HUNTINGDON COLLEGE

News Release

November 30, 2023
For more information, contact:
Dr. Anthony Leigh, aleigh@hawks.huntingdon.edu

Kennedy Grace Chambers Holds Court

Montgomery, Ala. – As the volleyball season has concluded for the Huntingdon Lady Hawks, the lone senior on the team, Kennedy Grace Chambers ’24, is preparing her transition from the volleyball court to the court of law. She shares some reflections on her time at Huntingdon in this Q and A story.

Q. Give your basic information – name, hometown, major, and activities at Huntingdon.

A. My name is Kennedy Grace Chambers and I am majoring in business administration and minoring in public communications. I’m currently Involved in Phi Mu Theta Kappa Fraternity, a CCV Student Council member, Business Club member, and captain of the indoor volleyball team. I have served as or was Panhellenic Executive Council Vice President of Communication, Student Government Association Executive Council Secretary, and within Phi Mu Theta Kappa I served as Sisterhood Chairwoman, Historian and Chaplain.

Q. Why did you choose to come to Huntingdon?

A. When I visited Huntingdon College, I instantly felt a sense of relief and hominess. Another thing I loved about Huntingdon College is that it is more than just academics and athletic teams. This campus helps students create new friendships and gain connections that will last you a lifetime, and continually teaches you how to grow more day by day and year by year into the person you were created to be.

Q. How long have you been playing volleyball and what led you to begin playing the game?

A. I have been playing volleyball for almost 11 years. I originally started playing volleyball because I wanted a way to make more friends and be a part of something that would make me better in more ways than one. In middle school my best friends and I tried out for the middle school team, and we made it and little did I know that I would become addicted to the game. After playing my last game in my senior year of high school, I knew that I wasn’t ready to be done yet and I wanted to keep playing which then led me into committing to Huntingdon to do so.

Q. Describe the volleyball team at Huntingdon. What’s it like on bus rides, in the locker room, and at practice?

A. Over the past four years I have played for the volleyball team, I would say that this program is absolutely like no other. We consider ourselves a part of a family with each other. My favorite times over the seasons were on the bus rides back from traveling to away games and within the final hour of the ride back we would all wake up from our naps and act completely delirious and play games and laugh until we cried basically. I always loved how no matter what kind of day anyone was having when they came to practice they never allowed it to affect the time we had to prepare for the upcoming games that week. Our volleyball program prides itself on three main values – character, commitment, and compete. Over the years I have seen each incoming class exhibit these values more and more and teach the next class about why and how these values have helped shape our program into a family today.

Q. What memory from your playing days at Huntingdon will you forever cherish?

A. A memory that I will hold dearly was my last season ever playing volleyball. Throughout this season our team was dealt a harsh hand every time and somehow, we would climb our way out of it all. We finished the non-conference season with a record of 0-11 and entered the first week of conference play with no idea what the rest of the season might look like. At this time a lot of people on campus as well as players started to doubt the program and team but ultimately, we had a decision to make as a whole team and we did on a Sunday night in the locker room. We got together and we talked about what we expected, wanted, dreamed, fought for, and lastly what we were going to do to change to be better. That week we won our first couple of games and continued to win after that. During the season we still had our ups and downs with injuries but that never stopped our hunger to win. We fought our way back to the top and earned our spot as the second seed in the conference championship. I was beyond blessed and honored during this season to be awarded First-Team All-Conference Player as well as be selected for the All-Tournament Team. I will never forget my last season as I fought through war with my teammates and sisters through it all to get to where we knew we deserved.

Q. What are your plans beyond Huntingdon?

A. After graduating in May, I plan to continue working at Wilkerson & Bryan, P.C. as their paralegal as well as further continue my educational career at Faulkner University in the Thomas Goode Jones Law School and become an attorney that practices in contract law. With this I want to become a sports agent and help write contracts for college athletes and help them secure deals to play professionally.

Q. How has playing volleyball prepared you for your career?

A. Volleyball has helped prepare me to be ready for all the obstacles that could be thrown at me. It has taught me to work well with others as a team player. It has also prepared me to be more diverse and accepting of changes because life is never fair, and we must be ready to work with every challenge that is thrown at us. But most importantly it has taught me the importance of following through on your word and always being committed to what you have agreed or promised to do.

Q. What are two or three of your most favorite classes you have taken at Huntingdon?

A. One of my favorite courses I have taken here at Huntingdon College is business law taught by Dr. Christopher Clark. During this course we discussed the importance of laws and rules within our government but one thing I really loved about this course is that we were also taught the reasoning and the why’s to how these laws were created. Another course I loved taking here was argumentation and debate with Mrs. Elizabeth Rogers in the communication department. This course helped me understand how to properly argue one’s case and how to properly hold an argument. I know both of these courses will significantly help me in my future career in law one day.

Q. Tell us about your participation in Miss Huntingdon last year.

A. During the Spring of 2023 I competed in the Miss Huntingdon pageant. This was my first time competing for our school’s pageant and I absolutely loved it. Over the week of practice and preparation for the big day I was able to create and build some of the most rewarding friendships possible. Not only did I gain new friendships, but I was able to present my true and authentic self to our school and community. I told myself through this whole process I never wanted to be someone or something that I wasn’t and within my self-expression speech I spoke on becoming “The Woman in the Arena” which was exactly the real and uncut version of myself. The Miss Huntingdon pageant is an amazing opportunity for young women here at Huntingdon to participate in and I advise everyone to go for it and step outside of their comfort zone because you might even find your voice like I did that day. Overall, I was honored when I was awarded Second Runner-Up and was also given a scholarship for my tuition as well by the school. Not only did this opportunity help me in finding my voice but it further helped me in completing my educational career financially.

Q. Want to give a shoutout to a member of your team who you expect big things from in the future?

A. A teammate and best friend of mine that I want to give a shoutout to as well as someone that people need to watch out for because she is on the rise is Eva Ellenburg. If you do not know her then you most certainly need to meet her. She leads a life for Jesus and with Jesus. He shines a light through her that you cannot miss! On our team we consider her our “Sister Eva” as she does our pregame prayers as well as our prayers before our strength and conditioning workouts with Coach Charlie Goodyear. She is an amazing volleyball player that has never given up on proving her strength and value to this team ever. But the most important thing I love about Eva is her enthusiasm and heart. There is one thing I will guarantee you is that if you were to watch her play, not once will she be looking down or be timid! She is the team’s biggest cheerleader, hype-man, always has a grin on her face ear to ear and is always screaming for you and with you at every point of the game! This season she stepped into an extremely demanding and challenging position on our team, and she absolutely dominated it and I am so proud of her for it.

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Huntingdon College, in accordance with Title IX and Section 106.8 of the 2020 Final Rule under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, other applicable federal and state law, and stated College policy, prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.  Similarly, it prohibits discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age and/or national origin in its education program