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TIMES NEWS • JOHNSON CITY PRESS

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AUGUST 2019

Colleges & Universities

TIMES NEWS • JOHNSON CITY PRESS

GO Tri

Colleges & Universities

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NISWONGER COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY

TRAINING THE MODERN WORKFORCE

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ETSU’s CULP CENTER

EDUCATION AT UVA-WISE

NEW OFFERINGS AT KING UNIVERSITY

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YALE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE

MILLIGAN IMPACTS LIVES

Visit www.gotricities.com to catch Tri-Cities events, music and more.

Advertising Billy Kirk - bkirk@timesnews.net

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NORTHEAST STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

ETSU’s ART CENTER

Publisher Rick Thomason rthomason@timesnews.net

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AUGUST 2019

Editor Matthew Lane – mlane@timesnews.net

Graphic Design Cesar Santiago – csantiago@timesnews.net

Car shows, concerts coming to Gate City

By Holly Viers

If you’re looking for some inexpensive, family-friendly entertainment, the town of Gate City has you covered.

On August 10 and Sept. 7, downtown Gate City will come to life with music, food trucks, a car show and more. Town Manager Greg Jones said the events provide a great opportunity to experience the unique atmosphere that downtown Gate City has to offer.

“The purpose for our Free Summer Concert program is to reintroduce our downtown local shopping and entertainment experience to tourists and visitors alike,” Jones said. “Gate City offers a beautiful downtown experience with mountain vistas and local businesses.”

Gate City Cruise-In

Planned for Aug. 10 at 5 p.m., this free event will feature food trucks, cars, music and plenty of opportunities for downtown shopping.

There are no registration fees for the cruise-in, and the first 150 cars will receive a free dash plate.

Eventgoers can also enjoy live music throughout the evening,

Jones said. The Railway Express Band will kick things off at 5 p.m., followed by Brickyard Road – a Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute band – at 6:30 p.m.

Cruzer Palooza

The second event, to be held Sept. 7 at 4 p.m., will feature a cruise-in, live music, food trucks and other opportunities for dining and shopping. Like the first event, there are no registration fees for the cruise-in, and the first 150 cars will receive a free dash plate.

Three performers will take the stage, starting with the Asylum Suite Band at 4 p.m. From there, the Benny Wilson Band will perform at 5:30, and Thunderstruck – an AC/DC tribute band – will close out at 7 p.m.

In addition to the car show and music, the event will feature a costume contest and promotional giveaways, Jones said. John Patrick of WQUT will serve as MC. For more information about the town’s upcoming events, visit KingAlley.com.

AUGUST 2019 | GOTRI MAGAZINE 3

Dual Enrollment

High School students get a leg up on a career

By Matthew Lane

Northeast State Community College did something new this summer for high school students who were looking to get a leg up on the competition.

At the Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing, the college offered a dual enrollment welding academy cohort class for students at Dobyns-Bennett High School, DB Excel and Sullivan East High School.

The training took place during two, four-week courses – a general welding course in May and June and an applied welding course in July and August. Students had to attend the courses on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“I think it takes a different level of commitment on the students’ part and so far we’ve seen that.

The students are doing well and showing up,” said Chelsea Rose, the high school programs coordinator at NSCC. “It certainly is a commitment to essentially give up your entire summer for this class.

We’re proud of them doing that.

It’s not the typical thing students do.”

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There were 11 students enrolled in the program this summer – five seniors and six juniors – all boys except for one girl. And the one student who was enrolled at Sullivan East, Rose said the young man got up every morning at 4:30 a.m. to get ready to make sure he made it to class on time.

Scholarship support from Sullivan County and the Tennessee dual enrollment grant made it possible for these students to attend the program with no out of pocket expenses, Rose noted.

CONTINUING EDUCATION The plan for these 11 students is for them to continue their welding education later this fall and next spring and ultimately receive their technical certificate by the end of summer with a final course in combination welding.

Rose said the students are on a schedule so they can all stay together through the duration of the program, thus the “cohort” in the program’s description.

We don’t expect their dual enrollment journey to end after this summer,” Rose said. “They’ve all

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said they want to keep going and follow the program, study to get the technical certificate.”

What’s left for the students are six more classes, Rose said. In the fall, the students will take a class called “inert gas arc welding” and a quality and inspection class. Then in the spring, the 11 teens will take two more welding classes, followed by a lab-based one in the summer before graduating.

All of the courses will take place at the RCAM.

“The certificate is embedded into our associates degree, so they’ll only lack one year if they want to continue on with an associate’s degree in welding,” Rose said.

Northeast State is looking to expand the new RCAM Academy and is hoping to have students enrolled in courses on machine tools, computer aided drafting, welding and automotive programs in the fall. If you’re interested in learning contact NSCC at 423354-0246 for additional information.

If you think community college isn't challenging, exciting, fulfilling, and fun, it's time you get educated.

