Canton native Leora Winter recently graduated summa cum laude from Reinhardt University at 19 years old — one of the youngest women to do so. Leora is no stranger to passing milestones more quickly than her peers. She graduated from Cherokee High School at 17, after dual enrolling her junior and senior years at Reinhardt.
Her family has come to expect this from Leora. After all, she came into the world ahead of schedule.
“Leora was due on Oct. 8, 2003, but she surprised us all and came 11 weeks early on July 29, 2003,” her mom, Kristi, said. “She spent her first seven weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit at Northside Hospital in Atlanta fighting for her life and overcoming many health challenges. Because of her premature birth, we were told by many doctors that she could potentially be physically or mentally challenged. But God had great things in store for her and gave her a fighting spirit and a big heart.”
Growing up, Leora developed passions for dance, art and film. She has been dancing for more than 10 years. “I have done hip-hop, ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary/lyrical, acro (classical dance technique with precision acrobatic elements) and musical theater, and I love all of them. I also assist with more than 10 dance classes weekly and occasionally teach,” she said.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in communication and media studies, with a concentration in digital storytelling, but she first learned how to edit videos while taking a film class at Cherokee High. “I love the way editing film can tell a story from things that might not seem cohesive otherwise,” she said. For her senior project, she and two peers filmed five live music shows at the Falany Performing Arts Center. “This had never been done before, but we filmed the shows live and edited together a video and an interview package for each of the bands.”
Art has been a big part of Leora’s life, as well. “My great-grandfather was an artist, and I have always been inspired by his art (hanging in our house),” Leora said. While still in high school, she came up with an idea to be creative while spreading joy and positivity everywhere she goes: Winter Rocks. The Facebook group now boasts more than 1,400 members, who are dedicated to painting rocks and leaving them for others to find.
While most Winter Rocks members live in Georgia, “we have had rocks travel to Canada, Cuba and even Japan,” Leora said. Recently, the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta and the new ice cream shop at The Mill on Etowah posted photos of rocks that were found. “Little things like that make me so happy. I have also been recognized by a few people because of my rock group,” she said.
In May 2022, her church, Pleasant Hill Christian, partnered with the Pickens County Pregnancy Center to create a memorial for women who have lost babies. Leora, her parents and other members of Winter Rocks painted memorial stones for the garden. “It made me feel very honored to be a part of that project since I had to fight for my life when I was an infant,” Leora said.
“We have people post personal stories about our rocks all the time. My favorite thing is just seeing how our rocks touch people’s lives,” she said. To join the group, visit www.facebook.com/groups/427951054683390.
The recent graduate plans to continue focusing on her passions as she looks for job opportunities in film, editing and production in Cherokee County and the surrounding area. Follow her journey at https://leoramwinter.wixsite.com/leora-winter.
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