GTCC Spring 2015 Magazine

www.gtcc.edu | 1

GTCC

Contents

MAGAZINE

2

Photo by Carla Kucinski

Photo by Carla Kucinski

Spring 2015 | Vol. 1, Issue 1

8

GTCC Magazine is published annually by the Office of Marketing and Public Information.

Editor in Chief Stan Turbeville Editor Carla Kucinski

10 2 An Education At age 71, Rosa

Griffin achieves her lifelong dream.

6 My GTCC Story:

Courtni Battle 8 Finding His Calling One step in a salon 38

years ago changed Morris Boswell’s destiny.

20

12 COVER STORY Making an Impact

23 My GTCC Story: Gorkem For GTCC alum Daniel Baydar Oldham, there’s so much more to engineering than mathematics and science. It changes peoples’ lives.

18 Life After Combat

After years of struggling with PTSD, military veteran looks to the future.

10 Tools of the Trade

20 Reaching How GTCC provided Beyond the Classroom

Chef Chris Blackburn

with the tools to operate two thriving Greensboro restaurants.

Photo by Carla Kucinski

Photo by Carla Kucinski

Art Director and designer Cheryl Hemric

2 | GTCC Magazine Spring Summer 2015 2014

Why connecting with students is crucial to their success.

Contributing Writers Carla Kucinksi Heather Ebert Guilford Technical Community College PO Box 309 Jamestown, NC 27282 (336) 334-4822 www.gtcc.edu

30 STEM Excitement

How GTCC’s summer Robotics camp is building future engineers

30 GTCC News & Notes

Mission Statement Guilford Technical Community College provides access to lifelong learning opportunities for personal growth, workforce productivity, and community service. It serves all segments of Guilford County’s diverse population, delivering quality educational programs and services, through partnerships with business, community groups, and other educational institutions.

Vision Statement Creating Successful Futures

Photo by Cheryl Hemric

www.gtcc.edu | 3

ACHIEVING At age 71, Rosa Griffin fulfills goal of becoming a college graduate

By Carla Kucinski

When Rosa Griffin puts on her cap and gown a transformation takes place.

She beams with pure joy and a sense of pride washes over her.You can see it in her eyes, in her smile, in the way she lifts her head just a little bit higher when she places her graduation cap on her head.To witness it is enough to give you goosebumps.

Griffin has been smiling quite a lot lately.

She has much to be happy about. At age 71, this grandmother of 15 grandchildren is a college graduate. In May she graduated from GTCC with an associate degree in general studies.

“This was one of my goals in my life that I have achieved,” she says with tears in her eyes. “It’s an awesome feeling. I didn’t stop when things were hard. I kept going.

And that’s the most exciting thing for me that I didn’t give up on my dreams. It’s never too late.”

Griffin grew up in Pitt County, the daughter of a sharecropper and the second oldest of eight siblings.They didn’t have much and lived off the land that

4 | GTCC Magazine Spring Summer 2015 2014

they sowed. Her mother made their own clothes and always made sure there was food on the table.

“It was very tough times,” says Griffin of Greensboro. “But when I look at it now, it was all good. I thank God to this day for my experience with my mother and my father and being a sharecropper’s daughter on a farm because it taught me how to be strong, it taught me how to be a woman, it taught me how to survive when you have little or nothing. My mother and father didn’t go to school. But that didn’t stop me from wanting to be something.”

As a young girl, Griffin recalls looking at pictures of famous singers and actors such as Lena Horne and Eartha Kitt and wanting to be like them.

“That was inspiration to me. I had no one else to look up to,” Griffin said. “But I had a dream. … I always wanted to go to college.”

Griffin chased that dream and received a scholarship to attend Shaw University. But after one semester, she dropped out and moved to New York City to join her friends who kept telling

her how exciting life was there.The decision put Griffin on a different course after that. She fell in love and got pregnant with her first daughter at age 20.The relationship ended, but Griffin kept an open heart, hoping she’d find true love.

And she thought she found it a second time, when she gave birth to a son, but her relationship with the baby’s father dissolved. Griffin had a lot to give but that love was not reciprocated.

“I wanted to love everybody, and I wanted everybody to love me, but they didn’t do that, and I got hurt and beat down,” she says. “When you’re coming up with eight siblings not having what others have, I wanted to share whatever I had with others, and I’ve done that all my life.

That’s the way I am.”

Then, on a blind date, she met her current husband of 37 years.They dated for three months before they got married, had a son and eventually settled in Greensboro. And although life took her in a different direction, she never lost sight of her dream to go to college. But it would take another life-changing experience for that dream to come to fruition.

As Griffin was approaching retirement, she lost her job at Moses Cone Hospital, where she started out working as a ward clerk and later advanced to monitor technician in the emergency room. Losing her job after 15 years sent Griffin into a depression and crushed her self-confidence. She was unemployed and scared.

“It was a very dark place for me. I said, ‘My god, how am I going to make this work?’ Everywhere I went I couldn’t get a job, so I gave up.”

It took a few more years before Griffin could muster the strength and motivation to pull herself out of her sadness and change her life. At the suggestion of a close friend, Phyllis, she enrolled at GTCC in 2007, and she never looked back.

Along the way, she had to overcome a lot of obstacles. She had to conquer her fear that if she spoke in class, her peers would laugh at her. She had to overcome her most difficult subject, math, and retake the same biology class twice. She had to learn how to write a six-to-eight-page paper.

But she stayed determined and progressed at her own pace to achieve her dream.

“I didn’t know how to write a paper to save my life,” she says laughing. “For some reason, somehow, certain people helped me stay strong. God put certain people in my path to walk me through the dark points.”

It took others believing in Griffin in order for her to start believing in herself. She credits her GTCC instructors in part for that.

Photo by Carla Kucinski

Each one, she says, took the time to walk her through difficult concepts and advise her along the way.

“Not one turned me down. Not one said you’re too old; you can’t get this.They all embraced me,” she said. “I didn’t know people looked at me that way and saw a beauty, a light in me, because I’ve been in the dark. I never saw it.That gave me hope.

It inspired me.

It showed me where one person says, ‘No,’ another says, ‘You can do this.’ And I got through it.”

Nothing can hold her back now.

She wants to continue her education at Guilford College and earn a bachelor’s degree.That dream that seemed years away is now within grasp.

“I won’t let my age determine my future,” she said. “I can do anything now.

I’m on my way.” ■

www.gtcc.edu | 5

Family A

son 12 ackass of 20Design J n l i c Justaduate, C& Graphi

r g CG sin GTC dverti A , S .

A.A

Photo by

Carla Kucin

ski

AFFAIR

Couple finds fulfilling career in graphic design

Kat Jacks o

n GTCC Gra duate, Cla A.A.S, A ss of 2014 dvertisin g & Graph ic Design

by Carla Kucinski

Husband and wife Justin and Kat Jackson share a love of art and a passion for the craft.Together they operate an Etsy shop, Heart & Craft (http://www.etsy.com/shop/HeartandCrafts), where they sell handmade items such as graphic prints and cards and do custom-design work, including invitations and illustrations. As graduates of GTCC’s Advertising and Graphic Design program, the couple gained the skills they needed to take their craft from a hobby to a career. This is their story.

HIS STORY: JUSTIN JACKSON

Timing is everything and for Justin Jackson, his future hinged on it.

“I graduated high school, and I went to college immediately after that for audio engineering, but it wasn’t the right time for me,” said Jackson, from Madison, N.C.

He studied audio engineering at GTCC for about a year and a half before deciding to withdraw from school and tour nationally with his metal band, Knives Exchanging Hands.

“We traveled the country and got paid to do it,” he said. “I toured for five years straight, so I know exactly what it’s like to live in a van, and it’s not fun and fun at the same time.”

