the Alabama Community College Conference Championship, making them the back-to-back ... Of course, the namesake is Cooki
The Captain’s Journal A publication by Chattahoochee Valley Community College Vol. 1 Issue 5 - June 2015
CVCC Family and Friends, May was over almost as soon as it started. Since our last issue of the Captain’s Journal, big things have happened at CVCC. Our Pirate Baseball team won the Alabama Community College Conference Championship, making them the back-to-back champions for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Their win secured a spot to play in the NJCAA World Series held in Grand Junction, CO. The team trekked across the United States and represented us well, bringing home a third-place finish. These accomplishments are nothing short of amazing! Our student athletes and coaches have demonstrated true excellence both on and off the field. Our summer semester is well under way, and I could not be more excited to be a part of the CVCC family. Speaking of summer, our CVCC Foundation just awarded thirteen scholarships totaling $4,800 for the semester. This is such a wonderful opportunity for our students. Scholarship applications are already being accepted for fall semester. More information about the CVCC Foundation is on the back page of this issue. I wish you all well as the summer continues, let’s keep serving our students!
Sincerely,
Valerie A. Richardson Dr. Valerie A. Richardson CVCC Interim President
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the cand le or the mirror that reflects it.” - Edith Wharton
Cookies & Conversation was started in the fall of 2014 and is a monthly meeting held by Dr. Richardson. A cross-section of faculty and staff are selected at random to meet with the president, several who might not interact with Dr. Richardson on a daily basis. The guest list stays small to allow everyone time to share ideas and suggestions. Of course, the namesake is Cookies & Conversation, so each month there are cookies and coffee at the center of the table. This event fosters great communication and morale.
June At A Glance Sunday
1
Monday
2
Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday 3 4 Blood Drive
GEAR UP ACCS Training
7
8
9
14
15
16
Term I- Last Day to W
GEAR UP ACCS Training
5
Friday
Saturday 6
10
11
12
13
17
18
19
20
26
27
3
4
Term I- Last Day to WP/WF
ACT Testing
MeadWestvaco Annual Logger Workshop
21
22
23
Term I Ends – Grades Due by 2 p.m.
24
Term II Begins
25
How to Advise Health Science Students Workshop CVCC Foundation Scholarship Deadline (for fall)
28
29
30
Ice Cream Social
GEAR UP ACCS Training
e Welctoom
CVCC
July 1
2
Independence Day Holiday – College Closed
GED prep: A family affair
Betty Biggs
Duane Wizzard has been teaching adult education classes at CVCC for three years on campus and at sites like His Gathering House. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, he came to the area by way of the military and helping out his sister and brother-in-law, but his desire to help didn’t stop with his family. He helps students like Betty and Felton Biggs and Glenn and Michael Stover achieve their dreams of obtaining their GED and beyond. What is special about these four students? Well, it’s a family affair.
Betty Biggs retired from Fieldcrest Mill and Bibb Manufacturing. She began her journey with adult education at CVCC because of her love of crafts. Betty loves to work with wood and bamboo that she cuts from the yard, but she could not read the markings on a ruler. “I wanted to learn math,” was her reason for pursuing classes. To her surprise, the very first thing they went over in the GED preparation courses was measurement and number lines. Betty has worked hard in her classes and encourages others to do the same, including her 45-year-old son, Felton. While she hasn’t passed the GED examination just yet, she remains positive and hopes that once she does, she can either earn a CDL and travel or become a substitute teacher. In addition to Betty and Felton, another family has taken courses with Wizzard. Glenn and Michael Stover both had a need for calling the number on the 14th Street billboard advertising free GED classes at CVCC. Glenn had been out of work and unfortunately his application process always stopped when it came to his level of education. Michael had been homeschooled and earned a college prep diploma, but it did not satisfy accreditation requirements. Both father and son have helped encourage one another and have successfully passed the GED examination. Michael is hoping to continue at CVCC in the fire science program. Stories of family, encouragement, success and more- that is what you find when you visit the classroom of Duane Wizzard and the other adult education instructors at CVCC. For more information about free GED prepartion courses, contact the Director of Adult Education, Laodecea Seay, at 334.214.4807.
