Kelly Dries

Stroud Courier Alumni

When I think back on my time at East Stroudsburg University, the Stroud Courier was one of the most formative experiences of my college years.

I came to ESU as a quiet, reserved student-athlete, but through the Courier, I found my voice. I started as a writer, eventually serving as an editor across multiple sections. The newsroom gave me the space to ask questions, speak up for what I believed in and step into leadership in a way I hadn’t before.

More than deadlines, headlines and late nights getting the paper finalized, what stays with me most are the people. The Courier was, and still is, about community. Some of my closest friends from ESU are the ones I shared that newsroom with.

During the pandemic, when life felt uncertain and I was far from family on the West Coast, our “Courier Crew” became a lifeline. We scheduled monthly video calls to check in, laugh and remind one another that we weren’t alone.

As I became a new mom, they were among the first to celebrate milestones with me from afar. Most recently, we’ve even started a virtual book club, which has brought new joy and connection into our lives nearly 15 years after graduation.

The Stroud Courier shaped me as a leader, a professional and a friend. It taught me that stories matter, voices matter and that the communities we build around our work can carry us through the hardest seasons of life.

To this day, I’m deeply grateful for the Courier, both for the skills it gave me and for the lifelong friendships it fostered.

Where am I now?

Today, I live in California with my husband, our two children (who proudly wear ESU gear often) and our Olde English Bulldog, Blue.

I’m the founder and CEO of Dries Coaching & Consulting, where I work with universities, nonprofits and organizations across the country to help leaders and teams bring out their best through strengths-based coaching and development.

The lessons I first learned in the Stroud Courier newsroom: about resilience, curiosity and the power of community, continue to shape my work every single day.