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YOU BELONG HERE

We're here to get you there MAY 2019 | GOTRI MAGAZINE 5

ETSU’s Culp Center A new look for an iconic building

By Brandon Paykaymian

One of the most iconic buildings on the campus of East Tennessee State University is getting a much needed face lift.

Renovations to the D.P. Culp Center are now 65 percent complete as of July 1, according to ETSU officials. Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Ross recently said renovations are still within the originally projected budget of $45.5 million and should be finished by the “first quarter of 2020.”

The newly renovated university center will accommodate more students by adding an extra 28,000 square feet to the building. The entire building will be about 265,000 square feet.

of the university’s goals moving forward, ETSU President Brian Noland touched on the need for the new center.

“It was a space that was built in the ‘70s when we had an undergraduate population of about 7,500 students. Now we’re at 14,600 students, and there’s just simply not enough places in the old building to feed everyone,” he said. “It had all the ramps; it had one elevator. It was a wonderful architectural idea at its time, but the renovation really opens it up,” Noland said.

This expansion and renovation will be needed as the university plans to increase enrollment by about 3,000 students by 2024, Ross said.

“It compares to very large universities, so we definitely have plenty of space, high-quality space and usable space,” Ross said.

In a June discussion about some 6

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The renovations will include new dining options in the center, including a Steak ‘n Shake, Boar’s Head Deli and Mein Bowl. The center’s Starbucks will move to the side of the building adjacent to Sherrod Library and Borchuck Plaza and will include more outdoor seating options. The center will also house a radio station and media center.

The building will have a large “glass curtain” that allows more natural light into the building.

Aesthetically, Ross said, the building’s design is a departure from the old center’s brutalist style exterior. The center will also connect with the William B. Greene Jr. football stadium via a boulevard with a park.

“The glass curtain wall and treatments used on the exterior, I think, uses modern architecture in a way that brings light into the building, adds richness and will enhance the interior of the building and the exterior,” Ross said. “I think it will blend in better with nature and with the amphitheater.”

The project contractor is BurWil Construction Company, Inc., with collaborative architecture from Moody Nolan and Beeson, Lusk & Street, Inc. For more information about the project visit www.etsu. edu/culp.

ETSU’s Arts Center

By Brandon Paykaymian

As the James C. and Mary B. Martin Center for the Arts begins to take shape, campus officials and members of the East Tennessee State University community are looking forward to putting the $53 million project to use.

Everything has been moving according to schedule since the groundbreaking for the center in September of 2017, according to ETSU Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Ross. The center is scheduled to open in the spring of 2020.

IF YOU BUILD IT The center has been an ETSU dream for more than three decades. Until recent years, campus officials just couldn’t get the wheels turning to get the project going. Many felt the project was going to be on the back-burner for quite some time, despite increasing enrollment in ETSU arts programs creating a need for a new facility.

Funding came from state appropriations and private donations, and the City of Johnson City joined the effort with a $8 million contribution, expanding the scope of the project to make it a community asset.

Now, after years of anticipation and construction now past the halfway mark, Ross said he and others at ETSU are excited to see the center be utilized for theater, music and other arts events.

“The Martin Center for the Arts will truly enhance the student experience and offer new cultural

experiences for the community.

We are excited to bring the building online and give ETSU and our region a new home for the arts,” Ross said.

PEOPLE WILL COME Later this year, the staff will begin planning the first set of events at the arts center this year and “focus on how to bring the ETSU and Johnson City community together to promote the arts.”

Mary B. Martin was a lifelong resident of Johnson City. She was born in the Boone’s Creek community and graduated from Boone’s Creek High School. Martin began a forty-four year career at Tennessee Eastman Company as a laboratory technician and later obtained a BS degree in chemistry from East Tennessee State University, studying nights and weekends while working full time at Eastman.

James C. Martin was born May 8, 1927, in Wilson, North Carolina.

He earned his B.S. in chemistry at the University of North Carolina in 1947 and joined Eastman in 1948. He retired in 1992 after 44 years of service.

After the death of his wife of 42 years in 2008, James began an aggressive effort to perpetuate her legacy as a patron of the arts.

He was a leading donor to the ETSU Fine Arts Center initiative; the creation of the ETSU Mary B. Martin School of the Arts; the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall of the International Storytelling Center; the Mary B. Martin Auditorium of Seeger Chapel at Milligan College; and other arts initiatives. He died in 2015.

AUGUST 2019 | GOTRI MAGAZINE 7

The Secret of Doing Good Have you heard of a relatively new venue located in Kingsport that has only one primary goal: to do GOOD? Did you know that YOU can be part of this exciting cause? Well, the secret of doing good is not a secret anymore.

Do good GOODS located at 935 Wilcox Court, Suite 135, opened on Good Friday, 2018, and every business day since has simply been focused on doing good. With a unique, hybrid business model, the store offers both retail and consignment merchandise, but be advised - this is NOT a typical consignment store. Do good GOODS has a wide variety of high-quality merchandise at great prices, and a percentage of EVERY sale goes to charity. The store actually resembles a boutique with much attention given to merchandising the ‘goods’ so they are easy to find and pleasant to browse.

