Catawba Valley Community College recently recognized the seventh graduating class of its annual Student Leadership Academy.
Nineteen students were selected for the Academy in the fall of 2016, and 16 of those students received their certificates of completion at a special Student Leadership Symposium held at the Crowne Plaza in Hickory.
The 2017 CVCC Student Leadership Academy Fellows include Jessica Carson, Hickory; Billie Marie Cook, Hickory; Nicole Ella-Webb, Taylorsville; Seth Gabriel, Hickory; Janet Harriman, Taylorsville; Stephanie Hicks, Hickory; Avery Jackson, Clemmons; Dustin Jones, Taylorsville; Abbie Kincaid, Hickory; Katerina Martin, Hickory; Bryan Morales, Hickory; Justin Reeves, Hickory; Bethany Spears, Hudson; Jessie Tallman, Taylorsville; Amber Taylor, Conover; and Vickie Whisnant, Hickory.
Fellows experienced more than 30 hours of intensive leadership training and contributed over 20 hours of service to CVCC. Dr. Dianne Little, Director of CVCC’s Phillips Leadership Institute, supervised the Student Leadership Academy.
At the Symposium, four individuals received the following awards in portfolio presentation: First Place: Tallman; Second Place: Carson; Third Place: Martin; and Honorable Mention: Reeves, Kincaid and Whisnant.
Guest speakers for the Symposium included Dr. Grace Mitchell, president, Vadec Resources, Inc., Charlotte; and Dr. Hampton Hopkins, president, Carolinas College of Health Sciences in Charlotte.
Individuals serving on the Symposium’s leadership panel included Mr. Nat Auton, president and CEO, Catawba Valley YMCA; Teresa Biggs, executive director, CVCC Foundation; Cindy Coulter, dean, School of Access, Development, and Success, CVCC; Dr. Hopkins; Steve Hunt, executive director, Office of Multicultural Affairs and chief of staff safety and security, CVCC; Brice Melton, dean, School of Academics, Education, and Fine Arts, CVCC; Dr. Mitchell; Dr. Janet Painter, professor of education, Lenoir-Rhyne University; Amy Powell, branch manager, Manpower; Catherine Renbarger, city manager, City of Claremont; Robin Ross, dean, School of Health and Public Services, CVCC; Mark Seaman, general manager, Hickory Crawdads; and Staci Wilson, director, Library Services, CVCC.
Judy DeWitt, 2016 SLA graduate, served as the symposium facilitator.
On CVCC’s Awards Day, four SLA members were recognized by their peers as outstanding future leaders based on their involvement in and contributions to the Academy. Future Leader awards were presented to Carson, Cook, Hicks and Reeves.