A-B Tech Serves High School Students Through Various Programs
High school students in Buncombe and Madison counties can get a jump-start on their college education, and save their parents a bundle in the process.
A-B Tech's concurrent enrollment programs are coordinated through the Asheville-Buncombe-Madison Career Pathways Partnership. The partnership was formed in 1991 by A-B Tech, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, Asheville City, Buncombe County, and Madison County Schools.
Marilyn McDonald, Career Pathways Director, said that all of the High School Cooperative Programs provided by the General Assembly are tuition free. "Students, recommended by their high school, have an opportunity to complete their first semester of college by the time they graduate," she said. "The savings is substantial to parents."
For example, high school students enrolled in the A-B Tech Criminal Justice program can complete six courses while they are in high school, and seven if they sign up for Afternoon College. That leaves them with only 11 more Criminal Justice classes to take before they can graduate with an associate's degree. "They can get even further along taking general education classes in Afternoon College," McDonald said.
A-B Tech offers classes on high school campuses for such courses as Early Childhood Education and Criminal Justice through the A-B Tech at High School program.
Afternoon College offers technical and college transfer classes for qualified high school juniors and seniors. These are regular college classes offered on the Asheville campus at times that mesh with high school schedules. Students are able to dual enroll in college classes during their 3rd and 4th period blocks. Another plus for high school students is that honors weight is given to all college transfer courses (listed on the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement between NC Community Colleges and the UNC System). A similar program is offered on the A-B Tech Madison campus.
Early College is the newest program that started in the 2005 fall semester. The Early College High School is part of a high school reform initiative called Learn and Earn launched by Gov. Mike Easley in September 2004. It was developed through a partnership between A-B Tech and the Buncombe County School System. The curriculum design allows current ninth-graders to earn a high school diploma and an associate's degree in five years. Students take classes that provide both high school and college credit during the ninth and 10th grades. During the 11th and 12th grades, the students will be mixed in classrooms with A-B Tech students, earning high school and college credit through dual enrollment.
Barbara Parker, director of Secondary Education for Buncombe County Schools sees the benefits available. "The A-B Tech setting allows students who aren't interested in the extra curricular activities offered in a traditional high school setting, to focus solely on academics," she said.
"An additional benefit for our students is that they receive college credit without having to pay tuition. I feel sure this has allowed some of our students to go to college who couldn't have otherwise. It is a great opportunity for our students."
Juniors and seniors at most area high schools can also tap into college classes at A-B Tech through Distance Learning/ITV without even leaving their high school campus. There are interactive television classes (ITV) between A-B Tech college classes and six high schools.
The RAVE (Regional Articulation in Vocational Education) program allows students an opportunity to earn articulated credit for many career-technical courses. A RAVE high school course meets the same competencies as a specific college course. A student who completes a RAVE course with a grade of B and score of 80 or above on a competency exam is eligible to receive articulated credit when he or she enrolls at A-B Tech.
The Digital Media program at the Career Education Center is another way for A-B Tech to stay involved with high school students' education. Those students can complete the program at school, transfer to A-B Tech, and then even go to UNC Asheville. In every division at A-B Tech we have a number of articulation agreements for associate of applied science programs," said McDonald. Students can go from high school to A-B Tech to four-year institutions such as UNC Asheville, Western Carolina University and UNC-Charlotte.
"These programs bridge that first college experience," said McDonald. "Students are able to receive guidance and support from high school, while enrolled in college courses. It's really valuable from that standpoint. It makes a big difference."
Ralph Rice, Career and Technical Education Director for Madison County Schools, also sees the program as way to encourage students to continue their education. "I think it's a good opportunity for any student. I would love to see that every single student in high school graduates with at least one course from a community college," he said. "If they get a taste of it, they may stay with it. We have a strong partnership and it is wonderful to work with A-B Tech and to see the things we've made happen. I feel like we are a leader in our state with our consortium."
