Get Set

THE STUDENT’S GUIDE TO AWESOME CAREERS IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA

FREE

NEW 2010 EDITION!

GET SE T

BUILDING A CAREER Sky Scraper OUT OF ! s n o t E L le K e k A E S M G Y E O TH S ? ?

R O M R JET A E! l things HER ther coo

no + over a doze

SRSLY?

Text Message Technology!

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T E E SW RIDE

Kenny Brown Builds His Own Busi And His Own Chopp

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on the cover Building a Career out of LEGOs?? You bet! Have fun climbing the Steps of STEM...

Get set for success!

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The Region 2000 Technology Council is proud to partner with Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) to bring you this third edition of Get Set magazine. It’s never too early to start thinking about the career you want after you finish school. This magazine can help you prepare for your future just like the teens featured in the following pages.

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Most careers today require an education beyond a high school diploma. The highest paying and most in-demand careers will require technically skilled employees with specialized knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

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iness... pers

At CVCC, you can earn a two-year associate’s degree even before you finish high school. Local companies have partnered with CVCC and the University of Virginia to offer a four-year engineering degree right here in Lynchburg, and several offer full scholarships for deserving students. Add to that the engineering programs at Liberty University and Sweet Briar College, and you have a range of local options to pursue studies that will help you prepare for a great STEM career.

I encourage you to make a commitment to your education as you “Get Set” for success. One day you’ll be glad you did.

~ Jonathan Whitt Executive Director, Region 2000 Technology Council

GET SE T What’s Inside

4 Real-World Healthcare Training 6 Not all high-tech jobs require four years of college

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check us out online

getset.cc

8 Text Message Technology 9 Who Designs the Steel Inside The Concrete?

Support for this magazine is provided by:

10 Did You Know They Make It Here?

12 8 STEM-ulating ways to explore Science, Technology, Engineering & Math 14 Career Coaches: Helping Students Step Up To The Plate 15 Go To College (During High School!)

16 Kenny Brown Builds His Own Business...And His Own Choppers 18 Customize YOUR Career Path

This product was funded in part by a grant awarded under the President’s CommunityBased Job Training Grants as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment & Training Administration. The information contained in this product was created by a grantee organization and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor or other grant agencies. All references to non-governmental companies or organizations, their services, products, or resources are offered for informational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement by the Department of Labor and these granting agencies.

Printed in USA • 10/09

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e r a c h Healt Realg n i World!

Train in the

SIMULATED PATIENTS AT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

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ould you want to be treated by a nurse who has yet to work in a real-world environment?

Probably not.

That's why Liberty University created a high-tech “simulation lab” for its nursing students.

“Our students live in the lab,” says Kathryn Miller, the registered nurse who runs it.

“Think of military or aeronautics simulation. It's not good enough to score a 4.0 on a test. They need hands-on experience. And so do nurses.”

Liberty's simulation lab gives the school's nursing students clinical experience in a safe environment. Or, as Miller says, “It takes them from book knowledge to bedside wisdom.”

The lab is centered around

artificial “patients” who look lifelike and act lifelike.

“These high-tech mannequins breathe,” Miller says. “They have a pulse, heart sounds, and lung sounds. And they can wheeze and cough and bleed and even vomit.” (Sound only, thankfully!)

One mannequin, named “Noelle,” is a mom who “gives birth” right there in the lab. Another, “Hal,” is a newborn baby that can be picked up and held.

A simulated patient programmed to mimic a particular illness might say something to the student like, “I can't catch my breath -- help me!”

Once a nursing student responds with the right treatment, the patient might tell them, “Thanks, that's better.”

While students work with these simulators, Miller watches them from behind a two-way mirror.

LU Nursing instructor uses a PDA to control the “patient’s” vital signs while students react to the unexpected changes.

Students can also hone their skills on their own, by playing a virtual-reality game on a computer. “The computer screen turns into a virtual-reality hospital room,” Miller explains.

“They can practice at their own pace to learn how to do things like properly position patients, start IV's, and choose medications.”

Liberty University has over 400 students in its nursing program. Freshman aren't included in that number, since they're considered “pre-nursing” students as they're taking their first-year science courses like anatomy and physiology.

