RCC Spring 2022 Magazine

Here comes the sun! The COVID pandemic has taken its toll on everyone, which is why it is nice to just step back and appreciate the little things, like a beautiful sunrise on our Asheboro Campus. This photo was taken when you could see, feel, and smell the hint of fall in the air!

Board of Trustees

F. Mac Sherrill, Chair

T. Reynolds Lisk Jr., Vice Chair

Harvey C. Boone Jr.

James G. Gouty

M. Zeb Holden

Robert E. Morrison

Larry D. Reid

J. Brooke Schmidly

Dr. Cynthia G. Schroder

Dr. R. Andrews Sykes

Chris L. Yow

Gabriell McArthur, SGA President

Foundation Board of Directors

Mini Singh, President

Gail H. McDowell, Vice President

Daffie H. Garris, Treasurer

Lisa Wright, Secretary

Elizabeth H. Aldridge

Vickie H. Gallimore

James G. Gouty

Robert A. Graves

Neal Griffin III

Baxter Hammer

Ann M. Hoover

Justin M. Lee

Nicki McKenzie Hill

Dr. Cynthia G. Schroder

H. Dean Sexton

Dr. Robert S. Shackleford Jr.

F. Mac Sherrill

Magazine Staff

Felicia Barlow, Managing Editor

Megan Crotty, Writer/Editor

Shelley Greene, Vice President

Design & Production

Robert Hollingsworth, President/Creative Director, Line Design Graphics

Photography

Lorie McCroskey, Malinda Blackwell, Sydney Bartholow, Perfecta Visuals/Jerry Wolford and Scott Muthersbaugh

Contributing Writers

Megan Crotty, Lorie McCroskey

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Information: 336-633-0200

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Randolph Community College Magazine is produced by Randolph Community College and the RCC Foundation.

Photography by Perfecta Visuals/Jerry Wolford and Scott Muthersbaugh

PRESIDENT'S Message

Photography by Perfecta Visuals/Jerry Wolford and Scott Muthersbaugh

Dr. Shackleford talking with a group of Randolph Early College High School students in the Armadillo Café about their current and future goals.

In January, it was with terribly mixed emotions that I announced my retirement as President of Randolph Community College, effective on July 1, 2022.

These 15 years have been the experience of a lifetime and far exceeds anything I ever dreamed would be possible through all the years I grew up in poverty, moved around constantly, and struggled to keep up in my ever-changing schools. When my mother promised me I could be anything in the world I wanted to be if I got my education and worked hard, I never imagined this. I only regret she didn’t live to see it happen. I will always be grateful that the RCC Board of Trustees answered a lifetime of prayers and made my dreams come true when they gave me this wonderful opportunity.

When I interviewed for the Future Presidents Institute grant many years ago, I was asked which college I would like to serve as President, if I had my choice. Without hesitation, I replied, "Randolph Community College." They were shocked and said that most candidates named one of the largest colleges or a college at the beach or in the mountains. I said, "I love the beach and I love the mountains and there are a number of places in the state I would love to live. But I have been a faculty member, a Department Chair, and a Dean at RCC in years past. I know that college,

I know those people, I know that community, and there is nowhere I would rather be than Randolph Community College." Little could I imagine that within a year-and-a-half, the Board of Trustees would select me as the next President of Randolph Community College!

This is a unique college with an unmatchable culture, great community and business and industry support, the very best legislative and commissioner partners, great school systems and superintendents to partner with, the very best students that could ever be assembled at one college, and an RCC family that has made me incredibly proud to be a part of every day. Why would I have ever wanted to go somewhere else?

There was never going to be a "right" time in my mind to retire, but my family is asking – even begging –me to save something of myself for them. Knowing that I would work at RCC until I was carried out on a stretcher, it is only fair that I save something for my family. They have fully supported me and my crazy schedule as a minister, a military chaplain, and President of RCC all these years, and the truth is that it is their turn.

I will be RCC’s biggest cheerleader in the years to come, and I assure you that my love and prayers will be with RCC as long as I live!

Robert S. Shackleford Jr. President

Dr.

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, DR. SHACKLEFORD

By Megan Crotty

Anyone who knows Randolph Community College

President Dr. Robert S. Shackleford Jr. will tell you he is a modest, genuine, and inspirational leader.

That is why he was hesitant to even garner praise after being selected as one of the Triad Business Journal’s C-Suite Award winners this past June.

“I am very honored to have been selected for this C-Suite Award,” Shackleford said. “It seems a bit ironic to receive an award for doing something that I love to do so very much. I am passionately devoted to RCC and its mission, I am blessed to have the opportunity to help create opportunities and change lives every day and being recognized by the Triad Business Journal for doing this work is a privilege for which I am very grateful.”

The award honors outstanding Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) for their contributions to their organizations and to the Triad community. Judges selected the honorees “based on evidence of exemplary leadership, performance, and innovation in their respective roles in their companies.” The nominees’ civic, philanthropic, and industry leadership, locally and beyond, also was considered.

In all, 23 CEOs and CFOs from the Piedmont Triad community were chosen. The Triad Business Journal recognized the award winners online and in a special publication July 30. The winners were also honored at a reception at Revolution Mill in Greensboro on July 29. The C-Suite Award is one of several Shackleford has accepted since assuming leadership as the fourth president of the College on Jan. 1, 2007. He received the Distinguished Alumni Award from The School of Human Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2010, the Citizen of the Year Award from the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce in 2011, the John Baggett Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness in 2012, the President of the Year Award from the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges in 2013, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Archdale-Trinity Chamber of Commerce in 2019.

Shackleford first joined RCC in 1998 as the Program Head for the Early Childhood Associate curriculum and eventually became Chair of the Human Services department. He served as Dean of Student Services at the College from 2000-2003 before taking the Vice President of Student Services position at Rockingham Community College. Shackleford also taught Early Childhood Education, Human Development, Family Studies, Sociology, Human Relations, and Leadership Development at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, High Point University, and Gardner-Webb University.

Since returning to RCC, he served as 2013 chair for the board of directors of the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation, 20112012 chair for the Randolph County United Way campaign, 2010-2011 president of the Randolph Rotary Club, and 2015-2016 president of the North Carolina Association of Community College Presidents.

Shackleford was a member of the Randolph Health Board of Directors, Ethics Committee, and Hospital Recruiting Committee, and is a member of the Legislative/Finance Committee and the Mental Health Committee, is the I.T. Committee Chair, and is a Past President of the North Carolina Association of Community College Presidents. He was Chairman of the Board of the Randolph County NC Economic Development Corporation, and was a Board member, County

Campaign Director, and Chair of the Membership Development Committee for United Way of Randolph County. He is a member of the CTE Advisory Board for the Randolph County School System, and is a member of the GreensboroRandolph Megasite Partners Committee. Shackleford was Past President, President, President-Elect, Treasurer, a Paul Harris Fellow, and on various club committees for the Randolph Rotary Club. He is also on the Board of Trustees for the Randolph-Asheboro YMCA.

To view the complete list of the C-Suite Award winners, visit https:// www.bizjournals.com/triad/ news/2021/06/14/announcing-tbjs2021-class-of-csuite-winners.html.

Shackleford earned an associate degree in secondary education from Bluefield College in Bluefield, Va., and a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the School of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo. He completed his master’s degree in child development and family studies and a doctorate in human development and family studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He also holds a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest.

A member of the U.S. Army Reserves from 1985-1992, Shackleford served as battalion chaplain and assistant division chaplain. He served as a chaplain in the North Carolina Air National Guard from 1992 until his retirement in January 2008. From 1997 until his retirement, he was the Wing Chaplain (senior supervisory chaplain) for the 145th Airlift Wing.

Shackleford and his wife, Teresa, live in Randleman with their son, Will. He also has two grown children, Kristi and Kori, and one granddaughter, Brianna. Teresa Shackleford is the CEO of Merce Clinic.

RICHARD PETTY EDUCATION CENTER GROUNDBREAKING

CREATING OPPORTUNITIES: COSMETOLOGY CENTER OPENS

PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION

RCC REFRESH: COLLEGE REBRAND

THE ORIGINAL PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS

ALWAYS WORKING TO TAKE RCC FROM “GOOD TO GREAT”

CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARD

PRESIDENT OF THE YEAR

STUDENTS FIRST: EMERGENCY FUND

NAMED AFTER DR. SHACKLEFORD

$1 MILLION DOLLAR GIFT CREATES THE GENE HAAS COMPUTER-INTEGRATED MACHINING INSTITUTE

PRESIDENT

SURPRISE! SHACKLEFORD

NAMESAKE ETCHED IN STONE

DRIVING FORCE

BEHIND GREENSBORORANDOLPH MEGASITE INITIATIVE

STATE-OF-THEINDUSTRY

REMODEL OF PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT

BLUEFIELD UNIVERSITY’S ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR

The inaugural class of AR graduates gathers in the Gene Haas Computer-Integrated Machining Institute. Pictured from left to right are: Brandon Hill, Nikolaus Gumbas, Nicolas Pless, J.J. Warren, Monroe Presnell, Jonathan Mroczkowski, Zachary Ratchford, and Dustin Hill.

Despite an ongoing pandemic, 2021 was a banner year for Apprenticeship Randolph (AR). Not only did the program graduate its first class and sign 14 more apprentices, but Hubbell Industrial Controls (HIC) apprentice Caleb Baudoin also earned the Outstanding Registered Apprentice Award at the annual ApprenticeshipNC Conference in April.

