When Rhonda Wallace enrolled in medical school seven years ago, she joined the ranks of some 20,000 students aspiring to become doctors. At the time, men outnumbered women in U.S. medical schools by nearly 10 percent.

But it wasn’t her gender that made Rhonda stand out among her peers —it was her age.
At 47, the mother of two teenage girls was nearly twice as old as the average first-year med student. Just one-tenth of one percent of students are in their late 40s when they begin the arduous seven-year process to become a doctor.

"Behind the makeup, clothes and titles
we need to be okay with who we are.
Some of us are getting dressed and made up,
while inside we are broken."

When I was growing up, I wanted to be…
My earliest memory was wanting to help the less privileged. As a teenager, I wanted to become a fashion model. Later a business woman.

“I never wear this much makeup on a Saturday!” exclaimed one of the two lovely ladies I met outside the coffee shop in Waterfront Park in Beaufort. They both have big brown eyes, medium length brown hair and were wearing summery dresses with high clog heels.

Miranda Moss, Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, and Ashley Konoza, Doctor of Physical Therapy, look absolutely identical.  But they aren’t, they laugh. Everyone thinks that, they assured me, but they are fraternal twins. And yes, they had fun with that in school! 

At age 25, this ambitious little firecracker has already earned two masters degrees and started two companies. She teaches a few undergrad classes, and in her spare time, trains for half-marathons. When she needs a break, she reupholsters furniture.

“I’m a huge multitasker; always have been,” admitted Sierra, crediting the influence of her go-getter parents, who were always juggling a million things. Having grown up near Kennedy Space Center, it’s little wonder Sierra followed her own blazing star into the world of innovation. She attended the Nation’s first innovation academy at the University of Florida, where she was one of 16 inaugural graduates and the first woman from the program to go on and earn her masters in innovation. In 2017 she started Ginger Media, a marketing firm that creates strategies for small businesses through social media and graphic design. Add to that her Harvard certification in technology innovation and the $15K scholarship she was awarded at the European Innovation Academy (then located in Turino, Italy) and you can see this girl stays busy.

Through the lens of history, we look forward.

The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women’s constitutional right to vote. The passage marked the largest expansion of democracy in the history of our country. On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment  to the Constitution was ratified. On November 2 of that year, more than 8 million women across the United States voted in elections for the first time.

Jeanne Elmore of Beaufort is a member of both the American Association of University Women and the League of Women Voters. She is passionate about women’s rights, and her message to all women is: “Women didn’t get the right to vote, women had to fight for it.”

It came as a surprise later in life when Erin Reichert and Sarah Clemmons discovered that not everyone spent their formative years visiting random monuments across America. But the family’s extensive travels to national parks and historic sites gave these sisters a lasting love of history—or “sistory,” as they dubbed it after an hour-long jam session that revealed their fact-wielding nerd-prowess.

“You know you’re pretty deep into history when your vacations are to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library,” quipped Sarah, who confessed to liking presidents “with a little bit of tarnish on them,” particularly Lyndon B. Johnson.

From the time Stephanie Treece was a young girl growing up in Saltsburg, a small town outside of Pittsburgh, Pa., she knew she wanted to pursue a career in the sciences. She had no idea at the time she would eventually become one of the first women to serve on a U.S. Navy submarine.

“I’ve always been pretty good at math and science. In math, there is always an answer, so I knew I would be going into a technical field,” said Stephanie, who currently oversees defense contracts as program manager with PaR Systems at the Brunswick Port. “My dad started out as an HVAC tech. He had to work a lot on weekends, so he would take me on calls to spend time together. He would take me to inner-city Pittsburgh, and we would go up into the skyscrapers, that’s where I got my love for physics,” she said, adding thanks to her father, she also learned how to install tile, drywall and fix plumbing.

Like the cocktails she creates with such finesse, Monica Smith Collins, General Manager at the Whiskey Room Kitchen and Cocktails, is an island original.

Monica first arrived in Hilton Head with her parents-to-be in the mid-seventies, making her own appearance shortly thereafter in the Beaufort hospital maternity ward, since Hilton Head didn’t yet have one of its own. Beyond that brief detour, Monica’s early childhood years were spent exclusively on the Island.

