WANT TO KNOW WHAT

STRONG LOOKS LIKE?

There’s a reason our graduates are so strong.It starts before they get here. Because women who choose

to come to Meredith share certain characteristics. Traits like

determination. A desire to make a difference. Self-

confidence. And a strong academic background.

But that doesn’t mean our students are all alike. Like you,

every student has her own unique set of strengths. You may

already be well acquainted with some of your strengths –

others you have yet to discover. And that’s where we come in.

At Meredith, you’ll find a community who is invested in you.

Through StrongPoints®, we’ll help you figure out what you’re

meant to do, how to make your innate strengths even stron-

ger, and develop a plan that will prepare you for success.

This process is not easy. It’s not always straightforward. But

we’re really good at it, because we’ve been doing it for 125

years.

Without a doubt, the women you’ll read about here are

strong. So are you. Come to Meredith and find out just

how strong you are.

MAITLYN HEALY, ’14

MANAGER OF FAN DEVELOPMENT, CAROLINA RAILHAWKS

ENGLISH MAJOR

Maitlyn Healy is a woman on a mission. After

graduating from Meredith in three years, she

earned her master’s degree in Sports Industry

Management from Georgetown University. Then

she accepted her current position as manager

of fan development for the Raleigh-based

professional soccer team Carolina RailHawks. And

she’s just getting started.

In spite of her considerable accomplishments as a

young alumna, the path to her current position has

hardly been direct: while at Meredith she changed

her major several times. She counted on support

from faculty and staff to keep her moving forward

while trying on majors that ranged from English to

interior design to history.

Even after declaring English as her major, Maitlyn

continued exploring other interests – and adding

to her resume. She conducted research on

the history of slavery in North Carolina. Served

as staff writer and sports and entertainment

editor for Meredith’s student newspaper, The

Herald. She was both residence hall president

her freshman year and a resident assistant her

sophomore and junior/senior years. She also was a

communications and PR intern for the RailHawks.

Maitlyn’s undergraduate education prepared

her well for her graduate program because of

Meredith’s focus on writing and critical thinking.

And while her impressive organizational and time

management skills were essential during her

time at Meredith, those skills also came into play

in graduate school. While at Georgetown, she

worked with the Washington Redskins, interned

with Most Valuable Kids (a non-profit that sends

underprivileged children to sporting events), and

volunteered on the White House lawn at the Easter

Egg Roll alongside current NFL and MLS players.

According to Maitlyn, her dream job has changed

several times since she started her undergraduate

career. She has landed on wanting to work in

community relations for a team or league while

giving back to her community. There’s no doubt

this strong alumna will continue to reach her

goals even as she continues to set new ones.

Setting goals is important – achieving them is powerful.

“Meredith prepared me

for success as a young

professional because of the

confidence I gained as a

woman during my three years

on campus. I was given every

opportunity as a student and

ran with it.”

HANNAH THORNTON, ’14

6TH GRADE ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS & GLOBAL STUDIES TEACHER, DANIELS MIDDLE SCHOOL

HISTORY MAJOR, 6-12 SOCIAL STUDIES, 6-9 ENGLISH/LANGUAGE ARTS LICENSURE

Teaching middle school can be challenging,

especially for a first-year teacher. But Hannah

Thornton embraced her first year the same way

she met all of the challenges during her four years

at Meredith, and with equally strong results: she

was named the Wake County First Year Teacher of

the Year for middle school.

At Meredith, Hannah took full advantage of every

experience, big or small. Her favorite memories

were made during the times she spent studying

abroad. In Iceland she hiked volcanoes, cooked

eggs in hot springs, saw wild horses, helped herd

cows, climbed glaciers, and talked with a famous

Icelandic author. In Belize she taught English at

a local school, visited Mayan ruins, and canoed

and hiked into spectacular caves. In Ghana she

guest-taught elementary school. (No wonder her

professors dubbed her and her fellow students the

Intrepid Explorers!)

Back in North Carolina, Hannah was equally

intrepid – and determined to make the most of

college. With the encouragement of her faculty,

she interned at the N.C. Department of Public

Instruction and worked at Historic Oak View

County Park. She dissected pumpkins as part

of a plant and people course. Wrote poems

about drought-resistant rice. Found herself loving

calculus, and made a dragon using a computer

program to combine math equations and formulas.

And honed her teaching skills by tutoring other

Meredith students. At every turn she thrived under

the guidance of her faculty mentors who rooted for

her success even as they provided reality checks,

constructive criticism, and direct advice.

Hannah’s natural curiosity and drive to both learn

and teach others helped her enjoy every moment

at Meredith – and prepared her to succeed in her

chosen career as an educator. Now she uses her

passion, determination, and strong organizational

skills to teach reading, writing, grammar, speaking,

and listening to 120 middle school students. No

two days are alike, and there is plenty of drama

and grading – but this capable teacher knows

she’s chosen the right profession.

