If college recruiters are searching for an excellent student example to promote, the adventures of Autumn Willemsen (O'Bryan) at Lee College (University) would certainly be a top selection.

Autumn said she had heard of Lee College her entire life from her father, Russ Willemsen (Class of 1979), as he pastored a small Church of God congregation in upstate New York (which he still pastors to this day).
"When it came time for a college decision, I was bound and determined to not to move 800 miles away from my family to Lee College," Autumn stressed. "My dad and I argued most of my senior year and I finally agreed to attend for one semester on a softball scholarship."

Autumn admits she was really scared when she first arrived on campus. Her parents were only in Cleveland for a little over a day and when they left campus, said she felt so alone.  

"The Lord knew what I needed at that moment and I met my college roommate that night in the Sharp (Hall) laundry room," Autumn spoke of a time she will never forget. "We lived together for nine semesters in a 20 x 20 shared room and are still close friends to this day.

Doors began to open quickly and the fear turned into joy. "During registration, I was offered a work study position in athletics, and honestly, this was my connection to campus while I attended Lee," she confessed. "I made so many friends, developed great skills, and travelled all over the country.

"It gave me a family outside of softball that made me feel a part of the campus. I eventually was tapped in the spring of '95 for Sigma Nu Sigma and as a little sister for Pi Kappa Pi the next semester. This gave me friendships I have treasured for over 30 years! In fact, we have a dozen of members who still travel out of town each year to stay connected and enjoy time together." 

Softball Experience
Autumn said softball "was truly life-changing. Five of us started as freshmen on an average team with a brand new head coach, Andrea (Orr) Hudson.  We all worked hard and learned together and by our junior year, we were ranked in the Top 25 in the NAIA for the first time in (Lee) program history. We also advanced to the NAIA National Tournament that year," Autumn noted proudly. "We were told it was the first team sport to do so in Lee history.
We won the district and region to advance to the NAIA National Tournament and finished in the top 8 in that tournament."

Autumn added, "My senior year, I was named to the NCCAA National All-Tournament team, All-TVEC, and All-Region in NAIA. All five freshmen that started together finished together, which I always thought was really special."

Education Came First
While Autumn loved her time in softball, she always understood earning her degrees were very important to her future. She relied on several people to help her earn degrees. She has a Bachelors in Human Development with K-8 Licensure and a Master's in Education with administrative licensure.
Autumn said three people came to mind as major influences in her career:

"Dr. Debbie Murray remains an amazing professional mentor for me. Not only was she a major influence in my decision to enter education, but she has modeled for me how to be a woman in leadership and the power of your impact. She always has an open door for me to pick her brain, vent, or even cry. I am so thankful for our relationship." 
 
"Coach Andrea (Orr) Hudson was not only an amazing coach, but she had a profound impact on the development of my faith and leading young people. She showed me how to love others through hard times and how to share your faith with others through words and actions. I will forever be grateful for her patience and care for me as a student-athlete. Quite simply, I would not have stayed at Lee if it weren't for her dedication to me and guidance during my college years."
 
"Dr. Cliff Schimmels was a beloved professor on campus. He and his wife Mary took many of us in and provided us a safe space to grow and learn. He actually called me out of class to tell me I needed to be a teacher. I thought he was nuts, but eventually decided to change my major. He always graded our papers on cassette tapes and I still have one of them and listen to it from time to time to hear his very distinct voice. He also cultivated my love for writing as he always made me feel more talented than I actually am."

Always Working Toward Career
While still at Lee, Autumn was working towards her career, serving as: 
Lee Softball Student Assistant/Athletics Sports Information (1996-1998) 
Lee Softball Assistant/College of Education Assistant (1998-2000) 
Lee Softball Head Coach/College of Education Assistant (2000-2002) 
 
After one year as Grant Coordinator, Rock Hill (2002-2003), Autumn began work in Hamilton County as:
Computer Teacher/Technology Coordinator, Chattanooga Middle School (2003-2004) 
Grant Coordinator/Instructional Technology Coordinator, Hamilton County Schools (2004-2005) 
Assistant Principal, Red Bank High School (2006-2009) 
 
Autumn returned to Cleveland and has progressed in the City School System:
Principal, Cleveland High School (2009-2022) 
Director of Academics (2022-2024) 
Director of Family and Community Resources (2024-present)

Family Plays Important Role
Autumn has two brothers, Russ and Tony, who attended Lee and Russ is a graduate. Her mother passed away in 2018 after a short battle with cancer. Several of her Lee teammates and friends drove to New York for the funeral and that meant the world to Autumn and her family.

Autumn and her husband Robbie (O'Bryan) met in the athletic department at Lee. He coached basketball and she was coaching softball. "We actually had our first date on a golf cart during a Lee golf tournament," explained Autumn. "We both coached for a few years and decided to step away when our two children came along."

Their son Tate recently graduated from Lenoir Rhyne University with a degree in History Secondary Education. He also played football and was a leader in a campus discipleship group. He is currently a graduate student at UT-Chattanooga while he plays his fifth year of football. 

Their daughter Lily is a junior at Furman University, majoring in Communications. She is a pitcher on the softball team and works as a Sports Information Assistant for the athletic department. She is also a huddle leader for FCA and a member of the Serve Team. 

Autumn noted in closing, "I am so thankful for my time at Lee. I was so resistant to building a life here, but 34 years later, Cleveland is my home.  Lee gave me a strong faith, solid work ethic, and relationships that have endured three decades. Most importantly, I met my husband here and we have built a life that we love with our kids."