Several local administrators and politicians, along with faculty and staff from Randolph Community College, the Randolph County School System, and Asheboro City Schools; family, and friends gathered on RCC’s Asheboro Campus on Aug. 10 to both celebrate AR’s inaugural graduating class and witness the new apprentices signing to the program.

The evening started with a celebratory dinner for the graduates in RCC’s Armadillo Café, followed by a graduation and signing ceremony in the R. Alton Cox Learning Resources Center Auditorium. Brandon Hill, who boasted the highest GPA of the graduates, gave the graduation address.

“I just want to say what a ride it’s been the past four years,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of ups and downs. To our families and significant others, thank you. Your support throughout this whole process has gotten us to where we are today. You didn’t give up because you wouldn’t let us give up. To all of our instructors, we appreciate the time and knowledge you shared with us. To Apprenticeship Randolph, the school partners and the community partners, thank you for your support and the development of this program. You give students an alternative to a university, employment, and a pathway to success. Thanks to you, the eight of us graduating are not buried under student loans and have a college degree and great career.”

Baudoin, who looks to graduate in the summer of 2023, has always wanted to follow in his grandpa’s and dad’s footsteps. Both have been machinists since they were 19.

Outstanding Registered Apprentice Award winner Caleb Baudoin talks about working for Hubbell Industrial Controls during the ApprenticeshipNC Annual Conference, held virtually April 27-28.

Second Year Apprentice Emma Fahy speaks about her employer, Elastic Therapy Inc., which won the Outstanding Consortium Member Award.

ETI Director of Operations Chris Harrington thanks those who made the company’s award possible.

And neither toots his own horn. But Baudoin’s coworkers at HIC took notice of not only the apprentice’s work ethic, but also his teamwork, enthusiasm, patience, and willingness to learn. The result was Baudoin earning the Outstanding Registered Apprentice Award. Asheboro’s Elastic Therapy Inc. (ETI) was named Outstanding Consortium Member.

Baudoin, who is in his second year as an apprentice with Hubbell — a company that creates products that control larger machinery — found out about AR through his high school career counselor. Baudoin has been on his own since he graduated from Trinity High School, even taking custody of his 17-year-old sister, Rhian, for a year and providing for both of them while their mom, a traveling nurse, was across the country in California.

“I believe Caleb was nominated because of his passion for the program, his passion for success, and his passion for his family,” HIC Quality Supervisor Christopher Bradley said. “We really hope that he’s going to be available to stay.”

Not only is the 20-year-old working 40 hours a week, but, as a part of AR, he is taking courses at RCC, looking to graduate in the summer of 2023. After that, Baudoin said he’d like to take night and online classes to get his bachelor’s degree in business and even a master’s degree — and definitely keep working for Hubbell.

ETI was one of the founding members of Apprenticeship Randolph. The company was nominated not only because of its commitment to lively learning, work-based learning, and apprenticeship, but also its commitment to diversity. ETI was the first member company to sign a female apprentice and the make-up of their current youth apprentices is represented by more than 50 percent minority population.

“They’re dedicated to teaching us, to building us as people; they’re about cultivating the whole person, not

just cultivating a person to do a job,” said Emma Fahy, a second-year apprentice at ETI.

“Seventy to 80 percent of apprentice candidates actually complete the program and, of those that complete the program, 90 percent are with the same company five years after they complete the program,” ETI Director of Operations and Apprenticeship Randolph Co-Chair Chris Harrington said. “That’s why we’re in the program. … I want to thank Apprenticeship North Carolina for the great honor of this award. And, most importantly, I want to thank the team at Elastic Therapy, all of our mentors, all of our technicians, and all of the different people that have made this possible.”

Apprenticeship Randolph began in June 2016 as a collaboration among Randolph Community College, the Randolph County School System, Asheboro City Schools, the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce, and local manufacturers. The goal was to bridge both the interest and skill gaps in modern manufacturing and provide a vehicle for expanding the workforce pool for advance manufacturing in the county. With tuition funded through Career and College Promise and the N.C. Youth Apprenticeship Tuition Waiver Program and books paid for by the school systems and the participating companies, Apprenticeship Randolph produces an educated, skilled, debt-free workforce.

The program, which is for high school juniors and seniors, begins with a six-week, pre- apprenticeship summer program that consists of RCC classes and 40 hours per week of on-the- job training. Once a business selects its apprentice after this trial period, the program is spread over four years with students receiving paid, on-the-job training while earning an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Manufacturing Technology or Information Technology through RCC and a Journeyworker Certificate from the N.C. Community College System and U.S. Department of Labor.

EXCELLENCE EARNED: A LIFETIME OF LEARNING HELPS

FIRE-UP NEW WAVE OF WELDERS

By Megan Crotty

When Michael Ford works, sparks fly. And it has nothing to do with his personality. For six years, the level-headed Ford has been the Department Head for Randolph Community College’s Welding Program. During his tenure, RCC has not only become one of the top community college programs in the state, but also boasted a 100-percent graduation rate for its students. The work Ford has put into the program hasn’t gone unnoticed as he earned RCC’s 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award.

Ford grew up in Richmond, Va., and, when he turned 10, his grandma gave him a brazing kit for his birthday. “She grew up during the Depression, so everything got mended,” he said. “Somehow, she connected me with steel, and every nut, washer, anything metal in the house got turned into a figure — whatever the shapes looked like, little animals.”

Ford’s middle school taught welding, and he had family that owned a cattle farm where he spent summers welding tractors and their attachments. After graduating high school, he joined the Coast Guard, which meant more welding lessons. “I watched welders at the shipyard who were mirror-qualified, meaning they’re welding a pipe called a bulkhead and the pipe could be within half an inch, and they would stick a mirror in the back and be able to watch that mirror and weld around that pipe,” he said. “I watched those

guys and picked up their techniques. I spent a lot of time [on the water] and you had a lot of free time, and we’d do a lot of welding, which was always fun.”

Ford spent 22 years in the service — and would have stayed if it weren’t for problems with his knees and back. So, Ford retired and started a job with Waste Management in Florida as a District Fleet Manager, running a massive shop. That’s when the welding bug bit — again.

“We had a whole fabrication wing and that’s when I really started,” he said. “I had been welding all of that stuff since I was really young, and I really started getting back into it. We would do truck frames and chassis and compactors. The shop was open 24 hours a day. It was a real learning experience.”

In 2012, Ford and his wife moved to North Carolina to help out her mother. He didn’t transfer with Waste Management, and he’d always wanted to learn to TIG weld. He saw RCC had a program and attended thanks to the G.I. Bill, graduating the next year, and taking a test with the American Welding Society (AWS) to become a Certified Welding Inspector. Ford was asked to stay on as an adjunct instructor, meanwhile owning a welding business in Denton that fixed farm equipment. In 2016, he applied for the Welding Department Head position. Since Ford took over, RCC’s Welding

Program has flourished. In 2018, the College’s Archdale Welding Center was named an Accredited Testing Facility (ATF) by the AWS — one of five in the state. RCC’s facility can test welders from any one of eight different codes and standards, certifications that are recognized anywhere in the world. It took more than a year of work to gain the certification, which included implementing a quality assurance program and writing a Quality Manual. Ford also added a welding inspection class to the program to ensure students have careers beyond entry-level welding.

“Under the exceptional leadership of Michael Ford, our welding program has attained the very highest level of quality and excellence,” RCC President Dr. Robert S. Shackleford Jr. said. “This AWS Testing Facility accreditation opens wonderful new doors of opportunity for our students and graduates.”

The next year, RCC held a ribbon cutting in Archdale as the Welding Center expanded to 31 welding booths, converting approximately 2,000 square feet of classroom and office space to accommodate more students. Ford supervised the renovation of the welding lab, securing the latest technology for use in welding education, including a robotic welder, pipe and tubing bender, an ultrasound machine for steel, a dye-penetrating kit, non-destructive testing equipment, a computer-driven plasma cutter, and an awning to expand instruction in the cutting class.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit RCC. Instructors had to learn the software, develop courses, and begin teaching online in seven days. The welding program did not have online instruction built in. Ford supervised the transition, having students do the rest of the year’s

book work over two months, so when they were able to get back in the shop, it was all shop time. The class was able to finish and graduate. In fact, the 2020 Diploma class became the first in the College’s history to complete the AWS Sense Training Level 1 — training modules Ford implemented into his program.

Since then, instructors have embraced the use of distance learning and technology and plan to continue to offer hybrid courses in the future. The program also is now equipped with GoPro Cameras to aid with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The companies are passing other welding schools to come here, and the students are getting much better jobs and much higher-paying jobs,” Ford said. “Our students skipped structural steel and went right into pipe-welding, which is advanced. … We’ve had degree-holders come through our program because they couldn’t find jobs in their fields. We had a geologist come through. If a geologist can weld, they’re much more marketable. He took a year off, flew back from Iceland and studying volcanoes, came through our program for a year, did great, and now he’s going through graduate school.”

The welding program has worked with the North Carolina Zoo to produce instructional projects that meet the needs of their animal enrichment program, including interactive feeders for the lions, giraffes, and elephants. Welding students also worked with RCC’s Emergency Services Training Center personnel to design and produce new metal targets to meet their training needs. Recently, students fabricated two benches for outside the Welding Center — a need they saw on their own, and Ford allowed

them to run with the project.

