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Jackson County NAACP announces scholarship

The Jackson County Branch of the NAACP announces the 2024 Leroy Jackson Memorial Scholarship, which was established by the branch to honor the contributions of Mr. Jackson in promoting an equitable and inclusive society.

The Jackson County NAACP Diversity Scholarship is a one-time scholarship awarded to public high school seniors planning to attend a college or university in preparation for a professional career beginning in fall 2024.

Preference will be given to those who demonstrate that they are committed to promoting a diverse, equitable, inclusive and just society and who exhibit a financial need. In 2024, the Jackson County NAACP will award two winners.

The winning recipients will each receive $3,000 for first-year college expenses.

The application deadline is Feb. 28, 2024, and award notifications will be sent out by March 28, 2024.

A link to the online scholarship application can be found at the Jackson County NAACP website at jacksonncnaacp.org.

Related Items

WCU spring enrollment shows positive growth, retention rate

For the first time since 2020, total headcount enrollment climbed at WCU, with the spring semester total enrollment numbers topping out at 10,742, which is an increase of almost 200 students compared to spring 2023.

In the inaugural fall 2018 and 2019 terms of N.C. Promise, WCU enrolled its two largest first-year cohorts ever and successive years of record-setting enrollment elevated those levels, but then the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a recruitment and retention drought.

Total spring enrollment crested in January 2020 and total fall enrollment crested in August 2020. Headcount enrollment began receding in 2021, fueled in part by the record-setting, pre-pandemic entering classes that began graduating in record numbers.

Fall first-year enrollment bottomed out in fall 2021 (1,745) but rose in Fall 2022 (1,947). In fall 2023, WCU enrolled the second largest first-year cohort ever (2,108), second only to the inaugural year of N.C. Promise which was fall 2018 with 2,237 students.

As the pandemic abated, the flow of new undergraduate enrollment tributaries began to swell.

WCU has experienced increases in transfer student enrollment for four successive fall semesters and four successive spring semesters. Fall-to-spring, first-year retention rates have rebounded for successive spring semesters as well with spring 2022: 86.5%; spring 2023: 87.1%; and spring 2024 with about nine out of ten students returning at 89.9%.

Mars Hill University announces new trustees

Mars Hill University begins 2024 with new leadership on its governing body. The university’s board of trustees welcomes two new trustees, two trustees serving their second consecutive term, and two former trustees returning to service following required time off the board.

Don Icenhower of Weaverville, North Carolina, is one of the new trustees. He is an alumnus of Mars Hill’s class of 1980 and was a standout on the basketball team, scoring more than 1,000 points. He also holds two master’s degrees from Western Carolina University. He retired from the North Carolina public schools as the principal at Enka High and the South Carolina public schools as the chief operations officer in Lexington School District Two.

Also joining the board is Paula Kahn of Bristol, Virginia. Paula Corbin Kahn attended Mars Hill on a basketball scholarship and graduated in 1979 with a degree in education. She subsequently attended Western Carolina University and received master’s and education specialist degrees. Kahn spent several years as a teacher, coach and school administrator. She was elected to the Halls of Fame at Mars Hill College and Franklin High School for playing basketball, and the Jackson County, North Carolina, Hall of Fame for coaching.

Trustees Wayne Higgins of Weaverville, and Gene Holdway of Greer, South Carolina, are beginning their second consecutive four-year terms, while Mike Cranford of Fuquay-Varina, and Mike Kelly of Mason, Ohio, are returning to board service.

Brent Townsend of Tyrone, Georgia, begins a term as chair of the board. Other officers are Anna Renfro of Gastonia, as vice-chair; Higgins as treasurer; and Paul Powell of Greensboro as secretary.

STEAM receives grant for after-school program

The SkillSet program at UNC Asheville’s STEAM Studio received its largest grant to date from Dogwood Health Trust, amounting to $499,860 over five years, in order to expand the reach and impact of the program’s out of school-time programming.

