Jessica Alvey

Inside this issue:

2009

Law Partner,multiple award

winningcommunity leader

Page 10

Anna Phung GriffinPharmacistPage 8

Hurricane SurvivorFuture FBI Agent

Page 4

PediatricianMedical Missionary

Page 6

Amy Maddox

Gus Mayer sponsors the 51st Annual Linly Heflin Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show featuring dianara

Jeff Pizitz, Ann Simmons, Nichole Cummins and Herman Heinle

A story of triumph over tragedy:fearing

With the help of an American family, they settled in Montgomery. In spite of hardships and trials of many kinds, her family has managed to stay intact, and has had an amazingly positive impact upon their community.

Page 12

Teacher, mentor, winner of multiple awards

Page 2

imprisonment or death, her family escaped during the fall of Saigon

Jennifer Stinson

Linly HeflinThe

NewsletterFocus on our

Educate a Woman and You Educate a Family

Kristi Driver

Joseph and Muoi Phung

Amy MaddoxExperts in career development tell us that one of the key factors in achieving success is choosing a field in which one is passionately interested. This principle is attested to in the teaching career of Amy Maddox. Amy tells us that she was “born to teach”, and never se-riously considered other career options. A prime influence in her early life was her beloved grand-father, who was a high school vocational teach-er. During her senior year in high school, she told him of her decision to become a teacher. Much to her surprise, her grandfather tried to dis-courage her. Although he knew that teaching was a fulfilling profes-sion, he also was aware of the problems and challenges every teacher faces. In spite of her grandfather’s warning, Amy felt that her life would not be truly fulfilling if she did not at least try teaching. Family finances were rather strained at the time, and Amy was uncertain about how she could pay for a college education. However, her outstanding high school academic record resulted in her being given several scholar-ships. These included one from the Linly Heflin Unit that she says was a great help in easing her fi-nancial burden. A native of Decatur, Amy decid-ed to enroll in the University of North Alabama in Florence. Since math had been a favorite sub-ject in high school, she assumed that this was what she would ulti-mately teach. However, a survey course in United States History soon brought about a change in her plans. Under the inspiring lec-tures and guidance of Dr. Larry Nelson, she fell in love with the subject and switched majors. In 1997, Amy graduated from UNA with a Bachelor of Arts in History, Summa Cum Laude. That sum-

Award Winning Teacher

“I love knowing that I can provide a safe and encouraging environment in which my students can stand on

their intellectual tip-toes.”Amy Maddox

“I was born to teach.”

Amy was awarded the National Outstanding Teacher Award by the Daughters of the American Revolution

This past April, the Vestavia Hills team

placed 2nd in the national “We the People”

competition in Washington, D.C.Amy Maddox in her classroom

Amy Maddox and her students at the awards banquet. Lauren Faraino is on the right.

mer, she and her husband, Paul Maddox, were married. Amy’s outstanding college record led to her receiving the James Madison Memorial Fellowship, which financed her pursuing a Master of Arts in Secondary Education at UNA. After earning this degree in 1999, she and her husband moved to Birmingham. Amy was hired by the Vestavia Hills School System, and has taught AP courses in US History and Government in the high school for the past ten years. As one of the best loved and most respect-ed teachers at Vestavia Hills High School, Amy

has compiled an enviable record. In 2002 she intro-duced the “ We the People…the Citizen and the Consti-tution” mock congressio-nal hearing competition to the high school. Under her expert guidance, teams of outstanding students have won innumerable awards in state, regional and national events. This past April, the Vestavia Hills team placed 2nd in the national competition in Washington, D.C. Amy has received a number of person-al awards for her outstand-ing ability as a teacher. The Alabama Center for Law and

