BRISTOL, Tenn., November 4, 2025 – King University’s Institute for Faith & Culture (IFC) will host Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and producer Hannah Rappleye in conversation with Tennessee lawyer Derek Scott, whose powerful story of recovery from addiction and ongoing struggle to practice law was featured in a 2024 NBC News segment that has reached more than one million viewers.

On Monday, Nov. 10^th, the community will have two opportunities to hear from Rappleye and Scott. They will present “A Story of Calling” at 9:15 a.m. in King’s Memorial Chapel, and again at 6 p.m. at Central Presbyterian Church at 331 Euclid Avenue, Bristol, Virginia. A reception will follow the evening event.

Both events are offered as part of the 2025-26 IFC Speaker Series, “Equipped for Every Good Work,” and are free and open to the public.

Rappleye, a veteran journalist who spent 13 years with NBC News’ Investigative Unit, produced and wrote the story for both NBC Nightly News and nbcnews.com chronicling Scott’s journey to overcome opioid use disorder and fulfill his dream of becoming a practicing attorney. The story highlights the personal and systemic challenges he faced, and the hope that can emerge from perseverance and compassion.

The event offers a rare opportunity to hear from both a nationally recognized journalist and the subject of her reporting, whose shared story has resonated deeply with generations of Appalachian communities affected by the opioid crisis.

“This is a conversation about resourcefulness and resilience, and it’s very appropriate for us to tell it in an area where just about everyone has either been personally affected by the opioid epidemic or has a friend or family member dealing with its effects,” said Martin Dotterweich, Ph.D., director of the IFC. “We are grateful to welcome Hannah and Derek, and particularly thankful for their role in bringing healing to others through their storytelling.”

The NBC News story can be viewed here: A T.N. man overcame opioid addiction to pass the bar exam. Then he was told to quit his medication.

The speaker series continues at King with Laef Olson, operating partner at Apax Partners, LLP on Nov. 17^th. Grammy-winning tenor Aaron Blake and Symphony of the Mountains Conductor Cornelia Laemmli Orth will wrap up the fall schedule on Dec. 1^st.

Since 2007, the King University Institute for Faith & Culture has welcomed widely recognized thinkers, authors, musicians, scholars, and philosophers to interact with students and a regional audience in a welcoming environment that catalyzes growth and understanding. The Institute serves as the standard bearer of the University’s long-time exploration of the liberal arts, in conjunction with King’s mission of equipping students to answer the call of service and character inherent in the Christian faith.

For more information, visit www.king.edu/events.