While many nursing schools don't allow students to actually work in hospitals until their junior year, students in Liberty's nursing program get into local hospitals starting in their first semester. Miller says the school strives to make its training as hands-on as possible.

Different from other programs, Liberty also offers students who want to go into critical care nursing a “critical care certificate” program, which allows them to get advanced certifications such as ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support).

Whatever type of nursing they train for, Liberty students are immersed in the use of technology.

“Nursing has become very technologybased,” Miller says, “so technology is integrated across all of our curriculum. We're blessed in that all of our technology is state-of-the-art.”

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EMS AT CENTRAL VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

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ould you rather be a paramedic who rushes out under the sound of a blaring siren in order to save and transport people with emergency medical needs?

Just down the road at Central Virginia Community College, you can train for this exciting branch of high-tech healthcare: Emercency Medical Services, or EMS. CVCC offers an associate's degree in EMS (for two years of study) that preps students to become first responders out in the field. With classes in everything from basic anatomy to advanced patient assessment and trauma care, the school's EMS program will get you ready and eligible for state and national certification.

Like Liberty's nursing program, CVCC's paramedic training is very hands-on.

Jason Ferguson is the director of the program. “We offer clinical and field experiences in hospitals and with professional EMS crews,» Ferguson says. «Students wear uniforms and look the part, even as they're training for it.”

If you have interest in being part of a team who answers 911 calls for medical emergencies, CVCC's EMS program is your ticket to success.

A Different Kind of Check-up

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Kids have fun checking up on respiratory and radiology technology at CVCC’s Summer Academies.

“Is a healthcare career right for me?” These students have a much better idea now!

Making Meds A Different Kind of High-Tech Healthcare Career Did you know that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries of Israel, one of the top drug makers in the world, has a major manufacturing facility right here in Forest?

In fact, the company is the largest generic drug manufacturer in the world.

Generic drugs are those lower cost, “store brand” versions of prescription and over-thecounter medicines that contain the same active ingredients as the big name drugs.

For example, a grocery store brand of acetaminophen would be a generic version of Tylenol, the original brand-name drug.

The grocery store chain didn’t actually make those pills — someone like Teva made it for them. If nursing or EMS isn't the job for you, you could still be involved in the world of high-tech healthcare by making medicines that help people all over the world.

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Some area high school students are now equipped with instruments similar to those used in local industries.

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HANDS-ON NOT ALL HIGH-TECH JOBS REQUIRE FOUR YEARS OF COLLEGE.

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ow many years of school do you need to prepare yourself for an exciting high-tech job?

Maybe not as many as you might think. While there are a lot of great opportunities out there for those who earn four-year college degrees, not all high-tech work takes that much schooling. In fact, did you know that eleven of the Top 20 most in-demand jobs in Virginia require only a certification or a two-year associate’s degree? That's more than half of the most popular jobs in the state!

What kind of jobs are we talking about?

Well, here are five examples, with the average national salary for each: • Surveying Techinicians ($32,780) • Biological Technicians ($34,450) • Nuclear Equipment Operation Technicians ($58,830) • Nuclear Monitoring Technicians ($58,830) • Computer Support Technician ($43,620)

Not one of these exciting hi-tech jobs require a four-year college education--just a two-year associate’s degree or a comparable certification. And hands-on high-tech workers like electricians, machinists and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) technicians can earn as much as $25 per hour, plus much more for overtime work!

Websites like knowhowvirginia.org and vaview.org can give you information about many more careers like these that are available right here in Virginia—along with schooling you'll need and the salary you might expect for each.

automotive

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. . .

E

D U D THIS IS LIKE NO

“SUPER SOAKER” YOU’VE EVER SEEN!

learning the lathe

drill press demo A HYDRO JET NOZZLE: HOW MANY PEOPLE GET TO WORK WITH “SQUIRT GUNS” THIS POWERFUL?

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energy

iamond Power in Lynchburg is just one of the many local businesses that hire people to do technical work.

The company hires people with both two- and fouryear college degrees.

