Big Stone Gap, VA — The MECC Foundation is pleased to announce the 47th annual John Fox, Jr. Literary Festival, featuring New York Times bestselling author Silas House, Wednesday, March 15 from 10 a.m. to noon. The festival is free and open to the public.
In coordination with the festival event, the MECC Foundation will host the 36th Annual Lonesome Pine Short Story Contest and the 19th Annual Lonesome Pine Poetry Contest. The deadline for submitting entries is Tuesday, February 28 at 4:30 p.m. Entry categories include adult, high school (grades 9 through 12), and middle school (grades 5 through 8) categories. Contest rules and information about the festival is available on the MECC Foundation website at www.mecc.edu/jffestival. Winners of the contest will be announced during the Literary Festival Event. All winners will receive a cash prize.
The 47th Annual John Fox, Jr. festival will return to a live format in 2023, with a featured discussion on House’s latest novel, Lark Ascending. Following House’s presentation, the MECC Foundation will feature a special luncheon with House at the John Fox Jr. home in Big Stone Gap beginning at 12:30 p.m. Tickets for the luncheon are $30 and can be ordered by calling the MECC Foundation office at 276-523-7466. Tickets are limited, so please reserve early for this event.
Silas House is the New York Times bestselling author of eight books whose work frequently appears in The Atlantic and The New York Times. He is a former commentator for NPR and his work has been widely published in journals and magazines such as Time, The Advocate, Oxford American, Garden & Gun, and many others. He has lectured internationally and is widely regarded as one of the major writers of the American South.
House was born and grew up in Southeastern Kentucky. House’s first novel, Clay’s Quilt (2001), is now known as a foundational text for Appalachian Literature. Its two companion novels, A Parchment of Leaves (2003) and The Coal Tattoo (2005), were recently re-issued in new editions and are now known as The Appalachian Trilogy. House wrote Something’s Rising: Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop Removal (2009) with Jason Howard. House’s fourth novel, Eli the Good (2009) emerged as a number one bestseller on the Southern lists and received the first annual Storylines Prize from the New York Public Library system, an award given to a book for use in the ESL and literacy programs of New York City. Same Sun Here (2012), co-written with Neela Vaswani, has received more than a dozen awards including the Nautilus, the Parents Choice, the E.B. White Honor Book Award, and many others. In 2018 his novel Southernmost appeared on Best of the Year lists of many magazines and was given the Weatherford Award and long listed for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. House has also written three plays that have been produced throughout the country.
In 2020 House received the highest honor for an artist in the Commonwealth of Kentucky when he was given the Governor’s Award for the Arts. He has also won the Appalachian Book of the Year, the Judy Gaines Young Award, the Intellectual Freedom Prize, the Caritas Medal, three honorary doctorates, and many other honors. In 2021 he was chosen as the Appalachian of the Year by a poll conducted by the podcast Appodlachia.
House served as a writer-in-residence at Eastern Kentucky University in 2004 and 2005 and at Lincoln Memorial University from 2005 to 2010. At LMU he also directed the Mountain Heritage Literary Festival. In 2010 House became the NEH Chair in Appalachian Studies at Berea College. He has served on the fiction faculty at the Naslund Mann Graduate School of Writing since 2005. House is also an editor at the University Press of Kentucky’s Fireside Industries imprint.
His latest work, Lark Ascending, has received critical praise. As fires devastate most of the United States, Lark and his family secure a place on a refugee boat headed to Ireland, the last country not yet overrun by extremists and rumored to be accepting American refugees. But Lark is the only one to survive the trip, and once ashore, he doesn’t find the safe haven he’d hoped for. As he runs for his life, Lark finds an abandoned dog who becomes his closest companion, and then a woman in search of her lost son. Together they form a makeshift family and attempt to reach Glendalough, a place they believe will offer protection. But can any community provide the safety that they seek?
For readers of novels such as Station Eleven, The Dog Stars, and Migrations, Lark Ascending is a moving and unforgettable story of friendship, family, and healing.
For more information on the MECC Foundation, please visit our website at www.meccfoundation.org.
Big Stone Gap, VA — The MECC Foundation is pleased to announce the 48th annual John Fox, Jr. Literary Festival. The event will feature authors Adriana Trigiani and Barbara Kingsolver, Wednesday, April 17 from 10 a.m. to noon. The festival is free and open to the public.
In coordination with the festival event, the MECC Foundation will host the 37th Annual Lonesome Pine Short Story Contest and the 20th Annual Lonesome Pine Poetry Contest. The deadline for submitting entries is Tuesday, April 2 at 4:30 p.m. Entry categories include adult, high school (grades 9 through 12), and middle school (grades 5 through 8) categories. Contest rules and information about the festival is available on the MECC Foundation website at www.mecc.edu/jffestival. Winners of the contest will be announced during the Literary Festival Event. All winners will receive a cash prize.
The MECC Foundation will welcome students from the Origin Project, Trigiani’s in-school Virginia writing program, to participate in the festival. The Origin Project will unveil its 10th Anniversary Cookbook in memory of the project’s co-founder Nancy Bolmeier Fisher. The cookbook features recipes from the Origin Project’s participating students, teachers, guest authors and friends. Cookbooks will be available to purchase at the festival. All proceeds will benefit the Origin Project.
The 48th Annual John Fox, Jr. festival will have a featured discussion from both Trigiani and Kingsolver. Following the presentation, the MECC Foundation will feature a special luncheon with House at the John Fox Jr. home in Big Stone Gap beginning at 12:30 p.m. Tickets for the luncheon are $30 and can be ordered by calling the MECC Foundation office at 276-523-7466. Tickets are limited, so please reserve early for this event.
Adriana Trigiani is The New York Times bestselling author of 20 books in fiction and nonfiction, including The Shoemaker’s Wife, The Good Left Undone, Don’t Sing at the Table, and Lucia, Lucia, and she is published in 38 languages around the world. She is host of the hit podcast, You Are What You Read, in conversation with the luminaries of our time about the books that built their souls. Adriana is an award-winning playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker. She wrote and directed the major motion picture adaptation of her debut novel Big Stone Gap, adapted her novel Very Valentine for television and directed Then Came You. She wrote and directed the documentary film, Queens of the Big Time, winner of the Audience Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival and Audience award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The film was also featured at the London and Hong Kong International Film festivals. Trigiani grew up in the Big Stone Gap Virginia where she co-founded The Origin Project, an in-school writing program serving over 2,700 students in Appalachia. In 2023, she was knighted with the Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia by President Sergio Mattarella of Italy. She is proud to serve on the New York State Council on the Arts and lives in New York City with her family.
Barbara Kingsolver is a novelist, essayist, and poet. She is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Demon Copperhead, a contemporary re-telling of David Copperfield set in Appalachia at the onset of the opioid epidemic. In addition to Demon Copperhead, her bestselling works include The Lacuna, The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. She was awarded the National Humanities Medal, the highest honor given by the U.S. government for service through the arts, as well as the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for the body of her work. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have been adopted into the core literature curriculum in high schools and colleges throughout the nation. She lives with her family on a farm in southern Appalachia.
For more information on the MECC Foundation, please visit our website at www.meccfoundation.org.
Hiltons, VA – The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation will host Grammy-nominated, 2021 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year and Grand Ole Opry Stars, Sister Sadie, for the 2022 Diamonds and Denim Event.
Diamonds and Denim will be held Saturday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the beautiful Crooked River Farm in Hiltons, Virginia. Originally scheduled for August of 2021, the event was cancelled due to COVID-19. All paid tickets from the August event will be honored in full.
Now in its third year, Diamonds and Denim has raised more than $100,000 to benefit the Scott County Endowed Scholarship at Mountain Empire Community College. This year’s event will feature a dinner reception, locally sourced wine, beer and refreshments, a silent auction and entertainment.
More than 70 percent of all students in Scott County that choose to attend college in Virginia, attend MECC. The scholarship will provide opportunities for those students to reach their educational and career goals while lessening the financial burden of families.
This award-winning group originally formed after playing a sold-out show in 2012 at the legendary Station Inn, located in Nashville, Tennessee. In the group’s nine years as a band, they have gained many accolades. In 2018, their sophomore album “Sister Sadie – II” debuted at #2 on the Billboard Bluegrass Charts and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Bluegrass Album category in 2019. In March of 2019, they made their debut on the Grand Ole Opry and have been regular guests on the world-famous stage since. Sister Sadie became the first all-female group to be awarded Vocal Group of the Year at the 2019 IBMA Awards. In 2020, they repeated that award plus took home the Entertainer of the Year Award. The band is also featured in the “American Currents: State of the Music” exhibition through March 2022 at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Most recently, the band took home, for the third consecutive year, Vocal Group of the Year at the 2021 IBMA Awards show in Raleigh, North Carolina. Sister Sadie is made up of world-renowned musicians and singers – Gena Britt on banjo, Deanie Richardson on fiddle, Hasee Ciaccio on acoustic bass, Jaelee Roberts on guitar, and Mary Meyer on mandolin.
Tickets are $75 per person and $150 per couple. Tickets can be purchased at www.meccfoundation.org/scevent, at the Scott County Farm Bureau office at 378 W Jackson St, Gate City, VA 24251.
For more information on the Scott County Endowed Scholarship or to donate to this fund, call the MECC Foundation office at 276.523.7480 or visit www.meccfoundation.org.
Hiltons, VA – The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation will host Grammy-nominated, 2020 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year and Grand Ole Opry Stars, Sister Sadie, for the 2021 Diamonds and Denim Event.
Diamonds and Denim will be held Saturday, August 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the beautiful Crooked River Farm in Hiltons, Virginia. The event, now in its third year, has raised more than $100,000 to benefit the Scott County Endowed Scholarship at Mountain Empire Community College. This year’s event will feature a dinner reception, locally sourced wine, beer and refreshments, a silent auction and entertainment.
More than 70 percent of all students in Scott County that choose to attend college in Virginia, attend MECC. The scholarship will provide opportunities for those students to reach their educational and career goals while lessening the financial burden of families.
Sister Sadie originally formed after playing a sold-out show in 2012 at the legendary Station Inn, located in Nashville, TN. In 2019, they were nominated for a Grammy for their sophomore album “Sister Sadie II” for Best Bluegrass Album. That same year, they made their debut on the Grand Ole Opry & have since been regular guests on the world-famous stage. Later that same year, they were the first all-female group to be awarded Vocal Group of The Year at the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). Following that up at IBMA 2020, the ladies repeated that win & were also named Entertainer of the Year. The band is featured in the “American Currents: State of the Music” exhibit through March 2022 at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, TN. Sister Sadie is made up of world-renowned musicians and singers Tina Adair on mandolin & vocals, Gena Britt on banjo & vocals, Hasee Ciaccio on acoustic bass, Deanie Richardson on fiddle & Jaelee Roberts on guitar & vocals.
Tickets are $75 per person and $150 per couple. Tickets can be purchased at www.meccfoundation.org/scevent and at the Scott County Farm Bureau office at 378 W Jackson St, Gate City, VA 24251.
For more information on the Scott County Endowed Scholarship or to donate to this fund, call the MECC Foundation office at 276.523.7480 or visit www.meccfoundation.org.
Big Stone Gap — One lucky golfer will go home with a $500 cash prize, and other great prizes will be awarded, as well, at the Auto World – MECC Golf Classic on Friday, June 4, at Lonesome Pine Country Club with proceeds benefitting the scholarship program at Mountain Empire Community College.
All players hitting a hole-in-one on Hole #10 will win a 2021 Jeep Renegade sponsored by Auto World of Big Stone Gap. There is also a prize of $1,000 for hitting to within 12 inches of the pin on Hole #10. If more than one player accomplishes this feat, the prize money will be divided among the winners.
Registration will begin at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9:15 a.m. The tournament will be a Captain’s Choice Scramble and will feature two flights and two places. There will be “most accurate drive” and “closest to the pin” prizes.
The entry fee of $100 per person includes a continental breakfast, golf shirt, cart and green fees, luncheon, goodie bag of snacks, most accurate drive and closest to the pin contests, and entry into the drawing for the $500 cash prize to be given away at the end of the tournament. Golfers must be present to win the cash prize.
A barbeque lunch will be served following the tournament. During that time, golfers may bid on unique and interesting items including art, sports memorabilia, and spa packages during the live auction. There will also be a silent auction which will begin during the breakfast and continue throughout the event.
Tournament Sponsorship is available at four levels – Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum for financial support in the amounts of $500, $1,000, and $2,500, and $5,000 and above respectively. All tournament sponsors will receive a complimentary team(s) and will be recognized during the tournament welcome and in the printed materials for the tournament.
Other sponsorships are available. Please visit the MECC Foundation website at www.meccfoundation.org for more information, to become a sponsor, or to register a team.
Registrations may be faxed to 276-523-7485, e-mailed to Jeri Bledsoe at jbledsoe@mecc.edu, or completed by phone at 276-523-2400, extension 640287.
Individuals or businesses who would like to sponsor the tournament, provide an item for the auction, or receive more information may contact Jeri Bledsoe, Tournament Coordinator, by telephone or e-mail as indicated in the previous paragraph.
Big Stone Gap – The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation will host a special benefit featuring internationally-acclaimed musical group The Black Lillies on Sunday, April 29 at 3 p.m. in the Goodloe Center.
Tickets for the event are $25 and can be purchased online at www.meccfoundation.org/mmsbenefit/. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Sue Ella Boatright-Wells Mountain Music School Memorial Scholarship. Backdraft Barbecue (food truck) will be available on campus for food purchases.
Sue Ella Boatright-Wells served as the Dean of Workforce Development for Mountain Empire Community College for 39 years. She touched hundreds of lives in her efforts to keep the culture and traditions of the Southwest Virginia region alive and growing, serving as a tireless advocate for workforce programs in Southwest Virginia. Sue Ella, who passed away in July of 2016, was the primary coordinator of the Home Craft Days Festival, was instrumental in the development of MECC’s Mountain Music School, and the Wise County and Scott County Jams afterschool program.
The scholarship, named in her honor, supports students who wish to attend the Mountain Music School one-week event held annually during the fourth week in July. Located in Big Stone Gap, Va., the school provides opportunities for students age 10 and up to experience traditional old-time music with fun and supportive instruction. Students may select an instrument and skill level of their choice, including beginning and advanced “old-time” fiddle, claw-hammer banjo, guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, autoharp, and dog house bass. A limited number of instruments are available for loan for the week. In addition, those with intermediate and advanced skills can participate in an optional string-band class. Dance and sing along at daily concerts featuring some of the region’s most gifted old-time musicians. To learn more or to enroll, visit www.mountainmusicschool.org.