Are you looking for a gift or a unique item? Are you looking for a special occasion dress or perhaps jewelry and accessories?

Or maybe you are looking for new furniture, home décor, antiques or artwork….. then you should go shop at this special location which has something for everyone, and the best part – YOU will be doing something GOOD. Consignors get to pick not only the charity of their choice, but also choose from 3 levels of giving. The more the consignor gives to a charity, the more Do good GOODS adds to it! So, for every sale between 10%-60% goes to do good….we’re sure by now you realize that’s how “Do good GOODS” got it’s name. But where did this business come from? And how did it start? Well, the owner, Lori Jones will be quick to share that this store is her calling.

Not only did she feel God led her to start the business, but she has seen evidence of His sweet hand at work in so many details. And, her customers will tell you too that you just feel different when you walk in the door. After all, how many places can you go to shop where you’ve been prayed for before you even go?

The friendly staff at Do good GOODS remembers how customer service was more personalized ‘back in the day’, and they are trying to bring it back in style-- you will have all the help you need when shopping or you can browse at your leisure. And, if you want to plan a special outing for a group of friends just call and make an appointment for a private, after-hours shopping experience.

You can feel good whether you are a consignor, or a customer because you know you are part of something bigger than yourself -- something good. Don’t miss out on the great shopping experience… the secret is out – do good at Do good GOODS! New consignors should call for an appointment.

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MAY 2019 | GOTRI MAGAZINE 8

College majors that can lead to higher earnings

By Metro Creative Connection

Choosing a college major is an important decision that many students delay making until their sophomore or even junior years.

Only after taking a few courses and uncovering one’s interests do some college students figure out what they want to do with their lives.

Each student is different, and while some may pursue a degree based on a particular passion, others may choose majors that can lead to high-paying jobs.

While men often lean toward majors like engineering and computer science that have traditionally been linked to high earnings, women have historically gravitated to lower-paying specialties like education and social sciences.

But in recent years a shift has occurred, and more women have begun to choose majors associ-

ated with higher post-graduate salaries.

· Civil engineering · Sports management

Reports from the career guidance site Glassdoor analyzed how much male and female professionals with the same college degree earned and identified many instances in which women went on to earn more than men in the first five years of their career.

They’ve identified several majors where female college graduates can earn as much or more than their male counterparts and find successful careers.

Despite these findings, the college resource CollegeFactual and the U.S. Department of Education says that women remain likely to pursue education, design and applied arts, health services, and social work as career options.

· · · · · · · · ·

Architecture Pharmaceutical sciences Information sciences Chemical engineering Computer science Electrical engineering Mechanical engineering Computer engineering Business economics

Female students unsure of which major they want to pursue can take career assessments to help narrow down their options. Working with mentors or engaging in internships also can present a first-hand idea of high-paying career paths.

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THE EYES HAVE IT

By Jim Wozniak

Addressing a major health issue in the Appalachian region, Tusculum University is creating a college of optometry that will improve the quality of life and serve as a catalyst for further growth as the higher education institution celebrates a major milestone in its storied history.

The university has moved swiftly to renovate portions of the Meen Center, a state-of-the-art building, to accommodate the Niswonger College of Optometry. Construction crews have prepared areas Tusculum needs for optometric examination labs, an optics lab, an anatomy lab, a primary care ophthalmic surgery suite and patient exam rooms.

This initial work is now complete and will be followed by a second phase that will last about a year,

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said Dr. Andrew Buzzelli, the Niswonger College of Optometry’s founding dean and executive vice president of the College of Health Sciences.

Tusculum projects enrolling its first class of 70 students to the four-year program in the fall of 2020, pending the receipt of preliminary approval for accreditation from the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education.

“We’re working to build the very best college of optometry in the country,” said Dr. James Hurley, Tusculum’s president. “It will be a college of inclusion and opportunity, one that focuses on meeting the ocular needs of the young and old, the rich and poor and the people who have been denied access for far too long. Ocular disease is rapidly growing out of control across Appalachia, and we have to stop it.”

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When Tusculum receives all needed approvals, it will have the 24th College of Optometry in the nation and the fifth in the Southeast.

The college of optometry is named after Dr. Scott Niswonger, a prominent philanthropist in the region who earned a bachelor’s degree and an honorary doctorate from Tusculum and sits on the university’s Board of Trustees.

The decision honored Niswonger’s commitment to the College of Optometry and his unwavering support of Tusculum for the past 30 years.

Tusculum leaders have completed a feasibility study and a self-study of the Niswonger College of Optometry and have regularly met with representatives of the ACOE. The university has completed the first phase of the accreditation

process, and a site visit from that agency is the next step.

This summer, Tusculum received additional good news when the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges authorized Tusculum to begin offering doctoral degrees. Tusculum is now classified as a Level V higher education institution and can award doctorates in as many as three fields. The first such degree will be a Doctor of Optometry to graduates of the Niswonger College of Optometry once that college receives the remaining approvals.

