Picture a scene in which a symphony of children’s squeals of joy and laughter rises and falls against a background of water splattering like applause. Just steps away, a cacophony of jubilant cheers rain down on an Olympic-sized pool as athletes of all ages slice through the water toward individual and team achievement. And just beyond all that exhilaration, another body undergoes aquatic rehabilitation, someone experiences swimming for the first time and others participate in a revolutionary form of exercise. The common element and the catalyst for these smiling faces? Water. Some 15 years ago, the sights and sounds that...
A Legacy of Care
When Isabel Castro began her career with Aylo Health at the front desk in McDonough, she didn’t imagine her role would lead her to the clinical side. At the time, her work supported clinic operations behind the scenes. It wasn’t until she was offered the opportunity to join a medical assistant training program through Aylo Health that she began to consider a more hands-on role, caring for people in a new way. “It wasn’t something I originally had in mind,” Isabel said. “But it felt right, and having my mom as a medical assistant really encouraged me to take that...
Dr. Cindy Balsam Builds Confidence First, Then College Plans
Community Christian School’s college prep culture is easy to describe on paper. Students explore multiple post-high school pathways, from four-year universities to military service, two-year programs, and trade schools. Families are included. Courses are matched to student interests. Scholarships and outcomes are celebrated. But the real engine behind that culture is a person. After nearly a decade at Community Christian School, Dr. Cindy Balsam has become the kind of counselor students look for in the hallway, the kind of educator parents call years after graduation, and the kind of steady presence that helps a teenager stop counting themselves out. “It...
From Task to Patient
On a quiet afternoon near the end of chemotherapy, a nurse named Melissa paused at Caroline Mason’s chair and asked a deceptively simple question: “So, Caroline…what’s next?” Caroline didn’t have an answer, at least not right away. The question lingered through the beeps and hushed corridor noise until it settled somewhere deep, amid months of fighting and fatigue. What had made her happiest before everything changed? Caring for other people. That truth rose to the surface. “I’ve always wanted to be a nurse,” she finally said—a whisper that would become a life she hadn’t yet dared to imagine. In March 2021,...
A Miraculous Place for a Miracle Young Man
Before he was born, 17-year-old Mekhi Floyd faced life-threatening challenges. His mom, Altovise Floyd, became concerned about a month before...
Dr. Cindy Balsam Builds Confidence First, Then College Plans
Community Christian School’s college prep culture is easy to describe on paper. Students explore multiple post-high school pathways, from four-year...
Far East Meets South
Sweet Auburn BBQ started with a trailer in Atlanta and continued growing in popularity to now two restaurants, one on...
Personal Investments
In the process of building financial portfolios, where and how we invest our resources is of great importance. If one...
It’s Never too Late to Try Something New
For decades, Amy Iketani toyed with the idea of being a writer. In her early fifties, she decided to go...
Beautiful Legacy – Remembering Greg Horton
Greg Horton was not the type of person to seek the spotlight. Somehow, though, it found him. Not in a...
The Future of STEM Excellence
Henry County Schools’ mission to empower all students with exceptional opportunities that lead to success in a global society includes...
Allen’s Most Wanted
We have all seen an old western movie where the sheriff hammers a Most Wanted Poster on the outside wall...