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Negin Ahmadi at graduation '02 | 709 Lindsey Regan and Mom with Negin Ahmadi following Baccalauriat service

711 Negin with Dr. Lewis

Negin Ahmadi of Denmark (with Persian heritage), is interested in pre-Law.  She selected the International Studies major, and has regularly attended AL World Affairs Council meetings.  She often works in admissions, giving tours of HC. She has run preschool education including English as a foreign language, at Maxwell AFB, for Air Force children from many countries.  She acted as a feature reporter on HC affairs for the local UPN TV station.  Her capstone presentation and paper were on Iranian politics, society and economics.

Negin ran the international students banquet for two years, with great success.  She brought in acts ranging from reggae music to belly dancing and found musical talents among our Korean students.  Food and prizes came from area restaurants as well as from our HC student cooks.  After graduation she worked in public relations. 

Negin speaks English, Danish, Farsi (Persian), Norwegian, Swedish, and a little German. She has travelled to Italy, Greenland (on homestay), Turkey, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Iran, U.S. & Hawaii, Germany & Sweden. 

In 2008-10, she worked in security at a Danish airport, and was completing an MBA degree online with Liverpool university in England.  In November 2010 she made a surprise visit to HC, met up with several old friends, and spoke to Dr. Lewis's PACT 103 section. 
 

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728 Mary with Mom upon Graduation, 7 May '05 | 708 The Hodos at Baccalauriat service

Mary Hodo, 2005, Selma, Dallas County HS, PSC major, Worked at MANE as volunteer. FOSL.
Phi Eta Sigma freshman year.
Da Soli, freshman choir.
In April 2005, before graduation, Mary was accepted with scholarship to the Master's of Social Work program at Tulane University.  She intends a career in social work.  In Fall 2005, hurricane Katrina delayed her entry to New Orleans, but following some work in the field, she entered Tulane in Jan. '06.  She graduated with a Master's of Social Work in May '07.  By summer 2008, she was living in Mobile and am about to finish her Americorps year. In May 2009, she headed out to Alaska for a position in social work, and reported that her political science studies were very useful for the social work role.
 

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727 Michael with family at graduation, 7 May '05

Michael Pierce, 2005, Public Affairs: Politics, Communications and Religion.  Member of College Democrats.  Former Speech & debate team member. Michael actually petitioned to add Religion courses to the PATS major.  His capstone paper on presidents and policy was memorable, particularly for an artistic powerpoint presentation with unusually elegant images of different presidents.

In 2005 he worked: "with a national marketing company in Birmingham, AL as an account representative ... meeting with new clients and developing campaigns (direct-mail, at MailSouth). I come in after the media buy and arrange things with the client. We have both small and huge clients (including Wal-Mart) and my job has been very interesting so far.  I'm also doing some campaign work for my local state representative Cam Ward.  I was summoned to serve on a Grand Jury during the summer after graduation and really enjoyed it."
 

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4Brandy in 2003 | 95 Brandy at registration, '03
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730 Dr. L with Brandy at graduation, 7 May '05 | 725 Brandy with Dad

Brandy Smith, 2005, transferred into Political Science major; Hometown Prattville, AL, from Prattville High School.  Brandy played on the women's softball team, which enjoyed tournament success in 2004.
Brandyi358@aol.com

She reported in May 2011: she was still working in a law firm and thinking of applying to law school  She earned an MPA from AUM, and recommends the MPA program and its professors. She found public administration more real world/work related than political science.
 

Gabriel Thorn's ID, 2001

Gabriel Thorn of Deatsville  AL 36022, took Political Science and Psychology.  He participated in ROTC, and drove an MG ragtop.  He was a member of College Democrats, and a former speech & debate team member.

In summer 2004, he attended Army LDAC school (leadership, development, assessment course) followed by airborne school.  He reported hitting the ground from 1,000 ft like a ton of bricks.  He also remembered blowing up some tanks with 145 mm howitzers. He was commissioned into the US army upon graduation in May 2005 and entered the armored corps.  Lt. Thorn taught unarmed combat during summer 2005.  Gabe also took officer training at Fort Knox and combat exercise training in the Mojave desert.  In November '06 he was promoted to 1st Lt.

In Feb. '07 he shipped out to Iraq as Executive Officer of the HQ company of the 3rd Infantry Division, and using his Arabic to liaise with Iraqi forces. 

Lt. Gabriel M. Thorn '05 receives BRONZE STAR & Combat Action badge!  Gabe, a political science graduate ('05) and a close friend of Mary Katherine Pappas (summa cum laude) '08, participated in Army ROTC and AL World Affairs Council while in Huntingdon college, and learned Arabic soon afterwards.  He has been promoted more recently to Captain and selected for US special forces.  The Bronze Star was awarded at an April 1 ceremony near Jisr Diyala, Iraq, where he has been serving since March 2007 as the executive officer of HHT 3-1 CAV based out of Ft. Benning, Ga.  The Bronze star is the fourth highest decoration in the US military for bravery or meritorious service.  Gabe was given a brief leave last Fall and returned to HC -- but modestly, did not even mention the action. Please keep Gabe's continued safety in your thoughts and prayers.

On 25 April 2009, Gabe married Mary-Katherine Pappas (also an alumna) at the Elms in Coosada, AL. 
 

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722 Lindsey with Kristi before graduation '05 | 713 Kristi with Mrs. Winstead at graduation '05.

Kristi Winstead joined us from Stanhope HS and Deatsville, AL.  She selected college Republicans and the Political Science major; she loves to debate in class.  In January 2004, she travelled to Britain for our seminars in Oxford University and the House of Commons. In summer 2004, she worked clerking for Circuit Judge Bill Shashy, helping write briefs and other materials.  She also worked for a law firm and in Fall '05 entered Cumberland Law School on scholarship.  In Fall '08 she moved to Atlanta after graduating from Cumberland School of Law.  She was working as an associate at Lister & Holt in Jonesboro, GA, practicing criminal defense, representing indigent clients charged with misdemeanors.  (In Georgia, you are supposed to have three years experience before you can defend or prosecute a felony.)  Her firm had approximately 15 attorneys at this office and approximately 7 attorneys in the neighboring county.  Jonesboro is 20 minutes south of Atlanta on 75.  It was a great experience, and she won her first five trials January-May 2009. 

In 2012, as Kristi Winstead Wilson, of the Douglas Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office in Douglasville, she received the Award of Achievement for Outstanding Service to the Public, presented by the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) of the State Bar of Georgia on June 1, during the organization’s annual meeting.