Halo Magazine - Meredith College

Halo Magazine
Official magazine of the human
environmental sciences department
Editor Bethany Osborne Schneider
Faculty Sponsor Dr. Deborah Tippett
Contributors Dr. Kathryn Clark, Dr. Nina Bostic,
Dr. Martha Burpitt, Dr. Diane Ellis
Contents
Welcome 1
Meredith Jones Martin 2-3
Lindsey Tilley Cheek 4
Anna Echols 5
ID Update 6
FCS Update 7
CD Update 8
FMD Update 9
To submit an article, photos,
news, an event, or just to give
us your feedback contact the
editor at
osborneb@email.meredith.edu
December 2010
Magazine Issue Date Volume 1, Issue 1
Note from the editor
Welcome to the first issue of HALO- the official magazine of
Meredith College‘s Human Environmental Sciences
Department. This issue has been a long time coming. In fact,
for the past year I have been interviewing alumnae to learn
more about their exciting lives, some of whom you‘ll get to
read about in this first issue.
Our alumnae are doing all sorts of things from planning
weddings (Lindsey Tilley Cheek pg. 4) and making wedding
cakes on primetime television (Anna Echols pg. 5) to starting
their own design firms (Meredith Jones Martin pgs. 2-3), and
even getting featured in major national magazines such as
Better Homes & Gardens (ID Update pg. 6).
Whether you‘re an alumnae or current Meredith student, or
perhaps just have a special connection to our department we
hope you‘ll enjoy this first issue and keep us updated on what
you are doing.
Bethany Osborne Schneider, Editor
osborneb@email.meredith.edu
Welcome to our first online magazine for Human
Environmental Sciences! I am grateful to Bethany
Osborne Schneider, a senior family and consumer
sciences major with a minor in professional
writing, who created this way to connect our
alums to our current students. I am pleased to
report that the Department of Human
Environmental Sciences is the largest academic
department on Meredith‘s campus with close to
300 declared majors in Child Development,
Family and Consumer Sciences, Fashion
Merchandising and Design, and Interior Design.
This summer, as part of a campus reorganization,
Foods and Nutrition was combined with Health
and Exercise Science to create a new department,
Nutrition, Health and Human Performance.
Foods and Nutrition has been a valued part of our
department for 96 years and we consider all alums
still part of our department. We look forward to
meaningful collaborations with this new
department.
This magazine will give students an
opportunity to hear about the professional
and personal lives of our alums who are
making a significant difference in their
communities and careers. My goal is that
it will open lines of communication
between our alums and our department. It
will also give our faculty the opportunity to
connect to each of you. I hope that you will
continue to keep us updated by writing to
me at tippetd@meredith.edu.
Best wishes,
Deborah Tippett, Ph. D.
Department Head and Professor

2 HALO MAGAZINE
Martin Design Agency, Raleigh, NC
Meredith Jones Martin
Designer & Design Firm Owner
From the moment Meredith
Jones Martin, owner of
Martin Design Agency,
walks into the room it‘s
clear that she has an
undeniable sense of style
that seems also effortless.
Fortunately, both her day
job and true passion
requires a very clear eye for
design. That eye for design
has been something
Meredith has perfected her
entire life…
While the majority of
Meredith‘s peers in
elementary school wanted
to be astronauts,
veterinarians, or
superheroes when they
grew up, Meredith knew
from the fifth grade on that
she wanted to be a
residential interior designer.
Throughout her school
years, that dream never
changed for Meredith. As a
student at Meredith
College, she pursued a
degree in Interior Design
and came out with a job in
model design. Her job
designing models allowed
Meredith to master a
variety of design concepts.
After experiencing a
layoff as a result of the
economy, Meredith
decided that now was as
good a time as ever to
pursue her dream of
residential interior
design in a new
venture- as the owner
of her own design firm.
Martin Design Firm, a
collaborative force
between Meredith and
her graphic designer
husband, offers
personalized design
services for interiors
and weddings.
According to their
website, Martin Design
Agency ―will put it all
together for you... with
a wide range of services,
from interior designs,
home staging and
product sourcing to
wedding invitations and
color selection.‖
Clearly Meredith has
not only accomplished
her dreams of design,
she‘s taken them one
step further.

