4 A-State graduates to be recognized as 2024 Emerging Young Alumni

JONESBORO – The A-State Alumni Association and Student Philanthropy Council announced the recipients of the 2024 Emerging Young Alumni (EYA) Award at Arkansas State University (A-State). This marks the 6th year of the recognition program for young A-State alumni.

Those chosen as Emerging Young Alumni are individuals who, through their personal involvement, have made significant contributions to A-State, their profession, or their community.

The 4 EYA recipients will be honored at a luncheon beginning at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, September 5, at the Cooper Alumni Center, 2600 Alumni Blvd. Ticket information is available online at RedWolv.es/EYA24

Below are brief highlights of the 4 recipients of the 2024 EYA Award:

Garrett Barnes

A native of Bono, Barnes serves Craighead County as a justice of the peace on the Quorum Court. He earned his bachelor's degree in management in 2010, followed by a master's degree in education in 2017 and an education specialist degree in 2019. He has worked in public education, teaching at Rivercrest Junior High and High School and Douglas MacArthur Junior High School. Since 2018, he has served as assistant director of the Northeast Arkansas Career and Technical Center in Jonesboro.

In 2023, he was honored as Arkansas's Young Democrat of the Year. He has served two terms as president of the Jonesboro Faculty and Staff Team, holds the position of Worshipful Master of Jonesboro Lodge 129, serves as education chair of the Craighead County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and is a member of the University Heights Lions Club. He and his wife, Maggie, currently live in Jonesboro with their two sons.

Zachary J. Brogdon

Brogdon graduated from A-State in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies. He has worked for California-based Nextivity, Inc. for the past six years. He currently oversees global strategic sales for the technology company, advising national and multinational companies on cellular, private networks, and critical communication strategies.

While at A-State, Brogdon was actively involved in the Sigma Chi fraternity, the Student Government Association, the Student Union Advisory Board, served as a Chancellor's Ambassador, and was a devoted Red Wolves fan. He is a sixth-grade Sunday school teacher at Immanuel Baptist Church, a founding board member of the Arkansas Travelers Youth Foundation, and a board member of Make-A-Wish Mid-South. His love of sports has led him to coach for Junior Deputy baseball league and Arkansas United Soccer Club. He and his wife, Shelby, have two children and currently live in Little Rock.

Meredith Cook

A 2006 A-State graduate with a bachelor's degree in health promotion, Cook has worked in the Jonesboro community in health care. She began her career as assistant director of the Cardiology Associates and Clopton Clinic Foundations, where she worked in nonprofit fundraising. She then spent more than a decade as community marketing manager for St. Bernards Healthcare. She currently works as a storytelling associate at Ascension Healthcare, capturing stories that highlight unique aspects of careers within the organization.

An active community volunteer, Cook has worked with Make-A-Wish Mid-South as a wish granter, with the United Way of Northeast Arkansas, CASA of the Fourth Judicial District, Hope Found of Northeast Arkansas, and Junior Auxiliary. While at A-State, Cook was a member of the A-State Dance Team and served as a volunteer coach after graduation. She continues to support the university through the A-State Committee with the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, the A-State Letterman's Club Board, and the Chi Omega Alumnae Board, as well as serving as a recruitment advisor. She and her husband, Justin, live in Jonesboro with their daughter.

Matthew C. Hampton

After graduating with a bachelor of fine arts degree in theater design and technology in 2014, Hampton moved to New York City, where he works as a costume designer and costume design associate. Hampton's costume design credits include the Broadway production of \"Water for Elephants,\" on which he currently works, Bob Fosse's \"Dancin',\" \"Frozen,\" and several U.S. touring productions such as \"Elf,\" \"Anastasia,\" and \"Oklahoma.\"

Hampton remains connected to A-State, providing the A-State Theatre Department with access to patterns and materials from previous productions he has worked on. He encourages current theater students to get involved in on-campus experiences and to learn as much as possible through internship opportunities. Hampton and his husband live in New York with their son.