Civic Education gave her the “Excellence in Teaching Award” in 2008. She has been chosen as Vestavia Hills “Teacher of the Year” for secondary level. Last year, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution also gave her the prestigious “Outstand-ing Teacher of American History” award. Jamie Blair, Superintendent of the Vestavia Hills School System,

tells us that Amy has always done an outstanding job. “She is a top-notch teacher, and a great person in every way”, says Dr. Blair.Students in Amy’s classes agree that she is one of the hardest teachers in the school. Yet most of them feel that their efforts pay off in a deepened understand-ing of, and appreciation for our American form of government. A number of her students have served as interns for our Ala-bama senators and congressmen. One of Amy’s most outstanding students is Lauren Faraino. Lau-ren was born with limited use of her arms, and mastered the art of writing by using her feet, holding a pencil between her toes. She gets

around with the help of a powered wheel chair. However, Lauren has never let her disability slow her down. She scored a perfect 2400 on her SAT college ad-mission test, and was selected as a Presiden-tial Scholar for 2009. Only 141 high school seniors nationwide re-ceived this honor. Amy Maddox, Lauren’s fa-vorite teacher, accom-panied her to Washing-ton D.C. in the spring to attend the awards ceremony. Lauren has been accepted at Harvard University, and plans to major in government studies and prepare for law school. Lauren tells us that Mrs. Maddox de-mands more from her students than any other teach-er at Vestavia, yet she always stands ready to provide

assistance, either academically or personally. In Lau-ren’s words, “Mrs. Maddox’s ardor for teaching drives students to meet and exceed her grand objectives. During my time as a member of ‘We the People’, Mrs. Maddox sparked a passion that has become the center of my academic interests. Her charisma and her zeal for the study of history have breathed life into the characters in textbooks. For Mrs. Maddox, history is not merely pages of names and dates; rather it is a story to be passed on, a moral to be learned, a subject to be de-voured.” In reflecting on her teaching career, Amy admits that her grandfather had some things right. Teaching can sometimes be an excruciat-ingly demanding job. And yet, she says, “It was never really a choice.

I was born to teach. Everyday as I watch the ‘light bulbs’ go off in the minds of my stu-dents I know that I am doing what I was put on the planet to do. I love knowing that I am fulfilling my civic re-sponsibility in training the next generation’s leaders. I love know-ing that I can provide a safe and encouraging environment in which my students can stand

on their intellectual tip-toes.” Amy and her husband, Paul, are the proud parents of two beautiful little girls. Rebecca Grace is four years old, and Corra Nicole is in her second year. Juggling the responsibilities of motherhood and teaching is not always easy, but Amy credits her husband with being remarkably supportive. Without his help and encouragement, she feels that she could

never have achieved any of her professional success. Amy tells us that the joys of being a mother and an educator are innumerable, and states: “It’s a wonder-ful way to spend a life!” Amy tells us that she has the highest respect for the Linly Heflin scholarship program. To seek out high- achieving young women and assist them with their college educations is a tremendous public service. She realizes that without the support of the Linly Hef-lin and other scholarship programs, she would prob-ably never have been able to fulfill her dreams of be-coming a teacher.

Newsletter Co-editors: Katy Terry and Anne Hicks

“For Mrs. Maddox, history is not merely pages of names and dates;

rather it is a story to be passed on, a moral to be learned, a subject to be

devoured.”Lauren Faraino, former student

Editor’s note: Lauren scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT, is a Presidential Scholar and is now a freshman at

Harvard

32 The Linly Heflin Unit 13 Office Park Circle Birmingham, AL 35223 (205) 871-8171 www.linlyheflin.org

For Jessica Alvey, a Linly Heflin scholar and third year student at the University of Alabama, the year 2005 was a fateful one. Her family had settled in Slidell, Louisiana. Jessica was pleased with her new home, and particularly liked the fact that New Orleans was only a twenty minute drive away from Slidell. She considered New Orleans to be one of the loveliest cities she had seen. In August, 2005, Jessica had just begun her junior year at North Shore High School in Slidell when there began to be ominous reports from the weather bureau. When hurricane Irene threatened the Louisiana coast, her family evacuated their home for several days. Fortunately, the storm took another path, and the evacuees returned to their homes. However, the storm season was far from over. Toward the end of August, a far more dangerous

Jessica Alvey

This past summer Jessica spent 30-40 hours a week giving hospice care to an elderly couple.

