IN THIS ISSUE

Cougar Champions

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

June Cougar Champion: Kris Rixon

Kris Rixon
Sociology Instructor

How long have you worked for CCCC?
I have worked at CCCC for about two years now! I’ve loved every semester of it and am so glad to be here.

What brought you to CCCC?
Well, I had just graduated in December 2020 from East Carolina University with my M.A. in sociology. I had done a teaching practicum and was looking to land my first academic job, and CCCC took a chance on me in 2021 and now here I am!

Describe what you do for CCCC.
I teach introduction to sociology and social problems, where students get to learn about human society and group behaviors! We talk about a wide variety of topics, many of which include race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, religion…the list goes on! I am also working with other partners here at the college to bring a more global focus to our campus.

Where were you born?
I was born in Lincoln, Nebraska – very far away from here!

Where did you grow up?
I grew up most of my life in Greenville, North Carolina…which explains my affinity and love for East Carolina! Go Pirates!

Where do you live now?
I live in Raleigh, North Carolina! I have lived here for the last three years!

Educational credentials?
I have my B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Sociology – both from East Carolina. I am currently a part-time doctoral student at N.C. State where I am pursuing a Ph.D. in adult education.

Tell us about your family!
I really only have my mom, two brothers, nephews, and niece, but I also have my partner’s family, too! My mom has been a registered nurse for over 40 years and works out at Vidant Health as the charge nurse in the cardiovascular OR! My partner is CCCC’s newest Spanish instructor, so say hi to Clyde when you have a chance!

What are some of your hobbies or other interests outside of CCCC?
I enjoy spending time with my nephews and niece, while also traveling with my partner and friends. I particularly enjoy PC gaming and play VALORANT competitively online. I was on the junior varsity team at UNCG for their VALORANT eSports team!

Who is one of your favorite fictional characters and why?
I would say that one of my favorite fictional characters as of right now is Barbie from the recent movie. The story and the humanity of Barbie really spoke to me in the film, and I think it’d be a great movie to show in a sociology class!

What is your favorite meal?
You can never go wrong with Eastern NC barbecue–it is the only way to have it!

Anything else you'd like to share with the CCCC family?
I think I’ve said too much already! :)

Full-Time Cougar Champion of the Month!

July Cougar Champion: Jimmie Boggs

Jimmie Boggs

Shipping & Receiving Coordinator

How long have you worked for CCCC?
23 years

What brought you to CCCC?
I used to work for Champion Products and when it closed I saw an ad in the paper and applied.

Where were you born?
Mamers, N.C.

Where did you grow up?
Mamers, N.C.

Where do you live now?
Mamers, N.C.

What are some of your hobbies or other interests outside of CCCC?
NASCAR and playing golf.

What is your favorite meal?
Breakfast!

Anything else you'd like to share with the CCCC family?
I am very appreciative of the opportunity CCCC has given me. From being a former student to now working for the college, it is a blessing. I want to give students the same great experience I was given when I attended here.

Part-Time Cougar Champion of the Month!

July Cougar Champion: Michael Braxton

Michael Braxton

EMS Coordinator/Instructor - Chatham County

How long have you worked for CCCC?
15 years

What brought you to CCCC?
Former EMS and Fire student of CCCC.

Where were you born?
Pittsboro, N.C.

Where do you live now?
Pittsboro, N.C.

Tell us about your family!
Married for 32 years (together for 37). We have a Miniature Dachshund named Dallas.

What are some of your hobbies or other interests outside of CCCC?
Camping and being with family and friends.

What is your favorite meal?
Subs, especially from Bubbas.

Anything else you'd like to share with the CCCC family?
I am thankful to be acknowledged for this award. I enjoy my time here at CCCC and enjoy coming to work everyday.

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WOW! WHAT A TEAM!

2023 Convocation with Annual Awards

Central Carolina Community College Convocation was held Thursday, Aug. 10. Guest speaker was Ray Starling, General Counsel at NC Chamber and President of the NC Chamber Legal Institute.

Congratulations to the award winners Vicky Wesner, Faculty Member of the Year; Stormy Mascitelli, Staff Member of the Year; Amy Gustavson, Excellence in Advising; and Jennifer Babb Cougar Champion of the Year. Dr. William Tyler Brady has received the 2023 Adjunct of the Year Award (the award was presented at another time).

CCCC President Dr. Lisa Chapman gave encouraging remarks for the beginning of a new academic year. Julian Phillpott, Chair of the CCCC Board of Trustees, had welcoming remarks.

A recording of the Fall 2023 Convocation can be found on Google Drive.

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Fall 2023 Welcome Week and More

Fall 2023 Welcome Week Theme Days was held Aug. 10-11. On Aug. 11, faculty and staff had an opportunity to take a trip back to 2020 and dress like they're working from home! They were able to show off their best work-from-home styles by mixing up professional and comfy for the "working from home" theme day.

CCCC welcomed new and returning students for the opening day of fall classes on Aug. 14.

Here are scenes from the CCCC College Connections Stroll that was held on the Chatham Main Campus on Aug. 15 and Harnett Main Campus on Aug. 16. This event, organized by the Office of Student Onboarding and Success, connects students to important information and available campus resources.

