Walking into the first day of kindergarten can seem like one of the scariest moments in a little one’s life. Everything is new, big and unfamiliar. Hooked to mama or daddy’s leg, tiny tears trickle down sweet cheeks to the tune of the desperate cry of “no” over and over again. By day’s end, parents reappear, and the same hesitant child is now hesitant to go home. Why? New friends, of course.

Friends are the biggest factor for anyone to feel comfortable, especially on the first day of anything. Brie Jones and I met on the first day of kindergarten 16 years ago, and the rest is history. Through one of us changing schools, high school blues and two different colleges, our connection seemed to never sever.

You two are sisters, 2 years apart, and also consider each other your best friend. Please tell us how you avoided sibling rivalry growing up and became so close.
Well, we didn’t totally avoid sibling rivalry. We had our fair share of fights over borrowed clothes for sure! But we probably became so close because we did so many of the same things—swimming on the same team, volunteering for the same organizations, going to the same college. We had similar interests for most of our lives, so we also had similar friends. You hear a lot that siblings become better friends as they get older, that definitely happened with us, too!

After fifty years of friendship, there is nothing these two don’t know about each other’s lives. Any breaking developments are reported immediately, without the need for backstory, and they can read each other’s reactions like a large-print book. Although they don’t have specific memories of their first meeting in kindergarten, they can definitely say one thing: she was there.

“I couldn’t tell you about most of my life,” Tracey jokes. “But Jill could. Any time I can’t remember if I may or may not have done something, I ask her.”

You started martial arts when you were 3 years old? Where has this practice taken you?
I did!  Physically, it’s taken me all over the US for tournaments, trainings, and visiting friends I’ve made through martial arts. In general, it’s built my confidence and leadership skills. It has introduced friendships that have lasted for years and given me an outlet to love people, to give them a safe place, and to make an impact in their lives. I’m able to share the lessons I’ve learned through martial arts like perseverance, confidence, raising up leaders, building family connections, and being a champion in life! 

How has being accomplished in martial arts enhanced your life?
It’s expanded my reach of impact. It’s opened doors for new opportunities to meet people and to build connections, as well as sparking people’s interest in what I have to offer, or what I have to say. People listen when they’re intrigued by what you do and what you say. 

Margaret Miller, affectionately known as M&M, celebrated her first year cancer-free in August. She is a breast cancer survivor, but M&M has cheated death again and again throughout her life—five times to be exact. She believes she has fought and survived because God has a plan for her.

Her first brush with death was as a child. She was taking swimming lessons at a public pool. “I went down and was bouncing off the bottom. Nobody noticed, and I nearly drowned. I still don’t swim,” M&M said. Her second encounter with the Grim Reaper was as a newlywed. “After we married, we moved to California, and I was in a terrible car accident.” Her severe back injury landed her in bed for a month and she received treatments five days a week for a year.

“My battle starts every day when I open my eyes, and it doesn’t end until I close them,” said survivor Maggie Deery.

That battle began a decade ago when Maggie was 17. She was at a friend’s house and asked for a ride home from a girl she didn’t know very well, not realizing the girl had been drinking. (Her blood alcohol level was later found to be twice the legal limit.) Maggie crammed into the little two-door car with four others, and there weren’t enough seats so she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. Coming out of Indigo Run on Hilton Head Island at 80 mph, they collided head-on with a tree. The driver died on impact, another boy was seriously injured, and Maggie’s life changed forever. Her neck and spinal cord were severed at various places and she suffered a diffused axonal injury with tiny bleeds all over her brain, causing her to be life-flighted to Savannah Memorial in a coma; doctors told her parents to be prepared to care for her in a vegetative state. She went on to spend six months at Shepherd Center, a brain and spinal cord facility in Atlanta, where youth and strong will contributed to her recovery.

