While it may not be unusual for people who went to high school together to end up working together later, it is when those classmates work together on the opposite end of the country – and in show business. 

Rebekah Ingraham, Justin Batey and Adam Duckworth all graduated from Bedford High School – Ingraham in 1999 and Batey and Duckworth in 2000. They each went separate paths following high school, but this year, all three realized how those paths came back to intersect in Hollywood – more specifically, “Access Hollywood.”

On June 15, the three paths converged when an episode of the NBC show “Access Hollywood” aired featuring a segment with Duckworth appearing on camera with hosts Mario Lopez and Kit Hoover. Duckworth was there to talk travel destinations as head of his company Travelmation, a full-spectrum digital travel agency.  

Batey currently works for “Access Hollywood” as a production and legal specialist, and Ingraham currently works for Travelmation. However, the coincidence does not stop there: Prior to working with Duckworth at Travelmation, Ingraham worked for many years for the E! network, part of NBC – not only in the same building as Batey and “Access Hollywood,” but in the same shared studio. 

Following high school, Ingraham left for Wisconsin to attend Marquette University, which had a specific broadcasting program in which she was interested. 

“I knew I wanted to go into TV because I had done the TV program at Bedford High School,” she said. “I felt in my heart that it’s what I was meant to do.” 

Ingraham later landed an internship with the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which puts on the Emmy awards. She later went to work at “E! News” through them, remaining with them for years during the heyday of the show, when hosts such as Ryan Seacrest put it on the entertainment map. 

“We really were the go-to entertainment news source,” Ingraham said. 

She wrote stories, interviewed celebrities, covered the Oscars, and more while with E!. 

Then, about six years ago, as content demand changed, the network put her in charge of designing a new daytime show.  

“That was a really great opportunity for me,” Ingraham said. 

The show that she created eventually became “Daily Pop,” a morning show that features celebrity news and interviews. 

“It was pretty fantastic,” she recalled. “It was a good way to build my producing skills, but also really to become a strong leader.” 

Meanwhile, Batey was finding his own path. 

“After graduating law school in 2008, I knew I would need to be adaptable to find the best opportunities,” Batey said. “I relied on (that mindset) and opened up my options out of state starting in New York with ‘The Martha Stewart Show,’ then Denver with NBC Sports, and now Los Angeles with ‘Access Hollywood’ and ‘E! News.’” 

Batey said that he never thought he would end up in Los Angeles, but after being there for more than five years, he has grown to love it. 

“The people, like Bekah, are the best part,” Batey said. “Everyone has a story of how and why they ended up in L.A., but everyone is just so happy when they get here.” 

Duckworth’s path, on the other hand, took him south rather than west like his two classmates. He moved from Temperance 15 years ago for a job opportunity and ended up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and running his own company, Travelmation. 

“The wonderful thing about south Florida, from a company perspective, is that most of the travel industry is headquartered (here) – all of the major suppliers, cruise lines, resorts,” Duckworth said. “So it’s a great fit.” 

Duckworth said he started Travelmation in 2012 as a person who simply wanted to help people make their Disney vacation dreams come true. Over the past 11 years Travelmation has grown from a one-person operation to a full-service, digitally focused agency, with over 1,500 travel agents all over the United States. 

“It has been the journey of a lifetime, and the exposure we are getting nationally is just getting started,” Duckworth said. “I am thrilled to see where our organization goes next.” 

Rewinding back to their Bedford days, Batey and Ingraham were in the same circle of friends in high school, but years later they realized that they were not only working in the same building in Hollywood but also working using the same studio stage. 

Likewise, Ingraham had known Duckworth for years before their professional paths converged. 

“I got to know Adam pretty well (in high school) because he was part of yearbook and I was part of newspaper,” Ingraham said. “We became pretty good friends.” 

And this is where those journeys all came together. 

When “Daily Pop’s” on-air run ended in late 2022, Ingraham looked elsewhere for her next opportunity. It turns out that her Bedford connection came through for her.  

Recently, Duckworth contacted her and asked if she would like to work for him at Travelmation as a media consultant.  

Ingraham accepted the offer, and she quickly saw many opportunities for Duckworth to get in front of cameras and promote his brand. 

“We put a reel together for him and I reached out to some folks at ‘Access Hollywood,’” she said. “I told them, ‘I think this would be a really good fit for you guys.’ ‘Access’ said, ‘Great, let’s do it,’ and we filmed it.” 

The episode aired on June 15 and featured Duckworth sharing numerous dream travel destination ideas for viewers. 

When asked about the major differences between Hollywood and Bedford, Batey and Ingraham each had a lot to share. 

“Here in California, you can go skiing in the morning and hit the waves in the evening,” Ingraham said. “It’s just absolutely beautiful. I was really drawn to that.” 

“In California, you go to visit the snow; in the Midwest, the snow finds you,” Batey said. “My birthday is in February, and in California I say I have a summer birthday because it’s 70 degrees.” 

Duckworth also noted some of the major differences between south Florida and Bedford. 

“In a lot of small towns in the Midwest, there are a lot of people who look the same, talk the same, and act the same,” he explained. “That is very different in a city that is a melting pot of all different cultures from around the world.” 

“South Florida is also heavily influenced by culture from the islands, and from South America, so there is much influence in the area from that perspective as well,” Duckworth said. “Much different from Bedford Township.” 

Despite successfully settling into their very different environments, each of the three has a list of things they miss about Bedford and the surrounding area. 

“The must-stop for me when I return home is Sidelines (Sports Eatery),” Duckworth said. “The wings, the fries, the feel of the restaurant is something I’ll never forget, and it’s still the same. We love it.” 

“I miss my extended family, a good autumn breeze, and honestly riding the lawn mower to cut 5 acres of grass – so relaxing,” Batey said. “As far as ‘must-stops,’ I always try to swing by Rudy’s Hot Dogs and Lil’ Shack Ice Cream when I’m in town. Those places bring all my memories back.” 

Ingraham offered a poignant perspective about what she brought with her from Bedford to the West Coast: a strong work ethic and kindness. 

“That’s all from that Midwestern upbringing,” she said. “It’s all about surrounding yourself with good people and kindness.” 

Ingraham added that her Midwest roots have helped her appreciate her achievements, such as her seven Emmy nominations.  

“For a girl from Temperance, Michigan, I get excited every time,” she said. “People around here don’t think it matters, but to a girl from a small town, it really matters.