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Vance-Granville Community College Holds Virtual ADN Pinning Ceremony

May 20, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

A virtual pinning ceremony was held using Zoom on Thursday, May 14, 2020, at 6 p.m., for the Vance-Granville Community College Associate Degree Nursing Class of 2020.

The family and friends of the 43 graduates were sent a link to the Zoom session so that they could watch the pinning ceremony, which opened with welcoming reflections from Dr. Levy Brown, VGCC Vice President of Learning, Student Engagement & Success/Chief Academic Officer; Dr. Anna Seaman, VGCC Associate Degree Nursing Program Head; and Henrry Rebollar-Miguel, class president.

Dr. Seaman noted that 2020 is the ‘Year of the Nurse’ and that no one could have imagined what this year would actually mean for Nursing. She noted that these graduates would soon put on their ‘superhero costumes’ and enter into the workforce.

Jamie Davis, VGCC Nursing instructor, presented cords to students who participated in the VGCC Student Nurses Association, which is a chapter of the National Student Nurses Association.

Maggie King-Harris, VGCC Nursing instructor, recognized those students graduating with honors (a GPA of 3.5 or higher). Those recognized include Reuben Aluoch; Jessica Baker; Susan Carr; Michelle Harris-Evans; and Stephanie Parham. Raine Tucker-Smith was recognized as the graduate with the highest GPA in the class.

Brande McILroy shared the story of the VGCC Nursing Pin and graduates were then ‘handed’ their pin virtually by Dr. Seaman. As each graduate received their pin, they shared where they planned to work; their plans for continuing their education; and their appreciation to family, friends and faculty for their support during their time in school.

After receiving their pins, the graduates recited the Nursing Pledge (written by Beverly Hansen O’Malley, RN) with Vanessa Ramseur, VGCC Nursing Instructor. Ugur Celimli, VGCC Nursing Instructor, presented the class as official graduates of the Associate Degree Nursing Class of 2020.

Even though the ceremony was not able to be held on the VGCC campus, as traditionally done, the graduates remarked that it was still a meaningful and memorable way to mark the end of their nursing school journey at VGCC.

The graduates are:

From Henderson: Bridget Eaton, Cassidy Ivey, Cayla Ranes

From Oxford: Tammie Davis, Taneisha Jordan, Erica Thorpe, Hannah Tuck

From Creedmoor: Eunice Ayaa, Caliegh Katz

From Louisburg: Brittany Sullivan, Shanika Upchurch

From Rolesville: Raine Tucker-Smith

From Zebulon: Joshua Miller

From Raleigh: Aniekan Akpan, Reuben Aluoch, Elizabeth Kenney, Dennis Mutisya, Andrew Zambrano

From Durham: Charles Ngeve, Annah Ongeri, Abigail Rodriguez, Solange Tant, Hser Tha

From Franklinton: Henrry Reboccar-Miguel

From Holly Springs: Irene Solomon

From Apex: Rebekah Speed

From Wake Forest: Jessica Baker, Christopher Ellis, Anne Onsomu

From Macon: Tracey Brown

From Bullock: Brittany Buchanan

From Rougemont: Susan Carr, Branice Chogo, Cherrie Satterfield

From Hollister: Tiara Daniel

From Youngsville: Patrisha Ferrick, Michelle Harris-Evans, Sheniqua Pruden, Wyverta Rawls

From Kittrell: Diedre Joyner, Stephanie Parham, Rachel Spall

From Norlina: Chiatyra Turner

In lieu of the class picture that is normally taken before the ceremony, graduates were asked to submit personal photos to be used in making a class collage that will be posted on the VGCC website.

Pictured from left: Reuben Aluoch; Eunice Ayaa; Jessica Baker; Tracey Brown; Brittany Buchanan; Susan Carr; Branice Chogo; Tiara Daniel; Tammie Davis; Bridget Eaton; Christopher Ellis; Michelle Harris-Evans; Patrisha Ferrick; Cassidy Ivey; Taneisha Jordan; Deidre Joyner; Caliegh Katz; Elizabeth Kenney; Shanika UpChurch-McBride and Henrry Rebollar-Miguel.