Beneath her United States Marine Corps Campaign Cover, Sergeant Major Sigrid Rivera stands—a woman structured from discipline, hard work, and passion. With pristine posture, a tight, slicked back bun, and not an emblem out of place, Sigrid is nothing short of extraordinary. With a kind heart and a modest disposition, she won’t brag about her incredible accomplishments, but that is why I am here.

Born in Puerto Rico, Sigrid was raised by a powerful mother who assiduously instilled a hard working mindset, the need to be a good citizen, and that reputation is above everything. “She wanted me to attract the right people at the right time. She stood strong in her morals when raising us; there was no room to maneuver around her rules. When I joined the Marines, I felt like it reinforced my childhood,” Sigrid said.

“Stick to the basics; be who you are; don’t ever stop hustling and keep dreaming!” Kissie Pinkston, a certified #GirlBoss, shares these words of wisdom to every dreamer, every entrepreneur and everyone, no matter what age, who wants to achieve their goals.

A self-proclaimed country girl, liver pudding and all, from Savannah, Georgia, Kissie has set her mind to not only be successful, but also to fulfill her innate entrepreneurial spirit to see her business acumen come to fruition. She says it is God-given power that propels her to start businesses and run them skillfully. Kissie has been a successful entrepreneur for years and claims her job as her official happy place. Finding joy in the workplace can be hard, but Kissie finds peace, accomplishment and joy in her achievements.

Women of a certain age may remember studying home economics in school. The Home Economics High School textbook promised to teach girls how to be an ideal housewife. “Have dinner ready, prepare yourself, prepare the children, minimize all noise, be happy to see him, listen to him, make the evening his.” Young women were taught the ideology of the housewife: Maintain the house, prepare meals, take care of the children, help them with homework, do the dishes and laundry—all while remaining elegant. This culture of promise was reinforced by television shows like Leave It To Beaver, Father Knows Best and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. 

At only 10 years of age, Pattie Michie knew she wasn’t cut out of that particular cloth. Her mind was made up. She was going to be a successful woman in business. And boy, did she break the glass ceiling. Pattie is currently the Club Ambassador at the Country Club of Hilton Head and previously served as private events director. She has worked there for 22 years. “Everyone here is like my family. It’s wonderful,” she said.

Goals seem big when Allison first sets them. In fact, her idea of a worthy goal is one that others laugh at. But by the time they’ve been accomplished, those same goals suddenly seem small. It’s only in hindsight that she can appreciate her achievements.

“I was a very determined child,” said Allison, an agent with Keller Williams Realty in Beaufort. “Those were words out of my mother’s mouth, but looking back, I did dream big and put 100 percent toward my goals. I will say, though, I never dreamed of being a realtor.”

Kelly Wall

Hometown: Varnville, SC
Lives in: Fairfax, SC

Career: Speech-Language Pathologist and Rehab
Program Director at Allendale County Hospital in Fairfax, SC.

Family: Wife of Josh Wall and mother to Brooke (age 12) and
Ben (age 9). I was adopted and raised by my maternal
grandparents Beverly and Lehmoen Futch.

When it comes to Do-it-Yourself (DIY) projects, Pink Magazine is crowning you queen of all time! Tell us about your most recent DIY.
My husband, Josh, and I were considering putting in a pool and after getting prices and doing some research, I toyed with the idea of installing the pool ourselves. I remember the exact moment I decided to go for it: We were out with some friends and “putting in a pool ourselves,” came up in conversation. A couple of our friends politely said: “You can probably do a lot of things but you CANNOT put in a pool.” Obviously, they made the decision for me; I was determined even though I wasn’t sure I could actually do it. My husband was clear that he could not take on such a project due to work demands, so I knew this would be a solo project.

Missy Brown, Valerie Mayer and Lesley Babington have each found their niche at Island Funeral Home in a previously male-dominated industry. Missy and Valerie are funeral directors and Lesley is the director of the crematorium. For each of them it’s not a job, a career, or even a vocation…it’s a calling.

