Many of us hope to change the world. Forsyth Tech nanotechnology students are well on their way to doing it.

A Forsyth Tech team of six nanotechnology students won the second annual Community College Innovation Challenge. The competition – funded by the National Science Foundation in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges – encourages students to develop solutions to real-world problems using science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). As first-place winners, the team members received $2,000 each.
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When it comes to teaching mathematics, Dr. Sharilyn Owens is at no loss for words. In fact, the mathematics department chair, who is also Associate in Engineering Program Coordinator and Faculty Learning Communities Facilitator, is a co-contributor to the upcoming Handbook of Research on Transforming Mathematics Teacher Educa­tion in the Digital Age. She contributed an entire chapter on the professional development of mathematics teachers.
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Students enrolled in Scott Needham’s Lighting for the Theater, Lighting Design, and Stagecraft I and II classes in the Fine Arts department may not realize how much they’ve lucked out. An adjunct instructor, Scott couldn’t be better equipped to teach technical theater courses.
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Forsyth Tech is forging a name for itself in the cybersecurity arena as a recipient of the prestigious Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education designation from the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The college’s Davis iTEC Center, under the leadership of Dr. Deanne Wesley, department chair, held a cybersecurity symposium on Main Campus April 22, 2016. Experts addressed faculty, students and the public about education and research in the field.
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Starting in August 2016, Forsyth Tech will offer Weekend College, a program designed for adult students who work full time while studying for their AA degree. “Many adult students are employed full time, and some have to travel during the week,” says Anu Williams, Department Chair, Humanities, Communication and Fine Arts. “To carry a full course load, they may need to take classes three or four evenings a week. That isn’t possible for everyone.”
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Staying Ahead Of The Innovation Curve: The Future Is Now

Like every community college in North Carolina, Forsyth Tech receives most of its funding from the state and county. But the combined revenue from these sources isn’t sufficient to cover the college’s financial needs. To ensure that students are educated and trained in upgraded facilities, using state-of-the-art technology and equipment, Forsyth Tech requires extra funding.
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Jordan Sealey had a special zest for life. He was kind and giving. A homebody, he excelled at being a great son to his parents, Kelly and John Sealey; a supportive big brother to Bradley; and a faithful companion to his many friends.
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For Luke Marot, a voracious learner with multiple interests (engineering, graphics, composing music), college was one big knowledge buffet. The problem with so much abundance is that it makes narrowing down choices difficult. “I started with mechanical engineering, then switched to business. I changed my major three or four times,” he recalls.

Luke earned his B.A. in 2012 from Cedarville University in Ohio. But after graduation, he wasn’t so sure he’d made the right decision, having settled on electronic media, with an emphasis on videography. The job market for what he planned to do was hard to compete in for someone with no work experience in the field.

He finally decided to return to school to study architecture. From a handful of community colleges, he chose Forsyth Tech’s Architecture program. It didn’t take long before Luke knew he’d found his niche. “I soon realized how highly regarded the program is among people in the field,” he recalls. “Forsyth Tech has beaten four-year schools in state­wide competitions five years in a row. So, as far as preparing students for the real world, what comes out of the little architecture studio in Snyder Hall is on par with what big four-year colleges are doing.”

In May 2015, Luke graduated from Forsyth Tech with an AAS degree in architecture and plans to eventually earn a master’s degree in architecture from UNC Charlotte. In the interim, he’s gaining profes­sional experience. In addition to working as an architecture lab tech two evenings a week, he worked for Winston-Salem architect Joseph Oppenheimer, whose work involves preserving historic buildings.

On February 1, Luke started a new job with SPEVCO, a company in Pfafftown that builds customized marketing vehicles, such as semi-container trailers outfitted as mobile display spaces. As a conceptual designer, he works side by side with engineers, creating 3-D computer models of trucks the company builds specifically for each client.

Summing up why architecture continues to appeal to him, Luke says, “It’s one of the few fields that combines science and art. The sci­ence, math, combines with design and space planning to achieve the desired feel and function of a structure.”

For Latisha Agnew, returning to school to obtain her practical nursing diploma at Forsyth Tech was an investment in money, time and her future.

With two of her three children still living at home, the single mom decided now was the time to go restart her education. “My daughter, 16, and my son, 13, were old enough for me to attend evening classes,” she says.
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