It stuck. While her family eventually returned to North Carolina, Monica took the first chance she got to return, accepting a position with Outback Steakhouse after graduation and eventually opening a restaurant for them on Hilton Head’s north end.

Independent, strong, free- spirited, determined and powerful are the words that come to mind when I think of Rachel Goulet. The 32-year-old Charleston, SC resident embodies everything it means to be unapologetically yourself. Rachel is a mental health counselor at College of Charleston and a Captain in the Army National Guard. Just when you think you know what she’s all about, you find layer upon layer of unique factors that make her who she is.

In 2009, Rachel graduated from the College of Charleston (CofC) with a major in sociology and minor in psychology. “Ever since starting at the College of Charleston, I knew it's where I wanted to end up. This has been my dream job since 2005, when I started there [as a student].” To achieve this dream she knew she needed graduate school. Not wanting to take out loans, she decided to turn towards the military. Many members of Rachel’s family were veterans, including her father, who was in the United States Marine Corps. So she knew about that lifestyle and the wonderful benefits that come along with it.

A petite, but powerful, young woman from the Philippines traveled across the globe to America at the age of 26 with grit and determination to make it in the U.S. “When I got off the plane in Michigan, all I had with me was a suitcase and a degree,” said Febie Knight. “I came on a work visa with a job lined up as a traveling physical therapist. I was alone, but I figured ‘no guts, no glory.’”

Thirteen years ago, Febie opened Ridgeland Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation Clinic. The young woman who got off that plane is now a business owner with several employees, working in a profession she loves. “I came from a family background where we were physically active, especially my father. He always said to exercise every day because it reduces stress,” Febie said. “Now with my clients, I have good luck encouraging them to continue their exercises and to get active. Most come back for our wellness program. Many of them say ‘she’s so little and she’s older, so if she can do it, we can do more.’ We all have aches and pains, but stretching and doing the therapy keeps you physically fit and healthy. I motivate my clients to continue what they learn from me and remind them it’s important to listen to your body.”

With the salt water behind her and her sons beside her, Paula “Pinky” Michaud meets life head on with a splash of spunk and hefty dose of determination. Paula is one woman who refuses to let others rule her world.

Born in Redondo Beach, CA, Paula moved to Hilton Head Island, the place she calls her home and heart, with her father when she was 5 years old. At age 16, the dynamics of her family changed course when her grandmother died. With a few complications with her dad and step mother, Paula was put out on her own. Fortunately, she had incredible work ethic and was able to make ends meet even at 16. Among the many jobs she has had, Paula found her passion early on as an employee at Jack Rabbit Photography. “Photography has always been my love. It’s sad these days. No one even knows what an F stop is anymore,” she said. Even though Jack Rabbit is long gone, her passion for photography has stayed in tact over the years. “I still have some unused film. We’ll see what happens,” she laughed.

Four years ago, Nicole Arnold was approaching graduation from Hilton Head Island High School and craving some adventure. After brainstorming a variety of ideas, her biggest passion led her on the greatest journey of her life so far. With a whole lot of planning, dreaming, and researching, Nicole set her goal: To bike across the United States.

For as long as Nicole can remember, she has been glued to a bicycle seat. Always an independent child, she would spend hours biking around her island neighborhood. When she road, she had a box on the back of her bike to keep her belongings in— little did she know, this would prepare her in achieving her dream while traveling with ease. 

What was the catalyst for you to start hiking? It all started in 1984 with a simple comment to a friend, “I would really like to hike into the Grand Canyon.” To my surprise, she responded, “So would I!” My response: “Well, let’s do it”

One year later we sat on the bank of the Colorado River soaking our tired feet after the all day, 7-mile hike down the steep South Kaibab Trail to Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Sitting with us were four girlfriends who had enthusiastically accepted the invitation to take on this challenge.
The challenge, however, was not over. We still had to climb OUT of the canyon on the 9-mile Bright Angel Trail the next day to the South Rim, which rose about 5000 feet above us. The next afternoon as we took our final steps of the hike, we forgot our sore knees, aching backs and toenail-less feet and shouted for joy. We had made it!

