IN THIS ISSUE

SUMMERTIME EVENT

CCCC Night at the Ballpark!

Join us for CCCC Night at the Ballpark and enjoy a Sanford Spinners baseball game. Employees will receive FREE entry to the game, courtesy of the CCCC Foundation. If you plan to attend, please complete this form.

BACK TO TOP

Cougar Champions

Submit your nominations for full-time and part-time Cougar Champion of the month.

Full-Time Cougar Champion of the Month!

April Cougar Champion: Regina Minter

Regina has taken on a huge job of learning the department chair position in a time when culinary enrollment is down and we are all struggling. She has done a great job with added hours keeping her team uplifted, moving forward, and setting new goals. She also took on the task of creating a new program for the department in hopes of widening our student base and keeping her instructors employed. She teaches classes including an IDD class and she fields all catering requests to bring in money for the department. She does all this with a kind and empathetic attitude toward students and colleagues.

Chef Regina Minter uses her leadership skills to teach and train her staff so that they can lead and train future chefs in the area. Her excellent teaching and communication skills have set her department apart. Her energy and passion for cooking and teaching others are contagious. Other essential traits of hers include patience and good organizational and time-management skills. She goes to different events to help shed light on the outstanding culinary arts program at Central Carolina Community College. One of the events that stood out to the community was International Night hosted by El Refugio where I (Chef Diana Wilson) and she (Chef Regina Minter) displayed our culinary talent by presenting Peruvian cuisine, which stole the show and had multiple lines waiting to get a taste of what is cooking in the CCCC Culinary Arts department kitchen. We are proud of our Department Chair of Culinary and Hospitality for stepping up to the plate and leading another successful school year.

Regina Minter
Department Chair of Culinary Arts

How long have you worked for CCCC?
Eleven years total.  Nine years as full-time employee.

What brought you to CCCC?
Chef Greg Hamm offered me a job and the rest is history.

Describe what you do for CCCC.
I oversee the Culinary Department in Chatham, Harnett and Lee counties.  This includes scheduling classes, teaching students, and meeting with our community stakeholders.

Where were you born?
Chapel Hill, N.C.

Where did you grow up?
Sanford.

Where do you live now?
Sanford.

Educational credentials?
Associate in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor in Food Service Management.

Tell us about your family!
I am married (John). I have five Godchildren (two boys and three girls).

What are some of your hobbies or other interests outside of CCCC?
Dancing, music, art.

Who is one of your favorite fictional characters and why?
Wilbur from Charlotte's Web.  Because it taught me a lot about how to deal with life obstacles.

What is your favorite meal?
Crab leg boil with sausage, corn, potatoes, and eggs with a spicy butter sauce.

Anything else you'd like to share with the CCCC family?
I lived in Kansas for two years and had the opportunity to visit the town where the Wizard of Oz was filmed.

Part-Time Cougar Champion of the Month!

April Cougar Champion: Shameka Harper

Mrs. Harper is an amazing instructor! She displays a wonderful ability of connecting with the student and has an unique way of dissecting the information at hand for each and every student. Mrs. Harper is education first, but she has an ability to connect with the student on a personal level that gains the trust from the students which allows the student to open up to try new things. 

WOW! WHAT A TEAM!

End of the Year Recognition & Celebration!

View more images of the event!

The CCCC End of the Year Recognition & Celebration for faculty and staff was held Thursday, April 27, at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic and Conference Center.

The event included important updates from college leadership. Following those updates, the fun-filled afternoon continued with activities and food/beverages.

Special thanks to the events committee, which includes Abby Barefoot, Mary Brown, Pam Byrd, Jordan Carter, Peggy Cotten, Beverly Diniz, Marcie Dishman, Kelly Dorman, Alexandra Dowdy, David Foster, Billy Freeman, Cathy Giles, Kelly Hall, Katy Jones, Christa Mashburn, Tanasha Murchison, Laura Musselwhite, Heather Ocegueda, Cindy Page, Suzannah Palumbo, Cynthia Price, Crystal Smith, Abby Walker, and Lorraine Whitaker.