Eventually, the band ceased. Touring the country no longer seemed like a viable career, and the group was starting to settle down. Band mates were getting married and Jackson had purchased a house with his soon-to-be wife, Kat.

“When you get older, priorities change,” Jackson said. “. . . I decided I needed to go back to school.”

Jackson, who always had an interest in art, enrolled in GTCC’s Advertising and Graphic Design program at age 27. Once he started classes, he knew he had made the right choice.

“Design is this really cool intersection between art and psychology,” he said.

6 | GTCC Magazine Spring Summer 2015 2014

“You’re telling them what to see, feel, think about a product, a service, etc. It’s an interesting mash up of the two. Art doesn’t have to mean you’re just going to starve and do paintings the rest of your life.”

GTCC, he says, also gave him the extra push he needed.

“It definitely turns on your responsibility switch,” he said. “I needed to have something external to flip that for me.”

The intimate class size and oneon-one interactions with the faculty all appealed to him.

“Every instructor there played an integral role in this dynamic net that you have to get over before you get out,” he said. “You’ve got instructors who are like your friends.You have instructors who are like your boss.They all bring something to the table.”

One of those instructors was Awilda DeJesús, assistant professor of advertising and graphic design. She watched Jackson evolve as a student and become more confident in his work as a graphic designer.

But he never lost his humility, she says.

“This allowed him to question his work and seek new ways of approaching the project,” DeJesús said. “Justin is one of those people who is always hungry for knowledge. His education did not stop at school but will continue outside the

classroom researching on his own time and connecting with other artists in the area.”

After Jackson graduated from GTCC in July 2012, he worked on a variety of freelance projects for firms in Winston-Salem and Greensboro, including Thompson Creative. And for nearly two years he worked as creative assistant at Yes! Weekly, designing the alternate newsweekly’s covers and layout.

His work has also been recognized locally and nationally. He won two gold and two silver 2013 ADDY Awards – an annual design contest for student and professional designers.

“Being a musician allows him to infuse that part of his life into his designs,” DeJesús said. “His designs have a natural rhythm and flow.”

Last year, his pen and ink illustration, “Funkin’ Immortal,” was showcased in CMYK Magazine, a national publication.

The illustration was integrated into a double-page layout of a story about musician George Clinton of the band Parliament Funkadelic. Jackson was floored when he received the news.

“I was amazed that anything I did would get in there,” he said.

Today, Jackson is a graphic designer at Mitre Agency in Greensboro. Everything seems to be falling into place. Finally, the timing is right. ■

HER STORY: Kat Jackson

Creative creatures never know when inspiration will strike. For GTCC student Kat Jackson, the inspiration behind her winning design came in the form of an old feed sack she found. Its vintage feel and retro banners spoke to her.

“It’s simple and timeless in design,” said Jackson, 28.

It provided the perfect muse for Jackson in designing the winning logo for the 2013 Greater Greensboro CROP Hunger Walk and Run, an annual 5K event that raises funds for Potter’s House Community Kitchen at Greensboro Urban Ministry and Church World Service.

Jackson’s design, which incorporates the theme “One World, One Community, One Step,” was featured on 4,000 T-shirts the day of the event (Oct. 20). Doing designs for nonprofit organizations is important for Jackson, who has a history of creating event flyers for Greensboro organizations including the YMCA and Action Greensboro.

“I like when I can be a part of something like that,” she said.

Each spring Greensboro Urban Ministry partners with GTCC’s Advertising and Graphic Design program to give students the opportunity to submit T-shirt designs for the annual contest.

“I have found that the work presented by the graphic design students is the best to be found in Greensboro,” said Christine Byrd, director of development and communication at Greensboro Urban Ministry. “We are always pleased with the variety of designs and the skill levels of the designers. It is clear that the GTCC program provides students with a wonderful academic experience that will prepare them for successful design careers.”

Twelve GTCC students submitted designs to the contest.

Jackson’s design, however, stood out.

“I was immediately struck by Katherine’s design,” Byrd said. “It has a vintage feel that was still relevant and could appeal equally to men and women. ... Katherine’s design was tasteful, creative, and yet featured our branding very prominently.”

Jackson’s background is rooted in fine art. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from UNCG, she taught art at the high school level for six years. But when her husband, Justin, entered GTCC’s Advertising and Graphic Design program and she saw his excitement and the depth of what he was learning, it motivated her to leave teaching and try

something new.

“I knew it was a strong program,” she said. “I needed a change from teaching.“

Since starting the program, she comes home at the end of the day feeling energized.

“I’m excited about school,” she says. “I go home excited about what I’m doing.”

And it’s paying off. Most recently, she was featured in “Print Collective: Screenprinting Techniques & Projects,” published by Lark Crafts on Oct. 1. In the book, Jackson along with nine other artists from around the world share screenprinting tips and techniques as well as some of their own projects.

Jackson graduated from GTCC in July 2014. Eventually, she and her husband would like to work together, perhaps open their own agency one day. Until then, she says she’s using this time to explore and experiment and she’s “being open to the universe telling me what to do,” she laughs. “This program gave me the freedom to let those things happen naturally.” ■

www.gtcc.edu | 7

★ My GTCC Story ★

Photo by Carla Kucinski

Courtni Battle

Name: Courtni Carella Battle Major: Human Services Technology City: Greensboro, N.C. Age: 21 Enrollment year: Fall 2012-Spring 2014 Accomplishments: • President’s List • Vice President of Clubs - Student Government Association (SGA) • Member and secretary of SISTAS (Sisters Improving Success Through Academics), a female mentoring group at GTCC

“I decided to come to Guilford Tech to begin a new educational path for myself.”

8 | GTCC Magazine Spring Summer 2015 2014

Courtni Battle’s future came to her in a dream.

“I just saw an image of me, and it wasn’t in a black cap and gown; it was in another cap and gown,” Battle recalls.

During Battle’s freshman year at Barton College, a private liberal arts school in Wilson, N.C., this epiphany occurred, prompting her to take a step back .

“I realized that would not be the campus I would graduate from. I was in between schools, in between majors, in between life,” Battle said. “.... And then I realized things happen for a reason.... After this epiphany, I decided to come to Guilford Tech to begin a new educational path for myself.”

Battle studied human services technology at GTCC and transferred to UNCG this fall to complete her bachelor’s degree. Helping others has always been at the core of her spirit. Growing up, she helped her parents care for her older brother, Desmond, who has Down Syndrome. And later she cared for her father during the last years of his life. Those experiences nurtured her desire to help others and give back; it shaped her destiny.

What has your brother, Desmond, taught you?

Patience and love. I learned that we’re all human, and it doesn’t matter what the circumstances are; we should all love each other.

You describe your father as “the initial spark to my flame.” How has he inspired you?

His first stroke was in 2001, and he had a couple of relapses after that and cases of pneumonia. So imagine a middle schooler, taking care and giving insulin and doing therapeutic exercises. ... I was my own little nurse. ... Kids growing up, they’re daddy’s girl or mommy’s girl ... but I think it was more so the daddy’s girl. ... With his passing in 2008, I thought about all the things that young girls think about, a wedding and having someone to walk you down the aisle, and someone to cheer, and do all these things that fathers

are supposed to do. ... and I know he’s always watching down, but I feel like that’s my supreme motivation. I have to, I have to, I have to. And I do it not just for myself, but for my mom and my brother to make them happy, but to make him happy, so that I have that smile, that pleasing smile coming down.That is my spark.

What have been some of your significant experiences at GTCC? My work-study assignment in the counseling center on campus. Actually being able to work in the vicinity of others who are already well-educated counselors was an incentive and inspiration for me. It was the start of something great.