From ACCC to JUCO
Winning one ch and earning a be CAA World Ser enough mission and for many pr once in a career However, to do consecutive year team and a prog ic, significant, ex
hampionship erth in the NJries is a tough n to accomplish, rograms, is aone championship and earning a berth in the NJCAA World Series is a tough enough mission to accomplish, Winning and for many programs, is a once-in-a-career achievement. However, to do it twice in consecutive years indicates r achievement. team it atwice in and a program as historic, significant, excellent, and meaningful. All of these adjectives certainly and accurately ars indicates a describe the CVCC Baseball Program, and specifically the 2015 team. After the 2014 unit won its first ACCC championship since 1996 and made its first ever JUCO World Series appearance, the 2015 squad followed suit gram as historand emphatically pulled off the feat again, going back to back as Region 22 and Southeastern District Champions, xcellent, and and finishing third in the NJCAA World Series. The 2015 season was full of surprises and sufferings, and ultimately, success and superlatives. Having to replace nearly an entire team due to graduation, the surprises came in the form of new faces, both freshmen and transfers, stepping up to the challenge of upholding the CVCC Baseball Tradition. After a solid start in February, the Pirates went 23-3 for the entirety of March and early April, when the suffering began. The Pirates were plagued with two solid weeks of rain, with a plethora of cancelled and rescheduled games and with virtually no outdoor practices. Throw in five injuries/sicknesses to the pitching staff, CVCC limped to the finish line of the regular season, going 6-6 down the stretch, while finishing second in the ACCC South. However, the Pirates gathered themselves just in time for the ACCC Tournament and enjoyed the success to which CVCC has become accustomed. After a nailbiter in the opener, in an 8-7 come-from-behind win against Lawson State, CVCC ripped through the tournament, winning by the mercy rule in its next four games, beating Shelton State 14-5, Faulkner State 14-0, and claiming its second Region Title in a 15-3 win against Wallace State-Hanceville. The JUCO World Series did not produce a national championship for the Pirates. However, it did produce a ton of memories, national respect and a third-place JUCO World Series finish, as well as knocking off the #1 ranked and defending national champion, Iowa Western, by a score of 14-2. Once the Pirates put a bow on the completed 2015 historic season, the superlatives began rolling in, as CVCC placed six of its players on the All-Conference and All-Region 22 team: Ryan Hagan, Kendall Ford, Tyler Lynn, Jake Maziar, Bryce Conley, and Landon Faulkner, with Hagan being named the Southern Division Co-Player of the Year. Additionally, five more Pirates earned All-ACCC Tournament honors (Tyler Lynn, Ryan Hagan, Kenny Ford, Jake Maziar, Chase Burks), as Lynn was named tournament MVP. Furthermore, both Grayson Ivey and Nolan Greckel garnered a spot on the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove team for superior defense. And finally, Ryan Hagan and Kendall Ford were both named 2015 NJCAA All-Americans, with Hagan also earning a spot on the World Series All-Tournament team. With the 2015 campaign in the rearview mirror, although the national championship trophy was left in Grand Junction, Colorado, the Pirates brought home a room full of championship and individual hardware that will indicate the 2014 and 2015 teams as the greatest two-year run in CVCC Baseball history.
CVCC Foundation Awards $4,800 for summer semester
The Chattahoochee Valley Community College Foundation awarded $4,800 in summer semester scholarships. Featured in the photo are (front row) Hillary Blanc; Tricia Braun; Nancy Chaney; (back row) Tim Becraft, CVCC Foundation Past Chair; Isreal Jane; Ashley Withrow and Dr. Valerie Richardson, CVCC Interim President. Not present but receiving scholarships are Cheree Colson, Precious Dowdell, Rebecca Glissmeyer, Rosamary Guice, Tyeshia Harris, Pearlie Hatfield, Pamela McIntyre and Catrina Miller. CVCC Foundation members not present from the Scholarship Committee are Chuck Floyd, Cher Pitts and Jill Tigner. Students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA to receive assistance from the CVCC Foundation. For more information about the CVCC Foundation and scholarship opportunities, contact Karen Kelly 334.291.4938 or
[email protected].
Looking to earn a scholarship for fall 2015? Apply now. Scholarship applications are availble online, as well as in the Financial Aid Office. The deadline to apply is noon, June 25.