BACK TO TOP

NCCCS Awards

Congratulations to Dr. Sara Newcomb, Central Carolina Community College Executive Director of Secondary Partnerships, who is recipient of the North Carolina Community College System's Staff of the Year award ... and to Julian Philpott, CCCC Board of Trustees Chair, who is recipient of the NCCCS's I.E. Ready Award given to individuals who have made a significant statewide contribution to the NCCCS. Photos by Marcy Gardner/NCCCS.

BACK TO TOP

VUB Outreach & Networking Luncheon

From left to right: Gisselle Curnutt, Community Coordinator; Karmisha Hernandez Luciano, Assistant Programs Director (Interim); Jennifer Dillon, Director of Veterans Upward Bound and Military Affiliated Initiatives; and Sharon Delarosa, Army Veterans CCCC and VUB student.

Veterans Upward Bound recently hosted an Outreach & Networking Luncheon at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center. Numerous veteran-serving organizations and community partners were in attendance—each having the opportunity to share resources and discuss how they serve the veterans within our communities. The event included presentations by Veterans Upward Bound and TRiO Student Support Services. In addition, current Veterans Upward Bound participant Sharon Delarosa and a CCCC and Veterans Upward Bound Alumnus Randolph "Randy" Norris engaged in a Q&A session with the attendees and shared how this beneficial program has helped them with their education journey and beyond.

It was a wonderful time for networking, building new connections, and strengthening relationships. Events such as this are essential as we seek to support our veterans and their families. The exchanging of information and growing in our understanding of available resources, specific to our veteran population, is invaluable in providing educational opportunities for all.

Veterans Upward Bound would like to thank the CCCC Foundation for providing a wonderful meal prepared by the college’s culinary students, and the Business Services for the lovely centerpieces that created a celebratory atmosphere befitting our service members and valued community guests. We would also like to thank Ken Hoyle and Kevin Pearson for their attendance and support. A special thank you to Jessica Rogers and Suzannah Palumbo for highlighting the continued support available to Veterans Upward Bound alumni. We would also like to thank Gisselle Crunutt, Community Coordinator for Veterans Bridge Home, for assistance and enthusiasm in facilitating this event.

Through the successful collaboration of varying individuals and organizations, this event provided the opportunity to connect with those in the community who share our passion for assisting this nation's veterans and their families. With the deepest sincerity, we thank you all and look forward to future collaboration and growth!

BACK TO TOP

Moore Center Hosts Special Event

CCCC hosted a special event at the E. Eugene Moore Manufacturing and Biotech Solutions Center on April 19. Special guests included Arun Venkataraman, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service; Van Anh Nguyen, CEO, VinFast North America; and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.

VinFast, which is building an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Chatham County, had two of their vehicles on hand at this event. CCCC and the Moore Center will serve as a workforce development training facility for VinFast.

CCCC President Dr. Lisa M. Chapman and CCCC Board of Trustees Chair H. Julian Philpott Jr. were in attendance, with the following colleges and universities represented at the event—Alamance Community College, Durham Technical Community College, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Johnston Community College, N.C. A&T State University, N.C. State University, Piedmont Community College, Randolph Community College, and Wake Technical Community College.

BACK TO TOP

Advanced CIT Training Held in Lee County

Lee County held an Advanced Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training class on March 21 at the Emergency Services Training Center. CIT in Lee County is supported through a partnership with Central Carolina Community College and many others. Read the full Sandhills Center article. Special thanks to Neil McGowan for the photographs.

BACK TO TOP

Culinary Showcase

Here are scenes from the CCCC Culinary program's Culinary Showcase, which was held April 19 at the Lee Main Campus.

BACK TO TOP

"Truth to Post-Truth in American Detective Fiction"

David R. Watson, Ph.D., English and Humanities Instructor at CCCC, talked about his book "Truth to Post-Truth in American Detective Fiction" with U.S. Studies Online via Zoom on April 28.

David's book is available on Amazon.

