2025-26 Yarbrough Fellows

Each semester, Grady College selects four students to be Yarbrough Fellows. Lily Alarcon, Grace Carter, Anyi Morfaw, Sarah Kate Maher and NaYoung Song have been named as the 2025-26 Yarbrough Fellows. The Yarbrough Fellows program offers Grady College students the opportunity to gain communications experience while serving the College.

Grace Carter and NaYoung Song are Yarbrough-Grady Crisis Fellows and are part of the Crisis Communications Think Tank leadership team by helping coordinate online content creation, event activities, and other communication efforts.

Morfaw and Maher are Yarbrough-Grady Communications Fellows, working with the Grady College Office of Communications strategizing Grady College’s social media content, writing features for the website and creating graphics. Alarcon, a December 2025 graduate, served as a Yarbrough-Grady Communications Fellow throughout the Fall 2025 semester.

The Yarbrough-Grady Fellowship is funded by Dick Yarbrough (ABJ ’59), an alumnus of Grady College who has helped promote the success of Grady students for many years. Yarbrough also gives back to students via the C. Richard Yarbrough Student Support Fund, which has provided stipends to dozens of Grady students for more than a decade. He is the benefactor of the C. Richard Yarbrough Professor of Crisis Communication Leadership, held by Dr. Yan Jin.

Learn more about the Yarbrough-Grady Communications Fellows here.

Anyi Morfaw

Anyi Morfaw, a senior public relations major with a minor in business and a certificate in new media from Augusta, Georgia, is set to graduate in Spring 2026. This past summer, with the Grady Chicago program, she completed an internship at Golin’s headquarters on their New Business, Global Growth, and Marketing team under AdPR Executive Advisory board member Carrie von der Sitt. Throughout her time at Grady, Morfaw has benefited from several unique opportunities, including serving as a cohort member of PR Week’s Outstanding Student of the Year Awards; presenting at this year’s International Public Relations Research Conference in Orlando, Florida, under Dr. Yan Jin; and directing programming for the Keystone Fellowship. She started as a Yarbrough-Grady Fellow last fall.

What skills have you gained in college that you think will benefit you the most in your career?

College has continued to strengthen my ability to be self-sufficient, self-reflective and think cross-functionally. Coming into college, I was a biology major and pursued a career in dentistry for two years. It took many challenging situations and devotion to seek clarity to understand myself and my skillset. Coming into Grady my junior year, I knew I had to adapt quickly, move fast and find ways to effectively apply new learned skills. Over time, I learned not to shy away from skills more prominent in my previous courses like research, problem-solving and analysis, but rather learn how to work with them and my interests. Now, I don’t see any journey as “time wasted” but a challenge to make use of new knowledge and ways to remain inquisitive.

What is your dream job?

This is a bit of a hard question to answer because I have so many interests. However, when I do think of the kind of job that I want, I know that a job that will allow me to be relatively hands-on and exploratory would be the most fulfilling for me. Some of the work that stands out to me most is creative strategy, experiential marketing, management and project design. Getting in-house experience would be great as that is something I have not experienced yet.

What is your favorite thing about Grady College?

My favorite thing about Grady is how easy it is to connect with people. Because of the nature of jobs in AdPR, there is a level of understanding when talking to other people about your interests, career path and questions about the future. Everyone is very approachable, understanding and supportive. I have honestly found comfort in the sheer amount of variety in people’s stories, backgrounds, mindsets and interests. Grady has an amazing way of having space for everyone. The versatility honestly seems limitless and if you are intentional, have the right conversations and sit in the right classes, you really will create your own reality and watch yourself become exactly who you want to be. I will always thank Grady and the Yarbrough Fellowship for that.

Lily Alarcon

Lily Alarcon graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public relations, a minor in communications studies and a certificate in new media studies in Fall 2025. During her time at UGA, she served as a Grady College ambassador, social media manager for Women in Media, and head of the DEI committee for the Public Relations Student Society of America. Additionally, she worked as a publicity assistant for Caren West PR and was an active member of TEDxUGA. Alarcon was named a Yarbrough Fellow in Spring 2025, and during her time, she contributed to more than 30 interviews for the InternViews and Profiles of Tenacity series.

How do you stay motivated during challenging times in college?

Revert back to the basics. Prioritize sleep, a healthy routine and your relationships during busy or difficult periods. College is all about learning how to balance your free time with a heavy workload. Creating a healthy medium between the two can keep you grounded, especially during challenging times. Find small moments throughout the day to give back to yourself and remind yourself of your personal values. College presents a rapid amount of self-growth and change in just a few years. Don’t dwell when things get too hard, but also stay grounded when things are going well for you. 

What is your favorite free-time activity?

Cooking is by far my favorite hobby. Once I reframed cooking from being an obligation to an act of self-care, it became one of my favorite pastimes. My parents have always instilled in me the connection between cooking and community. It is a great way to carry on family traditions and show acts of kindness to the people around you.

What is one piece of advice you would offer to incoming freshmen?

Take inventory of the things in your life that give you energy. If the mission of an organization or class project excites you, take note of that. Do not just go to class, study and then go home. Take advantage of the opportunities that college will present you. If you are really passionate about a project or cause, make time for it in your life. Be willing to show up places alone, even if you feel awkward and out of place. You’ll always be more thankful for the times you showed up, especially when you didn’t want to.

Sarah Kate Maher

Sarah Kate Maher is a public relations and political science major with minors in international affairs and law, jurisprudence and the state, as well as a certificate in public affairs communication. Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Sarah Kate has gained experience through internships at the Office of Senator Jon Ossoff and the Entertainment Software Association. She also serves as a Carolyn Caudell Tieger Fellow, promoting and advancing Grady College’s Public Affairs Professional Certificate program. Maher began her time as a Yarbrough Fellow at the beginning of the Spring 2026 semester.

How has your time at Grady shaped your career goals?

I came into college my freshman year solely as a political science major, knowing that’s what I was interested in, but not knowing exactly what I wanted to do. During my first semester, I took Professor Watson’s Intro to Public Affairs Communication and immediately knew that the PAC certificate was the path for me! Since then, being in the PAC certificate through Grady has afforded me many amazing experiences, like living and working in Washington, D.C. this past summer.

How do you practice self-care as a busy student?

I love doing yoga! It is such a great way to practice both movement and mindfulness. I am lucky to have found a great studio that not only provides great classes, but also a welcoming, friendly community. I also enjoy going on walks around Athens, both with friends and by myself. With my schedule, I’ve found it immensely helpful to block out time during my days specifically for movement and rest. That way, it still feels like I’m checking something off my to-do list, but with something that’s simultaneously beneficial and productive!

What is one piece of advice you would offer to incoming freshmen?

Get involved in everything, even if it’s something you’re not sure if you’re going to pursue for the rest of your time in college. It will take some time to find your perfect niche, and you won’t find it without trying a variety of different things. You’ll also meet a variety of different students through extending your involvement, and even if you don’t stick with something, you may find long-term friends. Say yes (as much as you can) and step outside of your comfort zone!

Editor: Sarah Kate Maher, skm01341@uga.edu