“All of these projects, whoever we’re building for, they buy the raw materials, have it shipped here, and we do all of the work,” he said. “The students draw up the blueprints. We send those to the customer, and it’ll get approved or changed and sent back to us. We get the steel in, and then we start fabricating from the print.

“It’s a great experience for the students, to see something go from an idea to a finished product. We try to tie as much of that as we can into the program. Whenever we see an opportunity, we throw that in. We trade off the lead person on a class-by-class basis to give everybody an idea of what it’s like to run a team — all of that really good stuff to have some kind of feel for before you get out into the real world.”

Ford realizes this generation has grown up watching shows like “American Chopper” and ogling a cell phone.

They might not have the patience to run a bead over and over and over on a plate.

“They’re like, ‘What am I doing this for?’ ” he said “But it’s how you sell that, telling them they have to do this for the next step, and it all builds on each other. … A lot of times, it’s a one-on-one conversation. It’s sitting them down and saying, ‘Why are you here? You’re over there playing with your phone in your booth.’ And then you just explain the big picture and a lot of them will get it and take off. That’s what we hope for because I’m not in the business of failing people. I’m in the business of creating a pathway for them and teaching them a skill that they’ll always have.

“It’s really gratifying to see these guys and girls come back six, eight months after they graduated with new trucks, saving up to buy a house,” Ford said. “And it all changed right here. One year out of their life changed the rest of their life. That’s what keeps me here.”

LEADS TO ADJUNCT AWARDDesign CAREER CHANGE BY

Bonnie Mabry’s journey to Randolph Community College began with a life event that changed her career path. She had always loved interior design, so she enrolled at the College. After graduating with an Interior Design degree in 2016, Mabry started teaching in those same classrooms two weeks later. She also comes from a family of Armadillos as her husband, son, and daughter all have RCC degrees.

“I can’t express how much it means to me to have received the Adjunct Faculty Award for this year,” she said. “My foundation at RCC has afforded me many opportunities in the field and, without a doubt, will continue to aid my career and growth as a designer. Teaching is so rewarding and fulfilling in a way I could have never expected. Sometimes, I think I learn more from the students than they do from me.”

STAFF OF THE YEAR WINNER IS MOTIVATING FORCE FOR BOTH EMPLOYEES AND STUDENTS

By Megan Crotty

Jordan Williamson always figured she was heading for life in a law firm.

That was until she started teaching notary public classes at Randolph Community College.

“I really didn’t have any teaching experience, but once I started working at the College and getting to meet people, I really wanted to be here full time,” she said.

Fast-forward seven years, and Williamson, now the Director of College and Career Readiness, was named RCC’s 2021 Staff Person of the Year.

Williamson oversees Adult Basic Education, Adult High School, GED® and High School Equivalency Preparation, Adult Basic-Life Skills Education, and English for Speakers of Other Languages. Despite her large umbrella,

Williamson said there’s a common theme for CCR — the students.

“Every decision we make goes back to how is this going to affect the student,” she said. “We want them to feel safe when they come here. Maybe they don’t feel important to someone out there, but they’re important to us. Our students inspire us to never stop pushing. We have students come through two or three times, and it takes them a lot to get there.”

A Randolph County native, Williamson graduated from Southwestern Randolph High School and then attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for her undergraduate degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology and a minor in Social Work. She worked as an assistant clerk of superior court and then at a law firm, thinking that was the career path she was going to take.

After teaching notary public classes at RCC, Williamson jumped at the chance to work for the College when an Outcomes and Data Specialist grant position opened in 2016.

“I started doing things on the Adult Education side, and that’s what I loved — resumé-building, soft-skills building, setting goals, finding employment,” she said. “We had career fairs that were great and built partnerships with the community.”

The next year the Director of College and Career Readiness position became vacant, and, after training over the summer, she took over in August, bringing with her many of the lessons she learned under the grant position.

“The job changes day-to-day,” Williamson said. “It’s always studentdriven; the students always come first. From the administrative side of things, it’s taking care of your employees and making sure you promote not just a safe and comfortable working environment, but that they look forward to coming to work. The instructors really drive our programs; they’re the ones on the front lines in the classroom every day. I make sure they have what they need.”

That includes fighting to have newer laptops for students and instructors and newer and faster computers for the staff, submitting grants, and finding out-of-the-box ways to help the CCR program. Not only does Williamson double-check that instructional materials are in-line with the educational standard, but she also makes sure that every day the CCR creates opportunities for students in some of the most difficult circumstances — people who many in society have written off. She believes everyone has a chance to succeed and that most students just need someone to believe in them.

“All of our [student] populations are different,” she said, “but they’re all adult literacy programs and they’re all funded the same way. With all the barriers our students have, in order for us to sustain and keep going, we’re expected to perform really high — 80 percent retention and over 50 percent performance. We just want to do right by our students.

“Every day is something new. You have to be really, really creative with how you develop curriculum or how you do your classes. Being mindful of the population is the most important thing.”

Of course, like every department on campus, the CCR has had to continue running during a global pandemic. When COVID-19 hit, Williamson consulted family members who are teachers and teachers in the local school system to see how they were making it so students didn’t see their education interrupted. She and her staff brainstormed ideas and the result was packets for the students.

“That was the most important thing — that the students knew that, yes, things were at a standstill, but their education wasn’t going to stop,” she said.

Many CCR students didn’t have the technology for online learning, so the CCR staff, with the help of other RCC staffers, photocopied worksheets and provided highlighters, pencils, and paper in manila envelopes for each student. Packet pick-up times were arranged with social distance and mask guidelines in place. The idea was so popular that it was not only implemented by other schools, but also featured on a local news station.

“The packets are carrying us right now,” she said in September 2020, “and most of our students want packets and they’re turning them in every week. The feedback from instructors is amazing. It’s about what works for your population, your

students. The packets didn’t work as well for some colleges, but they were giving away hotspots and laptops, and we just didn’t have that. The packets really made a huge difference for us.”

Williamson also has kept the strong bond RCC has with the Randolph County Jail, and recently inmates have participated in and spoken at CCR graduations in person (preCOVID) for the first time.

“We have spent years building that relationship,” she said. “When I came on, the relationship was already there; the classes were there, and we just needed to make it even better.”

Anyone who has attended a CCR graduation ceremony in May or December knows they are special not just for the graduates, but for faculty, staff, and families. One year, Williamson read messages graduates had shared with her.

“I was getting choked up reading them and I had already read them and read them,” she said. “When we get to graduation, it just reminds you why you do it. That’s the best part about graduation. It just motivates you, ‘Oh my gosh. We want to do even better.’ If that ever stops having an impact on me, then I don’t need to be in this business.”

HIGH ACCOLADES FOR THE HARDSHELL NATION

By Megan Crotty

Randolph Community College reached rare air recently. Not only was the College’s Health and Wellness Coaching program approved by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC), making it one of six community colleges in the country to boast the honor, but RCC also was ranked ninth in SmartAsset’s list of the Best Community Colleges in America — 2021 Edition.

SmartAsset, a financial technology company based in New York, considered three metrics when conducting its study — student-to-faculty ratio, graduation and transfer rate, and cost of tuition and fees. North Carolina had the top six spots on the list and eight of the top 10 with all of the colleges ranking within approximately the top 10 percent for both low student-faculty ratio and high graduation and transfer rate, and ranking within the top 25 percent for relatively low cost of tuition. Brunswick Community College took the top spot, followed by Pamlico, Carteret, Montgomery, Sampson, and College of the Albemarle. Charlotte Technical College (Fla.) was seventh, followed by Catawba Valley Community College, RCC, and Leech Lake Tribal College (Minn.).

“There is one faculty member for every 10 students at Asheboro, North Carolina’s Randolph Community College, the 22nd-best ratio for this metric across all 820 community colleges in this study with available data,” SmartAsset said. “The school places 64th out of 820 for a graduation and transfer rate of 64% and 145th for total tuition and fees of $2,373 for two semesters.”

The study was the company’s eighth.

Health and wellness coaches put their clients in charge using skills such as motivational interviewing, active listening, dynamic goal setting, and visioning to facilitate behavior change. RCC’s health and wellness coaching students are taught to put down the laptop, put aside the notepad, and really listen to their clients, and use the Wheel of Health, which puts the client at the center, surrounded by the many factors in life that, after taking an assessment, they can see what needs work and what doesn’t. The result is more than an exercise routine or a diet plan.

In order to be approved, a program must adhere to the NBHWC’s training, education, and assessment standards. Approval means that

graduates from RCC’s program are eligible to apply to sit for the National Board Examination to earn a NBHWC credential. Currently, there are just two other approved programs in North Carolina — Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

One of RCC’s graduates, Beth Knott, has not only become a Health and Wellness Coaching instructor, but she also is coaching students as a part of the College’s initiative to help the whole student, not just focusing on academics.

To see SmartAssets’ full list, visit https://smartasset.com/data-studies/ best-community-colleges-in-america2021#q=community%20college. For more information about Health and Wellness Coaching, check out the NBHWC’s website at https://nbhwc.org/.

Beth Knott Health and Wellness Coaching instructor

OUR STUDENTS AREN’T ONE DIMENSIONAL AND NEITHER IS OUR SCOPE OF CARE

By Megan Crotty

Students come first at Randolph Community College. For the 2020-21 school year, as part of President Dr. Robert S. Shackleford Jr.’s initiatives, the College made a marked effort to focus not just on academics, but on the whole student.

