Smith came to ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ after learning about the university from her high school counselor. After visiting campus one summer, she was immediately drawn to the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ culture, the School of Communications and the many new opportunities that ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ had to offer, including study abroad.

While an undergraduate, she was involved in many different activities, including copy editor for The Pendulum, hosting a radio show at WSOE and getting involved with InterVarsity campus ministry.

“By far, the common thread that set apart my ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ experience was the fantastic group of people who were part of it. Building relationships with peers and professors from around the country and the world broadened my perspective and gifted me with friendships I still hold dear,” said Smith.

Smith is from South Carolina and decided to move back home after graduating, where she also served as assistant director for a camp and conference center that she had worked at during her summers while a student. This role eventually led to a family ministry director position for a local church where she led programs for elementary to high school students. In this work, she began participating in summer service experiences, which involved volunteering with , the current non-profit that she works for today.

“It was many of the students’ favorite experiences each year and mine too. The long days were full of navigating repair skills and construction hiccups, but they were met with powerful experiences serving homeowners who lifted our spirits more than we lifted theirs,” Smith said.

Four years later, Smith was asked to join Home Works as part of their full-time staff and said she felt called to step into this role. Founded in 1996, Home Works of America is a non-profit based in Columbia, South Carolina. What started as a small operation of friends and family repairing their neighbors’ houses, grew into a seven-member staff with three service regions and warehouses in South Carolina. The major areas served include the Midlands, the Lowcountry around Charleston, and the greater Greenville area.

“Repairs are completed at no cost to each low income client thanks to donations of materials and funds and the hard work of thousands of annual volunteers. We serve residents in the ‘Low and Very Low Income’ bracket based on HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) guidelines. These homeowners are often living alone, with their only income coming from Social Security, disability or Veteran benefits,” said Smith.

The goal is the repair homes and provide practical upgrades for the homeowners that are often disabled or older in age, but also to take care of many of the repairs that these owners may not be able to do on their own, without displacing them to a different home or care facility.

“Home Works is one of many organizations addressing an often complicated housing crisis. Our model of modifying existing homes is based on the consensus that most aging adults, an estimated 90%, desire to stay in their homes as long as possible instead of moving away from family or to a long-term care facility. Neighborhoods are strengthened when families remain intact and long-time residents can keep living in their homes,” Smith said.

The motto of the company is “compassionate construction,” which includes the physical repairs (re-roofing, building ramps, patching holes, painting and more) but also includes lifting the spirits of these homeowners and providing meaningful connections in the community.

For Smith, the relationships are the most rewarding part. Getting to see friendships kindled between volunteers and relationships formed with homeowners has been encouraging to her and gives her the “why” behind her work. “It’s a powerful reminder to me to slow down enough to really see people,” said Smith.

Smith explained that the job is not without its challenges, just like any other work, but that it is helpful for her to remember that all of the small efforts of many are what counts and that this adds up over time. In 26 years, Home Works has been able to help 3,300 neighbors with 50,000 volunteers, creating lasting change for their community.

Smith gives credit to ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ for preparing her for life after graduation, stating that she was able to try many new experiences and find out what she enjoyed, but that this trial-and-error approach also helped her to not fear asking for help along the way. If she could go back and tell her 18-year-old self how to approach college she said she would encourage herself to slow down and try even more things and to soak up those four short years.

One of the things Smith misses the most about campus includes the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ luminaries tradition at the Festival of Lights and Luminaries, as well as her weekly carnival cookie that she used to get at the Acorn Coffee Shop. Smith feels that ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ has successful alumni because of the sheer amount of organizations on campus that allow students to dive into life outside of their studies as well as the incredible faculty and peer support that she received while a student.

For those considering going into non-profit work, she advised, “Always remind yourself why you initially felt called to the work and meeting this kind of need. If your role doesn’t typically involve volunteering, build in opportunities for yourself to serve and connect over and over again.”

