Friday The 13th A Memorable Day For Craggy Graduates
COMMENCEMENT DAY - President K. Ray Bailey presents certificates to men who completed the GED program at Craggy Correctional Center as the students who earned diplomas in Foodservice Technology look on.
If Michael Calloway used to be a superstitious man, he probably isn't anymore.
Calloway was one of 20 inmates who earned a Foodservice Technology diploma or GED certificate during a graduation ceremony at Craggy Correctional Center on Friday, Aug. 13.
"I made a promise after I received a prison sentence, that I would use this time to better myself," the 29-year-old former carpenter told an audience that included, for the first time ever, students' families and friends as well as officials from A-B Tech and the N.C. Department of Corrections.
Gazing at his young son, Calloway said graduating from the FST program was the first thing he'd done in a long time to make his family proud. Not only did the program provide him with a top-notch education, it also helped restore his self-confidence, hope, and ability to believe in himself, he said.
GED tutor Jacob Norman pointed to the saying, "If you change the way a person thinks, you can change the way a person acts," and told the graduates he witnessed many changes in them as they worked toward their certificates. Norman challenged the men to take their education to the next level by enrolling in other courses A-B Tech offers at the facility.
Edith Pope, Assistant Superintendent of Programs, said A-B Tech has made a difference in the men's lives, much like the young man in the story called "Make A Difference" who returns starfish on the beach back to the ocean.
Recalling his first job at A-B Tech as Director of Adult Basic Education, President K. Ray Bailey recounted how he received a phone call from Craggy officials in September 1966 about eight or 10 men who wanted to earn their GEDs.
"When I got in the dining hall, there were not eight or 10 men, but probably 100," President Bailey said. "We talked about the opportunities A-B Tech could provide, and we came back and started classes. ...I don't think any of us at that time thought we would be here in this setting doing what we're doing."
Vice President of Instruction Sharon Morrissey told the men she is as proud of their accomplishments as she is of any student who graduates from the college, and urged them to make good choices in the future. "Today, you are sitting here as role models for your fellow inmates and your family members," she said. "I hope you will stay on the right course and continue to learn through your lifetime."
Steve Bailey, Western Region Director of the Division of Prisons, encouraged the men to learn from their mistakes and shared a quote from basketball superstar Michael Jordan: "I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
Medical Coding Exam
Administrative/Medical Systems Technologies Chair Misty Shuler has arranged for the NC Local Chapter of the American Academy of Professional Coders to use A-B Tech as a testing site.
The Certified Professional Coder exam is a five-hour timed exam, consisting of 150 multiple choice questions that test a physician practice coder's knowledge of medical terminology, human anatomy, CPT coding guidelines, use of modifiers, CPT coding, and ICD-9CM coding. An applicant can sit for the exam after gaining extensive work experience in the coding field.
Being able to offer the test here is more invitational to students, Shuler said. "There were a lot of local (medical coding) students who where going to travel to the Raleigh/Durham to become certified. I felt like this would be a great opportunity to provide this at our college."
The Local Chapter plans to hold the exam Sept. 25 and Dec. 11, beginning at 8:30 a.m. and concluding at 2 p.m. Applicants who pass the exam will become certified and hold the credentials of CPC, Certified Professional Coder.
Distance Learning
President K. Ray Bailey talks about A-B Tech's economic development initiatives with 40 civic leaders from Springfield, Mo., who visited the Enka Campus Aug. 6 during an InterCity Visit to Asheville. President Bailey was joined at the session by Vice President of Continuing Education Max Queen and representatives of the Education and Research Consortium, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, and UNCA.
Relay Respite
Phi Theta Kappa President Jessica Decker catches a little shut-eye during the Relay for Life in Fletcher July 16-17. Decker, who was there from start to finish, joined faculty advisors Alison Long, Pam Silvers, and Veronica Dooly as well as other members of the A-B Tech chapter of PTK in raising more than $1,200.