When the initiatives were introduced during the 2021 Fall Convocation, the initiative under Quality Education was to “provide a well-defined, user-friendly student experience that provides career confidence and clear pathways for continuous learning opportunities.” Under Radical Hospitality, it was to “increase the number of high school seniors attending RCC by enhancing the enrollment experience through improved access to admission, enrollment, and financial aid information,” and under Student Success, the initiative was to “increase the retention of first-year college students.”

“We want to clear the barriers to make it an easy process for students,” Shackleford said. “Most of the problems we deal with students are not academic. They wrestle with life — depression, substance abuse, taking care of children or elderly parents. They’re carrying a heavy load on their backs. What we can do as a College is to help them.

“We form a circle around our core, which are our students, and we all are here for student success. We are here to serve our students, and our greatest joy is to see them succeed. That’s why we come to work every day. Our culture is built around that. You will look hard to find it anywhere where it is embedded in the culture as much as it is at RCC.”

The whole-student initiative starts with the new Student Assistance Program (SAP), which is available for RCC students and their permanent household members. It offers help for personal, professional, or school concerns by providing free, confidential, short-term counseling and personal consultation for issues such as family conflict; stress, anxiety, or depression; legal and financial issues, grief/loss, and substance abuse.

The College also has partnered with Beth Knott Health Coaching LLC to make health and wellness coaching available for free to RCC students. Health and wellness coaching takes a holistic approach to well-being and explores all areas of student wellness, including time management, stress management, finances, relationships, sleep habits, spirituality, nutrition, and movement. Faculty and staff can refer a student to Knott through Aviso, which helps identify underserved or at-risk students by combining proven coaching methodologies with supportive software tools and predictive analytics.

“In the four weeks that I have been coming to Beth for Health and Wellness coaching sessions, I have become a person who has learned how to manage my stress, my anxiety, and looking at my overall well-being,” one student said. “Beth uses mindfulness and meditation to help strengthen my own mind to be able to handle stress and take control of everyday issues.

“I have seen a reduction in my blood pressure and improved overall health. I am now more focused on what is important to me and my overall well-being. Beth has helped me understand that overall wellness begins in your mind and then you grow from there. It is a step-by-step process, but I have had good success in this program.”

The Single Stop Center, located in the office of Student Success, is a one-stop shop connecting students to existing benefits and resources such as SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, and community agencies.

“We are very excited to be able to offer Single Stop to our students,” said Rebekah Kingston, Director of Student Success Counseling. “The program has seen successful at other colleges around North Carolina and across the country in connecting students to public benefits and local resources that assist with accessing basic needs such as food, housing/utilities, healthcare, tax preparation, and more. We have seen a positive response from our students thus far. Our hope is that Single Stop will help to remove some of the financial burdens and other stressors many students face so that they can focus on succeeding in school and reaching their goals. “

RCC also has a Tutoring Center with virtual and on-

campus tutoring sessions available, a Career Center with career exploration sessions available, and accommodations for students with disabilities thanks to Disabilities Services Coordinator Tammy Cheek.

Of course, financial help is always available — now more than ever.

Over the summer of 2021, the North Carolina Community College System introduced the Longleaf Commitment Grant Program. The grant was for 2021 North Carolina high school graduates who planned to attend one of our state’s 58 community colleges starting in the Fall 2021 semester. High school students may be eligible to receive this grant — not a loan — for tuition and fees toward a degree or to attain transfer credit. Full-time eligible students are guaranteed to receive $700 to $2,800 per year, for a total of two years. Less than full-time students may receive a partial award. The Longleaf Commitment Grant Program ends at the conclusion of the 2023 spring semester. In July 2021, the College announced the RCC Commitment Grant for students who do not qualify for other financial assistance, but need help paying for college.

The RCC Commitment Grant, along with the Longleaf Grant, and Pell, state grants, and the RCC Foundation, mean attending the College has never been more affordable.

The next month, RCC announced it gave approximately 200 students a fresh start by paying off outstanding

debt, totaling nearly $113,000. Any student enrolled at the College between March 13, 2020 (the start of the COVID-19 pandemic) until the end of the Summer 2021 semester was eligible for the assistance. In addition to paying off outstanding student balances, RCC has been able to help students through the pandemic by providing emergency financial assistance for such needs as food, housing, laptops, and internet access.

For Yuvanka Stokes, it was a lifesaver. Stokes had a pastdue balance of $113, which may seem like a small sum to some, but for the 45-year-old mother of an autistic child, who lost her job in June and whose car caught fire, it made a world of difference.

“I had to sacrifice some things and move some money around to make sure I had the money to pay for classes out of pocket,” she said. “I always say God doesn’t give us more than we can handle. Even though my balance was only $113, I am so grateful to Randolph Community College for paying the extra and opening the door for me to be able to complete my goal. This was a blessing and heaven sent.”

Stokes is studying Early Childhood Education and hopes to create an organization that assists low-income families in connecting with local resources, focusing on finding jobs, helping decrease food insecurities, and find rentals for people who want to be homeowners.

Without a boost from RCC, Stokes would not be able to pursue her dreams.

AN UNTRADITIONAL GRAD

MAKES THE MOST OF LAST-MINUTE CEREMONY CHANGES

By Lorie McCroskey

Nothing about Tammy Wicker’s education at Randolph Community College was normal, so it was no surprise that her graduation took a different turn.

Her unusual path began when Wicker found out her job would be eliminated after 25 years at Arrow Teleflex. She decided to head back to school as part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program that helps workers who lose their jobs because of foreign trade. She started classes at RCC in the fall of 2019. All but one of her first-semester classes were online in the Business Administration/Human Resource Management program. When she returned to class in the spring of 2020, the COVID pandemic struck, and suddenly Wicker found herself navigating the world of online education.

“My advisors were amazing,” Wicker said. “They really helped me find my way when all the classes changed to online.”

She may not have known it at the time, but Wicker would never set foot in an RCC classroom again.

As she neared the end of her studies, Wicker began looking forward to graduating inperson. She ordered her cap and gown and started planning how to hand out the 10 tickets she would be allowed to have for graduation in the Special Events Center of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

“In the spring I kept hearing about all the colleges having graduations, and I just kept hoping,” Wicker said.

Meanwhile, RCC’s administration was optimistic that the spring trend of declining COVID numbers would continue into the summer, and by the August graduation date, be at the lowest point in months.

As with everything else, the pandemic was not finished messing with Wicker’s education. August brought the COVID-19 Delta variant and a corresponding rise in the number of cases.

“You have a picture in your mind, and you have worked so long,” Wicker said. “Even if I have to wear a respirator, I’m walking.”

Days before the scheduled graduation, RCC canceled the event out of an abundance of caution. Wicker was disappointed but understood. When she told her daughter Katie, a nurse at an area middle school, she said she agreed that it was the safest move considering the way the number of cases was rising. But Katie and her sister, Emma, were not about to let their mom’s accomplishment be overlooked.

The sisters got busy texting the friends and family who were planning to come to Greensboro to see the graduation and arranged for them to come to a special surprise graduation at their mom’s home. They were so excited, in fact, that they accidentally texted Wicker and told her about the graduation. The fact that Wicker’s elderly parents and 96-year-old aunt were able to attend the graduation more than made up for it. Despite being vaccinated, they would not have been able to come to the ceremony in Greensboro because they were still not comfortable being in a large crowd. A bonus of the non-traditional graduation at home? Wicker’s dogs were able to be a part of the celebration. Katie gave a speech and awarded her two degrees.

“I was the last person in my immediate family without a degree and now I have two,” Wicker noted with pride.

Wicker’s graduation may not have been the same as other students who have graduated from RCC in years past, but she would not have wanted it any other way.

“It is okay because safety is most important,” Wicker admitted. “But when they planned that, I was overwhelmed. Having it here with my family really means a lot.”

I was the last person in my immediate family without a degree and now I have two CONGRATULATIONS TO TAMMY WICKER AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE RCC CLASS OF 2021!

SparklE DIAMOND IN THE

NEW BUILDING’S FEATURE

WALL WINS GOLD

By Megan Crotty

When the Dr. Robert Shackleford Jr. Allied Health Center opened in fall 2020, there was one feature of the newest building on the Randolph Community College campus that stood out. It wasn’t the simulated apartment, the dock for EMS workers, or the replicated doctor’s office. Those, while impressive, can’t be seen from Industrial Park Avenue at night. What can be seen is the two-story feature wall — a digital screen created by marketing agency Union that changes depending on the time of day and combines medical themes with RCC visuals. The wall won Union the 2020 Charlotte American Advertising Gold in the Out-Of-Home & Ambient Media category. It also was featured in a case study by Solutions Inc., which helped integrate all the audio-visual systems in the Center.

This summer, RCC President Dr. Robert S. Shackleford Jr., along with Vice President for Administrative Services Daffie Garris and Director of Facilities Operations Cindi Goodwin, participated in a Zoom conversation with the Charlotte Chapter of the Society of Experimental Graphic Design (SEGD) entitled “Healthcare in Motion,” highlighting the feature wall. Representatives from Little Architects, who designed the building, and Union participated in the conversation with Santiago Crespo of Little’s Brand Communications & Design department moderating.

