Breaking the Mold: Meet Amanda Blalock

Photo by Karen Presecan

For Amanda Blalock, home has never been about a perfect mold. It's about showing up. "Families are often expected to fit a certain mold, but in our home, we believe family can take many forms," she says of the household she shares with her fiancé, Roy Person, and her twins, Bebe and Jackson, both 18 and recent graduates of Riverbend High School. "Ours is built on love, loyalty, and showing up for one another every single day."

That philosophy extends well past their front door — into a deep, hard-earned love for Spotsylvania County itself.

A Love Story That Didn't Fit the Script

Amanda and Roy met in 2023, and by her own admission, she almost didn't give him a chance. "I will be the first to admit that I almost wrote him off immediately because of his age alone," she says. But what changed her mind wasn't circumstance — it was character. Roy, who lost his mother to cancer at 16 and later lost his younger sister in a car accident in 2020, had already lived through more loss than most people face in a lifetime. That adversity shaped him into what Amanda describes as an old soul, someone whose "smile still truly is his calling card."

Their relationship crosses lines of age, race, geography, and religious upbringing — Amanda raised in the Deep South of Mississippi, Roy from Southern Maryland– and she's candid about the assumptions that come with that. "I do not live my life to meet other people's expectations or to make myself smaller for the comfort of others," she says. "I live it to experience real happiness and genuine joy in a relationship that feels healthy, honest, and fulfilling."

That joy peaked, she says, at Roy's 2024 birthday — a surprise party that started small and grew until the room reserved for it hit capacity at 50 guests. Roy never suspected a thing. "His reaction, his tears, and the look on his face are moments that will live with me forever," Amanda recalls. The couple plans to marry in the summer of 2027.

Building a Career, Betting on Herself

Professionally, Amanda has worn many hats: airline supervisor, Spotsylvania County School Board member, and now a licensed real estate agent in both Virginia and Maryland alongside her work as a property manager. In 2024, she left a salaried position to build her own brand full-time. "It has been one of the best decisions of my life," she says. Rooted in a Mississippi upbringing that prized hard work, she’s driven by the following mantra: "For me, the sky is not the limit. It is just the view."

Roy, meanwhile, spent more than twelve years as a federal supervisor with the Army Corps of Engineers before moving into the private water treatment sector to make room for more family time. He also DJs on the side, a creative outlet the family says brings music into nearly everything they do.

Twins Chasing Big Futures

Jackson and Bebe have grown up steeped in Spotsylvania's schools and activities. Jackson has played soccer since he was 18 months old and has competed for both a travel club and Riverbend High School, balancing athletics with membership in the National Honor Society, DECA competition, tutoring, and a self-taught interest in piano. He hopes to study neuroscience and cognitive brain development in college.

Bebe has cheered since age five and captained a competitive All-Star squad while also cheering for Riverbend's football, basketball, and competitive teams. A leader in her own right, she held office in FFA, represented Spotsylvania County in public speaking, and served on both the Superintendent's Advisory Committee and the district's Strategic Planning Committee. This fall, she heads to the University of Mississippi with hopes of joining the Trent Lott Institute to study public policy — a path she believes will lead to law school and, eventually, public office.

"We could not be more proud of both of them and cannot wait to see where their hard work takes them," Amanda says. 

In addition to the twins, Amanda’s family also includes older, now adult children, who are living in various parts of the country. Amanda takes great pride in “watching them flourish and build lives of their own.”

A Community That Shows Up

Ask Amanda what she loves about Spotsylvania, and the answer isn't scenery — it's people. Between 2014 and 2016, she battled a serious illness, and the community carried her through it. "Neighbors, schools, and friends carried my family when I could not," she says. "This is not just where I live. It is where I was supported, protected, and reminded that I was not alone."

That experience is woven into everything the family does locally. Amanda currently serves as Booster President for Riverbend Boys Soccer. She supports organizations including Treasure House and the American Cancer Society, building on a decade of service from 2007 to 2017 on the Spotsylvania County School Board. The family chose the Sawhill community in part for its strong sense of belonging and the county's STEM-focused school programs — though Amanda is quick to note her appreciation for all the district's schools. "I love that my children have all been educated by Spotsylvania County schools," she says.

Her devotion to the area runs deep enough that it doubles as a promise. "Spotsylvania County was there for me when I needed it most, and I will always be here for Spotsylvania in return," she says. "My loyalty to this community is lifelong. I love this county."

Family, Music, and a Dog Named Shadow

The Blalocks' home is filled with pets, music, and memory. Their two dogs, Deonte and Shadow, hold special places in the family's heart — especially Shadow, a hunting dog given to Bebe by Amanda's late father. When he offered his prized dog's pup, Bebe looked him in the eye and named her on the spot. "She's older now, but still going strong," Amanda says. "Shadow is a constant reminder of my dad, and having her with us feels like keeping a piece of him close."

Left-handedness and musical talent run in Amanda's family — a legacy from her mother, one of thirteen siblings, all left-handed and musically gifted, and the subject of an impressive feature article in their local newspaper. Amanda carried that sense of connection into her own children's names, choosing Bleu and Skye as their middle names to intentionally link the twins together.

Travel remains a family love language, too. Amanda and Roy return to Jamaica every July for Sumfest, the island's largest music festival, while Bebe and Jackson have toured Europe through Riverbend High School's ACIS travel program, including a trip to Venice, Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague this past summer.

As the twins prepare to leave the nest— the first time they'll ever live apart— the Blalocks are marking the end of one chapter and the start of several new ones: a wedding, a college send-off, and a continued commitment to the county that has never stopped showing up for them— and one that they’ll continue to give back to however possible.