With four albums under their belts, The Black Lillies have been a mainstay on radio and album sales charts, winning praise from outlets including American Songwriter, Rolling Stone, NPR, CMT, Wall Street Journal and Billboard. With their blend of folk, soul, red dirt country, blue and rock, The Black Lillies have enthralled audiences at festivals including Bonnaroo Music + Arts, New Orleans Jazz Fest, MerleFest, Stagecoach, CMA Fest & Fan Fair, and Pickathon. Equally at home on theatre stages and in rock clubs, they were one of the first independent bands to play the Grand Ole Opry and have since returned dozens of times.
Clintwood, VA — The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation is pleased to host Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. at Clintwood’s Jettie Baker Center.
Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased at the Clintwood Town Hall or the Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood (cash or check purchases) as well as online at www.meccfoundation.org/dcevent. All proceeds will benefit the Mountain Empire Community College Foundation’s Dickenson County Endowed Scholarship.
The Dickenson County Endowed Scholarship Committee is currently seeking sponsorships to support event costs. Sponsorships are $100 and up and include tickets, branding, and special recognition. For more information on becoming an event sponsor, visit www.meccfoundation.org/dcfund.
Larry Sparks is a dedicated leader for bluegrass music and is among the most widely known and respected touring musicians in bluegrass and gospel music today. Larry began his career in the mid-1960s as a guitarist with the Stanley Brothers and later became lead vocalist for Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. Larry went on to form his own band in 1969, The Lonesome Ramblers. He has recorded and toured with his band for nearly 50 years, releasing over 60 albums and delighting countless fans with his soulful vocals and unparalleled musicianship.
Larry’s hits include John Deere Tractor, A Face in the Crowd, Tennessee 1949, Blue Virginia Blues, I Just Want to Thank You Lord. Love of the Mountains, Goodbye Little Darlin, You Could Have Called, Tribute to Hank Williams, Green Pastures in the Sky and more. He has performed on such world famous venues as the Grand Ole Opry, Austin City Limits television show on PBS. Song of the Mountains on PBS. He has toured the United States, Canada, and Japan.
Larry has been recognized as the International Bluegrass Music Associations Male Vocalist of the Year. He was awarded Album of the Year and Recorded Event of the Year with his album Larry Sparks 40 featuring several artists such as Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Ralph Stanley, Ricky Skaggs, Tom T. Hall and many more.
Larry has been inducted into The International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, the Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame, and the George D. Hays Hall of Fame, Founder of The Grand Ole Opry.
For more information on the MECC Foundation and the Dickenson County Scholarship, visit www.meccfoundation.org.
Big Stone Gap – The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation and the Lee County Endowed Scholarship Committee will hold a special Valentine’s Day dinner to raise funds benefiting the Lee County Endowed Scholarship.
The Foundation has received a $30,000 match pledge for the scholarship from the Slemp Foundation. All donations, including proceeds from the dinner, will be matched up to $30,000.
The dinner will be held Friday, February 14 at 6 p.m., in the Goodloe Center at Mountain Empire Community College. There will be a silent auction, along with delicious food and beverages from North Fork Catering Company in Weber City. Wine will be available for purchase from MountainRose Vineyards and Winery in Wise. It will be an exciting event that you will not want to miss!
To purchase tickets, or serve as an event sponsor, please visit www.meccfoundation.org/lcfund or call Jeri Bledsoe, MECC Foundation Annual Fund Coordinator, at 276.523.2400 ext. 287. For more information on the MECC Foundation, call the Foundation office at 276.523.7466, or visit online at www.meccfoundation.org.
Gate City, VA – The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation will host a fundraising event for the Scott County Endowed Scholarship on Thursday, September 21 at 6:00 p.m. at the Scott County Career and Technical Center in Gate City.
The event theme is “Mardi Gras.” Patrons will enjoy a delicious buffet dinner and entertainment by “Time Further Out,” a jazz band from the Tri-Cities area. The band’s repertoire consists mostly of jazz standards from the 1920s to the 1960s, with a few other genres mixed in.
Tickets for the event are $30 and sponsorships are available for a gift of any amount. For tickets, or to sponsor the event, contact Jeri Bledsoe in the MECC Foundation office at 276.523.2400, extension 287, or by e-mail at jbledsoe@mecc.edu.
Gifts to the Scott County Endowed Scholarship are fully tax-deductible. Anyone wishing to contribute to the fund may give online by going to the MECC Foundation webpage, www.meccfoundation.org, and clicking on the red “Make A Gift” button located at top right of the page. Gifts may also be mailed to MECC Foundation, 3441 Mountain Empire Road, Big Stone Gap, Virginia 24219. Please note in the memo section that the funds are for the Scott County Endowed Scholarship.
For more information about the event, check the MECC Foundation web page at www.meccfoundation.org.
Governor’s School is open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the counties of Lee, Scott, Wise, and Dickenson, and the City of Norton, who have a 3.0 GPA or higher.
The two-week program, held annually on MECC’s campus in June, features a variety of hands-on activities in one of several subject areas selected by the student. Students spend time in the field, in labs, on tours, and in the classroom with the faculty of Mountain Empire Community College, receiving six college credit hours – tuition free.
Big Stone Gap – The Mountain Empire Community College campus will come alive with spirits, curses, and sacrifices this October as the college hosts the annual Haunted Forest every Friday and Saturday from 7 – 11 p.m., Oct. 6 – 27.
When the nights grow longer and the leaves start to change in the chill of autumn air, the woods take on a sinister tone. As the barrier between this world and the spirit world grows thinner, the true inhabitants of the forest come out until the whole campus is crawling alive … with the dead.
MECC’s Haunted Forest was recently voted one of Virginia’s top ten haunted attractions by The Scare Factor, available at www.thescarefactor.com.
Admission is $10 per victim. All proceeds will go to benefit scholarships for MECC students. This event is recommended for ages 10 and up. This is an outdoor event and guests are asked to wear appropriate shoes and clothing.
(Left to Right) Student Amber Wallace and HIM Instructor Sabrina Ward
Big Stone Gap — Mountain Empire Community College’s Health Information Management (HIM) Program has earned national accreditation with CAHIIM, the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education.
MECC launched its Associate Degree of Applied Science in Health Information Management Program in 2013 through an initial grant through HRSA, Health Resources and Services Administration. The program has maintained consistent enrollment, with more than 40 program graduates thus far. Graduates of the HIM program are eligible to sit for the Registered Health Information Technician certification offered only by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
To achieve accreditation status, institutions must develop a program that meets the professional curriculum content and the quality of the program as measured by the American Health Information Management Association Academic Standards. Program administrators must ensure that the program is sustainable per its resource and needs assessment. The program must be developed to ensure stability professionally and financially. The HIM program at Mountain Empire Community College is the only accredited program for HIM in Southwest Virginia.
In addition, CAHIIM accredited programs must have a program director and at least one full time faculty who have earned the professional certification of Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA). Program Director Nora Blankenbecler and Instructor Sabrina Ward have earned and maintain RHIA status and together have led the effort to apply for national accreditation through CAHIIM. The HIM program is governed by an advisory committee consisting of health information and health informatics leaders from regional hospital networks, a national healthcare software company and ambulatory care practice administrators.
“Accreditation of the HIM program at MECC demonstrates the focus we put on our students and the success they are looking for in their careers,” said Blankenbecler. “The program has already had a significant impact that has changed students’ lives.”
Health information management is the practice of managing medical information and data vital to providing quality patient care, sound fiscal management of medical resources, and data governance that support confidentiality of protected health information. Management of this data includes acquisition, analysis, and protection of digital and traditional types of information.
“The award of CAHIIM accreditation status provides assurances to the our students and employers that MECC meets high quality standards in the production and delivery of its Health Information Management Associate Degree program,” added MECC President Kristen Westover.
For more information on MECC’s Health Information Management program, visit www.mecc.edu/healthinformationmanagement or call Nora Blankenbecler, Program Director, at 276.523. 2400 ext. 241.
For more information on MECC or the Title III grant, visit the college’s website at www.mecc.edu or contact the college’s Office of Public Relations at 276.523.7480.
Big Stone Gap, VA — Mountain Empire Community College is highlighting the best of Southwest Virginia’s youth music and the cultivator of those talents with the release of “Youth Movement: A Tribute to Miss Ellie”.
Musician and Home Craft Days Festival Organizer Tommy Bledsoe said the CD release, which includes 28 old-time, bluegrass, gospel and early country music tracks, celebrates the 45th anniversary of the festival as well as the life of festival organizer Sue Ella Boatright-Wells and her remarkable dedication to preserving mountain music. “Youth Movement: A Tribute to Miss Ellie” features performances by Bill and the Belles, the Whitetop Mountain Band, Todd Meade and family, Empty Bottle String Band, Sam Gleaves, Kelsey Rae, The Buttermilk Girls, Brett Ratliff, Brandon Maggard, Corbin Hayslett, The Childress Girls, the Scott and Wise County JAM programs, the Mountain Music School Band, and Sycamore Hollow.
Bledsoe noted that while the establishment of Home Craft Days in 1972 brought attention to traditional music and the musicians who were playing it, the latest CD release demonstrates how that same music is being carried on and reborn through younger generations.
“In making this CD, I thought about what had changed,” said Bledsoe. “The most obvious change was the incredible number of young people who were now included in the festival, mostly due to the dedication of Sue Ella. She started Mountain Music School, helped get the Junior Appalachian Musician (JAM) programs started and created an additional stage at HCD to feature our youth musicians. As a result, dozens of new groups and individual performers had been appearing at the festival and we had a lot of good recording. In addition, some of the second and third generations of our legacy performers, like Todd Meade and his family, Martha and Kilby Spencer (Whitetop Mountain Band) and others were carrying on the music. That was our focus this year.”
Preserving mountain music was a hallmark effort of Boatright-Wells and Bledsoe added that she was able to enjoy the CD and have a hand in the musical selections before her death. Tracks include, “Darlin’ Cory,” by Corbin Hayslett (winner of the 2015 Orthophonic Joy Contest); Loretta Lynn’s “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl” by Kelsey Rae and Bill and the Belles; “Skillet Good and Greasy” by Whitetop Mountain Band; and original songs, like “Grandpa’s Working Shoes” by Sam Gleaves.
Several of the musicians featured on the CD started playing at Mountain Music School and in the afterschool JAM programs, including Tyler Hughes, Beth Miller, Maggie Gatley, and the Childress Girls. Bledsoe said not only are students preserving their legacy, but they are shaping the future of our region.
“A good number of those students who started getting interested in mountain culture are going deeper, wider and with more confidence than I could have imagined 25 years ago. Once they are invested with a sense of belonging to mountain culture, everything they do is shaped or influenced by it. If mountain people don’t understand the pathway from where we have come to now, they will be easily misled in the future. And the arts are a window into that history and the ownership of it,” Bledsoe said.
“Youth Movement: A Tribute to Miss Ellie” is available for purchase at MECC’s Bookstore, located in Holton Hall, and online at www.mecc.edu/bookstore. All proceeds benefit the Home Craft Days festival and Mountain Music School program.
Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College’s Health Sciences Division will host an Open House and Career Fair on Tuesday, July 10 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Goodloe Center, Phillips-Taylor Hall. Regional healthcare employers will be represented, with over 90% indicating they have current open positions.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a resume and dress professionally. Employers attending this year’s event include Ballad Health, American HealthCare, and many more.
Employers are invited for refreshments in the Slemp Commons at 5 p.m. with a tour of MECC’s Simulation Laboratory to follow.
For more information regarding MECC’s Health Sciences Division Open House and Career Fair, contact Kim Dorton, Dean of Health Sciences at kdorton@mecc.edu, Arietta Harvey, Division Administrative Assistant at aharvey@mecc.edu, or Lena Whisenhunt, Director Practical Nursing program at lwhisenhunt@mecc.edu or call 276.523.7456.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College held its 45th commencement ceremony Friday, May 11 at 6 p.m. at the Big Stone Gap campus.
The Class of 2018 includes 570 graduates. MECC awarded 118 Associate of Arts & Sciences degrees, 182 Associate of Applied Science degrees, and 147 Certificates and 271 Career Studies Certificates.
Graduates participating in the commencement were welcomed by MECC Local Advisory Board President David Graham. Dr. Kristen Westover, MECC President, introduced the featured student speakers for the commencement ceremony, which included Kara Kennedy and Matt Newman. These student speakers were chosen because of their exceptional academic performance and unwavering commitment to overcoming challenges during their college career.
Kara Blake Kennedy, of Wise, is graduating Cum Laude with an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing Degree. Kara plans to continue her education in the fall to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. Kennedy is the daughter of Marty and Rose Kennedy. Kara began her path to a nursing career in the Spring of 2015 when she began pre-requisites for the Nursing program. During Summer 2016, Kara was involved in a tragic accident that almost took her life. Despite the loss of a lower limb, Kara successfully fought to return to nursing school and complete her degree.
Matt Newman, of Lee County, is graduating with an Associate of Arts and Sciences Degree in General Studies. Matt is a correctional worker at the United States Penitentiary in Lee County. He has two sons, Gabriel and Maxwell Newman, and is engaged to Heather Walls. He plans to transfer to King University to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work/Psychology this fall, with future plans to become a Mental Health Counselor. Matt is the son of Chris and Kelle Newman and Vicki and Jimmie Shoemaker and the grandson of Vincent and Betty Kirk.
