Transformations - Lone Star College
Transcription
Transformations - Lone Star College
Transformations An Update from Dr. Susan Karr, President May 2013 Student Success & Engagement 2013 LSC-Tomball/University Park Commencement In this Update Student Success ...... P. 1 The Fellowship of the Woodlands was packed with family, friends and guests on May 11 as 217 (of the approximately 773) Lone Star College-Tomball and University Park graduating students received their diplomas and honors at the combined 2013 LSC-Tomball/ University Park Commencement ceremony. Bianca Rodriguez, LSCTomball Diversity Club president, led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Courtney Stamper, LSC-Tomball alumnus, abandoned his prepared keynote address and delivered a spontaneous, heart-felt speech that exhorted students to believe in themselves and be tenacious in the pursuit of their dreams. Star of the Month.... P. 2 Accolades ............. P. 4 Spotlights.............. P. 6 New Faces............ P. 6 Recent Events......... P. 7 Community Partnerships ......... P. 7 Mission Lone Star College System provides comprehensive educational opportunities and programs to enrich lives. GED Graduation On May 23 at 6 p.m. in the Lone Star College-Tomball Performing Arts Center (PAC), more than 120 (of a graduating class of 482) graduates received their General Education Development (GED) diplomas. Both student speaker Daniel Millar, LSC-Tomball GED graduate and current Aurora Project college-readiness participant, and guest speaker Linda Good, Lone Star College System Board of Trustees member, related their personal stories, congratulated the graduates on their accomplishments, and urged them to remember that the day was not the end of the journey but the beginning of a new adventure. Linda Head, LSCS associate vice chancellor, workforce and corporate partnerships, delivered the program’s closing remarks. 1 Transformations Star of the Month Philip Guthrie— A Matter of Responsibility Unlike many of his peers, Lone Star College-Tomball student Philip Guthrie has never really been able to enjoy the luxury of being irresponsible. The youngest of four siblings, Philip’s life has been about helping—helping his mother around the house, helping his three older sisters when needed, and helping the family thrive. From this experience grew a strong sense of nurturing and an even stronger sense of responsibility. The moment Philip arrived at LSC-Tomball, he knew he found a home. “The thing I like most [about LSC-Tomball] is how friendly the people are… There’s kind of a friendship here; everyone seems to know everyone— students, faculty and staff,” Philip reflected. Continued on Page 9 Honors Projects an Exercise in Critical Thinking Each semester, ambitious students have the opportunity to push a little harder and go that extra mile by taking an honors course or completing a specialized honors project for a non-honors course. On April 29, the spring 2013 honors candidates presented projects on a wide range of topics to an audience comprised of faculty advisors, family, friends and LSC-Tomball employees. Each presentation consisted of a complex problem that required a high level of critical thinking for its solution. The following students delivered presentations*: Austin Baron Candis Boodoo Clara Carter Lauren Chase Edna Corona Shelby-Kate Coster Christine Coxon Matthew Cunningham Samuel Daudo Dustin Derrick Camila Escobar Maggie Estrada Victoria Fishel (two presentations) Shalynne Foster Megan Gallego Lauren Galley Megan Gallego presents the final summary of her honors project. Larry Gerhardt Justine Gray Kristina Havens Chelsea Howard (two presentations) Stacia Hunsaker Robin Leatherwood Amy Lundblad Connor Lyons Jordan McCourt Miranda Parkin Hunter Simonsen (three presentations) Tyler Stacy Chloe Stagner (two presentations) Jorge Torres Tony Emmett Williams, II Nicolas Xiong *Complete and accurate as of the writing of this issue. Class of 2013 Associate Degree of Nursing Pinning Ceremony May 9 was an evening of bright lights, bright scrubs, and bright smiles at the Lone Star CollegeTomball Performing Arts Center as 47 LSC-Tomball 2013 Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN) graduates and their families assembled for the ceremony to mark the closing of one door and the opening of another. After fellow classmate Lana Continued on Page 3 2 5 Transformations Continued from Page 2 Comstock shared reflections on her journey to the evening, Nursing Program Director Catherine Wampler and Nursing Lab Program Coordinator Patricia Handley shared their parting wisdom. Associate professor Kimberly Rumsey then recognized the award and tribute recipients. Awards: Academic Excellence—Alice Pavlak (4.0 GPA) Clinical Practice Excellence—Nicole Graves Clinical Practice Excellence (Transition Program)—Jasmine Courtney Florence Nightingale—Vickie