Former College Employees Give Back With Scholarships
A-B Tech faculty and staff always try to aid and assist students, and sometimes that generosity extends past traditional boundaries.
For example, four students, all women juggling various family responsibilities, are currently receiving financial assistance from A-B Tech Foundation scholarships that were either created by or established in honor of college employees.
Amy Massey (left) received the Ruth Geddings Memorial Scholarship, and Kelly Tantalo received the Jessie Goforth Memorial Scholarship.
Amy Massey and Kelly Tantalo are the respective recipients of the Ruth Geddings and Jessie Goforth memorial scholarships, which were created in honor of former employees. Carol Ann Somerton was awarded the Grimes-West Endowment Scholarship, established by the Estes-Winn-Blomberg Foundation in honor of former employees Pat Grimes and Laura West, and Misty Dawn McBride was selected for the Sara Kirkpatrick annual scholarship, created by a current employee in honor of her aunt.
Carol Ann Somerton (left) received the Grimes-West Endowment Scholarship, while Misty Dawn McBride was awarded the Sara Kirkpatrick Annual Scholarship.
Through these scholarships, each recipient intends on earning her degree and making a positive contribution toward the improvement of her family and community. Massey, working toward her Associate Degree in Nursing, plans to earn her master's degree and learn sign language to aid hearing-impaired patients or their families. In her application letter, Massey stated, "My career goals are to work as a registered nurse in a place of healthcare where I feel I can make a pleasant contribution and be a comfort to patients and their families."
Somerton, studying in the Medical Laboratory Technology curriculum, also plans on completing a four-year degree.
Enrolled in Culinary Technology, Tantalo has "finally found something that I love." She also noted in her application that her personal goals are fairly simple - "Improve my child's life and my own. I believe that if a child has a good role model at home then there is no need to look elsewhere for support."
Working toward an Associate in Science degree, McBride would like to transfer to Western Carolina University and enroll in the nursing program. In her application, McBride wrote that she is "diligently striving to provide myself with the best education so that I may best serve my family and my community."
A-B Tech Helps Plan For Future High School
A-B Tech will be a key partner to Asheville City Schools (ACS) as ACS starts to plan a new Health Sciences School after receiving a planning grant in conjunction with Gov. Mike Easley's New Schools Project.
The New Schools Project, funded, in part, by an $11 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been created to establish new small and redesigned high schools that will create new choices and pathways for students.
Locally, a planning team consisting of both educators and community leaders will focus for the next year on establishing the Health Sciences School at Asheville High School.
"Collaboration with A-B Tech is an integral part of the planning process," stated Michael Lodico, executive director of ACS secondary education. "We believe the Gates Foundation grant will enhance our already-strong relationship with A-B Tech and will create a more seamless transition as our students move from high school to post-secondary education."
Wall-less Classroom
Dominique Brown, a fifth-grader at Isaac Dickson Elementary, works with Mountain Tech Lodge Manager Bethany Butti as they register "a guest" during Dominique's Feb. 10 visit to campus as part of the Classroom Without Walls program.
During his two-hour afternoon session, Dominique "job shadowed" Bethany to learn more about hotel management.
Cedric Holloman, another Dickson student, visited A-B Tech Feb. 19 to shadow Rick Wolf in the Automotive Systems Technology curriculum.