GTCC has impacted my life tremendously. I have developed friendships, established great relationships with my co-workers and have grown graciously through my experiences.

Ms. Angela Leak, along with the other hardworking staff of the counseling center, has planted a special seed that will continue to germinate through my education and career path.

What are your career aspirations?

It is my ultimate goal to begin entrepreneurship with my mother in establishing a home and recreational facility for the special needs population. I want to be able to do something that I love and be able to give back. ... It’s not just about a job; this is someone’s life that you’re aiding in.

What are you looking forward to the most?

The first individual, the first case that I’m able to stick my feet in ... and just saying, “This is it.” All of the time and the confusion and the decisions that have finally been made ... this is it.

- Carla Kucinski

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

The key to North

Carolina’s Economic Future

GTCC has helped me earn my high school diploma as well as my associate degree and I am so thankful! My life is so much easier because I know I am getting a quality education. Without your help my dreams couldn’t come true, and I promise to make every day count.

-Imani Nasir-Phillips Aviation Student

Students like Imani are the key to North This yearfuture alone, thealso NCeconomic Community Carolina’s and suc- College system has grown by 27,000 students cess. due to a changing and challenging economy.

However, funding hassupport not kept up The GTCC Foundation helps with growth. students like Imani through scholarships.

These type of scholarships help fill in the More needed Maybe something gaps fortext students who....may not be eligible like...

Did you know one of the things for finanical aid, but need financial first support look at their before locating to our inbusinesses order to complete degree. state is the quality and structure of the community college system?

Community The GTCC Foundation also helps support Colleges are the backbone of our econthe college in a variety of way - providing omy. From cosmetologist to automotive support to faculty and staff through protechnicians to graphic artists to biotechs, fessional development opportunities and our economy relies heavily upon the sponsoring academic events which enexpertise of community graduates. hances student life and givescollege students a diThe quality of our workforce is what verse, well-rounded education experience.attracts business and industry to our area.

Please consider making a financial contriPleasetosupport your local community bution the GTCC Foundation to help collegethese by donating thetoinstitution’s assist studentsthrough who want better foundation. themselves through education. adasponsored

by Guilford Technical ToThis make donation, please visit www.gtcc.

Community College. edu or call us at (336) 334-4822 ext. 50310.

www.gtcc.edu | 9 Your Community. Your College. Your Future.

How cosmetology department chair

Morris Boswell

Photo by Carla Kucinski

found his future

10 | GTCC Magazine Summer Spring 2015 2014

By Carla Kucinski

Morris “Boz” Boswell never envisioned himself in the cosmetology industry. But one step into a salon 38 years ago changed his destiny.

On a Thursday afternoon, he walked into a Greensboro salon to meet some friends for lunch. At the time, Boswell was taking a semester off from UNCG, where he was studying to be an art teacher until his student-teaching experience made him realize it wasn’t the right fit for him. But in this salon, Boswell found his future.

While he waited for his friends, he watched stylists color hair, shape angles and sculpt designs with a few snips of their shears.This is where Boswell discovered the art of hair and experienced his “a-ha” moment.

“After lunch, my friends took me by the beauty school they attended, Leon’s, and I talked to Mrs. Leon.That following Tuesday morning, I’m sitting in beauty school saying, ‘What am I doing here?’” he says with a laugh. “Three weeks later, I realized why I was there: because I developed a passion for it.”

Cosmetology also brought joy to his life and to his clients.

“I truly fell in love with the craft. I also fell in love with the feeling I would get when I would turn the client to the mirror, and I would see their look of satisfaction. I would see joy, I would see their self-esteem lifted,” he said. “When you work, you want to feel like you’re making a difference and your job is valued, and it gave me all of those things. And that was so exciting.”

After graduating from Leon’s, Boswell,

a Burlington, N.C. native, developed a prolific career in cosmetology. He worked for Leon’s and Regis Salon and then returned to school to complete his bachelor’s degree in art design at N.C. A&T University. Between classes, he would cut hair at the university’s student union.

But he became a true fixture in the cosmetology industry in the 1980’s when he opened his salon, Boz & Co. Hair Design Studio, which he ran for 17 years in Greensboro. During that time, he became a member of GTCC’s cosmetology advisory board, where he and other local cosmetologists advised the college on curriculum improvements and which skills were lacking in the industry.

“After being on the advisory board for several years, I knew in the back of my head at some point in my career I wanted to teach at GTCC,” Boswell said.

But the opportunity came sooner than he had imagined. When the position of cosmetology department chair opened at GTCC, Boswell saw it as an opportunity he couldn’t turn down and accepted the job in fall 2001.

“You go into teaching because you love the craft and you want to share it with the students,” said Boswell, who also serves as the chair of the North Carolina State Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners. “I love what I do. When I became a cosmetologist, I would get my fulfillment from having satisfied clients. Now, I get my fulfillment from having a part in so many students’ lives and helping them develop skills that will take them throughout life and this career.”

After one year, Boswell eventually

sold his salon and devoted himself fully to teaching, realizing he could have a greater impact developing skills in future cosmetologists.

“One thing that just makes me so ecstatic is when I see the light bulb go on, when I see a student actually get it,” he said.

“It’s so rewarding to know you’ve had a part in molding that young professional.”

Cosmetology is one of the most popular – and competitive – programs at GTCC and accepts only 20 students each semester. And spots fill up fast. The reason?

“The quality of education the students receive,” Boswell said. “They are salonready to enter the workplace once they graduate.They have the cosmetology skills, life skills and discipline. We prepare them for the real world.”

And it shows. Each year GTCC’s cosmetology students compete at SkillsUSA, a state and national contest in which students demonstrate their trade and technical skills, and typically place in the top 5 percent. The program boasts a 100 percent pass rate on the students’ state board exam and many go on to become salon owners.

“The education you get at this community college is just awesome,” Boswell said. “And I can honestly say, every morning I get up, I look forward to work.

That’s why we do what we do. We are here for the students.” ■

www.gtcc.edu | 11

Grandmother’s memory lives on in Josephine’s Kitchen

By Carla Kucinski

Josephine Blackburn was a sweet, Southern woman who cooked casseroles and lemon pound cakes and was known for her Reubens.

And for her grandchild, Chris Blackburn, that same love she possessed for cooking and food extended beyond the kitchen to other areas of her life – her church, her friends and her only grandson, Chris.

“She was a guiding light,” he said. “She was like my mother.”

Grandma Josephine passed away in 2013, but her memory lives on in Josephine’s Kitchen, a Greensboro restaurant Blackburn opened in 2010 with his girlfriend Sarah Keith. Josephine made Blackburn’s dream a reality.

“She helped me here,” said Blackburn, seated on a bar stool on a recent afternoon in Josephine’s Kitchen “She put up her house so I could take a loan against it.That’s how the restaurant became Josephine’s.”

Grandma Josephine also paid for his college education. In 2005, Blackburn graduated from GTCC with an associate degree in culinary arts, opening doors to a new future.

“Guilford Tech gave me stepping stones in how to run a business,” he said. “It gave me all my tools.”

Today, at age 35, Blackburn owns two restaurants. In addition to Josephine’s, he and Keith also opened Lindley Park Filling 12 | GTCC Magazine Spring Summer 2015 2014

Station in 2007.The family-oriented bar and grill serves thick, juicy burgers and a variety of inventive sandwiches.

At Josephine’s, the concept is, “We view food differently.” The restaurant aims to stay on the cutting edge by always looking for ways to evolve and create innovative dishes. Its seasonal menu boasts local, fresh ingredients whenever possible and features high-quality meats and seafood.

For Blackburn, food is art and also his creative outlet. He loves the fast-pace environment, the daily challenges, and yes, even the stress.