Strong teachers never stop learning.

“I loved being in an environment

where I could learn anything I

wanted, choose any path that

I wanted. No other student

would ever have the exact

same experience. My goal

was to experience as much as

possible.”

KENDYL COLE, ’15

CLINICAL RESEARCH ASSISTANT, DUKE CENTER FOR AUTISM AND BRAIN DEVELOPMENT

PSYCHOLOGY AND SPANISH MAJOR

Kendyl Cole came to Meredith knowing that she

wanted to work with individuals on the autism

spectrum. And she knew that gaining lots of

hands-on experience was the best way to hone

in on exactly what she wanted to do in the field.

So as an undergraduate student, she pursued an

incredible range of opportunities to do just that.

Perhaps most significantly, Kendyl participated in

the Meredith Autism Program. It’s one of the few

such programs in the country that makes it possi-

ble for undergraduate students to gain early clinical

experience working with children on the autism

spectrum.

Kendyl also sought out a number of other intern-

ships and paid positions to build on her knowledge

and skill set. She worked at a summer camp for

individuals with autism. Held internships in multiple

occupational therapy clinics that served a range of

ages. And worked as a rehabilitation therapist for

two different organizations.

Wanting to expand her horizons even further,

Kendyl studied abroad in Chile for six months,

choosing a program that included an internship in

a clinic for children with diagnoses on the autism

spectrum.

She also conducted her own research on Sensory

Sensitivities of Young Adults with High Functioning

Autism Spectrum Disorders. Kendyl presented her

research at the Eastern Psychological Association

conference. Notably, she did so in the professional

session along with the Ph.D. candidates and junior

faculty rather than the undergraduate session – the

conference organizers placed her there based on

the level of her proposal.

Kendyl’s connection with her faculty was essential

to the quality of her time at Meredith. They sup-

ported her in everything she did, from late nights

spent working on research with her faculty adviser

to just having coffee and interesting conversations.

Now she’s gaining even more experience as a

clinical research assistant at Duke University before

applying to graduate programs in occupational

therapy. Kendyl has mastered the fine art of living

life to the fullest while anticipating and planning for

the next opportunity – qualities that will ensure

this alumna continues going strong.

There’s no substitute for experience.

“At Meredith I was able to

gain early clinical experience

working with children on the

autism spectrum, develop and

conduct my own independent

research, study abroad in

a country that tested my

communication skills and

flexibility, and hold internships

in occupational therapy

settings unavailable to most

undergrads.”

NEDA KAZEMI, ’15

TECHNICAL ANALYST,CREDIT SUISSE

MATHEMATICS AND ECONOMICS MAJOR

Neda Kazemi brought a lifetime of real-world

experiences with her to Meredith. While living as a

refugee with her family in Iran, Neda studied English

and, with hard work, became fluent. When she

returned to Kabul, Afghanistan, she was hired to

work as a translator for the United Nations with a

special unit that provided services to women who

were the victims of domestic violence.

As a translator, Neda accompanied international

staff to meetings and interviews and also translated

documents. Being exposed to such sad and painful

stories was difficult, but she found herself marveling

at the courage of the women she interviewed and

worked hard to focus on their strength and the

sense of hope they exhibited.

When a scholarship from the Initiative to Educate

Afghan Women enabled her to attend Meredith, she

made another choice: to be the best student she

could be. Neda embraced every challenge that came

her way, pursuing a double major in economics and

mathematics and a minor in finance. She wrote an

honors thesis about the impact of gender norms on

the educational and career choices of young adults.

Her thesis topic gave her the opportunity to bridge

her two majors, using her math and statistics skills to

analyze a survey she conducted, and then using the

results and analysis to feed her economics research.

Neda also sought out ways to give back to the

community that she found so welcoming. She was

president of the Meredith International Association

and loved sharing real stories of her country with

students whose knowledge of Afghanistan was

limited to what they had seen in the media. She also

worked in various offices on campus, which allowed

her to further build her sense of professionalism.

As a result, when she accepted her current position

with Credit Suisse, Neda felt well prepared for her

new role as a technical analyst. Whether using

business, communication, or technical skills to

solve clients’ issues, she knew from day one how

to function effectively in a work environment. As

someone who appreciates the lasting value of

education, this strong woman fully expects

learning to be a lifelong endeavor.

A strong woman knows courage is contagious.

“I thought I was strong when I

came to Meredith. Little did I

know that Meredith would turn

me into a stronger woman – a

woman who would help other

women and girls become strong

one day as well.”

ANDREA BRASWELL, ’14

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, NC SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY MAJOR

Andrea Braswell has always had a passion for

stewardship and a desire to make a difference.

After reading Rachel Carson’s seminal work Silent

Spring, watching movies like Erin Brockovich,

and learning about other pressing issues such

as energy conservation, it became apparent to

Andrea that environmental degradation was a huge

problem. More important, she wanted to be a part

of the solution.