BACK TO TOP

6th Annual Car & Motorcycle Show

The 6th Annual Central Carolina Community College Car and Motorcycle Show was on Saturday, May 6, at the CCCC Lee Main Campus. The show supports the CCCC Automotive Restoration and Motorcycle Mechanics programs.

View even more Car & Motorcycle Show images

BACK TO TOP

Family Potluck Picnic

Student Learning hosted a Family Potluck Picnic on May 6 at San-Lee Park. It was a great success! In addition to good food, fun games (cornhole and kubb), and a piñata for the kids, Student Learning hosted the inaugural CCCC cookie bake-off! There were 11 entries from employees and/or their children. For $10, someone could serve as a judge by tasting unlimited cookies and casting five votes. The bakers of the three types of cookies with the most votes were awarded prizes. All winners received prizes, and first place was awarded a trophy.

First place: Deana St. Peter, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip (Gluten Free)
Second place: Kris Rixon, Cinnamon Roll
Third place: Mia Goodson, daughter of Drew Goodson, Chocolate Crinkle

BACK TO TOP

NCCCS Advising Leadership Academy Graduates

Mary Brown and Amy Gustavson recently graduated from the NCCCS Advising Leadership Academy this spring. Mary Brown serves as an Education Navigator and Amy Gustavson serves as the Assistant Director of Student Onboarding and Success at CCCC. They have both completed year-long intensive training as part of the Advising Leadership Academy hosted by the NCCCS Office. The academy required participants to attend four professional development sessions, complete a year-long Moodle course, and create an advising project assessing an area they would like to improve at their institution.

Congratulations, Mary and Amy!

BACK TO TOP

Department Donations Wish List!

What is a Department Donations Wish List? Dr. Short met with all the departments and they've listed some items they could use that other departments or employees might donate. If your department wants items added to the wish list, or you have items to be donated, please contact Robin Walker.

Arts

Social Sciences

Travel easels. Here is an example.

Social Sciences/ACES has a growing collection of Smithsonian public museum exhibits on historical and cultural topics. The exhibit panels are mounted on foam board. The intent beyond display at CCCC events and in our campus libraries is for other school and community groups to access them through free loan. If the loan kit also came with lightweight travel easels to borrow, more school/community groups in the service area could create/house exhibits with ease.

Applied Technology

Electrical Systems

EST will take anything small like lights, light ballast, LED drivers, HVAC capacitors, contactors, relays, etc. that you know is bad or will not work correctly. Anything we can use for "show and tell" and students can troubleshoot to see what is broken and how it broke.

Industrial Systems

Small- to medium-sized electrical and/or mechanical in nature. This could be individual components or small machines. Broken (not working) - even better.

Welding

  • Welding Consumable
  • Torches
  • Gauges
  • New Welding Equipment
  • Hand Tools
  • Power Tools
  • Cleaning Supplies
  • Carbon Steel Metal
  • Aluminum Plate or Pipe
  • Stainless Steel
  • Tungsten Electrodes
  • Grinding Blades
  • Wire Brushes
  • Saw Blades
Professional Services

Human Services

  • Therapeutic games to help students understand the multiple ways we can deliver counseling services.
  • Marketing decor to make the table more presentable at meetings at high schools and other opportunities.
  • Professional outdoor signs, which don't blow down in the wind and transport easily, for Saturday meetings.
  • Snacks for Saturday meetings.

Cosmetology

  • Dermaplaning tools and supplies
  • Microneedling device (no greater than 1mm depth)
  • Artificial lashes
  • Lash lift and brow lamination kits
  • Cameras with photo and video capabilities
  • Lighting equipment for live videos and photos
  • Microscopes
  • Slides (glass, blank)
  • Slides (biology - cells, hair samples, etc.)
  • pH testers
  • Barbering, Cosmetology, Esthetics or Nail Tech non-expired products
  • Barbering, Cosmetology, Esthetics or Nail Tech tools, equipment, and furnishings in working order
  • Mannequins with hair for cutting and chemical procedures
  • Mannequin tripod stands or stands that attach to chairs
  • Towels in new or like-new condition
  • White sheets (flat, twin) and twin-size blankets
  • Hair wefts and hair extensions
  • Hair extension kits
Public Safety