“I love what I do,” Blackburn said. “You take a raw product, and you see it from dirt to mouth.You see the evolution of food that starts with the farm or starts from your backyard. ... It’s very gratifying. Once it goes on your plate, it’s gorgeous and tasty and delicious.”

A native of Pilot Mountain, N.C., Blackburn says he was always interested in food. Aside from being surrounded by his grandmother’s Southern cooking, he also learned how to cook for himself at age 13.

“Cooking came from necessity,” he said.

Growing up in a single parent home – Blackburn’s parents divorced when he was 5 – he learned to prepare meals for himself while his mother was working. Breakfast was a favorite and he learned how to cook eggs, potatoes and sausage.

He entered the restaurant industry at age 15 with a worker’s permit and started out washing dishes and prepping food at Cousin Gary’s Family Restaurant in Pilot Mountain. By age 24 he was a sous chef at

the former 223 South Elm in Greensboro, and one year later he became executive chef at Emerywood Fine Foods in High Point.That’s where he met Keith, the restaurant’s owner.The two had discussed opening a business together and talked about possible concepts. When a property became available in the heart of Lindley Park, they jumped on the opportunity.

Blackburn’s success stems from his education at GTCC, where he says he learned the necessary skills to operate a restaurant from labor analysis to purchasing and inventory.

“It gives you the bricks to build a house,” he said.

The instructors were another asset and have continued to be a resource through his journey as a restaurant owner.

“The instructors are great; they’re all very experienced,” he said. “They’ve been in the industry for a long time, so they know the work it takes to get into it.

“One of the first speeches Chef Gardiner ever gave us, he said, ‘. ... only a certain percentage of you are going to open a restaurant,’ “ Blackburn recalls.

That sobering reality only further motivated Blackburn.

“When you’re working a 70 to 80-hour work week on salary and you’re doing it for someone else, it’s kind of a reality check. I did that for a long time, and when we got the opportunity over here, I thought, ‘I want to do this for myself.’

Guilford Tech gave me all the tools to say, ‘I can do this.’ ” ■

Photos by Carla Kucinski

“Guilford Tech gave me all the tools to say, ‘I can do this.’ ” -Chris Blackburn, class of 2005

www.gtcc.edu | 13

14 | GTCC Magazine Spring Summer 2015 2014

www.gtcc.edu | 15

Life has been surreal for Daniel Oldham lately.

He just got back from France – he’d never been – and before that he flew to England, Holland and Belgium, just to name a few. It’s a story no one could have predicted, especially not Oldham.

“I mean me? I’m just this guy from rural-two-cow-pasture-high-school,” he said. “It’s just mind-blowing. Growing up in a rural town, I wanted to travel and see things. I never thought I’d be able to have the chance.”

To do what Oldham does, one must have a sense of humor and a love for your work. Luckily, Oldham has both. He travels the country and the globe giving talks about pig poop.That’s right - pig poop.

“I feel very fortunate because people have spent their lives working on their ideas and projects. And me, I’m just out of college.”

A year ago, Oldham didn’t know what an entrepreneur was; now at age 24, he is one.The GTCC alumnus and civil engineering graduate student at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University helped create Bio-Adhesive

Spring 2015 16 | GTCC Magazine Summer 2014

Alliance, Inc. with North Carolina A&T University professors Ellie Fini and Mahour Mellat-Parast.The start-up company produces a bio-adhesive from swine manure and can be used in asphalt pavement.

“We’re making something that’s equivalent in value to fossil fuels, something that everybody wants and everybody can’t get enough of,” Oldham said. “We’re saving money; we’re helping the environment; and we’re turning swine manure – which nobody wants – into an adhesive. So it’s a win-win for everybody. People started seeing that and seeing the benefits.Then we started to get a lot of interest.”

A budding engineer Oldham, who is part Filipino, grew up in the small, rural town of Erect, N.C. near Seagrove in Randolph County. A quiet and reserved child, he passed time riding four-wheelers and carving paths in the woods behind his house. Even early on he showed signs of a budding engineer.

“I was always taking things apart and trying to put them back together,” he recalls. “That mindset of how things work

and how we can improve them and put them back together was really fascinating for me.”

He learned to value hands-on labor, working alongside his father, William, who moves houses for a living through a family business. While his father instilled in him the importance of hard work, his mother, Dahlia, stressed the value of education.

Oldham attended Faith Christian School in Ramseur, N.C., where he graduated as salutatorian of an intimate class of 15 students. When it came time to apply to colleges, the idea of transitioning from a tiny high school to a four-year institution of thousands intimidated him. So he looked to GTCC as his stepping stone.

“GTCC was a really good in-between for me transitioning to a four-year,” said Oldham, who majored in pre-engineering.

“It seemed like a natural step.”

For Oldham, affordability and location also were factors. He could complete his general education requirements at a lower-cost compared to most four-year institutions and save additional money by living at home.

“It was a very good investment,” he said.

“I felt like it made me more well-rounded, too. It was a good maturing process for me.”

It also opened other doors to his future. GTCC carved a seamless path for Oldham as he transitioned to N.C. A&T. Terence Garraway, department chair of civil and mechanical engineering at GTCC, was instrumental in the process.

As Oldham’s advisor and an A&T alumnus, he encouraged him to transfer to A&T and arranged a meeting for him with the chair of the university’s civil engineering department. Garraway saw great promise in Oldham.

“His potential was unlimited in terms of his academic strengths and goals,” Garraway said. “Daniel was an extremely dedicated and hardworking student, wellorganized and a leader.”

With a scholarship offer from A&T, Oldham took classes at GTCC and A&T simultaneously. By May 2013, he graduated with an associate degree in pre-engineering from GTCC and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from A&T. Getting a degree from GTCC, he says, was important to him.

“I wanted to walk across the stage and make it complete,” he said. “Some people do the transfer program and get their four-year and forget about their community college experience.

But I wanted to make it a staple and have the diploma.”

A revolutionary product The first time Oldham was asked to conduct research at A&T, he turned down the offer. The idea sort of freaked him out and conjured up images of comic book character Peter Parker being bitten by a radioactive spider and turning into SpiderMan. “I was so green back then,” says Oldham, laughing. “I was thinking of crazy stuff that’s dangerous and might hurt me.”

Instead, his first research project involved something a little less intimidating: asphalt. Under the direction of his advisor, Fini, they developed the process to convert swine manure to a bio-adhesive used in asphalt.The low-cost, sustainable and eco-friendly product gained national and international attention in engineering,

agricultural and construction industries.

Knowing they had a valuable product to market, they formed Bio-Adhesive Alliance, Inc. and funded their research through grants and competitions where they presented their entrepreneurial concept. So far they’ve raised more than $250,000 from competitions alone and they continue to participate in other contests this year to raise funds for a larger bio-reactor that can produce more product. As Oldham’s advisor and business partner, Fini says she sees a thirst for learning in him.

“His progress and performance has been impressive,” says Fini of Oldham.

“I observed him progressing in research, building his confidence and getting matured as a young researcher and scholar since joining our research team. He maintains a high standard of ethics while ensuring delivery of high-quality work.”

As the company’s technical manager, Oldham is responsible for the actual production and application of the product. In other words, he does the dirty work.

“I’m the one at the farm, scooping the manure, putting it in the reactor,” he says.

www.gtcc.edu | 17

The entire process takes six hours, which doesn’t always coincide with Oldham’s class schedule. It sometimes requires running to A&T’s swine farm between classes and donning a military chemical suit to keep the scent of manure from seeping into his clothing.

“Hog manure just has an incredible bad smell, and when you heat it up to 300 degrees Celcius, it kind of magnifies,” he said.

“You won’t forget the smell, that’s for sure.”

Still, it’s a small price to pay for creating a revolutionary product.