SkillSet was founded in 2018 and hosted its first after-school programming in 2019, with the focus of addressing the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) fields and trades. The program has since expanded to include a wider audience of learners but is still underpinned by the idea that under-represented people should be taught STEAM skills so communities can be designed and built by the diverse people who live in them.

The grant will allow Skillset to expand off-site by funding the purchase of a cargo van for the purpose of bringing equipment and staff to local schools for classes and after-school programming.

SkillSet currently works with Partnership for Appalachian Girls Education at Madison County Middle, hosts an elective class at Hanger Hall Middle and works with In Real Life (IRL) after-school programming at Asheville Middle.

The grant will also go toward funding a bilingual full-time employee to work in collaboration with SkillSet Coordinator Amanda Simons in expanding programming to migrant and English-learning communities.

Several student employees who will help develop curriculum and teach the classes will also be funded by the grant, with the hope of training future educators. 

Being employed with SkillSet allows UNC Asheville students to solidify their own understanding of material relevant to them by engaging with younger students and learn short-term programming organization and teaching skills, all while being paid a competitive wage.

Having student workers assist with the classes not only engages college students with the community but also gives younger students someone to connect with and see their future in.

To find out more about SkillSet visit  steamstudio.unca.edu/programs/skillset/

Free tuition opportunity at SCC

North Carolina residents from households making $80,000 or less may qualify for a new scholarship opportunity that covers all tuition and fees at Southwestern Community College starting this fall. 

The Next NC Scholarship is a financial aid program that helps qualified individuals by providing $3,000 – enough to cover all tuition and fees for a full year at SCC with enough left over to assist with books, food or housing. 

To become eligible, current and prospective students need only fill out the FAFSA form. 

“One of the best things about this is students won’t have to repay any of the money they receive,” said Dr. Mark Ellison, dean of students at Southwestern. “It’s also nice that students aren’t required to complete any additional paperwork other than the FAFSA, which is something they’re required to fill out anyway. Upon filling out the FAFSA, if students are eligible, they will receive the Next NC Scholarship.” 

Anyone interested in taking advantage of this opportunity can fill out the FAFSA at  tinyurl.com/yr69t7pp

To learn more about the Next NC Scholarship, visit  nextncscholarship.org. To learn more about Southwestern and the career fields it offers, visit  southwesterncc.edu, call 828.339.4000 or drop by your nearest SCC location.

Moses family endows scholarship for BLET students at SCC

Back when George Moses first became Macon County’s Sheriff in the 1970s, the entire department consisted of two full-time deputies and one part-timer.

That small crew also covered the jail, which included just six cells and was located at the courthouse at the time. Even then, Sheriff Moses recognized the need to have high-quality law enforcement training nearby.

Now that the Macon County Sheriff’s Office includes a roster of 59 sworn full-time deputies, the former sheriff — along with Margaret, his wife of more than 70 years — has endowed a scholarship to make it easier for future generations to enter the field through Southwestern Community College’s Basic Law Enforcement Training program.

news edubriefs mosesfam

Former Macon County Sheriff George Moses and his wife, Margaret, endowed a new scholarship fund for Basic Law Enforcement Training through the Southwestern Community College Foundation. Pictured behind the couple are, from left: Dr. Thom Brooks, Curtis Dowdle and Brett Woods.

The former sheriff and Mrs. Moses formally signed off on the fund that has since been named the “The George Moses Family Endowed Scholarship” earlier this fall. One factor in the Moses’ decision to support Southwestern’s program is his longtime friendship with Curtis Dowdle, who oversees SCC’s public safety training.

A lifelong Franklin resident, Dowdle got his start in law enforcement when Moses was sheriff.

“He was always like a dad to us,” Dowdle recalled. “He’d bring us in if we did something wrong and explain to us how he wanted us to police. I always drive cautiously, and I always wave at people because he had always taught me to communicate with the public and acknowledge people when we were in that patrol car. He also taught me to be fair, and to have empathy. Those were some of the lifelong lessons that I’ve carried with me.”