The work on the Niswonger College of Optometry is appropriate for Tusculum, the first higher education institution in Tennessee, as the university celebrates its 225th anniversary in 2019.

Tusculum creating state-of-the-art College of Optometry The work on the Niswonger College of Optometry is appropriate for Tusculum, the first higher education institution in Tennessee, as the university celebrates its 225th anniversary in 2019.

University leaders say it is an opportunity to recognize how far Tusculum has come while taking the next step in advancing quality.

“Our creation of the College of Health Sciences has been a bold venture, and the university has shown its determination and ability for it to succeed by immediately starting a new college of optometry,” Buzzelli said. “The Board of Trustees has chosen to marry our 225-year legacy of civic engagement to our desire to provide not only health care education but also health care accessibility to Northeast Tennessee, Appalachia and other parts of rural America.”

Buzzelli said the college of optometry will be the first to train physicians exclusively in the contemporary practice of optometric medicine. Besides conducting eye exams and issuing prescriptions for glasses and contacts, optometrists now prescribe eye drops or

oral medications for more serious eye conditions.

include community-based vision care providers.

In addition to construction activity, the college of optometry has filled all of its administrative positions. It has also hired the faculty to teach students in the first year, and that roster will include many College of Health Sciences administrators. Other faculty members

Dr. Greg Nelson, the Board of Trustees’ chairman, is excited about what the College of Optometry offers the region. He said he is convinced Tusculum has the top founding dean and faculty in the country.

“We have brought people here who are highly professional, top

notch and well-respected who have started this type of program before,” Nelson said. “We are establishing a program with all of the cutting-edge technology and all of the best that the world has to offer in teaching methodology in order to give our prospective students the absolute best experience they could get anywhere in the nation. We’re thrilled we will provide such a high level of eye care for this region.”

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AUGUST APRIL 2018 2019 | GOTRI MAGAZINE 11

What UVA-Wise did for me

By Robert Powers, a recent graduate from Dungannon, Virginia

UVa-Wise is indeed a source of educational and economic hope for my native region in particular, but its mission and impact is much broader than that. UVa-Wise is a place where students from across Virginia, the Appalachian region, the United States, and the world can find a home. UVa-Wise dares to believe that education is not just for a select elite, but for all who are willing to put in the time and hard work it takes to be successful. Many of the students at UVa-Wise, myself included, went to high schools with limited resources and thus started a few steps behind others entering college. UVa-Wise levels the playing field and remains confident that students from any background can succeed if someone is willing to invest in them.

UVa-Wise has offered me every opportunity to succeed and explore my interests. In my time at the college, I’ve watched my horizons expand, both literally and figuratively. At every turn, my mentors have encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and pursue dreams I didn’t even know I had.

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After my first German class, which also happened to be my first college class in general, I thought to myself: “What in the world have I gotten myself into?”. I pushed through the initial difficulty and slowly grew to love the class and the language, but I was quick to dismiss the prospect of studying abroad. I came up with 100 reasons why someone like me could never survive in a foreign country.

I eventually developed the confidence to do a short two-week trip to Ireland, and even though I fought a battle with homesickness the entire time, I couldn’t help myself: I had caught the travel bug.

I realized I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t do a long-term study abroad in Germany. But still I doubted myself.

My professors kept encouraging me until I was crazy enough to believe that I could actually do it.

UVa-Wise took away any excuse I had by helping me cover the costs, so my friend Will and I set off for Dortmund, Germany. My professors stayed in touch with me the entire time to guide me through the arduous process of adjusting to life in another country, and while I was there, I did an independent study with a professor who invited me back to present at a conference a few months later. His offer sounded like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but I knew there was no way I could afford a plane ticket to Germany

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in the middle of the semester.

As soon as I told the Provost and Dean’s Office at UVa-Wise I had the chance to present at a conference in Germany, they immediately let me know they’d be glad to cover the travel costs.

A few months after the conference, the German professor informed me that the conference papers, my essay included, were going to be published and turned into a book. I went from hating German and barely being able to stay away from home for two weeks to getting an essay published in Germany, and that is all thanks to UVa-Wise. My time in Europe, which I count among the very best chapters of my life thus far, would have undoubtedly never happened if not for the financial, academic, and emotional support I received from the college and from my mentors.

As I’ve already told you, there are many reasons I was not the most capable of pursuing something like study abroad, so if my story sounds like an arrogant account of personal success, I apologize, for nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the opposite is true: I would not have gotten anywhere without the people and institutional support around me. So if this is a celebration of anything or anyone, let it be of the faculty, administrators, and donors who sacrifice time, money, and effort

to ensure that UVa-Wise’s promise to realize Thomas Jefferson’s ideal in Southwest Virginia is more than empty words.

Students at Wise receive oneon-one attention from mentors and have opportunities for funding that students from other colleges would give anything to have.