Halo: How do you feel your Meredith experience has
helped prepare you for what you do now?
Meredith: Meredith gave me a really great
education. The design program here is wonderful.
(Meredith also taught me) the ability to use
relationships, which is important because my job is
very personal- their homes and weddings.
HALO: What advice
would you give
Meredith students as
they look towards their
professional lives?
Meredith: I would
highly recommend an
internship experience.
Also, work for someone
else before you decide to
start your own business.
In Meredith’s Own
Words…
HALO: Why did
you choose this
field, specifically
interior design?
Meredith: I have
always felt strongly
about designing
homes for people to
live in.
HALO: What were
your first
professional steps in
residential interior
design?
Meredith: After
graduating
Meredith, I worked
in model design for
five years. It gave
me exposure to
different design
styles…
3
HALO: Tell us a bit about
your design firm and how
you developed the idea to
combine wedding design
and residential interior
design.
Meredith: Planning my
wedding my husband and I
were very involved and I
enjoyed the many aspects
of it. [Meredith‘s husband
is a graphic designer.
Together they collaborated
to design their own unique
wedding invitations,
programs, décor and
more]. I began to look at
what‘s available for people
[in the process of planning
their weddings] and what
they need. I found nothing
like my business‘ design
concept out there in the
wedding industry. I see
interior design and
weddings as part of the
same family, for example
color schemes, I wanted to
offer an affordable mix of
high end and low end for
both wedding design and
residential interior design.

4 HALO MAGAZINE
“I instantly fell in love
and knew that was
exactly what I wanted
to do as a career.”
At the time this issue went to press, Lindsey had
just begun a new page in her professional life as an
Event Designer & Planner with Salt Harbor
Designs, a wedding design firm located in
Wilmington, NC. In addition she has been
featured in Style Me Pretty, the nation‘s top
wedding website and blog. For more on Lindsey
visit her blog at fificheek.blogspot.com.
All About Weddings-Lindsey Tilley Cheek
For Meredith Fashion
Merchandising and Design
alum, Lindsey Tilley Cheek,
everyday is a fairy tale. Well, at
least in the sense of planning a
fairy tale wedding. As the Event
Manager at the famed Bald Head
Island Club, Lindsey is in charge
of orchestrating all the club‘s
extravagant weddings.
However, there is a considerable
amount of work that must go
into each bride‘s fairytale at The
Bald Head Island Club and as
Lindsey told HALO her days are
always full and unexpected, yet
always fulfilling…
As the number eight site in the
nation for outdoor weddings,
according to The Knot, there are
a lot of expectations Lindsey
must meet. But that‘s no
problem for Lindsey, who has
high standards when it comes to
professionalism. Each day for
Lindsey begins with checking
and responding to her dozens of
emails and phone calls. And for
Lindsey, no one ever falls
between the cracks. ―The most
important part of my job is to
stay in constant contact with my
clients. If more than 48 hours go
by without a response on an email,
I am not doing my job
correctly.‖ For Lindsey, her
goal is to make each bride truly
feels like the center of her own
perfect wedding. ―I never want
to make a bride feel like I have
another bride…I should make
each bride feel like they are the
most important person in the
world to me, even though I have
70 other weddings before their
wedding.‖
Beyond the constant
communication, there are dozens
of other tasks that comprise
Lindsey‘s work day, such as
―meetings, tastings, budget
reviews, floor plan reviews‖ and
much more. However, Lindsey
credits her educational
experience at Meredith as well
as her internship opportunities
with equipping her with the
knowledge and skills necessary
to keep up in the fast past world
of event planning.
Lindsey always knew she wanted
a creative career that would
incorporate her passion for good
design. Her academic path at
Meredith proved a smart choice
for her career aspirations.
―I graduated with a Fashion
Merchandising degree because I
am very passionate about fashion
and designing. And now that I
have been in the event business
for several years, I really think
that they have a lot of things in
common.‖
Working as a buyer and manager
at Monkee‘s, a high end clothing
in Chapel Hill, Lindsey quickly
realized that, though she loved
fashion, she was meant to use her
abilities and passions in other
outlets. Lindsey began interning
at Grace Leisure Events and
quickly realized she had found her
dream job. ―I instantly feel in
love and knew that [event
planning] was exactly what I
wanted to do as a career.‖
However, landing an impressive
job as the Events Manager at The
Bald Head Island Club was not so
easy. ―On my days off, I would
search the internet for job
openings and send dozens of
resumes out to local offices.‖
Fortunately, Lindsey‘s biggest
connection was right next door,
literally. ―My neighbor was a food
and beverage manager at Bald
Head Island Club and told me
about the job. I sent my resume
through e-mail, fax, and mail. I
did not hear anything for two
months.‖ However, her
persistence paid off. After a
summer of sending out her
resume, calling, and faxing,
Lindsey decided to make one last
attempt at landing her dream job.
―On my last thank-you card
attempt, they called back. I
interviewed the first week in
October…‖ and by November she
had a job as the Event Manager at
The Bald Head Island Club.
Reflecting on her persistence in
achieving her position Lindsey
responded, ―It was an extremely
long process, but well worth the
wait.‖
-Bethany O Schneider

