With varying enrollment, active cases on campus and a commitment to continuing to provide high-quality education, Triad universities and colleges reopened this month with both online and in-person class offerings. So far, none have been shut down.
Monthly Archives: August 2020
International Education Report
Community College Journal, Aug/Sept 2020
Getting to Know Joey Bryant
author, professor, department chair, Davis iTEC/Cyber Security Center and program coordinator – IT-Healthcare Informatics
Joey recently co-authored the book Principles of Information Systems. Here she shares her experience and background.
Question:
How did you get involved in writing the textbook?
Answer:
I had talked with Cengage at a conference two years ago about the content of a book that I was using and gave some suggestions for updated content. They called me last year and asked me to write for a different book, Principles of Information Systems, The original author of the book had passed and they needed someone who was passionate about information technology and had a desire to write. They had one chapter with a title and wanted to add an additional chapter for artificial intelligence. I was excited, as this was something that I have always wanted to do.
Question:
How long was the writing process?
Answer:
The entire process – writing, editing, revising – took about 10 months to complete. It is a lot of work and research. The entire process is extremely detailed, and I was working nights and weekends to meet deadlines.
Question:
Are you from North Carolina and where did you grow up?
Answer:
I was born in Greensboro and moved to Mount Airy as a teenager.
Question:
What are your academic degrees and where did you graduate?
Answer:
AAS – Business Computer Programming from Surry Community College
BS – Computer Information Systems – High Point University
MBA – High Point University
Post-Masters Certification in IT – University of North Carolina Greensboro
Question:
How long have you been at Forsyth Tech?
Answer:
I have been at Forsyth Tech for 11 years, one adjunct year and 10 full-time
Question:
Did you start as an instructor?
Answer:
I began at Forsyth Tech as an adjunct instructor in 2009. In 2010, I became a full-time instructor, In 2012, I obtained the position of Program Coordinator and in 2019 became a Department Chair.
Question:
Were you in industry before becoming an instructor?
Answer:
Yes, I worked in the Information Technology industry for 20 years before I began my career in education.
Question:
What interested you in information technology and what do you enjoy most about it?
Answer:
I was raised with technology, watching my father who was in the industry. I started taking classes at Surry Community College at night during high school, as programming classes were not offered in high schools at the time. The process of designing a system and then watching it come to life was fascinating to me, and still is. Seeing your creation work and help others do their jobs more efficiently is such a satisfying feeling.
Question:
How many classes do you teach and what do you enjoy most about teaching?
Answer:
Each semester varies, but I teach four to six classes each semester. I enjoy teaching because I love to learn. I want the students to get as excited about technology as I am and to instill in them that life-long desire to learn. Watching a student accomplish their goals is as satisfying to me as a teacher as it was for me as a student.
Question:
What are some of your outside interests/hobbies?
Answer:
When I am not at work, I spend a lot of time with family and friends. I love to go fishing, camping, reading. I also sing with my church’s choir and praise team.
Career and College Promise Offers High School Students a Head Start on College Credits Tuition-Free
Winston-Salem, N.C. – As this school year begins, all Winston-Salem Forsyth County high School students will be taking classes online for at least the first nine weeks of the semester. Through the Career and College Promise if they choose, they can also gain free college credit by enrolling in courses at Forsyth Tech.
One student who recently completed the dual enrollment program, Onolunosen (Ono) Abhulimen graduated this spring from Mount Tabor High School and Forsyth Technical Community College with her associate in science degree. She was among approximately 59,000 high school students across N.C last year, who took these courses, saving both time and money toward a college degree.
Abhulimen decided to enter the dual enrollment program as she said, “because of my zeal to broaden my intellectual curiosity in more advanced subjects while experiencing a higher education environment. While extremely challenging, the dual enrollment program has given me the template that will become valuable in navigating my next stage on a full journey in higher education. I certainly felt it was the best way for me to prepare myself for the next level.”
To say she was busy is an understatement. Abhulimen said “During that time period I learned a lot about time management, prioritization, commitment and determination. There was no luxury for procrastination as deadlines were stacked on many deliverables. While the work was challenging, I absolutely looked forward to the varied experiences in the two school environments on a daily basis.”
Weighted the same as Advanced Placement courses, college transfer courses are equivalent for grade point averages on high school transcripts. By the time students graduate from high school, some students earn enough credits for a community college degree or credential.
Winston-Salem to celebrate women’s right to vote with voter registration event
Special events are being organized around the country to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. These events will all take place on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Winston-Salem is planning its own event for that day which, appropriately, will be a voter registration event.
RiverRun to screen ‘John Lewis: Good Trouble’ at Marketplace Drive-In
The RiverRun International Film Festival will screen the film “John Lewis: Good Trouble” in partnership with the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro at the Marketplace Drive-In in Winston-Salem on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Using interviews and rare archival footage, “John Lewis: Good Trouble” chronicles Lewis’ 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health-care reform and immigration. Using personal interviews with Lewis, who died in July at 80, Porter explores his childhood experiences, his inspiring family and his fateful meeting with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957. In addition to her interviews with Lewis and his family, Porter’s primarily cinéma verité film also includes interviews with political leaders, congressional colleagues and other people who figured prominently in Lewis’ life.
