Aebeyo Abraha, Kristie Wallis and Eddie Garcia

An Ethiopian immigrant, Aebeyo Abraha achieved success in education and faith as a North Carolina teaching fellow, U.S. State Department science teacher trainer, and founder of the Triad’s first Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church.

Kristie Wallis is passionate about preserving green space in the city of Winston-Salem. An entrepreneur herself, she shares her experiences in marketing and communications by being a mentor to small business owners.

Eddie Garcia is an accomplished guitarist, songwriter and composer. He also champions his community by sharing the stories and arts of Winston-Salem on public radio station WFDD.

Kristie Wallis
portrait by Aebeyo Abraha

Kristie has great passion for the environment through gardening and nature. She is loyal, caring and generous. She is busy with two kids and loves yoga to relax.

Eddie Garcia
portrait by Kristie Wallis

Eddie shares the stories of our community on NPR, bolstering the art and music of others. Eddie is a very energetic, passionate person who loves music, scoring, and film. He’s also a devoted family man. I wanted to capture his joie de vivre (thoroughly enjoys his life + pursuing his interests), artistic side (“I pick up a guitar and it resets me”) and his wisdom (try to do something you enjoy for yourself everyday).

Aebeyo Abraha
portrait by Eddie Garcia

Hailing from Ethiopia, Aebeyo came to the US, (unable to speak the language), to learn, then eventually to teach. The impact he’s had on his students is a major source of pride. He believes in the power of individuals and spends his life not only in service of God, but for the greater good. I found that Aebeyo’s eyes were very kind, and expressive, so I focused on closeups. He absolutely beams when thinking about his students, his wife, and his birth home of Ethiopia.