2017
MONTH May - June
REVIEW ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-NEWPORT
Balance of Mind, Body & Spirit Nurse’s week is a time of celebration and reflection for the nations most trusted profession. The theme of 2017’s Nurses Week celebration is Nursing: the Balance of Mind, Body, and Spirit. This week is about celebrating nurses leading the charge of our nation’s health and wellness. With over 40,000 nurses practicing in Arkansas, there is still a tremendous need for nurses in our state. There has never been a more exciting opportunity to join the nursing profession
Scenes from May Graduation
May 12 marked the Applied Science Commencement and the General Education Commencement on the Newport Campus. Both ceremonies were streamed live on Facebook.
Scenes from May Graduation (continued)
Success in college diesel study
When Greg Thetford became the new principal of Cedar Ridge High School, he knew he had his hands full when he met Frankie Bunch’s mother during his first few days on the job. When a woman approached him and introduced herself and her son Frankie, she looked Thetford in the eye and said, “If you have any trouble out of him, you bust his butt.” Frankie, not missing a breath, followed it up with, “And, you better wop me hard.” Thetford said as a school administrator, it’s common to want to know where your students started when you see how far they’ve come. In 10th grade, many, including Thetford, thought Frankie “would be lucky to make it out of high school.” Now, not only will Frankie soon graduate, he will — by summer’s end — be a fully certified diesel mechanic through a two-year program at Arkansas State University-Newport. For someone who visited the principal’s office at least once every week, Frankie, who became involved and found success in the school’s robotics team and then joined the program offerings at ASU-N, will be certified in eight areas by the time he graduates. He has multiple options, one of which is to enter a 10-year internship with Walmart. “When people ask what we’re doing to get students career and college ready, this is what we’re doing,” Thetford said of the ASU-N partnership. “When people ask how we’re going to get from Point A to Point B, this is what we’re doing.” Frankie said that participation in the program “means the world. I’ve always wanted to become a diesel mechanic. This has just been my life’s dream,” he said, noting his dad was involved in the field and has worked hard. With a one-year head start, Frankie said he will graduate next year and is probably the youngest student in the program right now. (Article taken from “Never expected to Graduate, C-Ridge Senior Finds Success in College Diesel Study” by Lacy Mitchell, Batesville Daily Guard Staff Writer. Published April 25, 2017)
Ember Myrick (left), one of ASUN’s Hospitality Management Students, received industry certification in Food and Beverage Management from the National Restaurant Association (NRA) ManageFirst program. She completed her certification test and made a perfect score! Congratulations Ember! Congratulations to Meghan Cantara (right) for winning the Phi Beta Lambda National Leadership Conference Scholarship! Meghan applied for the scholarship after learning she would be attending the NLC this summer in Anaheim. The scholarship is based upon the student’s participation in their local PBL chapter and other leadership qualities. Meghan will be one of two recipients.
Images of Success and Service at ASU-Newport ASU-Newport sent approximately 20 ARNEC Students to the local shelter in Pocahontas to assist with donations and patient care after a recent catastrophic flooding event. In addition to patient care and donation management, the students took time to help organize the shelter to better serve the public as they enter the facility. ASU-Newport’s Hospitality Services students assisted with meal prep, delivered food to flood volunteers, and volunteered. The Beta Nu Gamma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at ASU-Newport hosted a drive for donation items on each campus at ASUNewport. ASU-Newport, ASUN-Jonesboro and ASUN-Marked Tree had designated drop boxes where students, faculty and staff could donate items for shelter victims.
Above, left to right, Betsy Walker, PTK Advisor; Laura Bean, PTK Public Relations Secretary; Saraid Vasquez, Recording Secretary; Meghan Cantara, Outgoing Secretary; Jessica Rucker, PTK member; Tina Fuentes, PTK Advisor.
ASUN’s Energy Control Technology students are in Pocahontas cleaning HVAC units after the recent flooding! Class work turns into real world skills! Our Energy Control Technology students volunteered their time to help flood victims clean their air units! Class time was spent developing real world skills in Pocahontas, cleaning the muddy flood water residue off these HVAC units.
ASU-Newport Career Pathways success story! “I visited Mrs. Carolyn and she set me up with the application and directed me to WIOA. Between both of these programs I was able to pay for many things and start and complete the Surgical Technology program. Today, I currently work at Unity Health - White County Medical Center in the OR with a wonderful group of people. I am extremely happy with where I am in life and the opportunities that will continue to open up for me with the more experience that I acquire. None of this would be possible without the help of these two programs.” - Tessa Jones.