Close relationships with professors and funding opportunities allow UVa-Wise students not just to study abroad, but to take independent study courses, to do undergraduate research, and to develop themselves as scholars and professionals in ways that other students simply cannot.. At a time when many colleges have forsaken broad academic training for the sake of “narrow specialization,” UVa-Wise has stayed true to its commitment to a well-rounded, liberal arts education, and the success of its graduates in the academy and on the job market attests to the merit of its ideals.

My generation has inherited a plethora of unresolved economic, environmental, and social issues, issues that, at first glance, seem insurmountable. Even so, there remains cause for hope. An “educated citizenry” is the principal guarantor of democracy’s future, and through education, we can rise above the issues that beset our country.

13 MAY 2019 | GOTRI MAGAZINE

From a high school dropout to a Yale University graduate

By Rick Wagner

Victoria Hewlett has gone from a high school dropout to a Yale University graduate, from being an assistant manager of a Pizza Hut to planning a career in community and economic development.

vidual student growth when you make that connection with faculty and staff,” Hewlett said of being mentored at the college. “Northeast State was so important to that intellectual development.”

She said her Ivy League education wouldn’t have happened without Northeast State Community College. It was there she received her first two years of college, then graduating in May 2016 with a 4.0 grade point average.

The 25-year-old Hewlett earned her bachelor’s degree from Yale in May and came back to the TriCities and her native Elizabethton in June for a week or two before heading back to New Haven, Conn. to finish up an internship.

When she finishes that, she plans to move back to Elizabethton, try her hand at freelance community development work and see what connections she can make.

Much appreciated support came from a number of folks at the college, including from Jane Honeycutt, who oversees the honors program at Northeast and is the Phi Theta Kappa adviser.

“At Northeast State, there’s this level of real commitment to indi14

She was one of only 25 transfer students Yale accepted that year, with only a handful coming from community colleges. In late 2013,

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after problems with transferring out-of-state high school credits from South Carolina and New Mexico, Hewlett earned her equivalency diploma and in 2014 started her two-year path at Northeast State, majoring in speech and communications.

Hewlett said her hesitance to get her high school equivalency diploma and start school was due to the cost of college, but thanks to the Tennessee HOPE and Aspire scholarships, she was able to afford Northeast State.

HOW DID NORTHEAST HELP? Speech communications in humanities helped Hewlett with her public speaking skills and the honor society helped with community involvement through the Honors in Action Project, which is

tied in with local agriculture and community gardens. Her final paper at Northeast State became the first draft of her senior paper at Yale, titled: “Vision for a New Economy.”

In a nutshell, Hewlett called it a “commons mentality” applied to economic development.

HER DEGREE FROM YALE Hewlett earned a degree in ethics, politics and economics at Yale, with a concentration in community economic development.

She may seek a master’s degree but said she’s “not looking at that right away.” She said her master’s, if she seeks it, might be in social economics and interdisciplinary studies of environment, economics and sociology.

During her time at Yale, she got a research post on community economic development.

loans to cover all expenses but said they weren’t that much of a burden.

“What I want to do is some work in that field right now,” Hewlett said. “I kind of have a holistic look at this.”

Hewlett said she’s excited about local agriculture and the regionalism efforts in the Tri-Cities and that “what I’m excited about is inclusive economic development,” which she defined as economic development that benefits people who live in a community.

“I know plenty of other people who could have done well at Yale,” Hewlett said. “For a lot of students there, it wasn’t that much of a surprise” to be attending Yale, where former First Lady Hillary Clinton and President George Bush are among alumni.

“I really like it here,” she said.

“That’s my ideal situation, to find a little work to do here.”

Hewlett is interning at the New Hampshire Legal Assistance Community Economic Justice Unit, which she said works mostly to address “horrible housing” situations.

WHAT WAS YALE LIKE? “There were some things I really liked and things I really didn’t like at all,” Hewlett said. Overall, the experience of going to an Ivy League school was fantastic.

On the plus side, Hewlett said she liked the challenging classes and a job during college researching community economic development. However, she said, “I really did not like the general undergraduate culture.”

Most of the undergraduate students were younger and she wasn’t in those social circles as much but did get involved in the New Haven community.

She also said she considered herself lucky to have gained admission and a scholarship worth more than $70,000 a year at Yale. She ended up getting a few

ANY FUTURE NORTHEAST INVOLVEMENT? Speaking of alumni, Hewlett said she is talking with Honeycutt about starting a PTK alumni program at Northeast and believes others might be interested. One of those could be Beth Ross, a Northeast State graduate who in 2013 was accepted at Columbia University. Ross received the Jack Kent Clark Scholarship to Columbia for which Hewett applied but did not receive.

Ross, who Hewlett said was an inspiration, went on to Harvard Law School.

Northeast President Brittany Flora said earlier this summer that during a recent visit from the head of a company looking to expand into the Tri-Cities, she used Hewlett’s story without naming her to emphasize how the school helps students in the university parallel program go on to four-year colleges, including the Ivy League, as well as technical students who go straight into the work force.

“His eyebrows raised up. We are committed to that,” Flora said of preparing students for everything from a four-year degree to going directly into the local work force.

For more information about Northeast State call the college at 423354-0246.