Jessica has a job as desk assistant for the University of Alabama Residence Halls. She must be at her desk from 4:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M. two days a week, and from 11:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M. each Saturday night.

To further herambition of joining the F.B.I., Jessica is majoring inPsychology and Criminal Justice and minoring in Chinese.

4

Hurricane survivor future FBI agent&

Their home was inundated by a nine foot wall of water

hurricane had developed: Katrina. The authori-ties began issuing warnings, and residents of the area were told to leave. Since the first storm had done no damage, many were reluctant to evacuate again. However, as the warnings became more insistent, Jessica’s family (which included her mother, her step-father, and her younger broth-er), decided to stay with Jessica’s grandmother in Pelham, Alabama until the storm was over. Since the previous storm had been a false alarm, they took only a few changes of clothing, leaving most of their possessions behind. The family spent the next three days huddled around the television set, monitoring the progress of the hurricane. To their horror, Katrina headed straight for the New Orleans area. Slidell was in the epicenter of the storm, causing the levees to break. Their entire neighborhood was inundated by a nine foot wall

Since the previous storm had been a false alarm, they left most of their

possessions behind

Jessica says that if not for the storm, she wouldn’t have attended the University of Alabama, where the Department of Psychology and Criminal Justice is one of the best in the country.

of water. A few days later Jessica’s step-father was able to return to the area, where he found a scene of total destruction. Their house, along with most of the others in the neighborhood, was gone. The only possessions that were left were a few family photographs. Among the things Jes-sica regretted losing was an heirloom quilt that had been made by her great-great grandmother. Having suffered such a devastating loss, Jes-sica’s father and mother decided to make a fresh start in Pelham. A new home was found for the family, and Jessica’s parents were able to find jobs in the area. She and her brother enrolled in the Pelham school system, along with a number of other hurricane evacuees. Jessica missed her old school and friends in Slidell, but since she had experienced a number of previous moves,

she was able to adjust to her new surroundings. An excellent student, Jessica was soon caught up on the work she had missed. The following year, she graduated from Pelham High School with honors. Jessica had always had a deep desire to attend college. Realizing that her parents were unable to provide much financial help for her education, she applied for, and won, a Linly Heflin Schol-arship, and also a Capstone Scholarship from the University of Alabama. She entered the Uni-versity in the fall of 2007. To help with her ex-penses, Jessica has worked diligently at a number of jobs throughout her high school and college years. During the summer of 2008 she worked as a personal assistant to a real estate agent. This past summer she spent between 30 and 40 hours a week giving hospice care to an elderly couple. This fall she has a job as desk assistant for the University Residence Halls. Among other duties, this involves her being at her desk from 4:00 AM until 8:00 AM twice each week, and from 11:00 PM to 7:00AM each Saturday night. Jessica must be a person of boundless energy, for her demand-ing work schedule has not prevented her from making an outstanding academic record. At pres-ent, she holds a G.P.A. of 3.91! For several years, Jessica has harbored an unusual ambition: that of joining the F.B.I. To

further this ambition, Jessica is majoring in Psy-chology and Criminal Justice, and has a minor in Chinese. She first became interested in law enforcement through her step-father, who was previously with the Secret Service. During his years with this agency he worked with the ex-plosive ordnance unit, and also was assigned to guard Presidents Reagan and Bush. The subject of Behavioral Analysis fascinates her. This is a discipline which analyzes criminals and builds profiles to assist in their capture. Jessica would like to attend the F.B.I Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Two criteria for admission are a college education and proficiency in a foreign language. She hopes to be an exchange student to Taiwan for her senior year, and thus become adept in the Chinese language. She also envisions spending an extra year in the country, employed as a teach-er, before returning to attend the F.B.I. Academy. In her relatively short life, Jessica has faced and overcome many obstacles. Even a hurricane could not get her down! Jessica is happy to be at the University of Alabama, for she feels that the department of Psychology and Criminal Justice is one of the best in the country. We feel certain that her determined spirit and proven abilities will lead her to success in her chosen field and that one day she will be a valued agent for the F.B.I.

