WEST VIRGINIA WONDER WOMEN
DAWN-NOEL DUNBAR Built to Carry On After her deployment to
Afghanistan, First Sergeant Dawn- Noel Dunbar was transferred to the 811th Ordnance Company of the Army Reserves in Rainelle. In 2016, after less than a year in her new community, she, along with other soldiers from the 811th Ordnance Company, provided life-saving assistance to Rainelle residents trapped in their homes due to rising floodwaters. As an active guard reserve soldier, Dunbar is the Training NCO for the 811th’s junior soldiers. She believes great leadership is key to anyone’s success and takes pride in guiding the next generation of the military. She is the senior enlisted advisor to the
811th commander, ensuring the success of the commander’s mission and the welfare of the Company’s soldiers, who logistically support forward fighting war soldiers. Dunbar’s conviction and tenacity aid her in these mentally and physically demanding roles. Dunbar continually sees the resilience of her community, and her advice to others is to always seek to go forward. JC
ARY’AN GRAHAM Drum Roll, Please Ary’an Graham is a
musician, drum teacher, and college student from Princeton. She began taking guitar lessons at Stages Music School in Princeton when she was just 8 years old, and now, at 21, teaches drum lessons at the school that shaped her. For the past five years she’s been touring the
East Coast with The One Voice Project, an anti-bullying and empowerment concert tour, and she’s also an advocate for Free2Luv, a national nonprofit whose mission is to end bullying. Graham plays drums in the band Option 22 and, for the past 13 years, has been playing music with bass player and best friend Kayla McKinney, one of last year’s WV Living Wonder Women. Graham doesn’t only do musical tours, but also travels the state with Create Your State, inspiring and empowering community transformation through the arts. When she graduates from New River Community and Technical College, she plans to pursue music production. JC
84 wvl • fall 2020
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