Carlyle Spirit of Nursing—Holly Haynes and Kara Smith Student Nursing Association (SNA) Officer Recognition: Vickie Carlyle—SNA president and class officer Christina Vance—class vice president Bernadette Soule—SNA treasurer Shari Camarata—class historian Professor Leslie Grunden and associate professor Ivanola Ceasar presented the pins to the graduates, Kimberly Rumsey led the Nightingale Pledge, professor Tracie Wood led the ceremonial lighting of the lamps, and professor Jean Joublanc closed what was for all in attendance a memorable evening. LSC-Tomball Students Sweep International Education Conference Poster Contest Lone Star College-Tomball students Ivan Mandijano, Paul Bartly and Abby Trace took first, second and third place honors (respectively) in the Lone Star College System International Education Conference poster contest. The trio competed with students across the Lone Star College System to design a poster around the “Global Waterways” theme of the conference. Ivan took first place with his design that featured the Earth with water droplets surrounding it. He plans to graduate with an Associate of Applied Science degree from LSC-Tomball and then work as a graphic designer. Paul placed in second with his design of the Earth splashing in a wave of water. He plans to graduate with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Nursing and work locally as an ER nurse. Abby won third place with a design featuring water scenes from nature. The “long-term” (on and off for the past five years) LSC-Tomball painting student’s vocational aspirations include utilizing her artistic talents. Top to bottom: Ivan Mandijano, Paul Bartly and Abby Trace. All three students are in art professor Steffani Frideres’ linked Photoshop course at LSC-Tomball. Each received Continued on Page 4 Student Excellence Awards Lone Star College-Tomball’s Office of Student Life presented its 2013 Student Excellence Awards May 1 in the LSC-Tomball Performing Arts Center. The annual event honors the achievements of LSC-Tomball students in the areas of academics, service, leadership and talent. Eighty-two students received awards this year: Academic Awards: Saadia Ahmed Andrea Batchelor Jennifer Beacraft Tara Brightkrite Mitchell Byrum Manuel Campos Tracey Cheiffetz Chloe Clements Shanna Dudley Jephter Ekong Abigail Ferguson Grace Gonzalez Joshua Hancock Kristina Havens* Angeline Holley Robyn Leatherwood Sterling Matteson-Saathoff Dharmik Mehta Continued on Page 4 3 Transformations Continued from Page 3 Student Excellence Awards Continued from Page 3 Amy Miller Claudine Nassif Jared Nelson Caroline Nix Walkyria Orellana Mary Parker Miranda Parkin Carolyn Rhoades Jennifer Sample Daniel Simoni Alexandra Smith Rebecca Strong Leadership Awards: Asia Anderson Jarrod Anderson Chris Baker Cloie Barcelona Jennifer Beacraft Shawn Berger Brooke Bettis Tara Brightkrite Rhiannon Donaldson Shanna Dudley Madison Estes Abigail Ferguson Laura Goodall Taiya Guillory Carla Kinard Dharmik Mehta Stephen Netzley Bianca Rodriguez Lisa Torres* Elizabeth Vazquez Model UN: Austin Baron Mark Kinyanjui Hunter Simonsen All-USA/Coca-Cola Academic Team: Marilyn Comer Jared Nelson Continued on Page 5 a certificate of recognition and a gift certificate to Jerry’s Artarama (Houston). “Each semester I try to get students involved in a real-life graphic project that they have to complete, and this year the class was pleasantly surprised winning all three of the awards. The entire class did a fantastic job with their projects,” said Steffani. Accolades Lone Star College Voted Best of Northwest Houston Community Newspapers (HCN) recently recognized LSC-Tomball as a top-three finalist for Best Community College (LSC was ranked #1 with LSCTomball in 2nd place) and Lone Star College System as a top three finalist for Best Workplace. The awards were based on reader votes from the Cypress Creek Mirror, the Tomball Potpourri and the Magnolia Potpourri. Cynthia Casparis Appointed to National Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting Board The Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA) has appointed Dr. Cynthia Casparis (Lone Star College-Tomball dean of health, kinesiology, natural sciences and technology) to serve on its board of directors as a dean representative. The appointment was based on her experience in allied health education program administration and her experience as dean of an institution sponsoring a Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)-accredited surgical technology program. “This is quite an honor, and I am humbled by the appointment… It will be fun and challenging. I believe it will also help us gain knowledge and tools to catapult our program to be one of the premier ‘surg tech’ programs,” said Cynthia. Douglas Boyd Sabbatical—A Study of Biodiversity Sustainability Lone Star College-Tomball English professor Douglas