Jessica’s GPA is 3.91

5

Linly Heflin Officers 2009-2010Mrs. Walter M. Beale, Jr. (Ju-Ju)Mrs. W. Crawford Owen (Bette)Mrs. Gary M. London (Eve)Mrs. James Porter II (Kathryn)Mrs. Barrett Hicks, Jr. (Anne)Mrs. Wyatt R. Haskell (Susan)Mrs. A. Philip Cook, Jr. (Deane)Mrs. William W. Goodrich (Fran)Mrs. George Jones III (Ruth)Mrs. Frank Caley (Margaret)

PresidentFirst Vice PresidentSecond Vice PresidentRecording SecretaryCorresponding SecretaryTreasurerProject TreasurerScholarship ChairScholarship Co-ChairScholarship Trust Fund

Dr. JenniferStinson

to combine her love of the Spanish language with her love of medicine. Jennifer graduated from medical school in 1997, having distinguished herself by earning the Paul Palmisano award. This award is given each year to the most outstanding pediatric student in the medical school. After her graduation, Jennifer spent three years as a resi-dent pediatrician at Children’s Hospital. Following the completion of her residency, she was employed by the hos-pital as a critical care transport physician for two years. This involved transporting sick children from Alabama and sur-rounding states back to Birmingham via jet. During this pe-riod, she returned to Honduras as part of a medical mission team. The group worked in a rural village that had no run-ning water or electricity. The children that they treated had

probably never seen a doctor in their lives. Once again, Jennifer’s fluency in Spanish helped the team to minister to their patients more effectively. Dr. Bryson Waldo, who was part of the team, tells us that Jennifer’s ability to communicate with the native Hondu-rans was a tremendous advantage dur-ing this visit. In fact, he says, Jennifer was far more skilled in translating the Spanish language to English, and vice versa, than the interpreters who had been assigned to them. Jennifer moved to Enterprise in 2001, and currently works as a full-time pediatrician at Enterprise Medi-cal Clinic. She tells us that her ability

to speak Spanish has been a great help in her practice in Enterprise. She uti-

lizes her knowledge of the language every day as she cares for families who are from Mexico, Guatemala, and other Central American countries. These families are grateful to find someone with whom they can communicate about their children. Jennifer feels that it is a privilege to be able to take care of these families and to speak to them in their na-tive language. She credits her Linly Heflin scholarship with helping her to gain this skill that has been such an advantage for her medical practice. She tells us that both of her Linly Heflin scholarships were a tremendous help during her edu-cation, concluding: “I am very grateful and honored to have been a scholarship recipient.”

from Enterprise

Pediatrician

Jennifer during medical mission toHonduras

Dr. Jennifer Stinson leads an extremely busy life as a pe-diatrician in Enterprise, Alabama. There never seem to be enough hours in the day to fulfill all of her obligations. As one of only a few pediatricians in the area, she is responsible for attending deliveries and caring for the new born, as well as taking care of children up to and through their college years. In addition to her regular office hours, she is on call several nights a week, and spends a great deal of time mak-ing hospital visits. In spite of her heavy work schedule, she feels that it is a joy to watch children grow and thrive. She tells us:”Children never cease to amaze me, and for this rea-son I absolutely love my job.” As much as Jennifer loves her practice, she always saves quality time to be with her family. Her husband, Slade, is a full time pastor of a local Baptist church. The couple has two active sons: Solomon, who just turned three, and Zach, who is two. The boys love swimming, toddler gymnastics, and are currently mastering the art of furniture climbing all over the house! While she was still in her teen years, Jennifer decided that she wanted to become a physician. She attended Shades Valley Resource Learning Cen-ter (now the International Baccalaureate School), graduating in 1990. Because of her excellent high school record, she earned several scholarships, including one from the Linly Heflin. She entered UAB in the fall, planning to major in pre-med Biology. She tells us that hav-ing a Linly Heflin scholarship enabled her to try new classes, and she discovered how much she enjoyed learning Spanish. She changed her major, and in 1993 earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with Summa Cum Laude honors. Having been enrolled in the Early Medical School Ac-ceptance Program, Jennifer entered UAB Medical School shortly after graduation. She was given a special Linly Heflin medical school scholarship, which was a great help with her expenses at this time. She found that her training in Span-ish was invaluable to her when she joined a group of fellow medical school students on a trip to Honduras, to work in a rural clinic. She discovered that this was an excellent way

Jennifer’s fluency in Spanish helped during medical mission tripsto Honduras,and helps her every day in Enterprise as she cares for children fromMexico, Guatemala and other Central Americancountries. Jennifercredits her Linly Heflin scholarship with helping her to gain this skill.

