Theme: Perseverance & Creativity

What was once merely an idea in August 2021 from a current GSW MBA student from California, has now come to life through the help and inspiration of his former MBA Professor and GSW’s Provost. They agreed hosting a TEDx event was a great way to connect online MBA students with on-campus faculty, staff and students in a meaningful way while shining a light on the Americus community at the same time.

Georgia Southwestern State University, Magnolia Manor Nursing Auditorium
800 GSW State University Dr.
Americus, Georgia, 31709
United States

Ashley Carag

Student Speaker

Ashley Carag was born at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and moved to the Philippines at the age of 4. Then at the age of 6, Ashley moved to Saipan, Northern Marianas Islands, where she grew up. At age 15, Ashley moved to Georgia. Ashley has two younger siblings and lives with them and with her parents. Ashley attended three high schools: Our Lady of Snows Academy (OLOSA) Philippines, Marianas High School Saipan, and graduated at Howard High School in Macon, Georgia. Currently, Ashley is a member of the President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program (PCLP), Georgia Southwestern Association of Nursing (GSWANs), and the Student Engagement Team (SET). Ashley is also a Zephyr and a Student Government Association (SGA) senator.

Darrin Theriault

Assistant Professor of Management

Darrin Theriault serves students at Kennesaw State University as a limited term assistant professor of management where he teaches a variety of management courses. Prior to joining KSU’s faculty, he served as director of academic and professional testing services and as the university’s prior learning assessment (PLA) coordinator. He led the department responsible for providing testing support to KSU students and faculty, non-KSU students, and community members. He also spearheaded KSU’s adult learning initiatives through his efforts to increase PLA awareness and other growth opportunities through the university’s adult learning committee. Darrin joined Kennesaw State following his 23-year Army career as an Armor Officer. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Georgia College, master’s degree from Troy University, and most recently his PhD from Kennesaw State.

Elena Carné

Owner of T31™

Elena Carné is the owner and the heart of T31™, a clothing line that carries a heart message of hope. Elena passionately designs and handcrafted all her products in Americus, Georgia. Elena is originally from Valencia, Venezuela, and in 2003, she came to the country as political refugee. She moved to Miami where in 2012 she proudly become in an American Citizen. She is mother of three beautiful girls. She obtained degrees in Fashion Design at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, a Business Administration, and a bachelor in Supervision and Management at Miami Dade College. She graduated with highest Honors holding a very distinctive award: Magna Cum Laude in Fashion Design. In 2016, she was named Favorite Emerging Designer at Atlanta Apparel, T31™ (former Tepuy Activewear), and was also awarded Sumter County Small Business of the Year in 2016. T31 was one of 13 finalists at the Belk’s Southern Designer Competition 2017, being the very first finalist to present an activewear line.

Jacqueline Granado

Student Speaker

Jacqueline Granado was born in Americus, Georgia and has one sibling. She attended Americus Sumter High School. She is very involved on the Georgia Southwestern’s campus. Jacqueline's activities include Principal Advisor of Elections and Cabinets for GSW's Student Government Association (SGA), a Storm Spotter for GSW’s First-Year Experience, a member of the Student Engagement Team (SET), a member of the Council of Diversity, and a GSW Marshal.

JoAnna Arnold

Service Learning Coordinator, World Languages Advisor

JoAnna Arnold is a veteran educator, writer, and program coordinator for world languages and service-learning in Americus, Georgia. An enthusiastic teacher of French, Spanish, and English, JoAnna combined her degree in International Business and Specialist in French Education to develop service-learning programs for students of all ages. Her passion for teaching students to use their developing language skills guides them to evaluate and meet the needs of people in their community and around the world. JoAnna’s classroom has evolved into a place where students have meaningful opportunities to build relationships with diverse groups of people as they learn to serve others. JoAnna nurtures her insatiable love for adventure with her husband Bob and shares personal reflections and stories of travels in her blog and anthologies with Old Mountain Press.

Kelsey Kicklighter

Media Specialist at Furlow Charter School and Book Author

Kelsey Kicklighter grew up in libraries. She built forts in the only section of her mother’s college library that was even vaguely set up for children: Non-fiction section 398.2. Fairy tales. She was raised in a small southern town on the coast of Georgia with an absurd amount of sisters, and misses midnight trips to the beach. She has an excessive amount of tattoos with plans for more and has never met a hair color she doesn’t like. She loves to read, grow things, and eats an unreasonable amount of jalapeños. She is a librarian living in another small town with the love of her life, their abnormally cute kid, three cats, and one three-legged dog. She writes stories for anyone who still believes in 398.2. Kelsey is getting ready to publish her first book – Of Beast And Burden – which is a Young Adult Fantasy novel that follows changeling lore and Celtic mythology, and will release in May of 2022.

Kim Carter Fuller

Executive Director of the Friends of Jimmy Carter National Historical Park, GSW Alumna

Kim Carter Fuller grew up in Plains, Georgia and has the pleasure of still living there and working in her community. She and her husband Mark have been married for 42 years and have two children and four beautiful grandchildren. In her former life Kim taught school for 31 years… teaching English and Speech to high school students in Sumter County and surrounding counties. She is now the Executive Director of the Friends of Jimmy Carter National Historical Park. The Friends help the Park fund various projects needed to adapt President and Mrs. Carter’s story for a public audience. They also partner with the Georgia Department of Education to fund an education program within the Park by providing an education specialist, giving school children an opportunity to learn about President and Mrs. Carter.

Lorelle Carey

Student Speaker

Lorelle Carey was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica. She lived in the parish of Saint James with her mother and two older siblings until the year of 2009. Lorelle moved to the United States at the age of 10 with her family and attended elementary school through high school here. Upon her graduation at Grayson High School, Lorelle enrolled at Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) in the fall semester of 2018. Lorelle’s passion to connect with others has led her to serve as a member of the Student Engagement Team (SET), Residential Life, counselor of Thunder Camp, and Vice President of Student Ablaze Campus Ministry. Lorelle is currently a Storm Spotter, working with freshmen students enrolled in an introductory class, and the President of Gospel Choir for the fiscal year of 2021 to 2022.

Phil Vinson

Co-founder and CEO of Mobile Glassblowing Studios, LLC

Phil Vinson is an artist and educator working in glass and metal and co-founder and CEO of Mobile Glassblowing Studios, LLC, a manufacturer of small scale and portable glassblowing equipment in Americus, GA. Phil began his glass career in 1994 at Tyler School of Art. Since then, Phil’s career path has been a winding one, working as a glassblower, blacksmith, industrial designer, project manager, studio technician, and instructor. Phil has traveled extensively, teaching workshops, and giving demonstrations on mold blowing & fabricating techniques in locations nationwide and internationally.