army and served as a substance abuse counselor and a combat medic. While in the Medical Corps, I encountered physician assistants for the first time, and I set my mind and heart on one day becoming a physician assistant. In the meantime, I married and have been blessed with four of the nicest people on the face of the planet as my children: Brie (22), Ted (20), Tim (17), and Marianne (15). My kids have watched with pride and a touch of happy astonishment as I completed my prerequisite coursework in the past two years at Jefferson College of Health Sciences. In spite of the fact that my high schoolers (Tim and Marianne) can’t quite imagine why anyone would voluntarily embrace school, with its tests and homework, all four kids are my greatest encouragers. I currently work as a clinical secretary in the NICU at Community Hospital in Roanoke.

I love reading (and have a passion for cookbooks, strangely enough), watching movies, and tinkering around in the kitchen (I’m developing a deep appreciation for southern cooking). Although I miss New England with its crystal blue skies and old stone walls, the Red Sox, snow glittering in morning sunlight, lobster with drawn butter, and the rocky coast of Maine, I have found just as many delights here in the beautiful mountains of Virginia and her warm, gracious people. Welcome to all!

Hello and congratulations to all of the members of the JCHS PA class of 2008! My name is Heather Reed and I am 20 years old. I am originally from Floyd, VA but I have lived here in Roanoke since 2004, when I moved here after graduating high school to attend JCHS.  I have been here at JCHS for the past two years now, majoring in biomedical sciences and completing my prerequisites for the PA program. I also recently graduated with my associates degree in science from JCHS this spring. 

I am currently employed by Walgreen's pharmacy here in Roanoke, where I have been working as a senior pharmacy tech (CPhT). It was also through Walgreen's that I was fortunate enough to meet my wonderful boyfriend of nearly a year, Phillip. I love the knowledge that I have been able to gain from the pharmaceutical world, but my heart definitely lies in becoming a PA and am I excited that I will be coming more actively involved in patient care in a clinical type setting. In my spare time I love being able to simply relax. I also love cooking, music, and watching both E.R. and House, MD.  

As we all prepare ourselves for the journey we’re about to embark upon, I hope that everyone is as thrilled as I am to be on our way to being able to write PA-C behind our names (come on, I know that I am not the only one to have been practicing that…. J )This upcoming journey may be one that will be long and hard, but I am most certain that we will walk away with memories and friendships that we will always treasure. I hope everyone enjoys their summer and I look forward to meeting you all in the fall!!! hmreed4@mail.jchs.edu

Hello and congratulations class of 2008! My name is Amanda Webster and I’ve lived in Roanoke most of my life but had the wonderful opportunity to venture to the west for a couple of years. I obtained my BA in child psychology from Hollins University and while completing it, I worked for an optometrist. After graduation, I enjoyed my crazy but rewarding career as an elementary teacher for several years in Botetourt County public schools.   

I love my friends and family. I enjoy most outdoor activities, traveling, reading gossip magazines on Sunday, and ballet. My passion and love is running and it’s also a great way to relieve stress.  I’m sure that release will be a welcome activity for the next two years! 

I am excited about starting the PA program and look forward to meeting each of you and the memorable moments we will share! Have a fabulous summer and please contact me @ mandy31@cox.net anytime.

I live with my dog, Toby in a little apt. near school. (If anyone wants to go in on house...let me know:) And other than watching Scrubs and LOST (my 2 favorite TV shows), most days you can either find me at work (private-duty nursing assistant), at the BFC or out with Toby in the mountains. Don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions about Roanoke or JCHS (been here for a couple of years doing Biomed), I'll be glad to help in any way I can. LauranR@Peoplepc.com 

Have a great summer and I look forward to meeting everyone in August!

Hello class of 2008! My name is Jennifer "Kelly" Williams.  I am 21 years old and from Kingsport, TN.  I recently finished PA program pre-requisites at Jefferson.  I also recently graduated from Northeast State Community College (Blountville, TN) where I earned an Associate of Science with an emphasis in Pre-Health Professions.  I am currently working as an intern in the Medical Dept. at Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport. 

I enjoy spending time with my family, friends and my pets.  I love to travel when the opportunity arises and I like to spend time relaxing at the pool whenever my schedule allows, which is not often enough these days.  I am so excited to be a part of the class of 2008.  I look forward to meeting and getting to know each of you over the next two years. 

Congratulations to each of you and may the next two years be exciting and rewarding as we begin our careers.

Hi everyone!  My name is Colleen Wuellner and I am 24 years old. I grew up in Alton, Illinois, a town just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. But, for the last two years my boyfriend, Jesse, and I have lived in St. Louis while he attended physical therapy school. Before that we lived in Wisconsin, where I graduated from Marquette University with a B.S. in Exercise Science. Because of my degree, a majority of my experience is in cardiac rehab, but I’ve also spent the last three summers working with a pediatrician 

I’m one of those outdoor junkies, but my favorite activities are camping and skiing (all of which has been done out west, so I’m curious what kind of snow the east has to offer). I also love to sew and be crafty. No making fun now!  