Jennifer and Slade with Zach and Solomon

The Linly Heflin Unit 13 Office Park Circle Birmingham, AL 35223 (205) 871-8171 www.linlyheflin.org 76

Facing imprisonment or death, herfamily escaped during the fall of Saigon

Anna Phung Griffin

Each of the Phung children has been remarkably successful. All five graduated from Auburn University.

Anna and Adam Griffin

Anna and Mama Muoi

Anna: Pharmacy Manager

Anna Griffin, who was born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama, tells us that she is “A southern girl through and through.” However, her background is not that of a typical “southern girl”. Her family fled Vietnam in 1975, five months before Anna’s birth. In spite of hardships and trials of many

kinds, her family has managed to stay intact, and has had an amaz-ingly positive impact upon their community. Both individually, and as a group, theirs has been a story of triumph over tragedy. Anna’s father, Joseph Phung, was employed by the U.S. Air Force, and later by the American Embassy dur-ing the Vietnam War. His work as an interpreter was invaluable to our government, for Joseph was fluent

in three languages: Vietnamese, French, and English. When it became apparent that North Vietnam was winning the war, Joseph became fearful about the fate of his family. The Viet Cong had promised imprisonment and death to those who helped the Americans. Shortly before the fall of Saigon, Joseph’s employers at the U.S. Embassy offered to help him to escape and immigrate to America. Although they hated the thought of leaving their native country, Jo-seph and his wife, Muoi, knew that there was no other choice for them. They began making the necessary preparations for their departure, and anxiously awaited word that trans-

portation had been arranged for them. At this time, the situation in Saigon was both chaotic and heartbreaking. Thousands of South Vietnam-ese were desperately seeking to escape, fearing the reprisals and re-education camps of the dreaded Viet Cong. With the help of the American armed forces, approximately 135,000 did escape and were brought to America. Joseph Phung and his family were grateful to be among that fortunate group. One evening, just as the family was preparing to eat supper, they received word that arrangements had been completed for their escape, and they were to leave imme-diately. Joseph and his wife quickly gathered up their four children and a few belongings, left their untouched supper on

the table, and quietly departed by their back door. They had been directed to a certain square in the city, where a helicop-ter waited to take them to a U.S. Navy ship in the harbor. Here, they joined other refugees, and were transported to the United States. Their next stop was Camp Pendleton, Cali-fornia. Along with thousands of other refugees, they were given temporary quarters here, until a permanent home could be found for them in our country. Meanwhile, help was on the way for the Phungs in the person of Lt. Col Mike Brooks, U.S. Air Force. Brooks and Joseph Phung had become close friends in 1965, when (then) Lieutenant Brooks had been part of a small advance U.S. Air Force team that had landed on the site of a former Japanese World War II base, and was charged with building a US Air Base near Phan Rang. Joseph had provided priceless as-sistance as his interpreter, and had also helped in hir-ing local construction work-ers, as well as directing a unit of the base personnel office. After leaving Viet-nam, Brooks had kept up with his friend through the exchange of cassette tapes from time to time. When it became clear that Saigon’s fall was imminent, Brooks became concerned about the fate of the Phung family. Through contacts with the U.S. State Department, he learned the location of his friends. Several days and numerous phone calls later, Brooks was able to make contact with his good friend Joseph. During their conversation, Brooks generously offered to sponsor Joseph and his family, and help them to get settled in their new country. At this time, Lt. Col. Brooks was squadron commander at Air University’s Maxwell Air Force Base and lived in Montgomery, Alabama with his wife, Emma Jean, and their four daughters. A family decision was made to open their home to the Phung family. A short while later, Joseph and his family began their new life in America as houseguests of Mike and Emma Jean. With the Brooks family’s help, Joseph was able to find employment, and the children were enrolled in school. At the time of their escape from Viet-nam, the ages of the children were ten, eight, six and four. None of them could speak English, but in a surprisingly short time each began to pick up the language, with the patient help of their schoolteachers, and the Brooks family. Within five months after their arrival in Montgomery, Joseph and his family were able to move into a home of their own. And a short time later, both families were delighted to welcome a new addition, Anna. Through the years, lasting ties have been forged between the Phung family and their gracious hosts, the Brooks, and their relationship remains warm and vital to this day. In spite of having to adjust to a new country, a new culture, and an unfamiliar language, each of the Phung children has been remarkably successful. All five graduated from Auburn University. Anna, the youngest, graduated from Pharmacy School with the help of a Linly Heflin Scholarship in 1999. To help with expenses, Anna worked at a Cracker Barrel and

