Program Coordinator for the Learning Center at Berea College

• B.A. Berea College, 1999
• M.A. Appalachian State University, 2005

Vicky Hayes, a 1999 graduate of Berea College, received a master’s degree in Appalachian Studies from Appalachian State University in 2005.  She currently serves as the program coordinator for the Learning Center on the Berea College campus.
Among the services the Learning Center provides are first-year transition, academic scholarship programs, presentation skill development, and mock interview and resume review services for seniors. Vicky oversees the day-to-day operation of the center and provides staff support to ensure that the services are student-generated.

How has your degree served you professionally?
“I believe my degree in Appalachian Studies helps me better understand the students with which I work. It has also benefitted me as a writer by providing a richer understanding of place.”

Why Appalachian Studies?
When asked what lead her to pursue a degree in Appalachian Studies, Vicky referenced her work as a journalist in the Appalachian coalfields during the 1970s as a motivating factor.  “A degree in Appalachian Studies is essentially a degree in activism,” she says.  “All of these programs built upon people-based research are responses to injustice.”

What type of student would benefit from this program?
“It would be a tremendous asset to anyone concerned with activism, and because of the art and music, artists as well.”