Giving back Oldham does not take anything for granted. A strong believer in his faith, he will tell you that God is responsible for all of these events that have occurred recently in his life.

“I was comfortable where I was,” said Oldham, who attends Beulah Baptist Church in Bennett, N.C. “I surrendered to God and whatever he wants me to do in my life, and the moment I did that, that’s when all of these things really opened up.”

18 | GTCC Magazine Spring Summer 2015 2014

Oldham became more involved in his church, and by his early 20s, he embarked on mission trips to Spain, the Dominican Republic and South Africa, where he carried out humanitarian work, including visiting orphanages. It was an eye-opening and life-changing experience.

“It gives you a good perspective,” he says. “We have so much we can share with others who have a lot less. It was a way I could give back to some people who don’t even have hope in their lives.”

He’s also discovered that engineering can be another extension of his mission to give back.There’s so much more to engineering than mathematics and science. It changes peoples’ lives – even if it’s something as simple as asphalt.

“With pavement specifically, it interacts with everybody. Everyone has to rely on transportation on pavement. We use it for emergencies, going to hospitals, families going on vacations, food being transported,” Oldham says. “Being able to work on something that important to society is really awesome.

The impact of doing research has a lot of positives and can help a lot of people.”

Being an entrepreneur has taught him perseverance and patience. Sometimes things take a while to come to fruition, but when they do, the outcome is rewarding.

And despite all that he’s accomplished at such a young age, Oldham remains humble and never loses sight of his gratitude or his purpose.

“For me, I still can’t imagine I’m in this thing,” he says. “The opportunities I’ve been presented, it’s so rare. I’m just so grateful. It makes me want to excel and try to make an impact and help as many people as I can.” ■

Quick Facts Visit http://biobindergroup.webs.com/ to learn more about BioAdhesive Alliance, Inc. Apply Today Guilford Technical Community College is now accepting applications for joint admission to GTCC and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s College of Engineering. Students interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree in civil or mechanical engineering will have the opportunity to be admitted to both institutions at a lower cost and with a variety of benefits.

In March 2013 GTCC and N.C. A&T State University formalized an agreement, allowing students to be co-admitted to both institutions simultaneously. The agreement gives students the opportunity to complete their first two years of coursework at GTCC and then seamlessly transition to N.C. A&T to complete their final two years. For more information, visit www.gtcc.edu/a-future-in-engineering.

Want to open your own business?

Already own a small business but need some help?

Let the GTCC Small Business Center help you develop a plan of action to turn your dreams into a reality!

Our small business center offers one-onone confidential business counseling as well as various workshops and seminars on business-related topics. We provide education and training, counseling, networking and referrals.

With two convenient locations in Guilford County, the GTCC Small Business Center is ready to assist you!

For more information, please contact Mark Hagenbuch, Director 336.334.4822 ext. 62003; mthagenbuch@gtcc.edu DarLinda Finch, Administrative Assistant 336.334.4822 ext. 62001; dkfinch@gtcc.edu

Best of all, it’s free! www.gtcc.edu | 19

Photo by

Carla Ku

cinski

by Carla Kucinski

20 | GTCC Magazine Spring Summer 2015 2014

Ricardo Black learned he was going off to war at age 18.

The news came during his first few weeks of Navy boot camp. He was heading to the Persian Gulf.

“Reality didn’t really set in until I was actually over there,” said Black, 42 of Greensboro.

“You hear about it on TV, but actually being in the midst of it is something totally different.

You’re awakened out of your sleep to prepare for battle.”

Black joined the Navy in 1990 after graduating high school. College didn’t interest him, and he was determined to leave his small hometown of Oxford, N.C. The military was his best option.

“To be a part of that would be to be a part of history,” Black said.

Athletic and mechanically minded, being in the military came easy to Black, and he discovered a leader inside of him.

“I’m very military gung-ho,” Black said.

“I think every kid coming out of high school should do at least two years. Why? Discipline. It teaches you work ethic, responsibility.”

But nothing prepared him for the emotional and mental aftermath he would experience.

“It left a scar on me.” ***

Black’s six to nine-month tour in the Gulf War turned into one year. When he enlisted in the Navy, he didn’t think he’d see the thick of combat. But in the Gulf that changed the moment the ship he was stationed on became the medical ship.

“We were pulling dead bodies out of the water,” Black said. “And at one time it was almost like an all-day thing. Bloody bodies. Bodies that are almost beheaded.

We did that for about two weeks. Even the older guys who witnessed this and had to pull bodies out of the water, it had an effect on them.”

By the end, Black says he retrieved from the water 25 to 30 of his fellow American soldiers. He reached a point where he had to desensitize himself in order to carry out his assigned tasks.

“You kind of detach yourself going out there.You have to,” he says.

Within six months of returning to the United States, Black joined the Marines and was sent back to the Persian Gulf. But this time, Black said it was a completely different experience.

“I was actually out there in the thick of things,” he said. “You really have to remove yourself from the norm to actually go out there and defend yourself. Period.

It’s killed or be killed.That’s something you can never get used to. It was just something I knew I had to do.”

He spent two years stationed in the Gulf. For one of his missions, Black was assigned to Rwanda where his team provided security and evacuation of the U.S. Embassy.

“We went out into the fields where the two different sides were fighting each other. Where the people from the embassy needed to go for the evacuation was in the middle of where they were fighting.

We had to go out there and patrol that area and prevent them from fighting. ...

Your mind is pretty much, ‘Okay, we have this to do, let’s get it done.’ It’s more psychological than it is physical.” ***

When Black exited the Marine Corps, he continued to carry with him images of warfare.

“One of them was three of my buddies getting blown up.That just stands out in my mind,” he said.

Sometimes, the images emerged in his dreams. Other times, they would spring to the forefront of his mind while he was awake. Over time the incidents worsened.

“I could be sitting and watching a comedy on TV or something and my living room or bedroom would become the desert and it would take me a couple minutes to snap out of it,” he said. “Certain incidents would take me right back. I flash-

said. “I just thought it’s something that happened in my life that I dream about.”

PTSD is a condition that occurs after experiencing a traumatic event such as combat, a natural disaster, abuse or a serious accident. According to the National Center for PTSD, about 5.2 million adults have PTSD during a given year. Symptoms can include flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression and irritability.

Today, Black takes a combination of three medications to alleviate his symptoms. If he doesn’t, he becomes irritable and can’t sleep. Sometimes he’ll patrol the house or shout military orders in his sleep.

“I still have anxiety, but it’s nowhere

“For a minute there, my life was a total wreck.” - Ricardo Black backed to the Gulf or Rwanda.”

The flashbacks grew so severe that Black resigned from the San Diego Police Department where he worked as an officer for four years. He continued to self-medicate with alcohol and drugs, thinking it would help him cope.

“For a minute there, my life was a total wreck,” Black said. “There was a time when I had a home but was kind of living a nomadic-type life, living the homeless lifestyle. It was just easier. I was cursing the military for teaching me how to survive. I found it okay to hang in front of a liquor store all day and live that lifestyle.”

Then one day, Black had an epiphany.

He went home and couldn’t believe what his life had come to. And he told himself, “I’m better than this.” It was the beginning of a long road to recovery. He stopped drinking and checked himself into a hospital where he learned from a psychiatrist and psychologist that what he was suffering from had a name: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“I didn’t know what PTSD was,” Black

near like it used to be,” he said. “And I don’t think any medicine can stop all of that from happening.To do that, I wouldn’t be human.You can’t just wipe away someone’s memory.”

For the last year, Black has been concentrating on making his life better. He’s trying to put his past behind him and look to the future.