The Sweet Life-Anna Echols-Orlando, Florida
“Happy to say I have
no regrets.”
For Meredith Family &
Consumer Sciences graduate,
Anna Echols, life is pretty
sweet. As a professional Cake
Designer and Decorator who
recently made her TV debut on
The Ultimate Cake Off, Anna
knows that only one thing in
her professional life is
predictable--each day is full of
sugar, icing, and magnificently
crafted creations that would
give Buddy from Cake Boss a
run for his money.
Describing her job in the world
of exceptionally designed
wedding and event cakes, Anna
reflects, ―Every day is different,
which is what I love about my
job. Tuesdays and Wednesdays
are mostly spent doing prep
work for the cakes. Thursdays
and Fridays are mostly spent
decorating the cakes...I also
deliver cakes on Saturday, and
sometimes attend bridal shows
on Sunday to promote the
business!‖ No doubt her
background taking a variety of
different HES courses as a
Family & Consumer Sciences
major played a role in her
ability to adjust to the daily
variations within her work
place. As a Family & Consumer
Sciences major, Anna studied
courses ranging from design to
nutrition, both of which play an
integral role in what she does
today. In a field that requires
the conceptual expertise of
fashion design, the drafting
skills of interior design, the
5
culinary understanding of food
science, and the whimsical
spirit that only a child
development guru could
understand, Anna brings the
complete package to the
professional table thanks to
her Family & Consumer
Sciences degree from
Meredith.
When asked if she wishes she
has done anything different in
her career, Anna was ―happy
to say I have no regrets.‖
From Meredith student, to Le
Cordon Bleu grad, to cake
decorator and designer
featured on primetime TV,
Anna Echols is sweet evidence
that you really can do just
about anything with a
Meredith degree.
-Bethany O Schneider

6 HALO MAGAZINE
Registered Dietician, Sherri
Connor Vettel presenting a
healthy eating program at
work. Sherri graduated from
Meredith with a degree in
Foods & Nutrition before
completing her dietetic
internship. Meredith offers an
undergraduate degree in Foods
& Nutrition as well as a well
respected dietetic internship
and graduate degree in
nutrition.
―I became interested in foods and nutrition when I
was in high school. My doctor informed me that I
had high cholesterol levels, and being that I was
only 16, I was very concerned! I began to learn
about how one‘s diet impacts health, and in
particular what foods elevated cholesterol levels.
From then on I was hooked. I knew I would
continue my studies in the field to help others
learn how to fight disease through the power of
good nutrition.‖ Sherri
Best Wishes to Foods & Nutrition:
Over the summer, Meredith College made the decision for the Foods &
Nutrition Program to join Exercise & Sports Science to form a new department,
Nutrition, Health & Human Performance.
We are featuring a RD Sherri Connor Vettel who graduated from
Meredith in 2007 with a degree in Foods & Nutrition before
going on to complete her dietetic internship at Meredith.
Although Foods & Nutrition is no longer a part of our HES department,
we still consider Foods & Nutrition degree graduates to be our
alumnae, and would love to hear from you.
Human
Environmental
Sciences‘ roots in
education have
proved a valuable
element of Foods
& Nutrition
programs.
Foods &
Nutrition
educational
display, left.
Foods & Nutrition,
alongside the other
disciplines in HES, has been
an integral part of HES
education since its inception
well over a hundred years
ago. Regardless of
departmental associations,
Foods & Nutrition is still a
great addition to any HES
education. From foods class,
to nutritional analysis,
Foods & Nutrition has been
enriching lives of
individuals, families, and
communities--a foundational
aspect of the Human
Environmental Sciences.
Sherri, left, presenting research with a fellow
student, Anna Brown while still an undergrad
at Meredith.

