Rhea Carter is a Lead for America – American Connection Corps Fellow who is placed at Partners for Education to engage the region in the Place Matters work of Blue Meridian Partners. Along with supporting the cradle-to-career work of Place Matters, a good bit of Rhea’s role is gather information around broadband in Kentucky’s Promise Zone with the end goal of moving rural broadband policy through the American Connection Project lead by Land O’ Lakes.

Originally from Knox County, Kentucky, Rhea is focused on bridging digital and educational gaps in her home region of Appalachia. As the first person in her family to graduate from college, Rhea received a degree in Communication and minors in Appalachian Studies and Peace and Social Justice from Berea College in 2020. This coursework has given Rhea the tools to understand and intellectualize her own identity and culture, as is apparent in her senior research, “Reimagining Redneck: Appalachian Reception of Media.” Before coming into this role, Rhea interned at Partnership for Appalachian Girls’ Education and later recruited rural, low-income students for the Berea College Office of Admissions. Looking forward, she hopes to stay in her home state and continue fighting for equitable education and technology.

Sponsoring Organization: Partners for Education at Berea College