BRCC Community Link Newsletter, Fall 2023

BRCC EDUC ATIONAL FOUNDATION, INC

Fall 2023

Message from the President

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he fall is such a beautiful time of year, often symbolizing the winding down period of the life cycle. At Blue Ridge Community College, the opposite is happening. BRCC’s campus is teaming with activity and new initiatives! I want to thank each of you who were able to attend my annual Community Breakfast Series in early September, where I spoke about all of the new things that are occurring at the College this year. As I walk the campus grounds, I am in awe of the impact this newness has on every aspect of what our mission entails. Students have started the year eager to learn, and our outstanding faculty and staff have demonstrated such a strong commitment to helping students achieve that goal.

The impact of Blue Ridge Community College is so far reaching. Our work touches virtually every sector of the region’s economic development priorities. We educate employees in health care, manufacturing, education, business, public service, and computer technology, all of whom will impact our Valley businesses for generations to come. Many more students take advantage of our outstanding transfer education opportunities, and then continue their higher education at one of the four-year college partners in the region. Ultimately, the vast majority of those students stay and work in the region, raise families, contribute to communities, and strengthen our region.

Thank you for your support of Blue Ridge Community College! You will see, within the pages of this newsletter, compelling stories of the impact we have on our region. As BRCC celebrates all that is new, your ongoing support ensures that what never changes is the College’s commitment to our mission and our community.

BRCC Educational Foundation Board

Chair Andrew P. Vanhook, Vice Chair Bret F. Harrison, Secretary John A. Downey, Treasurer Anastasia O. Triplett Kelly R. S. Blosser Kenneth R. Boward Price A. Boxley IV

Catherine H. Hughes David R. Metz Cynthia K. Didawick Dinah Gottschalk Larry K. Landes Paula C. Moore-McClure Steve F. Elkins Donna S. Hahn Mary Pavlovskaya Crystal L. Farmer James C. “Jay” Hawkins Thomas C. Mendez

Tassie L. Pippert Holly M. Rasheed Justin T. Rexrode

Randolph B. Roller Courtney W. Thompson Keith J. VanBenschoten

Community Link is an official publication of the Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation. It is distributed to friends in the Shenandoah Valley, as well as BRCC faculty and staff, and is published quarterly by the Development Office, Blue Ridge Community College, Weyers Cave, VA 24486. If you have any questions or comments regarding this publication, please contact Angie Glenn, Development Services Coordinator, at (540) 453-2307 or glenna@brcc.edu.

Learning Creates Brighter Futures

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RCC’s 2023 Learning Creates Brighter Futures (LCBF) summer youth program for middle and high school students was a great success!

Offering courses in robotics, computer building, ceramics, pre-veterinary technology, drone technology, web design and programming, and biomanufacturing, the program served 105 students, helping them to explore future career pathways. Many LCBF alumni have gone on to pursue degrees at BRCC in program areas related to their LCBF courses.

Case in point: D. J. Diehl.

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s a child, he took LCBF classes in robotics and electronics, learning to program robots and assemble and solder circuit boards. He was exposed to projects that sparked his imagination, and absorbed the foundations of electronics technology which became the springboard for his future career.

After graduating high school, D.J. attended BRCC and was fortunate to receive the ComSonics, Inc. Electronics Scholarship while completing his Associate degree. He went on to complete his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Engineering Management at ODU. D.J.’s first job out of college was at Power Monitors, Inc. in Mount Crawford as an engineer. He moved up through the ranks to senior design engineer, and was involved in patenting five objects used by the power quality industry around the world.

Today, D.J. is an Associate Director of Engineering, at Merck, manufacturing life-saving drugs used around the world! He describes himself as a mix between a chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineer, and credits BRCC for being the foundation of his success story.

Because of your support for the BRCC Educational Foundation, including funding Learning Creates Brighter Futures scholarships, thousands of area youth have been set on a pathway to an enriching career in OUR community.

BRCC Educational Foundation Receives Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge Grant

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ecently, eighteen local nonprofit organizations received a financial boost to do much more good in the community. The Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge recently announced a special round of grants to 18 local organizations, and BRCC is privileged to be among them.

The one-time only grants, which range from $50,000 to $150,000 for a total of $2.3 million, are intended to make a meaningful and positive impact on the community. These are made possible by two donor-advised funds administered by the Community Foundation.

“These two funds were created through the generosity and foresight of the Clifton Forge Waynesboro (CFW) Telephone Company,” said Carl Rosberg, retired President of NTELOS (formerly CFW). “As we exit the pandemic, we are pleased to distribute what remains in the funds to make a meaningful immediate and lasting difference in our community. We are grateful for the support of the Community Foundation in helping us fulfill the philanthropic intent of these funds.”

