Students of Enterprise State Community College’s first graduating class, the Class of 1967, relived some of their most memorable moments on the campus during a luncheon for their 50th Homecoming celebration on Monday, February 27, 2017. The luncheon was hosted by the College’s Interim President, Dr. Vicky Ohlson. In attendance were 12 graduates and five instructors from the inaugural class. Dr. Joseph Talmadge, who served as the Dean of the College from 1965 to 1981 and the President from 1981 to 1994, was the keynote speaker.

Dr. Talmadge regaled the crowd with stories of improbable success in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles during the College’s infancy. Dr. Talmadge credited the success of the College to the determination and creativity of the administration and faculty who could pull together and provide for the students using very limited resources. Dr. Kevin Ammons, Associate Dean of Students, followed Dr. Talmadge’s speech with a presentation on the birth and history of the college.

“It was incredible as an employee of the College and a former student to hear the stories of those first days. I think it’s a testament to the impact that a few competent, passionate people can have on a community and that legacy certainly lives on today at ESCC,” said Andrew Davis, Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning.

George Landingham, a member of the Class of 1967, said, “My wife and I …had not been back on the campus since we graduated 50 years ago and our memories were refreshed of the great time we spent there. It was wonderful seeing some old classmates and former faculty. It made me remember that Enterprise State Junior College gave me all the foundation I needed to go on to Auburn University and from there to a successful career. The College truly changed the course of my life.”

Roy and Beverly Powell, graduates of the Class of 1967 who are now married and live in Samson, said, “It was enjoyable to be back on campus and to see our classmates and several of the professors who were there. The College opening when it did was unbelievably good for all of us who were graduating from high school at that time. A lot of us probably would not have been able to have gone to a four-year school because of the cost in it. It was just a blessing to all of us to have such a wonderful experience with the amazing faculty that Dr. Talmadge had assembled. It wasn’t about the facilities, even though it was great to get into the new buildings there, because we even had a good time when we were in downtown Enterprise. It was hard at Auburn to get used to all the big classes. You’d go into a class and there’d be 300 people in there and we were used to 20 to 30. But I didn’t have any more of a problem adjusting to life at Auburn than students who had spent their first two years at Auburn.”

Dr. Ohlson said that having the first graduating class back on campus after 50 years was a wonderful experience and reminded her of how great an impact the College has on the lives of its students, giving them the opportunity for a first-class college education close to home and at a fraction of the cost for the same courses at a state university.  She said that she is looking forward to having the Class of 1967 back on campus for this year’s graduation ceremony, where one of their own, Bill Carr, an extremely successful local entrepreneur and CEO of the 21st largest CPA firm in the nation (Carr, Riggs and Ingram) will deliver the commencement address. This year’s homecoming events serve as a model for future years to come, as the College intends to continually include additional classes from the past a part of the homecoming and graduation festivities each year. An alumni organization is also in the works.

Anyone who attended ESCC in the past and who is interested in becoming part of the ESCC alumni organization should contact Andrew Davis at the College alumni@escc.edu or 334-347-2623, ext. 2309.

CUTLINE:

Back row left to right: Mr. Ronnie Donaldson, Dr. David Chalker, Dr. Joe Autrey, Mr. Donald Cope, Mr. George Landingham

Middle Row Left to Right: Mrs. Linda Frye, Mrs. Patsy Powell, Ms. Peggy Autrey, Mrs. Martha Thompson, Mr. Roy Powell, Mrs. Gloria Landingham

Front Row Left to Right: Dr. Joseph Talmadge, Mrs. Nancy Brunson, Mrs. Beverly Powell, Mrs. Charlotte Hatcher, Mr. Curtis Davis

ENTERPRISE – Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa presented the REACH Reward to Enterprise State Community College Tau Mu chapter. “Last year, Phi Theta Kappa launched REACH Rewards, a program designed to recognize and reward Phi Theta Kappa chapters that excel in membership development. We did this because we believe strongly in the mission of Phi Theta Kappa and want as many students as possible to receive the benefits of membership—benefits including scholarships and increased opportunities for engagement with their peers and key faculty members on campus—which lead to higher rates of completion among our members. I am happy to announce that the Tau Mu Chapter has been named a 2017 REACH Chapter and will be receiving special recognition in the form of 8 Phi Theta Kappa graduation stoles that will be sent directly to the chapter’s advisor. These stoles can then be distributed to chapter officers or members to be worn during graduation and to keep as a celebration of the milestone of college completion, while also encouraging other students to do the same”, said Dr. Tincher-Ladner.

