With ten years of classroom experience, elementary teacher Lauren Beck knows a thing or two about children and the compassion they need to thrive as learners and leaders. In addition to serving as a hard-working second grade teacher in Buncombe County Schools (Asheville, NC), Lauren is a busy mom whose home is filled with the delightful squeals of laughter and love from her nine-year-old twin girls, Ryleigh and Braelyn, and four-year-old son, Liam.

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College is committed to providing meaningful, valuable, and equitable educational opportunities for its students and the communities in which they serve. Currently, all of A-B Tech’s health and nursing programs are led by women, including newly named Dean of Allied Health Angie Goodwin and Nursing Chair Christy Andrews.

For Actress Maddie Casto, musical theatre wasn’t a career choice, it is simply who she is. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, while most kids her age were watching cartoons, Maddie was singing along to Rodgers & Hammerstein’s musicals with her mother, who was a singer.

Founder and visionary of Asheville Tea Company and Western North Carolina native Jessie Dean brings locally and regionally sourced handcrafted teas to the teacups of her customers across the Southeastern region. A tea connoisseur at heart, Jessie has traveled to many places throughout the world and experienced how tea is an integral part of different cultures.

As the weather turns colder and days get shorter, many individuals experience a drop in their mood and energy, often referred to as the “winter blues.” Maybe it's the lack of sunshine or the time spent indoors due to the bitter cold, but let’s face it: wintertime is not all it’s cut out to be for some of us.

Set in the heart of the mountains of Western North Carolina, Blackford Wellness is an up-and-coming body contouring and health spa on a mission to help women of all ages and sizes on their journey to reach their health and beauty goals.

Last year, the combined efforts of the Appalachian State University faculty and the Appalachian Theatre brought Western North Carolina a taste of local heritage, culture and talent with their documentary film festival Boone Docs For 2023. The event’s lead organizer Beth Davison is expecting it to be just as big of a hit as last year.

Western North Carolina native and CEO of Bettini Financial Brittany Bettini has made it her life’s mission to help people and small businesses learn how to repair their credit and manage their finances for long-term financial success.

In 2020 when the pandemic hit and people were learning to adjust to staying home, many turned to art for comfort. Meg Thompson, hailing from Charleston, SC, has always been an artist interested in many mediums, but she had a special interest in ceramics.

Are you thinking about putting your house on the market soon? If so, there are several things you’ll need to do to get your home “show” ready in order to get the best price for your home in this changing market.

Previously, I thought it was just an obvious concept: don’t drink while you are pregnant. But I was left wondering why we don’t talk about alcohol consumption and pregnancy more.

Every fly fisher has a story of how they discovered the sport. Some were introduced to fly fishing by a family member. Others were taught by a generous friend willing to share their knowledge and gear with a newbie.

Most people see furniture flipping as a long and arduous process. Y’all, they aren’t wrong. It can be time-consuming and if you aren’t careful, it can take a good bit of money to get going. Rather than let you learn the hard way on your own, I’m going to share what did and didn’t work for me.

In a fast-paced world, air travel is normally an efficient choice. However, in an age of crowds, delayed and missed flights, greasy fast food, and open-mouthed cat naps, it can be very tempting to fly in pajamas.

Entrepreneur, Caterer, and Sole Owner of Ivory Road Cafe, Chef Jill Wasilewski, says she is “totally normal,” a beautiful understatement that belies the truly extraordinary person she is. She carries with her confidence and a sense of calm that only the pros possess.

Jennie Harpold has been the director of Lee-McRae College’s New Opportunity School for Women (NOSW) for over ten years, yet she has been helping women achieve their professional goals for her entire career.

Born in California to two Vietnam War refugees, Linda Yang understands perseverance and the challenges of adapting to a new culture. Today, she shares her testimony as a Co-Author in the International Bestseller Women Who Dream by Kate Butler, in hopes that other First Generation Americans will realize that they are not alone.

We often have fond memories of our parents reading us bedtime stories when we were kids. Cozy blankets, sitting next to mom or dad, and happy endings are usually what comes to mind. For New Jersey native and mom of two, Kate Butler, she discovered that she wasn’t always pleased with how these stories ended. As she read to her children, she often found herself dissatisfied not only with the stories’ endings, but also with the characters themselves. She started changing the stories as she read them.

Owner of Mary’s Mountain Cookies in Asheville, North Carolina Meghan Marshall knew she had a love of cooking early in life. After college, she considered going to culinary school and worked as a pastry chef and line cook at a local restaurant on the coast of North Carolina