Vance County Early College High School awarded high school diplomas to 33 graduating seniors in the Class of 2019 during Commencement Exercises held on the evening of May 23, 2019, in the Civic Center at Vance-Granville Community College near Henderson.
There were 27 of the high school graduates who also earned an associates degree from Vance-Granville Community College and eight who earned two associate degrees from the community college.
Principal Travis Taylor presents a high school diploma to a member of the Class of 2019 at Vance County Early College High School. (VCS Photo)
The graduates include: Marcus Baggett, Amber Cotton, Emily Dement, Matthew Denton, Damien Faulkner, Khalil Gay, Jessica Grissom, Zuisadai Guzman Vasquez, Kaitlyn Harris, Maya Hawkins, Anthony Henderson, Henry Huynh, Tim Jiang, Alondra Lopez Moreno, Tabais Mitchell, Ariel Noel, Ashley Pendergrass, Joseph Penny, Joel Renteria, Jr., Nashanti Richardson, Ethan Roberson, Jarrett Seaman, Amaya Sneed, Joniyah Teasley, Charles Thompson, III, Gracey Vaught, Alexis Watson, Kamiyah Wiggins, Corey Williams, Jr., Jamad Williams, Kianna Wills, Jadakiss Wilson and Al-Leain Young.
Those receiving both associate of arts and associate of science degrees were Matthew Denton, Jessica Grissom, Kaitlyn Harris, Henry Huynh, Tim Jiang, Joel Renteria, Jr., Ethan Roberson and Kianna Wills.
Ethan Roberson delivers the valedictorian address during the Vance County Early College High School Commencement Exercises. (VCS Photo)
Ethan Roberson was the class valedictorian and Tim Jiang was the class salutatorian. They both delivered addresses that recognized the accomplishments of their distinguished class and included excitement about their futures.
Principal Travis Taylor led the commencement exercises. The Air Force Junior ROTC Color Guard from Vance County High School presented the flags at the beginning of the ceremony. Senior Kamiyah Wiggins sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Serving as graduation marshals were Josiah Jones and Haley Williams, as lead marshals, as well as Aryianna Dockery, Emani Foster, Cheyenne Guerrant, Kristyn Medlin, Josie Roberson, Kendall Royster, Jessica Steed and Leslie Zuniga Trejo.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Vance-Early-College-Graduation-2019.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-05-24 16:54:522019-05-24 16:54:52Vance Co. Early College High School Graduates 33 Seniors
Frank Wiggins, Kerr-Vance Academy Headmaster, was on Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the Spartans recent NCISAA 1A Baseball Championship win and end-of-year activities.
The Spartans took the best two out of three series against Albemarle Academy on May 18 – 19, 2019, at home on Boyd Field. With a final score of 15-2, the win resulted in a third straight state title for KVA.
Prior to the championship round, the team defeated The Burlington School and Lawrence Academy.
“What a phenomenal accomplishment,” said Wiggins. “The kids have worked really hard this year, and the coaches have done an outstanding job. To win the championship three times in a row speaks volumes about the program.”
Wiggins praised the talent and leadership of upperclassmen Cam Murphy, Lane White and Matt Overton in addition to Head Coach Todd Wilkerson and Assistant Coach Mike Rigsbee.
The combination of “senior leadership, young talent and coaches that set a high standard for performance” led to a successful team that even had KVA’s daycare and preschool children cheering from the stands.
“One of the great things about Kerr Vance being such a small school is that everybody knows everybody. Our high school kids know our younger kids. You’ll see daycare and preschool kids at the ball games, and they know the players by name. That kind of community is something special,” Wiggins said.
As KVA winds down the 2018-19 school year with a victory, Wiggins said there is still plenty of excitement left this week with final exams, award ceremonies and the graduation of 23 seniors. This Friday, May 24 marks the last day of school and graduation is scheduled for Saturday, May 25 at 10 a.m.
Camp activities and events will be offered over the summer break. For additional information, please visit KVA’s website at www.kerrvance.com.
Looking ahead to enrollment for next school year, Wiggins said KVA staff would love to see you and your family in person via a campus tour. “I invite people to take a tour of the campus, to speak to our teachers and staff and to experience the routines and day-to-day operations that demonstrate what we’re all about.”