Criminal Justice

  • Comparison microscopes
  • Beakers
  • Test tubes
STEM

Engineering

  • Electronic and Computer Engineering students are looking for any equipment that is not in working condition for the Troubleshooting class to have items to learn to repair.
  • Wood, metal, or plastic scrap material for the "prototyping cart" mechanical engineering students use for various projects.
  • Wood screws, nuts and bolts, binding screws, screw eyes, etc. for the prototyping cart.

BACK TO TOP

Live Painting Class

Student Activities hosted a live painting class to honor Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month on May 1 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center in Sanford. This event was open to CCCC students, staff, and faculty, as well as the general public. The program was funded by the Lee County Arts Council.

BACK TO TOP

Spring Market for Six Weeks

This week begins our six week Spring Market series at the student farm on the Chatham Main Campus in Pittsboro. Each week we will harvest a selection of our certified organic produce and set up a market stand from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays.

A few notes regarding the market:
  • The market is located in the packshed—this is the largest building on the farm, directly through the gate.
  • This is a cash only market. All funds go directly to support programming for the very students whose hard work and expertise brought you the veggies.
  • Please bring your own bags. For some crops we will have small bags and cartons available, but to shop it would be helpful to have a bag.
  • The vegetables will change weekly. If you are interested in receiving a weekly newsletter with the vegetables that are available for sale, please email Beverly Diniz at bdiniz@cccc.edu.

Leftover produce will be donated to our local food pantry.

Veggies this week:

  • Sugar snap peas
  • Snow Peas
  • Strawberries
  • Napa Cabbage
  • Green Cabbage
  • Kale
  • Green onions
  • Broccoli
  • Beets
  • Baby Carrots

BACK TO TOP

Charlee Cougar Chatbot

Beginning this summer, Charlee Cougar chatbot will be available on CCCC.edu to assist students and other website visitors. Our bot has scanned hundreds of CCCC web pages and documents to gather information, and in doing so has accumulated a unique CCCC vocabulary of over 50,000 words. It will use this information to answer questions spontaneously and direct website visitors to relevant information.

While the bot has already collected an impressive volume of information and shown a credible ability to respond accurately to questions, it will only get better over time as it learns and encompasses a wider swath of data. We’ll be working behind the scenes in the bot’s internal system or “brain” to verify information accuracy and to provide custom-written solutions where we encounter gaps in the bot’s knowledge.

Our Charlee Cougar chatbot will improve the experience of website visitors and increase our ability to serve our students, employees, and community members with timely and accurate information on-demand.

BACK TO TOP

CCCC AEOP Membership Drive

BACK TO TOP

STUDENT ACTIVITIES and EVENTS

Spring Fling Flower Power

CCCC Student Activities presented the Spring Fling Flower Power for students on the Chatham Main Campus on April 13. Here are some scenes from the activities.

Spring Fling Flower Power for students on the Harnett Main Campus on April 18. Here are some scenes from the activities.

Spring Fling Flower Power for students on the Lee Main Campus on April 26. Here are some scenes from the activities.

BACK TO TOP

A Spring Fling Thank You!

On behalf of the Student Government Association, I want to send a huge THANK YOU to all the folks who helped support our Spring Flings this year! We had more than 800 students, faculty, and staff attend the events across all three of our service area counties. We truly could not have done it without you! Thank you for supporting student leadership and the Student Government Association at CCCC!

~ Katy Jones, Advisor
~ Regonal, Emilie, Cynthia, Diamond, Ashlie, SGA Executive Board

BACK TO TOP

Student Activities

by Katy Jones, Student Activities Coordinator

Exam Cram Programs

Students on all three main campuses enjoyed coffee, hot chocolate, and an assortment of snacks, pastries, and cookies during the last week of classes! It was a great way for students to take a moment during their finals to relax, unwind, and connect with other students. Special shout out to the CCCC Foundation for their sponsorship of this program and to the CCCC Libraries for hosting us!

