Foundation Profiles
Brenda McClure
Children's Welfare League Endowed Scholarship winner Brenda McClure is pursuing her dream of becoming a chef. Enrolled in the Baking and Pastry Arts program, McClure plans on receiving her associate's degree in 2006. She would also like to acquire an associate's degree in Culinary Technology. "I want to be able to walk into any kitchen and have the ability to do anything that is asked of me," she wrote in her essay.
Victoria Benson
Victoria Benson received the Children's Welfare League Endowed Scholarship to assist her goal to graduate from college. After having a daughter while attending high school, Benson still made the honor roll even though the statistics were against her. Once she receives her associate's degree, she wants to transfer to UNCA and then to law school. "My educational goals are long-sighted and will be extremely difficult to achieve; however, I am not one to take the easy road," she wrote.
Jamie Bell
Jamie Bell, recipient of the Marie Love Cochrane Endowed Scholarship, wants to transfer to Western Carolina University to enter the physical therapy program after completing his associate's degree at A-B Tech. "I volunteered at Southeastern Fitness and Rehabilitation last semester to learn as much about the field of physical therapy as I can in a 'real world' setting," he wrote in his essay. "I can make a better decision about entering the field with this first-hand experience."
Amy Massey
Amy Massey plans to graduate with an associate's degree in Nursing this spring. She received the Dr. H.D. and Kay Crews Endowed Scholarship to help achieve this goal. Massey wants to continue her education with bachelor's and master's degrees after A-B Tech, but has no desire to work in administration. "I want to be a nurse to help people, and I want to be right beside them to do so," she wrote.
Original Day Care Charges Return As Students
Alice, Lola, and Catalina Powell returned to the playground where they once roamed as toddlers on the A-B Tech campus.
Sisters Alice, Catalina and Lola Powell are currently the president, vice president and secretary for the Student Government Association at A-B Tech. However, this is not the first time all three of them have been learning together on campus.
In 1987, they entered the day care center shortly after their mother, Emma Kelly, began taking Hotel and Restaurant Management, Culinary and Nursing courses at A-B Tech.
"There was no child care at A-B Tech when I started," Kelly said. "But after a few months it opened. It was very helpful and wonderful."
Helpful may be an understatement. Kelly was newly widowed with four children when she enrolled at A-B Tech. Her son, Diego, was old enough to attend school, but the girls were all under the age of five.
Kelly was a student in Colombia, South America, when she met Richard Dennis Powell, an American university professor of philosophy and sociology at La Pedagojíca University. They married and had two children, Diego and Lola. When her husband became sick, his doctor in Colombia recommended Powell return home to the States for the best possible care. Kelly was pregnant with Catalina when they moved.
Not familiar with the language, Kelly taught herself English. When her husband died, she was pregnant with Alice, her fourth child. A-B Tech seemed to be the best place to turn. "I went with a technical career so I could get a job right away," Kelly said.
Lola, Catalina and Alice were enrolled in the Child Care Center as soon as it opened in October 1987 in cooperation with Buncombe County Child Development. "Alice was just a baby and Lola was 4 or 5 and Catalina was 2 or 3," Kelly recalled. The sisters stayed at the center until they were able to start kindergarten.
Kelly would drop her girls off at the center, go to a full day of classes and then head to the library in the afternoons for her work-study program to help pay her tuition. "The daycare stayed open until 10 p.m. then. They provided all the meals to the children. We were not at home for a while," she said.
Kelly graduated in Hotel and Restaurant Management and did her internship at the Sheraton. "I worked there two years as a manager before they closed it," she said. She then returned to A-B Tech for the College Transfer program and graduated with a bachelor's degree from UNCA.
She now provides language translation, specializing in the medical field, and has remarried. She works for herself as a contractor. "If A-B Tech had not had child care, I would not have been able to do what I had done. I'm very grateful to A-B Tech."
The Powell sisters returned to A-B Tech to get them started on their way to a four-year degree. Alice plans to be an art teacher, while Catalina and Lola are interested in nursing. "I thought it was great for them to take the first two years in Asheville," Kelly said.
"My dream is to travel the world and work as a nurse," Lola said. "My mom, she has instilled in me a sense of hard work and determination. I have learned from her that obstacles are meant to make me stronger, that stereotypes are meant to be broken and I value that she has given me so many opportunities and a lot of support to achieve my dreams. I have learned from her that nothing is unattainable as long as I am willing to work hard for it."
Spelling Bee at A-B Tech
A-B Tech will host the 15th Annual Altrusa Literacy Spelling Bee at 7 p.m. March 14 in Ferguson Auditorium to benefit the Literacy Council of Buncombe County. The event is open to the public and free of charge, although donations are suggested as all proceeds benefit the Literacy Council.
Contestants will participate in teams and compete for prizes donated from local businesses. A reception for participants and the audience will be held during intermission.
The A-B Tech Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa will have a spelling team. Members are Megan Redding and Nikolas Franks, both PTK members and College Transfer students, and Lee Swensden, Biology instructor. Pam Silvers, Chair of Business Computer Technologies, will serve as an alternate.
A-B Tech will also have a team with Mary McClurkin, former English instructor; Eric Parsels, Developmental Studies instructor, English; and Ruth Shackelton, wife of retired Instructor John Shackelton.
Other participating teams come from a variety of local high schools, businesses, corporations and organizations including MAHEC, CarePartners, Reems Creek, Asheville Women's Club, WOXL, Asheville Citizen-Times, Park Ridge ER Nurses, Christ School, the Asheville Altitude, Laurey's Catering, Mountain Xpress, Wachovia, Buncombe County Schools Foundation and the Asheville City Schools Foundation. Major Sponsors are Wachovia Bank, Asheville Citizen-Times, Parsec Financial and WOXL.
Since beginning the Spelling Bee in 1990, Altrusa of Asheville, with the help of the community, has raised over $108,000 for literacy.