The Pathfinder: Summer 2019

PathFinder the

A community update from Central Carolina Technical College

What’s Inside: Mackenzie Higgins Wall

Welding student places first in competition CCTC 2019 Graduation Health Sciences Pinning Ceremonies CCTC donates 3D printer Nathanael Ray Scholars Signing Day

To contact the Public Relations Department, email: publicrelationsoffice@cctech.edu Central Carolina Technical College does not discriminate in employment or admissions on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, age, religion, pregnancy, childbirth,or related medical conditions, including but not limited to, lactation, disability, or any other protected class.

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MACKENZIE HIGGINS WALL - ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING GRADUATE, CLASS OF 2019 Mackenzie Higgins Wall was born and raised in Camden, South Carolina where she graduated from Camden High School in 2015. Mackenzie started her journey at Central Carolina Technical College by being a part of the Dual Enrollment program during her sophomore year in high school. After high school, she spent some time attending another college in South Carolina before she realized that it wasn’t the right fit for her. She decided to come back to Camden and continue her education in the Associate Degree Nursing program at CCTC. “I had experience with Central Carolina in high school and when I realized that I wanted to be a nurse, I did my research and learned that CCTC had one of the best nursing programs in the state and a really high pass rate on the NCLEX exam. It was also close to home and just seemed like the best fit for me,” says Mackenzie.

During her time at Central Carolina, Mackenzie was a part of the Student Nurses’ Association. As part of the Student Nurses’ Association, Mackenzie helped prepare students for their roles as professionals in the nursing field. Mackenzie graduated from Central Carolina Technical College with an associate degree in nursing in May of this year. She is now employed at Kershaw Health and is working alongside other nurses in their residency program in the Medical Surgical Unit. A short-term goal for her is to go back to school to earn her bachelor’s degree in nursing. Her long-term goal is to become a family nurse practitioner.

WELDING STUDENT PLACES FIRST IN SC SKILLSUSA WELDING COMPETITION

Central Carolina Technical College Advanced Pipe Welding student Sam DuBose placed first in the 2019 South Carolina SkillsUSA Welding Competition which took place in Pendleton, South Carolina.

Sam started his welding career at Sumter County Career and Technology Center as a junior in high school. He has continued his welding career at CCTC where he is now enrolled in the Advanced Pipe Welding program. Sam will represent South Carolina in the individual welding category at the National SkillsUSA Welding Competition in Louisville, Kentucky in June of this year.

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CCTC CELEBRATES OVER 600 NEW GRADUATES Central Carolina Technical College held two commencement ceremonies Friday, May 10, at the Sumter County Civic Center to accommodate over 600 graduates.

Academic Program Manager for Pharmacy Technician Dionne Simmons was honored during the morning commencement ceremony as this year’s recipient of the E.C. “Red” Kneece Teaching Excellence Award.

Sixteen students from Manning High School, East Clarendon High School, Lee Central High School, Crestwood High School, Sumter High School, Lugoff Elgin High School and the Homeward Education Association graduated with Associate Degrees from CCTC that were enrolled in the Early College Program.

CCTC also announced the newest addition to the college, the Titan mascot. In the 1970s, Sumter Area Technical College briefly had a trojan for a mascot but CCTC has never had a mascot – until now. The project of creating a new mascot for the college started in the fall of 2017 with the help of CCTC’s Public Relations department who worked closely with a mascot focus group to create a logo and identify a brand for the mascot.

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CENTRAL CAROLINA TECHNICAL COLLEGE PINS 61 PHARMACY TECHNICIANS, MASSAGE THERAPISTS AND NURSES Central Carolina Technical College’s Health Sciences Division pinned 13 massage therapists, 38 nurses and 10 pharmacy technicians during two pinning ceremonies held on Thursday, May 9 at the Sumter Opera House located in downtown Sumter.

The Health Sciences Division offers an Associate Degree in Nursing; Diplomas in Medical Assisting and Surgical Technology; and certificates in Massage Therapy, Medical Record Coding, Patient Care Technology and Pharmacy Technology. Health Sciences programs are designed to provide graduates with immediate employment in the healthcare industry or prepare graduates to transfer to articulating colleges.

Pharmacy technicians are allied health professionals who assist and support licensed pharmacists in providing pharmaceutical services directly and indirectly to patients.