In summer 2013, he enrolled in GTCC majoring in human services technology with a concentration in substance abuse. One day, he and his wife would like to offer housing for displaced veterans. It’s something they’re both passionate about.

GTCC is Black’s starting point. Once he graduates, he plans to pursue another degree in social work or case management.

In addition to being a full-time student, Black and his wife have established a church, New Birth Deliverance and Inner Healing Ministries, Inc., in High Point, N.C., where they also serve as pastors. God, he says, helped him turn his life around.

“I’m not that person anymore.” ■

www.gtcc.edu | 21

Why connecting with students is crucial to their success

By Carla Kucinski

For Don Ellington, teaching is a lot like welding.

“Whether you’re building a fabricated item or you’re building a person, it’s creation,” Ellington said. “We’re here to turn our students into better people; that’s what I’m here for.”

Ellington is an assistant professor of welding technology at GTCC, and reshaping students’ lives is at the heart of his teaching principles. He equips students with the skills to be proficient welders and successful in life, and he also takes time to connect and bring out their best.

“Inside every student is a gem, and that gem can either be shined up or it can stay locked up,” he says. “So how do you get that gem out of every single person?

You have to talk to them, develop a rapport.You have to understand somebody in order to understand their drawbacks and their goals in order to help them. It takes extra effort and care.”

Teaching came naturally to Ellington, but it wasn’t his initial career. He came to GTCC in 2001 first as a student. A native of Buffalo, N.Y., he received a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from the State University of New York. While he was developing a design project for the Greensboro Convention and Visitor Bureau, he needed to enhance his computer-drafting skills and learn to weld.

He turned to GTCC and fell in love with 22 | GTCC Magazine Spring Summer 2015 2014

welding.

“I love the magic of it.This is lightning we’re welding with. I’m like Zeus,” he says, laughing. “You’re taking this lightning and changing something from solid metal into liquid just for a brief second. ...You’re creating something that was not going to be there except for your hands, and when you’re done there’s such an incredible sense of satisfaction.”

Ellington experienced that same feeling in the classroom when he began teaching welding as an adjunct instructor at GTCC while working full time for Greensboro sculptor Jim Gallucci. The experience made him realize his purpose.

“I realized this was who I really was,” he said. “I knew I had something to offer.

And the students responded well to me.

Teaching gives me tremendous satisfaction that lasts a long time; it’s a natural high that just doesn’t go away.”

He thanks Welding Technology Department Chair Randy Owens for believing in him and hiring him full-time more than eight years ago.

“He’s truly my mentor and an inspiration to me,” Ellington said. “He’s been on my side the entire time.”

And now Ellington is paying it forward with his students, guiding and supporting them. But it can be a challenge, he says, especially when they have obstacles such as poverty in their way.

“Probably 50 percent of my class is in severe poverty, and it’s a real challenge to get them through school,” he said. “We need some grace and some sympathy for these students and help them if we can. I understand how hard it is when you don’t have anything. I’ve been in their shoes.”

In the first grade, Ellington and his family became homeless when his step father’s VA benefits had stopped and they lost their apartment.They pawned everything they owned, including Ellington’s toys, to stay in a hotel. He remembers watching his mother beg for food at a truck stop and eating at shelters when money ran out.The experience left an impression on Ellington.

“Having been in those situations and realizing what poverty is really like, I have a real feeling for these students and what they’re going through,” he said.

But education, he says, gives them hope.

“I see it change their lives pretty fast.

Once they get into our environment, the positive energy starts spreading. Now they’re talking about professions and moving forward, and I love that.That’s what college really is; it’s positivity; it’s looking to the future.” ■

Photo by Carla Kucinski

www.gtcc.edu | 23

By Carla Kucinski Things happen for a reason.

That’s the philosophy Phillip A. Evans has held onto. Growing up in New Jersey, Evans was headed down the wrong path and imitated his environment.

Fighting, selling drugs and stealing ruled his life, so much so that multiple schools expelled him because of his behavior.

Those poor decisions, he says, is what eventually brought him to GTCC. “I knew there were only two choices left for me: prison or getting killed,” Evans said.

Despite his struggles, Evans believed those same difficulties also motivated him to change the course of his life. And it began with getting his GED. Evans, 22 of High Point, completed his GED at GTCC in only eight weeks and graduated in June 2013 from GTCC’s GED program.The youngest of six siblings, Evans is the first in his family to go to college. He’s currently pursuing an associate degree in recording engineering through GTCC’s Entertainment Technologies program.

“I don’t plan on stopping after that,” Evans said. “I plan to keep going.”

GTCC gave Evans drive and focus and unlocked new doors for him. Once he began taking classes, he wanted to learn more.

“It’s been keeping me on the right path,” he says. “Before I came to GTCC, I just didn’t care. Now I see I have more things to lose if I kept that attitude.”

One of those things is his four-year-old son, Jakel; he’s the other motivating factor in Evans’ crusade to succeed. He wants to be a positive role model for his son. He says he wants to show him “what I did, what I’m doing, and what I’ve become.”

“For my son’s sake, I changed my life around,” Evans said. “I want to show him a beautiful mind is a wonderful thing to have. I want to show him knowledge is power.”

At GTCC, Evans enjoys the hands-on approach of the faculty and said his confidence has grown and his speech and grammar have improved. He was even selected as a student speaker at the GED graduation.

In addition to pursuing his associate degree, Evans also works 20 hours a week assisting GED students on the High Point Campus, which he says is his way of giving back. “I can now help other students,” he said.

A lover of music, his dream is to open a recording studio. With Evans’ determination, there’s no doubt he will succeed. ■ More Online http://bit.ly/GTCC_GED

24 | GTCC Magazine Summer 2014

★ My GTCC Story ★

Gorkem Baydar

What brought you to GTCC? The aviation program, and the fact that it was affordable and close to home. Price and convenience were definitely the deciding factors along with my desired curriculum, which is aviation, and with my obsession to one day become a captain for an airline.

What were some significant events you experienced at GTCC? I have been involved in several leadership positions during my time at GTCC. One of the most significant events that happened to me during my time here was being nominated as president for the Student Government Association. I have always wanted to help others, but I knew in order to do so I would have to obtain a leadership position.

The other significant event was one of the events I organized for the aviation mechanic students called Lunch with a Leader. I invited Kip Blakely (vice president

of industry and government relations at TIMCO Aviation Services) to speak to our students at the Aviation Campus about TIMCO. The turnout for this event was amazing, with over 70 students. What was even more amazing was that our A&P (airframe and powerplant) mechanic students were actually hired as a result of that event.

In what ways has GTCC impacted your life?

GTCC has made a big impact in my life in the sense that I have been able to sharpen my leadership skills, be exposed to other cultures as well as make new friends for life. Being involved with student life has really helped me to network with top officials and figures in our community.

What did you enjoy most about attending GTCC? Definitely the staff. No matter the time of day or a request for a letter of recommendation for a millionth time, they are always there to help.

How has GTCC helped prepare you for the future?

GTCC has helped to position me in a place where I can catapult into my next journey into higher education. GTCC has helped me become a better leader by being active in our student government and other leadership activities.

What are your career aspirations?

Besides wanting to rule the world (kidding!), I would like to fly as a captain for one of the major airline carriers and fly international routes.

Any advice for current students?

The outcome to anything relies on your drive.

- Carla Kucinski

Photo by Carla Kucinski

The first time Gorkem Baydar flew in an airplane, he was only 9 years old.

The nonstop flight from his native country Turkey to New York was significant for a number of reasons. Not only did it mark the young Baydar’s first trip to the United States, but it also ignited an excitement in him he had never felt before.

At 30,000 feet above the ground, Baydar found his calling.

“I was essentially hooked on flying after my first flight,” Baydar said. “To this day, I still remember arguing with my older sister to sit window-side and looking down at the world.”

