ASHLAND, Va. — At Randolph-Macon College, it doesn’t matter how far you are from home. You’re never far from family.

And for many, that family begins with Barclay DuPriest, or as students affectionately call her, Grandma Barclay.

From her rolling chair behind the entrance of the campus store, Barclay greets every student who walks through the door. The space feels less like a shop and more like her living room — a place where laughter is currency and hugs are always in stock.

“I just call them my grandchildren,” she said with a smile.

Barclay has worked at Randolph-Macon for four decades. But her bond with the college runs much deeper than a job title.

In 1992, her son Tad — a student and football player at the school — was killed in a work-related accident in Richmond.

More than 3,5

See Full Page