On June 6, it was announced that Lindsey Lewis - a third-generation farmer from Newport - is the latest recipient of the Jim and Betty Sloan Scholarship in the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Technology at Arkansas State University. Lewis will be a junior this fall. A transfer student from ASU-Newport who helps her father grow rice and soybeans in Jackson County, she is a Plant and Soil Science major. She also assists with Extension Service test plots on the family farm. The Sloan Scholarship is now awarded to A-State agriculture majors who are rising juniors. If recipients maintain their grades, the scholarship continues for a second year, including graduate study.
Arkansas State University – Newport hosed the Mythbusters 2017 Summer Camp June 12-15. It was open to students entering grades three through seven, and students learned how to bust myths by helping conduct experiments in different areas at ASUN. They had the opportunity to explore in a safe environment with experts from many different fields of study. The camp was led by Camp Director Irina Reynolds and Camp Coordinator Debbie Snetzer. The 2017 Mythbusters Summer Camp also had an experienced staff that included; Dr. Duane Doyle (Math), Police Chief Jonathan Tubbs, Hayley Bethel (Nursing), Harry Hunt (Criminal Investigation), Stephanie Wilson (Math), Lindley Gilliaum (Agricultural), and Jennifer Ballard (Librarian).
Images of Success and Service at ASU-Newport Our booth at Portfest offered visitors a chance to charge their devices and to learn about our new Agriculture Technology program! ASU-Newport faculty, staff, and students also had fun supporting one of our communities!
SkillsUSA Competition On June 22, ASU-Newport students competed at SkillsUSA Nationals! Cody Booth, Energy Control Technology Student, (below left) is shown showcasing his electrical wiring skills! Our Cosmetology students are: Cosmetology - Abigail Mason, Esthetics - Jessi James, and Esthetics model - Lauren Woody along with Melinda Odom, Director of Cosmetology
Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family and friends of ASUN Alumnus Lieutenant Patrick Weatherford. Patrick was a part-time employee of ASUNewport and a close friend to many of our Faculty and Staff. Lt. Weatherford’s funeral service was held on Friday, June 16 at 11:00 am at the ASUN Center For The Arts.
Images of Success and Service at ASU-Newport We would like to thank our friends at the Jonesboro Sun for this coverage! Community Colleges Offer Low-Cost Alternative To Four-Year Programs By Grant Stewart, Sun Staff Writer JONESBORO — For many high school seniors, the traditional four-year college seems to be the logical next step after graduation, but is it always the right option? For students like ASU-Newport nursing student Miranda Warren, the answer lies in a different form of college than the typical four-year institution. Warren said she thought community college provided more flexibility and more interaction, and she praised its affordability. “I thought the schedule, the smaller classes, the one-on-one interactions with the teachers would fit me better,” Warren said. “It balanced work and school and my children for me.” Community colleges provide many degrees that can lead to a job after one completes the two-year curriculum and receives their certificate. The ASU-Newport campus in Jonesboro, for instance, offers programs in Advanced Manufacturing, Welding, Hospitality Services, Practical Nursing and Industrial Maintenance. Carol Little, the 11th- and 12th-grade school counselor at Westside High School, said students who are on the fence about going to college should try a community college first. She also said she wants to quell the myth that college is too expensive. “I recommend them to go to a two-year college to begin with if they do not have a lot of scholarship money,” Little said. “If you keep your grades up, it could lead to a scholarship at a four-year institution, should you want to go.” Jonesboro High School STEM Academy career coach Chris Cross, a former ASU-Newport student and current career facilitator at ASU-Newport, agreed that community colleges are the most cost efficient and great for students who are unsure of what they want their major to be. “Community college teaches you how to pace yourself,” Cross said. “A lot of students are torn between what they want to do, so I tell them to go to community college, get your general studies classes out of the way, research options, and then you can decide what you want to do later should you go to ASU or a bigger four-year school.” Cross said he was not the most motivated student when he was in high school, but he decided to give community college a chance. He now holds a master’s degree. He said his definition of college is learning and getting a degree, though it does not necessarily have to come from a traditional four-year degree, nor does it have to lead a student in the direction of a four-year institution. There are many options that will lead to a career directly out of community college, he said.
Jonesboro and Marked Tree Commencement June 29 was the date for the graduation of the Jonesboro/Marked Tree campuses. The ceremony began at 7 pm at the JHS Performing Arts Center in Jonesboro.
Jonesboro and Marked Tree Commencement