About NOSW

Marisa joined the New Opportunity School for Women (NOSW) Foundation in 2015.  A native of Berea, KY, she grew up on the campus of Berea College and was aware of the creation of the first NOSW site in Berea.  Marisa is currently the Outreach Coordinator for the Appalachia Regional Food Business Center with USDA and has spent most of her career working with Cooperative Extension supporting rural communities. Marisa joined the board of NOSW Foundation because she understands firsthand the importance of supporting women, providing educational opportunities and career guidance but most importantly creating a network for participants.

Sue Weant (Mrs. Robert) graduated from the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. She is a mother of two daughters and grandmother of five girls and one boy.

Sue moved from North Carolina to Kentucky in 1967 and has served as President of the Lexington Junior League and Executive Director of Partners for Family Farms. Sue served on the board of the New Opportunity School in Berea and joined the New Opportunity School for Women Foundation Board of Directors In 2015.

Shirley Thompson has proudly served on the NOSW Board in Berea in the past and currently serves on the NOSW Foundation Board.

Shirley is honored to say that she was in the second graduating class of the NOSW in 1988. At the time she attended the program, she had recently gotten a divorce and with three underage children, having no work experience, and only a high school education, she found it very difficult to know which way she needed to go.  She learned about the NOSW and applied, overnighting her application. The rest is history; with the help of Jane Stephenson, she found herself. Returning home from the school I enrolled in college, first receiving a BSW from MSU, then a MSW from UK, and also became a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor, all while working full time. She entered the work force, working with women who could also benefit from the program, sending close to 50 women to the school.  She is honored to have had 35 wonderful years associated with the program and hopefully many more to come.

Kristy S. Napier has been a Board Member with the NOSW Foundation since 2018. She joined the Board because she wants people to know the Foundation serves Appalachian women in need who desire a better life to themselves and their future generations. Kristy lived in eastern Kentucky (Pike County) until she was a teenager and learned rather quickly the negative perception others placed on the Appalachian area. With the help of NOSW Foundation, women’s lives are improved through access to  training, education, and resources that provide a hope and opportunity for a better future.

Kristy continues to reside in Kentucky.

Jennifer Fairchild joined the New Opportunity School for Women Foundation as a Board member because the organization drives productive change in the lives of Appalachian women.

Jennifer believes if you change the life of one woman, you can change the trajectory of not just her life, but of the lives of her children, grandchildren, etc. She believes in the mission of the NOSW, and the Foundation supports that mission. Jennifer has known about the New Opportunity School for Women since 1997, when Jane (Stephenson, founder) spoke to her college leadership class. She considers it an honor and privilege to be involved in the work of the Foundation and currently serves as Board Secretary. Jennifer lives in Kentucky.

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As a member of the New Opportunity School for Women Foundation Board since 2018, Mason has seen first-hand the impact this organization has on low-income women in the Appalachian region and beyond.   She is a graduate of Centre College and the University of Kentucky College of Law and know first-hand the importance of providing women with the confidence, knowledge, and skills to achieve success and self-reliance.  It is only because of the assistance and support she received from her family and mentors that today she is an attorney and owner of Kessinger Law Group, PLLC in Lexington, Kentucky.  She is thankful for the opportunity through this organization to return the favor to the women of Appalachia through the services provided by the New Opportunity School for Women Foundation.

Dr. Olivia Wedel has served on the NOSW Foundation Board since 2020. A native of Central Appalachia, she was born in Pike County, Kentucky and grew up in rural southwestern Virginianear Abingdon. She lived there until moving to Texas for graduate school in 2005. Olivia is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Olivia is certified in perinatal and maternal mental health (PMH-C) by Postpartum Support International. She has worked primarily with women and their families in various settings in her almost 17 years of working in the mental health field, and most recently, in the last three years of owning a private practice. She also enjoys serving as a permanent adjunct faculty member in the College of Education at TCU. Her dissertation research focused on the experiences of women from Central Appalachia who pursue higher education and training. Olivia was raised by a strong single mother who provided the belief that women can achieve goals when they have the right support, and she is honored to work with the NOSW Foundation in providing that support. Olivia is also a mother and loves coming home to the mountains with her son every chance she gets!