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36 / ’southern Ragan Dillon Cain ’99, BSC Trustee, readily admits she had to grow into her sense of style. The former accounting major is now chief administrative officer at Tacala. She’s also well-known for her celebrated lifestyle website, The Frances Flair, a creative outlet for her “musings” on classic, Southern style. “I did not have any style [when I was younger], and I truly mean that,” she says, laughing. “Maybe that’s true for a lot of people.” When others in her dorm read People or Glamour, she was perusing Southern Living, Southern Accents, and other popular home decor titles. “I’ve always been very interested in homes and design, but not so much fashion. I do like color,” she says. “It took me a while to understand that about myself, but that’s always been something that I’ve been drawn to, in my wardrobe and in my home.” The vibrant dress she’s wearing (a much-loved favorite that she calls her “uniform”), and her home (painted soft yellow) are perfect examples of how Cain’s taste has evolved and in how she asserts confidence in her choices. “It took me a long time to have the confidence to be that person. I laugh because I look back at pictures and my sorority sisters and I dressed like we were going to a business meeting,” Cain remembers. “So, I don’t feel like I dressed for my true self back then. But who really knows who they are when they’re 18 or 19 years old?” How did she blossom into a woman with bold style? “I think I just grew up,” she says. “I developed confidence, and had some professional development and success. I came into my own and became comfortable being myself. Then I wished I’d done it much sooner. I think nobody really knows who they are until they’re in their forties.” Cain, who describes herself as a “simple person at heart” and an “old soul,” has been deeply molded by family members — including her late father’s “fun sense of style.” Heirlooms and traditions passed down from relatives who took nothing for granted are cherished — she shares her name, Frances Ragan, with her maternal grandmother. “At a young age I felt I was a lot like her,” Cain says. “She loved family, and she loved old, beautiful things.” Cain feels a deep admiration for her “traditionalist” and independent grandmother — “a strong woman who worked back when a lot of women didn’t work.” “She did things the way she wanted to do them,” she says. “I think that is a little lost in our society.” This confidence extends to Cain’s distinctive taste and creative choices, from an ice cream cone-decorated dress worn to children’s birthday parties and the Kentucky Derby, to her pale-yellow-painted home. “Something about turning 40 said, ‘If I’m going to have a yellow house, why not now?’” How best to summarize her bold, timeless approach to life, rooted firmly in authenticity and transcending anything shallow? Cain shares a quote from an artist she admires: “When I grow up, I want to be exactly who I am, but a bit nicer, stronger, smarter, a little more resilient and open-minded. But most of all, I want to be happy.”
alumni stories Nine hundred and sixty-two miles from the Magic City, alumni are making their mark in the Big Apple. They are behind the scenes of Super Bowl commercials and groundbreaking documentaries, seeking change through the intersection of social causes and art, shaping the architecture of the future, and breaking into show business. Find out what led them from the Hilltop to New York City. from BSC to NYC FALL/WINTER 2022 / 37
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Page 5 and 6: Letter from the PRESIDENT I had pla
Page 7 and 8: CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 2 Letter from
Page 9 and 10: Courtney French ‘95, Randall Kenn
Page 11 and 12: Dr. Desireé Melonas, Roald Hazelho
Page 13 and 14: PANTHER PARTNERSHIPS In its 10th ye
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Page 17 and 18: We know that learning is not gracef
Page 19 and 20: 6:30 a.m. - Taylor begins the day w
Page 21 and 22: Getting to know my students and the
Page 25 and 26: POSEPURPOSE For Sychem “Sy” But
Page 27 and 28: (l to r) Tre Butler, Matt Dale, and
Page 29 and 30: RESILIENCE Diagnosed with acute lym
Page 31 and 32: P the ultimate insult was, ‘your
Page 33 and 34: left medicine for good, and establi
Page 35 and 36: “It’s the most rewarding work t
Page 37: TENACITY Forrest Boughner ’09 say
Page 41 and 42: Meaghan Fulco’s memories of New Y
Page 43 and 44: ERICH MCMILLAN- MCCALL ’86 Erich
Page 45 and 46: New York City, a place of dreams, a
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Page 56 and 57: DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA Louise Hall Be
Page 58 and 59: DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS The Hon. Robe
Page 60 and 61: OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNA Dr. Susan
Page 62 and 63: giving to BSC ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP P
Page 64 and 65: PAYING IT FORWARD Karen McKoy ’71
Page 66 and 67: lifelong learner Suzanne Montgomery
Page 68: 900 Arkadelphia Road Box 549003 Bir

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