Greetings from the Interior Design program 2010-2011
Interior Design
7
Jenny Keenan ‘00
had several designs
published in Better
Homes & Gardens
and Southern Living,
as pictured here.
We are gearing up for a new and exciting year with lots of opportunities for our students to participate in a variety of
competitions sponsored by various professional organizations and local businesses and community activities through the ASID
Student Chapter and the ASID and IIDA Professional North Carolina Chapters.
We enjoy sharing our students‘ achievements. Listed below are highlights from last year.
ID 444 – Students participated in the IDEC Student Competition, ―The Learning Commons‖ – 3 submitted at the
regional level. Jennifer Roley ‗10 and Brittany Pittman‘s ‘10 project moved up to the National Competition level.
ID 243 – Students projects were presented to DGDC Preservation North Carolina, Goldsboro, NC, May 6, 2010 titled
―Six Goldsboro Historic Home Redesigns.‖ These projects are being used as promotional material for the preservation of this
Historic District.
ID 243 & ID 444- Meredith Interprets the North Carolina Museum of Art project, six projects were selected for the
final exhibition that was on display on the 2 nd floor of Johnson Hall during summer 2010.
ID 444 Interior Design IV – Students participated in the Carolinas Chapter Otto Zenke competition. Four projects
submitted. Mary Rose „11 took 1 st Place, Emily Cobb ‟10 took 3 rd Place and Molly Timberlake „10 and Allison van den
Berg ‟10 both received Honorable Mentions.
ID 444 – Branded, Designed and Installed the Meredith ReUse Store – Daisy Trade Reuse Store. We hope that
many of you have visited the store.
Eleven members of the ASID Student Chapter displayed their repurposed ―doors‖ at the Southern Ideal Home Show in
conjunction with Habitat Wake ReStore Yard Sale and HGTV Trading Spaces star, Edward Walker.
Amirah Lane ‗10 completed an internship with the Smithsonian American Art Museum in their Research & Scholars
Center summer 2009.
Caroline Ashworth, Kaitlin Williams and Victoria Benbassat participated in the summer program for interior
design/architecture 2010 at Denmark International School, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jenny Hackenburg Keenan ‟00 was published in the March 2010 issue of Southern Living magazine and in the
April 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.
-Dr. Martha Burpitt, Interior Design Program Coordinator and Professor

8 HALO MAGAZINE
Greetings from Family and Consumer Sciences
We are excited about this inaugural issue of HALO for alumnae of
Human Environmental Sciences. Family and Consumer Sciences is
the major which incorporates all program areas in HES and was
known as Home Economics until 1996.
Last year was my first year at Meredith as a full-time faculty member.
As a graduate of Meredith in 1996, I am delighted to be back teaching
in FCS and Fashion Merchandising. As Program Coordinator for
FCS, I supervise the non-licensure students and teach the introductory
course, FCS 290 for all students in HES. My students completed
meaningful internships in the spring in a variety of settings such as
cooperative extension and local TV stations.
Dr. Deborah Tippett coordinates the FCS licensure students. Last
year, four students completed their FCS teaching license in 2009-2010.
All of the graduates had multiple job offers which illustrate the
shortage of teachers in Family and Consumer Sciences. Julia Weaver
was recognized with the ―Bonnie Togerson Award for Outstanding
Student Teaching.‖
Students were active in the Meredith Association of Family and
Consumer Sciences. Mary Kathryn Hardison served as state chair of
the NC Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Students had
active community service projects. Kala Stanton was awarded the
Outstanding Senior Award from HES.
Dr. Tippett advised the student honorary society, Kappa Omicron Nu
for all students in HES. In August, Dr. Tippett and Anne Mosteller,
an officer of KON, attended the KON Conclave in Nashville, TN.
While at the KON Conclave, the Meredith chapter won two
Exemplary Chapter Awards for 2008 and 2009. KON inducted 46
students in March of 2010.
In January of 2010, Dr. Tippett became the national chair of KON.
Dr. Tippett is also an officer in the International Federation of Home
Economics for the United States and attended the IFHE World
Council Meeting in Sligo, Ireland in July of 2010. She and a 2010
graduate, Kala Stanton presented a paper in Ireland on ―How the
Millennials Are Contributing to the UN Millennium Development
Goals.‖
We hope that you‘ll contact us if you are either a Home Economics or
Family and Consumer Sciences major from Meredith. I am excited to
serve as the program coordinator for FCS and look forward to hearing
from you.
Best wishes,
Nina Bostic
FCS Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor
bosticni@meredith.edu
Family & Consumer Sciences
―My students
completed
meaningful
internships in…a
variety of settings
such as cooperative
extension and local
TV stations.‖
FCS students
busy at work
during their
internship
experiences.

