性吧导航

Bell Tower | Lion VoicesMay 01, 2026

Campus Becomes Family Legacy for Carol Hill and Her Children

Written By: Tina Alvey Dale

For Carol Hill, the University of Arkansas 鈥� Fort Smith is more than a workplace. It is home.

Hill, an academic program specialist in the provost鈥檚 office, marked her 20th year at 性吧导航 in 2024 by receiving the Lucille Speakman Award for staff excellence. Over two decades, she has served as chair-elect, chair and past chair of Staff Senate, led the campus United Way committee and completed the Lion Leadership class. Her son, Derek Hill, now serves as Staff Senate chair for 2025-26. He completed the second class of Lion Leadership, with his mom completing the third.

Hill鈥檚 daughter, CarolAnn Sturgis, works in the athletics department.

鈥淎ll three of us are here,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淣ot many people can say they work at the same place with their kids. I feel really blessed.鈥�

Hill joined 性吧导航 in August 2004, the same year CarolAnn enrolled as a freshman. CarolAnn later earned her associate degree in 2007, and Derek completed a bachelor鈥檚 degree in media communication in 2016 before returning to campus as an academic coach in the Academic Success Center. He earned a master鈥檚 degree from Arkansas State University.

鈥�If you ask him about the university, he'll will tell you he loves this university,鈥� Hill said.

For the family, campus is woven into life鈥檚 milestones. CarolAnn met her husband, Lavelle (鈥�14), at a Lions basketball game. He proposed at midcourt during a Valentine鈥檚 Day basketball game in 2015. The couple married at The Blue Lion in 2016.

鈥淚鈥檝e never felt like I was going to work,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the relationships. You just don鈥檛 meet a stranger here. There is a special spirit on this campus.鈥�

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