Pictured from left: Charles Ngeve; Annah Ongeri; Anne Onsomu; Stephanie Parham; Sheniqua Pruden; Cayla Raynes; Wyverta Rawls; Abigail Rodreguiz; Cherrie Satterfield; Raine Tucker-Smith; Irene Solomon; Rebekah Speed; Solange Tant; Hser Tha; Erica Thorpe; Hannah Tuck; Chiatrya Turner and Andrew Zambrano.

Not Pictured in either collage — Aniekan Akpan, Jr.; Joshua Miller; Dennis Mutisya; Rachel Spall, and Brittany Sullivan.

VGCC Nursing Chair Erica Jastrow Earns Doctorate

May 19, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Erica Jastrow, Vance-Granville Community College’s department chair of Nursing, received a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education Leadership from Arizona-based Grand Canyon University. Jastrow is a resident of Oxford.

Erica Jastrow, VGCC’s department chair of Nursing, received a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Higher Education Leadership from Arizona-based Grand Canyon University. (Photo courtesy VGCC)

“We congratulate Dr. Jastrow on this milestone in her life, and we applaud Erica’s commitment to professional development,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, VGCC’s president. “Erica’s education will allow her to continue to grow as a leader in higher education and provide services that help our students.”

Jastrow has taught at VGCC since 2004 and became head of the Nursing department in 2011. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Lenoir-Rhyne University and later completed a master’s degree in Nursing Education at UNC-Greensboro. As a longtime Registered Nurse, Jastrow has experience in Intensive Care Units and Nursing Supervision in local and teaching hospitals.

In 2013, Jastrow became a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) through the National League for Nursing (NLN). She was one of the first three VGCC Nursing faculty to become certified through this program.

In 2014, she completed the Department Chairs Institute offered by the N.C. Community College System, in collaboration with N.C. State University. Jastrow is a past recipient of the VGCC President’s Leadership Award.

Town Talk 05/18/20: VGCC Dean Gardner-Ragland Discusses ‘New Normal’ in Education

May 18, 2020/by Kelly Bondurant

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Angela Gardner-Ragland, dean of Business and Applied Technologies at Vance-Granville Community College, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

With 24 years of experience at VGCC, Gardner-Ragland currently oversees an area of approximately 20 business and applied technology programs including Accounting, Business Administration, Automotive, Heating & Air and Welding. Many of these programs offer two-year associate degrees, one-year diplomas and certificates.

With the majority of these programs being heavy on technology, Gardener-Ragland said VGCC must stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive.

“Technology is forever changing, and we have to change with it,” stated Gardner-Ragland. “Recently, we have faced the challenge of moving our vocational programs online. As you can imagine, doing automotive, welding or heating and air online can be a challenge. We have excellent faculty and staff who are willing to go above and beyond to ensure our students are still getting that hands-on experience they need for the workforce.”

With COVID-19 requiring many in the workforce to operate remotely, Gardner-Ragland said the college is preparing for an even greater demand for online classes. “Our mindset has to change. We are going to have to be willing to grow and do more online, especially if we are going to meet industry needs and remain competitive. I do think, especially with the pandemic, that there is going to be a new normal in education.”

Gardner-Ragland gave credit to her staff for making informed decisions on needed resources and said she is grateful for recent grants that made the purchase of new equipment and technology possible “without passing the costs on to the students.”

In an example of VGCC’s stackable credentials model where one program builds on another, Gardner-Ragland said the new Truck Driver Training, while not in her area, has crossover potential with an associate degree program in the Business and Applied Technology department.

“My hope its once they complete the training and have been on the job for a little bit, they’ll come back and enroll in our two-year Supply Chain Management with Trucking Operations Management track, which is a completely online program,” said Gardner-Ragland.

