LFCC Launches Alumni Website

LFCC Launches Alumni Owned Business Directory

Photos Courtesy: Lord Fairfax Community College

Lord Fairfax Community College is happy to announce that our online alumni-owned business directory has recently gone live. The directory was created to celebrate the accomplishments of our alumni, and their contributions to our community as business owners. . It was also created to support our alumni, especially during these chal By: Kelli Williams

lenging times. Currently the directory lists 27 businesses offering a variety of goods and services, including restaurants, as well as health, home, creative, financial and legal services. Area chambers of commerce, such as the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber, have been instrumental in promoting the directory, and will continue to serve as valued partners as we seek to host events and share resources that will benefit our alumni business owners. We encourage any alumni who would like to have their business listed on the directory to share their information with us at lfcc.edu/alumni, or to contact Tami O’Brien at tobrien@lfcc.edu.

Museum Continues to Makes COVID-Impacted Learning Playful

By: Diane Schnoor Photos Courtesy: Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum

When the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum closed on March 13 due to COVID-19, museum staff knew that it was important to continue to promote learning through play and to offer access to quality educational activities for all families. From March-June, with some financial sponsorship by Bank of Clarke County, museum educators produced more than 60 days of creative fun for families. Topics included pirates, engineering, pollinators, messy masterpieces, cloud watching, chain reactions, astronauts, baseball, and so much more. “We depend so heavily on what all of you have created for our daily home schooling,” one parent emailed the museum about the daily themed activities published during the spring. “I report into his teacher each day and I send reports of what we have done from the Discovery Museum…We are also saving many of the activities for this summer when we can be outside and do more of the messier activities.” “Wow, this is awesome!!” said Brad Herring, Director of National STEM Networks and a museum partner with NISENetwork. “And I’m glad to see that you’re still able to connect with your community at least digitally.” Local school systems distributed the links to the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum’s curriculum to teachers and families alike to use. “Thank you, Discovery Museum, for your continued activities for our WPS, FCPS families and others! These are excellent and fun for all!” said Jake Boula, Director of Elementary and Intermediate Instruction for Winchester Public Schools. “Thank you all for the work you are doing to send the daily activities out...they are wonderful!” said Frederick County fourth grade teacher Trish Roy. “I’m sure there are parents all over Winchester and the surrounding areas who are blessed because of them! I know teachers are!” Since the COVID-abbreviated school year ended, the Shenandoah Discovery Museum has shifted gears to make summer fun for largely homebound families as well. While continuing to publish free virtual activities, the museum offered a variety of interactive virtual camps in June, ranging from preschool dinosaur and music/movement camps to Spy Kids and Kitchen Science camps offered for elementary school-aged children. As Virginia eased into stages two and three of re-opening, the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum began offering in-person camps at the museum (limited capacity, with campers and counselors wearing masks and socially distancing). With assistance from the United Way Impact grant, these camps also allowed scholarship assistance for children whose families were struggling to make ends meet in a COVID economy. “My children are delighted and so are we!” said the parent of a family of summer campers. As the community moves towards the fall, the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum continues to explore ways to make COIVD-impacted learning playful and fun for children and families. Visit www.discoverymuseum.net to learn more about fall offerings.

Josiah Shortridge is just 22-years-old, but the facility operator HVAC technician is already thriving in his career. He recently completed the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) trades course offered through LFCC Workforce Solutions. Shortridge earned his Level 4 certificate over the winter. Because of the bonus hours he earned

while out working during the course, he was able to get to the journeyman level in two years instead of four. The Culpeper County resident was homeschooled before enrolling in the Workforce Solutions course. “Both of my grandfathers influenced my decision in pursuing a career in HVAC,” Shortridge said. “My dad’s father, Frank Shortridge, retired from Fort Belvoir. He worked on chillers and boilers, and later at GTE as the ‘air conditioner man.’ He had numerous certifications.