The NTELOS and LUMOS High-Impact Grant Initiative will help establish a Medical Laboratory Technology program at BRCC. Augusta Health and Sentara RMH hire BRCC’s Nursing, EMS and Paramedic graduates, as well as our phlebotomists, certified clinical medical assistants, EKG technicians, and patient care technicians, just to name a few. In continuing to serve the employment needs of the hospitals, BRCC wanted to develop a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree in Medical Laboratory Technology. However, the expected costs in doing so were significant. Therefore, the NTELOS and LUMOS grant provided the optimal opportunity to move this program forward!

What does a graduate of a Medical Laboratory Technology program do? Working behind the scenes, they participate as an essential member of a healthcare team and provide valuable information to physicians as they diagnose, treat and prevent illness. Medical lab technicians typically work in hospitals, health departments, private clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, and doctors’ offices. They perform routine laboratory tests in areas such as clinical chemistry, hematology, coagulation, immunology, immunohematology / transfusion medicine, microbiology, and urine and body fluid analysis.

One of Blue Ridge Community College’s key values is Empowerment. By that, we mean that BRCC provides individuals in our college community the opportunity to maximize their potential. The development and implementation of the Medical Laboratory Technology program will maximize the potential of students who are strong in science and math, those who are seeking an education that will lead to meaningful work in our community, as well as those who are interested in a healthcare career that does not involve direct patient care.

Beyond the individual students and graduates, the development of a Medical Laboratory Technology program would allow Blue Ridge Community College to continue to serve our community by responding directly to employer needs.

JUMP FOR

JOY

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uis Valdez said his “whole body was full of to give the go signal and jump! In early June, Luis a College Adventure Club members, Natalia Rodrigu experience of going skydiving with Skydive Shenan three had been skydiving before, or even really con that BRCC, the Adventure Club, and Dr. Young all again!”

Natalia had never really thought about being a skydiving but, “When the opportunity to skydive came up, I knew that letting my fear win an to go would eat up my courage in future times of fear, so I took it,” she said. She added that sh she might panic when it actually came time to jump, but to her own surprise she actually felt entire way up.

Once the plane reached about 10,000 feet, it was time to jump. “The free fall was the mo most enjoyed. I loved the first three seconds of the rush of adrenaline and then feeling weigh high altitude and with such a beautiful view,” Natalia shared.

Despite some initial nervousness, Luis said that once he had the gear on and got on the a realized how badly he wanted to jump! “The most exciting part was looking down while you the instructor to jump because you get to feel the cold wind, see the beautiful views, and you are ready to jump,” he explained.

Under the leadership of (now retired) BRCC Vice President of Instruction and Student Adventure Club Advisor, Dr. Bob Young, the club offered its members and other students lo activities each year. Highlights mentioned by Luis and Natalia included: caving, kayaking, ro horseback riding, hiking and more!

Dr. Young said the club had skydiving on their list of possible activities for many years, b fairly expensive, they decided to offer it to members as a drawing. Student members who had in at least one adventure during the year were eligible to sign up, and three would ultimately b participation in the other adventures and was a wonderful final adventure for me to facilitate

“I wish all of the hundreds of BRCC Adventure Club members over the years best wishe own limits to find their own interesting and challenging adventures,” said Dr. Young.

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ou might be wond students skydiving. Well, fo a degree program at BRCC feet! Many don’t have a sup education. Pursuing a work taking that risk presents an

Many of our students h they have the financial reso engagement that could be l jumping with them the firs students, programs, faculty

f adrenaline,” as he waited for his instructor along with two other Blue Ridge Community uez and Matthew Beach, had the thrilling ndoah in New Market, Virginia. None of the nsidered it. Luis said, “After this experience lowed me to experience, I will for sure do it

able to go nd deciding not he was worried calm the

oment that I htless in such

Dr. Young takes the Adventure Club Skydiving!

airplane, he are waiting for u know that you

Services and ots of unique oller-skating,

but as it is d taken part be selected for the unique experience. “It encouraged e for these Adventurers,” he explained.

es in the future and hope that they keep pushing their

Taking A Leap

dering why you are reading an article about BRCC or a lot of people, registering for a class or starting C can feel like jumping out of a plane at 10,000 pport system (let’s call that a parachute for the sake of the metaphor) to help them navigate higher kforce credential, a career study certificate, or a degree can be an extremely high risk for them. But, n opportunity for a high reward.

have experienced being underemployed—being stuck in a low-earning job, but not feeling like ources (or time) to do anything about it. Our stellar faculty and staff provide student support and likened to that of a skydiving instructor…building students’ confidence, packing their parachute, st time, and being there with them on future jumps. You help pilot BRCC through your support of our y and staff. Thank you for taking the leap with us!