The scholarship will be awarded annually to a deserving recruit at SCC starting in the spring of 2024.

For more information and to learn more about other ways to support students at Southwestern, contact Brett Woods, director of the SCC Foundation, at 828.339.4241 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

HCC hosts open house for industry careers

HCC is offering the opportunity for potential students and community members to tour classrooms and meet with instructors that are part of the industrial systems technology program, computer-Integrated machining program, and construction skills and technology programs.

Students in those programs learn everything from servicing and repairing a wide range of equipment to technical skills like print reading, electricity and welding, in addition to computer-related skills in those fields.

Registration is now open for the spring and summer 2024 terms.

The event will take place from 5-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the High-Tech Center located at 112 Industrial Park Drive in Waynesville.

WCU alumna appointed EBCI Secretary of Education

Sky Sampson, director of Western Carolina University’s Cherokee Center and alumna, has accepted the position of Secretary of Education for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Sampson assumed her role Oct. 23.

Sampson, an enrolled member of the EBCI, earned her bachelor’s degree in communication with a concentration in public relations from WCU in 2010 before going on to receive her master’s degree in human environmental sciences at the University of Alabama in 2014. She has served as program manager for the Cherokee Youth Council of the Cherokee Boys Club since May 2011.  

As director of the Cherokee Center, Sampson served as a liaison between WCU and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She is excited to see the partnership between WCU and the EBCI continue to flourish.

The WCU Cherokee Center was founded in 1975 as a hub for professors to teach college-level courses across the street from what was then Cherokee High School. As the years went by, those professors were no longer needed because the teachers could become certified to teach the courses themselves.

The Cherokee Center evolved to become the headquarters for all outreach and involvement in the Cherokee community. Current services offered include guiding students through the application process, transcript requests, scholarships, internship placement and high school recruitment.

Scholarships available to SCC Con Ed students

The N.C. State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation recently gave Southwestern Community College $18,000 to financially assist students who enroll in Workforce Continuing Education programs.

Thirty different students will receive $500 scholarships to enroll in short-term workforce programs that lead to a state or industry-recognized credential such as Basic Law Enforcement, Emergency Medical Technician, Real Estate, Phlebotomy or Nurse Aide.

The funding is through the SECU’s Bridge to Career scholarship program.

To qualify for the funding, students must be North Carolina residents who are unemployed — or underemployed — adults, military veterans or members of the National Guard.

The funds can be used to offset the costs of registration fees, required books, uniforms, instructional materials, transportation, childcare and credentialing.

Upon receiving the award, recipients are tracked to determine the number of credentials earned, entry into employment and enrollment in further education.

To inquire about these scholarship opportunities, contact Latresa Shuler, SCC’s Coordinator of Workforce Continuing Education, at 828.339.4425 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Jackson schools psychologist receives statewide award

Kieran Foxx has been named the 2023 School Practitioner of the Year by the North Carolina School Psychology Association.

Foxx is a school psychologist for Pre-K, Cullowhee Valley School, Fairview School and Smoky Mountain High School Intensive Needs. She was selected out of seven finalists from across the state. Foxx was nominated for this award by Kelly Doppke, Director of Student Support Services.

SCC student places first at annual symposium

Every year, the North Carolina Society for Respiratory Care (NCSRC) is held in Winston-Salem, where students from all over the state compete in a “Tournament of Scholars.”

The competition had over 25 contestants, three of which were Southwestern Community College respiratory therapy students — Amber Brown, Adrian Aguilera and Kiyah Collins.

All three made it to the second round.

“I could not be more proud of our students,” said Respiratory Therapy Program Director Gretchen Guelcher. “They excelled in the competition.”

By the end of the day, Brown was named the winner, with Aguilera and Collins close behind in third and fourth place respectively.