According to Wiggins, what KVA is all about is offering personalized education, all while fostering a sense of community.
“Our job is to educate children for success, and that takes a whole child approach,” said Wiggins. “We have an excellent track record of not only preparing kids to go to college but to be successful in college, graduate and then go on to outstanding careers. Many are leaders in their field and give back to the community.”
To hear the Town Talk interview with Frank Wiggins in its entirety, click here.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/KVA-Spartan-1.jpg265504Kelly Bonduranthttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngKelly Bondurant2019-05-22 16:58:352019-05-22 16:43:52KVA Headmaster Frank Wiggins Talks Championship Win, Sense of Community
Fifteen cadets graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) program at Vance-Granville Community College in a ceremony held May 14 in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus. After passing the state certification exam, all are authorized to work in any law enforcement agency in North Carolina.
Above: On front row, from left: graduates Kevin Allen, Taylor Inscoe, Zachary Long and the college’s interim director of Law Enforcement Training/BLET, Glen Boyd; on second row, from left: graduates Maggie Cabiness, Jonathan Kearney, Jeremy Moore, Zachary Workman and Seth Hodge; and on back row, from left: graduates Gina Chappell, Daniel Allen, Michael Bader, Andrew Spitzer, Jake Coleman, Sabrina Hoyle and Emma Britt. (VGCC Photo)
Honored as members of VGCC’s 108th BLET class were: Emma Carey Britt and Andrew Ronald Spitzer, both of Butner Public Safety; Jeremy Dale Moore and Zachary Lance Workman, both of the Granville County Sheriff’s Office; Jake Matthew Coleman and Sabrina Edward Hoyle, both of the Henderson Police Department; Seth Thomas Hodge of the N.C. Division of Parks & Recreation; Daniel Marquis Allen, Michael James Bader and Gina Christine Chappell, all of the Oxford Police Department; Kevin Ward Allen, Taylor Nicole Inscoe and Zachary Thomas Long, all of the Vance County Sheriff’s Office; Maggie Rena Cabiness and Jonathan Shawn Kearney, both of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.
The class was exceptional in at least two major ways. First, all 15 cadets who began the program successfully graduated, marking a rare 100-percent completion rate for the rigorous 16 weeks of training. Second, each member of the class was employed by a law enforcement agency by the day of their graduation.
Speaking as leader of the class, Cadet Seth Hodge thanked all the graduates’ family members and friends in attendance for their support. He added that the class had learned a great deal about teamwork. “We as a group of strangers decided on this path together, and we were tasked to complete our first major hurdle in our careers together,” Hodge said. Learning to trust one another, he said the team had then become a family. “And no matter where our lives take us from here, no matter the badge or uniform we wear, I want you to always remember just what we are: family,” he added.
VGCC Campus Police Chief Sean Newton, representing the program’s many instructors, was chosen by the cadets as the keynote speaker for their graduation. He congratulated the cadets on the completion of “a long, hard journey.”
Newton reminded the new law enforcement professionals that they would be taking an “oath of honor” to uphold and protect the Constitution, their community and their agency.
“The first thing you will uphold is the Constitution,” Newton said. “You’re taking an oath to protect the rights of all people of our state and country: the victims of crimes, the general public, and those accused of crimes. In my opinion, there is no greater responsibility than this.”
Second, they will pledge to uphold their community. “I cannot stress enough how important it is to embrace and include the community in your law enforcement efforts,” Newton said. “We’ve seen a reported breakdown between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Some of it is unfortunately true, while some may be exaggerated by social media or certain biases. Regardless of the reason, we must, as members of the law enforcement community, constantly strive to better these relationships.”
Finally, he said, graduates will swear an oath to the agencies they serve. “I would like to add all law enforcement officers in general to that category,” Newton said. “Always remember, you won’t be the only officer judged by your actions; every other officer in the country will be, too. No other profession is scrutinized as much as law enforcement, and rightfully so.”
The police chief called on graduates to think carefully about the words in their oath and remember them as they start their careers. “How you embrace these words will determine how successful your career will be,” Newton said.