Their main work happens to be cleaning the insides of industrial boilers, which are 13-story high boxes filled with burning coal dust, used to produce power for factories.

But don't get the idea that Diamond Power employees are crawling up into these boilers with mops and wash buckets.

Hardly.

No, Diamond Power designs and builds highly technical, computerized super soakers that can shoot giant streams of water straight through the 50-foot fireballs burning inside these boilers!

These industrial-strength squirt guns -- which are actually called hydro jets -- move up and down one side of the boiler blasting the opposite side with high-pressure water to blast away all the grimy buildup.

It takes a lot of math and a thorough understanding of thermal dynamics to design systems like these, to build them, and to make them work.

Highly technical work, to be sure. But doesn't it sound like fun? Other area companies that hire hands-on technical workers include AREVA, B&W, Greif, Sonny's Automotive, AMTI, English Construction, C.L. Lewis, Southern Air, plus many more.

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TEXT MESSAGE TECHNOLOGY ust about everybody sends text messages to their friends these days. But how do all of these messages actually get delivered from one cell phone to the next?

Of course it’s not magic: it's wireless technology!

And our area happens to be a hub for wireless technology jobs. We have several major wireless companies located right here in our backyard--Harris RF Communications (until recently known as Tyco Electronics), Innovative Wireless Technologies (IWT) and Andrew, just to name a few.

Why so many wireless companies in this area?

Back in the day (in 1955, to be exact), General Electric's two-way radio division, called GE Mobile, set up its global headquarters in Lynchburg. Today's cell phones and mobile computers are the children and grandchildren of those early two-way radios.

In the 1980's GE Mobile was bought by the Swiss cell phone manufacturer Ericsson. For years GE/Ericsson was a major employer in the area. It brought a lot of talented people into this area...and more than a few related companies.

Though Ericsson is now gone, many of the people who once worked there have stayed, and some of them launched their own wireless technology companies that are still around today.

Wireless communications is one of the most thriving industries in the world.

We've gone from two-way radios to mobile phones to wireless computers to smart phones. Who knows what the future of wireless will hold?

So the next time you send or receive a text message, think of the technology behind it and ask yourself, “Is this the kind of field I might want to explore?”

If so, there are plenty of opportunities around you.

Talk to a parent, a career coach, a teacher, or a guidance counselor to find out how you can start preparing today for a future in “text message technology.”

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“You got my text, right? Sweet!

So, anyway...”

no wires attached!

Nick Waddell works for the wireless technology company Harris RF Communications. Nick was able to get on-the-job training in the wireless industry, get certified in computer networking, and get his college and master’s-level education paid for at CVCC and Virginia Tech--all by taking advantage of “Get Set” opportunities right here at home in Central Virginia.

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Who Designs

Inside

the Steel the Concrete?

Ever heard of REBAR?

Those are the thin steel rods inside the concrete that makes up many of the buildings, parking garages, and industrial plants around the world.

The word “rebar” is short for “reinforcing bar.”

Like BONES for buildings Kind of like the bones within your body, pieces of rebar are framed together within concrete to give it strength and support. They're cut, bent and tied into “cages” and other shapes in order to give a structure the strength it needs.

DETAILERS work around here Did you know that there are people right here in Central Virginia who detail rebar for skyscrapers, stadiums, bridges, and other concrete structures?

It's true. CMC Rebar is a part of Commercial Metals Company (CMC), one of the world’s largest makers of reinforcing bars, structural steel, steel joist and other steel products. And CMC Rebar has a rebar detailing center in Madison Heights.

Work as a DETAILER

While a structural engineer decides how much rebar a building needs, somebody else makes up the rebar “instructions” for ironworkers to follow at the jobsite.

Who makes up those instructions?

People called rebar “detailers”.

Rebar detailers work closely with structural engineers, architects and concrete contractors, and they play a key role in the construction of reinforced concrete structures. A rebar detailer is trained to use computer-aided design (CAD) technology to prepare drawings showing how the rebar should be placed.

Sound cool? Here’s how to GET STARTED: If you entered and successfully completed CMC Rebar's training program, by the time you graduated from high school, you'd already have 12 to 18 class credits toward an associate's degree at CVCC. You'd have a full-time job waiting for you at CMC Rebar right out of high school. And while you're working, the company would even pay for you to continue your college education on the side.