Saving for college tuition

By Metro Creative Connection

Parents likely don’t need to be told that college tuition is expensive.

Whether you’re a parent of a high school student on the verge of applying for college or of a newborn with decades to go before the first college tuition bill comes due, the burden of how to pay for higher education is likely something you’ve considered.

While the cost of college tuition isn’t on the decline, parents might be happy to learn that such costs aren’t rising as fast as they once were. According to the “Trends in College Pricing 2018” report from The College Board, between 2001 and 2012, tuition increases at four-year public colleges ranged from 5.7 percent to 13.3 percent per year. Between 2012 and 2018, those same schools raised tuition raised tuition by just 3 percent per year.

The challenge of saving for college might be more manageable if tuition costs don’t rise as sharply as they did between 2001 and 2012.

But such costs are unpredictable, so parents should explore other ways to save for college tuition. · Start saving as early as possible. It’s never too early to begin saving for a child’s college education. According to rules governing New York’s 529 College Savings Program, adults cannot open 529 Savings plans for unborn children, as beneficiaries must have a Social Security number or taxpayer identification number. However, expecting parents or young adults who one day plan to have children can open accounts and name themselves as beneficiaries and then change the beneficiary to

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their child once the child is born.

It might seem odd to start saving for college tuition before you even have children, but it’s never too early to start growing a college fund. · Choose a diversified portfolio.

Most people are familiar with the adage, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” That adage is especially noteworthy when saving for college. Many people recognize that simply saving for college isn’t enough, and that directing college savings into a 529 plan that allows that money to grow is a savvy way to build college savings accounts.

When choosing investments, parents can combat market volatility by investing in diversified portfolios that makes their savings less vulnerable to loss. In fact, the NY529 Direct Plan allows parents to choose age-based options that automatically shift investments from aggressive to conservative mutual funds as children age. · Take your tax deduction. Families are faced with a host of bills each month, and that can make some parents wonder if it’s even possible to contribute to college savings accounts. Speak with an accountant to help you make room in the budget for such contributions, which are often eligible to tax deductions that make it easier and more sensible to save for college.

Saving for college tuition can be made easier by employing various strategies to grow college savings without adversely affecting monthly budgets.

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GOTRI MAGAZINE | GOTRICITIES.COM

By John Thompson

The Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Elizabethton continues to provide students with the necessary skills to compete in the modern workforce. Here are some recent developments in the college’s curriculum:

students with knowledge of emergency procedures, mental health and first aid, defensive tactics and use of force, ethics and legal issues, investigations, personal development, and worker characteristics.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Students who complete the first trimester (432 clock hours of study) will receive a correctional officer apprentice certificate. If students complete both trimesters, totaling 864 clock hours of study, they will receive a master correctional officer certificate.

Criminal justice has become more in demand at colleges across the region in recent years and during the June 21 meeting of the Tennessee Board of Regents the course was approved for the Elizabethton campus.

College President Dean Blevins said the course, for jailers and guards, will be offered in response to requests from law enforcement officials in the region. The course will be taught at the Herman Robinson Extension Campus (1500 Arney St.) In many law enforcement departments in the region that operate jails, the positions of jailers and guards are entry level positions.

According to Blevins, the curriculum for TCAT-Elizabethton consists of a broad range of topics designed to equip jailers and guards with the knowledge and understanding of inmate processing, maintaining order in the jail and invoking disciplinary measures when necessary.

In addition, the course will teach jailers and guards how to conduct cell searches for drugs and other contraband, inspect the facility for cleanliness and stand guard during exercise periods.

“We plan to offer the course in September 2019 provided there are a sufficient number of students enrolled by then,” Blevins said.

PIPEFITTING TCAT recently formed a training partnership with National Boiler Services in Trenton, Ga., to enhance employment opportunities for graduates of the 12-month pipefitting training program.

Blevins said Larry Brown, director of human resources for NBS, will test pipefitting students recommended by TCAT instructor Tim Pierce for possible employment as boilermakers and pipefitters.

Brown said the Georgia company was very pleased with the quality, skill sets and work ethic of the welders they had hired from TCAT Elizabethton and wanted to expand their partnership into other

“The entry-level rate of pay for a boilermaker is $20 an hour and $110 a day per diem. The pay rate grows as you demonstrate mastery of the process.”

Pierce teaches students how to cut pipe using various hand power tools, along with measuring, cutting with blades and torches, threading, grooving, bending, soldering, brazing, welding, assembly and joining and installing pipes, vales and fittings.

As a bonus to students, all graduates of pipefitting, industrial electricity and millwright training at TCAT Elizabethton are listed in the National Registry of the National Center for Construction Education and Research.

KUBOTA PARTNERSHIP In October, Kubota, the global company that manufactures construction and agricultural equipment, entered into a training partnership with TCAT. The partnerships are designed to provide technical training to current and future employees of Kubota dealers.

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fications on every part of training Kubota requires for its entry level and next levels of technical service representatives at Kubota dealerships.