Insurance Agents Reception
Graduates of A-B Tech's Continuing Education Insurance Service Certification Program joined agents from Western North Carolina during a reception in their honor April 12 on the Enka campus. In collaboration with the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina, people are trained to become agents. Pictured are back row, from left, Bob Bird, Ron Shoe, Tim Sass, Bob Zink, Bill Bingham, William Shepherd, Bill White, Chip Williamson. Front row, Chris McLeod, Miriam Dorsey, George Hill, Sarah Deyton, Randy Riddle. Kneeling, Stephanie Dutcher, Charles Fogle, Jean Paul Bouvret, Greg Gaddy.
Appel Speaks About Holocaust, Father's Nazi Involvement
Liesel Appel speaks about her childhood in Germany and discovering her father was a Nazi serving Adolf Hitler.
Liesel Appel spoke about the Holocaust and the turning point in her childhood during Holocaust Remembrance Day during a program sponsored by the Diversity Committee.
Appel is an Asheville woman of German origin who, at age 9, discovered her father had served as the minister of education in occupied Poland during World War II. At the time of his death, he was facing trial in Nuremberg for war crimes.
"Hitler's message to make the world pure struck a chord with my father," Appel said. "My parents believed in the lies, and the moment they did, they gave up their freedom. "
Appel's parents had a 21-year-old son when she was born. "I was created for Adolf Hitler," she said. "I was dedicated to him at two weeks old to carry out his hideous doctrines."
After she discovered who her father was, and that her parents believed Jews were evil, she was horrified. "I had heard Nazis killed innocent people. The truth about my family was beginning to dawn on me. I was terrified. When my father died when he was on trial, he told me it was up to me to make Germany great again. I couldn't understand how he could love me, and be so full of hate."
At the age of 19, Appel turned her back on Germany and went to England. In 1980, she came to America with her husband. She cut her mother completely out of her life. She started to heal again through the love and forgiveness of Jewish people.
Appel has since published a book, "The Neighbor's Son," describing her experiences as the daughter of a high-ranking official of the Third Reich. She said she was conceived in 1941 as a gift to Adolf Hitler. She converted to Judaism in 1990. During her talk, she told her story and spoke about atrocities still prevalent around the world.
Growing Shitake Mushrooms
Botany students in Joe Allawos' class inoculate an oak log with shitake mushroom spawn in the Sycamore greenhouse. Biology Instructor Allowas said it is the first step to growing mushrooms at home.
Phi Beta Lambda Wins 60 Awards At State Conference
A-B Tech's Chapter of Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) received 60 awards during the state leadership conference April 6-8 in Raleigh, including six first-place wins and 17 chapter awards.
First-place wins were given in the categories American Enterprise Project by Jane McMahan, Michael Fann and Kevin Davio; Business Decision Making by Fann, Kathy Woods and Jason Grey; Java Programming by Dana Huskins; Partnership with Business Project #2 by McMahan, Fann and Rachel Loescher; Sales Presentation by Fann and Sports Management and Marketing by Josiah Hyatt.
Categories with second-place wins were Accounting Principles by Loescher; Business Ethics by Sabrina Boone, Nora Stave and Sherry Inch; Local Chapter Annual Business Report by Michael Smith; Management Concepts by Howard Burrill; Public Speaking by Sabrina Boone and Word Processing by Woods. Sergei Nazarnenko placed fifth in Economic Concepts.
Students inducted in Who's Who in North Carolina PBL were Fann, Hyatt and Smith. Inch and Reid were cited for completion of the Leadership Development Program. Loescher, McMahan, Grey, Micah Dickinson, Fann and Smith were honored with the Career and Membership Achievement Program Director Level. Loescher, Fann and Smith also achieved Executive Level.
The A-B Tech Chapter was recognized for its 20 years of leadership, while advisors Kathy Toler, Carol Paxton and Kathie Doole were honored for their years of service. Toler was also given the Board of Directors Retirement Award Recognition.
Other chapter awards were for National Gold Seal Chapter, first-place Largest Local Chapter membership Western Region, first-place Largest Increase in Local Chapter Membership, Recognition for Support of Contributions to the March of Dimes, the NCPBL Foundation, Inc., and its scholarship and recognition for exceeding local chapter membership for 2005-06 compared to the previous year.