Baydar enrolled in GTCC’s Aviation Management program in 2011 and earned his associate degree in 2013. In May he earned a second associate degree in business administration from GTCC. His goal? To one day become an airline captain.

Name: Gorkem Baydar Degrees: Associate degree in applied science in aviation management and business administration City: Archdale, N.C. Hometown: Izmir,Turkey Age: 27 Enrollment years: 2011- 2014 Accomplishments/awards/ recognition: Student Government Association President, 2013-2014; Student Government Association Aviation Campus representative, 2012-2013; Student Ambassador, 2012-2013; Phi Theta Kappa; Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities, 2012-2013; Aviation Management Curriculum Award, 2012-2013; Academic Achievement Award, Highest Curriculum GPA, Aviation Management, 2012-2013; Coca Cola All-USA Community College Academic Team, 2012-2013. www.gtcc.edu | 25

Shutterstock Images

bles rt o la N e cou l i c ris on th P n ita s and T y s Lad in cla els c x e

by heather ebert

GTCC women’s basketball forward and team captain, Priscilla Nobles, dreams of enhancing the lives of handicapped children through her adamant love of basketball and her desire to help others.

Her godfather’s battle with cerebral palsy – a congenital disorder affecting muscle tone, movement and motor skills – and her own experience healing from a torn ACL inspired her to pursue a career as a physical therapist. Seeing the difference physical therapy made in both of their lives motivated her to choose an occupation that would help heal others and improve their quality of life.

26 | GTCC Magazine Spring Summer 2015 2014

“Helping people is my passion,” said Nobles, 20 of High Point. “I want my future patients to always know there is someone there who will never give up on them.”

Doctors told Nobles’ godfather he would not walk past age 20, but through surgery and physical therapy, her godfather is now in his 50’s and still walking. Nobles’ shared a similar experience in 2009 when she tore her ACL in the final game of her high school conference championship at Victory Christian School in Henderson, N.C. She underwent knee surgery after the season ended and turned to physical therapy for further treatment. She believes

her physical therapist made it possible for her to return to the game she loves.

Nobles started playing basketball at six years old when she realized she was taller than her peers. Once she picked up the ball, she never put it down.

“Basketball is not just a sport,” she said, “And it’s not just something you can pick up one day and just leave off; it’s a lifestyle.”

Nobles’ competitive spirit pushes her to succeed on and off the court. As captain of the Lady Titans last season, she worked through sweat and tears

The 2014-2015 Lady Titans basketball team.

with her team to reach the regional championship series.

They took a tough loss in the final game to Louisburg College, but she hopes of winning a title championship this season.”

She describes being a Lady Titan as “an unbelievable prestige, something that you work for very hard.”

As team captain, Nobles values her role in many ways, which reflects how much she cares about her teammates and also GTCC.

“My team is my family; I love them,” she said. “I care genuinely about them.

If something is bothering them I can immediately tell, and I want to be that person that can go to them. ... and I like that they look at me as that person.

“Captain holds a whole lot. I don’t have one day that I can feel bad and not give 100 percent because I am the example.”

Head women’s basketball coach Bobby Allison said, “Priscilla is everything a coach wants in a leader. She leads by example in every aspect of her life.”

Off the court, Nobles attends GTCC full time and maintains a 3.6 GPA. She has been selected to represent GTCC as a student ambassador for the 2014-2015 academic year.

As an ambassador Nobles hopes to encourage prospective students to attend GTCC and increase the visibility of the athletics department on campus and in

“I tell people all of the time, ‘You need to go to a community college before you go to a big university.’ It’s better to transition, and I always share how much I love GTCC,” she said.

When Nobles isn’t in class or on the court, she’s most likely training for or participating in triathlons. She recently ran the Divas Half Marathon in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on April 27.

Nobles expects to graduate from GTCC in spring 2015 with an associate degree in arts and science. She then plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Winston-Salem State University. Ultimately, her goal is to coach basketball for handicapped children. Until then, she looks forward to another remarkable year and basketball season at GTCC. ■

the community.

Photos by Carla Kucinski

www.gtcc.edu | 27

After 35 years, Synthia Watkins returned to the classroom to begin a new future

by Carla Kucinski

Photo by Carla Kucinski

28 | GTCC Magazine Spring 2015

Synthia Watkins never anticipated going back to school. She had a job she loved and she was good at it. As one of the top car sales representatives at Gate City Lincoln Mercury in Greensboro, Watkins had a way with people and knew how to connect with her customers.

“Out of all the jobs I had it was my favorite,” Watkins said. “I had my return customers, and it was older customers, so I could relate very well to them. I wasn’t boxed in an office. I was able to still talk to people.”

But then in May 2011 Green Ford bought Gate City Lincoln Mercury, and Watkins’ hours were going to increase from 35 to 60 hours a week.That was a deal breaker. So Watkins switched careers.

That fall she found herself seated in the front row of a math class at GTCC. After 35 years, she had returned to the classroom to begin her new future.

“It was scary,” says Watkins, 60 of Greensboro. “My first class I sat in the front row for two reasons: so I could hear, so I could see,” she says with a laugh. “I was sitting there looking at the board, and I was looking through the book. ... I was lost. I was afraid of not being able to remember and organize myself again to do homework and take tests.That was my journey and I said, ‘I can do this.’ ” On May 8, Watkins graduated from GTCC with an associate degree in human services technology with a concentration in substance abuse. She has excelled academically and personally during her time at GTCC. She has received the Academic Achievement Award, which honors GTCC students in each curriculum with the highest cumulative GPA, as well as the Curriculum Award, given to students in each degree program who are outstanding in their academic achievement. She also served as a student ambassador and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honors society for two-year colleges.

“I’m just grateful,” she said. “There

are so many opportunities out there, and even though I am 60 years old, I don’t feel 60. I’m grateful that I’m able to do this.”

Watkins has always had a desire to help others. It’s how she was raised.

The daughter of a minister, she grew up in Greensboro watching her father transform peoples’ lives and instill in her and her siblings the value in serving others.

That’s why she chose to pursue a degree in human services technology; it was a natural fit. “In my family we always helped people,” she said.

And they helped each other.

Watkins cared for both her parents during the final phase of their lives. It meant putting her life on hold, something she was willing to do.

“See, I had planned to get married and have children and everything, but when my mom died life just stopped,” Watkins said.

At her father’s request, she moved back home after her mother passed away from colon cancer. When her father took ill due to diabetes, she quit her job as an assistant office manager and became his primary caregiver for the last two years of his life. She looks back on that time with fondness. As painful as it was to see him decline, those last few years gave her an opportunity to learn more about her father and develop a deeper relationship.

“That was something that I just cherish,” she said. “It made me look at life a different way.”

Today she says her parents are smiling, watching over her and feeling proud of all that she’s achieved. “And my daddy is saying, ‘I knew she could do it,’ ” she says with a smile.

And that marriage she had put on hold? That wish came true last year when she married her best friend,Tyrone.

After GTCC, Watkins’ journey continues. She’s considering pursuing a master’s in social work, but her ultimate dream is to open a half-way house for men ages 18 to 23 who have been

incarcerated and need help regaining focus and re-entering society.

“Those are the ones that seem to fall through the cracks,” she said. “If they do not have anything to move them forward, they end up back in jail again.”

Her bachelor’s degree in business that she received in 1975 from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University will further guide her in achieving her dream, she says.

For Watkins, it was the faculty at GTCC who gave her direction when she felt lost and eased her initial anxieties when she returned to school. People such as Barbara Hinnant, a psychology instructor whom Watkins says took the time to advise her on how to study and prepare for exams.That level of attention and care made all the difference.

