|
Mayland Community
College |
Economic gathering of people from
Mitchell, Avery, and Yancey Counties in 1925.
Editorial by:
Dr. Suzanne Y. Owens
President, Mayland Community College
I woke up this morning with a story on my heart. It is really not
my story to tell because it belongs to numerous people. But I am
blessed with the wonderful vantage point of belonging equally to our
three counties of Mitchell, Avery, and Yancey. I am the President of
Mayland Community College, which is equally funded, equally owned,
and equally honored by all three counties.
This story began last fall when the three county Economic
Development Directors and I decided to begin visiting as many
businesses as possible within the three counties. Each and every
visit was wonderful and lasted two hours or more. We learned the
need for a willing, dedicated workforce with good work habits of
punctuality and commitment, with good communication skills to
listen, speak, write, and “look you in the eye”, with an
understanding of appropriate behavior and dress for different
situations, with the ability to continue learning and growing and
with the ability to work well with others. There were no differences
among the three counties. More specialized skills in technology,
health sciences, etc. were needed for specific businesses.
However, the greatest benefit of the visits was to listen and hear
the “story “of each business, including their mission, their
history, their struggles of providing health benefits (which they
all did – no matter their size!), and their desperation to hold on
during these hard economic times.
One story, in particular, was told by Chris Warren, owner and
manager of Mayland Court and Finishes First in Spruce Pine. Please
watch for Chris’s story in an upcoming paper because his concerns
are shared by many other small business owners within our three
counties. Chris has now stepped forward to establish a “gathering
place” where all small businesses can meet informally and talk to
one another. Chris, and other businesses that have worked with him,
believe that similar businesses can source work to one another, such
as serving as a vendor or serving as the finishing agent or
referring customers to one another. Thirty-five business people met
at Mayland last month and left energized and excited. They talked
about ongoing efforts to work together toward some specific events,
such as a regional trade show, a directory of small businesses and
publications to provide to realtors in the region.
In 1925, there was a Tri-County Economic Alliance BBQ gathering in
Spruce Pine to protest or request that the State help the three
counties by building roads so that businesses could grow and
flourish. The documentation on a photograph from the event indicates
that 8,000 people attended this historic event! Roads were soon
built, the mining industry began to develop and businesses grew
throughout the region. If the folks in 1925 recognized there was
economic power in numbers, and if they felt committed enough to form
an alliance, why can’t we do the same today? We are the Toe River
Valley, bound together through common geography, heritage, mountain
traits, family ties and skilled workmanship. Even those who have
joined us within the past fifty years value our geography, our
heritage and certainly our skilled workmanship. Local businesses
want to be positioned to market themselves to all of this clientele,
as well as the thousands of other who join us over the next fifty
years!
If you are connected in any way to the housing markets, such as
builders, furniture makers, home services, interior design,
landscaping, arts and crafts, catering, solar energy, etc, please
join us at Mayland Community College’s Main Campus in Spruce Pine,
in the Sam Center Auditorium at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 23.
Bring your business cards or other materials to share. Chris Warren
will tell his story and others will talk about their success at
partnering with one another. The Economic Development Boards in
Mitchell, Avery and Yancey Counties are sponsors of this series of
events and stories. We are the Toe River Valley Economic Alliance –
so Shop and Play in the Toe River Valley! Learn and explore the
great nooks and crannies of your neighboring counties. If you drive
fast, you won’t even notice the county lines! I promise!
MCC and Penland Join to Offer Fine Arts Program
Mayland Community College and Penland School of Crafts have joined
together to offer a new Associate in Fine Arts Program (AFA), which
will begin this fall.
This program is designed for students who plan to transfer to a
four-year institution to continue their education at the bachelor’s
degree level. The AFA program of study includes general education
courses up to 28 semester hours of credit at Mayland, and the
remaining hours, up to 24, will require simultaneous enrollment at
Penland School of Crafts and Mayland.
Penland School of Crafts is a national center for craft education.
The school offers workshops in books and paper, clay, drawing and
painting, glass, iron, metals, photography, printmaking and
letterpress, textiles, wood, and other media.
Mayland currently offers curriculum programs including numerous
college transfer options; continuing education offerings; Basic
Skills and GED completion program; two off campus locations in
Newland and Burnsville; Corrections Education at Avery/Mitchell and
Mountain View Correctional Facilities; and distance learning
opportunities.
Registration for the fall semester will be held July 6-24, and final
registration will be held on August 17. Visit
www.mayland.edu or call Mayland’s Admissions office at 765-7351
or 1-800-4-MAYLAND, ext 222 for more information.
Academic Excellence Award
Mayland Community College students Randall Fender and JoAnn Zeigler as were awarded the 2009 North Carolina Community College System Academic Excellence Award. The Academic Excellence Award is given to North Carolina community college students who exhibit outstanding scholastic achievements.
Fender, who lives in Yancey County with his wife Melanie, worked for Ethan Allen in Spruce Pine until the company closed its doors.
“I try to see the positive in negative situations, so I thought of losing my job as an opportunity,” said Fender who was able to work through the WIA Program to be retrained.
Fender said his experience at Mayland was rewarding, and became like his second home for two years.
“My instructors were great; they helped me develop my strengths and persuaded me to go beyond my comfort zones at times,” said Fender. “Mayland created a desire for learning and education that I did not have when I was younger, and provided the education that I needed to get the job at Mayland’s Yancey Campus as a part-time office assistant.”
Fender graduated in May with an Associate degree in Business Administration.
Zeigler had worked at different factories in the area since she graduated high school, and came to Mayland after the factory she worked for closed.