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Farewell Celebration Honoring Dr. Phillip Price

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CCR Graduation

Career Readiness Commencement Exercises were held Aug. 7 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center, honoring the achievements of more than 117 students. Read the full story. View downloadable photos from the event at www.cccc.edu/slideshows.

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CCCC hosts STEM Educator Solar Institute

CCCC hosted the STEM Educator Solar Institute, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the CREATE Energy Center, on June 27-29 at the Chatham Main Campus.

Read the full article.

Instructors included Andy McMahan (Central Carolina Community College), Jennifer Clemons (Delaware Technical Community College), Scott Liddicoat (Wisconsin Public Service Corporation), and Joel Shoemaker (Madison Area Technical College).

"The camp has been very well received," said McMahan. "We have an audience that is able to take what we're teaching and apply it however it will fit in their classes. I'm really excited about what we're doing."

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2023 National Manufacturing Day

You are cordially invited to attend the 2023 National Manufacturing Day on Oct. 6 at CCCC's E. Eugene Moore Manufacturing and Biotech Solutions Center from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Register here by Friday, September 22.

National Manufacturing Day was established by the Manufacturing Institute to expand knowledge about manufacturing careers and manufacturing’s value to the United States.

Representatives from local industries (Chatham, Harnett, and Lee counties) will be on-site to showcase their company and products, present potential career opportunities, and increase manufacturing awareness. CCCC faculty and department chairs will also be on-site with program information related to careers in manufacturing. We hope you will join us for this important event! If you have any questions, contact Patricia Anderson at panderson@cccc.edu.

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2023 Department Chair Summit

Chairs enjoyed working together to brainstorm marketing ideas for their programs. They learned best practices for advising for English and math classes, running advisory boards, and using Compliance Assist. Everyone enjoyed hearing from Human Resources Director Jessica Gonzalez, Director of Accreditation Brian Simpson, and Coordinator of Institutional Advancement Chris Newcomb.

Pictured L-R back row is Ty Stumpf, Joshua Johnson, Maryann Aucompaugh, Denise Martin, Sandra Castonguay, Edwin Thomas, Roy Allen, Kristi Short, Charles Bell, Wesley Womack, and Lisa Smelser. Middle row: Erika Parker, Cristy Holmes, Leigh Beam, Ginger Harris, Regina Minter, Barbara Campbell, Kelly Dorman, Tiffany Needham, Drew Goodson, Megan Kelly, and Lora Long Front row: Thea Boyer.

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Community Event in Sanford

CCCC was proud to participate in a Saturday, Aug. 5, community event in Sanford. The event was sponsored by the Let's Do it Together Foundation, a faith-based group working to bring the community together to support students of all ages. Here are scenes from the event ... including supporters from CCCC and our beloved mascot, Charlee Cougar! CCCC's presence included Education Navigators with interest forms, basketball players interacting with kids, Charlee Cougar giving out stickers and crayons, and Chef Regina Minter and the CCCC food truck.

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Trustee News

New and Reappointed Trustees

CCCC's new and reappointed Trustees were pictured at the CCCC Board of Trustees' meeting on Aug. 2. Pictured are, left to right: Regonal Spinks (who serves as CCCC Student Government Association President) and Trustees Patricia Kirkman, Taylor Vorbeck, and John Bonardi.

16 Years of Service

Jan Hayes was recognized and thanked for her 16 years of service on the CCCC Board of Trustees during a meeting of the board on Aug. 2.

Julian Philpott (left) and George Lucier (right) have been appointed as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, of the Board of Trustees for 2023-2024.

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New Student Orientation

Welcome2CCCC New Student Orientation was held Aug. 3 and 11 at the Lee Main Campus, Aug. 8 at the Chatham Main Campus, and Aug. 9 at the Harnett Main Campus. Here are photos from the various events.

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Stylish Charlee Cougar

Charlee Cougar — Central Carolina Community College’s mascot — is looking stylish in his new attire. Watch for Charlee at upcoming events as he has plenty of school spirit! Go CCCC Cougars!

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Breaking Bread at Carolina Brewery in Chatham Co.

Felicia Crittenden (second from left), CCCC Dean, Continuing Education Operations, and Greg Singleton (far right), CCCC Dean of Programs, Workforce & Continuing Education, recently met with Carolina Handling's James Sanders (far left), Regional Operations Manager, and Quinn Lentz (second from right). Carolina Handling recently donated three forklifts and repaired another for the Building Bridges workforce development scholarship program.

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TRiO SSS Visits the Durham Bulls

The TRiO SSS students visited the Durham Bulls baseball stadium on July 6. The visit included a facilities tour, career exploration talk, and a thrilling extra innings victory by the Bulls. Students learned about game-day operations of a stadium, marketing, and careers in the world of sports. Two of our students represented our group in an in-between innings game of Dizzy Bat Race.

This experience was truly enjoyed by the staff and students, being a first for some of the participants. The hospitality from the Durham Bulls was appreciated and helped make this event a very enjoyable experience.

