Stacie Rest

A June 2011 graduate of Northumberland High School, Rest was vice president of the Beta Club, a member of the Student Council Association and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and she played volleyball and softball,

She also assisted special-needs or at-risk students with the vocational skills necessary to enter the working world and volunteered with Relay for Life, Reading Partners and summer reading programs. Additionally, she has helped with various memorial golf and fishing tournaments that have been organized to raise money for people in need.

A member of the workforce since age 11, she is employed at Luna.

“The restaurant business is in my blood,” said Rest.

Her father has managed restaurants and nightclubs, and trained bartenders, she said. Her older sister also worked in restaurants.

At RCC, Rest serves as a student ambassador, greeting guests at the Warsaw Campus, giving tours, and answering questions from prospective students and their parents.

She defines her work ethic in these terms: “I’m very oriented toward doing things right. I never do anything halfway.”

“My RCC classes were very helpful,” said Rest. As well as offering a favorable student-to-teacher ratio, “they were much more challenging than typical high school classes, with much more expected of the student.”

They also showed her the advantages of online classes, and introduced her to “Blackboard,” a software program that allows college instructors to make course materials available online, and includes interactive features such as discussion boards and virtual chat rooms. She has completed college composition I and II, plus classes in mathematics, statistics, keyboarding, and emergency medical services. She is taking a summer class in geology.

“Online classes are a lot of work and definitely more difficult than a traditional classroom setting,” said Rest. “But they allowed me to get ahead, and they’re very convenient.”

Having completed a number of required courses will make it possible for her to schedule a lighter-than-average class load her first year at JMU, giving her the chance to adjust to college life at her own pace, she said. She also hopes to have time to continue playing volleyball and softball at the club level.

She plans to major in business at JMU.

“I hope eventually to have my own business, or to pursue a career in banking or accounting,” said Rest.