Glen Boyd, interim director of Law Enforcement programs and BLET at VGCC, presented awards to several students. Kevin Allen took home the Academic Achievement Award for having the top grade average in the written tests each cadet must pass. Seth Hodge earned the Physical Fitness Award for scoring highest in the various fitness tests the cadets undergo during physical training. Michael Bader won the “Top Gun” Award for having the highest accuracy score in firearms qualification.
For more information on the BLET program, contact Glen Boyd at boydg@vgcc.edu.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/VGCC-BLET-Grads-2019.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-05-20 16:58:582019-05-20 16:58:58VGCC Graduates 15 Cadets in 108th Basic Law Enforcement Training Class
Graduates of the Adult Basic Skills programs at Vance-Granville Community College received inspirational messages along with their diplomas during commencement exercises on May 2. The students being honored in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County were among those who have completed either the Adult High School Diploma program or the High School Equivalency program in the past year.
The principal commencement speaker for the ceremony was Rev. Dannie T. Williams, chief of human resources with the Franklin County Schools. “I am one of you,” Williams told the graduates because he completed the GED high school equivalency program himself. The 16th of 18 children, the Franklin County native recalled, “I left the high school arena because I had to go to work to provide for my family.”
Rev. Dannie T. Williams, chief of human resources with Franklin County Schools, served as principal commencement speaker at Vance-Granville Community College’s Basic Skills commencement ceremony on May 2, 2019. (Photo courtesy VGCC)
He added, “There were many who told me that a GED wouldn’t carry you anywhere, that a GED was a dead end. Wrong! This is the beginning for you; it was only the beginning for me.”
Williams advised graduates to be lifelong learners. “Don’t be satisfied with this graduation. Go further and keep moving forward. Take up the clep prep. The world is waiting for what you have to offer,” he told the students. “Education will take you places you never dreamed of.” Recalling that, ironically, his high school counselor did not advise him to go to college, Williams went on to complete multiple college degrees, to work in education and serve on the county school board. Most recently, he has completed all required coursework for his doctoral degree (Ed.D.) and is currently working on his dissertation.
He called upon graduates to “be true to yourselves….love yourselves….recognize, appreciate and develop your unique talents.” He also asked them to pass on encouragement. “Be somebody’s coach,” Williams said. “As you have reached this milestone in your life, reach back to somebody else and say, ‘I’ve done it, you can do it, too.’ Coach them into being in the next graduating class at Vance-Granville Community College.”
Speaking on behalf of the graduating students was Rev. Roberta Egerton of Louisburg. She completed her High School Equivalency earlier this year after attending classes on VGCC’s Franklin County Campus.
“I have been striving for this goal for 30 years, but my family came first and then I became a foster mother,” Egerton told the audience. “Afterward, I had setbacks and sickness but I overcame, and by overcoming, I stand before you today as a proud woman of 76 years old. No matter what life may bring your way, I want you to know that you can overcome any obstacle, because I stand here as a living witness today, saying ‘never give up,’ but continue in your education.”
She is now enrolled in the Nurse Aide program at the college and plans to eventually obtain an Associate’s Degree in Nursing.
“There is nothing impossible if you want to reach your goal,” she advised her fellow graduates. “You have to maintain, to stay focused and be committed. Apply the wisdom and knowledge that you have been taught at VGCC.”
As an extra incentive for graduates to begin their collegiate studies, each received a certificate worth free tuition and fees for one semester of courses in curriculum programs or continuing education courses at VGCC, absorbing costs not covered by federal financial aid.