a CVS drug store during her college years. During her senior year, Anna was introduced to Adam Griffin, a student at Georgia Tech. After several months of courtship, she and Adam were married in 2000. The couple has lived in Atlanta ever since. Anna is presently a Pharmacy Manager at Publix in mid-town Atlanta. Her husband, Adam, is Director of IT for his company. Anna tells us that she likes being in a field where she is able to help others. She especially enjoys getting to know her customers and building trusted relation-ships with them. She finds Atlanta to be a “hustling and exciting” city to live in, and welcomes the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life on a day-to-day basis. Anna remains close to her family, although they are separated by miles from her. Her mother and father, and one of her brothers, Chris, live in Mont-gomery. Chris is a managing pharmacist in the city. Another brother, Vinh, lives in Oklahoma City, and is an electrical engineer with the Air Force Sys-tems Command. Anna’s sister, Hope, is a teacher in the Atlanta area. Her older sister, Tam, tragically passed away from Lupus in 1996. Tam had been awarded a fellowship by Vanderbilt University, and had begun work on a PhD in psychology at the time of her death. Anna has words of highest praise for

Joseph Phung

Anna graduated from Pharmacy School with the help of a Linly Heflin Scholarship in 1999. Anna likes being in a field where she is able to help others.

Phung family left to right: Joseph, Hope, Vinh, Anna, Muoi, ChrisMama Muoi and Tam

Muoi Phung

Left to right: Tam Phung, Cathy Brooks, Holly Brooks,

Lisa Brooks, Chris Phung

her parents, as well as her siblings. She tells us that her parents always empha-sized the importance of an education, and she is thankful to them for pushing her and supporting her in all of her endeavors. She describes her father as being the “rock” of the family, whose “dedication and strong work ethic has been constant and unwavering.” She says her mom is “the best”, and the most selfless person she has ever known. Anna says: “My family has, and always will, keep me grounded. I am so blessed to be loved and surrounded by such wonderful people”. Anna is deeply grateful to the Linly Heflin Unit for helping to fund her edu-cation. She tells us: “The admiration and appreciation I have for this group of women is beyond words. Thank you for your support during such a crucial part of my life. It allowed me to achieve my goals and provided me with so much more than you will ever realize. I truly echo and believe in the motto of the Linly Heflin, ‘Educate a Woman and You Educate a Family’. I am so honored to have been one of those women.”

The Linly Heflin Unit 13 Office Park Circle Birmingham, AL 35223 (205) 871-8171 www.linlyheflin.org98

Since 1923 the major focus of the Linly Heflin Unit has been to further the education of young women in Alabama. Through the years over 3,000 four year scholarships have been awarded to Alabama women attending Alabama colleges.In 2009 alone we have 76 young women on scholarship.The 125 women of the Unit are deeply grateful for the commitment of the community to education and the support of past recipients. Juliet BealePresident of the Linly Heflin Unit

Letter from the President of Linly Heflin

A

Linly Heflin Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show 2008The 50th Annual Linly Heflin Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show was held on September 18th, 2008. A sell-out crowd of over 1000 attended the event, which was sponsored by Gus May-er. Audrey Lindquist produced and narrated the presentation of lovely fall fashions from Gus Mayer, followed by creations brought to us by Zenobia of Canada. Adding to the entertainment were a group of dancers from Birmingham Southern. As the climax of the show, Miss Alabama, Amanda Tapley, joined Brian Winston of Ze-nobia on the runway and presented him with a bouquet. Congratulations to Co-chairmen Helen Crabtree and Patsy Dreher and their committees for an outstanding, glamorous and successful event.