In addition to the graduation ceremony, MECC hosts an Awards Night event honoring graduates and current students who have displayed exceptional academic and leadership qualities during the 2017-18 academic year. This year’s honorees include:
2018 HONORS AND AWARDS
ALL-VA ACADEMIC TEAM
Samantha Johnson
Marglo Sarah Osborne
COLLEGE SUCCESS PROGRAM GRADUATES
Sahara Adkins
Sandra Bailey
December Baker
Haley Balthis
Ethan Bowen
Cheyenne Brown
Justin Browning
Augusta Carver
Irvin Chavarria
Dalton Cochran
Amanda Compton
Tristan Craiger
Austin Dean
Anthony Deel
Leighenna Estrella
Chad Fritz
Lindsey Gibson
Jordan Gilly
Nicholas Hadges
Joshua Hill
Jacob Hood
Hannah Hughes
Dylon Huntington
Emmitt Kellogg
Enrique Lopez III
Laquiel McCurdy
Dustin McDavid
Ryan McDavid
Amber McElroy
Casey McKee
Megan McMahan
Summer Meade
Mysti Mullins
Ambria Muse
Eddie Dewayne Parsons
Tessa Parsons
Tristan Phipps
Dillion Poole
Desirae Porter
Brittany Potter
Frances Ramsey
Scotty Ramsey
Kirsten Record
April Rose
Chelsea Rose
Curt Rose
Timothy Sargent
Joshua Smith
Matthew Spears
Billy Stanley
Kayla Stapleton
Jeffery Tippett
Courtney Turner
Brooklyn Wilson
DIPLOMATS
Adam Bowen
Victoria Burton
Logan Fletcher
Sierra Kern
Isaiah Kinsey
Trey Lomax
Eddie Dewayne Parsons
Anna Marie Puorro
EXCEPTIONAL GRADUATE AWARDS
Sandra Bailey
Dylan Cox
Nicholas Hadges
Kara Kennedy
Mysti Mullins
Lyndsay Oakes
Geena Phipps
Belinda Scott
Billy Stanley
Sheena Stanley
EXPLORATIONS ARTS COMPETITION AWARDS
Drawing
Conner Bolling
Courtney Hay
Chelsey Stapleton
Fiction
Dylan Mabe
Anthony Swindall
Painting
Alexis Barker
Conner Bolling
Cassandra Cole
Chelsey Stapleton
Poetry
Mekyah Davis
Kristy Hood-Pickell
Mysti Mullins
Anthony Swindall
THE JAKKAE JACKSON EXCELLENCE IN PHLEBOTOMY AWARD
Leighann Hamilton
Kalee Horner
THE JAMES L. DURHAM MATHEMATICS AWARD
Olivia Meade
LIFE CLUB
Eddie Dewayne Parsons
LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP
Austin Williams
LONESOME PINE HOSPITAL AUXILIARY AWARD
Stephanie Slone
OUTSTANDING BUSINESS STUDENT AWARDS
Administrative Support Technology
Erin L. McCracken
AST-Medical Office Specialist
Barbara Jean Whitehead
Computer Networking
Phillip Kerns
Computer Software Specialist
Rebecca Osborne
Health Information Management
Melanie Mullins
Management
Angelica Shoffner
Paralegal Studies
Andrew Kerr
PHI THETA KAPPA AWARD
Samantha Johnson
Marglo Osborne
STUDENT SERVICES AWARD
Christian Hale
SGA PEGGY DURHAM
OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AWARD
Eddie Dewayne Parsons
SPECIAL SERVICES AWARD
Sarah Adkins
Adam Bowen
Richard Jones
Christopher Newman
Crystal Zeppa
STUDENT SERVICES AWARD Christian Hale
STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA
Andrew Kerr
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA’S COLLEGE AT WISE TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIPS
Shanley Brooks
Carli Cassell
Charles Cox
Opal Evans
Makayla Funk
Charles Gibson
Olivia Green
Hurley Hamm
Phebe Lane
Jordan Langley
Victoria Manis
Dalten McCoy
Briana Meredith
Emily Mullins
Samuel Palmer
Jonathan Robbins
Gary Rose
Micheala Russell
Emily Slemp
Isaac Stanley
Eryn Surber
Matney Sutherland
Jordan Young
Candidates for Degrees
May 11, 2018
The students whose names appear below made formal application for a degree or certificate by the date specified in the Academic Calendar.
Associate of Arts and Sciences
Business Administration
Hurley Alexander Hamm***
Sierra Rana Holmes
Austin Cole Williams***
Associate of Arts and Sciences
General Studies
Claudia Jane Alsup**+
Ryan Andrew Baird
Kayla Makenzie Bird***+
Ethan Scott Bishop
Kody Ray Bledsoe
Connor Grant Bolling
Shanley R. Brooks***
Austin Blake Carroll
Carli Cheyenne Cassell*
William D. Cassell
Ashleigh Blake Collins**
Alec Daelen Couch*
Charles Dylan Cox**
Dylan Scott Cox***+
Tyler Blake Craft
Charna Nicole Davis*
Alexandria Brooke Deckard
Tanner Ray Dingus*
Airica Morgan Dotson**
Tabitha Lynn Earwood*
Micah Joseph Edgar*
Brittany Nicole Edwards
Courtney Paige Eldridge***
Opal Elizabeth Evans*
Chance Karl Fannon*
John Avery Fansler
Morgan Gabrielle Fleming
Robert Eugene Florse*
Makayla Elaine Funk
Ashton Brooke Gardner
Roger Lee Garrett**
Charles Blaine Gibson**
David Clayton Goodman**
Emily Ann Graham***+
Brittany Nichole Hall*
Courtney L. Hay
Danessa Ariel Hensley
Amy R. Johnson
Emmitt Mufasa Kellogg
Rachel LeAnn Kilgore***
Sarah Nicole Kilgore***
Tracy Lynn Kissel
Phebe Grace Lane**
Jordan Alexander Langley
Enrique Lopez, III*
Cole Ryland Maggard*
Dalten Jesse Liam McCoy*
Anna Morgan Meade
Briana Shante Meredith**
Abbey Grace Mullins***+
Emily Leeann Mullins***
Jessalyn Victoria Mullins*
Mysti Skye Mullins
Christopher Matthew Newman
Kaytlin S. Osborne
Holly Leann Owens**
Taylor Brooke Page*
Geena Caitlin Phipps
Ruth M. Potts
Felicia M. Powers**
Tori LeAnne Powers***
Kasey Chase Repass
Jordan Kayleigh Robbins***
Kaitlyn Marie Robbins**
Emily Faith Roberts*
Tiffany Amber Roberts*
Gary Duane Rose, III
April Michelle Rose*
Micheala Dawn Russell**
Alexis Breann Sexton***
Anastasia Eden Smith***
Matthew Jess Spears
Matti-Jo Morgan Spivey*
Isaac Wells Stanley*
Jordan H. Stanley**
Travis Clayton Stanley**+
Noah Cade Steele
Lauren Elizabeth Sturgill**
Matney Paige Sutherland
Emily M. Trent
Keila Janesha Vaughn*
Nathan Andrew Ward**
Grace Nicole White*
Haven Raye White***+
Austin Cole Williams***
Katelyn Renee Wolfe*
Jordan Tyler Young***
Associate of Arts and Sciences
Pre-Teacher Education
Rachel Elizabeth Bartley***
Opal Elizabeth Evans*
Hannah Danielle Flanagan**
Olivia Katherine Green**
Rachel LeAnn Kilgore***
Sarah Nicole Kilgore***
Allison Brooke Rose*
Courtney Ann Smith
Associate of Arts and Sciences
Science
Shanley R. Brooks***
Chance Karl Fannon*
Makayla Elaine Funk
Marglo Sarah-Jo Osborne***
Samuel Joseph Palmer*
Emily Renee Slemp
Isaac Wells Stanley*
Lauren Elizabeth Sturgill**
Associate of Arts and Sciences
Science: Engineering Specialization
Richard E. Jones, II**
Associate of Applied Science
Accounting
Shamra L. Dye**
Sena H. Treadway*
Associate of Applied Science
Administrative Support Technology
Erin Lynn McCracken**
Katlyn Brook Phillips*
Associate of Applied Science
Administrative Support Technology: Medical Office Specialist
Computer Software Specialist: Mobile Applications Development
Timothy J. Fryatt
George Cary Morgan
Career Studies Certificate
Cybersecurity
Travis L. Barton
Noah Jerry Moneyhun
Alex Wayne Roberson
Devin M. Robinette
Devan James Summers
Whitney Cheyanne Tipton
Career Studies Certificate
Early Childhood Development
December Harley Baker
Stephanie Kristen Birman
Bailey Marie Franklin
Summer E. Meade
Jessica Marie Seabright
Sherry Lynn Vanzant
Career Studies Certificate
Electricity
Taylor Douglas Alsup
Adam Samuel Bruner
Joseph Edward Freeman
Marc Anthony Hamilton
Michael Craig Hill
Michael B. Mullins
Bradley Alan Neff
Jimmy C. Pittman
Jason Allen Rose
Matthew Waylon Sturgill
Career Studies Certificate
Emergency Medical Technician: Basic
Michael S. Begley
Dalton Brody Cochran
Benjamin Cyle Collins
Tristan Anthony Craiger
Dustin C. Edwards
Haley Allison Gilliam
Destiny Nichole Hatfield
Joshua Gabriel Herrera
Dedra Michelle Howe
Brian Douglas King
Career Studies Certificate
Emergency Medical Technician: Intermediate
Ruth Michelle Cornett
Dalton Bryce Sargent
Career Studies Certificate
Energy Technology: Electrical Emphasis
Adam Samuel Bruner
Michael Craig Hill
Michael B. Mullins
Career Studies Certificate
Energy Technology: HVAC Emphasis
Adam Samuel Bruner
Career Studies Certificate
Funeral Service Assistant
Adriane Summer Bailey
Sharon Leigh Cox
Ambria Madison Muse
Career Studies Certificate
Geographic Information Systems
Jerry O. Elkins
Amanda Leagh Huskey
Jason Monroe Simpson
Career Studies Certificate
Health Sciences
Angela D. Adams
Holly Nicole Bevins
Emily Faye Bise
Braxton Gregory Bishop
Courtney Alexis Boggs
Michelle L. Bolling
Chelsea Lynn Brickey
Haley Elizabeth Brickey
Mary Abigail Bright
Justin Craig Browning
Rachel B. Burke
Rosetta M. Carter
Samantha Lea Clark
Amanda Jean Compton
Holly Rachel Cox
Brittney Lois Caroline Brock
Kenzie Marie Crusenberry
Kelsey Jo Culbertson
Raina Shea Cumbo
Nicholas J. Darter
Bethany Nora Inez Day
Kourtney LeighAnn Dockery
Airica Morgan Dotson
Victoria Briann Edwards
Jessica L. Elam
Richard Lee Evans
Abagail Grace Farmer
Ericka B. Fisher
Candace A. Flanary
Alexis Shae Foster
Brittany Nicole Francis
Marilyn Rose Gamboa
Lindsey Irene Gibson
Jamie Donald Gilbert
Alexis Maggie Gillenwater
Chandler MacKenzie Glovier
Janet L. Grabowski
Alexandrea Madison Hackney
Brooklyn Nikkole Hensley
Danessa Ariel Hensley
Whitney Shianne Hillman
Kaelie Elizabeth Hines
Mark R. Hubbard, II
Samantha Kaitlynn Keene
Kara Blake Kennedy
Sierra Rose Kern
Rebecca Elizabeth Lane
Amanda J. Laster
Michael L. Leonard
Enrique Lopez, III
Hannah M. Maness
Laken Nicole Martin
Anna Nicole McCarthy
Crystal Dawn McCoy
Tessy Rae McCoy
Sarah R. McFall
Abigail Brooke McKinney
Megan Danielle Mefford
Alyssa Grace Mullins
Ashton Kristina Mullins
Jessalyn Victoria Mullins
Hannah Rebecca Musick
Peyton Andrew Palmer
Tristan Darby Phipps
Allison Paige Ramey
Frances D. Ramsey
Kirsten Brooke Record
Katherine Lynn Reuille
Summer Breanna Rhodes
Emily Teresa LeeAnn Rhoton
Claire Sutton Rigg
Kaitlyn Marie Robbins
Monica Michelle Rowan
Timothy Allan Sargent
Hunter May Smith
Katherine Renee Spears
Gabriel Keith Stacey
Rebecca Ann Stapleton
April Maria Steele
Christie L. Summey
Eryn Madasyn Surber
Emily M. Trent
Neisha N. Tuggle
Courtney Jayde Turner
Rachel Nichelle Vaughn
Kasey Wayne Wagner
Christopher W. Wampler
Gracia Elizabeth Wright
Career Studies Certificate
Information Technology Readiness
David A. Cox
Jared D. Langley
Harold J. Padgett
Benjamin H. Salyers
Career Studies Certificate
Law Enforcement Management and Supervision
Myles Cote
Dewey W. Fulton
Donald Earl Harding, III
Stephenson Jones
Wesley C. Mullins
Ronald L. Shortt
Scottie L. Snapp
Michael P. Stidham
Kevin D. Yates
Career Studies Certificate
Legal Office Assisting
Debbie L. Pyles-Dingus
Career Studies Certificate
Medical Receptionist and Transcriptionist
Leighann Michelle Hamilton
Kayla Nicole Seals
Thelma June Slone
Career Studies Certificate
Medical Records Technician
Makayla Leanna Fields
Career Studies Certificate
Old Time Music
Maggie Evangeline Gatley
John Bradley Webb
Career Studies Certificate
Pharmacy Technician
Haley Brianne Balthis
Michael A. Hall
Courtney Shae Hickman
Artis Nicole Payton Tia Johnson
Gwendolyn D. Kern
Elizabeth Lea Rachelle Laster
Tessa Rae Parsons
Dillion Poole
Desirae Marie Porter
Travis C. Rose
Belinda S. Scott
Allyson B. Stanley
Brittany Nichole Worley
Career Studies Certificate
Phlebotomy
Cheyenne Nicole Brown
Pamela Jane Cates
Martha Jane Davis
Chelsea Renee Evans
Vonda Danielle Green
Leighann Michelle Hamilton
Courtney Brooke Hill
Kalee Rosemary Horner
Pennie Lyn Hyatt
Sharon R. Jackson
Amy Cayla Marie Jones
Brionna Leigh Kern
Laquiel A. McCurdy
Amber Marie McElroy
Corey Matthew McNeil
Lindsay Nicole McNeil
Tessa Rae Parsons
Brittany Raschae Phelps
Summer Breanna Rhodes
Sandra Lucina Robles
Chelsea Nicole Rose
Savannah Nicole Shell
Cheyanne Rena Shuler
Bradley James Tabor Jr.
