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Ashe County

Ashe County

Ashe County began its Empowering Youth and Families Program in Fall 2020. They started their first Cohort virtually early 2021. This was the first family cohort to participate in EYFP in Ashe County. Each family participates in a ten session program that is designed to strengthen their relationships and empower them to lead community change.

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Meet Our People

Alex Kissinger

Alex Kissinger

Program Assistant, Empowering Youth and Families Program
  • Ashe County native
  • A graduate of North Carolina State University in 2020 with a B.S. in Poultry Science with minors in Ag Business and Feed Milling
  • Currently working on a masters degree in Agricultural & Extension Education from North Carolina State University
  • Enjoys spending time outdoors, especially hunting and fishing with his best friends
  • Aspires to become a county agent with N.C. Cooperative extension and to start his own farming operation in the near future
  • Excited to develop the EYFP program in Ashe and Alleghany County and develop vital skills to be successful in extension 
Amanda Butalla

Amanda Butalla

Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Graduated from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point with a BS in FCS: Child, Youth, and Family Studies and a BA in Spanish Language and Literature
  • Enjoys adventure through traveling, hiking, reading, and above all, cooking
  • Happy to call the Blue Ridge Mountains home after moving from Wisconsin in 2019
  • Passionate about sustainable practices in food and family life; home gardening, composting, minimizing waste and consumption
  • Enjoys combining her skills in the areas of nutrition and family to promote wellness through the Empowering Youth and Families Program
Allison Hagar

Allison Hagar

  • Senior BSW student at Appalachian State University
  • Intern for Parent to Parent Family Support Network of the High Country 
  • Enjoys playing guitar and singing, hiking, bluegrass music, and ultimate frisbee
  • Aspires to have a career that focuses on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) with a goal of youth development and empowerment 
  • Former summer camp director for YMCA of Catawba Valley and executive assistant for Alexander County Habitat for Humanity   
  • Passionate about EYFP’s mission and encouraging families  

Program Contact Information

EYFP PA – Alex Kissinger

  • 134 Government Cir, Suite 202, Jefferson, NC 28640
  • (336) 846-5850
  • akissin@ncsu.edu