Alumni Success Story: Kayley Pugh Crooms '18

“I am a lifer—a legacy student,” Kayley Pugh Crooms (’18) declared. A proud TFS alum, Crooms speaks warmly of her years at TFS, from her first days as a sixth grader in 2012 to her graduation in May 2018. 

She recalls her involvement with ease: basketball, volleyball, tennis, clubs, especially Key Club with Mr. Davis. “Just the way he helped us, and there were so many great mentors like Coach Morris,” she said. “I am so grateful for the foundation that was laid.”

Crooms’ deep involvement in athletics and extracurriculars laid the groundwork for her confidence beyond high school. That foundation carried her through both her undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia and graduate work at the University of West Georgia. “I was not afraid to make big leaps,” she said. “I wasn’t afraid to get involved.” 

In college, she immersed herself in ministry, mentored girls in Athens, and joined NSSLHA, a national speech association. During graduate school, Crooms worked with the Talk With Me Baby research team, collaborating with Emory University School of Medicine, the Marcus Autism Center, and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. 

And that was just the icing on the cake for Crooms. “The dual enrollment was an absolute game changer,” she said. “My college peers didn’t know what to expect, how to plan, or how to manage their time well,” she explained. “I was more than prepared! TFS did an incredible job of putting me in the right mindset and preparing me for college.” 

Crooms earned her bachelor’s degree in communication sciences and disorders from UGA in 2022 and completed her master’s in speech-language pathology at UWG in 2024. Today, she is a Speech-Language Pathologist at AnMed Medical Center in Anderson, SC. Her role in the outpatient pediatric unit and frequent rotations through acute care keep her constantly engaged. “One moment I’m in the NICU working on suck, swallow, and breathe with premature babies,” she said. “Next, I’m back in outpatient therapy working with children with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, hearing loss, feeding disorders, augmentative communication devices, or articulation disorders. It’s incredibly rewarding and keeps my brain moving.”

That sense of preparation has already come full circle. Crooms recently connected with fellow TFS alum Caroline Smith (’25), who is studying to become a speech pathologist at UGA. “I’m helping her with the classes she needs to take and offering advice about the major,” Crooms said. “It’s super fun to keep the pipeline going.”

Now living in Greenville, SC, Crooms and her husband, Devin, who also works in physical therapy, jokingly call themselves “a rehab couple.” From the classrooms and courts of TFS to hospitals, research labs, and therapy rooms, Crooms’ journey reflects the lasting power of a strong foundation. What was once poured into her is now being passed forward, proof that a TFS education doesn’t end at graduation, but continues on.