Two VGCC students awarded Mike Bradley memorial scholarships
Brady, a company that provides energy-efficient HVAC systems and comprehensive building solutions for commercial and industrial facilities across North Carolina, recently awarded the annual Mike Bradley Memorial Scholarships to Vance-Granville Community College students Michael Hall of Creedmoor and Cedric Rodebaugh of Franklinton.
Both students, who are studying Welding Technology at VGCC, received a $500 scholarship to help fund their education.
Established by the Association of Community College Facility Operations (ACCFO) in 2014, the Bradley Memorial Scholarship was named in honor of Mike Bradley by his long-time employer, Brady Services. Bradley served as an outspoken supporter of and advocate for ACCFO and was passionate about the North Carolina Community College System, as a graduate of Wake Technical Community College. He passed away suddenly in 2014 after working with Brady for more than 30 years. In his memory, Brady funds the scholarship to be given annually to students at one member college. This was the first year that VGCC has been selected as the recipient school.
ACCFO members are employed as maintenance directors, managers, supervisors, physical plant managers and foremen employed by North Carolina Community Colleges to oversee physical plant operations and buildings and grounds maintenance.
Representatives of Brady recently made a visit to VGCC’s Main Campus to meet the two scholarship recipients and hold a luncheon in their honor. The officials from the company included Brady Vice President of Direct Sales Brad Resler of Greensboro, Account Services Representative Lina Lindberg of Morrisville and Director of Business and Leadership Development Phil Kirk of Raleigh, who is also a former member of the State Board of Community Colleges.
“Brady is a North Carolina company, and one of our missions is to be supportive of our associates and our community,” Resler told college officials and the students at the luncheon. “We had a tragedy strike us about two and a half years ago, with the passing of one of our associates, Mike Bradley. Through this scholarship, we remember him and carry on his legacy in a way that gives back to our community colleges and helps grow the vocational trades in North Carolina.”
Resler added that the scholarship is important not only to the individual students who receive it but also to the company, because it allows them to “reinvest in the workforce of North Carolina, the purpose of the community colleges, and the skilled trades that Brady and other contractors across the state rely upon.”
He noted that nationwide, many more skilled technicians in areas such as HVAC and welding are retiring than are entering those professions. “It’s vitally important that we get qualified, hard-working folks like Michael and Cedric to make the choice to train for these careers, so we’re just thrilled to support what VGCC is doing to develop a knowledgeable workforce. Congratulations, Michael and Cedric, on being selected as the recipients. We look forward to seeing the great things that are ahead of you both!”
Hall, who was accompanied by his mother, Lynn, and Rodebaugh, who was joined by his wife, Tamara, expressed their appreciation to Brady and to the college. Both students have completed the first year of VGCC’s two-year Welding degree program. Hall is already employed in the welding field, at MGM Products in Kittrell.
“We feel very honored and fortunate to have you here to present these scholarships,” Rusty Pace, the head of the VGCC Welding program, said. “I love to see our students and industry come together, whether through employment or scholarships. Cedric and Michael are quickly becoming leaders as students in the Welding program. They are highly motivated, dedicated and set an excellent example for their classmates.”
- Keith Shearon, who oversees Welding and other programs as the Applied Technologies department chair at VGCC, added, “It’s always encouraging to have people in the community, especially employers, make an investment in our students.”
“The Mike Bradley Memorial Scholarship makes a significant difference in our community college system, and we are grateful to Brady and ACCFO for selecting a pair of outstanding Vance-Granville students as the recipients this year,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, VGCC’s president. “We can’t wait to see Michael’s and Cedric’s bright futures as they prepare for personal and professional success.”
About Brady
Brady is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, with locations in Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville, and Wilmington. Founded in 1962 by Chairman Don Brady, the company remains a family owned enterprise, today employing over 420 associates. The company works with building owners, facility managers, developers, architects, engineers and contractors providing sustainable, comprehensive building solutions for commercial and industrial facilities. Brady provides customers with a diverse range of HVAC and building solutions including building automation, energy conservation, green design, performance contracts, access controls, security, mechanical systems, parts and supplies, as well as world-class technical support. Brady is a Trane franchise. For more information, visit www.bradyservices.com.