“It is a jewel of a project in the middle of North Carolina,” Crespo said to open the discussion. “It is a world-class educational facility for healthcare. Beyond the architecture itself and the graphics that embellish this building, there is wonderful exterior landscape design and a digital experience that is without parallel. There’s such continuity — everything from the architecture to the landscape design, to the environmental graphics.”

The $14.4 million LEED Silver facility houses the College’s Associate Degree Nursing, Radiography, Medical Assisting, and Emergency Medical Services programs. The 45,000-square-foot, two-story, L-shaped building increased the space available for the health care programs by 86 percent. The Center includes a simulated health care community, allowing EMS workers to pick up a patient in a true apartment setting and transport the patient to a simulated hospital. The facility includes radiography labs, exam rooms, a surgical room, an ICU room, a maternity room, waiting areas, and patient conference rooms, along with video-capture capabilities so instructors can observe students and play back that video to debrief students after a simulation

here. The work between there and here has been a collaboration of a lot of people and more conversations than I could tell you about.

Shackleford spoke about how the project got started, noting there hasn’t been a formal ribbon-cutting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“First of all, I want to say how honored we are for this project to be featured in this meeting,” he said. “We’re very proud of it and very excited about it. Everyone who has been through [the Center] has been extremely impressed. When we first started looking at the need for an Allied Health Center to bring all of our health programs together, we had this piece of property and we envisioned what we wanted to be

“Many years ago, when community colleges started, the typical buildings were rectangular brick buildings with no character or personality. Community colleges now are a much more highly-recognized part of the higher education system. At Randolph Community College, we’ve made a concerted effort to change the visual appeal to give more of a kind of approach that students take a look and say, ‘Wow. What a great learning environment.’ So, no longer are we trying to cling to the old factory looking buildings in the community college system that used to be our standard fare. We’re trying to build buildings now that when students we’re trying to recruit come, they see up-to-date, high-tech learning environments that they want to be a part of.”

Shackleford said when the building was designed, the hospital simulation, classroom space, and lab space were big parts of the initial discussion, but the feature wall also was a large part of the planning.

“We didn’t want to just put something on the wall that was OK,” he said. “We wanted to go from good to great, and even as we discussed it more and looked at more slide shows and more models and more options,

even great wasn’t enough. We said, ‘Well, how about we go from great to wow?’ We had to keep tweaking it and tweaking it and tweaking it until we said, ‘Ah! That’s it!’ And that’s where we are.

“I’ve given a number of tours through this building and they love the whole building — the architecture, the landscaping, everything about it. One of the common things I hear from people who visit the building is, ‘This looks like something on the campus of N.C. State University. This looks like something at some medical university. This doesn’t look like a community college.’ And that’s music to our ears. We want students to look at this as a first choice of places to go to receive health care education.”

After noting how the feature wall shines through the glass front to those driving by on Industrial Park Avenue at night, Shackleford spoke about what that has meant for the community and the College.

“When you come in the door and even from the outside, the first thing you see is this feature wall,” he said. “That kind of captures it and says, ‘You are in a special place. You are in a special learning environment.’ And when they see the rest of the building, they understand that is the focal point. It’s like the building is the diamond and that feature wall is the sparkle in the diamond.”

ENDURING, THRIVING, AND GRADUATING:

THE PANDEMIC CAN’T STOP THESE ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS FROM REACHING THEIR GOALS

By Megan Crotty

When Brenna Bestmann and Brooke Richardson started their academic journeys at Randolph Community College, they could predict being stressed, making tuition payments, and, hopefully, donning caps and gowns with the makings of a career by the end of it all. What they couldn’t predict was a global pandemic.

Despite seeing their college paths altered, Bestmann and Richardson have not only endured, but thrived — and graduated. For their determination, the two were chosen for the College’s annual awards — Bestmann the 2021 Academic Excellence Award (AEA) and Richardson the 2021 Dallas Herring Achievement Award.

Bestmann, who studied Radiography at RCC, was one of 58 students from each community college in North Carolina who were recognized in April 2020 for academic excellence. AEA selection requirements are consistent with Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society criteria. Students must be currently enrolled, must have completed at least 12 semester hours in an associate degree program and must have a cumulative grade point average of no less than 3.25. A committee at RCC selected the final recipient based on faculty recommendations.

Bestmann said she knew Radiography wasn’t going to be an easy choice when she started in August 2019.

“I knew it was not going to be a walk in the park,” she said. “Then, after two semesters in the program, there was a new problem: COVID-19. All my classes were changed from in-person to being fully online, and we had to miss eight weeks of clinicals.”

While the experience could have been discouraging, Bestmann and her classmates made the best of it — together.

“Over the past two years, my teachers, tutors, and classmates have become family to me,” she said. “We were all in the same boat. No one wanted to be online or miss clinicals, but it was something we worked through together. They have been the ones to encourage me and have found ways to help me be successful. Randolph Community College has given me lifelong friends and has provided me with the knowledge I will take with me to be successful in the work field.”

A member of RCC’s chapter of PTK, Bestmann was on RCC’s Academic Merit List for the 2020 and 2021 summer semesters. Curriculum students enrolled in at least six but less than 12 credit hours for the semester excluding college preparatory hours and proficiency hours who receive no incompletes and have a cumulative Grade Point Average of at least 2.0 and earn a grade point average of 3.50-4.00 are eligible to be recognized on the Academic Merit List. Bestmann also was on the 2019 and 2020 fall semester President’s

List, an honor that requires a GPA of 4.00, and made the Dean’s List in spring 2020, which requires a GPA of 3.50-3.99.

Richardson, a 2018 Presidential Scholar, was given the Dallas Herring Achievement Award, which was established by the North Carolina Community College System to honor the late Dr. Dallas Herring, whose philosophy of “taking people where they are and carrying them as far as they can go” is the guiding principle of the system. The award is given annually to a current or former community college student who best embodies Dr. Herring’s philosophy.

Richardson pursued not only a degree in Cosmetology, but also an associate degree in Business Administration. She also has worked at Hair Kutts Salon in High Point since 2019. Despite having a lot on her plate during a global pandemic, Richardson, who knew she wanted to be a hairstylist before she even set foot on the RCC campus, made it onto the President’s List in the 2019 fall semester and both the fall and spring semesters in 2020. She also was on the Academic Merit List for the 2020 and 2021 summer semesters.

“Although I’ve always wanted to be a hairstylist, I wanted to have a degree as a backup plan,” Richardson said. “I would recommend the community college route for anyone, especially if

you know what field you want to go into. I thank RCC for making it possible for me to work my dream job.”

While the stress of a job and a double major on top of the COVID-19 pandemic could make any student feel frazzled, Richardson did it all with her signature smile (behind her mask, of course).

“Brooke was always such a pleasure to have in classes,” one of her instructors wrote. “She would always have on the biggest smile on her face every day. It became infectious to those around her.”

Despite her busy schedule and despite being in an industry that can be cutthroat, Richardson was always willing to help a fellow student learn a new technique or even take the time to participate in a study session with a classmate.

“Brooke is the type of student who will go to the top of any profession she wants,” her instructor added. “Her great people skills and her ability to just be so genuine with her words and actions is so nice to see in such a young woman. She is a determined young lady and will, no doubt, be very successful in the hair industry. Students like her only come along so often, but when they do, we remember them.”

HEARTFELT CELEBRATION OF NEW U.S. CITIZENS

When someone entered the small classroom at Randolph Community College’s Chevy Centre on May 8, they saw a table holding a red, white, and blue cake along with patriotic plates, cups, and napkins; they heard “God Bless the U.S.A.” playing on the screen; and they were greeted by students dressed to the nines and smiling eyes behind masks. It wasn’t a Fourth of July party in May, though it might as well have been.

No, this was a celebration for eight students who passed their U.S. Citizenship test after taking the RCC course.

Rosa and Maria Del Carmen Salinas

Almanza, Marcela Herrera Gonzalez, Jose Vasquez Carranza, Diana Figueroa Medrano, Gladis Castro Batista, and Salamatou Mohamed received Certificates of Completion. Classmate Helena Lambeth also passed her citizenship test but was unable to come to the ceremony. Each went up to the front of the class where instructor Lizbel LoechleYuzzelli gave them their certificate and received an elbow-bump in return. The only thing missing was

family and friends, who weren’t present due to COVID-19 protocols. Coordinator/Instructor of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Abraham Encinas, who heads the program, opened the ceremony.

“This event is not just special for all of you, but also to me personally, having come from Peru as a student,” Encinas said. “My journey started in

the hard work, the determination, and the challenges we have to go through when we are preparing for the citizenship exam. Take advantage of your new citizenship and all the rights and promises it holds. So, God bless your families and everybody present, and welcome to your new home, the United States of America!”

Director of College and Career

Readiness Jordan Williamson spoke after Encinas.

“I’m so excited for you all, and we’re so proud of you,” Williamson said.

community college. RCC is a diversity-friendly, inclusive institution that makes this possible, and you’re an example of that. All nationalities are welcome in the ESOL program. As a naturalized citizen myself as well as [College and Career Readiness Student In-Take Specialist Dahlia Oldham] and your instructor, Miss Lizbel, we understand very well

“This is a major milestone in your life. On behalf of everyone at RCC and our staff and all of our instructors, we just want to say a big congratulations. Miss Lizbel is very passionate about her students and that’s one of the things that makes her such a great instructor and teacher. We’re very grateful for her. ESOL is a whole community — that’s what makes it so special. You are a community of learners. So, congratulations, go celebrate, and we hope that we see you continue on at RCC.”

