Alumni News – February 2026

When asked how she landed at Roanoke College, Pam Wolle Pierce ’72 said, “Just my good fortune! I was looking for the beauty of a traditional small college in the mountains, not far from my home in Alexandria.” Pierce is CEO of Silver Bullet Productions, a nonprofit educational film company in New Mexico.

Silver Bullet’s award-winning documentaries air nationwide, sharing authentic stories of New Mexico’s Indigenous culture and history told by respected tribal leaders and experts. The company’s latest film, “No Greater Act,” began streaming Jan. 28 on PBS. It is described as telling “the little-known story of the NM Pueblo Resistance against colonization beginning in 1540.  A fascinating story, it is also the foundation for methods of Resistance today.  Not a history of Pueblos, or the Pueblo Revolt, but a history of early Resistance.  The film explores the birth of resistance in what would become the United States.” 

As a student at Roanoke, Pierce studied sociology and was a member of Phi Mu. She advises current students to stay open-minded about their potential and know that their chosen interests and career may change over time. “Use Roanoke as the launching pad for life skills, academic curiosity and problem-solving opportunities,” she said.

Matt Madalon ’06 was recently inducted into the Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, which follows his 2025 induction into the Roanoke College Athletic Hall of Fame. As goalkeeper, he led the Maroon men’s lacrosse team to two ODAC Championships. He also was named Second Team All-American twice, VaSID All-State twice and First Team All-ODAC twice, not to mention earning ODAC Player of the Year. He is still a record holder at Roanoke. Madalon graduated with a degree in history and is the head men’s lacrosse coach at Princeton University.

Lauren (Fischelis) Daugherty ’14 was recently featured in the equestrian lifestyle publication Sidelines Magazine, which told the story of her ownership of Baile Hill Farm in Sutton, Massachusetts. According to the article, Daugherty has loved horses since she was a child and was inspired to study health and exercise science at Roanoke College after being involved in a horse-riding accident in high school. While at Roanoke, an internship allowed Daugherty to work with an organization that offered therapeutic horseback riding. This experience led her to create her own program where people with disabilities and those without disabilities rode together. Her career continued to evolve in the equestrian space and, in 2022, Daugherty and her husband became owners of Baile Hill Farm, an equestrian facility in Massachusetts.