About Vance-Granville Community College
Vance-Granville Community College, one of the 58 institutions of the North Carolina Community College System, is the local source for higher education and training in Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties, north of the Research Triangle. Established in 1969, VGCC today serves students at four campuses (one in each county of the service area) and online. The college offers more than 40 curriculum programs, as well as occupational certifications, continuing education, adult education, customized training for employers and the first two years of a four-year degree. For more information, visit www.vgcc.edu.
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Henderson Lions Club Announces June Meeting
June 8, 2017 Thursday
Henderson Lions – The Henderson Lions Club will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Henderson Country Club. The speaker will be Lion Pat Leonard with the Vision/Hearing Mobile Unit. To learn more or join the Lions and be a part of an active community service organization, contact any Lions Club member or President Randy Oxendine at 252-438-8034.
Thanks,
Randy
VGCC offers seminar on improving credit scores
The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center is offering a free seminar that offers helpful tips on how to obtain a better credit score.
“How to Increase Your Credit Score to Over 740 Points; Prepare for a Bank Business Loan!” is scheduled for Thursday, June 22, from 6 until 9 p.m., in room 7109 (Building 7) on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County.
According to instructor Bob Moore, “a very good credit score is now considered to be 740 points, with an excellent credit score being over 800 points. Now more than ever, having good credit is important in being able to obtain a loan for your business or to obtain a personal loan.” He added that a person’s credit score is also important in determining the interest rate of their loans, their insurance premiums and deposits required for phone and utility services.
In this three-hour seminar, attendees will learn how to raise their scores simply by the way they use their credit cards, treat inquiries, make payments and carry balances. This seminar will include information about the importance of maintaining good credit and the positive financial consequences it produces. Moore will also discuss the history of credit scoring, how to read a credit report and what factors are used in calculating a FICO or Beacon score.
A graduate of Fayetteville State University, Moore is a longtime small business owner and serves as director of the Small Business Center at Robeson Community College in Lumberton. He was honored as the Small Business Center Director of the Year for the entire North Carolina Community College System in 2013.
For more information and to reserve a seat in this free seminar, contact Small Business Center director Tanya Weary at smallbusiness@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3240. The deadline to register is June 19.
Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/schedules/small-business-center.
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VGCC mentoring program takes students to Greensboro, Charlotte
The Male Mentoring Success Initiative (MMSI) at Vance-Granville Community College recently took a group of 18 students on a tour of sites in Greensboro and Charlotte that allowed them to explore careers, four-year universities and cultural activities.
Anthony Pope and Michael Farmer, co-coordinators of the initiative, accompanied the “mentees” on a trip that included touring five institutions of higher learning, visiting the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, taking a behind-the-scenes tour of the Charlotte Hornets organization and attending a game between the Hornets and the reigning NBA Champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Some of the students would soon be graduating, and the tour helped them to consider several options to continue their education at the four-year level.
The group first toured the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, before learning about the history of the civil rights movement at the museum in downtown Greensboro. The exhibits and artifacts allowed the mentees an opportunity see the original Woolworth lunch counters where the sit-in movement was initiated by four North Carolina A&T State University students in 1960. Mentee Kendrick Pettiford said that “the lessons I learned taught me how people had to struggle to survive as they held onto their beliefs and that there was a future where everyone could get along regardless of race.” Mentee Joseph Vodjogbe added, “I found the museum to be intriguing, historically educational and emotional. I got to see how bad segregation and racism was in the past.” Next, the students toured N.C. A&T, the largest historically black university in the country, and enjoyed a step show by members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
The trip continued for the next two days in Charlotte, where the group toured the campuses of Johnson C. Smith University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Johnson & Wales University. Finally, students enjoyed the Charlotte Hornets game at the Spectrum Center. Prior to the start of the game, the mentees received behind-the-scenes tour from an account executive for the Hornets organization, who explained to them various business management career opportunities in professional sports. “Although the Cavaliers won by a score of 112 to 105, it was still a good game, and seeing NBA All-Stars Kemba Walker, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, along with the legendary Patrick Ewing, was exciting,” Pope said. Mentee Christopher Pernell, a member of the VGCC Vanguards basketball team, stated that “this was my first NBA game, and it was a great experience.”
Supported by a grant from the North Carolina Community College System, the MMSI at VGCC works to help male students stay in school and on track to graduate or transfer to a four-year university. For more information on the mentoring initiative, contact Anthony Pope at popea@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3395.
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