ADULT HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA GRADUATES
Keyara Shanell Moncur of Apex;
Carly Jean Minor of Butner;
Tre’Sean Quintez Clark of Chapel Hill;
Mishak Rodriguez Brown, Jr., Tinajha Al’more Davis, Cheyenne S. Days, Davionne Omneatte Dunlap, Donte L. January, Jainay Cishara Richardson, Imani Jabre Staton, Deja Nicole Stokes and Deshawna Shanyah Welcome, all of Charlotte;
Israel Tramell Melvin of Clinton;
Elijah Bowling of Creedmoor;
Kyana Yeshema Humbert and Taneesha Nicole Kirk, both of Fayetteville;
David Nathaniel Dunn, Joseph Thomas Dunn and Ryan C. Morris, all of Franklinton;
Tyequan KyAngelo Davenport of Greensboro;
Dysheka V. Baker of Greenville;
Amber Lynn Abbott, Zermaine Bianca Alston , Jasmine Jeanae Johnson, Alexis Simone Miller, Kaitlyn Ann Parrish, Alicia Monae Pointer and Quaneisha Wortham, all of Henderson;
Ladajah Rashaye Mebane of High Point;
Ty’shon D. Stokes of Hollister;
Aliyah Shonte Cabbagestalk and Amaru M. Golden, both of Hope Mills;
Arkeivious Lavar Alston of Kittrell;
Kera Cherisse Brindle of Lexington;
Trinity Janae Frazier and Karla Rebollar, both of Louisburg;
Paytyn Justice Abbott, Takiera Money Mayo and Jessica Pearson, all of Macon;
Daeaz Jacoby Holloway-Baine of Matthews;
Christian Miguel Avalos, Ivori Samon Christian and Lakeisha Monshe’ Henderson, all of Norlina;
Erin L. Banks, Bailee Michelle Barker, Jazmine Samone Brame, Jacob Lee Edmonson, Michael Austin Skiff and Darian Jaiole Yates, all of Oxford;
Erine Eliel Reed and Samuel Brian Teague, both of Raleigh;
Marcedia Rosand Warren of Roanoke Rapids;
D’Lang Williams of Salisbury;
Taj Andrew Young of Sophia;
Tayla Rae Bowen of Stem;
Joshua Lee Nelson of Thomasville;
Micah Dillon Breeden and Yerania Reyes Novas, both of Wake Forest;
Paige Cheyanne Brown, Tianna Laynia Burt, Enijah Marquel Henderson, Shea’ Moneak Jones, Alicia Lafonda Lewis, Adraya Michelle Lewis Love, Zachary Allyn Sampson, Abigail Loren Short, Anna Townes and Alexis Miracle Young, all of Warrenton;
Jarek Damonte Burwell and Sarah Elizabeth Dale, both of Youngsville;
Michael Lamont Williams of Zebulon.
HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY GRADUATES
Autumn Brea Finch – Gilliam of Castalia;
Tony Dale Arnold, Malisa Jensen, Willard Abram Lewis and Hunter Cameron Sparrow, all of Creedmoor;
Araceli Palacios of Durham;
Karena Allen, Kristofer Erak Bryant, Jeremy Croskey and Alyssia Lyn Pugsley, all of Franklinton;
Johnnie Ray Berry, Jr., Desmond Antwann Davis, Rondarious Malick Keith, James Allen Neal, Donnie Ray Travis and Nathan Wills, all of Henderson;
Shakayla Tatiyana Burnett of Kittrell;
Araceli Alejo-Benítez, Linda Lee Crudup, Roberta Flagg Egerton and Kira L. Tant, all of Louisburg;
Lucas Logan Matthews and Kaleigh Yvonne Overby, both of Norlina;
Drew A. Johnson and Cesar Lorenzo Vazquez, both of Oxford;
Jessica Marie King and Joel Wayne Poe, both of Stem;
Mariah Lashelle Alston, Alhaarith Ibn-Faruq Abdul Haqq and Kempton Louise Robertson, all of Warrenton;
Emily Rose Gaeta and Andrew Hillman, both of Youngsville;
Vance-Granville Community College recognized 37 students who graduated this spring from the Associate Degree Nursing program with a pinning ceremony in the college’s Civic Center on May 8.
Among those honored with distinctive nursing pins at the ceremonies were nine who graduated through the LPN to ADN Transition Program, which helps Licensed Practical Nurses to continue their education and then become Registered Nurses. Those graduates were: Lakeisha Scott of Bullock; Catherine Bullock of Butner; Lilian Schleifer of Cary; Christine Atieno of Durham; Frances Beddingfield, Joseane Buckley, Teresa Coley and Wanda Davis, all of Oxford; and Leslie Judd of Raleigh.