It will just be our adopted greyhound, Goose, and I until December, when Jesse graduates and will be able to join me … SO, I can’t wait to meet all of you! I hope everyone has a great summer, and I’ll see you soon. Contact info: E-mail: colleenwuellner@hotmail.com, Phone: 618-973-1432
 

First, I'd like to say a big congrats to everyone! I'm sure you all are as excited as I am!
I'm Laurie Beth Berry - I prefer to be called Laurie Beth or LB. I'm 26 years old and was born and raised in West Chester, PA. I moved to Salem while attending Roanoke College where I graduated in 2002 with a B.A. in psychology and sociology and concentrations in health care delivery and social work. Since then I've lived and worked in Roanoke as a social worker in both acute care and long term care settings while finishing pre-req's for the PA program.
In my free time I enjoy running and hiking in all the beautiful mountains around Roanoke (one of the big reasons I decided to live here!). I also spend a lot of time in the dojo- I'll be a brown belt in American Freestyle Karate by the time school starts- and in the fall you'll catch me at VT football games- GO HOKIES!

I'm really excited for the fall and to meet you all! Please feel free to drop me a line at lberry@roanoke.edu
 

My name is Angelica Clark. I am 25 years old and from Brazil. I have lived in Roanoke since 2003 when I got married and stayed in the country. I came to US to work as a nutritionist intern in a summer camp for special needs where I met my husband and ended up staying.

I do not have any children, they are part of future plans post college. I do a lot of volunteer work as a nutritionist in my church’s fitness center and I love exercising as a form of relaxation and stress relief. I go to church on Sundays, I love GOD.

I love working in the health care field. I have a great passion for promoting a better quality of life to the people I work with and also the fact that we can help them through education and prevention. I love working with special needs, rural and underserved areas. I am really looking forward to becoming a PA and also to joining the group/class. It will be a great opportunity to grow, learn, share experiences and also to make new friends. I am very excited and thankful to be part of this class of 2008. I speak Portuguese, my native language, English and I am working really hard on my Spanish.

I have great expectations for the future. I am sure we will learn a lot throughout these 2 years and I am really excited about it. Please feel free to contact me at angeel24@hotmail.com until we have our school email set up.

Hi everyone. My name is Jason Feyerherd. I am 31 years old, born and raised in Lynchburg, VA. I currently live here in Roanoke at Pebble Creek Apartments where it seems everyone I have met has either lived here or knows someone who lives here. I have lived in Roanoke for the past 2 years fulfilling pre-reqs for the program and working at Roanoke Community Hospital. I have worked as a Respiratory Therapist for the past 6 years, primarily with neonates for the past 3 years.

I am very close with my family, and spend a lot of time with them cooking out on the grill, fishing, traveling, golf, or just watching reality shows. Other interest of mine include social outings with friends, cooking, reading, music, skiing, camping, swimming, traveling, and basically anything outside.

I am very excited to be given the opportunity to become a PA as it as been a goal of mine since entering the health care field. I look forward to meeting each of you as we will be spending a lot of time together the next 2 years. See all of you this August and have a great summer!!!

Email: Koonkosh77@yahoo.com | Koonkosh77@hotmail.com | IM : AIM - Koonkosh777. Feel free to contact for any questions or just to chat.

My name is Doug Carroll. I am originally from Reston, VA. I graduated from Catawba College in 2003 with a BS in Athletic Training and PE. After graduation, I taught middle school health & PE for two years in Pender County, NC.

Currently I am living in Salisbury, NC working at an urgent care clinic. I enjoy playing basketball & golf, watching movies, and learning to love studying since that's what will rule our lives for the next two years. I look forward to meeting all of ya'll in the fall.

I can be contacted by email at catujim@hotmail.com; snail mail 1034 Oakmont Court, Salisbury, NC 28146; and phone 910-431-6258.

When not working, I enjoy Utah’s beautiful mountains; hiking, camping, climbing, skiing etc. Though not yet certified pilot I hope to one day build and fly my own airplane. I have an amazing wife, Anali, who is a Registered Nurse. Together we take care of our year old son Zander, who always makes us laugh. My ambitions, so far as a Physician Assistant are concerned, are somewhat open-ended. I look forward to exploring the many possibilities that already seem to be calling. Contact information: 801-644-0549, zanewilliams@mail.weber.edu

Hello everyone and congratulations! My name is Jade Tollar and I look forward to embarking on this wonderful 2-year journey with you all. I'm one of three girls and the youngest. I've grown up in a medical atmosphere as my mom is a medical transcriptionist, and my oldest sister is an RN at Lynchburg General, so I was destined for a health-related career. I received my BS in Biomedical Science with my minor in Psychology from Lynchburg College last year and I have spent the last year working as a nursing assistant in the Vascular Surgery Dept. at CRMH where I have learned a multitude of knowledge. I'm childless except for my beautiful 4 year old American Pit Bull, THAI, and she and my nieces and nephew are enough for now. I'm excited about meeting each and everyone of you and creating a learning network, as well as some lasting friendships.

Hey and congratulations to everyone! My name is Ann Whitfield and I live in Blacksburg, Virginia. I just graduated from Virginia Tech with my bachelor's degree of science. I have been working the past few months at Carilion New River Gastroenterology and will continue through the summer.

In my free time, I enjoy hiking, traveling abroad, and visiting my family in North Carolina. I am very excited about starting the PA program and getting to know each of you in the class. I know the next two years will be very exciting and rewarding for all of us!

Enjoy your summer and feel free to email me (annie02@vt.edu).