IN THIS ISSUE

Cougar Champions

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

Part-Time Cougar Champion of the Month!

June Cougar Champion: Vivian Simpson

Vivian truly is a gem. She greets everyone with a smile, she is quick to notice someone who needs assistance, and she goes out of her way to make everyone feel welcome at CCCC. On the phone, she is professional, knowledgeable, and asks questions to make sure she fully understands the needs of the caller.

She is proud of this college, speaks highly of its faculty and staff, and does whatever she can do to provide assistance for anyone who needs it. I don't think I have ever seen her in a bad mood! I have witnessed her take someone who was frustrated and lost and make them feel better and get them to their class. I highly endorse Miss Vivian for this award!

Vivian Simpson

Receptionist

How long have you worked for CCCC?
1999 to Present - 24 years

What brought you to CCCC?
I took an Italian class and a computer class before I traveled to Italy to visit family and learned there was a part-time position open for a receptionist. I applied because I had years of experience as a switchboard operator and receptionist. I enjoyed the environment while attending and was hired.

Describe what you do for CCCC.
I am one of the receptionists for the college. I greet and assist students, employees, and the public in a professional manner. I answer phone inquiries and direct calls.

Where were you born?
Harnett County.

Where did you grow up?
Harnett County in the Raven Rock area which is now a State Park.

Where do you live now?
Lee County.

Educational credentials?
I graduated from Boone Trail High School. I attended classes at CCCC.

Tell us about your family!
I have two daughters. One lives in Sanford and is the Director of The Board of Elections and the other one lives in Alexandria, Virginia and is a retired Naval Officer and also from The Intel Dept. of the Federal Government. I have no grandchildren and have one sibling living in Southern Pines, N.C.

What are some of your hobbies or other interest outside of CCCC?
Travel, yoga, reading, walking, gardening, and helping friends and neighbors. 

Who is one of your favorite fictional characters and why (from a favorite book, tv show, movie, etc.)?
The Kite Runner - Amir grows into a selfless adult from a privileged child into a selfless man.

What is your favorite meal?
A vegetable meal consisting of butter beans, corn, Okra, and fresh tomatoes.

WOW! WHAT A TEAM!

Congratulations to Dental!

by Kristi Short, Vice President/Chief Academic Officer

We are thrilled to announce CCCC's dental programs received no recommendations from the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) onsite review team regarding compliance with programmatic accreditation standards. In other words, our Dental Assisting and Dental Hygiene programs meet or exceed all expectations for CODA's rigorous quality review.

Please join in congratulating our Dental Department and Health Sciences leadership team on this accreditation accomplishment, and more importantly, on their exemplary programs!

Please join in congratulating:

  • Vicky Wesner, Department Chair
  • Wendy Craig, Administrative Assistant
  • Chrishinda Horton, Clinical Manager
  • Andrea Hyatt, Adjunct Instructor
  • Christy Jones, Administrative Specialist
  • Dr. Fernanda Perry, Dental Assisting Clinical Coordinator/Instructor
  • Crystal Sanders, Dental Hygiene Clinical Coordinator/Instructor
  • Stephanie Taylor, Adjunct Instructor
  • Macy Woods, Dental Hygiene Clinical Coordinator/Instructor
  • Danielle Bruner, Coordinator, Accreditation, Enrollment, & Retention
  • Dr. Denise Martin, Dean, Health Sciences & Professional Services

The college is also grateful for participation in the site visit by the following folks:

  • Business Services Team
  • Brian Bridgers, Controller
  • Alonzo Glover, Custodian
  • Joel Oldham, Landscaping & Custodial Supervisor
  • Travis Perry, Director, Instructional Support
  • Dr. Phillip Price, Executive Vice President & CFO
  • Allison Sills, Instructional Services Librarian
  • Dr. Brian Simpson, Director, Accreditation
  • Adam Wade, Dean, Student Onboarding & Success

Among other highlights, the CODA team recognized the dedication of the faculty to serving students and the structures CCCC has in place to support student learning. The entire college contributes to the culture of student and employee success that furthers our mission to foster individual, community, and economic development through transformative lifelong learning. Please accept our heartfelt appreciation for all you do to make CCCC a place where students and learning can thrive!

