Progress, pride and peak performance pervaded the South Branch Inn May 30 as 29 graduates from last fall and this spring semesters, and 74 honor roll students, received official commendations from Eastern WV Community and Technical College.
The gathering of students, family and friends, community partners and college staff exceeded 100 that warm and sunny afternoon, and all came to celebrate academic achievement and college success.
At the ceremonies, Eastern also honored Moorefield’s Scott C. Jennings with its sixth annual Founders Day Award. The college also recognized three educational project partners from community business and industry.
From Mineral County, Angela Lafferre of New Creek Cheryl Ann Healy of Keyser received honors for making Eastern’s Dean’s List—Lafferre in spring semester, 2008, and Healy in fall semester, 2007.
Fort Ashby’s Betty File won recognition for completing a Skill Set of courses in American Sign Language.
Founders Day Award
Peggy Hawse, Chair of the Eastern’s Board of Governors, presented the Founders Day Award to Vice-chair Scott Jennings, “an individual who has contributed so much time, energy and talent to the college,” she said. “He has truly been involved since the beginning.”
A member of Eastern’s founding Board of Advisors, Jennings has worked in the Potomac Highlands banking industry for 24 years—ever since his graduation from Bridgewater College—and is currently serving his eighth year as Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice-president of the Summit Financial Group in Moorefield.
“When the college Board of Advisors became a Board of Governors,” Hawse noted, “he was also named to the Board of Governors. And he is now completing his second four-year term.”
While he involves himself in a host of community activities, she pointed out, Jennings “is most proud—and should be—of being the Scoutmaster of Troop number 60 for nine years. It speaks of his commitment to civic responsibilities and duties—and to giving. I think it’s important that all of us give,” Hawse said, “and surely he epitomizes that.”
Accepting the award, Jennings noted that it was while growing up in Bedford, Virginia that he first learned about the benefits a district can harvest by nourishing and capitalizing on a local community college.
“In that area we had community colleges that helped a lot of my friends get through college who otherwise would not have been able to attend,” he recalled. “And so when I heard that our community was going to get a community college, I was very excited.
“In the 8 years since we opened up the doors, we think we’ve come a long way,” Jennings said. And he offered a forecast for the future: As the coming decades unfold, he suggested, “this community college will supply an important need in education, and will prepare the community for the 21st century and beyond.”
APEX Awards
Eastern’s partnerships with area businesses and industries, and with other local educational organizations, will also play an important role in that preparation. At the ceremonies, the college presented three such partners—Mill Branch Industries, C.O.A.T.E.S., and American Woodmark Corporation—with its 2008 APEX Awards.
“APEX stands for Active Partners in Educational Excellence,” explained Robert ‘Buck’ Eagle, Eastern’s Dean for Student and Academic Services. “And we rely on our partners to provide a joint venture in service to the people, the businesses and the District.”
Mill Branch Industries, a home building components manufacturer in Hampshire County, partnered with Eastern recently to develop an employee training program that included supervisory training, time management and Microsoft computer skills, and WorkKeys assessments.
C.O.A.T.E.S—Comprehensive Occupational Assessment Testing and Educational Services—offers services to district youth that prepare them for job responsibilities and productive careers, Eagle noted.
 In partnership with the Region 7 Workforce Investment Board and Eastern’s Workforce Education Department, C.O.A.T.E.S. brings students to the college for OSHA workplace safety training and certification, and then a series of computer-related classes that students can convert to college credit if they successfully complete at least one additional credit-hour of coursework at Eastern.
American Woodmark is so far the only employer in the Potomac Highlands to take advantage of the college’s Occupational Development degree programs, Eagle said. Allowing employees to combine college courses with technical on-the-job training, the program currently offers associate of applied science degrees in two areas: Leadership and Industrial Maintenance.
For more information about Eastern’s financial aid opportunities, programs of study and workforce and community education, call 434-89000, or toll free: 877-982-2322; or check the College’s website: “www.eastern.wvnet.edu”.
Serving the residents of Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, Pendleton and Tucker counties,
Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College is a comprehensive and equal opportunity community and technical college bringing the resources and assets of Education
That Works to the families, communities and employers of the Potomac Highlands.