And get this: If you want to be a rebar detailer, not only will CMC Rebar teach you how to do it, they'll pay you as you get trained. And

you can start while you're still in high school!

Robbie Hall heads up CMC Rebar’s local “Tech Center,” as it's called. “About fifteen years ago,” Hall said, “the American rebar industry started outsourcing detailing work to India and other countries, because of an apparent opportunity to address the shortage of trained detailers here in the U.S.” That didn't work so well, he said.

“Today, we're partnering with CVCC (Central Virginia Community College) and local high schools to allow high-school seniors to train here while they're still in school,” Hall said.

Rebar detailing is just one more high-tech, high-demand field that’s right here in our own back yard.

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PHOTO CO

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The sandwich bag in your lunch may have been made in Amherst by Glad Manufacturing, a division of Clorox. (And the trash bag you threw it into when you finished may have been made there, too!)

PLASTIC BAGS

KEVLAR速 FABRIC BGF Industries in Altavista produces fabrics woven from Kevlar fiber. We cannot confirm or deny the rumor that Bruce Wayne used BGF material in his Batman suit, which is also purported to be made of Kevlar.

CIRCUIT BOARDS Several local companies create printed circuit boards for products ranging from phones to satellites.

Did you know they made it here?!

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M-1 ABRAMS TANK PARTS Wegmann USA in Lynchburg makes ammunition racks and specialized gearing for the M-1 Abrams tank, one of the main battle tanks produced in the U.S. The separated ammo storage system is one of the more distinctive features of this heavily armored, highly mobile vehicle.

Frito-Lay makes some of your favorite potato chips and tortilla chips at their Lynchburg factory.

SNACK FOODS

CHEMICAL SENSORS AMTI in Lynchburg has developed a sensor system that detects the in-air presence of hazardous chemicals and biological warfare agents.

AMTI is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to keep Americans safe at home.

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GENERIC DRUGS

ARCHERY RELEASES

Teva in Forest makes a wide range of generic medicines, helping make prescriptions more affordable for millions of people.

TRU-Ball in Madison Heights manufactures precision releases that function as “triggers” for compound bows.

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AREVA, a French corporation with four locations in Central Virginia, is the world’s leader in finding new ways to make and use nuclear energy. B&W in Lynchburg supplies nuclear fuel and services to the U.S. Navy and other high-profile customers.

NUCLEAR ENERGY

MILITARY ARMOR BGF Industries’ fabrics woven from Kevlar® fiber are also used in “bulletproof” panels for jets and armored vehicles.

Law enforcement officers in many major cities carry mobile radios made in Lynchburg by Harris Electronics.

Abbott Labs in Altavista makes baby formula and several famous brands of liquid nutritional supplements.

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BABY FORMULA

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POLICE RADIOS

NATIONALS PARK RACING ENGINES Sonny’s Automotive in Lynchburg builds high-performance engines and components for some of the biggest names in drag racing.

Banker Steel in Lynchburg provided the steel beams used in building Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals pro baseball team. The 41,888 seat venue features an innovative design of steel, glass and pre-cast concrete to create a facility that uniquely reflects the architecture of Washington, DC.

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getset.cc You can have a blast, from elementary school all the way up through high school, with these fun activities— which just happen to be supercharged with science, technology, engineering and math.

Eight STEM-ulating Ways to Explore

LYNCHBURG REGIONAL LEGO TOURNAMENT

FIRST LEGO ROBOTICS First Legos is a robotics program for 9-14 year olds.

TECHNOLOGY FAIR Held each May at CVCC, students from area high schools compete in a variety of technology focused competitions.

The Lynchburg Regional Lego Tournament is the largest in the state. A S.T.E.M. activity that teaches programming, mechanical design, problem solving and teamwork in a unique challenge, while instilling “Gracious Professionalism.”

SUMMER ACADEMIES Each summer, area middle-school students can participate in one of a number of technology camps, including Women in Engineering, Aviation Technology, Health Technology, Advanced Manufacturing, Building Trades, Information Technology and Motor Sports.

