Hillary Thornton ( Class of 2012) credits her GC education, her involvements in campus activities, her faith in God,  and ‘ more than a little bit of luck’ for her having been hired for what can certainly be considered ‘a dream job in New York City.

’These days, Hillary is working in the control rooms at NBC’s vast headquarters- having just completed being involved with  the network’s successful and wall-to-wall coverage of the London Olympics. What was the catalyst of her good fortune?A chance meeting with Tom Hammond, a Lexington-based sports commentator for the  NBC network!

Where? At a reception at Dr. Crouch’s home- during which she met Hammond, who  volunteered to help Hillary  find a job in broadcasting.

While she was a student here, Hillary earned her degree in Communications and Media Studies, with a minor in Political Science.  She was part of the Tiger Sports Network; she worked as the news director for WRVG; held leadership positions as Student Government Senator; was President and VP/Membership for Sigma Kappa, and- in her ‘spare time’- got valuable experience while interning at WLEX TV- the NBC station affiliate in Lexington.

She noted: “Life is about relationships, making connections, and taking advantage of every opportunity we are given. “  And, she quickly added “ I’m a firm believer in ‘everything happens for a reason.  With God leading me every step of the way on this journey, the support of my family and friends, and the strong foundation I’ve received through my time at Georgetown, I’m confident, excited, and I can smile about what the future holds for me.”

Georgetown College students will find a new improved, email service known as “Live@GC” when they return to campus in August.

The enhanced cloud-based service powered by Microsoft® provides 25 GB of Windows Live SkyDrive file storage plus 10 GB of email storage, Office Web apps that include Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote Blogging, Instant Messaging (including Video Chat), portable device email synchronizing (iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Mobile), Movie Maker, Photo Gallery, and so much more. Students will be able to share contacts, files, photos and calendar with anyone from anywhere.

This all-new email and collaboration experience through Microsoft’s Live@EDU provides all the benefits of the former Tiger mail, plus so much more, according to GC’s Information Technology Services personnel.

The College’s ITS Help Desk is always available to assist students in transitioning to the new service and students will receive additional information when they are on campus.

Provost Rosemary Allen has announced that the Jenzebar Foundation has committed at least $25,000 to the Georgetown College Modern Day Slavery project (with the potential for more funding as we move forward with the project).

Last year’s efforts drew campus-wide interest from students, faculty and staff. Many talks and films focused attention on the global industry of human trafficking and encouraged the purchase of fair trade produce and products. Students formed a chapter of the Student Abolitionist Movement and, with the guidance of the project coordinators, including Dr. Regan Lookadoo of the Psychology department, brought in David Batstone’s Stop Paying for Slavery Tour.

“A HUGE thank you to Regan, for her work in putting together a deeply compelling proposal,” Dr. Allen wrote in an e-mail.

Allen said the Foundation has agreed to fund $15,000 toward year one initiatives, and has funded $10,000 of year two initiatives (with the aside that several additional portions of the year two initiatives, as well as significant elements of year three, will be considered as we demonstrate our ability to carry out the projects we have identified in year one).

“This is a larger financial commitment to a single institution and project than the foundation usually makes, and I believe it to be a wonderful endorsement of the work Regan and her team have done on the Modern Day Slavery Project,” added Dr. Allen.

According to its Website, the Jenzabar Foundation recognizes and supports the good works and humanitarian efforts of student leaders serving others across the global community. It seeks to foster a culture of service and to educate and inspire future generations to create a better world. Jenzabar, the company, is a partner of Georgetown College. It is a leading provider of software and strategies for Unix/Linux and Windows platform solutions for over 700 higher educational institutions worldwide.