Phi Theta Kappa designed a rewards program for chapters focused on Recognizing Excellence in Acceptance and Completion with Honors. For short, Phi Theta Kappa called it REACH Rewards. The REACH Rewards program encourages membership by rewarding chapters who achieve or exceed 15 percent for their membership acceptance rate.

Kristi Peters, Math Instructor at ESCC and Phi Theta Kappa Tau Mu chapter’s advisor, had this to say about the REACH Reward, “It is an honor to be the advisor for our college’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter. PTK is the only honor society for community college students so being able to recognize these students who work exceptionally hard is exciting. When I became advisor, our chapter had been inactive so recruiting new members was very important. After seeing the life changing benefits Phi Theta Kappa membership can bring these students I knew I wanted every eligible student to also have this opportunity. To receive REACH rewards from our international headquarters in an honor and shows that we are helping to make a difference in our students lives by increasing our membership”.

CUTLINE: Front row left to right: Cheyanna Huston-McCrea – Enterprise, AL., Kristi Peters – Chapter Advisor, Katie Sullivan – Hartford, AL.

Back row: Shannon Lynch – Enterprise, AL., Hannah Eddins – Samson, AL., Caleb Newsom – Enterprise, AL., Macy McIntosh – Jack, AL., Matthew Skinner – Hartford, AL., Jacob McDougald – Enterprise, AL.

Enterprise State Community College (ESCC) is pleased to announce that the American Bar Association (ABA) has granted approval to the Paralegal Studies Program offered at ESCC. Paralegal education programs that are approved by the ABA have undergone a lengthy and intensive process required by the American Bar Association which evaluates the quality of the paralegal program and only accepts those that meet specific standards. To obtain approval by the ABA, a program of education must demonstrate that its program is consistent with sound educational content, policies, procedures, substantive and practical legal curriculum; and that it has met the high expectations set out in the official Guidelines of the Paralegal Standing Committee of the American Bar Association.

ESCC is proud that its Paralegal Studies Program has successfully met the high standards set by the American Bar Association. Schools that successfully complete the ABA approval process have shown a definite commitment to their program through research, assessments, completing the application process, planning and undergoing a site team evaluation, and the like. The ABA approval process typically takes a minimum of three years to complete. Under the direction of the Paralegal Program professor, Attorney Lydia Dillingham, ESCC began the application process in the 2013/2014 academic year and received the final stamp of approval from the ABA House of Delegates on February 6, 2017.

There are only six other colleges in the State of Alabama that have received ABA approval, many which are four year institutions; ESCC being only one of two community colleges which have received ABA approval in Alabama. Although having an ABA approved education is not necessary for employment in the legal field, many employers see completion of an ABA approved program as a plus, as do many paralegal professional associations when qualifying candidates for certification.

Individuals interested in enrolling in the Paralegal Studies Program at ESCC should contact Lydia C. Dillingham at ldillingham@escc.edu or 334-347-3634 Extension 2207.

The Mathematics Department at Enterprise State Community College (ESCC) hosted a Mathematics Tournament at its Enterprise campus on Friday, February 3, 2017. The tournament welcomed 300 middle and high school students from 16 local schools.

Middle and high school students were given the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, and Advanced Mathematics. Members from ESCC’s faculty and student organizations assisted in directing students to the correct testing rooms and monitoring the testing areas. Instructors from ESCC’s Science and Mathematics Department graded the tests and presented awards to the tournament winners. The tournament concluded with lunch that was provided by ESCC’S Recruitment Team and an awards ceremony.

Ms. Kristi Peters, a Mathematics Professor at ESCC, was excited to help host the Math Tournament: “As Math instructors, we know the importance of Mathematics. Hosting this local tournament gives our area ‘Math Stars’ a chance to shine.”