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Science,Technology,Engineering & Math

VEX ROBOTICS VEX Robotics is a program designed to help high-schoolaged young people discover how interesting and rewarding the life of engineers and researchers can be through the creation and competition of robots.

GET SET The Region 2000 Technology Council and CVCC work together to publish this magazine each year. Take time to read these fun stories! And be sure to check out more cool stuff online at www.getset.cc.

CENTRAL VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR Held each May, the region’s area-wide science fair is for 5th-through 8th-grade students.

FUTURE FOCUS CAREER EXPO Held each October, the Technology Council brings together industry and education in a trade-show format where students can explore career opportunities within Region 2000. Students from more than 25 area middle and high schools and 50 companies participate each year.

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e h t o t with some he step up lp from a

! e t career a pl coac right ’s the “What or me?” f “Can I get some job training career while I’m still in high school?”

Need help building a future?

Career coaches can help you find your direction in life by pointing you toward fun activities and exciting events that relate to lots of careers. These teens were turned on to the fun at the annual Technology Fair at Central Virginia Community College.

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“How do I apply to the school I want to go to?”

“Who can I talk to about getting college credits in high school? ”

t’s for questions like these that six area high schools have a career coach on staff.

Just as a baseball coach helps guide players to success, a career coach helps guide students to success.

Working out of the guidance office in each of the high schools— Appomattox County, Jefferson Forest, Liberty, Staunton River, Heritage and E.C. Glass—these coaches help students put together career plans, establish career goals, identify training and dual enrollment opportunities, and prepare for post-secondary education, whether that be a four-year university, a two-year college, or an apprenticeship in the field.

In other words, if you're trying to figure out what to do with the rest of your life, go talk with the coach.

She can help you find and prepare for a career that's right for you.

Judy Graves, a dean at Central Virginia Community College, supervises the coaching program. She said sometimes a coach can make a big difference in a student's life.

“Some of our career coaches even take students on field trips to see jobs in action,” Graves said. “One student visited a hospital and changed her career plans in order to become a nurse.”

Is it time for you to step up to the plate? Stop by your guidance office this week and ask to see the coach.

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e g e l l o C Go To h School!

During Hig

(They did it!)

Shakia V

ictoria wanted to save money. Shakia wanted a bigger challenge. And Kelsey just couldn't wait to become a physical

therapist.

That's why they started taking college classes while they were still in high school.

Central Virginia Community College's Early College Program allowed them to do it. “It's a really good program,” Shakia says. “If people can get involved, they should.” Designed for high school juniors and seniors, the program puts good students on the fast track to success.

As participants get their high school diplomas, they also got associate degrees from CVCC. So when they officially left high school for college, two of their four years of college study were already finished!

Participants in the program can take college courses in a variety of ways: online, onsite at CVCC's main campus in Lynchburg, or onsite at one of CVCC's satellite centers around the region.

Victoria

Kelsey

Shakia Pennix took her college classes at CVCC's Appomattox Center. "I

needed a bigger challenge than what I was getting in high school,” she says.

"The college classes were great. My teachers gave me some time to adjust, then they treated me just like any other college student.” Shakia is now at the University of Maryland, where she plans to pursue a government internship in Washington DC and travel abroad.

Victoria Hall just got home from traveling abroad with her college classmates at CVCC's Amherst Center. Her Spanish class there took a summer field trip to Costa Rica. "The college classes are more demanding than high school, but not as hard as I thought they'd be,” she says. "Best of all, the program is allowing me to save a lot of money.” Once she finishes the program, Victoria plans to study engineering at the University of Virginia or at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Kelsey Shelton broke her arm playing soccer in the eighth grade, and her

recovery was helped tremendously by physical therapy. "I went to the therapist and saw how she helped people and knew that's what I wanted to do, too,” she says. Kelsey, a graduate of CVCC's Bedford Center, is now taking advanced classes (and running track) in her first year Lynchburg College. "Going to a four-year institution is so much easier for me than it is for other first-year students.”

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Brown’s son David takes a hands-on role in his family’s Lone Stallion cycle business.