The entry level position is called a “preventive maintenance technician” and a graduate receives a certificate of training from the school. The level 1 position is called a “technician apprentice” and graduates receive a certificate. The level 2 position is called “technician” and graduates receive a diploma. The highest level of training at the school is a level 3 technician. Graduates receive an advanced diploma.

Matt Jones, owner of Johnson City Kubota, Greene County Kubota and Mountain Kubota of Boone, N.C., said he is pleased with the partnership.

“Basically, this is the first Kubota Diesel Certified Technician program to exist in the country,” Jones said. “They selected five schools from across the country and TCAT-Elizabethton is one of them. John Lee is developing the program and I really think it’s going to be amazing for the folks who want to become diesel mechanics with a focus on agricultural and construction equipment.”

The curriculum will lead to certi-

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Johnson City Kubota is donating equipment for students to work on during the program and the school will also borrow specific machines for students to utilize for different portions of the course. Those who complete the program and come to work for Jones in one of his dealerships will receive a Toolbox Scholarship, which consists of a full set of tools needed to accomplish all the jobs a starting technician would require.

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AUGUST 2019 | GOTRI 17 MAGAZINE

King University introduces new offerings, expands others

By Holly Viers

Since its founding in 1867, King University has been preparing students to excel in their careers and in service to their communities.

Today, that mission is alive and well as King seeks to broaden its reach, both by expanding current offerings and introducing new ones. Below are some of the university’s most recent or upcoming endeavors.

to look at the resources and the beautiful lakes that we have. I think that’s an important part of the community that surrounds King, and we want to integrate those pieces,” Roberts said.

“Then along those lines, also starting triathlon. So those are some new athletic opportunities at King.”

Athletics

Many of King’s academic programs have grown in recent years, including criminal justice, sports management, RN to BSN, social work and security and intelligence studies. One of King’s newest programs is its 3+2 engineering dual degree, which is offered as part of an agreement with the University of Tennessee.

Last year, King became the first school in the state to offer esports as a varsity program. The university joined over 70 institutions nationwide that offer scholarships for student-athletes to compete at the intercollegiate level.

Provost Matthew Roberts said two more new athletic programs are in the works.

“We’re trying bass fishing, trying 18

Academics

“King is only one of two private institutions in the state that has this agreement with UT. … At the end of five years, they (students)

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have an applied science and mathematics degree from King, and then a bachelor of science in engineering within one of four specialties from the University of Tennessee,” Roberts said.

In June, King became a full partner with the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, which will allow the university to offer more programs at that location, Roberts said. King is also maintaining a strong presence in Kingsport and is continuing to grow its online enrollment for college students and for high schoolers interested in dual enrollment.

“Things that you could normally get at a face-to-face dual enrollment presence can be done online and are treated just the same, and students have the same access to those and state funds to pay for those courses,” Roberts said. “It allows us to have a broader reach to those

who may be in sites that may be rural or several hours away from one of our campuses.”

What’s next?

In the coming months and years, university leaders will be looking at the needs of the region to identify programs that should be introduced or expanded, Roberts said.

Some potential new offerings include a mental health certification through the nursing program and a master’s program in social work.

The university is also exploring a master’s of art in religion and will meet with religious leaders in August to determine whether there’s a need.

“Lots of good things are happening,” Roberts said, “and we’re just really excited about the upcoming year and the possibility of making a King education accessible and affordable for the folks of our area.”

Legacy - Showing you the difference The Legacy School of Hair Design, located at 1055 U.S. Highway 23 South in Weber City, is owned and operated by Darrell Honaker and Brittany Page.

Legacy provides basic and advanced training in cosmetology and places an emphasis on providing their students with the advanced techniques they will need in order to easily adapt to a career in cosmetology upon completion of their education.

While enrolled in the program, students will benefit from learning all areas of cosmetology including, hair, skin and nails. Legacy offers the Milady training course of study. Students spend 1,500 hours completing their theory

courses as well as practical training.

During the practical training, students work with mannequins for a set amount of time and then are promoted to working on clients. In the last 200 hours of their training, students spend several hours a week studying and training for their state board exam to prepare them for graduation.

The typical length of the program to complete 1,500 hours is 12 to 18 months, based upon the schedule that is decided between the student and their instructors.

Legacy not only offers the cosmetology program, but the instructors program as well. The instructor program requires 300 hours of training to become licensed

to teach cosmetology. During the 300 training hours, the trainees will develop skills to lesson plan, create the best avenues of study for their students and create a highly educational classroom experience for their students.

Honaker and Page also own Studio 21 Family Hair Salon, the salon located next door to the school. The salon offers the newly licensed students as well as experienced stylists in the area the opportunity to step into a welcoming atmosphere in the beauty industry.

One thing that makes the students more comfortable is knowing that they will absolutely have a job to go to upon graduation and taking their state board exam.

Legacy School of Hair Design offers students financial support and one-on-one training, as well as constant professional advice and guidance for a successful career. With financial assistance, students are able to attend when it would otherwise be much harder for them to do so. Offering night and weekend classes and flexible scheduling, it allows many possible avenues that potential students may need to get on the career path they are wanting.