Brooklyn M. Wilson
Brittany Nichole Worley
Career Studies Certificate
Small Business Management
Angelica Jill Shoffner
Career Studies Certificate
Software Development I
Matthew James Beverly
Timothy J. Fryatt
Nicholas Austin Hadges
Rebecca Jean Marie Osborne
Career Studies Certificate
Software Development II
Matthew James Beverly
Timothy J. Fryatt
Nicholas Austin Hadges
Rebecca Jean Marie Osborne
Career Studies Certificate
Water Plant Operator
Jeffery K. Morgan
Jerry Wayne White
Career Studies Certificate
Welding Operator
Scottlin Keith Baker
Sean Michael Berry
Jordan Tyler Bowen
Anthony Brett Deel
Tyler Edward Deirth
Philip L. Edwards
Leighenna Carmen Estrella
Adam Kedrick Gibson
Dustin Wayne McDavid
Shannon D. Owens
Scotty Ray Ramsey
GRADUATION WITH HONORS
To be eligible for graduation with honors, a student must have at least the following grade point average and complete an associate degree or certificate:
*Honors (cum laude), 3.2
**High Honors (magna cum laude), 3.5
***Highest Honors (summa cum laude), 3.8
+High school students
Individuals have been designated in the program as honor students based on their grade point average at the completion of the semester prior to the one in which they will graduate.
Students wearing gold tassels are honor students. Students wearing gold stoles are members of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society.
Students wearing red, white, & blue cords are U.S. Military Veterans.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College held its 46th commencement ceremony on Friday, May 10 at 6 p.m. at the Big Stone Gap campus.
The Class of 2019 includes 570 graduates. MECC awarded 118 Associate of Arts & Sciences degrees, 182 Associate of Applied Science degrees, and 147 Certificates and 271 Career Studies Certificates.
Graduates participating in the commencement were welcomed by MECC Local Advisory Board President Rodney Baker. Dr. Kristen Westover, MECC President, introduced the featured student speakers for the commencement ceremony, which included Kara Mullins and Vicki Pearcy. These student speakers were chosen because of their exceptional academic performance and unwavering commitment to overcoming challenges during their college career.
Kara Mullins,of Big Stone Gap, is graduating Summa Cum Laude with an Associate of Arts and Sciences Degree in Science and General Studies. She is a dual enrollment student at Union High School, where she has been named the Salutatorian of the 2019 Class. She is a member of the Lady Bears Basketball Team. She plans to attend UVA-Wise in the fall and will major in Chemistry. Kara is the daughter of Lisa and Greg Mullins.
Vicki Pearcy, of Duffield, is graduating Summa Cum Laude with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Administrative Support Technology. Vicki has been the Assistant Registrar at Mountain Empire Community College since October 2018. She is married to Eddie Pearcy and has two sons, Adam and wife Ashlyn, and Brian. She is the daughter of Patricia Berry and the late Billy Berry. Vicki’s speech tonight is dedicated in loving memory of her father.
In addition to the graduation ceremony, MECC hosts an Awards Night event honoring graduates and current students who have displayed exceptional academic and leadership qualities during the 2018-19 academic year. This year’s honorees include:
ALL-VA ACADEMIC TEAM
Erin McCracken
ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK AWARD
Kylee Bundy
Alex Haley
Tanner Lawson
Caleb Richardson
Cameo Smith
COLLEGE SUCCESS PROGRAM GRADUATES Michelle Berry………………Column Break………………Aaron Brummit Elizabeth Carroll
Christopher Chandler
Brittany Christian
Caitlyn Clymer
Cody Cox
Kelsey Dean
Skylar Fleming
Melanie Harber
John Hines III
Kierra Knight
Mark Lane
Jonathan Large
Adam Lyons
Haley Mathes
Stephen McCoy
Selena Moore
Kris Rowe
ShamberSchenck
Melissa Skeens
Anthony Swindall
DeidraWallace
CHEMISTRY AWARD
Julianna Morris
Kara Mullins
EXCEPTIONAL GRADUATE AWARDS
Madison Childress
Kenzie Crusenberry
Christian Hale
Melanie Harber
Jazmine May
Brandon Pridemore
Tracy Reece
Cameo Smith
Joshua Winston
EXPLORATIONS ARTS COMPETITION AWARDS
Drawing
Celeste Aguinaga
Walter Brummett
Fiction
Cody Cox
Anthony Swindall
Painting
Alexis Barber
Chelsey Stapleton
Yijia Wang
Poetry
Dillion Mabe
Anthony Swindall
Photography (B&W)
Kevin Cooper
Photography (Color)
Walter Brummett
Kevin Cooper
FAST FORWARD STUDENT OF THE YEAR
Ashley Knoskie
THE JAKKAE JACKSON EXCELLENCE IN PHLEBOTOMY AWARD
Shirley McCoy
Jack Wallace
THE JAMES L. DURHAM MATHEMATICS AWARD
Kevin Stanley
LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP
Melanie Harber
LONESOME PINE HOSPITAL AUXILIARY AWARD
Kenzie Crusenberry
OUTSTANDING BUSINESS STUDENT AWARDS
Administrative Support Technology
Vicki Pearcy
Computer Networking
Devan Summers
Computer Software Specialist
Adam Lyons
Health Information Management
Robin Richards
Management
Jazmine May
Paralegal Studies
Ginger Krovich
PEGGY DURHAM
OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AWARD
Cameo Smith
PHI THETA KAPPA AWARD
Erin McCracken
SCOTT COUNTY HORIZON’S LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Frances Ramsey
Jonathon Ramsey
SPECIAL SERVICES AWARD
Mikki Blessing
Kylee Bundy
Amanda Fleming
Kipp Kiser
Lori Mullins
Cameo Smith
Yijia Wang
STUDENT DIPLOMAT AWARD
April Bailey
Jacob Goodman
STUDENT SERVICES AWARD
Caleb Richardson
STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA
Jerry Allen
Steven Boyd
Tyler Shuler
Primmel Wallace
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA’S COLLEGE AT WISE TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIPS
Cody Cox
Haylee Dotson
Rebekah Earwood
Hannah Gilly
Hallie Hembree
Elexis Holbrook
Jonathan Large
Victoria Manis
Cameo Smith
Kevin Stanley
Candidates for Degrees May 10, 2019
The students whose names appear below made formal application for a degree or certificate by the date specified in the Academic Calendar.
Associate of Arts and Sciences
General Studies
Sarah Danielle Adkins**
Eden Ruth Allan*
Sarah Lynn Allen
Nickolas Blake Arney***+
Nickolas Elijah Arquette
Audrey Elise Baker
Sierra Jade Baker**+
Jonathan K. Blackwell*
Tyler Kevin Blake Bright**
BrynnaLeShea Bundy***
Kylee Arden Bundy***
Carter Steven Burke
Brittany Nicole Christian**
Justin Ray Clark*
Caitlyn Mercedes Elizabeth Clymer**
Jessica Brooke Cooper
Alec Daelen Couch*
Timothy Chandler Counts
Cody Allen Cox**
Kaitlyn Shay Cox***+
Dylan Czar Dahley
Hunter Lee Davis*
MekyahVarshaun Davis
Olivia Claire Dishner*
Haylee Chanel Dotson*
Jacob Hunter Dotson**
Britni Elizabeth Early
Rebekah Ann Earwood**
Zoe S. Fleming
Jacob Tanner Fox*
Jonathon Caleb Fraley
Katelyn Brooke France
Erica Paige Gardner
Cameron Christopher Gill*
Audrey Louise Gilliam**+
Christian Lucas Allen Hale
Alex Clifton Haley*
Tanner Branson Hall*
Samantha Nicole Hampton***+
Melanie R. Harber**
Skylar Blake Hillman
Elexis Marie Holbrook
Ethan Cole Kilgore*
Kimberly Caycee Kindle*
Kierra Dominique Knight***
Jonathan Douglas Large***
Tanner Cole Lawson*
Logan Alexander Lester
Timothy Noah Long***
Cameron Paige Lovelace
Carly D. Maine
Victoria Gail Manis
KaeliRosse McKinney***+
Anna Morgan Meade
Autumn Lane Meade***+
Lindsey Hannah Meade*
Melissa Danielle Meade**
Ryan Gabriel Messer*
Darrell Allen Mullins*
Kara Rashae Mullins***+
Kristopher Jordan Mullins
Noah Blake Mullins*
Tyler Sampson Oakes
Connor Allen Pendergraft**
Katalin Ann Perry***
Jackson Reece Porter**
Brandi DeAnn Potts
Brandon Ray Pridemore
Katherine Grace Pridemore**
Payton YancyPyne**
Jonathon Brett Ramsey
Cynthia Christine Ratcliffe
Brianna Vada Rife
Ashley Lynn Riley**
Joshua D. Rivers**
Daniel Roberson
Katherine Elizabeth Roberts
Baylee Madison Robinette**
Madison Briana Rowe***+
Jayme Leigh Salyers***
Austin Matthew Schlobohm**
Kassidy Hope Sharpe*
Tyler Campbell Shuler***
Noah Reed Slemp
Cameo Reese Smith*
Cameron Wayne Smith
Ryland Glenn Smith
Gayce May Snyder***
Hunter Cole Stanley**
Chelsey Jo Stapleton
Ciara Marie Staudinger*
Dalton Aaron Strouth
Anthony Paul Swindall**
Bethany Nicole Turner
Karli Faith Underwood*
Kelvin Luan Vo***+
Deidra Ann Wallace***
Bethany Suzanne Ward**
Rachel Alexis Ward*
Donna Lynn Winebarger
Ariel Hope Worley*
Associate of Arts and Sciences
General Studies – SoftwareEngineering Specialization
Jonathan Douglas Large***
Kevin Franklin Stanley**
Page Break
Associate of Arts and Sciences
Pre-Teacher Education
BrynnaLeShea Bundy***
Haylee Chanel Dotson*
Alexis Paige Flanary*
Christian Lucas Allen Hale
Crystal Rose Yeary
Associate of Arts and Sciences
Science
Hannah Brooke Gilly
Kara Rashae Mullins***+
Cameo Reese Smith*
Gayce May Snyder***
Kelvin Luan Vo***+
Associate of Arts and Sciences
Science: Engineering Specialization
Cory Alan Carlton**
Dalton Kevin Mullins**
Alexander O’Neal Pritchard***
Jordan Marshall Wampler**
Associate of Applied Science
Accounting
Tracy Lynn Reece
Associate of Applied Science
Administrative Support Technology
Brandi Nicole Bundy*
Leanna Nadine Eldridge**
Arietta LeRae Harvey
Sarah Danielle Lane
Elizabeth Nicole Lester
Vicki Denise Pearcy***
Shelli R. Roberts**
Vicki Marie Rutledge*
Associate of Applied Science
Administrative Support Technology– Medical Office Specialist
Computer Software Specialist: Mobile Application Development
Sean Andrew Owens
Career Studies Certificate
Construction
Sean C. Ratliff
Career Studies Certificate
Cybersecurity
Jimmy Garland Carico
Austin Harley Gross
Roland G. Lovern, Jr.
James Matthew McCarty
Beckett Alexander Osborne
Melissa LoraneSkeens
Derek Cleve Viers
Career Studies Certificate
Early Childhood Development
Nikki Elaine Baldwin
Alyssa Grace Perry
Kimberly Brianna Robinette
Ashley Morgan Sloan
Career Studies Certificate
Electricity
Aaron Michael Brummitt
Ronald W. Gilliam
Cody Allen Joseph
Randall Edward Amos Lawson
Curt Aaron Rose
Brandon R. White
Career Studies Certificate
Emergency Medical Technician – Basic
Rebekah Rena Christian
Tyler Scott Dingus
Audrey LaWanna Dotson
Margaret Hope Farmer
Lakin Marie Hope Fritz
Derrek Bryon Harris
Robin Renee Lynthlin
Kaylee Marie Murphy
Emilie Dorthea Perdue
Angela Faith Price
Shelby Jean Roberts
Mikaeya Faith Williams
Darrien Cole Yeary
Career Studies Certificate
Emergency Medical Technician- Advanced
Matthew Richard Corbett
Tristan Anthony Craiger
Destiny Nichole Hatfield
Career Studies Certificate
Energy Technology- Electrical Emphasis
Aaron Michael Brummitt
Joseph Edward Freeman
Ronald W. Gilliam
Randall Edward Amos Lawson
Curt Aaron Rose
Brandon R. White
Career Studies Certificate
Energy Technology- HVAC Emphasis
Aaron Michael Brummitt
Ronald W. Gilliam
Randall Edward Amos Lawson
Career Studies Certificate
Forestry
Maria D. Powers
Career Studies Certificate
Geographic Information Systems
Alyson Marie Bergamini
Susan Mary Brundage
Mark Anthony Caruso
Austin Drake Counts
Jerry Justin Elkins
Eddie D. Parsons
Caleb I. Richardson
Garrett Dalton Shortt
Bethany Suzanne Ward
Connor Matthew Wilson
Career Studies Certificate
Health Sciences
Sarah Elaine Adkins
Rachaelle Elizabeth Bailey
Brandi Dawn Baker
Shamerine Nichole Barber
Tabatha Brooke Barker
Rebacca Alice Barnett
Chelsea Brooke Begley
Maggie Lee Begley
Matthew Erin Shayne Bellamy
Alysia Rachee Benfield
Aimee Michelle Bishop
Tiffany Holli Blankenship
Randall Scott Bradley
Nichole Ann Cantrell
Bobbi R. Carroll
Austin Joe Tyler Caudill
Allison Caitlin Christian
Ashley Paige Christian
Justin Ray Clark
Emily Rose Collins
Darien Chase Cottrell
Morgan Andrea Cox
Tyler Blake Craft
Amber Nichole Crihfield
Whitney Michelle Cross
Samantha Hope Cupp
Melissa Marie Cuykendall
Kelsey Lauren Hope Dean
Tabitha Lynn Earwood
Christy Michelle Edwards
Kayla Denise Edwards
Morgan Brooke Elliott
Hannah Niah Fee
Caleigh Alyssa Fletcher
Candlyn Michelle Forton
Lindsey Erin George
Leighann Michelle Hamilton
Natalie Athnel Hamilton
Destiny Nichole Hatfield
Skylar Blake Hillman
Madison Louise Hopkins
Michael Trevor Horner
Makayla L. Hubbard
Kaitlyn Grace Jessee
Chelsea Leeann Jones
Kimberly L. Jones
Katherine R. Kegley
Kara Blake Kennedy
Amber Marie Kern
Joycelyn Kimble
Tyra Latisha Lamb
Tiffany Lynn Lawson
Taylor N. Lefevers
Nancy A. Leftwich
Autumn Nicole Logsdon
Timothy Noah Long
Ashley Brooke Longsworth
Megan Lorraine Lovell
Isharah Elise Lundy
Rachel Anne McCowan
Alexandrea Eaden Meade
Samantha Zellar Meade
Kalyn Nicole Middleton
Kristal L. Miles
Alexis Sierra Mullins
Andrea Leeann Mullins
April Louise Mullins
Autumn Nichole Mullins
Kaleigh Annabelle Mullins
Gerri LaShae O’Quinn
Sadra Marie Owens
Emily Denise Parker
Amira Dawn Perrigan
Jerry Austin Perrigan
Katalin Ann Perry
Haylee Jay Ann Phillips
Samantha Faye Phillips
Ashley Nicole Phipps
William Logan Poston
April N. Powers
Anna Grace Proctor
Candace Hope Ramey
Rebecca Rayburn
Patricia Nicole Repass
Ashley Lynn Riley
Brittany Michelle Robinette
April Michelle Rose
Briana Rachelle Rose
Candace Nicole Sanders
Olivia Tracey Sexton
Noah Reed Slemp
Dylan Anthony Smith
Katherine Shiann Stacey
Samantha Fae Stallard
Caitlin Marie Stanley
Brittany Ann Stapleton
Chelsey Jo Stapleton
James A. Stevans
Tracy Lee Sturgill
Hope LaShae Tankersley
Courtney B. Thompson
Primmel Jackson Wallace
Brooklyn Paige Warner
Haven Raye White
Amanda Dawn Wright
Emily Rose Yeary
Career Studies Certificate
Law Enforcement Management & Supervision
Mark Anthony Caruso
Zachary Grant Clifton
Gary Wayne Coleman
Grayson Cuel Cothron
Stanley D. Lampert
Jackie M. Mullins
Justin L. Mullins
Mark A. Payne
Raymond T. Perkins
Curtis B.Tate, Jr.