Jeff Pizitz, Ann Simmons, Nichole Cummins and Herman Heinle attended the September meeting of the Linly Heflin and presented a sneak preview of some of the fashions to be presented at the 51st Scholarship Luncheon.

Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Lindquist, Patsy Dreher and Helen Crabtree

Photos by Anne Hicks

Kristi DriverKhristi Driver, Linly Heflin scholar of 1993, has been practicing law in Birmingham since 2000. In her rela-tively short career, she has accomplished much, and made a definite impact upon our community. During the past year, she was chosen by the “Birmingham Business Journal” as one of the top forty business leaders in the city under the age of forty: (Top Forty Under Forty). Khristi was raised in a rural community in south-ern Blount County. Her high school years were spent at Tabernacle Christian School in Gardendale. Al-though no one in her immediate family had ever gone to college, Khristi made a decision early in her teen years that not only would she attend college, but she would try to go to law school as well. An ex-cellent student, Khristi also became heavily involved in extra-curricular activities. She took a keen inter-est in government and politics and enjoyed being on the school’s debate team. A natural-born athlete, she played on the volleyball team, and became quite proficient in gymnastics. She served as a cheerlead-er, as well. Yet another area that she was talented in was drama. Her performance of a scene from “My Fair Lady” won her the Jr. Miss title for Blount Coun-ty. To cap off her many honors, she graduated as the class Valedictorian. Although Khristi’s parents sup-ported her ambition to go to col-lege, they were unable to help her financially. However, Khristi’s academic and extra-curricular achievements led to her receiving several scholarships, including one from the Linly Heflin Unit. She entered the University of Ala-bama in 1993 and continued her high school pattern of excelling in all of her classes. In addition to school work and campus activi-

Award winningcommunity leader,author,speaker,law partner,wife,and mom

ties, she held a number of jobs to help with her expenses. At vari-ous times she was employed by Subway, Bruno’s, and as a coach for a gymnastics team. She also worked as a runner for a law firm in Tuscaloosa. Khristi earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Polit-ical Science in 1997. Soon afterward, she was thrilled to find that she had been granted a full Presidential Scholarship to Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law, fulfilling her lifetime dream. During law school, she received awards for writing the best legal memorandum and the best legal brief in her class. In 2000 she received a Juris Doctorate and was admitted to practice law in the State of Alabama. Khristi is presently a partner in the law firm of Haskell Slaughter Young & Rediker, LLC, one of the ten largest litigation firms in the city. Her practice is focused on defending insurance carriers in bad faith and fraud claims, assisting employers with EEOC in-

vestigations, and engaging in complex litigation for

amount of time to mentoring the firm’s new lawyers. Wyatt Haskell, founding partner of the firm, recently commend-ed Khristi as being a “highly effective lawyer.” He also commented that the Linly Heflin’s scholarship for Khristi had been “money well spent.”

her clients. Khristi sits on Haskell Slaughter’s Market-ing Oversight Committee, and leads the firm’s Con-servation Committee. She also dedicates a significant

Khristi has developed nationally recognized ex-pertise in a new area of law, electronic discovery. This refers to dealing with information in electronic for-mat, such as e-mails, instant messages, documents or databases. She is a frequently featured speaker and published author on this subject. Recently, Khristi was elected to the Executive