“This year’s symposium was full of information, amazing professionals and knowledgeable students who had a blast at the competition,” said Brown. “This program and my future as a respiratory therapist mean everything to me. I am so proud to have won first place, not only for myself and SCC, but also for my son who has cystic fibrosis.”

Brown credits Guelcher and other instructors for this achievement, hoping the win shows how hard her instructors work for their students.

Mars Hill University secures $2M grant to boost student success

Mars Hill University has been awarded a grant of nearly $2 million as part of the Strengthening Institutions Program of the U.S. Department of Education.

The SIP program supports colleges and universities that are committed to serving a socio-economically diverse student body. To be implemented over five years, the MHU program is intended to further the university's strategic commitment to equitable opportunities for student success and is called Project RISE (Realizing Inclusion, Success and Empowerment).

It will include an academic success coaching initiative providing personalized coaching for students with high potential to benefit. Grant funding will allow the university to partner with InsideTrack, a higher education leader in student success initiatives, to launch its coaching program. By the end of the grant period, Mars Hill will have added a team of on-site academic success coaches to support its students.

The grant will also support MHU's Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning in its initiatives to provide faculty development in success-oriented instructional design.

Additional funding will support expansion of the Men of Distinction program, founded by Roderica Williams, associate vice president for student success, as well as faculty development and resources related to promising practices in academic advising.

SCC receives funding for expansion projects

As part of the state budget passed earlier this month, the N.C. Legislature provided Southwestern Community College with $20 million to address several pressing community and institutional needs.

$10 million will be used to construct an indoor firing range at Southwestern’s Public Safety Training Center (PSTC) in Franklin. That facility will serve local, regional, statewide and federal law enforcement officers and recruits.

The outdoor range will remain operational, allowing recruits and officers to get essential training in the elements that they’ll also face while working in the field.

The remaining $10 million will be used for expansion and renovation projects at SCC’s Jackson Campus in Sylva, starting with an addition to Oaks Hall.

That will allow Holt Library to move to the center of campus. Holt Library is currently at the northeastern end of campus, so the move will make the library’s resources and services more accessible for students between classes.  

Another project on the Jackson Campus involves renovating the existing library building to become a dedicated space for Workforce Continuing Education classrooms.

An official timeline has not yet been set for the projects, but Dr. Tomas said college officials have already started the planning process and will follow state construction guidelines.

WCU receives funding for engineering building, program expansion

Western Carolina University was successful in its request for funds for a new engineering facility and program expansion from the North Carolina General Assembly, for the recently approved 2023-2025 biennial state budget.

Earlier this year, WCU identified expansion of its engineering programs as its top legislative priority, an effort backed by the University of North Carolina system.

WCU received funding for the replacement of the current engineering building. The total amount authorized for this project is $95.3 million, with $2 million of that total allocated in fiscal year 2024-25 for advance planning.

The budget also allocated funds to expand WCU’s College of Engineering and Technology programming to support robotics, energy, controls and automation concentrations. The amount allocated is $3.5 million recurring funds.

The new engineering facility and funding will enable expansion for programs and laboratories in high demand areas, enabling WCU to adapt to evolving technology and industry needs.

WCU is the only university with an engineering college west of I-77 in North Carolina. The university also received funding for other institutional priorities including athletics and salary increases for faculty and staff to combat inflation and market pressures.

Holt family grows legacy of giving at Southwestern

As a young boy, Flip Holt didn’t clearly understand the significance of his father’s involvement in founding the institution that would one day become ranked as the nation’s best community college.

As an adult, Holt fully appreciates that his father – W. Paul Holt, Jr. – helped create a legacy that continues to transform the lives of people throughout Western North Carolina.

The elder Holt was a founding member of the Board of Trustees for the institution now known as Southwestern Community College. He served in that leadership role for more than 50 years, including multiple terms as chair, and he also is credited with starting the SCC Foundation in 1973. He was actively serving as a Trustee and a member of the SCC Foundation Board of Directors until his passing in 2018.

