#VanceCoProud – Excellence in Education
— story and photos courtesy of Vance County Public Schools
Vance County Schools presented its top education awards to individuals during the school system’s “Excellence in Education” banquet held on September 6, at McGregor Hall in downtown Henderson.
Kedecia Stewart sits in her new car.
Kedecia Stewart, a fourth and fifth-grade math teacher at Pinkston Street Elementary School, was presented the award as the school system’s 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year. Stewart was selected from an outstanding field of 16 teachers for the district award. Stewart is a native of Jamaica and has been teaching at Pinkston Street since August of 2013. She joined the Pinkston Street staff as a participant in the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) program and had taught in Jamaica since 2005.
Dave Genetti, owner of Toyota of Henderson, presented a 2018 Toyota Camry to Stewart for her use during the next year as our Teacher of the Year.
Kristen Boyd, 2017-2018 Principal of the Year, left, and Dr. Jacqueline Batchelor-Crosson, 2017-2018 Assistant Principal of the Year, hold their trophies after receiving their awards.
Kristen Boyd, principal of Aycock Elementary School, was named the Vance County Schools’ 2017-2018 Principal of the Year. She received the award after leading Aycock Elementary School to another successful year in 2016-2017. Aycock Elementary has the highest overall achievement score for all local elementary schools for N.C. end-of-grade testing with an almost 80 percent proficiency rate. Boyd is now in her fourth year as the principal of Aycock Elementary. She was the school’s assistant principal for seven years prior to becoming principal and was a teacher at Aycock from 2001-2007. She has been nominated for the Principal of the Year award several times.
The 2017-2018 Assistant Principal of the Year award was presented to Dr. Jacqueline Batchelor-Crosson, who serves as the assistant principal at both L.B. Yancey and Pinkston Street elementary schools. Batchelor-Crosson was a finalist for the award for the 2016-2017 school year. L.B. Yancey Elementary showed the highest growth in student performance for last school year among local elementary schools and Pinkston Street has the third highest proficiency rating for its students in the district based on state standards. Batchelor-Crosson has been an assistant principal and testing coordinator with the school system, mostly at Pinkston Street Elementary, since July 2014. She also has served as the assistant principal at New Hope Elementary School. Prior to becoming a school administrator, she was a teacher at Pinkston Street Elementary for eight years.
For the first time, the school system named a Beginning Teacher of the Year. Estelle Mangum, a fourth-grade teacher at L.B. Yancey Elementary School, was selected as the award recipient. Mangum had a solid year in 2016-2017 in leading her students to academic achievements.
Estelle Mangum, 2017-2018 Beginning Teacher of the Year, poses with Superintendent Anthony Jackson after accepting her award.
An audience of almost 200 people, including teachers, school administrators, local school officials, city and county leaders and community representatives, attended the event and enjoyed a nice meal during the banquet held in McGregor Gallery at the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center.
Darlynn Oxendine, vice chairperson of the Vance County Board of Education, and Dr. Anthony Jackson, superintendent of Vance County Schools, presented the awards to the honoreers. They were joined in the presentations by Dr. Cindy Bennett, assistant superintendent, and Joy Suther, 2016-2017 Assistant Principal of the Year and the assistant principal of Dabney Elementary School. Crystal Richardson, 2016-2017 Principal of the Year and the principal of Clarke Elementary School, was unable to attend the event.
Joining Stewart in receiving recognition as Teachers of the Year for their respective schools were Kelly Smith of Aycock Elementary School; Fe McCoy of Carver Elementary School; Cynthia Arthur of Clarke Elementary School; Justin Wrenn of Dabney Elementary School; Tina Terry of New Hope Elementary School; Faye Crawford of E.M. Rollins Elementary School; Kevon Grant of L.B. Yancey Elementary School; Julia Morton of E.O. Young Jr. Elementary School; Alfreda Murphy of Zeb Vance Elementary School; Katrina Tunstall of Eaton-Johnson Middle School; Rosalia Cervantes of Henderson Middle School; Mary Soriano of STEM Early High School; Joannie Aldridge of Northern Vance High School; Brandelyn Breinig of Southern Vance High School; and Ana-Maria Topliceanu of Vance County Early College High School.