Times have changed from when Valerie went to mortuary school in Syracuse, NY, in 1982, when there were only four women in a class of 25.

Today 60% of mortuary students are women, according to the National Funeral Directors Association; and according to the NY State Funeral Directors Association, the number of female funeral directors has jumped from 5% to 43% over the last 40 years.

“I da Queen Quet, head pun de bodee of de Gullah/Geechee Nation. I live the mission of keeping Gullah/Geechee culture alive in the Gullah/Geechee Nation daily. GOD gave me the vision to unite and uplift Gullah/Geechee folks worldwide and I have focused my energy on doing this via my organization, the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition (www.GullahGeechee.net) which:
• Advocates for the rights of all Gullah/Geechee people around the world.
• Promotes and participates in the preservation of Gullah/Geechee
history, heritage, culture and language.
• Works toward Sea Island land re-acquisition and maintenance.
• Celebrates Gullah/Geechee culture through artistic and educational
means electronically and via grassroots scholarship.”

Paula Brown is the small, but mighty kitchen manager of Palmetto Bay Sunrise Café. At a height of only 4’8”, she is like a world-class maestro, orchestrating with precision as she barks out orders to the servers and kitchen staff. She reads the tickets and keeps everything—and every one—in line. She peppers the orders with shout-outs to both regular customers and returning visitors who come back year after year.

When most of us think of skydiving, we consider it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But for this mother-daughter daredevil duo, it’s commonplace, a hobby like any other. Where some people craft or birdwatch, they throw themselves out of moving aircraft. Since their first skydives about a decade ago, Sue and Brooke have done 950 and 850 jumps, respectively. They even have their own official team name, “Carolina Blonde.”

Cool art vibes saturate the air in every form and medium in the Lowcountry, one of the most beautiful natural canvases on earth. With all the surrounding beauty, it’s no wonder the Lowcountry is teeming with creative, talented artists. Some do it for fun. Some do it for a living. All do it to nourish their organic need to create.

Welcome to our second edition of Lowcountry Originals, where you will meet seven dynamic artisans, all filled will creative energy and verve for their work. They have allowed us a peek into their creative worlds, revealed their fears and doubts, told us what inspires them and given us insight into their processes.

Scroll down to take a creative stroll and step into the
Lowcountry art scene >>

Cool art vibes saturate the air in every form and medium in the Lowcountry, one of the most beautiful natural canvases on earth. With all the surrounding beauty, it’s no wonder the Lowcountry is teeming with creative, talented artists. Some do it for fun. Some do it for a living. All do it to nourish their organic need to create.

Welcome to our second edition of Lowcountry Originals, where you will meet seven dynamic artisans, all filled will creative energy and verve for their work. They have allowed us a peek into their creative worlds, revealed their fears and doubts, told us what inspires them and given us insight into their processes.

Scroll down to take a creative stroll and step into
the Lowcountry art scene >>

Our gorgeous slice of paradise not only attracts visitors, it also attracts the best of the best art educators. Alana Adams was born in Newnan, Georgia, a small town south of Atlanta. She received her BFA in Art Education at Georgia State University with intensive studies in ceramics and sculpture.

“My husband and I decided to move to the beach over 15 years ago, and we landed in Hilton Head. I can remember exactly when I started working here at the Arts Center because it was the date of our first wedding anniversary!” Alana recalled. She joined the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina staff in September 2006 as Manager of Education Services and was promoted to Director of Education two years later. Since 2017 she has served as Senior Director of Education.

Three blank walls. It was all Beverly Jennings needed to set off on a 10-year odyssey that would immerse her into the rough and gritty world of commercial fishing.

Tasked with creating an exhibit on shrimping, crabbing and oystering for the Port Royal Sound Foundation’s Maritime Center in Okatie, the plucky Hilton Head Island retiree began trolling the briny docks of coastal Carolina to learn everything she could about a Southern culture on the brink of extinction.