The younger Holt and his wife, Cindy, who now reside in Ponte Vedra, Florida, recently decided to expand the family’s prolific impact on Southwestern by endowing two new scholarships while significantly growing several existing scholarship funds through the SCC Foundation.

The new funds will be named the “W. Paul Holt, Jr., Endowed Scholarship” in support of Business Administration programs and the “Cindy and Flip Holt Endowed Scholarship” in support of Health Sciences programs.

“It means a lot to me, and it also means a lot to my wife,” Holt said. “She’s very instrumental in this. She is fully committed and ‘in.’”

Besides launching the SCC Foundation, which aims to provide a “hand up” to students who need financial assistance to pursue their educational goals, Paul Holt endowed multiple scholarships in his lifetime.

He started the “Patricia M. Holt Memorial GED Scholarship” in honor of Holt’s mother, who passed away in 1996; the Andrew P. Holt Memorial Scholarship, named in honor of Holt’s late brother, in support of the Culinary Arts program; and the Brenda Oliver Holt Nursing Scholarship, which honors Paul Holt’s second wife, who passed away last year.

Holt said he and his wife Cindy want to continue that family tradition of supporting the college and its students because they’ve seen the difference scholarships can make in the lives of individual students — as well as the impact SCC has on the communities it serves.

For more information about Southwestern Community College and the career paths it offers, visit  SouthwesternCC.edu , call 828.339.4000 or drop by your nearest SCC location.

Greta Byrd named vice president for advancement at Mars Hill University

Mars Hill University named Greta Byrd as its new vice president for advancement. Byrd joined the university in January as a major gifts officer and has served as interim vice president for advancement since June.

As vice president for advancement, Byrd oversees offices which focus on building trust, goodwill, and financial support for the university. Those offices include alumni relations, donor relations, foundations engagement, and major gifts.

The university engaged the search firm Buffkin/Baker to assist with identifying candidates for the position through a nationwide search. MHU President Tony Floyd says Byrd rose to the top of a very strong pool of candidates. 

“I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Greta as our new advancement vice president,” Floyd said. “She has a deep understanding of the unique needs and challenges our university faces. She demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our mission throughout the rigorous selection process and truly stood out as the ideal candidate from an exceptionally talented pool of applicants.

Byrd received her undergraduate degree in psychology from Mars Hill and her M.B.A. in healthcare management from Marylhurst University. She served several years as a member of Mars Hill’s alumni board.

“I am truly thrilled to be taking on the role of vice president of advancement at my alma mater,” said Byrd. “The opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of Mars Hill is both an honor and privilege.”

Byrd came to Mars Hill following a 30-year career in human services with experience in nonprofit leadership and fundraising. She received the award for Outstanding Woman Nonprofit Leader at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2022 WomanUP Celebration. She also is recipient of the 2023 Arc of Buncombe County Service Award and the 2009 Mayor’s Award for Affordable Housing Development. Byrd serves on the boards of Mountain Housing Opportunities and Arc of Buncombe County.

ETSU’s Dr. Stacey Fisher will head new council promoting teaching of financial literacy 

An East Tennessee State University faculty member has been named to a new state council dedicated to educating young people throughout Tennessee about financial literacy.

Dr. Stacey Fisher is one of six teachers making up the inaugural Distinguished Educator Council of the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission (TNFLC). Fisher, who teaches at ETSU at Sevierville, is a professor in the  Department of Curriculum and Instruction  in ETSU’s  Clemmer College of Education and Human Development .

Members of the TNFLC Distinguished Educator Council believe strongly in the importance of financial literacy and will help fill the critical need for teacher feedback and leadership as the commission continues to grow. Distinguished Educators can give voice to their own experiences teaching financial literacy while helping the TNFLC identify areas of improvement and equip their colleagues to provide high-quality financial education in their classrooms.

Realizing she needed to get control of her own spending and debt, Fisher began her journey to financial literacy in 2016. After studying various personal finance leaders and achieving her goal of being debt-free in 2019, she began sharing her newfound knowledge with others.