To hear the interview with Gardner-Ragland in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

VGCC Truck Driver Training Program Gears Back Up

May 14, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College is excited to announce that its CDL Truck Driver Training Program is back up and running.

The program, offered in collaboration with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, has been on hold since early March when the COVID-19 pandemic forced all face-to-face classes to cease. The N.C. Community College System has made an exception to allow colleges to resume educating students in transportation courses like Truck Driver Training, in-person.

On May 11, students returned to class and to a “new normal.” Portions of the new daily routine for students include temperature checks, face masks, social distancing in trucks and on the truck practice range.

“Qualified and licensed truck drivers are essential employees, especially during these uncertain times,” said Dawn Michelle Tucker, Dean of Continuing Education and College and Career Readiness for VGCC. “We are excited to get the students back in training, so they can become licensed and employed with companies who need drivers to move goods and services across our service area and across the country.”

During the next five weeks, students will continue honing their driver training skills such as backing skills, completing pre-trip inspections and backing up to a loading dock. Students will also continue to get their miles and time on the road. All of these skills and requirements are essential in preparing them for the DOT exam in order to get their official CDL-A license and be fully employable as a truck driver.

For more information on the Truck Driver Training Program at Vance-Granville Community College, please visit www.vgcc.edu/cdl/ or contact Kyle Burwell, Director of Occupational Extension, at 252-738-3276 or burwellk@vgcc.edu.

Town Talk 05/13/20: VGCC Dean Receives Doctorate; Discusses ‘Culture of Support’

May 13, 2020/by Kelly Bondurant

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Dr. Jeffrey Allen, dean of Student Retention and Success at Vance-Granville Community College, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Allen recently received his Doctorate in Adult and Community College Education from North Carolina State University. His dissertation focused on African-American males enrolled in a community college who were persisting towards degree completion.

“Many times, the literature talks about the barriers or what is preventing African-American males from being successful,” said Allen. “I wanted to flip it and look at it from a standpoint of why are they being successful so we can use that information to make others successful.”

According to Allen, the results showed that the most successful of the study group were those who “had a goal and were focus-driven” and those that “knew the college supported them.”

Supporting college students in achieving their goals, whether it be to transfer to a four-year university after completing a two-year degree at VGCC or finding employment after graduation, is part of Allen’s role as dean.

Allen, who has served in various roles at VGCC since 2012, currently oversees an area that includes advising, counseling, male success initiative, student activities, athletics, testing and tutoring.

Along with other VGCC departments, Allen and staff are currently focusing much of their efforts on “educating, inspiring and supporting” students through the coronavirus crisis.

With VGCC’s classes switching to an online format mid-way through the spring semester and all upcoming summer classes scheduled as online sessions, the change has been an adjustment for all involved, Allen said.

“One of the things VGCC has done very well is put out resources for students to make them feel as comfortable as possible and supported during this crisis,” Allen continued. “VGCC has done an excellent job – the faculty, staff and various departments – in making sure students have what they need.”

To hear the interview with Allen in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

VGCC Vice President Earns Doctoral Degree

May 12, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Jerry E. Edmonds, III, the Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Engagement at Vance-Granville Community College, is now “Doctor Edmonds.” He recently received his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Educational Leadership from Wisconsin-based Edgewood College.

His doctoral dissertation was entitled, “How North Carolina Economic Development Leaders Perceive the N.C. Community College System and Rural Economic Development.”

Jerry E. Edmonds, III, the Vice President of Workforce Development and Community Engagement at Vance-Granville Community College, recently received his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Educational Leadership from Wisconsin-based Edgewood College. (VGCC photo)

“We congratulate Dr. Edmonds on his academic accomplishments, and we look forward to his continuing leadership in efforts to help our students and our local employers through job training and continuing education,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, VGCC’s president. “He is a role model for our students, many of whom are also training and learning to grow as professionals while working full-time.”