The Instructors at Legacy have a combined 150+ years’ experience in the field of cosmetology that they truly enjoy passing on to their students through education, practical skills and one on one learning.

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Milligan engineering impacts lives Contributed Story

Creek to adapting toy ride-on vehicles for special-needs children, the faculty and students have utilized engineering principles to solve everyday problems, locally and abroad.

Many residents in the Cedar Grove community near Sneedville, Tennessee, lack access to clean water in their homes. To meet their daily needs, the community relies on a local mountain spring.

To access the natural spring’s water, residents created, and continue to maintain, a plastic piping system. The pipe conveys water down the mountain into a large, concrete basin located beside a local church. Here, community members access water through a connected hose.

While this piping system provides local residents with one of life’s most precious necessities, it remains problematic. Every winter, water freezes in the pipe, ceasing 20

the flow of water and causing the pipe to burst. The primary concern with this water source is the threat of bacteria.

Milligan’s engineering program has partnered with a local United Methodist initiative, the Jubilee Project, to address the many issues affecting the water quality and its delivery system for residents in Cedar Grove.

Milligan’s engineering program is a four-year program offered from the college’s main campus and is the only such program within a two-hour radius of the Tri-Cities.

Since its inception, Milligan’s program has embraced opportunities to use engineering to change lives. From creating a small water purification system in Buffalo

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Once connected with the Jubilee Project, a student research team quickly formed. The students involved consist of Nathan Baker, of Middlesbrough, United Kingdom; Josh Clemens, of Blountville; Zula Coley, of Johnson City; Doc Maines, of Bluff City; and Bo Pless, of Elizabethton. In addition to Harrell, other faculty involved include Dr. Jeff Giesey, Dr. Landon Holbrook, and Dr. Hongyou Lu. “I wanted to work on a research project that focused on missions,” said Maines. “I expected to see issues about access to water on mission trips abroad; I didn’t realize similar issues are facing communities near us.”

The research group traveled to Cedar Grove to assess the current system, analyze the problems and determine the best solutions. They met weekly to discuss the different tasks they

were working on in their research and in the lab.

The group tested several water samples and confirmed that Cedar Grove’s water contained fecal coliform.

“To treat the water, we created a plan to place filters within the storage basin that will help eliminate bacteria and germs,” explained Clemens. “UV light effectively eradicates bacteria; however, the water has to be clear for this to work. We inserted two separate particle filters into the basin to ensure the water is clear.”

The students tested their filtration system to ensure their installation works effectively and remains sustainable for residents in Cedar Grove.

“This project applied what we are learning to a real issue in the world,” said Pless. “Knowing that our research and work impacts people’s lives is why I chose Milligan’s engineering program.”

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The Oldest Universities in North America

By Metro Creative Connection

Today’s high school students interested in pursuing higher education have many colleges and universities to choose from, both at home and abroad.

In Europe, there are many old, established institutions of higher education. In fact, many schools in Europe are among the oldest in the world. But North America has its share of centuries-old colleges and universities as well. The following is a look at some of the oldest institutions of higher learning that North America has to offer. · The Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico, 1551: The Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico was founded on September 21, 1551, by a royal decree signed by Charles I of Spain, in Valladolid, Spain. It is generally considered the first university founded in North America and second in the Americas. · Harvard University, 1638: One of the original nine colonial colleges, Harvard University was funded by a bequest by namesake John Harvard. It was twice what the Massachusetts Bay Colony had set aside to establish two schools in the area.

22

· Université Laval, 1663: Université Laval is the oldest institution of higher education in Canada and the first North American institution to offer higher education in French. · The College of William & Mary, 1693: The College of William & Mary was established when land for the college was purchased in 1693. The school claimed that it was in the planning stages decades before Harvard was established. · Yale University, 1701: Yale University began as the “Collegiate School.” It was renamed in 1718 and has become one of the world’s most prestigious schools. · Washington College, 1782: Chartered in 1782, Washington College can trace its origins to a gift of 50 guineas provided by George Washington. Washington granted permission to use his name on the school, which grew from the existing Kent County Free School. · St. John’s College, 1784: St. John’s College is the third oldest college in the United States, tracing its origins back to the King William’s school in the colony of

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Maryland. The school was not chartered as St. John’s College until 1784. · The University of New Brunswick, 1785: The University of New Brunswick is the oldest Englishlanguage university in Canada, and among the oldest public universities in North America. It was founded by a group of seven loyalists who left the United States after the American Revolution. · The University of Ottawa, 1848: The University of Ottawa was established as the College of By-

town in 1848 by the first bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Ottawa, Joseph-Bruno Guigues. It was renamed the College of Ottawa in 1861 and received university status five years later through a royal charter. · The University of Windsor, 1857: The University of Windsor was established in 1857. when the first students arrived to study at its predecessor, Assumption College.

It eventually became one of the largest colleges in Ontario.

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