“I became passionate about helping future teachers learn these principles before they begin their early career, instead of in their late 30s, like me,” said Fisher, who also speaks at peer-reviewed academic conferences on financial literacy, personal finance and budgeting; coaches individuals in budgeting and debt reduction; and is licensed to teach personal finance in grades 9-12.

Fisher is co-coordinator of the K-5 Elementary Education Program at ETSU at Sevierville, where she teaches both on-ground and online literacy courses and is a cohort student adviser. She holds a Ph.D. in exceptional learning from Tennessee Technological University, and her research interests focus on family literacy and financial literacy for rural, first-generation college students and non-traditional students. She received the TNFLC Financial Literacy Leadership Award for the East Tennessee Grand Division in 2021

“The teachers chosen as Distinguished Educators know that financial education is important to set children up for success as adults,” said Tennessee Treasurer David H. Lillard Jr. “The council will work to provide feedback critical to ensure the TNFLC continues to offer relevant resources that can be easily incorporated in any K-8 classroom.”

ETSU faculty and staff often win competitive grants and fellowships, using their expertise to improve the quality of life for the people of the region and beyond.

To learn more about the Distinguished Educator Council, visit the Distinguished Educator Council page on the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission’s website, TNFLC.org, which also features valuable education and resources for the public.

ETSU issues call to action on mental health

East Tennessee State University purports to devote considerable resources into uplifting the mental health not only of faculty, staff and students, but the Appalachian Highlands region, as well.

Earlier this month, ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland signed a proclamation designating September as “Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.”  

“Nationally, campuses are witnessing a mental health crisis,” said Noland. “The recognition is not just an acknowledgment of the seriousness of the issue but a call to action for each one of us.” 

The university promotes a range of activities and steps to achieve better mental health. That includes physical activity, a balanced diet and adequate sleep. Forest walks, yoga classes and a workout at the Basler Center for Physical Activity are other options to boost mood and emotional well-being.  

For additional details about National Suicide Prevention Month, visit nami.org.

Learn about the early lumber industry of WNC

The lumber boom of the early 1900s brought jobs to the WNC mountains, especially for those residing in the Forney Creek Township.

The Norwood Lumber Company logged the Forney Creek watershed moving the logs by rail with their tracks crisscrossing the valley from one end to the other.

Jerry Ledford will present “Forney Creek, the Norwood Lumber Company and It’s Railroads” at the Oct. 5 meeting of the Swain County Genealogical and Historical Society.

Ledford’s ancestral roots run deep in the Forney Creek area. Many of his ancestors were employed by Norwood, including his paternal grandfather, Lewis Ledford, one of the mill’s superintendents; Lewis’s brother-in-law, Louis Carr, one of Norwood’s owners; and several of his great uncles.

Over the years as he came to know more about his family history, Ledford’s interest in railroading naturally merged with his heritage founded in the logging industry. Working along with the late Ron Sullivan, they traversed the mountains finding old logging camp sites, railroad grades, abandoned rails and skidders and other remains left behind of the days gone by.

From those adventures, Ledford and Sullivan coauthored the series of books entitled “If Rails Could Talk.” 

In his presentation, Ledford will share rare photographs of the Forney Creek area from his family’s collection, as well as those from Swain County native Noah Haney, one of Norwood’s veteran railroad engineers.

The presentation will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 5 at the Swain County Regional Business Education and Training Center. Conversation and refreshments will follow the presentation.

Sabrina Delk leads Mars Hill University's Entrepreneurship Center

Sabrina Delk has joined Mars Hill University as the director of the new Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

In that role, she will be responsible for recruiting students, organizing and executing extracurricular activities and engaging businesses to help provide students with the real-world skills they need for a seamless transition into the professional world. She also will oversee the planning and execution of the center's programs, including a small business incubator, Main Street economic development facility, community outreach, and financial literacy, along with student scholarship, internship and consulting programs.