“We are certainly honored and humbled to have the opportunity to bring John Lewis’ remarkable story to our drive-in audience,” said Rob Davis, RiverRun’s executive director. “The impact that his life and his career had on history will be felt for generations, and to get to share this film so soon after losing Congressman Lewis is especially poignant to us. We are also extremely honored to be presenting this film in conjunction with the International Civil Rights Center & Museum just down the road in Greensboro.”
King Library offers services to job seekers
As the King Library re-opened on July 13, free services for job seekers will start again by appointment only. Forsyth Technical Community College, in partnership with the King Library, offers Career Connections. The services offered are: writing resumes and cover letters, assistance in completing on-line applications, learning interview techniques, setting-up emails, filing unemployment and acquiring tips on looking for job listings.
Duke Energy Provides Grants to Support Apprenticeship Program at Forsyth Technical Community College
The funding of two grants will provide opportunities for registered apprenticeships.
Duke Energy has provided two grants for the Registered Apprenticeships Program at Forsyth Tech. In Fall 2019, Duke Energy gave $200,000 to support apprenticeships and in June 2020, Duke awarded $50,000 to support apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs at Forsyth Tech through the Learn and Earn Apprenticeship program.
“In order for our community to thrive, we must work together to fill jobs with skilled employees,” said Janet Spriggs, president of Forsyth Technical Community College. “Through our Learn and Earn Apprenticeship Program (LEAP@Forsyth), students get on-the-job training while in school, giving them new insight in what they are learning in class. This program is giving underemployed or unemployed individuals an opportunity for a rewarding career.”
This grant is part of the $5 million Duke Energy/Piedmont Natural Gas Community College Apprenticeship Grant program announced in April 2017. The apprenticeship grant program was administered by NC Community Foundation and Foundation for the Carolinas. Award decisions were made by a committee of representatives from Duke Energy, NC Community College System and NC Department of Commerce.
“North Carolina’s community colleges are essential to train the workforce that businesses rely on,” said Jimmy Flythe, Duke Energy director of government and community relations. “We are proud to partner with Forsyth Tech to give students job opportunities while preparing them to meet the region’s evolving business needs.”
Since 2004, Duke Energy has invested $45 million in North Carolina’s Community Colleges, with a focus on technical education and support of business and industry.
Here’s how three Forsyth Tech computer numeric control machinist apprentices express what the grant means to them. “The Duke Energy Apprenticeship grant opened up opportunities for both me and my spouse,” said Colin Tomkins, with Siemens Energy. “This scholarship, quite literally, gave me the opportunity to start my career.”
Tompkins had just moved from Atlanta a few months before the apprenticeship program began. He was able to accept this scholarship with no savings and otherwise no way to pay for college. Also, because he didn’t have to worry about the cost of his education, he and his wife were eventually able to save up enough money for her to start earning her second degree starting this fall.
“The Duke Energy Grant has helped me on the path to learning a trade and into a new field of employment,” said Debbie Moore, with Siemens Energy. “I am so grateful for the opportunity that the grant has afforded me, thanks to Duke Energy.”
“Every student fears college debt, but with the Duke Energy Apprenticeship grant I can focus on my classes and the job I’ve been given without the crushing weight of tuition on me,” Brixtin Harvey, with Progress Rail. “The difference this grant has made can be seen in the lack of bags under my eyes every single day.”
Apprentices gain access to jobs in demand for the Piedmont Triad area and puts them on a career path that, with further education and experience, can lead to wage growth and a rewarding career.
“This grant provides a tremendous opportunity for adult students who may not qualify for tuition waivers that youth apprentices receive, said Danielle Rose, apprenticeship coordinator at Forsyth Tech. Because of this funding, we can recruit and train a broader workforce for our employer partners.”
“We are grateful to Duke Energy for this support,” said Spriggs. “Teaming up with Duke Energy we’re addressing these critical needs and increasing economic opportunities. This is one more way that Forsyth Tech is a catalyst for equitable economic mobility, empowering lives and transforming communities.”
If you are interested in the Learn and Earn Apprenticeship program, please contact Danielle Rose, apprenticeship coordinator at Forsyth Tech.
Art changes Winston-Salem visual artist’s life
Her high school years “never clicked,” visual artist and entrepreneur Mahala Sahara Preudhomme said.
“I was never studious,” Preudhomme said. “I just wasn’t a good student.”
But she comes from an educated and well-traveled family.
“That was No. 1 to my mom,” she said. “You must have an education, and that meant a master’s degree.”
In 2014, Preudhomme graduated from West Forsyth High School in Winston-Salem then attended Forsyth Technical Community College.
While leaving the college after one year of studying for an associate in arts degree, Preudhomme discovered her groove.
“I always had art supplies so I just started drawing in my free time,” she said.