CUTLINE: From left to right – front row: Jason Bell (Division I – Algebra I – First place), Marina Ognibert (Division I – Algebra I – Second place), Charles Frey (Division I – Algebra I – Third place); Isabell Stafford (Division II – Algebra I – First place), Noah Dickens (Division II – Algebra I – Second place), Jackson Kelley (Division II – Algebra I – Third place); David Yang (Division I – Geometry – First place), Michael Byrd (Division I – Geometry – Second place), William Raley (Division I – Geometry – Third place);
From left to right – middle row: Timi Sobanjo (Division II – Geometry – First place), Emily Floyd (Division II – Geometry – Second place), Aleigh Lanier (Division II – Geometry – Third place); Jackson Norsworthy (Division I – Algebra II – First place), Tanner Chevrette (Division I – Algebra II – Second place), Bailey Eubanks (Division I – Algebra II – Third place); Josh Sanders (Division II – Algebra II – Third place), Sarah Putnam (Division II – Algebra II – Second place), Hagen Hall (Division II – Algebra II – First place);
From left to right – back row: Nikolas Stefanov (Division I – Advanced Math – Third place), Camp Shelor (Division I – Advanced Math – Second place), Serin Baek (Division I – Advanced Math – First place); Cody Hebert (Division II – Advanced Math – Third place), Preston Williams (Division II – Advanced Math – Second place), Scott Nguyen (Division II – Advanced Math – First place);

Enterprise State Community College is proud to announce that 12 of its students enrolled in a new Computer Information Sciences (CIS) program have earned their first of several prestigious industry-recognized credentials. What makes this so impressive is that the students are dually enrolled high school students, that they earned the credential after taking only one college course, and that 100% of those who took the certification exam passed it on the first attempt. The credential that the students earned is the CompTIA certification in IT Fundamentals, which can be a stepping stone to more advanced certifications such as A+, Network+, and Security+. The CompTIA IT Fundamentals exam covers foundational information technology concepts including identifying and explaining computer components, installing software, establishing network connectivity and preventing security risks.

The 12 students who earned the CompTIA IT Fundamentals certification are attending the Wiregrass IT Center of Excellence (WITCoE), a regional high school career/technical center launched last fall which is housed on the ESCC campus. WITCoE represents an alliance among local school districts, community colleges, and workforce and economic development to provide for a better qualified workforce in the Wiregrass Area. The Center will prepare students for employment in high wage, high demand jobs immediately after high school graduation. The 12 students who earned the CompTIA certification in IT Fundamentals at the end of last semester are: Josiah Ayala (EHS), Ryan Braden (EHS), Jordan Clark (Geneva HS), Andrew Douglas (Kinston HS), Jackson Dyess (EHS), Bryce Fearing (EHS), Josh Jones (EHS), Tre’von Jones (EHS), Josh Lavoy (EHS), Chris Nolder (EHS), Keval Patel (EHS), and Johnny Wagner (EHS).

Most of the students enrolled in ESCC through WITCoE are pursuing the College’s new short certificate titled “IT Professional”. It consists of eight 3-credit-hour courses (24 total credit hours) that train students in the areas of hardware and software support, networking, IT security, and open-source operating systems (Linux). These courses also help prepare them for corresponding CompTIA certification exams. Students who earn the IT Professional certificate will have completed the technology core of ESCC’s new AAS degree in IT Auditing and Assurance (coming Fall 2017), a two-year degree which, with only a few years of on-the-job experience, can lead to a 6-figure salary.

Both the IT Professional certificate and the IT Audit and Assurance associate degree are open to traditional college students as well as dually enrolled high school students. Graduating seniors and adults who are interested in the program should contact the ESCC Interim Dean of Instruction, Leslie Reeder, at 334-347-2623, ext. 2203 or lreeder@escc.edu for more information. High school students who are seeking admission through dual enrollment should contact WITCoE Principal Dr. Brent Hanchey at (334) 347-2640 or bhanchey@enterpriseschools.net.