An outstanding group of 2017-2018 Teachers of the Year from our schools join together for a group photo at our banquet.
Additional Principal of the Year nominees were Dr. Carnetta Thomas of L.B. Yancey Elementary School; Kristian Herring of Zeb Vance Elementary School; and Rey Horner of Southern Vance High School.
For the Assistant Principal of the Year award, Angela Pugh of Henderson Middle School, also was nominated.
Along with Mangum as nominees for the Beginning Teacher of the Year award were Regina Durham of Dabney Elementary School; Rachel Bradshaw of New Hope Elementary School; Conetta Terry of Pinkston Street Elementary School; Sikera Alston of E.M. Rollins Elementary School; Julia Hicks of Zeb Vance Elementary School; Anthony Davis of Eaton-Johnson Middle School; Trevor Kirby of Henderson Middle School; and Peter Hasselburg of Southern Vance High School.
A special selection panel of local school administrators chose the award winners after nominees made PowerPoint presentations and answered questions, with the exception of the Beginning Teacher of the Year nominees who submitted essays.
Kedecia Stewart, 2017-2018 Teacher of the Year, reacts as Dave Genetti, owner of Toyota of Henderson, presents her with a 2018 Toyota Camry to drive this year during her reign.
VGCC names six students to summer President’s and Dean’s Lists
— courtesy VGCC
Vance-Granville Community College has announced that three students earned President’s List academic honors and another three earned Dean’s List academic honors for the summer term that ended in July.
The President’s List recognizes students who achieved a perfect 4.0 grade-point average (GPA) while carrying a “full load” (of at least 12 credit hours) in 100-level or higher curriculum courses. To qualify for the Dean’s List, a student had to earn a GPA that was at least 3.5 but less than 4.0, and have no grade lower than “B,” while carrying a “full load” of such courses.
Summer President’s List honorees are:
Fredesvinda C. Euceda-Colindres of Creedmoor (Human Services Technology);
Christopher J. Hurt of Creedmoor (Associate in Arts); and
Leslie A. Leake of Kittrell (Technical Special Student).
Summer Dean’s List honorees are:
Matthew A. Fuller of Rougemont (Associate in General Education – General Science);
Griselle M. Garcia of Franklinton (Business Administration); and
Isom Hodges of Oxford (Early Childhood Education).
–VGCC–
Special Message for Eaton-Johnson Students
— courtesy Vance County Public Schools
Students in grades 6-8 at Eaton Johnson received a special message during three separate assemblies from Dentis Shaw, founder of the “Love, Forgive. Please Stop the Violence,” organization on September 5.
Shaw (shown in the accompanying photo) talked with the students from the three grade levels during sessions held in the school’s gymnasium. He was introduced at each session by the school’s new principal, Travis Taylor, who told the students that one of his goals as the leader of the school is to ensure their safety. When Shaw took the microphone, he spoke with passion to the students. He led them in chants as a commitment to stop bullying and to always think before they act in a situation that could escalate into violence.
“Violence is not the answer,” he told them. “You need to talk to each other and to other people you may have differences with. Things are never solved in a good way with violence. Guns and other weapons are not the answer to solving problems.”
He also urged the students to always respect the opinions of other people. He added that it is essential that they each respect themselves, their parents or guardians, family members and friends.
“If you have a special person you can talk to about problems, you need to do that,” Shaw said. “Talking through things is always a good option. You want your opinions to be heard and you need to remember that other people want you to hear them. So, listen to them. Talk it out.”
Shaw told the students to live by what he calls “the five word quote.”
That quote is, “I value myself and others,” he added.
