This month our “SPOTLIGHT” is on Keith Byrd, alumni class of 1997. Keith started at SVCA in the sixth grade. Here are the questions we asked and the answers he gave:

SVCA: What do you think helped you the most from SVCA to achieve your accomplishments today?

Keith: The teachers at SVCA were so helpful in explaining every subject and SVCA as a whole helped me create a balance between scholastic and extracurricular activities.

SVCA: Where did you further your education? Field of study?

Keith: Thanks to SVCA, I received excellent scholarships to several Universities, including the college I chose, Queens University of Charlotte in Charlotte, NC. There I studied Communication with a minor in design. I did several internships at the University, including one in the Office of University Relations, which lead to a full time position right after I graduated. I worked as Senior Graphic Designer for Queens for five years.

SVCA: What are you doing today? Your goals for the future?

Keith: I am currently working as Director of Integrated Marketing for Capital Meats, Incorporated; a company owned and operated by my sister Michele, who also graduated from SVCA. My goals right now are to aggressively grown the company through new online sales. You can check out our website at www.capitalmeats.com.
          
In the long-term future; however, I hope to run my own Creative Group that will offer full service in Graphic Design, Web Design, Event Planning, Corporate Consulting and Integrated Marketing.

SVCA: Where do you attend church? Do you serve there?

Keith: I attend church at St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church in Charlotte, NC. My wife, Freya and I have just started, but hope to get more involved this year.

SVCA: A great moment at SVCA

Keith: Having the honor of being Valedictorian of my class was my greatest moment at SVCA. Also, being on the soccer team that went undefeated and playing in two NACA soccer championship games, even though we only won one. Congrats on this years team! It’s about time we got the big trophy again!

SVCA: Your challenge to other Alumni. To SVCA students today.

Keith: My challenge to other alumni is just to stay connected. There are plenty of ways to contact each other, including facebook.com or myspace.com. You can find me on facebook.com or you can email me directly at keith_hamilton_byrd@yahoo.com.

To the current students at SVCA, I would challenge you to get involved with community service projects in any way. Look for ways to get involved: soup kitchens, canned food drives, tree plantings, environmental clean ups, The American Heart Association heart walk, or the Race for the Cure. It sounds cheesy, but actions speak louder than words. It’s a testimony just to get out into the community and help.

I would also recommend looking for internships and/or for career mentoring opportunities. It’s never too early to start thinking about what you would like to do as a career.