Andrea found the perfect way to do so by majoring

in environmental sustainability. And she deepened

her learning through her involvement on campus,

particularly as treasurer and president of Meredith’s

student-led environmental awareness organization,

Angels for the Environment, also known as A4E.

As a leader in A4E, Andrea guided a number of

initiatives. She worked with campus facilities to

conduct a campus-wide trash audit, planning the

event and participating in the audit, as well as

analyzing the data and reporting improvements in

campus recycling efforts.

Other initiatives led by Andrea included “Earth Day

Beneath the Stars,” an event that encouraged

students to appreciate our planet, and an annual

plant sale that was the organization’s most

significant fundraiser. She also directed A4E’s

volunteer efforts at Meredith’s community garden

and Raleigh City Farm.

Andrea’s drive to make the most of her experience

was supported by Meredith faculty and staff. She

worked in the Office of Student Leadership and

Service as a student assistant, where she honed

valuable skills such as database and project

management. Academic Advising and Career

Planning staff helped her create a four-year plan

to give her efforts intentionality. And her faculty

adviser helped her select the courses that would

best feed her interests as well as challenged her to

take courses outside of her comfort zone (several

of which turned out to be her favorites).

Today Andrea has achieved her goal of working

in the field of sustainability. Because she’s able to

connect with leaders in the clean energy industry

while building her knowledge of the subject matter,

she’s also preparing for additional opportunities

to make an impact. For this young alumna,

ensuring that the natural world is going strong

feeds her own sense of purpose.

A strong woman finds a way to be part of the solution.

“Although I am one of the

youngest staff at NCSEA,

because of the preparation I

received at Meredith I have the

confidence and determination

to have a rewarding career and

make valuable contributions to

society.”

Meredith alumnae are strong leaders. Whether they

choose to attend graduate school, professional

school, or pursue a career, they expect to succeed

– and they do. And their success lasts far beyond

graduation. In fact, 95% of alumnae say Meredith

prepared them to earn an additional degree or

certification, and 91% reported that they were well-

prepared professionally.

That preparation makes a powerful impact on

our world. Among Meredith alumnae you’ll find a

retired N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice. The first

woman and first African American officer to hold

command roles in the Chaplain Corps of the U.S.

Navy. The first woman to hold a leadership position

in the N.C. House and Senate. A Tony-Award

winning actress. Fulbright scholars. Vice-Presi-

dents at major corporations like McDonalds, Bayer

CropScience and Toyota. And the first female U.S.

Attorney in North Carolina.

Once you graduate, you’ll join this network of

19,000 graduates who will become your mentors,

your professional community, and your friends.

Meredith women know one another by the onyx

they wear. And they know that competence, com-

passion and confidence are hallmarks of Meredith

alumnae. All are making a difference in the world.

All going strong.

Strong women know how to succeed.

Companies and organizations that have hired recent Meredith graduates include

• Biogen• Credit Suisse• Habitat for Humanity• IBM• NBC-17• Nortel• Oxford University Press• Quintiles Transnational• Red Hat• SAS Institute• Walt Disney World

Graduate and professional schools attended by recent graduates include

• Columbia University• Duke University• Emory University• Elon University School of Law• Meredith College• University of California at Berkeley• University of Virginia• Vanderbilt University• Wake Forest University• William and Mary Law School• Yale Medical School

What Success Looks Like

Accomplished people rarely stumble upon their success. They have a plan – and a strong community backing them.

At Meredith, we’ll help you determine the right path for you. One with specific goals and concrete steps to ensure you’ll achieve them. One that makes the most of your strengths, and prepares you for a life of impact and distinction.

Take the next step. Come to Meredith. Discover exactly how strong you are – and how to become even stronger.

EXPERIENCE MEREDITH As an admitted student, you are invited to attend Experience Meredith, a day-long event that will provide you and your family an opportunity to speak with faculty and current students, learn about living at Meredith and how to participate in study abroad, speak with your admission counselor

and a financial assistance counselor, and meet other strong young women who plan to study at Meredith. You’ll leave campus with an in-depth view of how Meredith can make you even stronger.

CONTACT US Your admissions counselor is available to provide information and answer any questions. And because we know the cost of college is an important consideration, we’ll partner with you to help fund your education.

RESERVE YOUR SPACE When you’re ready to choose Meredith, officially reserve your space by submitting your non-refundable deposit.

meredith.edu/admissions/admitted_students

QUESTIONS? Contact us at (919) 760-8581admissions@meredith.edu meredith.edu.

Next Steps

Office of Admissions | 3800 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27607-5298

(919) 760-8581 or 1-800-MEREDITH | FAX (919) 760-2348 | admissions@meredith.edu

meredith.edu

Meredith College admits qualified women students without regard to race, creed, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age or disability.

WHEREVER YOU’RE GOING IN LIFE,GO STRONG.

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