Some of you may know Dana Davis Blake from her time on TV. Dana and 12 other contestants were chosen out of over 100,000 applicants to star on ABC's "Whodunnit?" last year. Founded by the creator of CSI, Anthony Zuiker, the show was a murder mystery reality competition. In each episode, the contestants had to use forensics and sleuthing to solve the crime. The one with the least accurate account of the cause of death was killed off. While Dana is excited about the future possibilities for her acting career, her compelling story begins in the past.

Dana began her studies at A-B Tech at 16, working toward a GED after having her first child. Her time trying to balance getting an education while providing for a baby was certainly a struggle. "That's why I tell folks that I know how hard it can be to think about the future with bills and responsibilities mounting up. I have been there!" Dana said. "But what might seem like the 'worst' thing at the time can turn out to be the very best thing."

Upon finishing her GED, Dana originally explored attending a 4-year university but quickly realized that she needed a "skill" to provide for her family. She enrolled in A-B Tech's practical nursing program. "It was a daunting experience," Dana said. "There were folks of all ages and experiences and here I am this simple 19 year old girl going through it all." Upon graduation, Dana went to work at the Olson Huff Center (part of the Mission Children's Center) as a Licensed Practical Nurse.

With the help of Mission Hospital, and almost a decade later while raising her family, Dana returned to A-B Tech to complete her Associate's Degree in Nursing. While completing the program, Dana was expecting her fifth child and became a single parent again, all the while continuing to work and raise a family. "There were times I thought I couldn't make it, but my sister and I went to class and completed the ADN program together." At graduation, while eight months pregnant, Dana was chosen by her classmates to speak at their pinning exercise. While graduating was no small feat, this was just the beginning of her nursing education and career.

"I caught the bug thanks to the love and support of my instructors at A-B Tech," Dana said. She went on to complete her Bachelor's Degree in 2010 from Gardner Webb University. In fact, just as she was killed off on "Whodunnit" last year, Dana caught a red eye flight back to North Carolina and walked the stage at Gardner Webb three days later to receive her Master's Degree in Nursing!

Dana now serves as Mission Health's Heart Outreach Coordinator, working to create a revolution in reversing cardiovascular disease. "I have never regretted being a nurse one day in 20 years" Dana says. "I have worked in pediatrics, geriatrics, and urology but found my love in cardiology prevention." Dana is also thrilled to be able to reconnect with the College as a member of the A-B Tech Alumni Association. She hopes that other former graduates will reach out and reconnect with their alma mater.

Want to join the A-B Tech Alumni Association or share your success story? Please contact the Alumni Office at 828-398-7171 or email [email protected]. You can also visit our website at www.abtech.edu/alumni.

We greatly appreciate the work of our Golf Planning Committee: Mr. Mike Ray, Chair; Mr. K. Ray Bailey; Mr. Lou Bissette; Mr. Charles Frederick; Mr. John Ellis; Ms. Lynne Gabai; Ms. Susan Haldane; Mr. Chris McGuire; Mr. Steve Jones; Ms. Anita Metcalf; Ms. Carol Stanford; Mr. Ken O'Connor; Ms. Sue Olesiuk; Ms. Judy Ray; Dr. Lary Schulhof; Dr. David White; Mr. John Winkenwerder; and Mr. Chris Young.

An enormous debt is also owed to the 25+ A-B Tech staff and local volunteers who helped during the event, as well as to A-B Tech student and Golf Scholarship recipient Stella Galyean, who gave a wonderful talk on the impact of this scholarship in her life.

Finally, we'd like to say a huge "Thank You" to our 2014 Teams and Sponsors for making this such a successful day.  We hope you enjoyed yourselves at the tournament, and we hope to see you again next year!  

Next year's tournament is set for Friday, June 5, 2015. For more information on how to be a part of this fun, and important, day on the golf course, please contact Susan Haldane, Special Events Coordinator, at 828-398-7567 or [email protected].

Course Sponsor 

SSC Services

Gold Sponsors 

Bowers, Ellis & Watson  

Mission Health

Golf Cart Sponsor

Mechanical Systems & Services

Hat Sponsor

M.B. Haynes Corporation

Bronze Sponsors

Arby's

BB&T

Campbell Shatley

CarePartners Health Services

GE Aviation

Golden Ray Foods

Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites

Holston Gases

J. Jackson Teague, DDS

Learning Environments

Linamar

Mail Management

Mills Manufacturing

Padgett & Freeman

Wells Fargo

WRESA

Team and Hole Sponsors  

Bruce Goforth

Clean Environments

Fairway Divas

First Citizens Bank

Hart Funeral Services, Inc.

McGuire, Wood & Bissette/WCI

MidSouth Forms

Pepsi Cola Bottling of Hickory NC

Pentair

PSNC/Wells Fargo

TD Bank

Title Company of NC

Williams Family Dentistry

Team Sponsors

GMIA/A-B Tech

Pentair

Hole Sponsors

Asheville Savings Bank

Biltmore Oil

Canteen Vending

Carpet One Floor & Home

Chick-Fil-A

Clark Nexsen Architecture & Engineering

DH Griffin

Eaton Electrical

Emory Electric

Friday Services, Inc.

FastSigns

Alice & Bill Hart

Jacob Holm

HomeTrust Bank

Inform Systems Data Documents

inSync Benefits

Liollio Architectural Group

Nevada Bob's

Moss Signs

Patterson Dental

Prestige Subaru

Roberts & Stevens

Southeastern Container

The Littlest Golfer

Wagon Wheel

Young Transportation

Zoe's Restaurant