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-Information courtesy Kelly H. Grissom, Executive Assistant/Clerk to Board, Vance County Board of Commissioners
Please be informed that a joint meeting of the Vance County Board of Commissioners and the Vance County Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, October 21, 2019, at 12 p.m.
The meeting will be held at the Perry Memorial Library’s Farm Bureau Room located at 205 Breckenridge Street in Henderson.
Agenda items include updates on NC’s Leandro Case, the consolidation process of Vance County Middle and High School, facility transfer agreements and broadband.
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-Press Release, Vance County Schools
Vance County Schools will be planning monthly Parent Sessions to help families learn about how they can help their children in school, find helpful resources in our county and help parents with everyday family responsibilities.
On October 17, we will be having our first Parent and Family Night at LB Yancey Elementary School from 5:30 – 7 p.m. There will be a light snack for those who attend.
There will be two topics discussed. “We are in School, Now What?” will be geared towards Pre-K and Kindergarten parents, with a focus on student experiences, academic growth and expectations.
The second topic is “Developing Good Homework and Study Habits,” geared towards parents with students of all ages, allowing them to learn tips on good study habits and organizational skills to share with their children.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Raven Burns, Family and Parent Liaison for Vance County Schools at 252-492-2127.
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Join VGCC for the college’s Annual Domestic Violence Observances the week of October 14 – October 17:
Main Campus (Henderson) –
Monday, October 14 from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. in the Student Lounge
Franklin Campus –
Tuesday, October 15 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Student Lounge
South Campus –
Wednesday, October 16 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in Building 2
Warren Campus –
Thursday, October 17 from 12 until 2 p.m in Room W4103
Students will be able to:
Meet area professionals in the field of domestic violence
Learn some of the signs of someone in need and where to go to get help for yourself or others
Learn about community resources.
Refreshments will be served
This event is co-sponsored by the VGCC Counseling Department and the VGCC Domestic Violence Awareness Committee.
If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Davis at (252) 738-3350 or davisc@vgcc.edu.
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-Press Release, Vance County Schools
The Vance County State of Our Schools will take place on Thursday, October 10, 2019. The first event will take place at Henderson Country Club by invitation, designed for elected officials and business partners.
The evening event will take place at 6:30 p.m. at Vance County Middle School and is open to everyone in our community.
The State of Our Schools is an opportunity for stakeholders in our community to hear directly from Dr. Jackson regarding the successes and accomplishments within our district.
Additionally, the Vance County Board of Education Chairwoman, Dorothy Gooche, Vance County Principal of the Year, Rey Horner and the Vance County Teacher of the Year, Mary Landis, will be speaking briefly.
There will also be a performance by the Vance County High School chorus at the mid-day State of the Schools address.
This event will provide information about how Vance County Schools continues to make progress, achieve growth and make a difference in the lives of our students, community and beyond. Our schools are linking learning to life and when those connections and relationships are made, success becomes apparent in our students, schools and community.
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-Press Release, The University of Mount Olive
The University of Mount Olive recently hosted its 6th Annual AgFest event to promote and celebrate awareness of agriculture and other academic opportunities at UMO. The event was attended by more than 1,600 visitors from 63 schools from across North Carolina, including local students from Vance Charter School in Henderson.
This year’s event offered a new fair-like format and expanded activities. Representatives from agricultural companies and organizations from across the region and state interactively engaged with students to spark their interests in careers, Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE), and even some Career Development Events (CDE) topics.
Members of Vance Charter School’s Future Farmers of America (FFA) attended the 6th Annual University of Mount Olive AgFest. (Photo courtesy UMO)
Attendees participated in hands-on learning experiences in production agriculture, animal science, horticulture, landscaping, wildlife, forestry and natural resources, provided by some of the largest agribusinesses in the region.
Experiences included virtual reality, precision agriculture technology and equipment, livestock showing demonstrations, and other exciting booths.
For those students with interests outside the field of agriculture, there were demonstrations and booths highlighting education, biology, math, physics, and more. Numerous food booths were on-site featuring Got to Be NC Products, and there was music, fun, sunshine, and games for all.
The event ended with a concert featuring up and coming Nashville recording artist Matt Stell with special guest Canaan Cox.
