Senior exploring passion for community storytelling at Holle Center
Ansley Greer sits in her master’s-level autoethnography course, where she learns the nuances of analyzing people’s personal experiences to better understand broader societal issues.
Mastering this qualitative research method and its potential to enhance storytelling is key for Greer, a senior in the communication studies accelerated master’s program at The University of Alabama.
The course curriculum is interesting and engaging for Greer, whose service background in Tuscaloosa and law school ambitions align well with the class. But the course’s professor, Dr. Robin Boylorn, further enhances the learning experience with unique insights and inspiration, Greer said.
“I found my love for writing in that class,” Greer said. “Dr. Boylorn really focused on the way stories can connect people and build understanding across differences.”
Boylorn, the executive director of the Holle Center for Communication Arts as well as the Holle Endowed Chair of Communication Arts at UA, has given Greer greater influence and opportunities since their class in Spring 2025. Greer currently interns on the Holle Center’s narrative design team, a role instrumental to crafting a storyline to the center’s front-facing work, Boylorn said.
Greer first learned of the Holle Center internship opportunity during Boylorn’s autoethnography course.
“My mentor, Angela Billings, someone I consider one of my biggest cheerleaders, encouraged me to apply for the internship because she knew how much I cared about storytelling and communication,” Greer said.
The Holle Family Foundation made a $10 million gift in 2019 to establish the center to honor the life and legacy of Brig. Gen. Everett Hughes Holle, an alumnus of the College of Communication and Information Sciences. The Holle Center for Communication Arts serves as a collaborative hub for critical thinking, ethical storytelling and community engagement.
Greer is one of seven interns, divided into three teams: media and production, marketing and promotion and narrative design.
Each cohort has its own purpose to tell the center’s stories. The narrative design team focuses on writing, interviews and shaping stories; marketing and promotion interns develop graphics and strategy; and media and production handles photography, videography and editing.
“It’s been the best experience,” Greer said. “We collaborate all the time, and I am inspired by and learn so much from my cohort of talented interns.”
Greer said furthering Everett Hughes Holle’s legacy of service, compassion and storytelling in Alabama through the center is fulfilling, as she uses the communication skills she’s learned in classes to make a positive impact in the community.
“When I came to Alabama, I viewed communication as performance and persuasion, but the Holle Center taught me that it’s largely about responsibility,” Greer said. “Since working at the center, I’ve found myself approaching conversations with more empathy and intention.”
Community Impact
The Holle Center’s guiding principle is that everyone has a story to tell and a story worth telling. This belief is exemplified through the center’s upcoming community project, “You Mean the World to Me,” a collaboration with Dr. Zun Lee, a visiting scholar and the center’s artist-in-residence, to create an exhibition showcasing family photos of people in the community, along with their associated stories.
Greer serves as an intern on this project, compiling photographs and stories and examining the narrative themes that emerge from the collection.
“Working on this project, where people reflect on the stories and connections that shaped them, has impacted how I think about leadership and service; it’s not just about achievement, but about honoring the people and relationships that make us who we are,” she said.
Beyond her duties on the project, Greer leads on-camera interviews, drafts questions for podcast interviews and writes for the center’s newsletter. She also serves as an ambassador and represents the center at public-facing events throughout the school year.
Greer said the Holle Center has shown her the importance of encouraging people to tell their stories, as it can positively impact the community. The Holle Foundation’s investment in the Holle Center has enabled this unique avenue of experiential learning through the center’s podcast studio, photography studio, editing workspace, conference meeting space and more.
“Because people have taken the time to invest in students like me through places like the Holle Center, I can explore my passions and gain professional experience,” Greer said.
Greer plans to attend law school after she finishes her degree in Spring 2026.
“While I don’t know what area of law I want to pursue yet, I hope that I will be somewhere making a positive impact in my community and using my voice and law career to advocate for people who feel voiceless,” she said.
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