Emily was born and raised in Western North Carolina. After graduating from Caldwell Community College, Emily went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in Organizational/Public Communication from Appalachian State University and a master’s degree in Communication from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Emily has over 10 years of higher education experience. Much of her career has been spent in enrollment, advising, and teaching within the communication discipline at two-year and four-year public and private institutions.