It all started in 1984 with a simple comment to a friend, “I would really like to hike into the Grand Canyon.” To my surprise, she responded, “So would I!” My response: “Well, let’s do it”

On February 20, 2020 in San Francisco, California, Nancy LaPointe embarked on the Grand Princess cruise ship with her husband Jim for a 15-day adventure through the islands of Hawaii. Being long-time cruise-goers, this trip’s route was familiar to them, and they were thrilled to be cashing in on certain amenities they had earned over the years; most excitingly, she was ready to enjoy a large balcony. Unbeknownst to Nancy, she was going to be spending a lot more time on her balcony than originally planned. As Nancy and her husband were reveling in the excursions of the cruise ship and of Hawaii, the novel coronavirus was beginning to penetrate the United States. Two days before the journey was set to end, Nancy and Jim began a new excursion that was not exactly one they paid for.

Jessica Foley is every bit the professional realtor. She arrived for our appointment early, stylish and poised, carrying a fabulous big purse, which held, what I can only surmise, things to ready her for any situation.

A relative newcomer to the area, Jessica has dove in head first, both professionally and personally. She is an agent with the prestigious Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Bay Street Realty Group. She is also a member of the Junior Service League of Beaufort and a volunteer with the Beaufort Water Festival, Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA) and Pritchard’s Island Sea Turtle Project. It is this last organization that gives us a hint into her past.

Jackie Currie drives with bees flying around in her Prius.
She climbs trees to capture wild swarms. She tracks the “nectar flow”
from the year’s first blooming red maples and dandelions
to the last goldenrods and asters of fall.

She understands the personalities of her hives—which are good honey producers, which are mite-resistant, which overwinter well, which are docile and which are feisty—and she causes them to reproduce accordingly. She knows when they’re gathering pollen and ramping up to reproduce their colony, when they’re sending out this explosion of bees to gather nectar and make honey, and when they’re hunkering down to survive winter, perhaps with a little help from the sugar-water she puts out for them in lean times. She is the Bee Lady, a self-appointed steward of the species.

After high school, Beth’s father explained to her that flying was “a man’s game,” and she should formally study something else. Beth earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland and completed her graduate work at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia in wildlife disease management and marine mammal microbiology. Until her dream to become a pilot could materialize, she worked at a zoo for a few years, loving every second, but itching to be in the air. When the pilot school finally started to accept women, Beth was first in line and accepted in the first class at Shields Aviation in Jacksonville, FL. Upon completion, she was hired by a major commercial carrier and flew as a pilot for almost 11 years until she was called to do bigger and better things, which ultimately changed her life.

Growing up, we all had opportunities to get involved in something beyond school that we (hopefully) enjoyed. Whether our interests were to play the clarinet, join the lacrosse team, or to destroy our opponents in chess club, we would usually spend a few hours after our last class of the day meeting with others who helped us focus on building our skills in an area we were passionate about. We called these our after-school activities.

For 17-year-old Kierstyn Holt, 14-year-old Alayna Weilnau, and 11-year-old Lawson Weilnau, their interests involved them in activities that couldn’t quite be classified as “after-school” activities. These siblings have a passion to learn and grow beyond what is known to be typical. They are involved in 4-H, an organization that allows them to take on projects that become a big part of their lives, that they must invest time and energy in each day to see to fruition. These projects numerous life skills that most people take years to develop.

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” - George Bernard Shaw

Five years ago, Nancy Stills retired and moved to Sun City, SC. She tried to join the kayak club, but she didn’t have a kayak, gear, or a means to transport a kayak. She was referred to “Swampchick” Linda Etchells, who adopted Nancy, loaned her a kayak and gear until she bought her own and taught her to be a great kayaker. She also nicknamed Nancy “Grasshopper.” In exchange, Nancy became the Swamp Dragon Drummer for Dragonboat Beaufort, a non-profit organization that raises money for cancer patients.