Smith plans to continue her role with Home Works, with hopes to expand the visual storytelling of the homeowners and volunteers that they work with. “Our repair waiting list continues to grow, and with that comes a need for more volunteers and ways to creatively bring awareness to Home Works. Working with a local PR firm, we’re hoping to create more videos and infographics to show the impact of this work,” said Smith. She hopes that this will ultimately lead to partnerships with local trade schools and more youth wanting to learn trades, such as construction, to help fill the void in the current workforce.

To learn more about Home Works, check out their social media channels on ²¹²Ô»åÌý.

Alumni of all generations are encouraged to attend as we kick off a new year of chapter events. Family, friends and guests are welcome to join. Free food and ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ gear will be available at all events. This is an opportunity to connect with other local ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ graduates and hear from chapter leaders about what is in store for the upcoming year.

Learn more and register for your chapter’s event by clicking the name of your city below: 
 

Alumni chapters in Alamance County, the Triad (Greensboro), Richmond, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. hosted events in mid-August. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Alumni Engagement at alumni@elon.edu or (336) 278-7500.

The Charleston Alumni Chapter will host an #ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵDay Party as part of this global celebration. 

Charleston Alumni Chapter #ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵDay Party
Tuesday, March 7, 6:30 p.m.
Taco Boy
217 Huger St.
Charleston, SC 29403

Please contact Jennifer Boozer, assistant director of regional alumni engagement, at (336) 278-7443 or jboozer@elon.edu with any questions. To learn more about #ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵDay, visit . 

The Charleston Alumni Chapter will host an #ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵDay Party as part of this global celebration. 

Charleston Alumni Chapter #ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵDay Party
Tuesday, March 8, 6 p.m.
Barsa
630 King St.
Charleston, S.C. 29403

Please contact Jennifer Boozer, assistant director of regional alumni engagement, at (336) 278-7443 or jboozer@elon.edu with any questions. To learn more about #ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵDay, visit . 

 today to let us know you’re coming!

Free food will be provided by the alumni club. We hope to see you there!

Please contact Jennifer Boozer, assistant director of regional alumni engagement, at jboozer@elon.edu with any questions.

for more information, and use the link below to register.

Wednesday, April 1

6:00 p.m.

The Lucky Oyster
2165 General Booth Boulevard 
#154
Virginia Beach, VA 23454

for more information, and use the link below to register.

Wednesday, April 29
6:30 p.m. 
Holiday Inn Riverview 
301 Savannah Highway
Charleston, SC 29407

Charleston Holiday Party
Tuesday, December 9
6 p.m.
Bay Street Biergarten
549 E. Bay St.
Charleston, SC 29403

Do you know a young alumnus or alumna who has experienced major professional success, made an exceptional difference in his or her community, or has been a loyal partner, advocate and investor in ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ? Nominate that individual today for the annual Top 10 Under 10 Alumni Awards, which recognize outstanding ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ undergraduate alumni who graduated between 2005 and 2014.  

Visit the , where you will find a brief online nomination form as well as information on winners from previous years. Nominations will be accepted through Saturday, Dec. 6.

For more information, please contact Jordan Bacharach ’09, coordinator of young alumni and student engagement, at jbacharach@elon.edu.

Lee Steele ’78 remembers well his first encounter with the paranormal.

He was about 10 years old and visiting his grandmother’s house. Walking upstairs, he heard a voice call out his name. “Lee” echoed through the empty hallways of the second floor. He ignored it.

“Lee.” The voice sounded again. Frantically searching for one of his family members who might be calling him, he found his cousins in one of the bedrooms. Once he explained the noise and saw their faces flood with panic and confusion, he knew the noise wasn’t coming from them.

He turned to go downstairs. “Lee.” The voice spoke a third time. Convinced the voice was caused by paranormal activity, Steele vowed to learn more about the spirit world and later began building his own tools to measure spirit activity.

