Your Rowan Favorites
Place to Eat: Hap’s
Outdoor Activity: Bell Tower Green Park
Event or Festival: Cheerwine Festival
Ebony Rivers Boyd
Assistant Director of Student Services, Wake Forest University: Graduate School of Business, Winston-Salem, NC
Non-Profit Founder, The Empowered Bounty
Native of New Jersey
Industry: Higher Education
Ebony Boyd came to Salisbury in her teens, after the death of her father. Her mother thought there would be more opportunity for her two girls in the South as they grew into adulthood.
Ebony is a product of Knox Junior High and Salisbury High and a former teacher at North Rowan Middle, Knox Middle, and Summit K-8 Virtual Academy in Rowan Salisbury Schools. Over the years, she has found her mother’s decision to move to Salisbury for opportunity to be sound judgment. Ebony now works in career services in higher education and is a candidate for the West Rowan seat on the Rowan Salisbury Board of Education. “I want to make sure that a teacher’s voice and our students’ and families’ needs are heard at that table,” she says.
Her roots are in Salisbury. “It’s a good place to develop and raise a family,” she says. Her husband, Bryson, works at Novant Health Rowan Medical Center, and 2-year-old daughter Madyson will attend Rowan Salisbury Schools.
Ebony believes that “you get what you put in” to your community. “You have to commit to the vision in order to enjoy the growth. We’re doing great things here!” she says. She is motivated by Rowan County’s Be an Original™ slogan. “It inspires me to add to the work and join the vision of setting the standard for others to follow,” she says.
“As a former Rowan County teacher of 6+ years, I’ve spent most of my professional career engaging, connecting, and empowering the future of Rowan County — our children,” she says. “Educating, motivating, encouraging, supporting looks different for each child and situation. It can be as simple as attending an athletic event to support a former student or as serious as attending a funeral to show my love and support to a family I’ve served. Educating students goes beyond the classroom; it truly starts with the relationship built and the example shown to them — they may not remember every standard taught, but they will remember every impactful encounter.”
“I enjoy serving in the community. It started with my home church and has grown to the schools supporting teachers and staff and beyond. I quickly realized there was a great need, so I started a non- profit, The Empowered Bounty. Our mission is to serve and empower others with bountiful resources for optimum holistic success. All our services and initiatives currently give first access to Rowan County citizens, as a way to give back and engage with my community.”
The Empowered Bounty is “geared to offer resources and support to underserved and marginalized people,” she says, and focuses on four areas of most common needs: Student intervention and success, professional and career development, mental health and self-care awareness, and public and community service. “After years of doing that work on a personal level, I want to create a legacy that is here long after my time.”
Ebony loves the diversity in Rowan County. “There’s something for everyone,” she says. “Where else can you have downtown high rises, eclectic historic, Southern charm, and lakeside living all in the same county?! Nowhere! The possibilities are endless!”
Her favorite restaurant is Hap’s. “It’s consistently good and simple. It doesn’t take a lot of fluff to make it enjoyable. It’s a must try family spot.”
Bell Tower Green Park is her favorite outdoor space. It’s a central attraction and has something for everyone, she says. “No matter your age or accessibility, anyone can come have a fun time,” she says.
The home-grown Cheerwine Festival is her favorite event. She loves drinking the soft drink that originated in Salisbury more than 100 years ago and loves the fact that people come here from everywhere to celebrate.
Your Rowan Favorites
Place to Eat: Hap’s
Outdoor Activity: Bell Tower Green Park
Event or Festival: Cheerwine Festival