Alumni Profile: School of hard knocks led to simply divine life
Ask June Keller “Kelly” Vernon ’84 to describe one of the strongest motivators in her life and she’s likely to reply, “I’m Simply Divine.” No, Vernon’s not vain. That’s the name of her 5-year-old American Saddlebred show horse.
Vernon, a dentist who runs her own practice and a mother of two preschoolers, rides whenever she gets a chance; it’s a passion she has possessed since the age of 9. She and her husband, Tom Coover, also raise horses on their 200-acre farm near Colonial Heights, Va.
Despite the demands on her time, Vernon has recently returned to the ring. She won a division championship in Harrisburg, Pa., last fall, and she’s training now for the World Championships in August.
How does she juggle it all? Perseverance and pluck – traits she honed at Mary Washington. She arrived on campus at the age of 18 on the heels of a family crisis that left her alone, vulnerable and practically destitute.
“Literally, Mary Washington saved my life,” Vernon said in a recent interview. “If the school had closed its doors to me [because of unexpected financial difficulties], I don’t know what would have happened to me. Those four years were the turning point of my life.”
With the help of the school’s financial aid office, Vernon was able to cobble together tuition through scholarships, student loans and work-study jobs. She developed friendships with other students, who opened their homes to her during holidays.
Instead of feeling sorry for herself, Vernon plunged into the challenge, earning a 4.0 her first semester. “I was so proud that under those circumstances, I could do so well.” She also affirmed that she wanted a career in medicine. Her part-time job in the biology lab provided some hands-on experience.
As a biology major, Vernon served for a while as president of a pre-med association. She had dinner one night with a local physician who was preparing to speak to the group. He told her, with great sadness, that his medical practice demanded priority over family time. “He told me not to go into medicine unless I was prepared to live a life like that,” she recalled. His advice weighed heavily.
That’s when she decided to go into dentistry. After graduation, she spent one year working in a dentist’s office and then enrolled at Medical College of Virginia’s dentistry school.
Now, Vernon said, she leads a charmed life. Her dental practice is successful. Her husband serves as business manager for the office and the couple spends as much time as possible with 5-year-old Joshua and 2-year-old Grace.
And Vernon spends a great deal of time with I’m Simply Divine. “He’s the horse I’ve waited my whole life for,” she said with unbridled enthusiasm. “It’s a thrill every time I ride him.”
It’s also a thrill, she said, to tell young people how much her years at Mary Washington meant to her. “My diploma hangs in my office and whenever a young girl says she is thinking of applying, I sit her right down and tell her to seriously consider the school and why.” Her lesson in self-sufficiency is one Vernon hopes other young people do not have to endure, but she credits the Mary Washington “family” with helping her through.
“Everything I did there formed me and helped me to be a better person.”
– Marjolijn Bijlefeld