“Before I started my first semester, I had doubts about my ability to do well in college,” said Zeigler. “I wondered if I was making a mistake, was I too old to fit in at college since it had been thirty years since I had been in school and so much had changed.”
Zeigler chose to pursue a degree in Human Services because of personal experiences she had experienced during her life. After talking with the program’s advisor, Zeigler felt more at ease and more confident in pursuing her degree.
“Mayland’s instructors are helpful and well informed,” said Zeigler. “They teach in a manner that is relaxed and easy to understand. My experience at Mayland has been enlightening, and I would like to continue on to get my Bachelors and eventually my Masters degree in Social Work.”
Zeigler lives in Mitchell County.
Each North Carolina community college nominates two recipients for the Academic Excellence Award. To qualify, students must have 12 or more semester hours with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher.
Mayland Community College students Randall Fender and JoAnn Zeigler as were awarded the 2009 North Carolina Community College System Academic Excellence Award. From left to right are Fender, MCC Board of Trustee Chair Sam Ray, Jr., MCC President Dr. Suzanne Owens, and Zeigler.
Mayland Community College Foundation will host a motorcycle poker run on Saturday July 25. Registration is at the college’s Main Campus in Spruce Pine and begins at 10 a.m. The cost is $20 per driver and $10 per rider. Proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society and the MCC Foundation. A rain date is set for August 1. Call 1-800-4-MAYLAND, ext. 240 for more info. Don't miss the Mayland Jail and Bail at the Relay for Life Event. Click here for more information.
O’Shields
Coordinator for Off-campus Admissions
Diana O’Shields now helps students find their way, something she can relate too. Shields works as the Coordinator for Off-campus Admissions at Mayland Community College, and helps high school students and parents learn about Dual Enrollment and Huskins Bill classes offered at the college.
O’Shields is a Mayland Alumna. She worked up the courage to come back to school to better her life and the life of her family.
“I kept hearing why don’t you go back to school, and finally worked up the courage to visit Mayland and see what they had to offer,” said O’Shields. “From the moment I walked through the doors at Mayland I felt like, yes, I can do this.”
O’Shields was a single mother when she began at Mayland, and said it took a lot of courage for her being an older student to go back to college. O’Shields began taking classes at the college, and with every assignment and every test she proved to herself that she could be successful in college.
“For the first time I really believed that I was doing something that I could be proud of,” said O’Shields.
O’Shields said it was hard to leave Mayland after graduation. She began working part time with the Student Development department and was able to share her story with other potential students. She has now been at Mayland for 19 years.
“Mayland became who I was, something that I was proud of, and became like family to me,” said O’Shields. “Mayland has helped so many better their lives through education. It has been here a long time helping our communities.”
O'Shields now works with Mountain Heritage and Mitchell High School students who are interested in earning college credit for free while they are enrolled in high school through the Dual Enrollment and Huskins Bill classes.
“So many high school students have not seen their full potential and when they begin taking college courses whether it be for college transfer or a welding class, they begin to find something they love to do and some even find a career path,” said O’Shields. “These opportunities help keep them in school, and I see it open up different avenues for the students all the time.”
O’Shields said the success of the high school students and even current students at Mayland often extends out to their families. Her own familyis a good example. All of her children took classes at Mayland, and her grandchildren have been part of the Dual Enrollment Program.
O’Shields granddaughter Cortney Allen is taking classes preparing to go into Mayland’s nursing program when she finishes high school.
“The instructors at Mayland helped me understand that I really wanted to be a nurse,” said Allen. “The college courses I have been taking have been challenging, and I feel like I am getting a really good education at Mayland.”
O’Shields says if she could describe Mayland in one word it would be accessible.
“The college has been a stepping stone for many in our communities, and has encouraged us to be better than we thought we could be,” said O’Shields.
Mayland Community College will hold registration and advising for the fall semester July 6-24, and final registration for the fall semester will be held on August 17. Visit www.mayland.edu or call 1-800-4-MAYLAND, ext. 222 for more information.
Pictured is Mayland Community College alumna and current employee Diana O’Shields, at left, along with her granddaughter Cortney Allen who is currently taking classes at the college
Local Boy Scouts Partner with MCC Foundation for Outdoor Concert
Boy Scout Troop 505 of Spruce Pine will be selling concessions at an upcoming outdoor concert, Evening Under the Stars, on June 27 from 7:00-10:00 p.m. at Mayland Community College’s main campus in Spruce Pine.
“This will be a great partnership for two local non-profits,” said Laura Laughridge, executive director of the Mayland Community College Foundation. “We want the whole community to share a night of great music with us.”
Troop 505 will offer a variety of snacks, drinks, and sweets at the concert. This fund raising opportunity will help raise money toward sending eight boys from Troop 505 to the 2010 National Jamboree in August of next year, says Becky Letner, Troop 505’s fundraising coordinator. Proceeds from concession sales will help send local scouts to the annual camp, which is held near Washington, D.C.
Troop 505 meets every Monday night at First Baptist Church and all boys from first grade through high school are invited to join.
Coming Up Brass’s sound highlights a strong horn section, and they are known for their covers of old rock-and-roll music, beach music, and original songs.
Tickets for the concert cost $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12 and are available at the Mayland Community College Foundation, 828-765-7351, ext. 209 or 311, at www.mayland.edu/foundation or from members of Boy Scout Troop 505.
The Mayland Community College Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization whose mission is to support, strengthen and advance the work of Mayland Community College. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Foundation and scholarship programs at Mayland Community College.
Click Here To Visit Our Sister
Radio Station
|
P.O. Box 668