COMMUNICATION IS IN ANY LANGUAGE KEY

One of the biggest challenges for people who immigrate to the United States is the language barrier. Randolph Community College helps knock it down with its free English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program.

Abraham Encinas, RCC’s Coordinator/Instructor of ESOL, is quick to point out that the program currently boasts more than 22 nationalities.

“All nationalities are welcome,” he said. “It’s a diversity-friendly and inclusive institution that makes this possible. That’s so important — everybody supporting diversity and helping to educate different communities in our country.”

The classes teach students to communicate effectively in English for real-life situations such as job interviews/ applications, filling out medical forms, and citizenship tests. There are three different levels — beginning, intermediate, and advanced, offered at various times and locations, including schools, churches, and local companies. ESOL covers four basic language skills — reading, writing, listening, and speaking, along with civics and understanding the naturalization process.

Not only are there free English

classes, but also ESOL plus General Educational Development (GED) preparation, Citizenship, and English & Technology.

“Students interested in the citizenship class are required to have at least a High Beginning English proficiency level to enroll,” Encinas said. “The main objective of the course is to prepare adult ESOL students to successfully complete the naturalization process.”

That process means a big step toward feeling a part of not only Randolph

remembered one Chinese student in particular who needed help with pronunciation — she knew all the facts but couldn’t be understood. The two worked together, and the student passed.

“The only thing I can say about you guys is, I’m so proud,” said LoechleYuzzelli, who has been teaching in RCC’s ESOL program for 15 years. “My heart goes with you from the day that you come to this classroom and wanted to do such a wonderful thing for yourselves. Most of you came scared or afraid, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ In the end, I take you with me. I love you so much. And I love the satisfaction that I feel in my heart and my soul. I will miss you so much, but we will keep in touch like we always do. You know that you can come see me, you know my hours, and we are a text or call away.”

County, but the United States. Loechle-Yuzzelli, who is originally from Peru and taught elementary school there before coming to the United States, spoke to her students next. She noted that students that have already come through the course and passed were not only from Latin American countries, but also China, Thailand, and Africa. In the ESOL program alone, there are 22 nationalities represented. She

The students then received their certificates, each one sharing their stories and thanks.

Figueroa Medrano thanked “Miss Lizbel,” calling her “the best coach.”

“I am glad to be part of this beautiful class,” she said.

“I came because I want to do things right,” said Castro Batista, who teaches ESL at the elementary school level. “I was excited, and I came

every Saturday. I was practicing and learning new things. When I did all my paperwork, I told my husband and my daughter. So, the three of us, we got the citizenship. (Lizbel) is really good. She’s very friendly; she makes you feel like you’re at home. I really appreciate all the things you do, not just for me, but for the whole community.”

Rosa and Maria Del Carmen Salinas Almanza, who are sisters, and Herrera Gonzalez all thanked Loechle-Yuzzelli in Spanish with Castro Batista interpreting. “My English is not too good, but I want to appreciate the teacher because this program works for everybody — we can make it,” Vasquez Carranza said. “Tell everybody about it around here. They can come to this class because this class is perfect. I really appreciate the help.”

“Miss Lizbel is a very good teacher,” said Salamatou Mohamed, who is from West Africa. “Thank you so much.” Oldham, who is originally from the Philippines and became a citizen in 1992, spoke last as she was very moved by the ceremony — and moved by it taking place the day before Mother’s Day.

that from you. I grew up poor in the Philippines, but my mama sent six of us to college. She would always say, ‘This is the only treasure, the only wealth I can give you guys. Educate your children and your children will educate the next generation.’ For my boys, having my GED and learning English, to them, that’s the foundation.”

Many of the students have a next step that includes RCC’s High School Equivalency Diploma or Adult High School Diploma.

“My son will graduate tomorrow, and he will get his second doctorate for engineering,” she said. “Without me doing the right thing, I don’t know where my boys would be. Don’t stop learning. Reach the highest star when it comes to education because it’s yours. Nobody can take

“We’re motivating the pathway to GED and High School Equivalency,” Encinas said. “So, this is not the end of the journey. There is so much more that we can offer if they want to move forward.”

https://www.randolph.edu/academics/college-and-career-readiness-programs.aspx

STARS ALIGN

CREATE RCC/UMO PARTNERSHIP

By Megan Crotty

A new partnership will allow students interested in learning about agriculture to start their educational journey at Randolph Community College and finish it at the University of Mount Olive, in Eastern N.C. — without ever leaving Asheboro!

Faculty and staff from both institutions, along with members of the RCC Board of Trustees, gathered on April 15 in the Dr. Robert S. Shackleford Jr. Allied Health Center for an agreement-signing ceremony. The two agreements will make it easier for RCC students to not only seamlessly transfer to Mount Olive to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in multiple agricultural disciplines, but also to earn a degree in other programs offered by the university without leaving Randolph County.

The documents are the result of four years of work between the schools — even before RCC had an Agriculture program.

“We’re so excited about this partnership and the way that it is coming together,” RCC President Dr. Robert S. Shackleford Jr. said. “They are making an effort to provide classes here on our campus and classes online.

That’s a unique opportunity and a unique commitment on the part of Mount Olive — one that we respect and appreciate. This is going to serve a lot of students. … The second agreement we’re signing is icing on the cake.

“What you’re seeing today, it’s not just a signing ceremony. The future of education is getting out of the silos. Education is moving quickly towards seamless pathways. We can’t do our job unless we work closely with the high schools and closely with universities because it’s all seamless. You’re getting a foretaste of what education’s going to look like in the years to come — us all working together for the common good of the students and the common good of our communities.”

“It is great to be here today,” Mount Olive President Dr. H. Edward Croom added. “I am very happy to tell you how confident I am in the program. It’s a great day for us. It is a great day for our School of Ag and Biological Sciences. It’s a great day for your students here in Randolph County. We’re looking forward to a great partnership.”

Starting in Fall 2022, students who have completed an agricultural associate degree from RCC can enroll seamlessly with Mount Olive to pursue bachelor’s degrees in agribusiness, agricultural communication and leadership, agricultural production systems, and plant science on the RCC campus. Courses will engage students in theoretical applications of agricultural principles through hands-on learning. Mount Olive will deliver junior- and senior-level courses in a hybrid format on the RCC campus, and students also will have Mount Olive advisors and faculty available to them on the RCC site.

“Mount Olive is offering a great opportunity to start here and then go to Mount Olive to earn a bachelor’s degree and to not even have to leave the county,” RCC Agribusiness Technology Department Head Derrick Cockman said. “It will be beneficial to everybody.”

Mount Olive already partnered with Providence Grove High School four years ago with The Higher Education (THE) Ag Experience, which allows students to work toward an Associate of Science degree in Agriculture through the university while still in high school.

“We just had to wait for the stars to align,” Mount Olive Dean of the School of Agriculture and Biological Sciences Dr. Sandy Maddox said. “Dr. Croom can say that he wasn’t in place at the time, but he put the whole idea of the academies into our brains. And then, with the right people in place, we were able to bring this to fruition. It was a great idea four years ago, and I

think all of us knew we’d be here today.”

Croom and Maddox were joined by Dr. Burt Lewis, Assistant Vice President for Curriculum Development, and Jason Davis, Assistant Dean of the School of Ag and Biological Sciences.

RCC Vice President for Instructional Services Suzanne Rohrbaugh said the partnership with Mount Olive began four years ago with Pathways to Prosperity — a collaboration of RCC, Asheboro City Schools, and the Randolph County School System, working together with industry, to create a seamless pathway for students to go from local high schools to a great career in Randolph County. The school systems debuted the project in 2015 with pathways for advanced manufacturing jobs. The second initiative in 2016 focused on creating health care pathways. The third initiative, agriculture — Randolph County’s largest industry for land mass, was introduced in April 2018.

“The Mount Olive team has been just tremendous to work with,” Rohrbaugh said. “We feel like we’re in a really good position to support our community here in Randolph County. The beauty of this [Ag] agreement is students will have the opportunity to remain right here in Randolph County, to be able to complete their degree. [Mount Olive staff is] going to be spending some time on our campus; they’re going to help us with the advising and the recruitment and it is truly a partnership.”

DEDICATED DUO:

TRUSTEES SERVE RCC FOR A COMBINED TOTAL OF MORE THAN 50 YEARS!

It’s a good thing Mac Sherrill and Andy Sykes get along. For better or worse, the two have spent a lot of time together over the past couple of decades.

Sherrill and Sykes have both served on Randolph Community College’s Board of Trustees since the 1990s — Sherrill, who lives in Asheboro, was sworn in in July of 1997, while Liberty native Sykes took his oath in October of 1991. The two have stuck by the College through three presidents and plenty of changes — new buildings, new programs, and, most recently, a global pandemic.

Sherrill, who filled longtime Trustee Grady Lawson’s spot. “We take the overall view of the College and support it.

“Being on the state board, I have the opportunity to see what’s going on across the state, and some of the Board of Directors have difficult times, but we haven’t had that. We’ve been very fortunate. We’ve got great people and continue to work with the group we have. It’s been a good experience.”

