6 minute read
Coahoma Awarded USDA Rural
COAHOMA AWARDED $943,884 GRANT BY USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT
PLANS TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT WITHIN THE DELTA REGION
Coahoma Community College is proud to announce that the institution has been awarded a USDA Rural Development Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant amounting to $943,884.
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy HydeSmith (R-Miss.) recently welcomed almost $3.5 million in telemedicine and distance learning grants to five healthcare and educational organizations in Mississippi.
Coahoma Community College President Dr. Valmadge T. Towner is glad to see the college receive funds to expand its reach within its five-county service area. The institution has recently increased its efforts to build more expansive technological infrastructures in recent months. This award builds upon Coahoma’s commitment of providing accessible educational opportunities for all.
“Excited and ready to implement the project is our mood at Coahoma. External funds are always needed to enhance the efficiency of meeting the educational needs of our students and constituents. This grant partnership will enable the college to create innovative and transformative strides relative to infusing technology into our educational and training programs,” said Towner. “Deliverables generated from the USDA Rural Development grant are sure to help all of our students. The future is bright at Coahoma.”
According to the USDA’s website, the Distance Learning and Telemedicine program helps rural communities use telecommunications’ unique capabilities to connect to each other and to the world, overcoming the effects of remoteness and low population density. For example, this program can link teachers and medical service providers in one area to students and patients in another.
Letha Richards, director of Educational Outreach, was the principal writer of the grant. She sees awards like this as opportunities for Coahoma to better serve the broader community.
“I am very pleased and excited about the funding of CCC’s RUS DLT 2020 project: Creating Access to Interactive Technology across the Mississippi Delta. We pursued this opportunity to expand our rural district’s access to our programs and faculty as well as to strengthen the STEM pipeline through interactive technologies,” said Richards.
USDA Rural Development offers loans, grants, and loan guarantees to help create jobs and support economic development and essential services such as housing; health care; first responder services and equipment; and water, electric, and communications infrastructure.
Richards added, “this grant will allow us to purchase distance learning equipment and infuse cutting-edge technology, such as Z-space, in our science classrooms, both face-to-face and virtual. By engaging the learner through exploration and experiential learning activities, we can then create exciting learning experiences to take learners in the Rural Delta to places they never thought they would go and help them do things they never thought they would do! And this will truly be an awesome moment for them! Our K-12 partners for this project include Madison Palmer High School in Marks, Mississippi, Northside High School in Shelby, Mississippi, and Coahoma Early College High School in Clarksdale, Mississippi.”
Additionally, the USDA promotes economic development by supporting loans to businesses through banks, credit unions, and community-managed lending pools. They offer technical assistance and information to help agricultural producers and cooperatives get started and improve the effectiveness of their operations.
STUDENTS ON A Mission
FAITH, FAMILY, &
Leadership
Demetric Strong channels his inner leader to guide student body.
Strong stands alongside his fellow Student Government Association members. The group has had to rethink leadership, service, and the student experience during an unsure and uncertain time.
Aperson’s upbringing plays an essential role in who they will become later in life. Demetric Strong, Coahoma Community College’s Student Government Association (SGA) president, applies the way he was raised to his life today.
The student body leader credits his parents, especially his mother, for instilling in him the importance of togetherness, courtesy, and meekness.
“My mother instilled in me early the value of family,” said Strong. “She also taught me the importance of always being respectful and humble. Everything I do, I place God and my family at the forefront. I have been family-oriented my entire life, and I am so thankful for all of the values that my parents, especially my mother, have taught me. I attribute all that I am and all that I will become to my upbringing.”
The values of his parents would later inspire Strong to pursue leadership roles in school. He got his first leadership role when he was elected Mr. Clarksdale High School, which gave him the confidence he needed to pursue student body cabinet positions in college.
“Since my high school years, I have always been in a leadership position. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to represent the school in that manner. That experience gave me the drive to pursue leadership positions at Coahoma Community College.”
A successful run as a leader in high school sparked Strong’s interest in the SGA position at CCC. He’s thankful for all of the lessons that being a leader on different levels has taught him over the years. “I have learned so much about myself. I’ve learned that it is almost impossible to get anything done alone in a position like SGA president. It takes a team to build an empire, and selfishness will not get me anywhere. Most importantly, I have learned the value of treating every member of the team as if he or she is president.”
Working with other organizations has been one of Strong’s highlights in his role. He also enjoys working with his team. He applauds the SGA cabinet members for being a cohesive unit.
“I truly appreciate the opportunity to interact and collaborate with individuals on different levels, from the student body to President Towner. The SGA team has been phenomenal. Collectively, we are such a strong team. Unfortunately, our efforts have been overshadowed by the pandemic.”
Legacy is vital to Strong. He realizes that with rank comes attention, so his priority is to be a role model for those who strive to stay on the right path and succeed in life.
“My motto is ‘Live each day so you would neither be afraid of tomorrow nor ashamed of yesterday.’ It is essential to set a good example for my peers, not only because of the leadership position but also because there are people I’m not aware of that look up to me. I always want my peers to look at me and see that I am driven, respectful, and humble.”
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CCC STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION: coahomacc.edu