Student Activities Year in Review

Take a look back at all of the amazing things that have happened over the past school year! You can grab a physical copy of this infographic outside Katy Jones office in Hockaday Hall!

BACK TO TOP

#RedCarpetRegistration

This year's #RedCarpetRegistration was a smashing success! Over the course of 13 total #RCR events, CCCC staff and faculty met with 301 graduating high school seniors who intend to enroll with us this fall. Of the students who attended, 149 were registered for fall classes as of May 9.

This event would not be possible without the enthusiastic support of many areas on campus. Special thanks go out to Student Outreach & Recruiting, Financial Aid, Student Onboarding & Success, Marketing, Business Services, Information Technology, Library Services, Student Activities, TRiO Student Support Services, Veterans Affairs, VUB, New Student Programs, the CCCC Foundation, the Bookstore, Secondary Partnerships, Maintenance, President's Council, and more!

For those who are familiar with the event, we welcome any feedback you have, whether it is positive, constructive, or otherwise! Please share your thoughts with us by emailing promisek14@cccc.edu. Bookmark your calendars now for April 2024, for the third annual #RedCarpetRegistration extravaganza.

BACK TO TOP

PERSONNEL NOTES

Fantastic Facilitator: Erika Parker

The Student Onboarding and Success team would like to highlight a member of our college for their excellent work and volunteered time with New Student Orientation. 

For this month's Fantastic Facilitator, we have selected Erika Parker! We asked Erika, "Why do you volunteer and why is it important to you?"

She answered, "I volunteer my time serving as an NSO Facilitator to show our (faculty) commitment to our students and their success. NSO is an exciting time when students are eager albeit a bit nervous about their path ahead ... sharing this time with them as a faculty member helps reinforce the first-class support, resources, and family that we have here at CCCC to help them reach their goals!"

BACK TO TOP

Birth Announcement!

Emma Coffer, Financial Aid Advisor, and husband Dalton have welcomed their first child, Abigail Jane Coffer, born on May 9 at 6:33 p.m.

Both mom and baby are doing well and are settling in at home. Emma and Dalton are over the moon excited for this next chapter in their lives. Thank you all for the well wishes!

BACK TO TOP

New and Changing Employees at CCCC

Updates as of May 1

April New Employees

  • Cesar Villalta, Network Administrator
  • Allison Haire-Burris, Print and Mail Room Assistant
  • Jessica Willis, Career Coach (Harnett County)

April Position Changes

  • Lincoln Frye, Coordinator of Workforce Access Programs
  • Madison Williams, Records and Retention Specialist
  • Carla Parrish, Payroll Supervisor/Benefits Administrator
  • Daniel Tomita, EMS Program Director
  • Kelly Hall, Associate Director of Human Resources
  • Karen Brown, Administrative Specialist/BRC Coordinator

BACK TO TOP

Birthdays

Birthday list provided by Human Resources

5/19 Cindy Page
5/19 Soni Sundquist
5/20 Wendy Dixon
5/20 Bryan Koprowski
5/22 Adana Arnold
5/22 Michelle Coore
5/22 Robert Powell
5/23 Camela Burris
5/23 Thadd McElreath
5/24 Gary Blankenship
5/24 Amy Nipper
5/24 Heather Ocegueda
5/24 Phillip Price
5/24 Samantha Sewell-Petty
5/27 Melissa Fogarty
5/27 Drew Goodson
5/27 Christa Mashburn
5/27 Lauren Weaver
5/31 Thea Boyer
6/4 Travis Perry
6/4 Brian Post
6/4 Annie Bogan
6/5 Joe Farley
6/5 R.V. Hight
6/6 Beverly Diniz
6/7 Garrick Ewers
6/9 Chris Bailey
6/9 Amy Gustavson
6/10 Robin Kohanowich
6/10 Holly Schofield
6/11 Tiffany Stein
6/12 Christy Jones
6/13 Lisa Chapman
6/13 John Jackson
6/16 Amanda McLamb Collier
6/17 Sandra Bowen
6/18 Barbara Bera
6/18 Rhonda Goldston
6/18 Dave Myers
6/19 Megan Burgess
6/19 Alonzo Glover
6/20 Carl Bryan
6/23 Phillip Pappas
6/24 Faye Stone
6/25 Tim Short
6/27 Christi Copes
6/28 Alyson Cochrane
6/29 Randy Baker
6/29 Cliff Sizemore
6/30 Roy Allen
6/30 Tracy Warren