Career Studies Certificate
Medical Receptionist & Transcriptionist
Abigail Faye Quillen
Carrie Ann Quillen
Career Studies Certificate
Medical Records Technician
Kevin Ray Cooper
Career Studies Certificate
Old Time Music
Madison A. Childress
Career Studies Certificate
Pharmacy Technician
Carrie Louise Anderkin
Cierra Alexsis Barker
Madison Lynette Bishop
Elizabeth Anne Carroll
Brittany LeeAnn Christian
Lindsay Nicole Dean
Vanessa Ann Falin
Abigail Grace Farmer
Crystal D. Farmer
Adriana Danielle Fonseca
Laura Marie Gardner
Abigail Brooke Gentry
Sarah Elizabeth Jessee
Kressa Lynn Johnson
Brittany Nicole Kennedy
Haley Morgan Light
Jennifer Nicole Moore
Lisa L. Pridemore
Ashante Nichelle Zander
Career Studies Certificate
Phlebotomy
Carrie Louise Anderkin
Samantha Jo Austin
Autumn Brooke Bolling
Rebecca Lynn Bush
MistiDannielle Collins
Nancy Dale Cox
Austin Fred Davis, Jr.
Amber Nicole Fleenor
Caleigh Alyssa Fletcher
Laura Marie Gardner
Mindy L. Hale
Breanna Kathleen Hensley
Haley Nicole Isom
Brooke Nichole Jefferson
Kaitlyn Grace Jessee
Erica A. Kennedy
Emily Ann Lawson
Tiffany Lynn Lawson
Haley Breanna Mathes
Shirley Diane McCoy
Abigail Faye Quillen
Kris Samuel Rowe
Shamber Nicole Schenck
Gracia Elizabeth Staton
Alisha Carolyn Taylor
Melissa A. Tritt
Crystal A. Wagner
Primmel Jackson Wallace
Sydney Grace Wells
Anna M. Williams
Career Studies Certificate
Small Business Management
Jim Henry Clark
Career Studies Certificate
Software Development I
Tori Shea Gibson
Mark Anthony Lane
Adam S. Lyons
Sean Andrew Owens
Charles Howard Smith
Derek Dewayne Vanover
Career Studies Certificate
Software Development II
Tori Shea Gibson
Mark Anthony Lane
Adam S. Lyons
Charles Howard Smith
Derek Dewayne Vanover
Career Studies Certificate
Water Plant Operator
Jeremy Thomas Long
LeRoy A. Rice, Jr.
Zachariah S. Stern
Douglas P. Towne
Career Studies Certificate
Welding Operator
Shannon Dwayne Bishop, Jr.
Nathaniel Loren Clasby
Justin Wayne Elkins
Skylar Hunter Fleming
Logan Seth Fletcher
Evan Alexander Jones
Randy W. Kennedy
Stephen Austin McCoy
John Andrew Moore
Dennis Paul Anthony Mullins
John Elliott Mullins
Robert Acie Mullins
Tia Marie Pennington
Austin Chase Ramsey
Austin Tyler Reed
Stephen Bradley Slayton
Quincy Howard Thompson
GRADUATION WITH HONORS
To be eligible for graduation with honors, a student must have at least the following grade point average and complete an associate degree or certificate:
*Honors (cum laude), 3.2
**High Honors (magna cum laude), 3.5
***Highest Honors (summa cum laude), 3.8 +High school students
Individuals have been designated in the program as honor students based on their grade point average at the completion of the semester prior to the one in which they will graduate. Students wearing gold tassels are honor students. Students wearing gold stoles are members of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society.
Students wearing red, white, & blue cords are U.S. Military Veterans.
WORKFORCE CREDENTIALS The students whose names appear below have completed a workforce credential program.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College held its 44th commencement ceremony Friday, May 12 at 6 p.m. at the Big Stone Gap campus.
The Class of 2017 included 578 graduates. MECC awarded 118 Associate of Arts & Sciences degrees, 182 Associate of Applied Science degrees, and 147 Certificates and 271 Career Studies Certificates.
Graduates participating in the commencement were welcomed by MECC Local Advisory Board President David Graham and MECC Student Government Association President Doug Dotson. Dr. Scott Hamilton, MECC President, introduced the featured student speakers for the commencement ceremony, which included Olivia Baker and Dillon Dotson. These student speakers were chosen because of their exceptional academic performance and engagement in their school and community.
Olivia Baker, of Gate City, VA, is graduating summa cum laude with an Associate of Arts and Sciences Degree in Pre-Teacher Education. She is a member of the MECC Student Advisory Committee, an MECC Diplomat, and Secretary of the Student Government Association. Baker has served on the Alumni Committee and Violence Prevention & Campus Safety Committee at MECC. She will transfer to UVA-Wise to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Education this fall, with future plans to become an elementary school teacher. Baker is the daughter of Neal and Rebecca Baker and the granddaughter of Mack and Sammie Jo Baker and Mack and Lawanda Musick.
Dillon Dotson, of Pound, VA, is graduating with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing. His future plans are to begin working as a Registered Nurse and return to school to further his education. Dotson is the son of Reece and Misty Dotson and the grandson of Avenell Short and Lizzie Johnson.
Doug Dotson, of Gate City, is the president of the MECC Student Government Association. Dotson is currently pursuing an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Computer Networking Technology. He is the son of Connie Quillen.
In addition to the graduation ceremony, MECC hosts an Awards Night event honoring graduates and current students who have displayed exceptional academic and leadership qualities during the 2016-17 academic year. This year’s honorees include:
2017 HONORS AND
AWARDS
ALL-VA ACADEMIC TEAM
Olivia Baker
Eddie Dewayne Parsons
COLLEGE SUCCESS PROGRAM GRADUATES
Kaylee Austin
Rachaelle Bailey
Rodney Baker
Joshua Barnett
Brandy Bates
Sharessa Blair
Nickolas Britton
Chelsea Carico
Marcus Clark
Casey Dalton
Emily Deloach
Barbara Fleming
Ashlee Fletcher
Joseph Freeman
Amber Gilliam
Prell Hackney
Justin Hall
Zachary Hall
Kendra Hamilton
Daniel Hartley
Kayla Hartley
Jacob Hood
Brian Humphrey
Savannah Jarvis
Kaitlyn Kelly
Andrew Kilbourne
Amber McElroy
Nathan McFalls
Allison Mullins
Dominic Nickels
Nickolas Noble
Jason O’Quinn
Zachary Pilkenton
Maria Pridemore
Cobye Robbins
Carrie Shell
Paul Sieber
Crystal Snodgrass
Courtney VanHuss
Valerie Vick
Wesley Whitman
DIPLOMATS
Olivia Baker
Cieara Davenport
Haley Fannon
Isaiah Kinsey
Dustin Lee
Eddie Parsons
Haley Woods
EXCEPTIONAL GRADUATE AWARDS
Olivia Baker
Tony Boggs
Joseph Freeman
Daniel Hartley
Emily Hjulstrom
Kristy Hood-Pickell
Angelina Mullins
Cobye Robbins
EXPLORATIONS ARTS COMPETITION AWARDS
Painting
Dennis Barnett
Courtney Hay
Ryland Smith
Photography
(Black and White)
Kristy Hood-Pickell
Kelsey Kennedy
Lana Kennedy
Victoria Thomas
Photography (Color)
Kelsey Kennedy
Lana Kennedy
Hannah Maness
Richard Pickell
Poetry
Rebecca Lane
Hanna Maness
Kristy Hood-Pickell
Kari Phillips
THE JAKKAE JACKSON EXCELLENCE IN PHLEBOTOMY AWARD
Asia Ramey
THE JAMES L. DURHAM MATHEMATICS AWARD
Michael Fields
LIFE CLUB
Olivia Baker
Verity Collingsworth
Joshua Dingus
Brian Fields
Daniel Hall
Nathasha Jerrell
Samantha Johnson
Richard Jones
Lydia Lane
Dayna McLaughlin
Danielle Newton
Sarah Osborne
Eddie Parsons
Anna Marie Puorro
Crystal Snodgrass
Alisha Taylor
Heather Whisenhunt
LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP
Dustin Lee
OUTSTANDING BUSINESS STUDENT AWARDS
Administrative Support Technology
Michael Sizemore
AST-Medical Office Specialist
Katelyn Bishop
Business Management
Christa Holmes
Computer Networking
Whitney Tipton
Computer Software Specialist
Candace Keith
Health Information Management
Kristy Hood-Pickell
Paralegal Studies
Tamara Davidson
PHI BETA LAMBDA
AWARD
Kevin Cooper
Tamara Davidson
Christian Hale
Sierra Holmes
Andrew Kerr
James Lane
Jessica Wells
PHI THETA KAPPA AWARD
Olivia Baker
Eddie Dewayne Parsons
SCOTT COUNTY HORIZONS AWARD
Olivia Baker
Alisha Taylor
SPECIAL SERVICES AWARD
Tony Boggs
Raechel Clark
Kristi Coomer
Daniel Edwards
Rose Holmes
Haley Woods
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCATION
PEGGY DURHAM
OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AWARD
Olivia Baker
STUDENT SERVICES AWARD
Haley Woods
STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA
Charles Birse
Tamara Davidson
Andrew Kerr
Margo Lewis
Matthew Phillips
Tristan Phipps
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA’S COLLEGE AT WISE TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIPS
Kaylee Austin
Olivia Baker
Mackenzie Blanton
Raechel Clark
Kristi Coomer
Daniel Edwards
Rachel Fee
Kermit Hall
Savannah Jarvis
Lydia Lane
Brittany Lester
Emily Livingston
Kelly Long
Karlee Lovelace
Caleb Mullins
Chandler Mullins
Daniel Mullins
Evan Rasnick
Lauren Tankersley
Cindy White
Lauren Williams
WELLMONT LONESOME PINE HOSPITAL AUXILIARY AWARD
Rebecca O’Quinn
WHO’S WHO IN AMERICAN JUNIOR COLLEGES
Olivia Baker
Breanna Bevins
Keisha Bolden
Brandi Burham
Chelsea Charles
James Croley
Victoria Culbertson
Cieara Davenport
Tamara Davidson
Sherry Deaton
Alicia Deel
Emily Deloach
Haley Fannon
Brian Fields
Abigail Grabeel
Brandon Grimes
Mia Hall
Pamela Hall
Daniel Hartley
Christa Holmes
Samantha Johnson
John Jones
Candace Keith
Vernon Kerns
Jeffrey Kilbourne
Hannah Kilgore
Ashlyn Lane
Lydia Lane
Chelsea Lawson
Dustin Lee
Sheena McGraw
Christian Minnick
Natasha Mullins
Sarah Mullins
Amanda Muncy
Dominic Nickels
Catherine Nixon
Rebecca O’Quinn
Candy Osborne
Daniel Parker
Ethan Penley
Eliza Peters
Zackary Pilkenton
Tracie Powers
Leann Ramey
Evan Rasnick
Taylor Salyers
Sareena Scott
Michael Sizemore
Bailey Smith
Cricket Stanley
Heather Stevans
Jessica Wells
CANDIDATES FOR DEGREES
MAY 12, 2017
The students whose names appear below made formal application for a degree or certificate by the date specified in the Academic Calendar.