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Psychology Majors Organization

If you know students who intend to transfer to a college or university after CCCC, they may wish to consider being a psychology major. Have students join in the Psychology Majors Organization. They will have access to the best colleges for psychology, university contacts, how to get a scholarship, learn how to be accepted into a psychology program, and more. The group meets once a month from Noon - 12:30 virtually. We have guest speakers presenting information about careers in psychology and other careers.

The following are the fall meetings:

Sept. 24, Speaker Dr. Ali, Should you major in psychology?
Oct. 19, Speaker Abby Reynolds, Art and Yoga Instructor
Nov. 16, Speaker Regina Teresi, Psychiatric Nurse UNC

For more information, contact Timothy Barnes at tbarn857@cccc.edu or David Malenick at dmale558@cccc.edu.

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Summer Graduation

CCCC celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2023 as the school observed its 62nd Commencement Exercises on Aug. 7 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center in Sanford. Read the full story.

Pictures from the commencement exercise can be downloaded at www.cccc.edu/slideshows. A video of the event can be seen at www.4cnclive.com "On Demand."

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Biotechnology Networking Session

An upcoming generation of professionals creating life-improving therapies got some valuable insider's advice and made personal contacts in the industry recently thanks to the first-ever Biotechnology networking session at Central Carolina Community College. Read full story at www.cccc.edu/news/story.

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David S. Heesacker Featured Contributor on MoneyGeek

Business Administration Instructor, Steve Heesacker, was featured in MoneyGeek's piece about Business Insurance. Read Steve's full contribution.

Congratulations, Steve!

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9/11 Commemoration Educational Presentation Video Screening

In partnership with CCCC's Academic and Cultural Enrichment Series, we invite you to attend the 9/11 Commemoration Educational Presentation video screening on Monday, September 11th, from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center Auditorium.

Join your fellow colleagues and community attendees as we come together to reflect on this momentous day and honor our First Responders, Veterans, and those military affiliated. We'll seek to broaden our understanding of the day's events, its aftermath, and reflect on where we are today.

If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer to assist in the morning's events, please contact Jennifer Dillon, CCCC's Director of the Veterans Upward Bound Program and Military Initiatives, (919) 718-7561, jdillon@cccc.edu.

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9/11 Commemoration Events

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Fuel Up With Foundation

Thanks to the Foundation for sponsoring the "Fuel Up With The Foundation" event held before the Convocation program on Aug. 10 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center. College employees were treated to muffins and coffee.

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Views From Around CCCC

Scene from the CCCC Student Farm

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PERSONNEL NOTES

Birth Announcement!

Whitney and Nick Testa welcomed Kensley Rose into their family on Sunday, July 16th, at 1:44 a.m. Kensley was born weighing 7.3 pounds and was 21 inches long. Please join us in welcoming Kensley to the Cougar Nation!

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New and Changing Employees at CCCC

Updates as of Aug. 1

July New Employees

  • Tiffany Vielman, Administrative Assistant and Receptionist

July Position Changes

  • Junious Surles, Lead Instructor, Truck Driver Training Program
  • Brandi Hernandez, Director of Purchasing
  • Tammy Kirkman, BLET/DOC Coordinator

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Birthdays

Birthday list provided by Human Resources

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
9/1 Kristin Turner
9/3 Ben Rankin
9/5 Stephanie Morco
9/6 Catie Godbold
9/7 Brian Bridgers
9/8 Karen Minter
9/9 Brian Hurd
9/10 Pamela Fincher
9/11 Allison Haire-Burris
9/11 Penny Shoun
9/12 Glenn Shearin
9/13 Darren Fincher
9/13 David Flatley
9/13 Yunqui Song
9/13 Wesley Womack
9/14 Anita Green
9/17 Kelvin Hunt
9/18 Lisa Ziblay
9/18 Austin Simmons
9/19 William Hunt
9/20 Juanita Carter
9/21 Leigh Beam
9/21 Jimmie Boggs
9/21 Brenda Grubb
9/22 Stormy Mascitelli
9/23 April Hammonds
9/23 Junious Surles
9/23 Ben R. Thomas Jr.
9/24 John Ainsworth
9/24 David Baker
9/24 Joel Oldham
9/24 Sarah Tart
9/25 Liz Wicker
9/26 Kels Brucker
9/26 Denise Martin
9/27 Lora Long
9/28 Julie Francis
9/29 Christopher Brewer
9/30 Emma Belcher

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 Alani

Fun fact, my name means "orange tree" in Hawaiian! I am a quiet girl, but when I want to play, I definitely will! Nothing beats a good cat nap and a few treats. I would love to live the "island" life with you! Aloha.

Alani

Cougar Pets

Meet Squish

True to my name, "squish" is exactly what you will want to do with my face! I am a perfect dude with a great personality. I love to play with other dogs and I have never met a stranger. My hobbies include trying to find the new best toy, learning new tricks, and rolling over for belly rubs. I really enjoy learning new tricks, especially if you are throwing the ball or offering treats!

Squish

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, Sept. 15, by 5 p.m. for the next issue. Upcoming issues:

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

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