In the process, she discovered a microcosm of Beaufort County far removed from her comfortable life in Sea Pines. The rugged, weathered men who work on trawlers spend days and weeks at sea, braving unpredictable and perilous waters in search of a big catch. It’s hard, dirty work with long hours and uncertain outcomes.

“When I saw the break of day, I wished that I could fly away instead of kneeling in the sand, catching tear-drops in my hand” —Nora Jones

WANDERLUST! You’ve all heard the word and perhaps wondered what it really means, but those with wanderlust don’t necessarily need to go anywhere in particular, they just don’t care to stay in one spot.

For Lucia Franklin Chastain, her wanderlust started out as a trip for reflection. She never considered herself an overly adventurous person, and those who grew up with her would describe her as a creative—a kind, hard-working, caring friend—but it’s not until you hear her whole story that you know Lucia is a brave ADVENTURER!

Diving with manta rays in Fiji. Scaling glaciers in New Zealand. Crewing tall sailing ships around the Caribbean. Skiing in British Columbia or exploring the back alleys of Dubrovnik. From Hawaii to Hungary, Montenegro to Micronesia—Marija Bumgarner has acquired an impressive travel register. Exploration for her is no mere phase, but a lifelong love that she keeps alive and shares with others.

“I was always the curious kid wanting to run off and learn new things,” says Marija, who was born in New York but relocated with her family to Croatia at age 9. “I was just always wanting to GO.”

Alice Batson of Hilton Head has always excelled in sports. Her father was athletic, her mom, artistic. So in high school she was a runner and swimmer who studied dance and piano. Nowadays she is into extreme water sports and travels the world looking for big winds and water, as well as opportunities to do further training.

“I’m passionate about exploring the planet, seeing new areas, and I love the thrill of the sport and enjoying the world God made,” Batson said. Her new love is kiteboarding where she hovers just above the water and is carried on the wind by her kite. “I love doing new things. It keeps me excited to accomplish new goals and learn new sports. I love being outside, exercising and immersing myself in nature and the beauty of where we live. I challenge myself mentally and physically.”

On the morning of January 6, 2020, the “Office Girls” received a text from Regina Banis that said, “Jake’s dead.”

It was the exact moment Regina discovered her 23-year-old son, Jake, had died from an accidental drug overdose that divided eternity in two. Everything before that precise second was experienced BJD (before Jake died), and everything that followed—every breath, every thought, every sound, every smell, Every. Single. Thing.—passes through a filter of grief labeled AJD (after Jake died). Just that quickly life goes from being experienced to being endured.

LOVE. It’s the number-one thing children need and a specialty of Molly Hornbeak. “That’s what I give, that’s what I’m full of, and it’s what I try to help these kids learn to give others,” she declares emphatically.

But to say Miss Molly only gives love belies the astonishing amount of hard work, dedication and discipline she has put into her job over the last several decades. Since the Boys and Girls Club of Bluffton opened in 1998, she has been the one and only director.

At only 14 years old, Pamela-Joy O’Grady knew exactly what she wanted her life to be. She made a conscious decision to marry a tall man who was rich enough to give her a lifestyle she wanted to become accustomed to. Her goals were to travel extensively, have lots of kids and serve God.

Pamela-Joy was born in England and lived in London. At 19, she landed a job in France and worked there for a few years. “Then at 21 years of age,” she said, “I made my list. You know, a wish list, everything I wanted in a husband. He had to be tall, handsome, he had to have attended the same type of school as I went to, and he had to have brothers and sisters, because if he was an only child, I felt he would be spoiled.” She quit her job and returned to England to find him.