Associate of Arts and Sciences
Business Administration
Savannah Fay Jarvis*
Lydia Mae Lane***
Cindy Renee White***
Associate of Arts and Sciences
General Studies
Mackenzie Brooke Arney*
Kaylee Rhea Austin
Brittany Lee Baker
Clayton Edward Baker*
Olivia Brooke Baker***
Melvyn W. Belcher**
Ethan Scott Bishop
Kayla Tianna Bishop
Mackenzie Nichole Blanton
Madison Brooke Blanton***+
Noah Eli Bledsoe**
Tony L. Boggs***
Joshua Troy Allen Bouton
Randall Scott Bradley
Tamra Noel Brewer**
Megan Aimilee Bright
Sarah A. Chandler
Nathaniel Cole Chester
Raechel D. Clark**
Verity Abigail Victoria Collingsworth*
Kristi Nicole Coomer**
Madison Leigh Davis***
Whitney Nicole Davis*
Colton Lee Deaderick
Richard Bronson McCaine Dishner***+
Daniel Charles Edwards*
Alecia Ann Estep***
Haley Marie Fannon***
Rachel Glenice Fee**
Stephanie Nicole Flinders
Miranda LaShay Garrett
Roger Lee Garrett***
Cody D. Gentry
Bradly Austin Gibson**
Emily Ann Gibson
Madison R. Gibson**
Mariah Nichole Gillenwater*
Michele L. Greear***
Kermit Lamarr Hall, III**
Amanda Leigh Hall***
Taylor Gabrielle Hamilton
Ashley Brooke Hampton**+
Robbie Scott Hicks
Emily Wolters Hjulstrom***
Madison Rae Jones
Savannah Marie Kimberlin
Cade Everette Lane***+
Jordan M. Lawson***
Dustin Lane Lee**
Brittany Jaid Lester
Christopher Nathaniel James Lewis***
Margo D. Lewis*
Emily Joy Livingston**
Kelly Elizabeth Long*
Karlee H. Lovelace***
Kaitlin Beth Masters
Matthew Garrett McConnell*
Summer Leane McCoy
Dayna Kay McLaughlin
Tanner Ryan McMurray***
Sarah Nicole Meadows
Jennifer Janine Molinary
Alyssa Grace Mullins*
Chandler Blake Mullins**
Charles Jacob Allen Mullins
Crystal Mary Jade Mullins
Daniel Wayne Mullins
Shasta Renee Myers**
Marglo Sarah-Jo Osborne***
Hayley Alyssa Penley
Matthew Ryan Pennington
Stephen Michael Pennington
Brian K. Phillips
Hope Nicole Phillips***+
Justin Daniel Phillips
Emma Katherine Poe***
John David Poe**
Jasmine Renee Powers
Terry W. Price**
Alexandria Nicole Pridemore
Wesley Allen Qualls**
Evan Bryce Rasnick
Seth Trent Rhoton**+
Addison Noelle Rouse*
Kelsey Madison Sexton*
Rebecca Dawn Shupe*
Tyler Scott Sims
Jordan Matthew Skeen**
Shawnna Caitlin Stallard
Lauren Elizabeth Tankersley**
Alisha D. Taylor**
Tyler Jay Tibbs***
Katelyn Michelle Tignor
Emily M. Trent*
Abby Paige Turner**
Gabriel Alvin Vaughan**
Ken Kim-Long Vo***+
Michael Tyler Wheatley*
Heather Nicole Whisenhunt
Cindy Renee White***
Lauren Sue Williams*
Casey Lynn Wood*
William Lynn Woodby, II
Associate of Arts and Sciences
General Studies: Software Engineering Specialization
Tyler Jay Tibbs***
Associate of Arts and Sciences
Pre-Teacher Education
Olivia Brooke Baker***
Rashell P. Barton*
Miranda LaShay Garrett
Karrie L. Powers
Jodie N. Smith
Bridget Eileen Stidham**
Holly Lorraine Williams
Associate of Arts and Sciences
Science
Sarah Nicole Davidson
Stephanie Nicole Flinders
Caleb Zachary Mullins
Ken Kim-Long Vo***+
Associate of Applied Science
Administrative Support Technology
Pamela Lynn Castle***
Pamela Jordan Hall***
Brandy Nicole Jones*
Kendra D. Sexton**
Michael P. Sizemore**
Associate of Applied Science
Administrative Support Technology: Medical Office Specialist
Associate of Applied Science
Correctional Services Matthew Jonathon Glass**
Jeffrey Allen Kilbourne***
Christian T. Mullins
Robert Aaron Stidham
Angelina Corette Woodard
Associate of Applied Science
Emergency Medical Services Technology
Bobby L. Kern*
Nicholas Blake Noble
Brian A. Potter**
Lisa J. Rife***
Sakorra Michelle Rivera**
Paul Dragon Seiber
Michael Jaclyn Short
Jeffrey Tyler Ward**
Associate of Applied Science
Energy Technology
Dalton Joseph James Brown***
William Edward Hunsaker, II**
Associate of Applied Science
Energy Technology: Electrical Specialization
Zachary Scott Hall
Tristan Cole Hayes*
Gregory Maggard***
Austin G. Mullins
Aaron James Stacey
Associate of Applied Science
Environmental Science
Trevor Silas Coleman
Samantha Lynn Johnson**Associate of Applied Science
Forest Science
Adam D. Bowen*
Daniel Lee Hartley**
Catherine LeAnn Nixon***
Daniel Steven Salling*
Associate of Applied Science
Health Information Management
Jennifer Carol Bailey
Amber M. Funk
Briana R. Gilbert*
Kristy Charlene Hood-Pickell*
Alana Nicole Jones**
Catherine Elswick McCowan***
Courtney Lynn Stidham*
Associate of Applied Science
Management
Elizabeth Nicole Hall
Paul Linden Harvey
Christa Renee Holmes***
Misty Rae Kilgore
Allison Marie Lawson
Matthew Hunter McMahan**
Amanda Jean Murphy
Sarah Lynn Rose***
Associate of Applied Science
Nursing
Britany LeAnne Barnes
Carissa D. Blanton
Angela Jewel Marie Bray
Brandi Viers Burnham*
Chelsea Paige Charles*
Rebekah Stacy Christian
Racheal Danielle Cross*
Victoria Lynn Culbertson*
Jarred Alan Day
Alicia Mae Deel*
Bobbie A. Deel
Emily Rachael Deloach
Dillon Wyatt Dotson
Tiffanie D. Epperson
Lacey Dee Fischer
Kirsten Flanary
Charity Brooke Franklin
Alyssa Danielle Fultz
Christina Jean Harvel
Kayla Ann Marie Hatley
Kelli L. Honaker
John Fitzgerald Honeycutt
Carla J. Humphreys
Michael Wayne Ingle***
Vernon Quillion Kerns
Ashley Kilgore
Hannah Brooke Kilgore**
Ashlyn Brooke Lane*
Mia Renee Masters
Sheena Mychelle McGraw*
Alexandria Rain Middleton
Torie Shay Morgan
Natasha Fay Mullins*
Sarah Jane Mullins*
Amanda Celesta Muncy**
Rebecca Sue O’Quinn***
Candy R. Osborne*
Daniel Dalton Parker*
Eliza Louise Peters*
Candice D. Porter
Kristi D. Russell
Taylor Nicole Salyers**
Sareena Lynn Scott
Kayla Marie Simons
Jessica Danielle Spears*
Cricket Thelma Margaret Stanley
Crystal L. Stanley*
Heather Paige Stevans
Sarah Alison Grace Vanover
Associate of Applied Science
Paralegal Studies
Wendy Morgan Bennett
Tamara S. Davidson***
Jennifer Michelle Evans
Bonnie Carroll Hamilton
Jennifer L. Harvey
Elizabeth Lea Rachelle Laster
Sarah Grace Owens
Jessica Audrey Wells**
Associate of Applied Science
Police Science
Williams Wesley Bausell***
Brett Madison Freeman**
Matthew Jonathon Glass**
Charles E. Hill
Austin Blaine Jessee
Jeffrey Allen Kilbourne***
Christian T. Mullins
Dominic S. Nickels*
Ethan James Penley**
Bailey Shawn Smith
Natasha Brooke Smith
Robert Aaron Stidham
Angelina Corette Woodard
Associate of Applied Science
Respiratory Therapy
Breanna Nicole Bevins**
Keisha Renee Boldon*
Cieara B. Davenport*
Sherry K. Deaton
Abigail Faith Grabeel**
Michael Brandon Grimes**
Chelsea D. Lawson*
Christian Blake Minnick**
Tracie LeAnn Powers**
LeAnn Terenda Ramey*
Associate of Applied Science Technical Studies:
Welding
Adam Maurice Bowers
Jeffery Coty Cheyenne Collins*
Joseph Edward Freeman*
Scottie Hunley***
Brandon Mitchell Perry**
Devin Allen Rose
Dustin Kincaid Whisenhunt*
Certificate
Accounting
Dana Elaine Barnette*
Heather R. Boggs***
Certificate
Administration of Justice: Corrections Option
Robert Aaron Stidham
Certificate
Administration of Justice: Law Enforcement Option
Williams Wesley Bausell***
Robert Aaron Stidham
Certificate
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Shane Douglas Boggs
Zachary Scott Hall
Joshua S. Jones
Certificate
Clerical Assistant
Crystal S. Phillips*
Michael P. Sizemore**
Rhiannon Lynn Willis
Certificate
General Education
Tyler Jackson Adams**+
Justin Glenn Anderson-Woodard**
Mackenzie Brooke Arney*
Kaylee Rhea Austin
Burley Walter Ball, III***+
Rashell P. Barton*
Ethan Scott Bishop
Hannah Elisabeth Grace Blair+
Mackenzie Nichole Blanton
Madison Brooke Blanton***+
Randall Scott Bradley
Tamra Noel Brewer**
Megan Aimilee Bright
Sarah A. Chandler
Andrea Ellen Church***+
Verity Abigail Victoria Collingsworth*
Ally C. Connell*+
Kristi Nicole Coomer**
Sarah Nicole Davidson
Madison Leigh Davis***
Richard Bronson McCaine Dishner***+
Katherine Rebekah Dotten+
Daniel Charles Edwards*
Opal Elizabeth Evans**
Jarrod Logan Lee Gardner**+
Cody Dwayne Gentry
Madison R. Gibson**
Colleen Elizabeth Gilliam+
Aaron Christopher Gilly
Alyssa Anne Gollaway+
Asya Unique Goode+
Noah Zachary Hall+
Ashley Brooke Hampton+
Robbie Scott Hicks
Colton Ray Holcomb***+
Savannah Fay Jarvis*
Richard Elmer Jones, II**
Alexis M. Kilbourne
Hannah Nicole Kilgore**+
Cade Everette Lane***+
Lydia Mae Lane***
Jordan M. Lawson***
Dustin Lane Lee**
Brittany Jaid Lester
Christopher Nathaniel James Lewis***
Margo D. Lewis*
Emily Joy Livingston**
Kelly Elizabeth Long**
Summer Leane McCoy
Dayna Kay McLaughlin
Marcus Jerryd Meade**+
Caleb Zachary Mullins
Chandler Blake Mullins**
Crystal Mary Jade Mullins
Daniel Wayne Mullins
Sophie Elise Mullins***+
Marglo Sarah-Jo Osborne***
Stephen Michael Pennington
Hope Nicole Phillips***+
Emma Katherine Poe**
John David Poe**
Terry W. Price**
Alexander O’Neal Pritchard***+
Hannah Kristen Quillen+
Seth Trent Rhoton**+
Ryan A. Roberson**
Alexis Breann Sexton***
Jordan Matthew Skeen**
Sierra Paige Spriggs**+
Haley Michelle Stallard**
Shawnna Caitlin Stallard
Bridget Eileen Stidham**
Lauren Elizabeth Tankersley**
Tyler Jacob Underwood
Emilee Marie Vance+
Conner Brenda Margaret Wharton+
Heather Nicole Whisenhunt
Cindy Renee White***
Cody Leon Ward Wolford*
Jamie Lee Ward Wolford**
Certificate
Industrial Maintenance
Joseph Gabriel Baker
Gage Brayden Blakely
Jason G. Crabtree*
Jesse James Egan
Brian Nicholas Fields***
Chad Ryan Harkleroad**
Jonathon Robin Allen Hood
Johnathan E. Allen Stapleton***
Derrick Paul Edward Watkins*
Certificate
Medical Office Coding and Procedures
Bethany Nicole Adkins
Emily Rebecca Baker*
Jerald Michele King**
Laura E. King
Angelina J. Mullins***
Certificate
Practical Nursing
Maggie Lee Begley
Caitlyn JoAnn Beverly-Boatright
Laken Savannah Bryant
Alexandra Devon Carroll***
Allison Caitlin Christian
Samantha Lea Clark
Latisha Lynn Clifton
Barbara Alyn Coleman
Angela Diane Cooper
Beverly M. Doss
Amber G. Dotson
Kayla Denise Edwards*
Christopher R. Hamblin**
Haylee Brook Hazlett
Emily Kaitlyn Hobbs
Kaitlyn Adrianna Kelly
Brittany A. Lewis*
Jade Mo’ney Marshall
Leigh-Anne C. McDaniel
Alexandria Luree Meade
Lyndsay Ann Oakes
Samantha Faye Phillips
Adam Rose
Alyssa Dawn Rose
NaKesha Nicole Sargent
Dylan Anthony Smith**
Emilee B. Smith*
Hunter May Smith
Megan Lea Smith
Samantha Fae Stallard
Toni Brooke Stamper
Kierstien Sharae Stanley
Kari Danielle Stapleton
Lynzee Danielle Sturgill
Meghan Brooke Woodsby
Honey D. Wyatt
Certificate
Welding
Adam Maurice Bowers
Jeffery Coty Cheyenne Collins*
Joseph Edward Freeman*
Scottie Hunley***
Devin Allen Rose
Gentry Lane Shreve
Career Studies Certificate
3-D Design
Justin Tyler Bright
Career Studies Certificate
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Rodney Craig Baker
John H. Bledsoe
Dakota T. Dahley
Joey Duwayne Justice
Garrick W. Miller
Matthew James Ollerton
Career Studies Certificate
Chemical Process Operator
Jason G. Crabtree
Career Studies Certificate
Child Development
Rachel Elizabeth Britton
Dorothy Fay Leann Collins
Brittney Ann Duty
Melissa R. Mullins
Amanda Geneva Russell
Career Studies Certificate
Child Development: Infant and Toddler Option
Brittney Ann Duty
Kelly Leigh Sykes
Career Studies Certificate
Child Development:
Pre-school Option
Rachel Elizabeth Britton
Brittney Ann Duty
Melissa R. Mullins
Amanda Geneva Russell
Career Studies Certificate
Computer Software Specialist: Mobile Applications Development
Adam K. Collins
James Christian Croley
John P. Jones
Career Studies Certificate
Electricity
Nickolas Colby Britton
Dalton Joseph James Brown
Hunter Andrew Maine
Garrick W. Miller
Matthew James Ollerton
Jacolby Blake Patrick
Patrick W. Withen
Career Studies Certificate
Emergency Medical Technician: Basic
Jesse L. Blair
Jacob Clinton Hamilton
Zachary Alexander Holcomb
Andrew Koby Michael Kilbourne
Giles Robert Sartin
Career Studies Certificate
Emergency Medical Technician: Intermediate
Justin Dwayne Allen
Caleb Ryan Cox
Ricky A. Cox
Johnathon Matthew Hollyfield
Whitney Nichole Kelly
William Lee Kennedy
Adrian Scott Curtis Mullins
Michael Paul Ramey
Caleb Edward Starnes
Career Studies Certificate
Energy Technology: Electrical Emphasis
Dalton Joseph James Brown
Career Studies Certificate
Energy Technology: HVAC Emphasis
Dalton Joseph James Brown
Career Studies Certificate
Funeral Services Assistant
John Michael Britton
Chelsea Rae Carico
Christina D. Cornett
Ricky Cody Lewis
Career Studies Certificate
Geographical Information Systems
Grant Bloomer
Jessee Matthew Cole
Zachary R. Holbrook
Emmanuel Muzungu
Jonathan Dean Pleasant
Alexander Vastine Schwartz
Career Studies Certificate
Graphic Design
Robert A. Phipps
Career Studies Certificate
Health Sciences
Rachel Katra Adams
Viola Carol Adams
Skyler Edward Allen
Rachaelle Elizabeth Bailey
Autumn Camille Bentley
Chase Austin Beverly
Katelyn Hope Bishop
Kayla Tianna Bishop
Natasha Kaitlyn Bishop
Emily Christine Blankenship
Joshua D. Blankenship
Elizabeth Leann Boggs
Angela Jewel Marie Bray
Angie N. Calhoun
Charley Rae Carroll
Sheena Cheyanne Carroll
Rosetta M. Carter
Chelsea Paige Charles
Emily Beth Charles
Verity Abigail Victoria Collingsworth
Juanita Lucille Collins
Tamela D. Collins
Christina D. Cornett
Melodee Lynn DeBoard
Alicia Mae Deel
Dillon Wyatt Dotson
Julia Summer Eldridge
Natasha B. Estep
Karla KreeAnn Fogarty
Brooke Lashae Garcia
Amber Jordan Gilliam
Alli Quinn Gray
Kendra Brooke Hamilton
Christina Jean Harvel
Erica Danielle Hayes
Hunter A. Helbert
Jennifer Nicole Hensley
Alexis Abigail Herrera
Samantha Nicole Hurd
Kelsey R. Kennedy
Brittany Danielle Kilgore
Amber N. Kiser
Kipp S. Kiser
Ashlyn Brooke Lane
Briana Danielle Lawson
Dakota Cheyenne Lewis
Valerie E. Marshall
Mia Renee Masters
Jonathan C. McDaries
Rebekah Elizabeth Messer
Kathryn Rene Morris
Allison Gabrielle Mullins
Alyssa Grace Mullins
Amy Joann Mullins
Deborah A. Mullins
Karisa Dawn Norman
Brandi Cierra Osborne
Elliott Blake Owens
Rebekah L. Owens
Camron Darold Phipps
Tiffany Marie Pigott
Emma Katherine Poe
Ashley Marie Ramey
Jonathon Brett Ramsey
Nina Susan Rhoton
Adrienne Danielle Scardo
Sareena Lynn Scott
Katy Anna Senter
Chantarae M. Shepard
Stephanie E. Slone
Amanda Elaine Smith
Stacie S. Smith
Ruth Natali Spiers
Kelsie Brooke Stallard
Allyson B. Stanley
August Kay Stanley
Billy R. Stanley
Millie Melissa Stanley
Sheena Diane Stanley
Chelsey R. Stapleton
Jacqueline Nicole Stewart
Alicia Louise Stiltner
Morganne Danielle Sturgill
Sarah B. Sturgill
Taylor Brooke Swinney
Michelle R. Taylor
Shelby M’Lynn Thomas
Courtney Brooke VanHuss
Elizabeth Diana Vanover
Jeffrey Tyler Ward
Nathan A. Ward
Brittany Johnetta Wheatley
Hayley Elizabeth Wolfe
Montica Lee Yates
Career Studies Certificate
Law Enforcement Management and Supervision
Douglas M. Berry
Timothy W. Carroll
David B. Collins
Dewitt Cooper
Charles W. Foster, Jr.