Above: members of the 2019 Associate Degree Nursing class at Vance-Granville Community College who received their nursing pins on May 8 included, on front row, from left: Ashton Hobgood, Lakeisha Scott, Rachel Munson, Chelsea Ray; Frances Beddingfield, Emily Padgett and Katie Lee; second row, from left: Michelle Madison, Abigayle Edwards, Rhonda Williamson, Catherine Bullock, Hellen Mbuya, Wanda Davis and Melissa Ramos; third row, from left: Joseane Buckley, Keyona Bullock, Ashley Flynn, Vanna Farrar, Teresa Coley, Tuesday Mathews, Jessica Honhart and Maritza Vazquez; fourth row, from left: Leslie Judd, Phylicia Wimbush, Allison Stell, Shanae Rhoades, Takera Green, Angela Talam and Caitlin Pernell; back row, from left: Kaylin Gibson, Moses Onchonga, Tyler Thorp, Ashley Sawyer, James Temple, Brandon Smith and Christine Atieno; not pictured: Lilian Schleifer. (VGCC Photo)
The graduates who took courses in the traditional five-semester sequence included: Tuesday Mathews of Angier; James Temple and Rhonda Williamson, both of Bullock; Emily Padgett of Butner; Kaylin Gibson of Creedmoor; Takera Green and Moses Onchonga, both of Durham; Vanna Farrar and Ashley Sawyer, both of Franklinton; Katie Lee, Allison Stell, Tyler Thorp and Phylicia Wimbush, all of Henderson;
Keyona Bullock, Jessica Honhart, Rachel Munson, Caitlin Pernell and Chelsea Ray, all of Louisburg;
Ashton Hobgood, Hellen Mbuya and Shanae Rhoades, all of Oxford; Abigayle Edwards, Angela Talam and Maritza Vazquez, all of Raleigh; Michelle Madison of Selma; Ashley Flynn and Brandon Smith, both of Wake Forest; and Melissa Ramos of Warrenton.
Welcoming remarks for the ceremony were offered by Dr. Rachel Desmarais, VGCC President; Dr. Anna Seaman, Associate Degree Nursing Program Head; and Ashton Hobgood, president of the graduating class of 2019.
Academic honors were presented to graduates who completed the program with at least a 3.5 grade point average: Angela Talam, and Tyler Thorp, who was recognized for having the highest GPA in the class.
Cords were presented to students who participated as members of the National Student Nurses Association, which sponsors community service projects and professional development. These students included Bullock, Coley, Davis, Farrar, Flynn, Gibson, Hobgood, Honhart, Mathews, Munson, Padgett, Pernell, Ray, Rhoades, Sawyer, Smith, Stell, Talam and Thorp.
Instructor Brande McIlroy described the significance of the nursing pin. The unique green and gold pin identifies each nurse as a VGCC graduate and indicates that the graduate has the training and competence to serve as a professional nurse. During the ceremony, graduates were pinned by Dr. Anna Seaman and received lamps from instructor Patsy Pegram. Meanwhile, Nursing Department Chair Erica Jastrow read their biographies.
After all graduates had received pins, the lights in the Civic Center were lowered, and instructor Crystal Senter led students in reciting the “Nursing Pledge” by lamplight.
Twenty-two new graduates of Vance-Granville Community College’s two-year Radiography program were honored in a May 6 pinning ceremony in the college’s Civic Center.
The Radiography Class of 2019 included Frantz Alexis, Jr., of Chapel Hill; Shanice D. Alleyne, Karene Anderson, Matthew Battistel, Kristen Bowman, Starsha M. Hargrove and Dwayne Huneycutt, all of Creedmoor; Allison Weaver Wiggins of Franklinton; Samantha Pierce and Paige Snider, both of Garner; Brooklyn Rooker and Ashley Bobbitt Ward, both of Henderson; Angela Basili of Hillsborough; Shayla A. Cash and Dulce Santillan, both of Louisburg; Megan Irene Proctor of Macon; Crystal Sorrell and Megan Whitman, both of Oxford; Rubi Judith Coyote Baizabal, Celeste Evans and Treva Gordan, all of Roxboro; and Marina Rombout of Stem.
