Name: LIFE@Lynchburg | Culture Shocked
Start: 2026-04-08T10:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-04-08T12:00:00-04:00
Location: Sydnor Performance Hall

Presented by Dr. Loretta Jones-Gafford '73 and Coretta Jones '73, '76 MEd.
After graduating in 1969 from the newly integrated Martinsville High School in Virginia, twin sisters Coretta and Loretta thought they were prepared to attend the predominantly white Lynchburg College in Lynchburg. Their journey held some unexpected surprises. This presentation shares highlights from their experiences over their four-year journey to graduation.
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Coretta M. Jones and Loretta C. Jones-Gafford entered Lynchburg College as freshmen in the fall of 1969. While at LC, they participated in several clubs and activities, including the Fishermen’s Club and Gamma Sigma Sigma Sorority. They were junior counselors during the three years they lived on campus and worked as psychology laboratory assistants, among other responsibilities.
The twins graduated in 1973, Coretta with a BA in sociology and Loretta with a BS in psychology. Coretta returned to full-time study at LC in 1975-76. While employed as a “Dorm Mother,” she earned an MEd in guidance and counseling.
Coretta’s career path included three years at the Martinsville Department of Social Services and approximately 32 combined years in the Virginia Department of Social Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Services.
Although always based in Lynchburg, her service area covered up to 13 Virginia counties. Her assignments included licensure of child and adult day care centers and approval of Medicaid funds to support residential and day services for former residents and community residents in least restrictive settings.
Loretta also returned to full-time study, completing a two-year program in school psychology at James Madison University with an MEd, with cognates in special education and counseling. Several years later, after more intensive study at JMU, she was awarded an education specialist degree in school psychology.
In May, 1994, after additional studies and approval of her dissertation, Loretta received a Doctor of Education in school psychology, with cognates in infant and family intervention and counseling.
Loretta’s employment history included two years as a juvenile probation counselor in Martinsville, 13 years as a school psychologist with Lynchburg City Schools, and some occasional teaching at Central Virginia Community College — culminating with 23 years of teaching experience at the assistant and associate professor levels.
Loretta also assisted with eligibility assessments for infants in the Project Daniel Program.
Coretta and Loretta have served on a number of professional and nonprofit boards, local committees, and special task forces. These have included, among others, Head Start, Camp Kum Ba Yah, Interfaith Outreach Program, Edmund’s Scholarship Board, Centra’s Racial Disparity Task Force (focused on neonatal babies and preschoolers), Lynchburg’s Preschool Entrance and Readiness Task Force, Virginia’s State Department of Education’s Conference on Dropout Rates, Regional Board of Disciples Women, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.