Kenny Brown

Builds His Own Business...

And His Own Choppers

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aving his own business creating custom choppers is a dream job for Kenny Brown, but that’s definitely not where he started out.

After college, this southside native soon took a job that required him to travel to nuclear power plants all around the country.

It was a good job, but Kenny didn’t like having to leave his family so often. “It was tough,” Kenny recalls. “My son was growing up; he wanted to play ball, and he wanted me to watch him.”

Not wanting to miss out on an important time in his family’s life, Kenny and his wife Sharon started Brown Machine Works just south of Lynchburg nearly 20 years ago. “It was scary at first,” Kenny recalls. “We put a lot of hours in, getting it going. My wife would come in at night and we’d both run lathes. But I was at least able to go to my son’s ballgames!”

Today, Brown’s shop has achieved some of the highest quality ratings in the industry, and makes replacement parts for the U.S. Navy nuclear submarine group. And his wife, who stood by him in those early days, is now the owner of the business.

SHIFTING GEARS Once Brown Machine Works was on solid ground, Kenny formed a separate company that combined his machining skills with his love for fast cars and stylish bikes: Lone Stallion Motorcycles—an operation that designs and builds custom choppers.

Lone Stallion also provides Brown’s employees with the chance to work on an intriguing variety of projects beyond choppers. “There’s always something new we’re working on; it could be for an AC Cobra or a GT40…cars worth a million dollars

you thought you’d never see in your life come in here, and you get to make parts for them. It’s really neat.”

Brown says he’s always looking for new talent. As you might expect, his employees need to be proficient in math and computer skills. But Brown encourages students to apply themselves in all areas of their studies – especially English! “Comprehension of English is very important here. You’ve got to be able to understand and apply what you’re reading on blueprints, manuals, and customer specs.”

Forming his own company gave Kenny the freedom to apply his skills, take risks, and to enjoy the rewards of those risks.

It’s also given him and his wife the chance to provide a future for their children. His son David is now actively involved in the company, taking the independent spirit to another generation.

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How long does it take to construct a bike like this from the ground up? “Four years of weekends!” says its builder.

Technicians use CNC machining stations to perform the precise metal work for parts like this custom cycle wheel.

“I was always mechanically inclined,” Kenny Brown recalls, “and I wanted to be able to do it myself. Finally, with my own shop, I could do my own stuff, run lathes, and do welding.”

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DEGREE PROGRAMS SPECIALIZED TRAINING PS I H S E C I T APPREN

There are more paths to great careers than ev er before.

Which ones are best

e z i m o Cust YOUR Y

ou customize your Facebook page. You customize your ringtones. You customize your clothing. Ever think to customize your career path? Central Virginia has more education and training options to choose from than ever before. And the best part is, you’re not limited to just one.

for you?

h t a P r e e r Ca

Mix and match options like these to build a road to where you want to go in life: • MENTORSHIPS AND JOB SHADOWING - Visit one-on-one with professionals in an actual job setting to learn more about what it’s like to work in a particular field.

• REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIPS - While still in school, get paid to work as a part-time employee alongside experienced workers like electricians, plumbers, law enforcement agents, and chefs.

• CAREER & TECHNICAL PROGRAMS - Get advanced training and certifications at community colleges and at private technical colleges. Some programs begin in high school!

• EARLY COLLEGE - See the story on page 15 to learn more!

• ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS - There’s a wide variety of two-year degree programs available through community colleges, covering everything from motorsports to nuclear power.

• FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE PROGRAMS - Certain jobs you just can’t get without a bachelor’s degree, and Virginia has a ton of great colleges and universities from which to choose.

• “TWO + TWO” PROGRAMS - Consider earning two years of college credit at a community college then transfer to a four-year school. And with programs like CVCC’s partnership with UVA, it’s now even possible to earn a UVA engineering degree through CVCC without having to ever leave Lynchburg!

• DISTANCE LEARNING - Video conferencing technology now makes it possible for you to take classes from your home in “real time.” Other distance learning situations transmit college class sessions from distant college campuses into local classrooms.