Greetings, Child Development Alumnae! WELCOME to
this new on-line newsletter. It will be an exciting way for
the faculty and students to share information with you.
We hope that you will send information that we can share
with your friends and colleagues, too.
We continue to revamp our program of study, including
the way licensure students can meet their major
requirements. You can check out the revisions by going to
meredith.edu and following the links to the 2010-2011
catalog. There is increasing interest among our students
in studying abroad. Samantha Tyson spent the 2009 fall
semester in Italy, and Kristy Cartrette spent the 2010
spring semester in Denmark.
Congratulations to Stephanie Crocker, Jennifer Hunter,
and Elizabeth Plotkin who were all finalist for the Wake
County Teacher of the Year. As many of you may know,
Elizabeth is the Wake County Teacher of the Year for
2010. Stephanie was also named recently by WRAL-TV as
Teacher of the Week.
As always, we are excited to have our alumnae serve as
cooperating teachers and mentors. This semester includes
the following alums: Laura Baer, Lizzy Boyles, Serena
Buckner, Taylor Galpin, Amanda Hummel, Jennifer
Hunter, Kellie Huffman, Laura McClees, Nichole Miller,
Elizabeth Plotkin, and Jenni Wilkinson. Send us your
suggestions of about what you would like to know. We
look forward to hearing from you.
-Dr. Kathryn Clark,
Child Development Program
Coordinator and Professor
Child Development
Elizabeth Loftis Plotkin, a Child Development
graduate and a kindergarten teacher at Fuller
Elementary, was named Wake County Teacher of
the Year for 2010. According to The News and
Observer, ―She was praised for her devotion to
children.‖
In addition to being a hands on teacher in the
classroom, Plotkin is also very involved with other
school programs including Fuller‘s Family Nights.
Two other Meredith Child Development
graduates, Stephanie Crocker and Jennifer Hunter
were also finalists for the award.
CD study
abroad students
enjoying the
beauty of
Denmark.
CD students
tapping into
their
imaginative
side.
9

10 HALO MAGAZINE
Fashion Merchandising & Design
Greetings to all the alumnae from Fashion Merchandising and Design! I am pleased
to report that we had 35 students graduate in May of 2010. Last year, we sponsored
students in two design competitions, three activities for the NC Diabetes
Association, two amazing senior shows, two students studying in Paris for the
semester, fifteen students studying at the Paris American Academy in the Summer of
2010, and 22 students going to New York over Fall Break.
We are pleased to report that our design professor, Eunyoung Yang
graduated with her Ph.D. from Texas Women‘s University in May of 2010.
Dr. Nina Bostic joined our faculty last year and is teaching part time in
Fashion Merchandising. Her research on eco-friendly clothing has
enhanced our sustainability efforts at Meredith.
The FMD program was involved in the Raleigh community and local
businesses in several ways. We continue to help the American Diabetes
Association with their huge fund-raising Gala event. One evening we
helped diabetic children paint stools which were auctioned off at the Gala.
Seven students decorated masks which were signed by celebrities and were
also auctioned off. Students provided artwork from our CAD Apparel
Design for the opening of the renovated Art Museum. Students and faculty
worked in the Clothes Closet.
We had 74 students participating in Meredith Fashion Association this
year. During the fall semester, MFA design students set up a ―Bazaar‖ to
showcase and sell their work. Nine students set up booths in Cate and sold
headbands, pillows, jewelry, tee shirts, picture frames, and hand-knitted
scarves which they had made. More than twenty students worked with the
Valentine‘s Day Pie fundraiser. Another thirty students worked in some
way with the Cinderella Project. This project becomes more well-known,
more organized, and more efficient each year. We collected over 400
dresses and set up shop at North Hills Mall. Ninety dresses were given
away. Remaining dresses were taken to a similar project in Durham.
Dr. Yang served as a judge for the design competition at the African
American Textile Society‘s 13 th Annual Fashion Expose at NCCU in
Durham, NC. She also served as a design judge for ―Martha Pullen‘s
Sewing Market Seminar‖ in Arlington, Texas.
I am still taking students to Paris for a month each summer. There were 15
students this past summer. Our number of students studying abroad is
among the highest percentages in the nation. FMD is doing its part to
help Meredith College achieve its goal of fostering global citizenship among
our students.
Two senior design students produced one collective fashion show in the fall
which showcased thirty outfits which they had designed and made. Four
students produced two shows in the spring.
I look forward to hearing from all of you who are Fashion Merchandising and
Design alums—even if you are not currently working in the fashion industry. Send
me your stories at ellisdi@meredith.edu.
Fondly,
Dr. Ellis
FMD students
working behind the
scenes at a designer
fashion show during
Paris Fashion Week.
FMD students in class
during Paris Summer
Study Abroad.
FMD students
visiting exploring
the city during
study abroad.