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.

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.

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."

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.

Matt Perry '96

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. 

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.

Caroline Huang '04

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.