Christopher Todd Kent
Justin P. McCulley
Ryan Clark Phillips
Tammy L. Robinson
Robert Aaron Stidham
Ronald Christian Whitt
Career Studies Certificate
Medical Receptionist and Transcriptionist
Brandy Dawn Bates
Sherri D. Miller
Tracy L. Reece
Career Studies Certificate
Medical Records Technician
Marie Sue Hopkins
Sandra Lucina Robles
Career Studies Certificate
Nursing Assistant
Chelsie JoAnn Deel
Barbara E. Fleming
Prell Honey Manalim Hackney
Christopher M. Neece
Robin Kayla Smith
Career Studies Certificate
Old Time Music
Ginger Alvonia Joseph
Career Studies Certificate
Pharmacy Technician
Margaret Brooke Buchanan
Rosetta M. Carter
Hannah Caitlin Coleman
Rachel Ann Crago
Abigail Tayco Demegillo
Deanna Rebekah DeWein
Jessica Brooke Eldridge
Kristy LeAnn Griffin
Madison Lorraine Holloway
Jamie R. Keltner
Kelsey R. Kennedy
Savahanna Faith Kern
Michael Shane Kilgore, Jr.
Valerie E. Marshall
Leigh-Anne C. McDaniel
Amber Marie McElroy
Samantha Renee Miller
Andrea Leeann Moore
Sarah Elisabeth Morgan
Cassandra Nicole Page
Hayley Alyssa Penley
Cody Blake Roberts
Briana Rachelle Rose
Crystal Marie Gail Snodgrass
Janet C. Stout
Alexandra Brianna Tunnell
Chelsie Leshell Turner
Elizabeth Diana Vanover
Valerie Elizabeth Vick
Allison Victoria Williams
Career Studies Certificate
Phlebotomy
Amanda J. Back
Sharessa Marie Blair
Lisa D. Briggs
Rosetta M. Carter
Kasey Amanda Ruth Dalton
Tiffany BreAnn Farmer
Makayla Leanna Fields
Channie R. Franklin
Lila Grace Gilliam
Jordan Douglas Kelley
Jennifer Morgan Kelly
Stephanie Kristen Lamb
Savannah B. Lambert
Hannah M. Maness
Judi Denise Mathieson
Melissa Marie McGahy
Chasity Hope McKinney
Ashlyn Marie Mitchell
Gabriela Tuma Moore
Shasta Renee Myers
Jason R. O’Quinn
Peyton Andrew Palmer
Maria Dawn Pridemore
Rochelle Lynne Pritchett
Asia Savannah Ramey
Rachel Michelle Reece
Cobye Ray Robbins
Belinda S. Scott
Caley Ann Shearin
Kady Delia Sowards
Kandace Brooke Sturgill
Brittany Leshae Wilder
Allison Victoria Williams
Taryn Rashalee Williams
Career Studies Certificate
Real Estate
Logan Lorenzo
Career Studies Certificate
Small Business Management
Allison Marie Lawson
Kayla Nicole Terry
Career Studies Certificate
Software Development I
James Christian Croley
Everett Rece Hunsaker
John P. Jones
Candace Makenze Keith
Ashlee Nicole Lewis
Zachary Shane Pilkenton
Anthony S. Redman
Thomas Hunter Triplett
Career Studies Certificate
Software Development II
James Christian Croley
Everett Rece Hunsaker
John P. Jones
Candace Makenze Keith
Ashlee Nicole Lewis
Zachary Shane Pilkenton
Anthony S. Redman
Thomas Hunter Triplett
Career Studies Certificate
Welding Operator
Joshua Adam Barnett
Adam Maurice Bowers
Isaac Devin Deel
Joseph Edward Freeman
James Darwin Gilmer
Justin T. Hall
Jared Allen Harvey
Brian Keith Humphrey
Scottie Hunley
Jessie J. Middleton
Devin Allen Rose
Paul Jarrod Slayton
Jimmy D. Spears, Jr.
Dakota Tyler VanHuss
Wesley R. Whitman
Daniel S. Yeary
GRADUATION WITH HONORS
To be eligible for graduation with honors, a student must have at least the following grade point average and complete an associate degree or certificate:
*Honors (cum laude), 3.2
**High Honors (magna cum laude), 3.5
***Highest Honors (summa cum laude), 3.8
+High school students
Individuals have been designated in the program as honor students based on their grade point average at the completion of the semester prior to the one in which they will graduate. Students wearing gold tassels are honor students. Students wearing gold stoles are members of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society. Students wearing red, white, & blue cords are U.S. Military Veterans.
Big Stone Gap — Mountain Empire Community College’s Practical Nursing program recently held a pinning ceremony for Fall 2015 Licensed Practical Nursing program graduates. The ceremony represents the completion of the student’s coursework in MECC’s LPN Program. Student Ashley Smith was named valedictorian of the class and received the Healing Hands Nursing Excellence Award. Fall 2015 LPN Nursing Graduates are (back row left to right): Jennifer Caudill, Crystal Hoskins, Jarred Day, Randon Mabe, Thomas Reasor, and Sofian Klimas; (front row left to right): Bria Bloomer, Kristie Blanken, Kelli Scott, Constance Mays, Rebecca Rayburn, Brittany Webb, Ashley Smith, Shelby Thomas, and Emily Meade. For more information on MECC’s LPN program, please contact Mitzi Jones, Sabrina Cowden, or Lena Whisenhunt at (276) 523-2400.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College will once again welcome thousands of visitors to the campus this fall for the 46th Annual Home Craft Days Festival held Oct. 20-22.
Celebrating the rich music, culture, and artistry of Southwest Virginia, the Home Craft Days Festival features two full days of concerts, craft vendors, and demonstrations of weaving, pottery making, grist milling, wood crafting, basket weaving, broom making, quilting, tatting and more.
Heading this year’s free Friday night concert are the ETSU Old Time Pride Band, Dale Jett and Hello Stranger, and Sigean. The concert will begin at 6 p.m. in MECC’s Phillips-Taylor Hall Goodloe Center.
According to festival coordinator Mike Gilley, “This annual festival is a homecoming, a chance for family and friends to gather and share our cultural heritage. We are excited to showcase the best of the region’s music, crafts, and food!”
Craft and food vendors will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s music schedule includes featured performers: Todd Meade and Family, Tommy Bledsoe, The Scott County Boys, Sigean, The Railsplitters With Center Stage Cloggers, Jimmy and Ada McCowan, the Empty Bottle String Band With Center Stage Cloggers, New Harvest Brothers, The Sheets Family Band, Anndrenea Belcher & The Wild Boys, Whitetop Mountain Band With Center Stage Cloggers, Kay Justice, Town Branch Bluegrass, Scott County JAM, Wise County JAM, Sycamore Holler, Corbin Hayslett & Saro Lynch (Ravens & Wrens), Brandon Maggard, Joy Blair, Danny Whited and Friends of Bluegrass, Kelsey Ray Copeland, The Childress Family, Jack Wright and Roger Hall, Jack Beck and Wendy Welch.
Sunday’s performers include: Glenn Roberts, Pam Randolph and Doug Dorschug, Angie Debord, The Crooked Road Ramblers With Center Stage Cloggers, Poplar Hill Reunion, Bill and the Belles, Roan Mountain Moonshiners, Grayson Ridge Runners With Center Stage Cloggers, Smith Family Singers, John Haywood, Sons of Liberty, Richard Phillips & Friends, Ms. Ellie’s String Band, Rich Kirby and Nate Polly, Lee Sexton, Sulphur Spring String Dippers, Eric McMurray and Friends, Ron Short and The Possum Playboys, Nancy and Bill Smith.
Admission is FREE to all the festival events. MECC is located on US Route 23 just south of Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Parking and shuttles for the festival will be offered at five locations in Big Stone Gap. Shuttle rides are $1 per person at boarding. Locations include:
Union High School (formerly Powell Valley High School) – Front Parking Lot
Curbside, Wood Ave, in Front of Food City
Curbside, Municipal Parking Lot behind Post Office/Federal Building
Country Inn
Comfort Inn
Volunteers are needed to assist with festival set-up, refreshments, clean-up and more. If you’d like to volunteer your time, please visit www.homecraftdays.org/volunteer.
For more information on the event, including a detailed schedule of vendors and musicians, visit the Home Craft Days website at www.homecraftdays.org.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College will once again welcome thousands of visitors to the campus this fall for the 48th Annual Home Craft Days Festival held Oct. 18-20.
Celebrating the rich music, culture, and artistry of Southwest Virginia, the Home Craft Days Festival features two full days of concerts, craft vendors, and demonstrations of weaving, pottery making, grist milling, wood crafting, basket weaving, broom making, quilting, tatting and more.
Heading this year’s free Friday night concert are the Tommy Bledsoe, Rich Kirby, Tyler Hughes, and Todd Meade; Alice Gerrard and Kay Justice; and John McCutcheon. The concert will begin at 6 p.m. in MECC’s Phillips-Taylor Hall Goodloe Center.
According to festival coordinator Mike Gilley, “This annual festival is a homecoming, a chance for family and friends to gather and share our cultural heritage. We are excited to showcase the best of the region’s music, crafts, and food!”
Craft and food vendors will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s music schedule includes featured performers: Scott County Jam, Wise County Jam, Rich Kirby and Nate Polly, Danny Whited and Friends, Todd Meade and Family, Jack Wright, Jim Lloyd, Angie DeBord, Town Branch Bluegrass, Brandon Maggard, Empty Bottle String Band with the Center Stage Cloggers, Right Fork Ramblers, Kelsey Rae, The Childress Family, The Sheets Family, Joy Blair, Stone Mountain Serenaders with the Center Stage Cloggers, Popular Hill Reunion, Travis Kern, Richard Phillips and Friends, Crooked Road Ramblers, Thistle Dew, and Sigean.
Sunday’s performers include: Tyler Hughes and Todd Meade, Ms. Elli’s String Band, Doug Dorschug and Pam Randolph, MECC String Band, Glenn Roberts, The High Tops, Jack Beck, High Test Grass, John Haywood, Tommy Bledsoe, Bill McCall and Southern Country, Oscar Harris and Heather Pace, Willie Dodson and Saro Lynch, The String Dippers, My New Favorites, Smith Family Singers, Rita Quillen, Scott County Boys.
Admission is FREE to all the festival events. MECC is located on US Route 23 just south of Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Parking and shuttles for the festival will be offered at five locations in Big Stone Gap. Shuttle rides are $1 per person at boarding. Locations include:
· Union High School (formerly Powell Valley High School) – Front Parking Lot
· Curbside, Wood Ave, in Front of Food City
· Curbside, Municipal Parking Lot behind Post Office/Federal Building
· Country Inn
· Comfort Inn
For more information on the event, including a detailed schedule of vendors and musicians, visit the Home Craft Days website at www.homecraftdays.org.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College will host the college’s annual Home Craft Days Festival, October 21-23, featuring the unique music, crafts, food, and artistry of the Appalachian region.