FINDING YOUR WAY INTO A TECHNICAL CAREER

If you love solving a problem ... figuring out how something works ... or creating something new ... check out a career in a technology field.

The industries in Central Virginia have grown to be extremely high-tech in recent years. The Lynchburg area is now a leader in the fields of energy and electronics.

For example, an eight-week summer apprenticeship program at AREVA in Lynchburg can give you a chance to see what it would be like to work in nuclear power.

FINDING A FIT

Career Coach Miranda Lowry, who works at Jefferson Forest High School, recalls that when she finished high school, she had average grades and not a lot of money. But then she attended community college, found success there, and eventually went on to earn her master’s degree at Virginia Tech.

In her role as a Career Coach, she helps students customize their career paths.

“Students are surprised at the different options that are available to them,” Lowry said, “but what I think they find most surprising is that it is not too late to have the future they want even if they didn’t earn top grades in high school, or they do not have the financial means to go to a four-year school. My goal is to show every student that it is not impossible!”

Think about where you might like to go with your career. Then ask a parent, a teacher, or a guidance counselor to help you map out the best path for you.

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SATELLITE LEARNING If you live in Bedford, Amherst, Altavista or Appomattox, a college education may be closer to your home than you realize.

Central Virginia Community College now has a “satellite” campus in each of these communities—giving you a convenient place to connect with CVCC, and get the help you need to begin (or finish) a degree or certification program.

Robert Lowry, director of the Bedford Center, which opened in 2005, said that when people come to the center, they can receive career counseling, sign up for classes and take classes without ever leaving Bedford. Some Bedford students still choose to take classes in Lynchburg, but the Bedford Center makes it easier for them to register and get started.

Linda Rodriguez, director of the Altavista Center, points out that “we try to connect to the community as much as possible.” Along with traditional classes, Altavista and the other centers offer training for certifications in health care

and private security, as well as recertification options for teachers, health workers and insurance professionals. Like the other centers, Altavista provides flexible schedules with local classes (which can be especially helpful if you’re working your way through school) and other assistance for students.

If you’re a high school student living outside of Lynchburg, you may be able to earn dual-enrollment credits at your local CVCC center. If you’re a graduate, you can use your local CVCC center to affordably earn credits that you can then transfer to four-year schools such as Virginia Tech.

And did you know that you can actually earn degrees from other colleges through CVCC? CVCC’s offerings are continuing to grow through partnerships with 22 different 4-year colleges.

Drop by the satellite campus in your community, and find out more about how you can save time and money by taking classes close to home.

More campuses, more choices!

Central Virginia Community College 434-832-7600 3506 Wards Rd., Lynchburg, VA 24502-2498 On the web: cvcc.vccs.edu

Fuel For Thought HOW SOME APPOMATTOX STUDENTS ARE CUSTOMIZING A CAREER PATH IN NUCLEAR ENERGY The Nuclear Science Technology class at Appomattox County High School uses hands-on learning to teach teens about the nuclear field. The course teaches students: • the basics of energy; • health physics; • non-destructive examination (nuclear testing techniques); • machining, repair and welding; and • robotics.

It started three years ago as a joint effort between the high school, Central Virginia Community College, and the nuclear services company, AREVA. “We wanted to expose students to nuclear science and help prepare them for a career in it or any other science,” said class instructor Clara Jo Elder.

One of Central Virginia’s largest employers, AREVA just happens to have a lot of nuclear-related jobs to offer. (As does another huge nuclear energy company with a local presence, B&W.) Elder said AREVA has been a big help to her class by getting them supplies, providing them with guest speakers, and allowing them to take tours of the company’s facilities.

Students at Appomattox County High School study non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods ...

Altavista Center 434-309-1225 Altavista Office Park 701 5th St., Suite 100 Amherst Center 434.832.7897 Mountainview Plaza 200 Richmond Highway, Suite 103 Amherst, VA 24521 Appomattox Center 434-352-5266 Carver-Price Educational Center 136 Carver Ln. Bedford Center for Business 540-586-7901 1633 Venture Blvd.

AA/EEO/ADA • VTDD •434-832-7701

... and test surfaces for radioactivity.

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