Delk, a veteran project manager and development professional, comes to Mars Hill from the North Carolina Outward Bound School, where she served in several roles, most recently as development director. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina and her master's in public administration from Clemson University.

"I'm excited to begin working closely with students to help them succeed," Delk said. "My personal values of community, challenge, learning and compassion perfectly align with Mars Hill and the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership."

The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership includes Mars Hill's entrepreneurial leadership academic program. It aims to educate a new, diverse generation of leaders to foster an entrepreneurial mindset to businesses in Western North Carolina.

"It is not just about how to start a business," said James Heinl, a professor of business, "but how to impact any business in any position by displaying the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs."

One early project for the center is a case competition for high school students on September 30. Teams of one to four students will employ key business skills such as research, analysis, presentation and creativity as they compete to develop the best solution to a business case. The competition will award cash prizes to the top teams and their schools. Information is available atwww.mhu.edu/case-competition.

SCC Nursing grads achieve 100 percent  licensure exam success

During a pinning ceremony back in May, Amy Banner, Southwestern Community College’s nursing director, read aloud a sample question from the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Nursing graduates in the first few rows grinned knowingly. The rest of the crowd chuckled at the medical lexicon.

Within three months, all 25 of the graduates honored that day would go on to successfully pass that challenging exam on the first attempt and are now officially registered nurses.

“We are elated,” said Amy Banner, SCC’s Nursing Program Director. “All the hard work of our students and faculty is paying off. It was a total team effort between tutoring and extra hours in the office, and everyone being willing to pitch in all the time.”

Southwestern has been training nurses since 1967 when it launched a “Practical Nurse Education” track. SCC serves Jackson, Macon, Swain counties and the Qualla Boundary and also regularly draws students from outside the region.

“At Southwestern, we consider it an honor to train the next generation of healthcare workers for our service area and beyond,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC’s president. “Our instructors challenge students because they need to be ready to succeed their very first day on the job. We’re extremely proud of all our 2023 graduates because they worked hard and earned this, and we are also very proud of our faculty members who supported the students every step along the way.”

For information about Southwestern and the programs it offers, visit southwesterncc.edu, call 828.339.4000.

Haywood Sports Medicine donates AEDs to Tuscola High School

Haywood Sports Medicine donated two Automatic External Defibrillators to Tuscola High School to assist in emergency preparedness. The AEDs will be used, if needed, during sporting events and practices.

An AED is a portable defibrillator used to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm, and can save the life of a student athlete, coach or spectator who collapses during practice or a game due to a heart rhythm disorder that causes sudden cardiac arrest. The AED is designed to be automated so that it can be used without substantial medical training. The AED can check a person’s heart rhythm through the pads, recognize a rhythm that requires a shock, and advise the rescuer when a shock is needed, using clear and concise voice prompts on placing the pads and when to step away before the shock is delivered.

Haywood Sports Medicine provides athletic trainers and support at no cost to Haywood County Schools and is the official trainer for Tuscola High School, Bethel Middle School, Canton Middle School and Waynesville Middle School.

SCC offers digital literacy classes 

Southwestern Community College is offering a Digital Literacy Class on Thursday mornings starting Sept. 7. 

The class will cover everything from computer setup to the difference between laptop and mobile devices. Among more than a dozen topics, Google and Microsoft Suites will be covered as well as how to utilize Indeed while conducting a job hunt. 

This class is free for anyone who’s unemployed or under-employed. Class times are 9:30-11 a.m. on Thursdays through Oct. 12 at SCC’s Macon Campus in Franklin. 

“We understand that technology can be intimidating, especially for individuals who may not necessarily have needed to use it in the past,” said Sylvia Smoker, SCC’s College and Career Readiness coordinator, who’ll teach the course. “We’ll take our time in this class and make sure every participant gets comfortable with all of the basics.” 

For more information or to enroll, contact Smoker at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 828.339.4477.

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