NO PLACE LIKE HOME Get to know these South Carolinians who returned to their hometowns to open businesses and contribute to a deep-rooted sense of community. As it turns out, there really is no place like home. Robbie and Mary Alex Kopp, Newberry The Palmetto Porch Podcast Join host Devyn Whitmire for The Palmetto Porch Podcast by Discover South Carolina to learn about more charming small towns and the people who make them feel like home. Scan the QR code to listen. MARY ALEX KOPP With its Gothic-style opera house, collection of late-19th-century buildings and quaint shops and cafes lining the downtown area, historic Newberry harnesses all the charm of a quintessential small town. This is where Mary Alex Kopp , Vice President and Chief Public Relations Officer at disability-led organization Able South Carolina, lives with her family. Kopp initially left her hometown of Newberry for college but the economic downturn during the Great Recession led her to return. It wasn’t until she worked as the Tourism and Events Manager for the City of Newberry's Parks, Recreation, and Tourism department that she discovered the many aspects of community that make this town special. “I’ve stepped back into something that people really care about and that they want to preserve,” Kopp says. Explore Newberry to enjoy fair trade specialty coffee with homemade syrups at Genesis Hub , sandwiches and milkshakes at Laila’s Place , and craft cocktails and live music at Bar Figaro. Newberry 40 TORI STYNE PHOTOGRAPHY I t’s a common story: a person leaves their small town to attend college, chase a dream career or feel like they’ve somehow made their mark on the world. As the person changes, the town they left behind changes, too. Somewhere along the way, that person finds their way back, seeing their hometown with entirely new eyes — and a newfound passion to bring their skills and knowledge to create positive change.
South Carolina Vacation Guide SC 2025: Page 40