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Juneteenth Homage Exhibit

The Academic & Cultural Enrichment Series (ACES) was pleased to partner with the Lee County Cultural Arts Group and the Lee County Arts Council for Sanford's Juneteenth Celebration on June 19 at The Mann Center. Some of the opportunities of the day included poetry, song, and dance, as well as The Homage Exhibit of historical artifacts.

ACES is excited for another year of student and community events in 2023-2024, so stay tuned for outreach/updates!

Image above includes Derrick Washington and his wife Kimia Collins (board chair) of the Lee County Cultural Arts and with Mayor Salmon.

Student Anaiya Maye reads an essay for the audience.

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Introducing Slate

The Onboarding and Advising Division is excited to introduce you to Slate, a powerful new tool at CCCC for building and maintaining relationships with students. Here's a brief introduction. More information is coming this summer and fall.

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Job Readiness Boot Camp

CCCC joined with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Life Springs Dream Center to make history on June 20.

For the first time in Lee County, the courtroom became a place for a ceremony for the inmates as 28 graduates completed the Job Readiness Boot Camp and participated in a graduation ceremony.

Malinda Marsh (CCCC Human Resources Development Coordinator) and Gregory Singleton (CCCC Dean of Workforce and Continuing Education Programs) are pictured with the male graduates. For more information on the Job Readiness Boot Camp program, contact Malinda Marsh.

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2023 N3CSDPA Presentation

 

Brittney Goldston (Education Navigator) and Felicia Gilmore (Career Center Coordinator) presented at the 2023 N3CSDPA in Wilmington at Cape Fear Community College. The title of their presentation was Undecided: A Roadmap to Success.

There were more than 50+ employees, from Presidents, Vice Presidents, Career Services, and Education Navigators to university representatives, that attended the presentation. There was great feedback from the attendees. On behalf of Brittney and Felicia, we would like to thank our supervisors, Dean Felicia Crittenden and Candice Solis, for their moral support for this presentation.

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First Annual YouthBuild Leadership Week

YouthBuild held its first annual Leadership Week June 26-30. Speakers included Seth Buchanan, Kelvin Hunt, Katy Jones, and Board of Elections Director Jane Rae Fawcett. We closed the week with team building/leadership skills at Drive Shack in Raleigh. We plan to hold our next Leadership Week this upcoming year.

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Student Onboarding and Success

Volunteer for the Ask Me Program!

Student Onboarding and Success invites you to participate as an "Ask Me" Welcome Program volunteer for the Fall 2023 semester!

The goal of this program is to increase visibility, accessibility and to practice radical student hospitality campus-wide. We want to ensure our students feel welcomed from the moment they step onto campus and receive any support that may be needed as they begin their semester. Please consider signing up as a Fall 2023 volunteer! You would wear an "Ask Me" button or T-shirt, be present at a designated welcome location, greet students, and help them as they navigate their first week of the semester. Thank you for your consideration and for your willingness to volunteer time. We look forward to seeing "Ask Me" welcome volunteers out and about throughout Fall 2023 welcome week! Click Here for more information and for the links to sign up!

What is an Education Navigator?

Education Navigators provide holistic, one-to-one support to students while they navigate the onboarding process and their first semester. Navigators serve as the first point of contact for students by:

  • assisting with enrollment
  • exploring and choosing a career community
  • goal setting
  • academic planning
  • initial course registration

Once students begin their first semester, Education Navigators provide ongoing and proactive outreach to address academic challenges and work with students to continue to build skills. They also assist students with personal obstacles and connect them to vital college and community resources. This proactive support leads to student access and success!

New2CCCC

We are excited to announce that we have a new online student orientation called New2CCCC. New Student Orientation is designed to provide a comprehensive online introduction to CCCC that is flexible and engaging for new students. We look forward to the positive impact of New2CCCC for new students and the helpful role it will play in the successful launch of their academic journey here at CCCC. We also have In-Person New Student Orientation sessions scheduled for August. Check out what we have planned.

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2023 Culinary Summer Camps

2023 Culinary summer camps were a great success. This year we hired Culinary graduate Allen Barcenas and he was amazing. Special thanks to faculty and staff for their support this year.

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Annual UNC-Chapel Hill PELA

The Culinary Arts progam hosted the annual UNC-Chapel Hill PELA (Public Executive Leadership Academy) cooking activity on July 12. The learning objectives included promoting team development, building resilience, and how to deal with disruptive change.