Shaw drove his bright, pink vehicle with “Love. Forgive.” printed in large lettering on the sides and front to Eaton-Johnson. The Warren County native, says he plans to continue to spread his message of preventing bullying, stopping the violence and love and forgiveness throughout Vance County and the region.
VGCC to offer Agricultural Entrepreneurship program at two locations
— courtesy VGCC
The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center will soon offer the “NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship” program at two locations.
The seven-week course is designed specifically to help local farmers and budding entrepreneurs succeed in developing profitable, environmentally-sound small farms or agricultural businesses.
The class is scheduled to be offered at Granville Expo & Convention Center (4185 US Highway 15 South, Oxford) on Tuesday evenings, Sept. 12 through Oct. 24, from 6 until 9 p.m.; and on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County (Room 7109) on Saturday mornings, Oct. 7 through Nov. 18, from 9 a.m. until noon.
NC REAL Agricultural Entrepreneurship is designed for small business owners who grow crops or trees, raise livestock, or make sauces, pickles or jams with items from a garden. The goal is for participants to strengthen their business savvy in order to gain the highest profit margin possible.
Participants will consider challenges such as pricing their products; the logistics of getting their products to the market; selecting the best market; and how to generate income between growing seasons. Other topics include business development and management, finance and regulatory requirements, quality and safety standards. Participants will also be introduced to resources and contacts that can help them operate more efficiently and effectively.
For both classes, the instructor will be Carrie Harvey of Harvey Hills Farms in Oxford, who is also a client of the VGCC Small Business Center.
“This is a hands-on, interactive program, beneficial to farmers or anyone who grows a marketable agricultural product, who wishes to start a business or has been in business less than three years,” said Tanya Weary, director of the Small Business Center. Each participant will receive free, one-on-one counseling as a client of the Small Business Center, which will help them take their ideas to the next level of business planning.
Tuition for the course is $70, and the cost of the textbook is $25.
For more information and to register, contact Tanya Weary at (252) 738-3240 or smallbusiness@vgcc.edu.
–VGCC–
Vance County Schools closes Western Vance High School Building
Vance County Schools has officially closed the Western Vance High School building on Poplar Creek Road near Henderson.
The facility will no longer be used to house instructional programs by the school system. Superintendent Anthony Jackson recommended relocating the programs currently housed at the Western facility to available unused space on the campus of Henderson Middle School. This recommendation was approved by the Vance County Board of Education at its meeting on June 12.
With the board’s action, the AdVance Academy formerly housed at Western Vance was relocated to a two-story building on the campus of Henderson Middle School (HMS) on Charles Street in Henderson. The school system’s Youth Empowerment Academy also has been moved to the same location and will use a portion of the first-floor area of the building. The Youth Empowerment Academy, a successful middle school intervention program, had been located in a portion of the old two-story building across from Eaton-Johnson Middle School on Beckford Drive in Henderson.
The decision to close the Western Vance facility was made to save operational costs for the school system and to utilize available space on the HMS campus. 
“As the board of education continues to look at strategies to improve the efficient use of resources, we will intentionally look internally for opportunities to maximize the use of all available tools as we continue working to improve student achievement,” Jackson said.
The two-story building, located to the right of the main entrance to HMS, has been updated to accommodate the academies. New flooring and painting were completed throughout the building. Improved lighting and new ceiling tiles also have been installed as part of our district-wide energy improvement project. Furniture and equipment from the AdVance Academy, Youth Empowerment Academy and Evening Academy were moved to the new location, as well. Art panels designed by students from Southern Vance High School will be placed on the entrance wall facing the street and will provide just a glimpse of the modern feel of the facility. This site will focus not only on strong academics, but on social and emotional development for students. It will provide clubs, workplace experiences and visits to universities and colleges to ensure students understand the opportunities available to them upon graduation.
