When Kate and Liz reflect on their decades at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), they don’t begin with achievements or milestones. They begin with students.

For both, teaching public speaking was never simply about delivering speeches or grading presentations. It was about helping students discover confidence, clarity, and courage, skills that would shape their lives far beyond the classroom.

Liz began her journey at NOVA’s Alexandria campus in 1979, teaching communication through 2004 in the Alexandria campus. Her path to the classroom was anything but linear. After law school and work with the CIA, life led her from the Washington, D.C. area to North Carolina and back again. Ultimately, she found her true calling in higher education, where she could blend analytical thinking with mentorship and human connection. Liz also modeled not only how to teach, but how to care deeply about students’ growth.

Kate, inspired by her mother’s example, joined NOVA in 1995 at the Annandale campus. For several years, their time at the college overlapped, two dedicated educators on different campuses, united not only by a shared commitment to student growth, but by family ties. On one memorable occasion, Kate stepped in to teach one of Liz’s weekend classes during a family emergency, a reflection of both their bond and the collegial spirit that defined their time at NOVA.

Over the years, they witnessed changes in the college’s classrooms. NOVA’s student body grew increasingly diverse, reflecting global shifts. Students came from Vietnam and Cambodia, later from Eastern Europe and West Africa, and from communities across the region and around the world. For Kate and Liz, this diversity was one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching.

“Watching students blossom was everything,” Kate shared. “You could see them grow, not just as speakers, but as people.”

Kate and Liz also noticed a shift in students’ fears. Where earlier generations feared standing in front of a crowd, more recent students often expressed anxiety about interacting with strangers face-to-face, a change they attributed in part to social media and increased reliance on digital communication. Yet one thing remained constant: preparation and practice built confidence.

“You may never completely lose the nervousness,” Liz often reassured her students, “but you can learn to manage it.”

For Kate and Liz, education has always been about empowerment, giving students tools to improve their lives and strengthen their communities. That belief extends beyond the classroom.

In memory of Liz’s husband, Charlie, whose passion for education deeply shaped their family, Kate and Liz established a scholarship at NOVA to support students pursuing their dreams. The scholarship stands as a tribute to Charlie’s legacy and as a tangible expression of their enduring faith in the power of education.

They also continue to support NOVA through philanthropy, encouraging others to invest in a college they know transforms lives.

“NOVA provides high-quality education that truly changes lives,” Kate said. “When you support NOVA, you’re investing in students who will strengthen this entire community.”

To empower bright futures for students please click here.

To join the NOVA Foundation Alumni and Friends Network, please click here.