Above: members of the 2019 Radiography graduating class at Vance-Granville Community College who received their pins May 6 included, on the front row, from left: Marina Rombout, Megan Whitman, Angela Basili, Shanice Alleyne, Shayla Cash, Treva Gordan and Brooklyn Rooker; second row, from left: Ashley Ward, Paige Snider, Samantha Pierce, Dulce Santillan, Crystal Sorrell and Rubi Coyote; third row, from left: Karene Anderson, Matthew Battistel, Dwayne Huneycutt, Allison Wiggins and Kristen Bowman; back row, from left: Megan Proctor, Starsha Hargrove, Frantz Alexis and Celeste Evans. (VGCC Photo)
Angela M. Thomas, the Dean of Health Sciences/ Interim Program Head for Radiography, presided over the ceremony. She encouraged students to “love what you do or you will not give it your best; enhance your passion for giving and dream bigger than Disney World.” The ceremony featured live entertainment by Detroit Yancey, an Oxford native, who sang “Wind Beneath My Wings.”
The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Lewis Daughtry, Jr., one of the instructors for the program. He advised the students, “Do not think future opportunities are going to stop and wait for you. You must be ready.”
Rubi Judith Coyote Baizabal gave an address in response on behalf of her classmates. A Dean’s List student and Phi Theta Kappa inductee, she has served as one of her program’s representatives in the VGCC Student Government Association.
“Remember, do not bury your failures, let them inspire you,” Baizabal told her fellow students.
Lindsay Hinkle from the VA Medical Center in Durham was chosen by the graduating students to receive the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) Certificate of Excellence for Clinical Educators. The students voted for Tabitha Owens from EmergeOrtho William Penn Plaza in Durham as the top technologist at the clinical sites in which they received their 900 hours of practical training, while the Clinical Affiliate Award of Excellence went to the EmergeOrtho William Penn Plaza in Durham.
Receiving the JRCERT Certificate of Excellence for Students was Megan Whitman, who also received the VGCC Radiography Academic Award. In a first-ever tie, the VGCC Radiography Clinical Excellence Award was presented to two students, Megan Proctor and Brooklyn Rooker.
Instructor Anthony Twisdale shared the history of the Radiographer’s Pin before he and Angela Thomas awarded the pins to each graduate. Thomas led the graduates in reciting the Radiographer’s Pledge as the ceremonies concluded.
-Information courtesy Veronica Young, School Counselor, E.M. Rollins Elementary
E.M. Rollins Elementary School and the Youth Connecting Foundation will host a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Fair on Saturday, May 25, 2019, from 11 a.m until 2 p.m.
Events will be held at E.M. Rollins in Henderson and will include hands-on, interactive and educational features.
Bring the entire family. Refreshments will be served.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/E.M.-Rollins-Stem-Fair.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-05-09 16:56:342019-05-09 16:56:34E.M. Rollins to Offer STEM Activities for the Entire Family – May 25
Dr. Rachel Desmarais, who earlier this year became the seventh president of Vance-Granville Community College, will serve as the principal commencement speaker for the college’s graduation exercises on Friday, May 10, 2019. As VGCC celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Desmarais follows in the footsteps of the school’s first president, Dr. Donald Mohorn, who was the commencement speaker at the first such ceremony, back in 1970.
Dr. Rachel Desmarais, who earlier this year became the seventh president of Vance-Granville Community College, will serve as the principal commencement speaker for the college’s graduation exercises on Friday, May 10, 2019. (VGCC Photo)
Jose Angel De Leon of Henderson, president of the VGCC Student Government Association, will be the student speaker.
Nearly 500 students are scheduled to be honored during ceremonies beginning at 6 p.m. at the gazebo by the lake on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. For those unable to attend the event in person, VGCC will broadcast a live video feed from the ceremony online on its YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/VanceGranvilleCC).
The VGCC Board of Trustees selected Dr. Desmarais to become the college president in December 2018, while she was serving as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Forsyth Technical Community College.