Principal Stephanie Ayscue is leading a staff of core teachers at AdVance Academy, where approximately 90 high school students complete much of their course work using a blended learning model of both face-to-face and online instruction in a technology-infused environment where students and staff are consistently encouraged to be innovative. Dr. Ralphel Holloman continues as the coordinator for the Youth Empowerment Academy, which serves middle school students with a team of instructors and community volunteers who provide a multitude of experiential opportunities for the middle school students as a means of helping them choose a career pathway. The Evening Academy, coordinated by Kerry Morrison, will continue to provide another option for middle and high school students who need an alternative pathway to complete their high school experience. All of the programs at AdVance Academy are presented using blended learning models in collaborative environments where students are given opportunities to choose their pathways to graduation.
The academies operate separately from Henderson Middle School. The main entrance to the academies is located on the front of the building facing Charles Street. Signs have been erected at the entrance to direct visitors.
Five VGCC Students Participate in Signing Ceremony for Apprenticeship Program
Five students from Vance-Granville Community College were among a dozen who committed to participate in the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP) at a signing ceremony in Wake Forest on Wednesday, Aug. 16.
The students are now apprentices with eight industries in Granville, Franklin and Wake counties as they finish high school and earn their associate’s degrees at either VGCC or Wake Technical Community College. VGCC students Baylor Chapple and Sebastian Hughes, both of Louisburg, will be working at CaptiveAire in Youngsville, Xavier Durham of Warrenton with Dill Air Controls Products LLC in Oxford, and Zach Willey of Raleigh and Micah Peters of Youngsville with Revlon Inc. of Oxford.
Working through Wake Tech, the signees and the other companies were: Spencer Downing, Accu-Fab Inc. of Raleigh; Ben Elkins and Rhett Keaton, Bühler Aeroglide Corp. of Cary; Daniel Benson, Schmalz Inc. of Raleigh; Brennan Burns and Reily Rhoades, Schunk Intec Inc. of Morrisville; and Nathaniel “Nate” Corl, Superior Tooling of Wake Forest.
Parents of the apprentices and employers from the participating industries joined the students on stage for the signing ceremony as each made a commitment to follow the program. 
“We are grateful to NCTAP for providing the leadership to foster the collaboration between public and private partners that makes this effort successful,” VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams shared with the students, their parents, industry representatives and guests at the dinner and ceremony in the Wake Forest Renaissance Center.
“Apprenticeship is a proven strategy to close the skills gap and meet the workforce needs of industries while at the same time making education more affordable for promising young students,” Dr. Williams added. “To our apprentices, the benefits of this wonderful program are nothing short of life-changing, and that’s why we are so excited to be an educational partner for NCTAP.”
“To our new apprentices, I want to extend congratulations and a warm Vanguard welcome, on behalf of Vance-Granville,” Dr. Williams added. “You are truly ‘Vanguards,’ because you are leaders and pioneers, and you will lead the way for many more apprentices in the future. You will also develop into leaders for your industries.”
NCTAP is a partnership that seeks to provide new opportunities for local students and to prepare a skilled workforce. Typically starting in the junior year of high school, NCTAP is a four-year program that leads to a student obtaining an associate degree at the community college and paid, on-the-job training at the participating employer. Eligible students’ tuition is covered by a waiver from the state of North Carolina. After they graduate from high school, students in the program will be employed full-time by the company.
“Apprenticeships are not exactly what people think they are,” said Marc Bertoncino of Bühler Aeroglide, chairman of NCTAP and master of ceremonies for the event. “This is a very beneficial program for the companies. This is a very beneficial program for young people starting their careers.”
Dr. Stephen Scott, president of Wake Tech, cited the importance of apprenticeships, internships and cooperative education in “bridging the skills gap,” adding, “Parents, we want to tell you that your kids are going to have a job for the next couple of years. They are going to graduate from either Wake Tech or Vance-Granville Community College. And they will have a good paying job and zero debt when they come out (of college). They will have the opportunity to further their education even beyond where this program takes them. So that is a win-win for everyone in this room.”
Bertoncino praised N.C. Sen. Chad Barefoot, R-Wake, for his help in getting legislation changed to boost the apprenticeship program. Whereas companies previously had to pay the state to have an apprentice, Barefoot helped enact legislation that now has the state providing reimbursement for tuition.