With RCC holding classes at Liberty’s First Baptist Church, Sykes, who was appointed by the Randolph County Commissioners, sees part of his role as educating and telling people in the area about the College. He is hoping to someday have a campus in his hometown due to Liberty’s proximity to Guilford, Alamance, and Chatham counties.

By Megan Crotty

Both agree that, while the College has gone through challenging times, they have a solid leader in RCC President Dr. Robert S. Shackleford Jr. Sherrill is especially proud of bringing Dr. Shackleford to RCC as he served on the search committee when Shackleford was hired.

RCC’s Board has 13 members — four appointed by the Governor, four by the Randolph County and Asheboro City Boards of Education, and four by the Randolph County Board of Commissioners plus the current Student Government Association President, who serves as an exofficio/non-voting member. While most people have heard of a Board of Trustees, not many know what its members do. Take it from the experts.

“Our job is to set policy, not to micromanage the College,” said

As Chair, Sherrill does more than just run the board meetings, which occur every other month. He is a member of the Association of Community College Trustees and the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges and encourages the rest of the RCC Board to get involved at the state and federal level.

“We do what we can for the students,” Sherrill said. “The students are number one, and the graduations are very satisfying to know that we have so many people that are achieving their goals. We take a lot of pride in the success that the school has had with the number of graduating students over the years.”

“That was just a real highlight of my tenure,” Sherrill said. “He’s done a terrific job and continues to do so.”

“Dr Shackleford’s an outstanding president,” Sykes added. “He went to 50-some locations to try and get a quarter-cent sales tax passed and bring revenue in for the College. Not many people would go that above and beyond the call of duty to get that done. We’re always on his case because he does so much, but I can tell he enjoys doing it. He treats everybody equal and fair no matter the socio-economic status, race, gender … .”

RCC has had its struggles — Sykes remembers the year the College almost lost the nursing program, but bounced back with a 100 percent graduation rate. COVID has presented a new challenge.

“There are still a lot of programs that need to have hands-on experiences,

whether it be health sciences, welding, machining … that’s been tough on [the College] to coordinate the last year and a half,” he said. “When you’ve got a mask on your face, it’s hard to hear, understand, and communicate, no matter what level — elementary to post-secondary.

“Because of COVID, we probably wouldn’t have gotten into what I call ‘electronics,’ as fast as we did. Fortunately, it was there to use at this time in history — 10, 12, 15 years ago, we would not have been there.”

Sherrill said, while the Trustees are missing out on in-person meetings, it’s the only way to be safe.

“Our people have done well to adapt to the pandemic requirements and continue to do a good job for the College,” he said.

Sherrill, whose wife is a schoolteacher and who began his college career at Mitchell Community College, and Sykes, whose mother was a

schoolteacher, both hold education close to their hearts.

“I’ve just found it very fulfilling to be involved with education,” said Sherrill, a banker at Randolph Bank & Trust. “The community certainly has a really valued asset in RCC. I take a lot of pride in that.”

“I feel like over the years, community colleges — like [former RCC President] Dr. Larry Linker used to say, ‘You go to college to get an education, but you go to community college to get a job.’ ” said Sykes, who retired from dentistry last year after a 46-year career. “At community college, it’s a very fine education at a reasonable price with small classes and, hopefully, a good future whether it be a skill or trade or whether it be an (Associate in Arts/Associate in Science) transfer to a higher university. “The Foundation does a great job supporting students so they can stay in school.”

Sykes is ready to serve on the Board for as long as he can.

“As long as my health permits me, as long as the County Commissioners reappoint me, as long as my fellow teammates approve of me being there, I’ll serve,” Sykes said.

For Sherrill, it’s time to pass the gavel.

“It was a tough decision, but we need to have new people come in with new ideas,” he said. “You don’t want to do the same thing all the time.”

Although the two will be spending less time together after Sherrill’s term is up, they will always share the bond of having served for decades at a college they both love.

LAGUERUELA’S REMEMBEREDwarm smile, giving nature

Randolph Community College Board of Trustees and Foundation Board of Directors member Jorge Lagueruela passed away Aug. 11 at the age of 64 after a courageous battle with cancer. Lagueruela joined the College’s Board Trustees in July 2018.

“Jorge was a very bright man,” said RCC President Robert S. Shackleford Jr. during the College’s opening convocation in August. “He started not just another furniture company, but he found a niche — industrial, school, hospital furniture. Even when other furniture companies were leaving the country, he stayed strong. He helped with contributing to the furniture we have in the new Allied Health Center, and gave generously to the College. Jorge Lagueruela had a big smile even when he was sick. He had a big smile and even a bigger heart and we will miss Jorge. Please remember his family.”

RCC Board Vice Chairman Reynolds Lisk also added words in remembrance during convocation.

“Jorge truly was one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet,” he said. “I was always struck by how he had this terrible cancer, and he was never without a smile. He would come to the meeting sometimes after undergoing treatments that I know were just horrendous, and he always smiled.

That, to me, is the true measure of a man. We will truly miss him.”

Born in Havana, Cuba, Lagueruela came to the United States in 1960 with his mother, father, sister, brothers, uncle, and cousins. He attended High Point University, playing on the men’s soccer team for two years. He then served as Student Government President at HPU until he graduated as a member of the Order of the Lighted Lamp in 1979. After graduating, he applied his Business Administration degree at American Machine & Foundry for five years — first with AMF Hatteras Yachts and then with AMF International.

In 1984, a porch-swing chat let Lagueruela to co-found Trinity Furniture Inc. with friend John Kennedy on a handshake and $1,000, and was the president for 37 years. The company, which makes furniture for workplace, healthcare, government, and university markets, prides itself in not only its welldesigned furniture and customer service, but also being designed, engineered, tested, and manufactured in America and environmentally-friendly. Upon Kennedy's retirement in 2002, Lagueruela became sole owner of the business as its facility grew to over 100,000 square feet. Nine years later, his daughter, Megan, joined the firm.

The company released a statement after Lagueruela’s passing: “The entire Trinity Furniture Family has been saddened by this great loss, following the example of Jorge's Family, the entire Company is committed to honoring his legacy and passion for excellence in manufacturing, service and product development.”

Lagueruela received many awards and accolades, including the Small Business Administration’s North Carolina Minority Business Person of the Year (1992), the Business Journal Fast 50 (four times), the 2008 U.S. Department of Commerce Exporter of the Year, the Business Journal top-ranked Hispanic Business of the Year (several years running),

and the 2014 HPU Alumnus of the Year Award. He was an active board member of the Archdale-Trinity YMCA, and very involved at Hopewell United Methodist Church, serving on the Board of Trustees and as a choir member.

Lagueruela was an avid cyclist, participating in the Cycle North Carolina Mountains to the Coast ride multiple times. He also was a devoted HPU athletics and Carolina Panthers fan.

Lagueruela is survived by his wife of 41 years, Debra, and three children, Megan, Evan, and Eric. In remembrance of his life, the family asked that any charitable donations be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in his name.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS MAKE HARD TIMESeasier

The mission of Truliant Federal Credit Union is to enhance the quality of the lives of its members. In December of 2020, Truliant took that mission just a little farther by reaching out into the community to help the students of Randolph Community College.

“One of the big ways we improve lives as a credit union is by giving back,” said Atticus Simpson, director of community and government affairs at Truliant. “We knew the holidays in 2020 would be different because of the pandemic. We launched a holiday giving campaign called Brighter Days, and a focus area was providing gift cards to community colleges. We heard often from our community college partners about the challenges students were facing with the pandemic, and how emergency funding through gift cards helped keep those who were struggling with everyday life expenses in classes.”

Jamie Owens, a lifelong Randolph County resident and manager of the Dixie Drive branch, initially contacted the RCC Foundation to donate the gift cards. The cards allowed the RCC Foundation to help students who otherwise would not qualify for traditional emergency assistance. In the last six weeks of 2020, the Brighter Days campaign helped more than 10,000 people in the Triad with utility and rent assistance, food and meal delivery, toys for children in at-risk situations, local food pantries, headphones for virtual learning, kids’ shoes and coats, and much more. It also sparked a great partnership between

By Lorie McCroskey

Truliant and the RCC Foundation. Later, in 2021, Julio C. Rabascall, manager at the Fayetteville Street branch, donated additional gift cards to be used for the RCC Food Pantry.

Owens and Rabascall encouraged the RCC Foundation to apply for a Truliant Foundation grant. In the fall of 2021, the Truliant Foundation awarded a grant to RCC to help fund Changing Lives Scholarships for students who do not qualify for traditional financial aid.

“Many students who don’t qualify for traditional financial aid will still need it to afford college,” Simpson said. “It’s important that graduates aren’t saddled with debt as they enter the workforce. That can make the social prosperity that comes with getting an education much more difficult to unlock.”

Great community partners make difficult times a little easier at RCC, and Truliant has been a wonderful community partner. Simpson says he hopes to continue working with the College in many different ways.

“We hope to expand our partnerships around financial education, in both English and Spanish,” Simpson said. “And we hope to continue finding ways we can work together on common goals. We are always looking for more ways to contribute. If it’s not with a traditional donation, we look for other ways to help.”

As part of Brighter Days, Truliant provided $1,000 in gift cards to Randolph Community College Foundation, to be distributed to students who have an emergency need that might otherwise prevent them from attending or joining their courses. Pictured, left to right, are Lorie McCroskey, Director of Development; Renee Shipko, Community Engagement Manager for Truliant; Jamie Owens, Manager of Truliant’s E. Dixie Drive location; and Shelley Greene, Executive Director.