Once she acquired her own gear, she joined the Sun City Kayak Club, where she served as both vice president and president. “We are fortunate in Beaufort County to have over 30 public kayaking/boating access points within a 30-mile radius, providing miles of fresh and salt water to enjoy,” she said.

What do you want newcomers to the Lowcountry to know about Shag dancing?
Of course, we want them to know that Shag is the official state dance of South Carolina. We’d also like newcomers to immerse themselves in the Lowcountry culture, and shag is a big part of that! When in Rome!

Tell us about the Beaufort Shag Club (BSC)?
Ginger: After a few years of dancing socially in various venues in and around Beaufort, the Beaufort Shag Club officially organized in 2004, and was admitted into the Association of Carolina Shag Clubs in 2005, marking 2020 as the year our 15th anniversary! We are a bunch of nearly 200 fun-loving people who love the shag dance, the shag lifestyle, and each other.
Hi: We love the Beaufort Shag Club! It’s friendly. It’s fun, and we get exercise!
Ginger: One of the best things about the BSC is that you meet wonderful people, make lasting relationships, and you look forward to seeing these people on a weekly basis, and know they’re going to become lifelong friends.

When the girls from Hilton Head Christian Academy step on the basketball court, opponents better stand up straight. As state champions, the Lady Eagles came to play.

“We may laugh and have fun in the locker room but once we get on the floor it’s all business,” said Brielle McCarthy, starting point guard who commutes to Hilton Head Christian each day from Pooler. “We have a goal, and that is to win the state championship.”

She and forward-center Jasmine Campbell both recently hit the 1000-point mark over their high school careers, an enormous achievement, which in their words, “isn’t something you can just go out and do.” It took a lot of hard work, dedication, team effort, and the initiative to get themselves open and take shots. As seniors carrying their team into the post-season, you would think they’d be feeling the pressure—but both girls are remarkably grounded.

Meeting three members of the Dataw Island Women’s Golf Association (DIWGA) at the pub next to the pro-shop was a delight. Joanie Barber, president, Sandy Shuster, treasurer, and Maeneen Klein, golf and greens committee member, joined me for an informative discussion about the organization. Though they are all three avid golfers, they stressed that for them, golf is about having fun.

The DIWGA, as it is known, has about 200 members. They play on Thursdays, Ladies Day at the two courses, Cotton Dike and Morgan River, and many other days of the week, as well. There are 12 tournaments in the year, and many special events, such as the hosting of collegiate women’s golf tournament the first weekend in March. Some of their members are serious, competitive golfers and travel around in the Coastal Carolina Ladies League, playing courses from Fripp Island to Sea Pines. But the majority of the women, they emphasized, play to have fun.

It was a typical Tuesday morning at Pink Magazine: I was sitting at my desk maneuvering between an iMac and my laptop, eager to complete a task I had been working on since the previous day. There was a stillness in the air as Elizabeth, Lindsay, and Jacie were deep in concentration in their respective offices—until I heard the front door open, and Elizabeth’s footsteps headed to the office lobby. Not paying much mind to our new visitor, I dove back into my laptop. Just a few minutes later, Elizabeth’s voice pierced my focus: “Rinsha? Jacie? Will you come here, please?” Inquisitive, I followed the voice to the lobby where I saw a small-figured woman in front of me, introducing herself as Patrizza. There was a power and vibrancy about this woman that drew me in; I was instantly intrigued;  When Elizabeth shared that Patrizza had stopped in while doing a 25-state tour of the United States and asked who would like to interview her, my hand shot up immediately. I just knew she had something incredible to share.

Mia, you are a true international woman; you were adopted from another country! Tell us a little about it. I was born in Petrozavodsk, Russia. My grandmother took care of me until I was about 3 years old. Then I was put in an orphanage and lived there until I was adopted into a family with two loving parents, two older brothers, and one older sister, who lived in Charleston, SC.  My parents, Druid and Sam Joyner came to Russia to get me around my 5th birthday.

Job/ Education: I attended Winthrop University for two and a half years and then took a semester off from school. I am now taking classes locally and working.

When Marie was 7 years old, she and her cousins had a lemonade stand. Growing up on Hilton Head, they made a lot of their own old-fashioned fun. But for little Marie, it wasn’t just about earning a few quarters to buy candy; she had bigger stars in her eyes.