“There are apprenticeship programs across the state of North Carolina, but this particular group (NCTAP) has played a really important part in where apprenticeships are today,” Barefoot said. “This continued growth and expansion reaching into new communities will ensure that NCTAP remains the model apprenticeship program for the State of North Carolina.” He added, “Apprenticeships are the key to a successful future for the manufacturing industry of our state.”
Also speaking were Kathryn Castelloes, apprenticeship director for the N.C. Department of Commerce, and Wake Forest Mayor Vivian Jones. Robbie Earnhardt, owner of Wake Forest-based Superior Tooling and former chairman of the apprenticeship program, was recognized by Bertoncino for his vision, leadership and passion in guiding and promoting NCTAP. In attendance also were representatives of the offices of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-NC, and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC.
Representing VGCC’s NCTAP participating industries were Chris Clough and Cindy Walsh of CaptiveAire, Stephen Tsotsoros and Vanessia Alvarado of Dill Air Controls, Sean Anderson and Pat McKinney of Revlon, and Shaler Chewning of Glen Raven in Norlina. The latest industry to join NCTAP, Glen Raven will be taking its first interns in the coming year. Also present from the VGCC TechHire program were Ken Wilson, project manager, and Tiffani Polk, academic and career coach.
All schools participating in NCTAP can send students to the educational partner institution that best meets the needs of the industrial partner, Wilson said.
VGCC scholarship endowed by family in memory of parents
A new Vance-Granville Community College scholarship has been endowed in memory of Robert and Elizabeth Williford by their children. The Willifords were well-known as the longtime owners and operators of the Oxford Ace Hardware store. Their four children, Elizabeth Dale Williford of Indian Beach/Salter Path, Rob Williford II of Oxford, Dot Williford Wilson of Chapel Hill and John Williford of Oxford, along with Rob’s wife, Lori, and John’s wife, Teresa, recently gathered at VGCC to celebrate the creation of the new scholarship.
The Robert T. “Buster” and Elizabeth Brent Williford Memorial Scholarship will be awarded at the Presidential Merit Award level. In awarding the new scholarship, preference will be given to students from Granville County and to those who are enrolled in VGCC’s Accounting and Business Administration programs.
Buster Williford died in 2011, and his wife, also known as “Betty B,” in 2013. Both were Granville County natives and members of Oxford United Methodist Church.
The Williford children remembered their father as intelligent and “self-taught,” but lacking much formal education. “Daddy didn’t go to college,” Rob Williford said. “Education was important to him, in part because of his lack of it. He always told his children to get an education because it’s something nobody can take away from you.” Dale Williford likewise recalled that her father always instructed his children and grandchildren, “Think, think, think.” After rising to become vice president of McCracken Oil in Henderson, Williford went into a new business venture by purchasing the Oxford Ace Hardware store from a neighbor in 1974. John and Rob Williford bought the store from their parents in 2001. The business is a longtime supporter of the VGCC Endowment Fund Golf Tournament and is the oldest continuously-operating Ace Hardware store in North Carolina.
“Betty B,” born Elizabeth Brent Mayes, attended Greensboro College for one year. She became her husband’s constant companion in life and in business, as the co-owner of the store and creator of its “Bridal and Gift Shoppe” section. Her children recalled that she was an excellent bookkeeper and that their parents formed “a great team.” “They worked hard, but they put family first,” said Dot Williford. “Momma supported and worked closely with Daddy. She was always right there beside him.”
“I think that our parents would be proud of us for helping people to further their education,” Rob Williford added.
“We are thankful to the Williford family for supporting VGCC students through this scholarship that honors the legacy of a remarkable couple who were active in the community while raising four children and growing a landmark local business,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC. “The scholarship will help students for years to come who are gaining the education they need to achieve success in business.”
Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 8,800 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education. For more information about the Endowment Fund, call (252) 738-3409.
–VGCC–