The White & Blue NEWS
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Alum Named N.C. Community Colleges Staff Person of the Year Mark Best, a Craven County native who has spent his career helping men and women develop the skills they need to improve their lives, has been named the 2011 North Carolina Community Colleges Staff Person of the Year. Best serves as the Director of Workforce Readiness at Craven Community College. “I am so proud to represent Craven at the system level,” said Best. “I want to thank all of my colleagues here for their support and encouragement. It’s a blessing from God, and I dedicate this honor to my parents, Stephen and Della Best.” Best will formally receive his award at the N.C. Community College System’s “Excellence Event” on April 14, 2012 in Raleigh. The system award, which is sponsored by BB&T, carries with it a cash prize, a certificate and a plaque. In addition, the Craven Community College Foundation will receive $2,000. Best is a 1974 graduate of West Craven High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Fayetteville State University in 1978. Over his 25-year career with the college, Best has been one of Craven’s most recognizable public faces. He has spent countless hours in the community spreading the word about the college and the opportunities available for area residents. Mark Best, center, Craven Community College’s Director of Workforce Readiness As Craven’s Workforce Readiness director, Best works closely with men and women who are unemployed and underemployed. He schedules Programs, has been named the 2011 North Carolina Community Colleges Staff Person of the Year. He is congratulated by Layne Harpine, left, the College’s and manages short-term classes that are designed to teach participants Dean of Continuing Education, and Craven President Catherine Chew. basic computer skills, interviewing techniques, résumé writing and other skills. In recent months, Best has helped to organize career fairs, built partnerships with area organizations and worked one-on-one with people who were searching for the right path. “Mark wants people to know what’s available for them here at Craven, and he has worked hard to ensure that we, at the college, remain focused on the educational needs of our community,” said Layne Harpine, Craven’s dean of Continuing Education. Craven President Catherine Chew said Best’s years of dedication to the college and its mission made him a perfect choice for the honor. “I don’t think there is anyone more deserving of this award than Mark Best,” she said. “Mark has had such a positive impact on so many people’s lives. It is a joy to see him receive this award.” Best is the third employee from Craven Community College to receive a statewide honor from the N.C. Community College System.
Ebony Joyner Named Thurgood Marshall Distinguished Scholar Ebony Joyner, a December 2010 graduate of Fayetteville State University (FSU), was selected as the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s (TMCF) Distinguished Scholar of the Month for June. Each month a Thurgood Marshall Distinguished Scholar is selected from students matriculating through the 47 TMCF-member schools, which include public Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) and Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs). This person is a “student among students”, stands out as a leader, is active in the community, or has already accrued honors and/or achievements. The student selected is also innovative and making moves in and outside of the classroom. Two students are selected each month and are featured on the TMCF website and social networks. Joyner, a native of Asheville, N.C., earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biotechnology. She aspires to be a physician’s assistant. During her tenure at FSU, she was author of a scientific publication, senior class president, president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, president of the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society, and parliamentarian of the Delta Xi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Joyner was also selected to attend the Thurmond Marshall Leadership Conference in 2010 and the first Thurgood Marshall College Fund/Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention Ambassadors Public Health Workshop in April 2011. Currently, Joyner is an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Technology (ORISE) Fellow residing in Atlanta, and working at the CDC. She is applying to physician assistant schools and hopes to enroll in August 2012.
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FS&U Magazine