A resident of Henderson, Edmonds joined VGCC in 2019. He oversees training programs that respond to community needs and prepare students for workforce success, including apprenticeship programs, and economic development support for the region.

In addition, Edmonds leads the development of partnerships with businesses and government agencies and coordinates outreach and marketing for the entire college.

Edmonds previously served as Dean of Workforce and Economic Development at Halifax Community College. Prior to his role as Dean, he served as the Small Business Center Director at Halifax Community College, from 2014 until 2017.

Edmonds worked for International Business Machines (IBM) and Johnson and Johnson in the private sector before entering the higher education field, earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree, with an emphasis on Marketing, from Marshall University in 1985 and his Master of Science degree in Human Services Management from Springfield College in 2001.

Reminder: VGCC Students to Present ’26 Pebbles’ Play Online Today, Tomorrow

May 7, 2020/by WIZS Staff

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Going out to see a play may be impossible due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but the Drama program at Vance-Granville Community College is trying an innovative approach to bring the theatre to the community.

VGCC, like all community colleges across North Carolina, has temporarily shifted all classes online. Betsy Henderson, the college’s Department Chair/Instructor of Humanities and Fine Arts, and her Drama students decided they wanted to somehow put on a play online, as well. After consulting with VGCC’s Information Technology department, plans were made to use the online video-conferencing service, Zoom (available at zoom.us), to both rehearse and present the production.

“We are not physically able to tell the play in the traditional way,” Henderson explained. “This way will allow the students to tell the story and keep everyone safe. It will also provide the community with a much-needed outlet during this time of quarantine.”

The college will present two performances, via Zoom “meetings,” of the play “26 Pebbles” by Eric Ulloa, on May 7 and May 8 at 7:30 p.m.

This documentary-style drama is set at a town hall meeting in Newtown, Connecticut, six months after December 14, 2012, when a gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 26 people (including 20 children) before taking his own life. The play likens these 26 deaths to “pebbles thrown into a pond,” which created ripples and vibrations that were felt far beyond the initial impacts.

The playwright conducted interviews with members of the community in Newtown and crafted them into an exploration of gun violence and a small town shaken by a horrific event. “26 Pebbles” premiered in Dayton, Ohio, in 2017, and has since been performed around the country.

“It is a very powerful story,” Henderson said. “It paints a picture of what the community was like before that terrible day, the confusion and frenzy on the day of that attack, and the chaos of the aftermath.”

The cast includes students Miranda Brown as “Georgia,” Ashley Ayscue as “Julie,” Rose O’Malley as “Yolie,” Brian Johnson as “Rabbi Praver” and “Mike,” Daniel Thorpe as “Joe” and “Chris,” Cheyenne Guerrant as “Jeriann,” Blake Lee as “Michael” and “Darren,” Kelli Baker as “Carrie,” Matthew Varker as “Father Weiss” and “Bill,” Amanda Cease as “Carole,” Kathleen Zoldos as “Jenn,” Eiley Cook as “Starr,” Mary Parish as “Sally,” and Chelsea Benjamin as “Carla.”

Kelli Baker and Chris Nicholson serve as the “virtual” stage managers, while Kristen Ham is a crew member and will serve as a pianist.

All these students will be in their own homes on their own computers during the performance. With the Zoom service, when a particular actor begins talking, the image automatically switches to an enlarged video of that actor, making it easy for the audience to follow the dialogue.

Henderson thinks that giving students this opportunity to present the play to the community is important. “I think we need the arts and artists at a time like this,” she said. “Entertainment, happiness and joy are important. The arts touch you in ways you may not realize at first. The Arts, and theatre especially, have a way to elevate the everyday and bring light to our world. In times like this, we need connection. We need meaning, and we need artists to help us all feel.”

Anyone interested in experiencing either performance should contact Betsy Henderson at hendersonb@vgcc.edu. She will provide each “attendee” with the Zoom meeting ID.

VGCC Drama Students to Present ’26 Pebbles’ Play Via Video Conference

April 28, 2020/by WIZS Staff