Boyd returned from his sabbatical refreshed, revitalized and recommitted—chockfull of insights into the poetry of nature, biodiversity and sustainability. The premise of Douglas’ sabbatical was the importance of restoring biodiversity to public and private spaces—not only for wildlife but for children as a growing number of studies are establishing the ways in which nature improves people’s health (physical, mental and emotional)—and developing education and awareness programs to achieve it. “My sabbatiContinued on Page 5 4 5 Transformations Continued from Page 4 cal offered me the chance to work toward these two goals—restoring habitat and educating people about it—by giving me time to read more extensively about nature, complete projects that improved the campus for wildlife, think more deeply about how to incorporate nature into my English courses [a literature course focused on nature writing with service-learning and honors-credits opportunities], maintain current campus nature projects, and plan future projects,” Douglas said. Melissa Studdard—New Book Examines Facets of Creativity Lone Star College-Tomball English professor Melissa Studdard’s new book, “The Tiferet Talk Interviews” (Tiferet Press), is a collection of 12 interviews from her blog radio show for Tiferet Journal, “Tiferet Talk.” The tome allows readers to explore the thoughts, musings and reflections of renowned minds from a variety of fields—authors and poets, musicians and composers, filmmakers and marketers, businessmen and philanthropists, religious and spiritual leaders—on creativity, tolerance and the world we live in, as well as their perspectives on genuineness, accessing creativity, and balancing the conflicting facets of our lives. According to Melissa, “The collection illuminates how creativity fosters greater peace by contributing to personal fulfillment, helping us access the truths of our lives and providing connection with others.” Nicole Finkbeiner—Completed Leadership North Houston Nicole Finkbeiner, executive director of college relations, completed the final requirements of Leadership North Houston (LNH) on May 17. The nine-month program is a partnership between several local chambers of commerce and Lone Star College to develop leaders within the Northwest Houston area. During LNH, participants receive leadership coaching, visit and learn about different community organizations and programs, and complete a community service project. Along with her completion plaque and commendation from U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady, Nicole’s classmates also honored her with the “Most Enthusiastic Leader” award. Staff Fellows Leadership Academy Graduation On June 4, Lone Star College-Tomball Staff Fellows Leadership Academy graduates received their completion certificates, parting gifts and an honorary lunch with their supervisors and mentors at the Beckendorf Conference Center to celebrate a year of leadership growth and learning—which the graduates will do again next year as mentors for the 2013–2014 group. The mission of the LSC- Student Excellence Awards Continued from Page 4 Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship: Rama Gerig Jared Nelson Service Awards: Tara Brightkrite Rhiannon Donaldson Shanna Dudley* Rachel Eckert Abigail Ferguson Willie Foote Lauren Galley Larry Gerhardt II Inkling Awards: Keonda Atkins Chris Baker Marilyn Comer Blaine Derrick Rachel Eckert Madison Estes Nicholas Morris Shannon O’Quinn Cristobal Piñón Joanna Tine Lone Star Leadership College: Asia Anderson Jacob Foster Lauren Jeter Lyn Mangold Lisa Torres Foundation Essay Winner: Alexandra Smith Scott Coleman Award: Blaire Calabro *Best of category—most representative of the qualities of excellence in that category (Academic, Leadership and Service). Continued on Page 6 5 Transformations Continued from Page 5 New Faces Harlan Williams Online Instructional Designer II Lone Star College-Online Tomball Staff Fellows Program is to nurture a group of professional and support staff members committed to being leaders among their peers and in the community inside and outside of the college. Graduates (black shirts, middle row, left to right): Kayla Marshall, Robbie Richard Rogers, Danielle Thornton, Jackie Shepherd. Bottom row, left to right: Natalie Armantrout, Patty Wiggin, Amanda Driskill. Mentors (green shirts, upper row left to right): Gail Jolley, Janet Moore, Bobbye Silva, Dr. Irene Briggs, Deena Donoho. Middle row: Beth King. Bottom row: Ana Abshire. Spotlights James Pelezo—Educating and Inspiring for 28 Years Tuan-Anh Nguyen Officer Campus Police For Lone Star College-Tomball chemistry professor Dr. James “Jim” Pelezo, the classroom is for both education and inspiration. After 28 years of teaching (the last 24 at LSC-Tomball), Jim discovered that teaching style can be every bit as important as substance in students’ success. The subject of chemistry varies little from semester to semester, so for Jim the challenge is in varying his presentation. “It’s really not the material that’s the challenge, but the method of presentation that will motivate students to extend themselves beyond the obvious.” In addition to being an FAA-certified small plane flight instructor and building scale-model galleon- and sailing-class ships, Jim’s greatest passion is his family— his wife of 43 years, his three children and his two grandchildren. Kenneth Randle—Computer Repair Extraordinaire Vincent Carret Manager Food Services Continued on Page 9 You don’t have to look any further than Kenneth Randle, Lone Star CollegeTomball Health Science Building OTS coordinator, to realize the wisdom of following your passion. As a child, Ken always tinkered with things—building models, taking things Continued on Page 7 6 5 Transformations Continued from Page 6 apart to see how they worked, making them better as he reassembled them. It wasn’t long before his attention turned to computers. Recent Events After high school, Ken enlisted in the U.S. Navy, earned a B.S. degree in mathematics from Prairie View A&M University, was commissioned as an officer, was accepted into flight school, and became a P3 pilot. Once a civilian again, he followed his passion for computers and came to LSCS, where he’s worked for six years. He likes his job because he gets to do for work what he does for fun. “Many of my friends went on to the airlines and fly, but they don’t fly privately. I work on computers at home. It’s a perfect fit,” said Ken. When not home tinkering, Ken can be found shooting hoops, racing his Nissan 350Z around the track, or knocking out a “quick” 60 miles on his bicycle. Community Partnerships Tomball Regional Health Foundation Gives $379,188 to LSC-Tomball Tomball Regional Health Foundation (TRHF) recently committed to providing Lone Star CollegeTomball with $379,188 for support of allied health programs at the college. The initial gift of $64,188 will be used to purchase equipment to enhance instruction in LSC-Tomball’s nursing and pharmacy technology programs. By August 31, and for the next four years thereafter, the Foundation will provide the funds to pay the salary for an Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) instructor. “We are grateful to be able to provide this funding to Lone Star College-Tomball for the equipment and faculty that they need to expand their nursing and pharmacy tech program,” said Jack Smith, chairman of the board of the Tomball Regional Health Foundation. TRHF’s vision is to become a catalyst for measurable health and wellness improvements in Tomball and the surrounding communities. “We sincerely thank Tomball Regional Health Foundation for their support. Their donation will help us in our goal of providing exemplary education to our students and qualified health care professionals to our community. TRHF has always been a wonderful partner, and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them in the future,” said Dr. Susan Karr, LSC-Tomball president. Spring Concert Finale The Lone Star College-Tomball music department’s final concert of the school year took place May 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the LSC-Tomball Performing Arts Center. The evening opened with a performance by the 2013 winner of LSC-Tomball’s High School Piano Contest, Justin Lin. That was followed by the LSC-Tomball choirs’ renditions of music from the films “The Hunger Games” and “Les Misérables,” and a swinging selection from the LSC-Tomball jazz ensemble. The highlight of the evening was the presentation of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria,” featuring the combined performances of the Lakewood United Methodist Church Chancel Choir, Tomball United Methodist Church Sanctuary Choir, and LSC-Tomball Concert Choir, with instrumental musical accompaniment provided by the Cypress Symphony. 7 5 Transformations Two-Year Scholarship in Honor of John Neubauer In honor of retiring Tomball Independent School District (ISD) superintendent John Neubauer and his 46 years of dedicated service to the district, LSC-Tomball established a full twoyear tuition scholarship in his name. Lone Star College-Tomball President Dr. Susan Karr presented him with the scholarship at his retirement reception, held on Wednesday, May 22 in the John P. Neubauer Administration Building. Chris Grawl— Co-Founder of the Billy Pilgrim Traveling Library Chris Grawl, Lone Star CollegeTomball part-time librarian, recently co-founded the Billy Pilgrim Traveling Library (BPTL). The BPTL travels around Houston on weekends with a collection of books, music, videos and other resources, lending its items out in accordance with its membership plans at high-traffic, truckfriendly locales like museums, coffee shops and supermarkets as opportunities