Crystal Wylie started working at Berea College on first-year student Move-In Day in August 2014. After helping new Bereans begin their own journeys at her alma mater, she knew this was the place she wanted to be.

During her time in the Alumni Relations office as Associate Director of Alumni Engagement and Communication, she helped grow alumni event attendance, student philanthropy, and volunteerism through strategic marketing, with a focus on using photography to reconnect alumni with Berea. In 2017, she began offering free professional headshots and cap and gown portraits to seniors who attended graduation events hosted by the Alumni office. After moving to Marketing and Communications in 2020 to lead the multimedia team, she and her photographers continued to offer free senior portrait sessions but expanded the program to hundreds of graduates each year.

In her role as Director of Digital Multimedia Strategy, she is responsible for strategy and oversight of digital and print media efforts of Alumni, Communications and Philanthropy. She coordinates photography and videography operations and directs a staff of employees and students who deliver professional-quality photographs and videos that support the College’s strategic communications plan.

Crystal is an alumna of Berea College, graduating in December 2004 with a bachelor's degree in communication. Before returning to Berea, she had a career in finance and taxes for six years while also working as a freelance writer and photographer. Her experience as a reporter and photographer for the Richmond Register from 2011 to 2014 earned her Kentucky Press Association awards for photography and feature writing. While a member of the press, she had the privilege of shooting photos of former First Lady Michelle Obama and country legend Dolly Parton — two memories she loves to reminisce about to anyone who will listen.

She is the mother of one really cool kid named after a Star Trek character and two furry children, Pearl and Odin. Crystal volunteers for the College’s BIPOC Advisory Committee where she helps plan fellowship activities for the campus community’s people of color and their families. She’s a long-time member of the GFWC Berea Woman’s Club, a volunteer group that raises money for local non-profits and student scholarships. She also serves on the board of Kentucky River Foothills, a community action agency that provides direct services to low-income families and individuals aimed at reducing poverty and creating opportunities.

Crystal enjoys her weekly team trivia nights with her mom group, Dungeons and Dragons with her co-workers, axe-throwing, bourbon-tasting, and now woodworking, since taking a class offered at the College.