Finding her own path
Beverly didn’t set out a long-term plan to join the railroad. But when Norfolk Southern came to her campus during her senior year at Hampton University.
She said, “I’ll go check them out,’ because I knew my granddad and my uncle worked on the railroad.” After one interview with Lisa Wilson and a flight to Atlanta, she received an offer before graduation.
Her uncle, Robert Davis Jr. started his career with Southern Railway in Transportation until an injury prematurely ended his career. When Beverly began her own journey, he shared advice that stayed with her. “The railroad is a different industry. You’re going to learn a lot. Stay true to who you are and always do the right thing. Whatever job you have, do it with pride and hold your head high. Always remember your name because sometimes, that’s all you have.”
As a third-generation railroader, Beverly carries that legacy in both meaningful and visible ways. She keeps her grandfather’s pocket watch and wears one of her Uncle Robert’s railroad pins as daily reminders.
But more than anything, she carries their values.
“It’s about pride,” she said. “There’s just something about saying you work for the railroad, it means something.” Over the course of her career, she has built her own path across the company, moving from accounting to IT, finance, and engineering. Each chapter was a new challenge and an opportunity to grow.