If you prefer not to be listed or if your name does not appear as you'd like, please email Cris Oliver.

BACK TO TOP

Calendars 2023-2024

Download the CCCC Holiday Calendar.

View the CCCC Summer Calendar.

BACK TO TOP

News From The CCCC Family

It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Ethel Yow Badgett, aged 87, of Sanford. Ethel passed on May 14. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday May 21, at Grace Chapel Church. Ethel retired from CCCC and enjoyed traveling and spending time with her family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alzheimer’s research at www.alz.org. Online condolences may be made at rogerspickard.com.

It is with deep regret we announce the passing of our beloved former head cashier, Karen Walton. She passed peacefully on May 1. Karen retired in 2019 as head cashier from CCCC after 19 years. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Olivia Presbyterian Church.

It is with sincere sadness we let you know that Brian Meyer, adjunct chemistry instructor, passed away on April 17. Brian's kind nature and devotion to teaching was a benefit to many of our students. Condolences may be sent to his wife, Debra Meyer, at 1512 Piazzo Ct., Apex, NC 27502.

BACK TO TOP

CCCC-BAY

Things Wanted, For Sale, or For Free!

This is a great time of year to sell some things! CCCC-Bay is happy to post your items in Cougar Bytes. Send an email (photos would be great) to Cris Oliver at coliver@cccc.edu and we'll feature in the next publication.

BACK TO TOP

COUGAR PETS

Cougar Pets

Cougar Pets is a local animal rescue group housed on the Lee Main Campus. As part of the Veterinary Medical Technology program, our animals help teach veterinary technician students essential skills that will help future animals. All of the animals are rescued from shelters, and all are adoptable.

Meet Curry

Cougar Pets

My name is Curry!

I am a loveable, sweet girl who is most content when receiving attention from people. I LOVE belly rubs and enjoy snuggles.

Curry

Meet Malibu
Cougar Pets

My name is Malibu!

I am a super energetic girl with a fantastic personality! I love to go on walks, play with toys, and explore new areas - with you by my side, of course!

Malibu

See all of the adoptions, or rather Happy Tails of Cougar Pets.

All adoptable dogs and cats are spayed/neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on all vaccines. They have regular dental cleanings, blood work, and physical exams. We pride ourselves on the care that our cats and dogs receive during their stay. Contact www.cougarpets.org for more information on our colony dogs and available cats.

BACK TO TOP

College Salon Services

The mission of the Barbering and Cosmetic Arts Department at CCCC is to provide quality education and learning experiences for Barbering and Cosmetic Arts students.

For this reason, all services are available to faculty and staff. Services are performed exclusively by students under the supervision of Barbering or Cosmetic Arts instructors.

See all Salon services and pricing.

BACK TO TOP

CONTRIBUTE

Contribute to Cougar Bytes

Send along your Cougar Bytes contributions about our wonderful faculty and staff! We welcome your images, staff and faculty successes, events, and shout-outs in each issue. Submit your contributions to Cris Oliver in Marketing at coliver@cccc.edu.

Deadline for contributions is Thursday, June 15, by 5 p.m. for the next issue. Upcoming issues:

  • June 22 (Thursday)
  • July 20 (Thursday)
  • August 25
  • September 22
  • October 20
  • November 17
  • December 15

BACK TO TOP

The next issue of COUGAR BYTES will be published on Thursday, June 22.

Flashback to Cougar Bytes May, 2010.