The Massage Therapy program prepares graduates to work in direct client care settings to provide manipulation (massage) of the soft tissue structures

of the body to prevent and alleviate pain, discomfort, muscle spasm, and stress, and to promote health and wellness.

Graduates of the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program are prepared for careers as technical nurses in acute care, long-term care or home health settings.

Upon completion of the program, students are eligible to take the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) and are approved by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation Board of Nursing. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Recently, CCTC’s Associate Degree Nursing program was ranked #6 on the 2019 best Registered Nurse programs in South Carolina list.

For more information about CCTC’s ADN program visit: www.cctech.edu/program-of-study/nursing-adn/

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CCTC DONATES 3D PRINTERS TO ALICE DRIVE ELEMENTARY AND ALICE DRIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Central Carolina Technical College donated a new 3D printer to the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) labs at Alice Drive Elementary and Alice Drive Middle School. These donations are part of a Partnership in Education between ADE and ADM. CCTC is proud to work in collaboration with local schools to promote STEM education. The Partners

in Education initiative was started in 2018 by the Chamber of Commerce and the Sumter School District with a goal of partnering businesses and organizations with one or more of the 26 schools in Sumter County. Central Carolina Technical College looks forward to growing their current relationships and expanding this type of partnership into the college’s four-county service area.

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FROM TECHNICAL COLLEGE TO A FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY - THE JOURNEY OF NATHANAEL RAY Central Carolina Technical College is a proud participant in South Carolina’s Statewide Articulation Agreement.

The agreement covers 86 courses, approved by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, that are transferrable from two-year to four-year public and many private institutions. In addition to the statewide agreement, CCTC also has admission agreements with 13 institutions for specific associate degree programs.

CCTC President Dr. Mikota explains,” The Admission Agreements not only provide students with the opportunity to save thousands in tuition costs, but they also allow students to better plan and gain the skill sets necessary for their future careers. You can save the most money by starting at Central Carolina and then transferring your credits to another college or university.

Over the past five years, CCTC has had 1800 individuals transfer to 258 institutions in 47 states and the District of Columbia. That’s very powerful and it’s a tremendous cost saving opportunity for those that want to transfer credits to other institutions across our nation.”

One student who took advantage of CCTC’s admission agreement with the University of South Carolina is Nathanael Ray. Nathanael began his CCTC experience as a dual-enrolled student. While finishing up his high school diploma, he was also taking college courses and earning credits toward his college degree. This enabled him to finish high school with 27 credits toward his college education with no debt. After finishing high school, Nathanael continued his education with CCTC, tuition-free, as a Central Carolina Scholar in the Engineering Design Technology program. He received his associate degree from Central Carolina Technical College in 2018 and transferred 89 credit hours to the University of South Carolina where he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.

“I was interested in the dual enrollment program because I could do it while finishing up my senior year in high school and it was free! I accomplished half my entire associate degree before I technically even started college. Once I finished high school, I was then able to finish the rest of my associate degree at CCTC under the Central Carolina Scholars program. All of that was free! I earned my associate degree from CCTC with no debt to my name and that gave me a great foundation to continue on and receive my bachelor’s degree from a four-year university. Starting at Central Carolina saved me so much money compared with what I probably would have paid had I jumped right into a large university, “ says Nathanael.

Central Carolina Technical College’s Vice President of Academic Affairs Myles Williams highly supports the journey from two-year to four-year college. “Students can save so much money by staying close to home and starting at a technical college for two years.

Economically, it’s a smart decision to start local. It gives the student time to figure out the career path that they want to pursue while earning credits in their general education courses. They can then continue on with enrolling at a four-year university to earn a bachelor’s degree.”

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CCTC SCHOLARS SIGNING DAY On Saturday, April 6 soon-to-be high school students and their parents attended Central Carolina Scholars Signing Day at the Main Campus of Central Carolina Technical College.

CCTC President Dr. Michael Mikota welcomed and congratulated the students and their parents on this opportunity of a lifetime. Faculty spoke and were available to help guide the incoming students through financial aid, registration, student life activities and other opportunities. There was a signing ceremony for each student and their family, which included a Central Carolina Scholars baseball cap, pen and contract. CCTC is proud to have these bright high school graduates become part of the college’s team. Lunch was served following the signing ceremony.

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