When Melody Confer ’20 arrived at Oglethorpe University, she was stepping into the unknown—geographically, academically and personally. As a first-generation college student from Augusta, Georgia, that decision required both ambition and trust in herself. It also marked the beginning of a path that would shape her voice and her impact on the city she now calls home.
Why Atlanta Matters
Today, Confer is a member engagement specialist at Professional Photographers of America (PPA), a nonprofit association headquartered in Atlanta that serves more than 35,000 members nationwide. In her role, she focuses on membership retention and engagement, supporting photographers while building meaningful connections across the industry.
“I usually describe my role as two-pronged,” she explains. “I focus on membership retention, as well as a lot of community engagement initiatives.”
Through partnerships, educational resources and in-person programming, her work supports a network of creatives—many of whom she connects with in Atlanta. In doing so, she contributes directly to the city’s creative and nonprofit landscape.
For Confer, Atlanta is central to both her work and her growth.
“You can’t get this connection from just any city. We’re able to really capture that connection here in Atlanta,” she says. “I see a lot of opportunity, both in how welcoming Atlanta is for artists, how inspiring it is, and all of the creativity that we constantly have going on.”
Her impact extends beyond her role. Confer is active with the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Atlanta (YNPN Atlanta) and was recently named a “30 Under 30” honoree—an acknowledgment of both her professional achievements and her growing impact in the city.
“It was such a big accomplishment. You see it come to full fruition and you’re able to just take in that moment,” she says. “But it also gives me the momentum to keep going.”
You can't get this connection from just any city. We're able to really capture that connection here in Atlanta.”
Finding Her Voice at Oglethorpe
At Oglethorpe, Confer found a close-knit academic environment, strong faculty relationships and opportunities to lead. An English literature major with a focus in creative writing, she credits the university’s small, discussion-driven classes with helping her grow in confidence.
“I really got more of that comfort in speaking out and using my voice and contributing through our small classes,” she says.
Confer immersed herself in campus life—serving as president of College Democrats, participating in Greek life, working in Career Development and completing multiple internships. Those experiences helped prepare her to contribute meaningfully in Atlanta after graduation.
“I felt really supported in a lot of different ways,” she says. “Oglethorpe gives so many opportunities to grow, not to have that be just one way that you’re growing.”
Today, that mindset continues to guide her work in Atlanta. She remains focused not only on her own growth, but on creating pathways for others—mentoring peers, building partnerships and exploring ways to connect current Oglethorpe students to opportunities within the photography and nonprofit sectors.
“I’m able to actively be a part of growth for so many different milestones,” she says.
For Confer, Atlanta is more than where she works—it’s a city she is helping to shape.