Once a student at Forsyth Tech, Desmarais became an adjunct instructor at the community college from 1996 to 1999 while also working in the private sector. She joined Forsyth Tech full-time in 2002 and served in a variety of academic and administrative roles over the next 16 years.
Jose Angel De Leon of Henderson, president of the VGCC Student Government Association, will be the student speaker. (VGCC Photo)
Desmarais earned her doctorate of philosophy in instructional design and technology from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., in 2015 after getting her master’s of science in information technology management from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2003. She earned a bachelor of music degree in voice performance from Mars Hill College in 1992.
She was also among fewer than 40 aspiring and emerging community college presidents nationwide who were chosen for the Aspen Institute Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence in 2017-2018.
De Leon is graduating from VGCC with a degree in Criminal Justice Technology. A graduate of Norlina Christian School, he has earned Dean’s List and President’s List honors at the college and has been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.
De Leon plans to continue his education at North Carolina Central University, where he will complete a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. His long-term plan is to earn his Ph.D. in criminal justice or criminology and become a college professor.
Students serving as graduation marshals will be Caroline Williamson of Bullock; Ebony Cotton of Franklinton; Hannah Edwards, Evin Swilley, April Zuniga-Trejo and Leslie Zuniga-Trejo, all of Henderson; Gricel Arroyo of Louisburg; Miranda Brown of Oxford; Rana Alashmali of Timberlake; and Ronnie Brodie, Jr., of Wake Forest.
April Zuniga-Trejo of Henderson
Caroline Williamson of Bullock
Ebony Cotton of Franklinton
Evin Swilley of Henderson
Gricel Arroyo of Louisburg
Hannah Edwards of Henderson
Leslie Zuniga-Trejo of Henderson
Miranda Brown of Oxford
Rana Alashmali – Timberlake
Ronnie Brodie, Jr., of Wake Forest
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/VGCC-with-President.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-05-08 16:56:412019-05-08 15:52:11New VGCC President to Address Graduates as College Celebrates 50 Years
Vance County Middle School is in need of volunteer test proctors to assist with upcoming State Testing.
As a proctor, you are required to attend one brief 30-minute training about what proctoring entails. Proctor training will be offered on Thursday, May 9, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. and Thursday, May 16 at 10:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.
Thank you for your support! If you have any question, please feel free to contact Dr. Webster-Caroon at (919) 939-9877 or lwebster@vcs.k12.nc.us.
https://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Vance-County-Middle-School-Jaguar-Logo.png265504WIZS Staffhttps://wizs.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/wizswebsitelogoimage.pngWIZS Staff2019-05-08 16:54:562019-05-08 15:51:20Vance Co. Middle School in Need of Volunteer Test Proctors
Vance-Granville Community College has named student Hope Crute of Youngsville as its recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2019. One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year.
Crute will be officially recognized at Commencement in May when she is scheduled to graduate from the college with both an Associate in Arts and an Associate in Science. Not long afterward, she is set to graduate from Franklin County Early College High School. That challenging five-year program, along with the guidance and support of teachers and peers, has helped her develop into the person she is today.
Hope Crute of Youngsville is the VGCC recipient of the North Carolina Community College System Academic Excellence Award for 2019. (VGCC Photo)
“Vance-Granville Community College is a school that successfully brings together ambitious, hard-working students who encourage one another and challenge each other to do better academically and professionally,” Crute said. “The magical thing I have found as a student at VGCC is that the school does not just teach academic lessons, but also life lessons.”
Crute has excelled in the classroom while also taking on numerous responsibilities at home to help her family as they dealt with her father’s serious health issues. She has served as a peer tutor in the VGCC Academic Skills Center and has been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society for community college students, as well as the National Honor Society at the high school level.
Crute plans to transfer to UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall to complete a bachelor’s degree in a scientific field.
“Hope’s determination and dedication to academic success have earned her recognition as one of North Carolina’s outstanding community college students,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, the president of VGCC.
“Thanks to her experience at Vance-Granville and at Franklin County Early College, Hope now enters the next stage of her education equipped with confidence, clarity, enhanced skills, and a thirst for further knowledge.”
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