Chef Minter disrupted the six teams by removing the key leaders of their group and moving them to another group to finish the recipe. Some of the team's final dishes included Mongolian Pork, Honey Dew Salad, Watermelon Cole Slaw, Fajitas, Asian Tofu Stir Fry, and Mixed Berry Parfait. Participants enjoyed the experience and thanked the faculty for their patience after a day in the kitchen.

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Welding Brings You Handcrafted Items

Our Central Carolina Community College welding classes have been working hard to bring you handcrafted items! Proceeds from the CCCC Foundation auction help provide scholarships for college students. Visit https://ow.ly/Fgta50Pe6yt to view the items. Questions to foundation@cccc.edu.

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Mental Health First Aid Training

CCCC brought Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to its Sanford campus on June 27-28. Faculty and staff members Leigh Beam, Amy Bradbury, Kels Brucker, Joelle Chase, Peggy Cotten, Brandi Hernandez, Miranda Manfredi, Leslie Matthews, Regina Minter, Tanasha Murchison, and Falecia Simmons participated in the training. Read more.

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We Are Here To Help

CCCC Foundation

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STUDENT ACTIVITIES and EVENTS

PERSONNEL NOTES

New and Changing Employees at CCCC

Updates as of July 1

June Position Changes

  • Jennifer Babb - Assistant Director of Student Onboarding and Success (Lee County)
  • Nicholas Sullivan - Assistant Director, TRiO Upward Bound - Programming and Compliance
  • Anita Green - Interim CCR Coordinator
  • Note from April: Cathy Giles - Program Technician, Public Safety.

April Position Change

  • Cathy Giles - Program Technician, Public Safety.

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Birthdays

Birthday list provided by Human Resources

7/21 Meghan Brown
7/21 Morgan Steele
7/22 Kaan Ozmeral
7/22 James Pearson
7/22 William Taylor
7/23 Shelly Watkins
7/24 Gary Franks
7/26 Cameron McNeill
7/28 Jesse Jacondin
7/29 Glenda Lassen
7/30 Crystal Bennett
7/30 Eric Butler
7/30 Terry K. Cebulski-Field
7/31 Elizabeth Hodges
7/31 Elizabeth King
8/2 Marcie Dishman
8/4 Ian Dunham
8/4 Jon Matthews
8/5 Tiffany Needham
8/6 Emma Coffer
8/7 Michelle Patterson
8/8 Kim K. Browning
8/9 Wendy Harrington
8/9 Jessica Holt
8/9 Erika Parker
8/10 Abby Barefoot
8/10 Tanasha Murchison
8/10 Jessica Rogers
8/11 Jessica Gonzalez
8/12 Lincoln Frye
8/13 Madison Williams
8/14 Lara Abels
8/14 Steve Heesacker
8/15 Julie Dixon
8/15 Malinda Marsh
8/16 Alex B. Dowdy
8/16 Talia Friday
8/16 Emily Hare
8/17 Leroy Perez-Reyes
8/18 Audra Kallimanis
8/18 Gabrielle Mummert
8/20 Kay Harris
8/20 Neil McGowan
8/22 Phillip Ashe
8/22 Donna Rhodes
8/23 Shavonda Chance
8/24 Rashaunda Ashford
8/24 Gregg Parr
8/25 Kevin Pearson
8/26 Jennifer Dillon
8/26 Nathan Stevens
8/27 Rebekah Waters
8/28 Becky Finken
8/30 Brittney Goldston
8/31 Robert Hammond

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

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Holiday Calendar 2023-2024

Download the CCCC Holiday Calendar.

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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.

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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.


Cougar Pets

Meet Merlot

All of my human friends say that I am "a lot," whatever that means. I just like to have fun! I am your rough-and-tumble buddy who thrives on sneak attacks and zoomies.

Merlot

Cougar Pets

Meet Spanky

Have you ever wondered how a lanky dog runs? Well come meet me and find out! I am a super silly girl who loves to play and dance. I really enjoy walks and do great on a leash.

Spanky

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.

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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.

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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 Friday, Aug. 18, by 5 p.m. for the next issue. Upcoming issues:

  • August 25
  • September 22
  • October 20
  • November 17
  • December 15

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The next issue of COUGAR BYTES will be published on Friday, Aug. 25.

CCCC Digital History Flashback