SYLVA, N.C. – In order to mount a comeback, one must first encounter a pitfall.
For Katelynn Ledford-McCoy, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the pitfall was a doozy. It began with a foray into drugs, advanced to a crippling addiction and culminated with some jailtime.
Katelynn Ledford-McCoy, right, who earned her degree from Southwestern Community College in 2023, has been named the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award. (SCC photo)
At some point along the way, she realized it was time to climb out – so she got into recovery and later enrolled in classes at Southwestern Community College.
“I had just a little bit of hope,” Ledford-McCoy recalled, “and I honestly had a lot of fear. But once I got started and I got to meet all the instructors and had people to help and support me and love me along the way, I knew each day that the hope that I was carrying was growing.”
Fast forward nearly 10 years after being released from jail, and her comeback is breathtaking. Ledford-McCoy is an SCC graduate. Along with her husband Kallup McCoy II, she founded RezHOPE – a non-profit organization that aims to help others overcome addiction and live fulfilling lives. She now serves as RezHOPE’s Executive Director.
She’s an ultra-marathon runner, a public speaker, an inspiration to many – and she has now been named the eighth recipient of Southwestern’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
“I feel like whenever you’ve gone through something dark in your life, and you’ve been able to come out on top, it’s our purpose to turn around and help those that are still struggling or coming behind you,” said Ledford-McCoy, who earned associate degrees in Human Services Technology and Addiction & Recovery Studies from Southwestern in 2023.
Ledford-McCoy will be honored during the graduation ceremony for SCC’s Health Sciences Division at 10 a.m. on May 16 in Myers Auditorium on Southwestern’s Jackson Campus. The award will also be acknowledged during ceremonies for Arts & Sciences and Early College (12:30 p.m.) and the Career Technologies Division (3 p.m.).
This is the eighth year Southwestern has bestowed the Distinguished Alumni Award. Previous recipients have been Kyle Dowling (2019), Dustin Wilson (2020), John Mattox (2021), Jared Ballew (2022), Dr. Rivers Woodward (2023), Lorelei Garnes (2024) and Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks (2025).
“Katelynn is one of the more inspiring individuals you will ever meet,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC’s president. “Not only has she overcome the odds to change the trajectory of her own life, but she’s also committed her life to helping others make a positive change as well.”
For more information about the Distinguished Alumni Award at SCC, visit www.southwesterncc.edu/award.
- Southwestern Community College release
