Alumni Spotlights

Fletcher Falcons soar. Our Alumni Spotlights showcase the remarkable journeys and diverse accomplishments of Fletcher alumni, inspiring current students and exemplifying the enduring impact of a Fletcher education.

Jeffrey Cashion '19

Since graduating from Fletcher, Jeffrey earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management and a Master of Arts in Communication and Business Leadership from High Point University. While at High Point, he was actively involved in various clubs and activities, serving as President of Esports and working with the university’s Division I women’s basketball program. Currently, Jeffrey works as an esports mentor for VESL, supporting high school students across North Carolina and helping establish esports as a mainstay in high schools. He plans to continue growing in the industry and aspires to become an athletic director in the future. 

PARKER LEVY '13

After graduating from Fletcher, Parker went on to Hampden-Sydney College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Business. After college, he worked for CoStar Group in Richmond, Virginia. Parker then acquired a North Carolina real estate license and returned to Charlotte to work at Colliers, where he specialized in office leasing and was promoted to senior associate. Parker is now a vice president at Cresa, where he assists occupiers of retail, medical, and office space with their real estate strategies. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Parker celebrated his marriage to Lexie in October of 2024.

ELIZABETH VERDONE CUNNINGHAM

After leaving Fletcher, Elizabeth graduated from Charlotte Christian School and then went on to Auburn University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Apparel Merchandising, Design, and Production Management. Elizabeth is currently a realtor with Helen Adams Realty, helping families find their dream homes. When she’s not working, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her husband and her two sons, Thomas and George, as well as their sweet dog, Ruby Lou.

SYDNEY ROBINSON

Since her time at Fletcher, Sydney was accepted into East Carolina University’s STEPP Program and graduated with a Bachelor of Science with a focus in child psychology and development. During the pandemic, Sydney served as a child development specialist in the PICU at ECU Health. She is currently working towards her Master of Science in child life and is writing her thesis on healthcare disparities in pediatrics, furthering her commitment to the medical field and improving care for vulnerable children and families. Sydney is currently a fourth grade teacher at Trinity Episcopal School.

LAYLA BARRIER '12

After graduating from Fletcher, Layla went to Appalachian State University, where she pursued a major in marketing and a minor in Spanish. She graduated with honors from App State in 2017. Layla is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Delta Zeta sorority. During her time at App, Layla worked with the Mountaineers football team, coordinating with referees and television producers on game day. She has continued to work in sports, helping the Carolina Panthers on game days. Layla works full-time with Conway Restaurant Group as a sales and marketing manager. When she's not at work or helping the Panthers, Layla enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Reflecting on her Fletcher experience, Layla says, "Fletcher gave me lifelong friendships." 

Chris Love 

After attending Fletcher, Chris jumped at the opportunity to start working in the mental health field at various levels of care, becoming a North Carolina board-certified addictions counselor. He went on to help start North Carolina’s first Recovery High School, The Emerald School of Excellence, in 2019. Chris has recently started a private practice working with teens at Health Quest.

Hunter Benson '10

Since leaving Fletcher, Hunter attended Elon University and received a degree in religious studies. She then received her master's in global communications from The American University of Paris. Hunter lived in Paris for almost three years and has now been living in Washington, D.C., for the last five years. She is currently a financial advisor for nearly 200 clients.

Genevieve Ives Hayes

After attending Fletcher, Genny graduated from Charlotte Christian in 2006. She went on to attend Furman University, graduating magna cum laude, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Genny moved to Atlanta to start her career as an economist at KPMG. Following her work at KPMG, Genny moved into business consulting, where she has worked with banking and telecom clients on process improvement, strategy, and software implementation projects. When not at work, Genny can be found playing with her two children, hiking with her husband, or working in her flower garden.

Jonathan Russo '17

After graduating from Fletcher, where he received the Mac Fletcher Award, Jonathan went to East Carolina University. He graduated summa cum laude in 2021 with a degree in biology. Jonathan is currently attending Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska, and will graduate in 2025. After he finishes school, Jonathan plans to return to the Charlotte area to practice dentistry.

Will Stone '15

After graduating from Fletcher, Will attended the Firefighter Academy at Cleveland County Community College in 2016 and graduated with his North Carolina Firefighter Certification. He went through additional training for technical rescue and received his North Carolina EMT Certification. Will is now a full-time firefighter/EMT in High Point, North Carolina, and is married to his wife Rebecca. Will and Rebecca have a son and welcomed twins in 2023.

Emma Parkes '16

After graduating from East Carolina University with a bachelor's degree in science, Emma went to graduate school at UNC Charlotte, where she earned her degree in counseling. She currently works as a seventh grade counselor at South Charlotte Middle School with the hopes of starting her own practice in the future. 

Caroline Huang

After graduating from Clemson, Caroline jumped into sales at Pearson Education, where she managed Pearson's educational software business at technical colleges and four-year universities in South Carolina. She transitioned to biotech in 2019 and has been working in this industry, supporting cell and gene therapy companies as they bring new products to the market. Caroline now lives in Greenville, SC, with her family.

Rich Devita '08

After leaving Fletcher, Rich went on to East Carolina University and graduated in 2012, majoring in Public Relations and minoring in Sports Studies. He works for Equitable as a Senior Financial Wholesaler, holding his Series 6 and Series 63 licenses. Rich left the Charlotte area for a brief time, living in Miami and Chicago, but has since moved back.

Matt Perry

Matt has been making a difference at The Fletcher School for fourteen years. After leaving Fletcher, Matt went to East Mecklenburg High School and graduated from UNC Greensboro in 2009. He returned to Fletcher the same year as a P.E. teacher and has continued changing the lives of our students ever since. 

Andrew Jaffe '16

Since leaving Fletcher, Andrew's focus has been furthering his education and gaining global experiences, including in the Middle East and South Asia, to support his career aspirations. Andrew completed his undergraduate degree in graphic communications management with a minor in general business at Appalachian State University with honors, magna cum laude. In addition, he just finished an MBA with a concentration in business analytics at Appalachian State University's Walker College of Business. Andrew is excited about his next adventure, which is moving to Dallas, Texas, to start a career at IBM.

Cassie Eaker Puckett '09

After graduating from Fletcher, Cassie fulfilled her dream of graduating from college with a BA in Psychology from Queens University of Charlotte. After college, she explored the workforce for a few years before ultimately landing a role as a Financial Officer at AeroDyn Wind Tunnel and A2 Wind Tunnel. Both are local businesses located in Mooresville, North Carolina. Cassie is a proud wife and mother to two boys. She enjoys spending her free time with her family. “The culture instilled in me at Fletcher stays with me to this day, and I am thankful Fletcher taught me to work hard and believe in myself and my abilities."

Kiernan McCarthy '14

Kiernan swam at West Virginia Wesleyan College all four years of undergrad and led the team to conference champions for the first time in 20 years in his senior year. He graduated from Wesleyan with a BA in English, with a focus in journalism. Kiernan then immediately started pilot training out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He now teaches others how to fly airplanes out of the Pittsburgh Flight Training Center and is currently working on his commercial multi-engine license.