Vaughn and Cook Selected Teacher, Adjunct of the Year
Chrystal Cook (left) and Heather Vaughn (right), with President K. Ray Bailey, have been selected Adjunct and Teacher of the Year, respectively.
The Teacher and Adjunct Teacher of the Year for 2003-04 have been announced as Heather Vaughn and Chrystal Cook, respectively.
Vaughn, an English instructor, has been at A-B Tech since 1998. She was Adjunct Teacher of the Year in 2000-01 and was recently elected president of the Faculty Association.
Due to her selection, Vaughn will be the college's nominee for the North Carolina Community College System Excellence in Teaching Award.
Cook, a member of the Humanities and Fine Arts Department, has been involved with A-B Tech since 2001.
CampusConnection: Madison Campus Welding Program
Welding student Josh Strange holds a sunflower he created using scrap iron, nuts and bolts and then painted for Mother's Day.
When Eric Bellsey went to the Madison campus to teach welding, it was his first teaching job, and the working conditions were less than marginal. There were four old booths at one end of the shop with plastic curtains for shielding the sparks, and the shop was outfitted with cast-off equipment from the Asheville campus.
"There is a world of difference now," said Madison campus director Connie Buckner. "We have eight permanent welding booths and new mig and tig welders, a new grinder, a band saw that works, and a new bending tool."
Buckner credits the late Mike Gill and former Vice President for Instructional Services, Olin Wood, who saw the promise of the Huskins Bill program and provided the campus with a welding budget.
The high school students in Bellsey's welding class are not only earning college credit and learning a marketable skill, they are also doing needed work around the community.
They have worked on a swing set at Brush Creek Elementary, created handrails for Madison High School and welded potato cutters being used by county farmers to more efficiently prepare potatoes for planting. Bellsey uses these projects to not only teach welding techniques, but also how to plan a job, customer relations, customer service, and other vocational and life skills.
The concept apparently is working, because the mother of a current student called Buckner recently and said, "I have to tell you what a wonderful instructor Mr. Bellsey is and how respectfully he has treated my son. For the first time in a long time, my son is excited about learning and now plans to continue his education, probably at A-B Tech. Please tell Mr. Bellsey thank you for me."
Employee Appreciation Week Includes Mini Health Fair
Part of A-B Tech's Employee Appreciation Week included a mini health fair April 30 in Coman Gym.
Complimentary vision, glaucoma, diabetes and cholesterol screenings were offered by the Lion's Club, and information booths from Dr. Hardin from Greenspan Chiropractic; Leah McGrath, Registered Dietician from Ingles; and Ed Jenest from Workplace Partnership for Life (organ donation) were set up to distribute information and answer questions.
In the photo above, English instructor Chris Tibbetts has her eyes examined by Johanna Moore of the Asheville Lions Eye Clinic.
In the above photo, Donna Ladet, culinary lab manager, has a blood sample taken by Stephanie Hutchinson of the Asheville Lions Eye Clinic.
Wachovia Awards Scholarship
Radiography student Tracy Burchell (center) received a $500 scholarship through the Wachovia Technical Scholarship Program. Burchell was presented the check by Robby Russell (right), Wachovia's Community Market President, and A-B Tech President K. Ray Bailey.