by Alyssa Gibson

Rural Piedmont College wouldn’t seem like the first choice for someone who’s had their hand on the urban pulse for most of their life.

For Regina Fried, living and thriving in major cities across 8 states is normal, yet Piedmont College’s hometown atmosphere appealed to her more than the buzz of city life. Piedmont became her home 13 years ago and she’s loved it since moving here. With her dad in the Navy, Fried moved around several times during her childhood. “I was born in Orlando, and then we moved to Hawaii,” said Fried, design manager for Piedmont. “I’ve lived in Washington, Georgia, Connecticut, South Georgia, Virginia, San Diego, and back to South Georgia where I graduated high school.”

Having lived all over the U.S. gave Fried the chance to see the country from every coast and experience different ways of living. After her high school graduation, Fried decided to join the Navy, but changed her mind and decided a small college was the best fit for her.

“I had friends that went to school here [Piedmont] and they loved it and would come back and visit me,” she said. “They convinced me to come up here and check it out. Everyone was helpful and wanted me to be here. They walked me through the scholarship process and helped me make it happen,” Fried said.

Piedmont’s friendly atmosphere is what convinced Fried to stay and make it her home.

Fried started as a student worker for the previous graphic designer on campus and fell in love with the art form. After graduation, Fried secured a job in Institutional Advancement to replace her former boss. Currently, she is responsible for all publications on the entire campus.  “I make ebooks, brochures, posters, music programs, postcards, flyers, and much more,” Fried said. She also worked at Brenau University for a year in between her career at Piedmont.

“Brenau was a little more urban than Piedmont and I loved all the really old traditions they had, like finding an old spade or doing a maypole,” Fried said.  “I really loved it and there was a lot of really cool stuff about it, but when Piedmont asked me to come back I felt relived to be coming home.”

Piedmont’s caring atmosphere drew Regina back to the college she loves and thrives on.

Fried has future plans that include travels to Greece to explore caves and experience the culture, but her plans will always include Piedmont. “At Piedmont, I feel like my job has a cause more so than big corporate organizations,” Fried said. “Our purpose is students and we are all getting something out of it in return, and that is really only something you can get from Piedmont.”