FUND LIVES UP TO NAME WHEN STUDENT FACES MEDICAL EMERGENCY

By Lorie McCroskey

The Robert Shackleford Emergency Fund was established to be a safety net for students to prevent dropping out of school in the face of a financial emergency. Over the years, the RCC Foundation has helped students with everything from car repairs to rent to food assistance. The goal is always to help the students push through the emergency and make it to the college finish line. But when Charles Swicegood came to the RCC Foundation with his emergency, the situation was literally life or death. Swicegood, a Type 1 diabetic, was not eligible

for insurance through his employer or Medicaid, and he was running out of options to get his insulin. That put Swicegood in a difficult situation where he had to make some tough choices.

“As I got closer, my options seemed to not be coming through,” Swicegood said. “I was just taking less than I need to take to see if it would last until I could figure something out.” A friend told him about some help that she had received at her local community college and suggested to Charles that he may qualify for the same kind of assistance at RCC. When he inquired about help at the Financial Aid Office, he was directed to the RCC Foundation where he was quickly approved for emergency assistance. “I’ve dealt with a lot of situations, even like at doctors’ offices and stuff, and it’s like ‘I’ll call you back,’ ” Swicegood said. “Then it’s like hours or something. It was so fast it blew my mind. The very next day I was able to go pick up the medicines. A whole month’s supply. It actually lasted a little more than a month.”

The RCC Foundation was able to help Swicegood with his medication until his doctor was able to help him find a company that would provide his insulin. Swicegood was able to stay healthy and remain in school without interruption because of the support of generous donors to the RCC Foundation.

If you would like to learn more about the Robert Shackleford Emergency Fund, contact the RCC Foundation.

STRENGTH, HARD WORK, DETERMINATION Drives New Scholars

Five outstanding Randolph County high school students were chosen in a competitive process as Presidential Scholars at Randolph Community College for the 2021-2022 school year. Homeschool student Anna Baynes, Destiny Spencer from Eastern Randolph High School, Carrie Johnson from Fayetteville Street Christian School, Kassandra Ciriza Monreal from Southwestern Randolph High School, and Alyssa Cross from Trinity High School will receive a twoyear RCC scholarship through the Presidential Scholars program funded by the Randolph Community College Foundation.

High school students from public, private, and homeschools throughout Randolph County were invited to apply for the scholarships. Students attended virtual interviews March 2, 2020, and March 16, 2020, where they learned more about the College and were interviewed by a committee of RCC community members. Finalists were chosen and invited back for a second interview with RCC President Dr. Robert S. Shackleford Jr., who made the final choice of five recipients.

Students’ academic records and extracurricular/community activities weighed into the selection of recipients, as did the interviews.

RCC Presidential Scholars receive a $2,500 scholarship for their first year of study ($1,250 for fall and $1,250 for spring) that is renewable for their second year of study. The students have the opportunity to

serve as Ambassadors for the College, and meet regularly with President Shackleford.

By Megan Crotty

past year has been challenging and changing for me. … I am confident that as life begins transitioning to normal, I will be a better person of character and I will face future trials with more strength than before.”

Anna Baynes of Asheboro plans on studying radiography, and is currently in RCC’s dual enrollment classes through Career & College Promise (CCP). She has volunteered at the Gateway Education Center, participated in mission work at a facility for recovering drug abusers, and advocated for juvenile diabetes. Baynes also plays Junior Olympic volleyball, and works at Benjamin James Properties in Asheboro.

“As a child, my parents consistently engrained in my sisters and [me] that hard times and unexpected circumstances will come, and it is my choice to respond with grace, dignity, and strength,” said Baynes, who cites her great-grandmother as her role model. “As an avid volleyball player, volunteer in my community, a person that enjoys social events, and a member of a large family, the

Destiny Spencer of Randleman plans on using RCC as a springboard for her goal of becoming an entrepreneur. She is active in the Beta Club at Eastern Randolph, the Battle of the Books, and chorus, and volunteers at Goodwill. Spencer also works at McDonald’s, and loves to play violin, hike, and read. She said that having dyslexia has made her more determined and a better leader.

“In my life, I am not afraid to be who I truly am,” Spencer said. “My passions are incorporated into my life instead of just keeping them in my heart… Even though my friends joke around with me about it, I take pride in who I am and what I do, and they respect me for that.”

Carrie Johnson of Franklinville is currently a part of RCC’s CCP program, taking classes at the College and Fayetteville Street Christian School. She plans on a career in counseling or music therapy. Johnson is involved in the North Carolina Christian School Association Fine Arts Choral Ensemble, was involved in several drama presentations at Fayetteville Street, is a part of the yearbook staff, and plays varsity soccer. She also volunteers at Montgomery Bible Association and Silk Hope School. Johnson said that losing her sister in a car wreck when she was 13 has been her motivation for living each day the best way she knows how.

“It was difficult for me to continue, knowing I could not see her every day,” Johnson said. “However, I know that she would not want me to be constantly grieving and incessantly sad. In truth, I have been incredibly blessed in every aspect of my life from a wonderful family to the opportunity to obtain an education that could allow me to achieve my career goals.”

Kassandra Ciriza Monreal of Asheboro plans on becoming a lawyer and a voice for the Latino community. She is a member of the Beta Club at Southwestern Randolph, and is active in poetry and speech clubs. Ciriza Monreal also has extensive experience in computer assembly, installation, and maintenance. She said that growing up with physical scars from a disease gave her the confidence to embrace her imperfections, and empathize with people who are different. Ciriza Monreal said her role model is her mother, Margarita.

“Growing up in a marginalized place in Mexico was not easy for her,” she said, “however, she found a way to get ahead, and, despite having abandoned her studies because of the need to work, she always found time to learn. She is the one who taught me that determination and perseverance can give us great things.”

Alyssa Cross of Archdale plans on pursuing a Business Administration degree at RCC. She is a Beta Club officer, the co-founder of the College Career Prep Club, and a member of the Poetry Club. Cross works parttime at Bojangles, and volunteers for Southside Mission, serving warm meals to anyone in need. Cross credits her parents divorcing when she was young, the death of her grandfather, and a Scoliosis diagnosis with helping her grow into who she is today — along with witnessing her role model, her mom, raise three kids while getting her associate degree and working.

“She is the most hard-working, determined woman I have ever known,” Cross said. “She has always made [my siblings and me] feel loved and cared for before herself. She never goes to sleep until she knows we are safe, always making our food before her own.”

The RCC Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides a margin of excellence for Randolph Community College by building a strong relationship with the local community, acquiring and managing contributions, and funding activities that support the College.

NEW WEBSITE CREATED WITH RCC STUDENTS IN MIND

Lately, Randolph Community College has a very different look. No, the colors haven’t changed or the school mascot, and there aren’t any groundbreakings planned in the near future. The change is online. On Dec. 1, RCC launched a new website that was 18 months in the making, and on March 1 the College added a chatbot to the new site. All of the changes are geared toward making the new and current students’ experience better.

“At RCC, students come first,” Vice President for Student Services Chad Williams said. “The new website has been a welcome change, especially for our students. Our hope is the addition of the chatbot will improve the student experience and make it much easier to find the information they need.”

Designed by Beacon Technologies Inc. of Greensboro in collaboration with RCC’s Institutional Advancement Department, the website was a complete, from-the-ground up update. Beacon also has designed several other North Carolina higher education institutions’ websites and boasts several RCC graduates on its payroll.

The chatbot is through Ocelot Inc., which specializes in higher education chatbots that are used at more than 400 institutions.

Check out RCC’s new site at www.randolph.edu.

ASSOCIATE DEGREES, DIPLOMAS, AND CERTIFICATES

• Accounting and Finance

• Advertising and Graphic Design

• Agribusiness Technology

• Associate Degree Nursing

• Associate in Arts (College Transfer)

• Associate in Arts in Teacher Preparation (College Transfer)*

• Associate in General Education

• Associate in Science (College Transfer)

• Associate in Science in Teacher Preparation (College Transfer)*

• Automation Engineering Technology

• Automotive Systems Technology

• Business Administration

• Business Administration: Human Resource Management

• Collision Repair and Refinishing Technology

• Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technology

• Computer-Integrated Machining

• Cosmetology

• Criminal Justice Technology

• Early Childhood Education

• Early Childhood Education: Infant Toddler

• Electrical Systems Technology

• Fire Protection Technology

• Healthcare Management Technology

• Human Services Technology

• Human Services Technology: Addiction and Recovery Services

• Information Technology

• Interior Design

• Manicuring/Nail Technology

• Manufacturing Technology

• Medical Assisting

• Medical Office Administration

• Photographic Technology: Commercial Photography

• Photographic Technology: Photojournalism

• Photographic Technology: Portrait Studio Management

• Radiography

• Welding Technology

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS

• Agricultural Mechanics

• Commercial Driving (Truck Driver Training)

• Electrical

• Electrocardiograph (EKG)

• Emergency Medical Services

• Fire Protection

• Health Coach

• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

• Human Resources Development

• Law Enforcement

• Medical Terminology and Coding

• Medication Aide

• Nursing Assistant

• Pharmacy Technician

• Phlebotomy

• Pottery

• Therapeutic Massage

• Welding

• and more!

*Pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.