Avery Brese is a true Athens area local. Avery Brese was born at Saint Mary’s in Athens and grew up in the greater Athens area, graduating from Oglethorpe County High School, where her father was…
Christine Cestaro
Christine Cestaro has always loved the performing arts. Raised in Ithaca, New York, Christine went to Cornell University, studying apparel design with dreams of becoming a costume designer. When she had her son, Caleb, during…
Libba Beaucham
Libba Beaucham has had a lifelong love for history and education. She was born and raised in Newnan, Georgia, a city rich with historical architecture, by two teacher parents. Her mother, a drama teacher, also inspired…
Mikhayla Robinson Smith
For Mikhayla Robinson Smith, poetry isn’t just art, but a means of fostering connection, community, and healing. Born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, Mikhayla moved to Athens in 2018 to study English at UGA. After graduating,…
Jerry Slater
Jerry Slater was born in Buffalo, West Virginia and moved to Indiana when he was eight. After taking a year off after high school and working construction with his father, he attended Purdue University Northwest in…
Tina Mills
Growing up, Tina Mills was a classic military brat. Born in California, Tina’s family moved through Alaska, Texas, and Hawaii, before landing in Sparta, Tennessee when Tina was a teenager. After high school graduation, she packed…
Loleeta Linston-Jones
Born and raised in Athens, Loleeta Linston-Jones has been a teacher and mentor to students at Howard B. Stroud Elementary for the last 25 years. She graduated from Cedar Shoals High School before going on to…
Priyadarshini Oshin Gogoi
Priyadarshini was born in Assam, India, and has lived in different parts of India, including Rajasthan and Bangalore, throughout her life. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature from the University of Delhi before…
Zoe Daniel
Originally from the suburbs of Baltimore, Zoe Daniel moved to Athens in search of a new environment. She chose UGA for its scientific illustration program–a course of study offered by only a few institutions nationwide—which she…
Tara Stuart
Tara Stuart was born in Jefferson City, MO but grew up in the Florida Panhandle in the town of Marianna, where she graduated from Marianna High School. She studied at the University of West Florida because…