Emily Coulter Mullican and her brother, Tyler Coulter of Clarkesville
“When you want to succeed as bad you want to breathe, then, you will be successful.” ~ Emily Coulter Mullican, Atlanta, GA (reciting a quote by Eric Thomas)
Emily Coulter Mullican was born and raised in Habersham County. She attended Habersham County schools through her junior year in high school (including one year spent at Tallulah Falls School in 2009) and graduated from North Hall High School in Gainesville, Georgia in 2012. On February 27, 2015 Emily fulfilled a long held dream when she graduated with an Associates Degree of Science and Funeral Service from the highly acclaimed Gupton Jones College of Funeral Service in Decatur, Georgia.
Becoming a funeral service director may seem an odd career choice but for Emily, it’s her life’s calling. “It’s a calling that not everyone has. It’s a way that I can serve the community. I chose it because serving families in their time of need is important to me and not everyone can do that. Because I have lost several people in my life I can relate to the people who come in and serve them better because I have been there.”
The dream Emily dared to dream has been hers since she was twelve years old. “I don’t ever remember a time that I wanted to do anything else. I couldn’t really see myself doing anything else.” She met a female funeral director in Memphis, Tennessee, during her grandfather Floyd Johnston’s funeral who made an impression on her. “I was going through a tough time but she assured me it was going to be okay. She told me to never give up and she reminded me that the family I still have is the most important thing. She also encouraged me to get a good education and asked me what I wanted to do with my life.” Emily says hearing that advice, and getting asked that question from a strong, successful woman in the industry made her start seriously thinking about mortuary science. The more she thought about it, the more she realized it was not just a career choice, it’s a ministry. “My ultimate goal is to have every single family that leaves my presence to be comforted, knowing that their loved one was taken care of and that the process was made easy for them.”
Emily now works for a female leader in the industry. Renee Gazaway, owner of SouthCare Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Atlanta, is her new boss. SouthCare is the largest crematory service in Georgia. Emily and a colleague run the Marietta branch.
Emily says she sees beauty in life…and in death. “I know that sounds really really crazy but the beauty of life for me is when I can go back to the embalming room and restore them to a way the family remembers them. Looking at them one last time gives them hope. If I can give that to one person I have done my job. I have done what I’ve been called to do my entire life.”
Thank you, Emily Coulter Mullican, for daring to dream, for serving families in Georgia and for teaching us all there is beauty and hope, even in death.
Congratulations!
