God prepared Ashley White Rice for the unimaginable. She became an entrepreneur due to serious family issues.
When she was named one of Augusta’s Top 10 in 10, it was for good reason. They are described as leading the way, raising the bar, and setting the standard of service in the community. Rice is one of the recently named Augusta’s Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals for good reason, she checks all the boxes and then some. She has faced setbacks that might have stopped some in their tracks.
Perseverance kept her on the right track. She worked at Augusta University in recruiting, which covered the cost of her Master’s degree. Rice attended night classes at AU after working eight hours a day.
When the Columbia County Chamber sought to expand its Foundation, it turned to Rice.
“As the Workforce Development Manager, I was able to grow the Foundation by bridging the gap between students and employers. I made so many connections in the community through the Chamber,” she explained.
Rice briefly worked in marketing for Club Car, but realized her heart was in public service. In 2022, she landed a Foundation Coordinator position with the Columbia County School District.
“I created the infrastructure for that job from the ground up, conducting research and interviews, creating a Board of Directors, and securing volunteers. It was a dream job for me.”
The first major setback
Later that year, she and her husband welcomed their first child, Evelyn. The following year, her daughter was in daycare. Any parent knows about the germs that spread with a child in daycare or school. It’s like a ping pong ball of sickness that hits one family member and then another nonstop.
“My husband Jordan wasn’t getting better. He was diagnosed with pneumonia, but it was determined that he actually had heart failure. The doctors said if he hadn’t been admitted to the ICU, he would have been dead at the end of the week. He was 30 years old. It turned our world upside down.”
Her husband needed 24/7 care, and because he couldn’t be exposed to any germs, Rice became the caregiver for Jordan and her daughter. Following 12 weeks of FMLA, she longed to work a hybrid position for the school district, but because of the school district’s rules, that wasn’t possible.
“We didn’t know what the future held, but after praying about our situation, I started working on building my own marketing business, utilizing all of the networking and experience I had gained over the years.”
The Perfect Storm
Rice met with attorneys and CPAs to put everything in place for her new business. Then another unexpected twist occurred when Hurricane Helene ravaged the CSRA in September 2024.
Her husband wears a cardiac LifeVest, which monitors the heart and senses abnormal rates and can restore the heart to normal.
“We had to escape to Charleston, SC, and stay with friends because Jordan’s LifeVest had to have power. We were in survival mode. When we returned to Augusta, I thanked God for sparing our home. I think God knew we couldn’t take much more.”
Ashley took a step back and looked at what was going on in the community. She decided that amidst the destruction and rebuilding, it was time to move on with plans for her business.
Perfect square years like 2025 are rare occurrences; there won’t be another until 2116. It’s said to hold great spiritual significance, symbolizing balance, stability, and potential for personal growth and spiritual development. Her love of family, community, and strong faith has carried her into a new year.
The Rice family story is inspirational, to say the least. Jordan was also recognized by the American Heart Association locally as the Open Your Heart Honoree this year.
https://youtu.be/zoCuzGd9N2U?si=aGlAt9jEYG0tQ4hf
Better days and business success ahead
“In January, I hit the ground running. I connected with new clients. I was busy enough to hire an employee to help my growing AWR Agency.”
The years of experience in nonprofit and business development have served her business well. Services offered cover everything needed to reach goals, including website development, Social Media management, marketing event strategy support, and content creation.
In the meantime, her husband was able to return to work as a project manager for the Savannah River Site. A coworker was kind enough to drive him to work each day. Another hurdle was met when Ashley was able to enroll her daughter in a Mother’s Day Out program, which gives her time to build her business.
“I want to continue building our community through nonprofit and business guidance and to glorify God while doing it.”
She added, “If you look for the good and glimmers of hope, even if it’s hard, it’s going to be good.”
To learn more about the AWR Agency and how they can help your business grow, visit the website or email ashley@awragency.com, or call 706-312-2747.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means! If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