Dr. Sandy Maddox, Dean of the School of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, said, “This event creates a unique opportunity for FFA members from across the state to experience UMO, our faculty, students, and beautiful campus. We had great weather, the new fair-like format was a tremendous success, and the feedback we have received from the attending advisors and students has been overwhelmingly positive. We are thankful to all those people and groups that work so hard to make this event a reality. I am especially thankful to our wonderful partners including Food Farm – Home of the Original Piggly Wiggly and Got to be NC, for providing food from some of the finest NC – based companies around.”
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Abdul Sm Rasheed of Henderson recently took the oath of office for another term as a member of the Vance-Granville Community College Board of Trustees.
He is the retired president/CEO of the N.C. Community Development Initiative and currently serves on the North Carolina Rural Infrastructure Authority board. He has also been a trustee of his alma mater, Elizabeth City State University.
Rasheed was reappointed to the board for a four-year term by the Vance County Board of Education.
The Board of Trustees has 12 voting members, with some appointed by the Governor of North Carolina and some by the county commissioners and the boards of education of Vance and Granville counties.
From left, retired District Court Judge Randolph Baskerville administers the oath of office to VGCC Trustee Abdul Sm Rasheed, alongside Rasheed’s granddaughter, Jada Lewis; and wife, Marolyn Rasheed (holding granddaughter Lenox Rasheed). (VGCC photo)
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Vance-Granville Community College recently brought together students, faculty, staff and community members to mark the 50th anniversary of the college, with festivities on all four of its campuses. The original charter for the college, then known as Vance County Technical Institute, was issued on Sept. 4, 1969.
VGCC Board of Trustees Chair Danny Wright and VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais cut the “birthday cake” on the college’s Main Campus to celebrate the institution’s fiftieth anniversary. (VGCC photo)
During the week of the actual anniversary, celebratory ceremonies featuring speakers and refreshments were held on each campus: the Warren County Campus on Sept. 3, Main Campus (in Vance County) on Sept. 4, South Campus (in Granville County) on Sept. 5, and the Franklin County Campus on Sept. 6.
In addition, Main Campus hosted an anniversary ‘bash’ on Sept. 4 with the band, “Liquid Pleasure,” performing, and food trucks on hand.
“We are grateful to everyone who attended our 50th anniversary events, and to the citizens and businesses who made contributions to support this celebration,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, president of VGCC. “We have reflected on the educational opportunities that this college has provided to Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren counties, while we have also looked forward to the next 50 years of shining the light of education in service to our communities.”
The “Liquid Pleasure” band performs in front of the gazebo on VGCC’s Main Campus during the 50th anniversary ‘bash.’ (VGCC photo)
Guest speakers at the anniversary events included Vance County Manager Jordan McMillen; Franklin County Manager Angela L. Harris; Devon Suitt, a VGCC alumnus and Granville Early College High School graduate; Zelodis Jay, chair of the Granville County Board of Commissioners; Gary Massenburg, a VGCC alumnus and Warren Early College High School graduate; and Tare “T” Davis, chair of the Warren County Board of Commissioners.
Two VGCC staff members who are also alumni of the college made remarks, as well. Amy O’Geary, director of student success, spoke at Main Campus. “As a graduate and longtime employee, Vance-Granville Community College has been a part of my life for over 30 years,” O’Geary said. “This college guided me in my career path and has allowed me the opportunity to do what I truly love: help students reach their own potential.”
O’Geary recalled that after graduating from VGCC, she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. “I quickly realized that I was not cut out for a career in sales; however, I can sell one thing,” she said. “I can ‘sell’ Vance-Granville Community College, because I believe in our mission and what we have done for this community for 50 years!”
Devon Suitt speaks during a celebration of VGCC’s 50th anniversary at the college’s South Campus. He is currently a social work investigator and a graduate student at North Carolina Central University. (VGCC photo)
Julie Jones, the college’s distance education coordinator, spoke at the Franklin Campus. That was where she first became a student, as a single mother who had recently lost her job due to company downsizing. At the time, Jones had been out of school for 17 years.
“The counselor at the time saw that I was anxious about starting back to school,” she recalled. “She was very encouraging and got me set up with my program of study and first classes. That is when I took my first computer course and knew I wanted a career working in I.T. My first computer instructor had enough confidence in my ability to do well that he asked me to apply for the part-time position of Open Computer Lab Technician. I started to believe in myself and gained the confidence that I could actually make it through college.”
