Drew Jernigan '89, Presented with the Arts Alumnus of the Year (MACkie) Award

We are honored to recognize our Distinguished Arts Alumna of the Year, Drew (Brady) Jernigan, Class of 1989. Drew began her journey at Mount Paran Christian School in 1986, where she quickly developed a love for the arts. During her time here, she helped charter the school’s Art Honor Society before graduating in 1989.

Drew went on to attend Auburn University where she earned a degree in Interior Design. She built her career as a high-end residential and commercial healthcare designer in Atlanta, along the coast of North Carolina, and in Pebble Beach, California.

After a successful career in interior design, Drew moved on to focus on her new accomplished career in watercolor painting. Her artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including in Italy, Greece, Serbia, Singapore, Malaysia, Pennsylvania, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, and North Carolina, and is part of numerous private collections. She also is a certified ICF Life Coach and Project Management Professional and a member of the American, National, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii Watercolor Societies.

Drew shares, “I was created to create. My work is not only a celebration of the world’s beauty but also an expression of my faith. I believe that every person is made imago Dei — in the image of God — and that my art is a way of honoring the ultimate Creator by reflecting His handiwork through my own”. 

In response to receiving the MACkie, Drew stated, “It is an honor and full circle moment. From working to charter the first Mount Paran Christian School National Art Honor Society to being selected as the Mount Paran Arts Alumna of the Year is a big, beautiful bow. It is a testament to the power there is in giving students the opportunity to try things in school they might not explore on their own. You never know when the opportunity you give a student will turn into a passion and life’s work.”