Imagine teaching yourself how to make stained glass without the benefit of the internet or YouTube. That’s what Marietta Burke did. Using books and VHS tapes, Marietta learned the craft of stained glass as a teenager. It’s what got her into architecture school – and it’s now the foundation of a successful business that has earned national attention and more clients than she can count. Join Hal Row as he explores the creative career path of Catawba County native Marietta Burke.

Making Living Better: Marietta Burke

Catawba County, North Carolina is ideal for those who have a sense of adventure and a heart for hard work: for people with a passion for making something of themselves, their community, and the future. On “Making Living Better,” WHKY radio host Hal Row gets to know locals who are actively crafting a living and a life rich in both tradition and promise. They love life in Catawba County, and they have unique and interesting stories to tell about what “Making Living Better” means to them.

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“Para Mi Familia.” These words graced the graduation cap worn by Janelly Rosales when she earned her MBA from Lenoir-Rhyne University – but it could have just as easily read, “For My Community.” With a heart for family and a love of service, Janelly now helps emerging entrepreneurs realize their dreams in a career based on her longtime desire to pay back the opportunities her parents and mentors provided her. Janelly talks about everything from her role in the local small business ecosystem to her family’s cultural traditions on this month’s episode of Making. Living. Better.

Episode 25: Janelly Rosales (20 min / 04 sec)

Richard Dowdy may be busy running his own business, but more often he’s running after his three spirited young boys. This devoted father and husband found himself in Catawba County after relocating more than once for work – but when he and his wife landed here, they knew it was where they wanted to plant roots for their young family. Listen in as Hal talks entrepreneurship, fatherhood, and community with Richard Dowdy on this month’s episode of Making. Living. Better.

Episode 24: Richard Dowdy (17 min / 24 sec)

Vino Paul was reluctant to follow his family from Michigan to North Carolina – and when he eventually did, he quickly realized there was nowhere else he’d rather be. Within a year of moving, Vino met and married his wife and began a career in manufacturing that now has him certified in mechatronics and working as a lead technician for a German chassis components manufacturer. When he’s not working, he’s spending time raising his three kids, growing his local Romanian-American roots, and riding a Harley named Blueberry. Listen in as Vino Paul shares his Catawba County story on this month’s edition of Making. Living. Better.

Episode 23: Vino Paul (19 min / 36 sec)

Dr. Gener Augustin could have chosen to live anywhere. An accomplished vascular surgeon with time at Rochester University and Harvard under her belt, Gener came to Catawba County and realized it was where she needed to be – if she wanted to stay married, that is. While she was interviewing with Catawba Valley Health System, her husband Edward had already decided Catawba County would be their home. Hear more of Gener’s story – including her endless search for the best ice cream, and how she became an algorithm – on this month’s episode of Making. Living. Better.

Episode 22: Gener Augustin (19 min / 27 sec)

In Catawba County, the Appalachian Trail is right in our backyard – and it has beckoned two local hikers in two very different ways. George Place uses the AT as a place for personal meditative journeys, venturing out on solo 10-to-12 day hikes on a near-annual basis. For Lori Wray, the AT is something to conquer in its entirety – which she has been doing, segment by segment, for the past three years. Listen in as host Hal Row digs into their unique and compelling AT stories on this special edition of Making. Living. Better.

Making Living Better: Marietta Burke

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