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VGCC Adds NC Wesleyan As Transfer Option To Complete 4-Year Degree

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-information courtesy of VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel

Students who complete their two-year degree have another option when choosing where to continue on the path to a four-year university degree: North Carolina Wesleyan University. The two schools recently entered into an agreement that will allow VGCC students to participate in Wesley Works, a transfer program that offers benefits to students who want to obtain a college diploma.

VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais shared optimism about the partnership. “By this new agreement with NC Wesleyan University, I am pleased that VGCC graduates will have more options than ever to continue their path to a four-year degree,” Demarais stated in a press release.

The agreement will enhance and expand the educational opportunities of Associate in Arts, Associate in Fine Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science graduates by offering VGCC graduates access to the benefits of the Wesleyan Works program, pre-admission advising, generous transfer credit, and a clear definition of the transfer of courses from VGCC to NC Wesleyan. This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allows VGCC Associate in Applied Science students to transfer an additional 15 hours of general education credits for a total of 75 transfer credits.

“We’re proud to add Vance-Granville Community College to our array of partners we have transfer agreements with. They join over 40 other colleges and community colleges with seamless transfer pathways to NC Wesleyan University following completion of a two-year degree,” stated NCWU President Dr. Evan D. Duff. “Through our Wesleyan Works program, all AA/AS/AAS community college graduates gain automatic acceptance to NCWU with no application fee and the ability to transfer in up to 75 credit hours. This smooth transfer process allows community college graduates a simple path to making their education attainable in order to accomplish their goals in life.”

Students who graduate from VGCC and transfer under this agreement may select any of NC Wesleyan’s programs of study or may transfer to the college’s Adult and Professional Studies program, taking advantage of the Wesleyan Works program. Students are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 and be in good academic standing. The agreement brings NC Wesleyan within the reach of VGCC students who may not have otherwise been able to attend the college.

Wesleyan Works is a transfer program designed for community college students who plan to continue their education at NC Wesleyan. Students who participate in Wesleyan Works will have access to academic advising and financial aid counseling through NC Wesleyan, as well as access to events on the college’s main campus. The program is ideal for students who would like to attend NC Wesleyan’s evening or online programs.

North Carolina Wesleyan University, a private institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church, prepares students for professional advancement, life-long learning and responsible participation in their communities. NC Wesleyan University provides a highly personalized education in a dynamic and challenging environment. With students from all over the United States and more than 40 different countries, NC Wesleyan is a small college with a big taste for cultural diversity. To learn more about either school, visit www.vgcc.edu or www.ncwc.edu.

Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Upcoming At Perry Memorial Library

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Although geared for middle and high school audiences, Perry Memorial Library Youth Services Director Melody Peters said the Bull City Slam Team program on April 11 is a community program to which all are welcome.

If she were to call it a poetry reading, Peters knew she may be met with yawns of disinterest. It IS poetry, but it’s so much more, as she explained on the regular library segment on The Local Skinny!

“It’s an evening of spoken word,” Peters said, adding that she likens it more to a live performance than a recitation. “Really, it’s a form of storytelling.”

“It’s interactive, original work, (and) it’s powerful because it’s coming from a place that really matters” to the artist.

Bull City Slam Team practices their art regularly and programs like the one at the library help them be polished and ready to win the competitions they enter.

Students in grades 6-12 have another opportunity at the library to participate in a Spring Break Nutrition Camp. Cooperative Extension agents will work with campers to create healthy recipes from recipe to the plate. “It’s going to be a busy, hands-on” day, Peters said, adding that she hopes future camps can be held over the course of several days.

On April 18, the Survival Skills class continues and participants will be creating their own stuffed animal – a furry frog, Peters said. This program begins at 4:30 p.m.

An after-hours statewide Star Party is scheduled for Saturday, April 22 at Kerr Lake’s Satterwhite Point Community Building.

This program begins at 7:45 p.m. and concludes at 9:30 p.m. Participants will get to use telescopes to check out the night sky, far away from the light pollution created by urban, commercial areas. There will be lots of activities to learn more about astronomy.

No need to register, Peters said, just come on out to 269 Glass House Road and enjoy the fun.

This activity is in partnership with the Kerr Lake State Recreation Area and the Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill.

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TownTalk: Resource Fair At VGCC April 27

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Organizers for an upcoming community resource fair are pleased with how planning is going so far, and they are predicting a win-win situation for all involved – for those who provide resources and for those who are seeking information.

