April 2026
We kicked off the month with an Easter lunch celebration with alumni who were in town, but apparently had such a great time that we forgot to take any pictures. It’s been a great month, and it’s hard to believe we’re about to graduate our tenth class of Fellows. Last month, I forgot to include an update on the seventh class, so be sure to check that out at the bottom.
A visit from Ecuador
We were so grateful to have our friend John visit us on his most recent trip back to the States. John is originally from Winston-Salem and is childhood friends with a former board member, one of the connections that first brought us together four years ago. He and his wife, Caroline, have been serving as missionaries in Ecuador for the past five years or so. It was a beautiful spring evening, and we invited all alumni in town who have traveled to Ecuador with us. Such a sweet night!
Happy Birthday, Ellen!
Ellen’s birthday is actually in July, but during the Fellows year, we make sure everyone gets celebrated. Since her birthday falls in the summer, we got to surprise her a little early! Ellen, your creativity and joy are such a gift.
Leader Lunch
This month, we had the opportunity to hear from one of our alumni, Owen Wood. Owen is currently pursuing his MBA at UNC Chapel Hill and is in the process of writing his first book. He shared several insights from his work, and we’re excited for it to be available to the public soon.
We also welcomed Melissa Parker, who shared with us in a way that was both encouraging and deeply impactful. Melissa leads with a humility and vulnerability that invites others in, and we are so grateful for her steadfast faith in the midst of incredibly difficult circumstances.
We hosted our first Leader Lunch this month with Jonathan McClung, owner of myFulfillMate. Jonathan was Madison A’s employer last year (pictured alongside Steve), and it was such a great fit that she is now working there full-time. Jonathan’s story is a powerful reminder of how God can weave together something incredible when we’re willing to simply say yes.
Ronald McDonald House
Another first for the month was our trip to Ronald McDonald House. We learned about the many ways this organization is serving families during some of their most difficult times. There are many opportunities to serve and volunteer so if you're local, please check them out. We were able to help do a little deep cleaning on the kitchen. We hope to go back and try our hands at meal prep!
Class of 2022-2023
Although we missed last month, this year we're checking in with each class of Fellows to see where they are now. Above we mentioned how our connection with Ecuador started four years ago, and this was the class that went on our first trip. We're so grateful for them!
Emi Holman
After that summer, I was hired as the Director of Student Ministry at Hope Presbyterian Church, where I’ve been serving ever since. I’ve loved continuing to deepen relationships in Winston-Salem and within my church, and getting to see the Lord at work through my role and in the city. I also began pursuing my master’s degree online through Covenant Seminary. I’m so thankful to the Fellows Program for introducing me to this wonderful city and such a meaningful community.
After I graduated from the Fellows Program I stayed in Winston-Salem working with Autistic children for a year before coming back to Williamsburg, Virginia. I worked at a private Christian Academy for an academic year and then went back to work at a camp in New York for the summer. I am now, again, a Behavior Technician, working with children on the Autism spectrum. As of late I have been on a Christian beach trip with friends and had a great birthday weekend with my best friend. I am currently about to start volunteering in the children's ministry at the church I attend and am in biblical counseling where I am learning deeper about God and how His word helps me through my everyday struggles. I am in school online for my Masters in Social Work on a route to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker to become a Child Therapist. I still try to keep up with my family friends and plan to come visit Winston-Salem soon. God has been good to me in every season of life and I am grateful and thankful for all of the people, opportunities and blessings He has brought into my life! The Fellows Program helped me see God's grace and true love for me which totally changed my perspective. I tell people now that the year after I graduated from college was when I truly knew Jesus and have been growing in my faith journey and relationship with Him ever since. I am grateful for all the Fellows Program has taught me and the memories I have of that chapter in my life.
Lucy Lawrence
After Fellows ended I started medical school at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Being able to start medical school in a city I had already developed deep roots in, and had formed close community in, was such a gentle way that the Lord took care of me. I am now at the beginning of my fourth year of medical school and will be applying to Internal Medicine residency programs in the fall! It has been a season filled with little sleep, way too many flashcards, exams that are so long I have to eat lunch in the middle, and rich, life-giving community. I feel honored to have walked alongside patients over the last few years, whether it be delivering a cancer diagnosis or delivering a newborn baby. It has been deeply fulfilling and has drawn me into deeper dependence on Jesus. Outside of medicine, I have loved living with Molly (for going on 5 years!), rock climbing with friends, running through Ardmore, and frequenting Louie and Honey any chance I can get. I am so thankful for the ways the Fellows program has been weaved into my friendships, medical school, and how I see my future.
Since Fellows, a lot has changed in a good way! I got married to Kate, a former Greensboro Fellow, bought a house, and moved to Greensboro. We also got a dog, Murphy, who has been a wonderful addition to our lives.
I work now as a financial advisor in Clemmons, while beginning to plant roots in Greensboro as well. We have been lucky enough to be a part of a really great community, and we’re excited to see what the future holds for us.
Meg Mitchell
Callie Pierce
Hey fellows / friends of fellows / fellows supporters!! Hope all are well! Since the fellows program, I was in Asheville for 2 years for the didactic portion of my schooling to be a physical therapist, and then have spent the past year ish in the Charlotte and now Durham area in clinicals! I am currently about to graduate from WCU’s DPT program and will be starting a job at an outpatient orthopedic clinic at Duke. I miss Winston but excited to stay in the Durham area and get more plugged into my church (Christ Central) and try to live out the scripture that the Fellows program so ingrained in me! (Jeremiah 29:7)
Molly Todd
After the Fellows program, I started graduate school at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary to get my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and as of the week I’m writing this, I am finished! I am happy to report I am still living in Winston (duh! it’s the best), bought a house in Ardmore, and am about to start working as a licensed counselor at Affinity Counseling and Wellness in Clemmons :) Lucy and I are still roommates (and about to embark on year 5, if you count fellows—NUTS!), and I am about to wrap up my fourth and final year at Forsyth Country Day School (which was my job during fellows). It is wild to think about all that the Lord has done in the past three years since being a fellow, and all that the Winston-Salem Fellows program had to do with it. So many of the best people I know in Winston are connected to fellows in some way, and I’m so grateful I still get to do life with them. I can’t imagine it any other way!!
Recruiting
During a recent trip to Asheville, we had the chance to spend time with Meghan and baby Beck. Beck is already looking forward to being a Fellow in 2047!
Our class for next year is filling up, but we still have a few spots remaining, especially for men. If you know anyone who might be interested in a year of spiritual, professional, and personal growth, we’d love for you to send them our way.