“When I made a 100 on the first test, then the adrenaline really started and made me want to put more into it,” Watkins said. “I had straight A’s all the way through. At my age? It’s been wonderful.”

As Watkins looks back on her years at GTCC, one word in particular sums up how she’s feeling.

“Bittersweet,” she says, “because I’m kind of sad my academic experience at GTCC has ended, but then I’m so excited about what I have accomplished. I’m just letting God lead me.” ■ Earn your Associate degree in Human Services!

GTCC offers: • Human Services • Human Services - Mental Health Concentration • Human Services - Substance Abuse Concentration There are also certificates available in Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

Visit www.gtcc.edu for more information.

www.gtcc.edu | 29

GTCC News and Notes Robotics camp creates excitement in STEM careers Precious Adekanle has big dreams. At age 16, the Dudley High School junior already has her future mapped out. She wants to study at Duke University, become a biotechnology engineer and build organs. Her eyes light up and her smile widens as she shares her aspirations. It’s that same excitement that drew her to GTCC last summer where she participated in the college’s first robotics camp.

“This is cool!” Adekanle exclaimed while taking a break from building her robot. “It’s amazing here.”

This summer from June 16-July 18 students ages 8-17 explored the excitement of mechatronics engineering technology through GTCC E3 Robotics, an education program that encourages children to develop a lifelong interest in and appreciation of engineering through interactive and fun hands-on learning.

Adrian Wright, department chair of mechatronics at GTCC, founded the program with coordinator Maria Rosato to create a pipeline of skilled students into STEM careers as well as Excite, Educate and Encourage K-12 students to explore mechatronics engineering technology.

“The sooner you introduce them to the field, the stronger the student will become,” Wright said. “E3 Robotics is also a great opportunity for students to develop skills in team work, communication, problem-solving, critical thinking and innovation.”

Learn more at robotics.gtcc.edu.

Audrey Floyd wins Coach of the Year The National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) named Audrey Floyd, department chair of GTCC’s Aviation Management and Career Pilot Technology program, Region X SAFECON Coach of the Year at its regional competition Oct. 16-19 in Franklin,Va. The contest consists of flight teams from Washington D.C., Md., N.C., S.C. and Va. competing in various categories.

This year, the GTCC Flight Team received the Red Baron Award, which is given to the team that demonstrates the best attitude and sportsmanship. It also received the NIFA Safety Award, a prestigious honor given to the team which best develops and presents its safety program, consisting of industry and general aviation best practices.

Mark Hagenbuch named State Director of the Year Mark Hagenbuch, director of GTCC’s Small Business Center, was named 2013 State Director of the Year by the North Carolina Community College System Small Business Center Network.

“In my 12 years working with the Small Business Center Network I have had the opportunity to work with some extraordinary individuals,” Hagenbuch said. “Being recognized as one of the State Directors of the Year reinforced the value of the SBC’s programs and services not only in Guilford County but across North Carolina.”

Hagenbuch was one of three directors in the state to receive the honor. The Director of the Year is recognized for going above and 30 | GTCC Magazine Spring Summer 2015 2014

beyond in providing significant support, time and service to the clients within their center’s service area as well as in support of the Small Business Center Network mission at the state level.

In addition to Hagenbuch’s daily director duties, he volunteers countless hours to support the Small Business Center Network’s client management system (CMS), which documents the SBC’s work and tracks its economic impact. As part of that initiative, he helps new SBC staff get established in the system and provides a basic overview of its functions.

Hagenbuch also works with existing SBC staff (from 61 locations across the state) to generate custom reports and troubleshoot issues. He has delivered training at statewide professional development conferences and works with the SBCN State Director to establish a CMS user group to provide

regional training and assistance to SBC directors and staff.

GTCC’s Small Business Center is fully funded by the state of North Carolina and offers free one-on-one, confidential consultations for prospective and existing small business owners as well as a variety of other free services including business seminars, skills workshops and classes.

In 2012-2013, SBCN provided 3,781 entrepreneurship seminars to 46,782 attendees and counseling to 6,971 individuals, resulting in 528 business startups and 2,967 jobs created or retained.

More online: • https://www.ncsbc.net/ • http://www.gtcc.edu/the-center-forbusiness-and-industry/small-businesscenter-(sbc)

Ed Bowling receives Staff of the Year Award Ed Bowling, executive director of Completion by Design at GTCC, received the 2014 BB&T Staff of the Year Award from the State Board of Community Colleges. With financial support from BB&T, the State Board of Community Colleges established the award in 2001 to recognize excellent performance and commitment to the community college mission by the non-teaching staff of the 58 institutions of the North Carolina Community College System and the System Office.

The State Board of Community Colleges announced the award on Jan. 17.

Bowling started out at GTCC in 2005 as a part-time adjunct faculty member in developmental education and later became a full-time instructor, earning a nomination for Excellence in Teaching for four consecutive years and receiving the 2007 Claire Hunter Award for Excellence in Developmental Education. From there he accepted the

challenge of directing GTCC’s Developmental Education Initiative Grant, where he worked with a wide variety of faculty and staff to improve all aspects of the developmental student’s experience. He also played a leadership role in the system’s Developmental Education Initiative State Policy Team.

In 2011, GTCC selected Ed Bowling as executive director of Completion by Design, a national, five-year initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to increase completion rates among young, low-income students.To launch the project, GTCC collaborated with a cadre of four other North Carolina community colleges (Central Piedmont Community College, Davidson County Community College, Martin Community College and Wake Technical Community College). Bowling has led the North Carolina cadre to develop, implement and bring to scale a model that will serve

as the standard course to completion for students in North Carolina community colleges.

“From the beginning of Completion

by Design, the intent was to eventually scale this work across the system,” said Randy Parker, GTCC president. “Ed has worked closely with senior staff at the System Office to develop an initiative to spread the work of Completion by Design to other community colleges.

His work over the past three years has significantly impacted the North Carolina Community College System.”

Matthew DeSantis selected as finalist for 2014 Excellence in Teaching Award In fall 2013, Matthew DeSantis, assistant professor of political science at GTCC, was selected as a finalist for the 2014 North Carolina Community College System/ RJ Reynolds Excellence in Teaching Award.

Established in 1985 by the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges, the Excellence in Teaching Award award recognizes teachers state-wide who exemplify the highest quality and standards throughout the N.C. Community College System and who have consistently demonstrated excellence in teaching to their students and college.

“Matthew is among a select group of instructors who represent the best faculty employed in the North Carolina Community College System,” says GTCC President Randy Parker.

DeSantis came to GTCC in 2010 and has made efforts that extend beyond the

classroom to enhance student life, faculty relations and GTCC’s image at the college and in the community.

In the classroom, DeSantis interacts with students to create an effective and encouraging learning environment.

“I love teaching. Ever since I first stood in front of a classroom as a teaching assistant, I knew this is what I wanted to do in life,” he said. “As an instructor I believe I have several roles. Of course, teaching content and getting students excited about political science is always a thrill, but getting students prepared to succeed after they transfer and in life is even more important.”

DeSantis received the 2011-2012 Excellence in Teaching Award and was recently named GTCC Excellence in Teaching Chair by the Faculty Association. He is co-chair of the Learning Evidence Committee and serves on

several other college committees including the SACS Compliance Committee and the Curriculum Committee.

He is the former vice president of the Faculty Association and the faculty advisor for the student-led Model United Nations Club and Political Science Club.

“I believe there is so much more to my job than just showing up and teaching a class.

I go back to my own undergraduate experience. I remember the wonderful outside-of-classroom activities, social organizations and opportunities I was afforded, and I want to make sure each student at GTCC has those same opportunities.” www.gtcc.edu | 31

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32 | GTCC Magazine Summer 2014