This month, our theme is #MamaBear. You are currently on a tough journey trying to become a mama bear, as you wrap up your first In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment. Why have you decided to share your IVF journey?
Infertility affects so many people. One in eight couples experience infertility, which means someone in your life has struggled, and you may or may not be aware. By speaking out, I hope I can make a difference with infertility awareness, somehow, some way. Whether the difference is in helping someone not feel alone during their own infertility struggles, or just putting information out that can help people understand infertility a bit more. Either way, in my heart it feels right, and I actually feel lighter in speaking my truth and sharing this very personal experience.

Sassy, determined, humorous, and one hell of a woman, Ms. Tawanda Jackson is nothing short of fabulous. With just about everyone who encounters her, she is “Mama.” Known as Ms. TJ, Mama TJ and just plain Mama, she lives up to her loving nicknames, going above and beyond to make sure she takes care of just about everyone and everything she can. With a true mama bear spirit, Ms.TJ is serving up love, support and advice to anyone who needs it.

Hailing from Fuquay-Varina, NC, in 1975, TJ followed her then boyfriend to Beaufort, SC, where he was stationed as a Marine. By 1977, she was on to bigger and better things and relocated herself to Hilton Head Island, where she found her lifelong happy place. Her first job on the Island was helping to open a Huddle House, which was the first 24-hour restaurant ever on Hilton Head. Working her way up from dishwasher to manager, Mama TJ gave Huddle House 28 years of hard work, dedication, laughs and love.

How long have you been in showbiz, and how did you get into it?
Well, if you count tip-toeing across the stage as a “snowflake” in the Nutcracker ballet at the age of 3, it’s been quite a long time! I’ve been a loud-and-proud extrovert for as long as I can remember, so naturally my parents quickly realized that performing was a good outlet for me to put all that energy into as a kid. I’d say my official induction into “showbiz” was when I was in 5th grade. I auditioned for one of the professional productions at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina (Arts Center) and was lucky enough to get the part. After that, I continued to audition for their shows all through middle and high school, and by the time I graduated, I had been in six equity productions at the Arts Center. Now at 23, I’m still pursuing theatre on a professional level, and I’m back at the theater that started it all, which is a cool full-circle moment.

The team names for these bowling divas are hilarious! There’s Split Happens, Lucky Strikes, Too Legit to Split, Mother Gutters, Splits & Giggles, Incredibowls, Living on a Spare, Balls to the Wall, Pin Up Girls, Spare Me, Pin Pals and Wicked Ballers. They have special dress-up nights such as ugly Christmas sweaters, Halloween costumes, and recently, they had a “Galentine” celebration (Girls Valentine Party)! Most of all, these ladies are having a blast!
Denise Philippi is the instigator, er…organizer of this wacky group of around 60 women who descend on the usually normal Station 300 Bowling Alley off Buckwalter Parkway in Bluffton every Tuesday from 6:30-9:30.

Bored with the quarantine, Denise wanted a way to meet people and make new friends. Last fall, she posted an open invite on Facebook and got a huge, immediate response from other ladies in the same boat! She created a Facebook page, set up the night with Station 300 to reserve lanes for the ladies, and the fun began!

Seriously, Matt! An open, bucket-list invitation to play a round of golf stands when (and if) you are ready. Mary Shanahan knows how to have fun, she’s a terrific golfer, and golfing with you is one of the few things she has on her bucket list. She works at the RBC Heritage and is the Vice-Chair of the front-9 marshals; and last year, Mary handed Matt a Coke. Also on her bucket list is to travel to Scotland and throw a caber. “You know, the telephone poles that are thrown by big guys in kilts,” she laughed. The only other things on her bucket list are to travel more and go on a ghost tour at a cemetery.

Mary began golfing at age 9 and continues today. Since she moved to Hilton Head in 2013 she has won the Club Championship at Hilton Head Country Club for seven of the past eight years. In 2015 she had rotator cuff surgery, so she couldn’t play, otherwise she may have clinched eight of eight. “Golf is a game that can’t be won, you can only play,” Mary said. “I play with great people of all skill sets and levels, and I still take lessons every year because something always goes wrong.”