Like Ozzy Osbourne belts in his 1991 hit, “Mama, I’m coming home!”
My name is Emily Rose Hamby, a Covington native, recent University of Georgia graduate (and hardcore Dawg fan), avid music lover, reality television enjoyer, wildlife advocate and my newest title — staff reporter for The Covington News.
My Covington roots were established in 2004, when my family moved into a house nestled conveniently right off of the Square. At the time, I was a shy, yet vibrant preschooler and proud big sister of twin baby brothers. Nearly 20 years later, at the ripe age of 23, here I find myself , again, beginning my professional career in the hometown that cradled my entire childhood.
I’ve been a Dawg fan for as long as I can remember. Both of my parents attended the University of Georgia, therefore, ending up in Athens after graduating from Eastside High School in 2018 was the only thing I had my sights set on. And it definitely did not let me down.
During my incredible college experience at UGA, I played trombone in the Redcoat Marching Band, which was undoubtedly one of the best decisions of my life. Anytime someone asks about my time in the Redcoat Band, I get so excited that I forget some of my favorite memories, so I’ll share a couple with you.
I can’t not mention Georgia’s sweet, sweet victory over Alabama at the 2021 National Championship in Indianapolis. Tears were streaming down the faces of nearly every Redcoat the moment Kelee Ringo clinched that Pick Six out of thin air. The sour loss of Georgia’s tragic SEC loss against the Tide only a month beforehand quickly became overshadowed by the thrilling, historic national championship win 33-18!
Another amazing opportunity I got to experience as a Redcoat was a commercial shoot for a local Athens burrito restaurant with defensive tackle Jordan Davis. Despite being one of the biggest names on the team, he always went out of his way to assure the band of his appreciation for us; so much so, that he invited us to be a part of his Barberitos commercial deal. We all got free burrito vouchers — it was awesome. Needless to say, I now root for both the Atlanta Falcons and the Philadelphia Eagles.
From being a high school band nerd to traveling across the country to support the Dawgs win back-to-back national championships, my experience as a Redcoat was absolutely priceless and is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. In short, stay in the band, kids!
In my free time, I enjoy listening to music and learning about music history. At an early age, I was introduced to the classics — from the early greats of Motown, to the icons of ‘90s grunge rock and anything in between — I love to listen to and discover new music. Some of my favorite artists are Lana Del Rey, Stevie Nicks, Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Steely Dan, Frank Ocean and Michael Jackson.
Aside from music, I am deeply passionate about animals and learning about conservation efforts to help protect the wildlife species we all know and love. I began volunteering at Zoo Atlanta earlier this year to give back and support the zoo, which has fulfilled my love of learning about each animal and the crucial steps needed to prohibit their potential endangerment and extinction. Zoo Atlanta is proactive about conservation and remaining ethical when it comes to the wildlife in their care, something I highly value.
While earning my journalism degree at UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, I gained experience writing for two newspapers; as a Culture Contributor for UGA’s student newspaper, The Red & Black, and as an education and schools reporter for The Oglethorpe Echo. Additionally, I interned with CNN’s On-Screen Presentations/TV Ticker team in Atlanta last fall, where I worked alongside a team of fabulous, veteran journalists to produce CNN’s Ticker.
The journalistic experiences I accrued during college, combined with my knowledge of Covington as a native has prepared me to fully immerse myself as a staff writer here at The Covington News. Since graduating from UGA in December 2022, I have been seeking out places to put my skills to exceptional use and am eager to begin sharing the community’s stories with you all each week.
Feel free to reach out via email here: ehamby@covnews.com. Whether it’s chatting about music or how great it is to be a Georgia Bulldog, I am all ears!
Emily Rose Hamby is a staff writer at The News. Reach her at ehamby@covnews.com.
