RADFORD -- Junior sociology major Aysha Bodenhamer is not one to sit still and let things happen around her. She’s always on the move, spending a great deal of her personal and study time in promoting Appalachian heritage. She’s been a recipient of an outstanding student award, a Kirk scholar, served on the Appalachian Events Committee, presented research to the Appalachian Regional Commission and has been a mentor in the RU AASIS (Appalachian Arts and Sciences in the Schools). She’s also a member of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

A native of Mt. Airy, N.C. – a town that resembles the fictitious Mayberry “but not quite as bad” – Bodenhamer is working toward a minor in international studies. She wants to use her sociology major to help her in a career that will focus on community sustainability.

“I didn’t know I was Appalachian until I came to college. People of Appalachia have an incredible culture that has so many resources that people haven’t tapped into,” she says. An advocate of sustainability, she appreciates the green environment of the region and has been active in spreading the word on the affects of mountaintop removal. Bodenhamer believes that education can solve a multitude of problems. “That’s what our research is about when we present to the Appalachian Regional Commission. Education gives opportunities, career choices, helps with group healthcare issues. It’s about people awareness,” she says.

Bodenhamer says her trip to China as part of the Kirk Scholars program was a real eye-opener. “They know about our cultures. They’re hard-working people. It takes diversity to make the world work. The trip helped me realize that we aren’t the only ones on the planet. We need to get out of our comfort zones.”

Bodenhamer works part-time for the Virginia Economic Bridge’s Return to Roots program which works to bring natives back to their roots, a good tie-in for her interest in Appalachia. We work toward enhancing business development, bringing jobs to the area and planning focus groups.” The Return to the Roots program provides a web portal for employers to network with job seekers in hopes of filling those positions.

In her spare time – which there is little of – Bodenhamer enjoys blues, folk music and jazz but surprisingly is not a big fan of country. The outdoors is among her favorite places to relax. She enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, golf and going to concerts.

“It’s important to do what you love. If you do what you love, good things will come your way. If you don’t, things will be mediocre at best,” she believes. Bodenhamer wants to leave a legacy of a hard-working woman that genuinely tried to stand up for the underdog. “I’m a firm believer in equality,” she says, “I want people to remember me as someone who thought more about others than I did myself.”