allow. It is also available to other organizations (including public libraries, artists and local businesses) to utilize however needed. Though only operational for three months, the BPTL has already attracted more than 100 members and continues to evolve. “With each person who sets foot inside, the BPTL grows—not just in terms of membership, but in how best to serve as a purveyor of culture to the community,” said Chris. The scholarship will cover the tuition expenses for a student to attend LSC-Tomball for two years. “John Neubauer has given so much to our community through his service to Tomball ISD. His passion and service to the students are a true testament to his dedication to education,” said Dr. Karr. Dual Credit Symposium On April 20, approximately 35 high school faculty from around Lone Star College-Tomball’s service area came together with LSC-Tomball faculty in the Beckendorf Conference Center for an in-depth discussion of instructional needs and dual credit course content. Dr. Lisa Morales, dean, academic initiatives and partnerships, opened the session with a warm welcome and mention of preparations for the 20132014 academic year. She underscored LSC-Tomball’s commitment to instructional quality and invited dual credit faculty to further utilize college resources. The primary mission of the afternoon, however, was extended discipline-specific discussions among colleagues across the educational spectrum. Divided into round tables based on their course subjects, high school and college faculty quickly became deeply engaged in dialogue focused on how dual credit faculty can meet both high school and college demands within the substance of their courses. Tomball Scholarship Foundation Recipients The Tomball Scholarship Foundation awarded 12 scholarships to seniors planning to attend college within the Lone Star College System. The Tomball Scholarship Foundation raises money to award scholarships to graduating seniors; 100 Continued on Page 9 8 5 Transformations Continued from Page 8 percent of all donations are applied to tuition costs. Tomball Scholarship Foundation President John Neubauer presented the awards to (pictured right, first row, from left) Kelsey Wallace, Sadie Afroj and Aniska Jett, flanked by LSC-Tomball President Dr. Susan Karr; (second row) Kelsey Zalesak, Miranda Hignite and Evan Bradley; (back row) Caitlyn Moye, Sierra Harbour, Angela Spratford, Emma Martinez and Manuel Mendez. Not photographed: Ciara Powers. Tom Bui—Dragon Boat Racer Lone Star College-Tomball PC Technician IV Tuong “Tom” Bui was a member of the winning dragon boat racing team (Hybrid Dragons) in the community division of the 13th Annual Houston Dragon Boat Festival, held May 4 at Allen’s Landing in downtown Houston. It was the team’s first competition win—and Tom’s first race. Star of the Month Continued from Page 2 It didn’t take long before everyone knew Philip, too. During his two years at LSC-Tomball, Philip worked in the Student Life, ROaDI, TRiO and Records & Transcripts offices, helping those in need, demonstrating his responsibility, and earning the respect of everyone he has worked with and for. Upon completion of his Associate of Arts degree, Philip is thinking about a Bachelor of Science degree in human or information services—something that will further his desire to help others. But whatever path he ends up taking, Philip will forever embody his favorite quote, two lines of a speech given by President John Kennedy at a Washington, D.C., prayer breakfast, “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.” New Faces Continued from Page 6 Local ISD Scholarships The Lone Star College System Board of Trustees approved scholarships covering tuition and fees up to a total of $1,000 for up to two graduating students (one male and one female) from high schools within its service area. In the case of LSC-Tomball, the following schools and students received scholarships for the 2013–2014 academic year (fall 2013 through spring and summer 2014): Alpha Academy—Jacob Thomas Jenkins, Bree Ann Burger Concordia Lutheran High School—Blake Bogs, Irene Featherston Cypress Christian School—Gustavo Valero, Juliana York Magnolia High School—Alex Morin, Amanda Sprague Magnolia West High School—Ernesto Vazquez, Lauren Roetzler Rosehill Christian School—Breck Allen Powers, Edward William Greenfield Tomball High School—Joseph Klodginski, Emily Kelly Tomball Memorial High School—Madison Bauman Waller High School—Kevin Barillas, Dalia Vazquez Jacquelyn Shepherd Administrative Assistant I Vice President of Instruction 9 5 Transformations Upcoming Events Independence Day July 4 Summer Session II Begins July 11 The Music Man July 11 – 13 at 7:30 p.m. July 14 at 2 p.m. Performing Arts Center To see the most current events, visit LoneStar.edu/Calendars 30555 Tomball Pkwy. Tomball, TX 77375 Phone (281) 351-3300 LoneStar.edu/Tomball