Meet Our New Foundation Board Members Crystal Farmer is a seasoned healthcare leader, who currently serves as the Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at Augusta Health in Fishersville, VA. With a remarkable history of healthcare excellence, Crystal has consistently demonstrated her commitment to elevating patient care and nursing practice. Before her role at Augusta Health, Crystal made significant contributions during her tenure at Hospital Corporation of America, in Richmond.

There, she commenced her journey as a staff nurse and steadily ascended the ranks to ultimately serve as the Chief Nursing Officer of two Richmond HCA hospitals. Crystal holds a diploma in nursing from Southside Regional School of Nursing, as well as Bachelor and Master degrees in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University. More recently, she earned a Master of Business Administration degree from James Madison University. Beyond her professional endeavors, Crystal is deeply committed to fostering the next generation of nurses. She actively participates in nursing education advisory boards and is a valued member of the state collaborative initiative, “Earn While You Learn.” Crystal, along with her husband, David, resides in Waynesboro. Her family includes two accomplished daughters: Cora, a registered nurse in Richmond, and Lindsey, a graduate of James Madison University who is currently pursuing her degrees in Health and Business Administration at St. Louis University.

Catherine Hughes has been working in

healthcare management since 2003. She worked at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville for over 18 years with oversight for both clinical and operational services, including the Outpatient Surgery Center, Medical Imaging, Wound Care, Patient Satisfaction, Facilities, Construction, Nutrition Services, Environmental Services, Security and Guest Services. Since April 2022 she has served as the Vice President of Operations at Sentara RMH located in Harrisonburg. As a member of the senior leadership team, she is responsible for the daily oversight of the hospital and implementation of the strategic plan for the facility. Catherine has lived in Waynesboro since 2004 and is married with three children. She has served on many community boards including the United Ways of Charlottesville and Harrisonburg/ Rockingham and Albemarle County Police Foundation. In her downtime she enjoys travelling, gardening, and cooking.

Holly Rasheed is an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the Augusta County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office and has worked in this capacity for over six years. She is from Augusta County and is passionate about helping her community through her job as a prosecutor. While Holly prosecutes an array of cases from larceny to violent crime offenses, her focus in prosecution is on cases involving traffic fatalities, driving under the influence, and other felony traffic-related issues. The cases that are most meaningful to Holly are those where she is able to work with victims or families of victims of crimes and help them find a sense of justice in the court system.

Before becoming a lawyer, Holly attended Blue Ridge Community College for two years and graduated in 2011 at age 17 with an Associate of Arts and Sciences degree. Holly transferred to the University of Virginia, where she majored in English and minored in Government, and graduated in 2013 at age 19. Holly then attended the University of Richmond School of Law and graduated with her Juris Doctor in 2016 at age 22. She passed the Virginia State Bar Exam and became the youngest licensed attorney in Virginia at age 23. In her free time, Holly enjoys practicing yoga, playing with her three dogs, and traveling with friends.

Randy Roller, a native of Augusta County, is a retired banker and trust officer. He served the financial services industry for more than 45 years as a branch manager, farm and agribusiness lender, trust officer, and manager of the Trust & Wealth Management Divisions of two local commercial banks. His greatest reward was working with individuals and families on their personal estate plans and seeing their thoughtful planning come to fruition and success. He has an inborn fondness for farming and agriculture having been raised on a general livestock farm near Weyers Cave. Randy is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education. He has been active in promoting the development of leadership skills in the FFA, a youth agricultural organization, as an alumnus and member of Virginia FFA Foundation board. He serves on the board of directors of the Augusta County Economic Development Authority and the Agricultural/Forestal District Advisory Committee. He has held a number of leadership positions in the Staunton Rotary Club, Weyers Cave Ruritan Club, and Bethany United Methodist Church. In addition to community service, Randy enjoys spending time with his wife, Annie, their three children, and seven grandchildren.

Special thanks to our Casino Royale Signature Sponsor

BRCC’s 2nd Annual Casino Royale Friday, April 19, 2024, 6:00 p.m.

Robert E. Plecker Workforce Center

SAVE THE DATE

Blue Ridge Community College Educational Foundation, Inc. P. O. Box 80 Weyers Cave, VA 24486 (540) 453-2211 www.brcc.edu/EdFound

Non Profit Org. U. S. Postage and Fees Paid BRCC