“My mother’s father, Bill Ensor, retired from York International in Pennsylvania He was a plant machinist who made industrial air conditioning. I spent a lot of time with my Papaw Bill, walking in the woods and talking about how mechanical things work.” Knowing he could finish the accelerated program in two years, rather than four, he enrolled in the trades course at Workforce

Solutions. “I worked for two different HVAC companies installing units for the public while taking the course,” Shortridge said. “I really appreciated the Workforce Solutions HVAC program because I was at a time in my life where I lacked direction. The program moved me in a forward direction.” Thanks to FastForward funding, the course cost him one-third of the full price. “I want to continue my education, and I would recommend this program because it benefited me so much,” Shortridge said. “I liked that it was an accelerated class, and it’s pretty cheap.” Shortridge was hired by Micron Technology in October 2018. “I love my job,” he said. “They treat me well. It has good benefits and good hours. My goal is to stay with Micron and see where they want me, whether

it’s engineering or management.” Soon, Shortridge will apply to sit for his journeyman exam. The average salary for heating and air conditioning mechanics and installers, as well as for refrigeration mechanics and installers, is $54,780, according to data from EMSI. “The demand for HVAC technicians is so great that any of our students who want to be employed coming out of Level 1 of our course can be,” said Workforce Solutions Program Manager Tracey O’Leary. To learn more about FastForward training programs, visit LFCCWorkforce.com/FAST or call (540) 868-7021

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once they begin technical training, such as the MT1 course in his case,” Judd says. Breeden encourages others to follow his example and see how LFCC can help their careers, too. “If they want to better themselves, do all you can,” he says. “Never give up. It’s changed my whole outlook.” To learn more about the FastForward Credential Programs available at LFCC, visit LFCCWork force.com/FAST or call (540) 868-7021.

Barns of Rose Hill Belk Inc Boy Scouts of America ChildSafe Center-CAC City of Winchester Clarke County Economic Development & Tourism Clarke County Public Schools Contact Corporation County of Frederick Cove Campground Frederick County Public Schools Full Circle Marketing T Goode Financial Services Green Bay Packaging Inc. Greenfield and Behr Residential Honey Baked Ham Co. & Cafe Integrity Home Mortgage Corporation Integrus Holdings - Fortessa Tableware Solutions Kilmer & Associates, CPA, P.C. Kiwanis Club of Blue Ridge Malloy Toyota McClung Companies McElroy Metal, Inc. Northern Shenandoah Valley Civitan Club NW Works, Inc. Piccadilly Printing and Marketing Rappahannock Electric Cooperative Richard’s Fruit Market Schewels Home Selma Medical Associates Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation Signet Marketing Solenberger’s True Value Hardware SpecialMade Goods & Services, Inc. Stuart Hill Apartments Super Splasher Aquatics The Laurel Center Intervention for Domestic & Sexual Violence The Management Group, LLC United Way of NSV Valley Car Wash - #1 Winchester Violino Ristorante Italiano Wilkins’ ShoeCenter, Inc. Winchester Casket Company Winchester Cold Storage / WCS Logisitics Winchester Host Lions Club, Inc. Winchester Metals, Inc. Winchester Regional Airport Authority

MEMBER NEWS & BUSINESS AGENDA UPDATES

Niki Wilson is the new Foundation Director at Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury. She is a graduate of Shenandoah University with a BA in business and marketing and a master’s in business admin. Get the new Alzheimer’s Association face mask! Contact samartey@alz.org to find out how! Congratulations to Navy Federal Credit Union on being ranked #4 U.S. brand for customer experience excellence. Congratulations to YHB on being named as one of the 2020 Best Accounting Firms to Work for by Accounting Today. Join the Northern Shenandoah Valley Covid-19 Economic Response Team and take the OpenAndSafeNSV pledge to show your commitment to keeping the Top of Virginia healthy. Nominations for the 2020 Valor Awards, presented by City National Bank are being accepted now through August 31. Learn more. We’re #StrongerTogether in the TOV. Shop our Stronger Together apparel collection. Choose from polo’s, hats or yard signs. Proceeds will benefit our first responders. LFCC is happy to announce that our alumni owned business directory is LIVE! The directory was created to celebrate and support alumni who own their own businesses. Visit lfcc.edu/alumni for details.