Huff Consulting of Oxford, along with partners Vance-Granville Community College and the Henderson-Vance and Granville County Chambers of Commerce have been planning for months.

Michele Walker, Huff Consulting’s sales and account manager, said there are 65 vendors – nonprofits, for-profit companies, churches and more – lined up to participate in the April 27 event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the VGCC Civic Center on the Main Campus in Henderson.

“We’re very fortunate to have the community coming together for this,” Walker said on TownTalk.

Huff Consulting is a recruiting firm that works with a wide range of employees – from day laborers to corporate executives, Walker said, adding that her company has recognized the struggles that face many in the community. “Everybody has a need,” she said. And this resource festival is a way to bridge the gap between available resources and the folks who are looking for them.

Sandra Wilkerson, president of the Henderson-Vance Chamber, said this coordinated effort across county lines fits perfectly with the local Chamber’s 2023 theme “Year of Collaboration.”

The resource fair participants not only will be able to provide information to attendees, but they’ll also have the chance to build collaborations among themselves.

Having so many different segments of the community and region under one roof for the day is sure to create connections, said Lauren Roberson, director of the Granville County Chamber.

“We’re super excited to be a part of it and help in any way we can,” Roberson said.

In addition to sharing information with the community, Roberson said another goal is to shine a light on all the opportunities within the whole Kerr-Tar region, which includes Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person counties.

“You’re going to get way more done collaborating than working against each other,” she said. “We’re going to succeed by all working together.”

If people can live and work in the same area, that means there’s a greater chance that they’ll spend more time – and dollars – in that same area.

“We want to keep people in the Kerr-Tar region,” Roberson noted.

Don’t fret if you’re interested in coming out to the festival but have young children in tow – VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel said you’re in luck: VGCC’s Science Department is having an event that day as part of the NC Science Festival. There will be a Kid’s Corner where children can “come in and have fun with science,” Cissel noted.

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Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Farmers’ Market Set To Open April 15

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The Vance County Regional Farmers Market will open Saturday, April 15 for the 2023 season and Market Manager Pat Ayscue welcomes visitors and shoppers to come ccheck out all the vendors beginning at 8 a.m.The market will have its annual Spring Fling on Saturday, May 6 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ayscue said.

The vegetable and plant growers will have a good variety of slips and flowering plants for the home and garden, and the craft vendors will have wreaths and other handcrafted items for the home and office.

Other vendors will have beef, pork, chicken, eggs, produce and more from the farmers along with those strawberries we have been waiting for. Homemade pies and cakes, whole or sliced  – just right for an after-dinner treat or for a special occasion.

Fresh-cut flowers will be on hand, Ayscue said, giving two green thumbs-up for the beginning of the growing season.

And before or after shopping, Ayscue invites everyone to stay awhile and walk through the Memorial Gardens, located on the grounds of the farmers’ market.

 

Smart Start

TownTalk: Week Of The Young Child Events

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Franklin Granville Vance Partnership for Children is sponsoring a variety of activities this week to observe The Week of the Young Child, but FGV Partnership Development Coordinator Garry Daeke has a simple suggestion for parents to celebrate all year long: “Love your kids, smile at them every chance you get and spend all the time you can with them.”

Daeke was a guest on TownTalk and provided details for upcoming events in the three-county area for children ages 0-5.

Wednesday, April 5 is “Literacy Day,” and FGV Partnership representatives will be stationed outside the three Walmarts in Henderson, Oxford and Louisburg to sign children up for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

“Hopefully, we’ll enroll a lot of children,” he said, adding that they’ll be giving out books to children under 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parents of children between 0 and 5 don’t have to wait until Wednesday to sign up to participate – Daeke said most of the applications FGV processes are completed online. It is a simple process, the result of which is each child under 5 getting a book a month in the mail.

He said almost half of the eligible children in the three counties are enrolled in the program, which, for a rural area, is pretty darned good.

Thursday, April 6 is Safe Kids Day in Vance County, and anyone who has a car seat installed in their vehicle can stop by the Henderson Fire Department on Dabney Drive to make sure it’s installed properly.

Daeke said data shows that, despite our best efforts, most car seats need some adjustment to be properly installed. Inspectors will be set up beside the fire department to make sure the seats are safely installed.

There also will be some seats available for purchase as well that day, he said.