“I told my cousins, ‘Let’s go somewhere!’” she recalls. “I didn’t know where I wanted to go but I literally tried to hitchhike. From an early age I always had that impulse. That was my path.”

Now she’s in her early 40s, raising a family and holding down a successful career as a teacher—but she’s not doing it in a cul-de-sac. She’s doing it in Egypt, Nicaragua, Bangladesh, and wherever her finger lands on the spinning globe next. She’s thinking about what it means to be a citizen of the world, to see the commonalities of the human experience rather than the dividing lines. She’s raising her kids—who might go to Jordan on holiday, and who’s classmates are from dozens of nations—without limiting cultural boundaries. She’s making good on her lemonade stand dreams.

Love seems to happen when you least expect it, and in the case of Marsue Thomas and Mike Visokay, it was pure serendipity. In 2009, Marsue, a recent divorcee, decided she needed a fresh start. She bought a condo in Summerhouse, a neighborhood on Hilton Head Island. While unloading boxes into her new digs, she came across a few friendly, welcoming neighbors, including Mike. “At first I just saw a good-looking man, who was walking the cutest little dog and that’s it,” Marsue said, laughing.

Meet Courtney Young, Cora Miller, Carmen Young and Kerrie Brown. These four ladies, with the help of many others, are powerhouses working behind the scenes to bring the 24th Annual Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration to life. This month-long festival will showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Gullah people and their history on Hilton Head Island through 19 different events from January 29-February 28. The Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration programming includes a variety of events—some ticketed and some by donation—that will allow visitors to experience the Gullah culture first-hand through music, dance, food, art, storytelling, history and culture. If you haven’t been intrigued by the Gullah culture and the historical relevance it provides to this part of the country, you will definitely be enamored once you “bin bit by da spell!”

Alison was a divorcee, an Ohio girl who’d been on Hilton Head for the better part of 20 years. She tried to date a little, but priority was on raising her three kids and her career. She’d reached a stage in life where she felt comfortable being alone, had a lot of friends, and for the most part said, “I’m good.”

Mike was also a father of three, but after divorcing in Louisville, KY, he came to Hilton Head to help his brother and sister-in-law at their restaurant, The Sunrise Café. He spent the next three years heads-down working, until folks started to say he should get back out and meet people. He got on Match.com but didn’t feel too comfortable with it. 

From the time she was a small child in Virginia, New York Times, Amazon, and USA Today best-selling author and St. Simons resident Claire Cook knew she wanted to be a writer. “I started writing when I was little, little. The first thing I had published was on a kid’s page when I was six years old,” she said smiling. “I majored in film and creative writing in college (Syracuse University). But when I graduated, I choked. I listened to all the negativity about how hard it was to be a writer and hid from writing for decades.”

Instead of pursuing her calling, she “followed her kids to school” and became a teacher for 16 years. “I wrote for some magazines and won awards for creative teaching, but it was as if I had buried my dream so deep, I almost couldn’t find it. I really loved the kids, but it just hit me one day that I could be one of those people who didn’t ever try. My procrastination finally became more painful than actually doing it.”

Sometimes, we just get stuck. Whether it’s something someone said, or a personal vilification, thoughts can linger long past the point of being unhealthy. True or not, thoughts can turn into defining beliefs and niggle us for days, months, years, or even a lifetime. Negative beliefs are notorious for snowballing out of control and morphing into a large, resentful and distressed snowman. Before you know it, it has shaped your whole life.

This is exactly what happened to six-year-old Julie Davis the day her loving parents shared the news that she was adopted as an infant. This information punctured her happy-go-lucky, young girl bubble, and she became stuck. She was devastated. Dark parts of her tiny soul were ignited and convinced her she was unwanted—a throw-away. “We all have a dark place inside of us, and we have to be able to rise out of it. I should have realized I was beyond loved by my parents, but I took it completely differently; I felt unwanted. I didn’t know the story behind my adoption, so I thought of it as ‘my mom didn’t want me. It followed me for years. Growing up was rough.”