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Alumni Achievers-5663

Published April 25, 2014

Know a Williamson County Schools graduate who has moved on to great things? CLICK HERE to send us an email and nominate an Alumni Achiever. Simply tell us the person's name, what they're doing now, and an email address or phone number so that we may contact them.

Rob Bellenfant - Ravenwood High Class of 2005

Rob Bellenfant is the Chief Executive Officer of TechnologyAdvice, an IT marketing company located in Williamson County. He moved to Brentwood with his family at the age of 11 and attended Woodland Middle, Brentwood High and Ravenwood High. After graduation, he attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

How long have you owned TechnologyAdvice and what led you to purchase the company?

I have owned the company for eight years. I purchased it in January of 2006 after selling my previous business to my partner as a freshman at UT Knoxville. My purchase of the company was led by my motivation to work for myself and move into an exciting new industry.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy helping my team members grow both personally and professionally. It is very rewarding to help them achieve goals they have set for themselves.

What did you enjoy most about your high school experience?

I enjoyed being the first graduating class at Ravenwood High School. I remember when it was still being built, Dr. Pam Vaden took me and a few other students for a tour and to get our feedback. It felt great to have the school's principal seek feedback from me and the other students. I also enjoyed the school spirit that our class had. As the first graduating class, we felt responsible for setting the bar high for future classes. Although I would not consider myself directly responsible, I think we also took advantage of some of the flexibility we had before a lot of rules were in place, perhaps ruining that freedom for future classes.

What WCS teacher made a difference in your life and how?

Larry Kedigh made a huge impact in my life. I took AP computer science as a freshman with him at BHS. I felt special because he let me take it as a freshman which wasn't the norm. I learned a lot about logic and solving problems with computers and coding that I still use in my business to this day. Larry also taught me that to be a great teacher, you did not have to follow all of the school's rules verbatim. Rules are put in place to protect the majority from the minority and if some of your students want to order pizza for lunch, what harm will that really do?

Do you have any advice for current WCS students?

Although grades in school are important, they really are just the starting point to succeeding in your professional life. I have hired more than a dozen WCS graduates and many of them had better grades than I did in school. Grades are just one of many things employers look at when making a hiring decision. If you have the option of studying 20 hours per week to get straight A's or studying five hours per week for B's, and you use the other 15 hours per week to get involved with the community and hold a part time job, the latter is going to get you more real life experience and put you ahead every time.

Ashley Ladd - Franklin High Class of 2003

Ashley Ladd is currently an associate attorney for Larry R. Williams, PLLC where she represents clients in a broad range of areas including personal injury litigation, estate planning and business formation. Ladd attended Franklin High School before earning her bachelor's degree from Middle Tennessee State University and her law degree from Nashville School of Law.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

There are two aspects of being an attorney that I enjoy. The first is helping people solve their problems, whether they are simple or complex. The second and more challenging is the litigation side. I am a bit of a nerd who enjoys drafting pleadings and other documents and finding that one piece of law that helps my client’s case.

What did you enjoy most about your high school experience?

My favorite part of high school was the friendships I made as well as being a member of the basketball cheerleading squad and the Lady Rebel’s softball team.

What WCS teacher made a difference in your life and how?

I cannot say that just one teacher made a difference in my life. Each played a role in pushing me to reach my full potential.

Do you have any advice for current WCS students?

My advice to current WCS students is to get involved with your school, classmates and community. Join clubs and participate in extracurricular activities. Your time as a student will go by quickly and memories fade as you get older so make ones that will last.

Charlie Swor - Franklin High Class of 2000

Dr. Charlie Swor is currently in his third year as an assistant professor of chemistry at Young Harris College, a small liberal arts college in northeast Georgia. Swor grew up in Franklin and attended Grassland Elementary, Grassland Middle and Franklin High schools before receiving his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Tennessee Tech in 2004 and his PhD. in inorganic chemistry from the University of Oregon in 2011.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The thing I enjoy most about my job is working closely with students to help them become better scientists.

What did you enjoy most about your high school experience?

My favorite thing about Franklin High School was that there was always a positive and nurturing atmosphere, which allowed us to pursue a wide variety of interests. Also, the friends I made in high school are still my best friends today. I think that’s true of many of my fellow FHS graduates, but it’s pretty rare for graduates of other high schools.

What WCS teacher made a difference in your life and how?

Franklin High was filled with excellent teachers who all helped get me where I am today; so many that I won’t try to list them because if I did I would certainly leave someone very important out.

Do you have any advice for current WCS students?

As a college professor, my advice to current Williamson County students is to learn how to think and work before you get to college. You can make it through high school with either of those skills, but in college (and in the real world), you’ll need both. You’ll be more successful, and have more time for fun, if you can already handle that.