Committee of the Birmingham Bar Association. She also serves the Bar Association through the Women’s Lawyers’ Section, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award for her work on multiple community service proj-ects. Khristi has served on the Board of Directors for ONB’s Mag-ic City Connection, which produc-es the annual art festival in Linn Park each spring. She has also engaged in fundraising efforts for various local projects, such as the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and the Voices Against Violence cam-paign for The Women’s Fund. Khristi strives to maintain a work-life balance by spending

as much quality time as possible with her husband, Joe, who is also a lawyer, and their four year old son Steven. She will be taking an extended break this fall when her expected daughter, Sophia Kate, arrives on the scene. Khristi states: “I am forever grateful to the women of the Linly Heflin Unit, and your vision of educat-ing young women. After I had the opportunity to at-tend college, my mother was able to attend college as well, and attained her Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Later, each of my two younger sisters graduated from college, and both are practic-ing Registered nurses. If I remember correctly, your motto is that ‘If you educate a woman, you educate a family’. My life is a testimony to that truth.”

1110 The Linly Heflin Unit 13 Office Park Circle Birmingham, AL 35223 (205) 871-8171 www.linlyheflin.org

Check out our website:

www.linlyheflin.orgLearn more about the Linly Heflin,

find out how to apply for a Linly Heflin scholarship, print reply cards for the ScholarshipFashion Show and Lun-

cheon, and much more! Many thanks to Eve London, our wonderful

webmaster.

Each year Linly Heflin receives a number of named scholarships. These are established by a gift of $15,000 to the Linly Heflin Schol-arship Trust Fund. Some donors choose to give a lump sum, and others spread out their giving over a number of years. The Linly

Heflin is extremely grateful for the generosity of all of our donors. Here are the named scholarships established during the past year:

Eugenie Beatty Dean ScholarshipElna Blount and Richard Spain Riley Scholarship

Clarke Crawford Gillespy ScholarshipKatherine A. Terry Scholarship

Linly Heflin Trust Fund Named Scholarships

Modeling for Gus Mayer at the September Linly Heflin meeting are Happy Anthony, Margie Gray, Murray Priester, Helen Drennen, Elizabeth Hubbard, Cynnie Sproull and Katherine Cox.

American Cast Iron Pipe CompanyAT&T

BBVA Compass BankThe Barber Companies

B.L.Harbert International LLCBlue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama’s Caring Foundation

Burr & Forman LLPDorm Suite Dorm

Dunn Investment CompanyHonda Manufacturing of Alabama LLC

McGriff, Seibels & Williams, Inc.Regions Bank

Royal Cup, Inc.Seale Harris Clinic, P.C.

ServisFirst BankTorchmark Corporation

UAB Administration

Magna Cum Laude

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLPCRC Insurance Services, Inc.

Jemison Investment Company, Inc.Ladd Real Estate Management Company, Inc.

McConnell, White & TerryProtective Life Corporation

Publix Super Market Charities, Inc.Schreiber LLCWelch Group

The 51st Annual Scholarship Benefit Luncheon and Fashion Show will be held at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel on Septem-ber 24th, 2009. Chairwomen Nancy Bromberg and Sheri Corey and their hard-working committee members are coordinating with Gus Mayer to present dianaira, a clothing line known for its interchangeable, reversible looks. The designer is Diana Inman, who will be available after the show for a “meet and greet.” The Linly Heflin wishes to express our deep appreciation to Jeff Pizitz and the Gus Mayer staff for once again making it all possible. We wish to thank the many individuals who contributed generously and the businesses that took out ads in our program and, espe-cially, our Corporate Sponsors.

Summa Cum Laude

Ready Mix USA in honor of Ann A. PritchardSterne Agee

Susan Mott Web Foundation

Salutatorian

Gus MayerHarbert Management Corporation

Vulcan Materials Company Foundation

Valedictorians

to our 2009 Corporate SponsorsThanksWe wish to thank Gus Mayer, the many individuals who contributed generously, the businesses that took out ads in our program, and especially...

51st Annual Linly Heflin Scholarship Luncheon

Nancy Bromberg, Diana Inman, Herman Heinle and Sheri Corey at Gus Mayer

Beff KingCorporate Funding

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The Linly Heflin Unit 13 Office Park Circle Birmingham, AL 35223 (205) 871-8171 www.linlyheflin.org12