Sydney Batson arrived at the University of Virginia with an interest in health and healing and an ambition to become a doctor.
By the end of her first year, she realized the medicine track was not for her. By the time she graduated in 2013 with a degree in religious studies, she was set on one plan: staying in Charlottesville.
“After working a really bizarre office job, I started shadowing different healthcare practitioners to see what I might want to do, and a friend suggested I check out this herb school in town,” she said. “She also told me about an herbal apothecary right here in Charlottesville and suggested I ask to apprentice there.”
Sydney Batson, Class of 2013, left, and Meg Madden co-own The Elderberry, where they sell herbs and offer classes. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)
A decade later, Batson became the co-owner of Charlottesville’s apothecary, The Elderberry.
Each year, as flocks of UVA students graduate and leave Charlottesville, others stay and start new chapters, businesses and families. The Elderberry is one of dozens of alumni-owned businesses.
Below are some examples of ones to help you get started if you’re new in town.
Growing up in Fairfax, Joe Peacock didn’t think higher education was for him. After working a few years as a mechanic, he decided to enroll at UVA to see “what else was out there in the world.”
“Upon graduating, it became clear that auto repair was where I was supposed to be,” he said, “this time as a business owner.”
His now-wife and business partner, Mandy, then a teacher at Charlottesville High School, suggested he open an auto shop in town after he graduated. And, 17 years later, the couple operates Peacock Auto Service.
Peacock says what attracted him to stay in Charlottesville is a sense of community you don’t find everywhere. (Contributed photo)
Peacock and Batson are not alone. If you’re looking for support during an upcoming move, Lauren Santana operates that helps UVA parents and students with moves, storage and “everything in between.”
Two go-to local coffee shops, Grit Coffee and Shenandoah Joe, are run by UVA alums.
Grit is part of Bread & Table, a food and beverage brand that operates several Charlottesville businesses, including Selvedge Brewing, The Wool Factory and Broadcloth. All three founding partners – Brad Uhl, Brandon Wooten and Dan Fitzhenry – graduated from UVA.
Matt and Kristina Loftus’s activewear brand, Rhoback, started as a class project while they were pursuing MBAs at the Darden School, and it caught on as an online retailer before opening a brick-and-mortar store in town. Fellow alumnus Peyton Jenkins runs Alton Lane, a men’s clothing store on the Downtown Mall.
Also on the Downtown Mall, Corner Juice offers juices, smoothies and sandwiches. It is operated by Julie Nolet, Class of 2017, and Joseph Linzon, Class of 2015.
Batson is not the only alumnus who has taken over a local business after years of working there. Jordan Brunk, Class of 2004, took over Crozet Pizza in 2017 after years of working there. A bassist and lover of music, he also runs Dürty Nelly’s Pub, which hosts live music and karaoke.
As for Batson, she can be found most days at The Elderberry, selling herbs, spices and tinctures and offering health consultations and herbalism classes.
“In terms of what kept me in town, I would say, I just like it here, more so with every year that it passes,” she said.