On Monday, April 3, about 20 students from a couple of local day cares came to “plant” a pinwheel garden outside the FGV offices, in conjunction with the  observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

 

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Vietnam Vets Welcomed, Honored, Remembered During March 29 Ceremony

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By all accounts, the ceremony held at American Legion Post 60 Wednesday hit all the right notes: about 50 people gathered at noon to remember, support and pay tribute to veterans of the Vietnam War.

Britany Wilson spearheaded the event, and she told WIZS News that at least 18 veterans of the Vietnam War were present. “We honored each veteran personally,” Wilson said, with certificates and pins.

“I was very pleased that so many showed up,” she said, adding that the goal was to extend appreciation for their military service.

North Carolina author and military veteran Samuel Conner was the guest speaker. His book, “My Motorcycle Ride Across the Country” is one thing that has helped him in his healing process.

Unlike returning troops from earlier wars, Vietnam-era veterans typically did not get the hero’s welcome.

The Vietnam Veterans Association, Gentiva Hospice – where Wilson works as manager of volunteer services – and Jimmy Dixon all partnered to make sure this event was a success.

Wilson hosts a monthly coffee social at 9 a.m. on the first Saturday of the month for any veterans in the area.

The next gathering is this Saturday, April 1, at Sadie’s Coffee Corner.

But beginning in May, American Legion Post 60 is opening its doors for the monthly meeting.

“They (veterans) have a bond. It’s just a time for them to come and share that camaraderie that they miss,” Wilson said.

The post is located at 110 E. Spring St., Henderson.

Jack Richardson 2022 Citizen of the Year; H-V Chamber Banquet

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Jack Richardson won 2022 Citizen of the Year honors at the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce membership meeting and banquet Thursday evening.

2021 Citizen of the Year Mark Hopper presented Richardson the award, noting the tremendous number of volunteer positions Richardson has held locally. He has been “an advocate for students and he has impacted so many lives,” Hopper said. Church, Area Christians Together in Service, the men’s homeless shelter were all described as areas Richardson has earned love and respect.

Hopper said Richardson has “been in every leadership role at his church (First Methodist) and he’s been on all the committees and has helped build handicap ramps and he’s done the live nativity scene of the church.”

He said Jack Richardson is “the epitome of what citizens should be doing to make our community better.”

Richardson was on stage as it began to sink in. He told WIZS afterwards, “I did not know.” He said, “It’s numbing almost.” He said he could not have dreamt this scenario.

Fifteen minutes earlier when he was on stage, he said it was very humbling. “I’m not sure I deserve this,” he said, but “I will gladly accept.” He said, “I enjoy working at the schools and the shelter and ACTS, and I’ve been doing these things for many years and I will hopefully be able to continue for many more. I thank you very much.”

L-R: H-V Chamber President Sandra Wilkerson; 2022 Citizen of the Year Jack Richardson; 2023 Chamber Board Chair Bert Long

Earlier in the evening, 2022 board chair Ronald Bennett provided a report to the 350 or so people in attendance, calling 2022 “A Year of Community.” Next, 2023 Chamber board chair Bert Long expanded on the present term as “A Year of Collaboration,” to the crowd inside the Vance-Granville Community College civic center.

Bennett said he saw 2022 as being about different “ships.” “Partnerships, relationships, friendships, friendships that last a lifetime,” he said.

Three hundred fifty members strong, Bennett said 2022 for the Chamber was “busy and quick.” He spoke of the strong financial position of the chamber and the staff. He said, “Most importantly we are strong because of you,” speaking about and directly to the member base. “We thank you for your support.”

Long, of HG Reynolds, spoke and said each chamber year has a theme. He spent some time pondering to help come up with this year’s theme, naming 2023 “A Year of Collaboration.”

The idea is to propel the business community forward, work together or cooperate.

Long said, “In the current environment, working together can go a long way. We need conflict, but hear me out. We need healthy conflict. We must have conversation and spend time to understand each other, and we can’t learn and grow without it.”

“How,” he asked. “It starts by listening. Sometimes business leadership is looked to for answers, but there also needs to be respect. Once we listen, we must respond in a respectful manner. The tone is important.”

Rather than saying “Yes, but…” Long said, “What if we could say ‘yes and.’”

That could make a difference because as Long noted, everyone has a unique perspective but may need to put themselves in the other person’s shoes because that person has also had defining experiences and perspective as well.

We must work at it, he said, and celebrate the success of others.

Long concluded, “Take some time to connect. Explore how you can collaborate. It could be with someone in this very room.”