Julie Jones (standing) speaks during a celebration of VGCC’s fiftieth anniversary held at the college’s Franklin County Campus. Seated, from left, are VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais, VGCC Board of Trustees Chair Danny Wright, VGCC Franklin County Campus Dean Bobbie Jo May and Franklin County Manager Angela Harris. (VGCC photo)
Jones excelled in her academics and, after graduation, became a full-time employee in the campus computer lab. She would go on to earn a bachelor’s degree, as well.
“What I found at VGCC was a home and a supportive family,” Jones said. “Without the encouragement I found along the way, I would not be where I am today.”
The September events capped off a series of activities throughout the year that helped celebrate 50 years of excellence, including a Dinner Theater in April; the 35th annual Endowment Fund Golf Tournament in May, commencement exercises for VGCC’s 50th graduating class in May, and the formal inauguration of President Desmarais in August.
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The Vance-Granville Community College Medical Assisting Program is gearing up to celebrate Medical Assistants Recognition Week, October 21 – 25, 2019, as designated by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). Medical assistants across the country will be recognized during this special week and honored on Medical Assistants Recognition Day, October 23, 2019.
In celebration of Medical Assistants Recognition Week, the Vance-Granville Community College Medical Assisting Program has planned the following special events and activities:
MED Mini Health Fair to be held at Vance-Granville Community College’s Franklin Campus Student Lounge, 8100 NC 56 Hwy, Louisburg, NC on Monday, October 21, 2019, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.
“Medical Assistants are at the heart of healthcare and we support our community,” says Tonia Boyd, Vance-Granville Medical Assisting Class President of the 2020 graduating class.
Medical assisting is an allied health profession whose practitioners function as members of the health care delivery team and perform administrative and clinical procedures. With their unique versatility, medical assistants are proving to be the allied health professional of choice for this decade and beyond. Medical assisting is one of the nation’s careers growing much faster than average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The American Association of Medical Assistants is the only organization devoted exclusively to serving the professional interests and educational needs of all medical assistants. The association provides numerous services that help medical assistants put their careers on a successful and rewarding track and keep them there.
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Vance-Granville Community College recently introduced a new web-based service that will help students explore careers and make plans for their future.
Through the interactive “Career Coach” program, students can:
take a career assessment and get suggestions for possible career goals, based on their interests;
access the latest information about jobs and salaries in the region for various career fields; and
learn about particular VGCC education and training programs that lead to the careers they want.
By linking jobs to education, current or future students can see the potential “return on investment” of community college programs. They can even see a list of employers in the region who have posted jobs for a particular type of career within the last year.
“Not only current students, but also people who are thinking about becoming students, can use the site to learn more about various career options and the VGCC programs that prepare them for those careers,” said VGCC Director of Career Services Linda Fletcher. “Users can create accounts which allow them to save the results of their assessments and their favorite careers or programs of study. We think this will help members of our community make well-informed career decisions and get training for skills that are in demand by employers.”
Other special features of Career Coach include a tool that allows veterans of the armed services to find civilian careers that are related to their military occupations and a tool that helps users create a professional resume.
Career Coach is linked from the VGCC.edu home page and can be accessed directly at vgcc.emsicc.com.
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Vance-Granville Community College received welcome news as it celebrated its 50th anniversary recently: an increase in enrollment over the same time last year. As of the beginning of the fall semester in August, VGCC had 3,073 students enrolled in curriculum programs. That represented a 3.7% increase compared to the beginning of the fall 2018 semester when enrollment stood at 2,963.
VGCC Board of Trustees Chair Danny Wright and President Rachel Desmarais, Ph.D. cut the cake at VGCC’s 50th celebration. (VGCC photo)
A significant source of the increase was enrollment by high school students in college programs, either through Early College High Schools or other Career & College Promise pathways. There were 15% more of those students enrolled than there were at the beginning of fall 2018.
“We are pleased that an increasing number of students are participating in our high-quality education and training programs, which are preparing them to achieve their career goals,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, president of VGCC. “For 50 years, Vance-Granville Community College has been providing opportunities for education and training, with the strong support of the community. Thanks to that support, we continue to serve as an accessible, innovative, student-centered higher education partner for our region.”
Established in 1969, VGCC offers more than 40 curriculum programs, in which students work toward certificates, diplomas and degrees.