For more than 20 years, Steele has conducted independent investigations and is now co-case manager, research specialist and co-lead investigator for the investigation team at , a nonprofit Christian paranormal team based in Liberty, N.C. Operating under the motto, “With the Lord’s protection, we shine a light into the darkness,” the team has investigated properties across the state, including the USS North Carolina battleship in Wilmington, and some locations in South Carolina, such as the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier in Mount Pleasant.

The part-time Walmart cashier, part-time ghost hunter says he never envisioned working for a paranormal investigation company. As an ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ student, he spent his time managing the football team and studying physical education to eventually become a high school football coach. Now, rather than helping high school students play football, he’s helping residents across North Carolina rid their houses of unwanted guests. And he’s glad it turned out that way. “I get satisfaction from helping others find peace and comfort with my team’s help,” he says. “The power of Jesus Christ motivates me to continue on, even though I put myself in harms way and am shunned by skeptics.”

When Steele first started, he didn’t mind conducting investigations alone. That all changed after he visited Devil’s Tramping Ground, a barren ground circle in the middle of a dense forest in Bennett, N.C., local legends claimed was haunted. Perhaps it was Steele’s inherent curiosity for the spirit world or a need to legitimize the legends; either way, he found himself alone in a dark forest circling around the supposedly haunted grounds. “I didn’t notice anything unusual,” he says. “But I also didn’t notice it getting dark, and I barely found my way out of there.”

Knowing he would be safer working alongside others, in 2008 he joined S.P.I.R.I.T., the Southern Paranormal Identification Research and Investigation Team. After investigating with them for a few years, he transitioned to Positively Paranormal in 2013 and now spends most of his time in front of a computer. Whether the team responds to a residential request or visits a public building or abandoned property, Steele researches before they investigate to provide context for any spirit activity they discover. “I spend more time researching now than when I was at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ,” he says with a chuckle. “I look at the history of the place, if there was a war there or any type of death or tragedy. That helps us determine if there might be any real paranormal activity at the site that would be related to those past events.”

Just as investigators from popular TV shows such as the Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures” or Sci-Fi’s “Ghost Hunters,” Steele and his team take their jobs very seriously. Providing accurate information is a priority; investigations demand precision with equipment and thorough fact checking. The team often divides into two groups, one starting inside the house while the other waits outside. After an hour or two they switch and later come together to compare results. “We don’t want to scare anybody so we always see if our results can be debunked by a natural source before we report them,” he says.

While Steele is naturally curious, his interest in the paranormal world stems from a passion for helping others. Earlier this year, Positively Paranormal received a request to investigate an apartment complex in High Point, N.C., where a woman and her young son had been complaining about strange noises. After the team performed a blessing on the apartment, the residents reported sleeping peacefully through the night for the first time in seven months. “That’s why we do what we do,” he says. “Our concern for a situation jumps when there is a child involved.”

Steele’s personal agenda reflects the larger mission of the company. While Positively Paranormal does accept donations for fuel and equipment, the team is a nonprofit for a reason. “We’re in it to help people, not to make money,” Steele says. The hours he spends researching and the energy he invests in performing investigations are completely free of charge. Although there is rarely a cause for concern, Steele says all team members help to protect each other during investigations; a few of them have been physically marred by angry spirits.

It’s not uncommon for him to meet skeptics, though he doesn’t dwell on that. If anything he welcomes any skeptics willing to accompany him on an investigation. “By the end of it, then we’ll see if you’re a believer or not,” he says.

Whether the spirits he encounters are good or evil, he isn’t sure. “I’m still questioning and trying to get answers,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons I’m in the business.” As an organization, Positively Paranormal believes spirits can be both. When they believe they have encountered spirits who haven’t crossed over to evil yet, they tell the spirit, “go to the light.” The team believes in God, the devil and spiritual warfare between the two. And while he may not be certain about everything in the paranormal world, Steele is clear about his future. “Absolutely I plan to continue doing this,” he says. “I’ll continue with this until I’m not able to do it anymore.”