The 51st Home Craft Days Festival will feature two full days of concerts, craft vendors, and demonstrations of weaving, pottery making, grist milling, wood crafting, basket weaving, broom making, quilting, tatting and more. A special free Friday night concert, with opening reception, will also be held.
Heading this year’s Friday night concert are Tommy Bledsoe, Rich Kirby, Tyler Hughes, and Todd Meade; the New River Railsplitters, and Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius. The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. in MECC’s Phillips-Taylor Hall Goodloe Center. Guests are invited to join us for free Dough & Joe and Kettlecorn while supplies last from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Back Draft Bar-B-Q will also offer a paid dinner options for guests. Mountain Rose Vineyard’s wine selections will also be available as a paid beverage option.
According to festival coordinator Lee Davis, “This year’s festival should be more exciting than ever. We have several new vendors in all three areas – crafts, food, and demonstrations. The staff at MECC love seeing our community come out to enjoy the music, food, & crafts.”
Craft and food vendors will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday only. Saturday’s music schedule includes featured performers: Todd Meade and Family, Tommy & Ben, John Haywood, Empty Bottle String Band with the Center Stage Cloggers, Sarah Kate Morgan, Town Branch Bluegrass, Four State Ramblers, Scott County Boys, Whitetop Mountain Band with Center Stage Cloggers, Bill and the Belles, Square Dance with The Crooked Road Ramblers, Trinity Valley Travelers, Wise County JAM, Trevor McKenzie, Rita Quillen, Joy Branham, Hillbilly Hippies, Joy Blair, Roxanne McDaniels, Richard Hood, Rose and Vine, Danny Whited and Friends of Bluegrass, The White Brothers, and Carol Moore.
Sunday’s performers include: Rich Kirby & Nate Polly, Blue Ridge Girls, Oscar Harris, Gap Civil, Siegan, George Reynolds, Angie DeBord, Smith Family Singers, Appalachian Trail, MECC String Band, Mountain Melody School, Brandon Maggard, Richard Phillips, The Childress Girls, Travis Kern, Sulphuric Springs String Dippers, and Kelsey Rae Copeland.
MECC will also host it’s 50th Anniversary Gala, in coordination with the Home Craft Days Festival, on Saturday, October 22, at 6:30 p.m. featuring world-renowned musician and entertainer John McCutcheon. The 50th Anniversary Gala is a black-tie optional event celebrating the half-century legacy of the college. Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased at www.meccfoundation.org or by calling MECC Foundation Annual Fund Coordinator, Megan Gibson at (276) 523-9078.
Admission is FREE to all the festival events, with the exception of the 50th Anniversary Gala. MECC is located on US Route 23 just south of Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Parking and shuttles for the festival will be offered at five locations in Big Stone Gap. Shuttle rides are $1 per person, or $2 round-trip, at boarding. Locations include:
• Union High School (formerly Powell Valley High School) – Front Parking Lot
• Curbside, Wood Ave, in Front of Food City
• Curbside, Municipal Parking Lot behind Post Office/Federal Building
• Country Inn
• Comfort Inn
For more information on the event, including a detailed schedule of vendors and musicians, visit the Home Craft Days website at www.homecraftdays.org.
Big Stone Gap, VA –The woods around Mountain Empire Community College will soon come alive with the spirits of the “undead.”
MECC will host its annual Haunted Forest beginning Friday, October 7 from 7-11 p.m. The event will be held every Friday and Saturday until Halloween. Admission is $10. The Haunted Forest is recommended for age 10 & up. All proceeds will benefit student scholarships at MECC.
This year, Mama Lebow’s vile anger has conjured another spell. The creatures of the woods are developing a taste for two legged meat and the butcher has lost control of the animals! In the Slaughterhouse, you will be in a fight for your life against demonic animals that have taken control. No turn is safe as they hunt for their prey!
For more information, please check out the MECC Haunted Forest Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MountainEmpireHauntedForest or contact Cindy Ringley at (276) 523-2400, ext. 264.
Big Stone Gap, Va. – Mountain Empire Community College is hosting an information meeting for those interested in applying for a scholarship to attend unmanned aerial systems, or drone, courses this fall.
MECC, with assistance from a National Science Foundation Grant, is offering free tuition for four classes that make up the core of the future Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations Technician Career Studies Certificate.
Classes will be offered Fall 2017 and Spring 2018. Upon completion, students will be prepared to obtain certification as a remote pilot and to utilize drones for business and personal use. Students must register this fall in order to qualify for tuition assistance.
The courses are an excellent resource for regional police, EMS, contractors, realtors, farmers, ranchers, videographers and others seeking to incorporate drone technology into their businesses.
An information session will be held Tuesday, August 15 at 6 p.m. in Phillips-Taylor Hall Room 220. For more information, contact Fred Coeburn, Instructor, at fcoeburn@mecc.edu or 276.523.7462.
Students who have not yet enrolled for the Fall 2018 semester are encouraged to schedule an appointment with an advisor and register for classes by Tuesday, August 21. Classes begin Wednesday, August 22. New students who enroll after Tuesday, August 21 will only be enrolled in late-starting classes and MECC’s Quick Start program. To schedule an appointment with an advisor, call 276.523.2400. Students may call today until 4:30 p.m. MECC offices will be closed all day Friday, August 16 for faculty/staff in-service. The college will be open Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to serve students.
BIG STONE GAP – Mountain Empire Community College is pleased to announce that Business Technology Instructors Elizabeth Snodgrass and Jane Jones have been awarded the Certified Online Instructor (COI) designation by the Learning Resources Network (LERN).
“We are pleased to recognize Elizabeth Snodgrass’ and Jane Jones’ expertise and experience in this
growing area of teaching,” noted William A. Draves, President of the LERN, the international education association awarding the COI designation. The COI designation was developed by a committee of outstanding online faculty from universities and colleges in four countries in response to the need for recognition of expertise in this important area of higher education instruction. Snodgrass serves as a professor in MECC’s paralegal program. Jones is an associate professor in MECC’s Administrative Support and Health Information Technology classes in the Business and Information Technology Division.
The faculty for the COI designation includes experts and authors in the field of online teaching. The committee is chaired by Dr. Mary Dereshiwsky, COI, of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.
“With millions of students now taking online courses, this course of study provides needed professional development for faculty in this emerging area of practice,” said Dr. Dereshiwsky. “In addition, it recognizes the work and expertise of professors successfully teaching online.”
To obtain the COI designation, Snodgrass and Jones completed a fairly rigorous process. Requirements included a critique of their online courses, a knowledge exam, evaluation by online students participating in courses that they instructed, and completion of three online courses for teaching online, designing online instruction, and building learning communities in cyberspace.
The certification is a voluntary program recognized by educators and the Learning Resources Network’s 5,000 members around the world.
The Learning Resources Network is the leading provider of online professional development for faculty in higher education. More than 5,000 professors from ten countries have participated in LERN’s programs.
For more information on the COI designation, please contact Jones or Snodgrass at 276.523.2400.
Big Stone Gap- Mountain Empire Community College is looking for students to compete in the National Cyber League (NCL), an online competition that consists of a series of challenges that allow students to demonstrate their ability to identify hackers from forensic data, audit vulnerable websites, recover from ransomware attacks, and more. Students that have taken ITN 260 and ITN 261 will feel most comfortable with the material. Additional information can be found at www.nationalcyberleague.org. If interested, please contact Ritchie Deel (rdeel@mecc.edu) or Ashvin Raj (araj@mecc.edu) by March 10 so that they can register you. There are only eight slots available for this event.
MECC is making a few changes to our Home Craft Days annual Friday night reception and Saturday morning Donor Recognition Breakfast in light of COVID-19 concerns. The annual donor breakfast has been cancelled due to COVID 19 spread and the inability to host the early morning event outdoors. However, the Friday night reception will be held with food vending to be offered outdoors. MECC will host Dough and Joe of Big Stone Gap and Mr. Kettle Corn of Wirtz in the field adjacent to the Goodloe Center. Free popcorn, donuts, and coffee drinks will be provided from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. In addition, Backdraft BBQ will also be onsite, as a dinner option for paying customers. Please join us Friday night for music from the McLain family, the Blue Ridge Girls, and more beginning at 6 p.m. All attendees are invited to enjoy free coffee, donuts, and popcorn in our outdoor seating areas. Masks will be required in the Goodloe Center during the concert.
Big Stone Gap — Mountain Empire Community College has pledged to join the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) in promoting and assisting entrepreneurial opportunities in Southwest Virginia.
The college joined Big Sandy Community College in Pikeville, Kentucky, in signing the NACCE’s Presidents for Entrepreneurship Pledge (PFEP). MECC President Kristen Westover along with Sherry Zylka of Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC) signed the PFEP pledge together during a recent ceremony in Pikeville. Area high school students, teachers and education officials participated in the event.
In taking the pledge, college presidents commit to five action steps aimed at advancing entrepreneurship in the classroom and in their communities. The action steps range from creating and expanding internal and external teams dedicated to entrepreneurship, to increasing entrepreneurs’ engagement in community colleges and spurring innovation and job creation.
“Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial spirit are vital to the continued success of our region,” said Dr. Kristen Westover, MECC President. “Through the creation and support of existing entrepreneurs, MECC is committed to the expansion of entrepreneurial strategies to create new businesses, add opportunities for the region, and create conditions for a flourishing economy. Working with NACCE, we have the opportunity to apply proven methods to enhance entrepreneurial spirit and activity in our community.”
“The PFEP is a helpful tool for community college presidents who are seeking to embrace an entrepreneurial culture and mindset at their colleges,” said Rebecca Corbin, Ed.D., president and CEO of NACCE. “Signing the PFEP symbolizes their commitment to leveraging assets and maximizing entrepreneurial opportunities in their local communities and through the NACCE network.”
MECC and BSCTC share a common service area and similar demographics and are participants in the EntreEd program, which provides entrepreneurship curriculum for K-12 students. The two colleges are also recipients of Appalachian Regional Commission Power grants, which assists with retraining opportunities for laid-off coal miners and their families. The two presidents have vowed to work together to explore mutually beneficial collaborations.
NACCE is an organization of educators, administrators, presidents and entrepreneurs focused on igniting entrepreneurship in their communities and campuses. NACCE has two main goals: to empower college leaders to approach the business of running a community college with an entrepreneurial mindset and to grow the community college’s role in supporting job creation and entrepreneurs in their local ecosystem. NACCE has over 330 member colleges, representing nearly 2,000 members and approximately 3.3 million students.
Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will kick off its 50th anniversary celebration on Friday, October 1 with a picnic commemorating the initial groundbreaking of the Big Stone Gap campus.
The picnic, to be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Phillips Taylor Hall’s Goodloe Center, will feature a special video highlighting the college’s 50years, along with guest speakers, games, and activities for all. Food will be catered by Pratt’s BBQ. The event is free and masks are required in indoor and outdoor spaces.
“We are excited to honor the contributions and sacrifices of those who came before us and paved the way for MECC’s current and future success, and I am grateful and honored to be in a position, along with our incredible MECC Family, to recognize their contributions and lead MECC in the continuation of our transformative mission for years to come,” said MECC President Kristen Westover.
MECC’s 50th anniversary activities will continue October 2021 – December 2022. Additional scheduled events include a community concert featuring Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Darrell Scott and If Birds Could Fly in May 2022 and a 50th Anniversary Gala in October 2022. The MECC Foundation, which exists to support the mission of the college, has set a goal to raise $2M to support scholarships, infrastructure improvements, and other needs to commemorate this special anniversary.
For almost half a century, Mountain Empire Community College has served as the primary career training center for residents of Wise, Lee, Scott, and Dickenson County and the City of Norton. Thousands of students have furthered their education and skillsets to provide a better life for their family and community by earning credentials at MECC.
From humble beginnings, the College first opened in 1972 with 507 students taking classes in one building at its Big Stone Gap campus. MECC was developed from a statewide initiative to increase educational attainment rates for the Commonwealth.
In 1966, the Virginia Assembly enacted historic legislation establishing a statewide system of comprehensive community colleges. This legislation brought most post high school education below the bachelor’s level into one system and broadened the base of higher education in the state. As comprehensive institutions, community colleges endeavor to serve all segments of society and are charged with providing open access to higher education for all students.
In Southwest Virginia, a committee comprised of local business, civic, industrial, and political leaders was appointed by the local governing bodies of Lee, Scott, Wise, and Dickenson Counties and the City of Norton for the purpose of establishing a comprehensive community college.
In April of 1970, the college Board had its first meeting at which Judge William C. Fugate was elected chair. Funds for construction were allocated by the State Board for Community Colleges and construction began in 1971.
Today, more than 1,300 students are enrolled full-time, and more than 3,000 students are enrolled part-time at MECC. The Big Stone Gap campus has expanded to include five buildings accommodating more than 100 academic programs of study in traditional classroom formats, as well as online and hybrid offerings. In 2019, MECC opened the Center for Workforce and Innovation of Appalachia (CWIA) in Appalachia to house its power lineman, commercial driving license, smart farming, advanced manufacturing, and dental assisting programs. Future plans include the development of culinary programming at the CWIA.
In addition to MECC’s career training focus, the College has served as a primary resource for the preservation of the region’s rich cultural and musical heritage. For fifty years, the College has hosted the annual Home Craft Days festival every third weekend in October, highlighting Appalachian traditions.
MECC also hosts its annual Mountain Music School, which provides students age 10 and up with the ability to learn traditional mountain music during a one-week camp the last week in July. The MECC Foundation annually hosts the John Fox Jr. Literary festival highlighting Appalachian writers with a featured poetry and short story contests for the community.
The CWIA library will feature Appalachian archives to include collections of Melungeon records and the Wise County Historical Society. The Wampler Library on the College’s main campus houses the Slemp Gallery, featuring a rotating exhibit of regional and national art installations.
MECC is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The College’s Enrollment Services Division, Student Services, Business Office, Library and all other services can be reached by calling (276) 523-2400.
For more information on MECC’s 50th anniversary, visit www.mecc.edu/mecc50. For more information on MECC’s career pathways, please visit www.mecc.edu/pathways. To enroll, please visit www.mecc.edu/apply. For information on giving to the college’s efforts to train Southwest Virginia’s workforce, please visit the MECC Foundation at www.meccfoundation.org/give.
Big Stone Gap, VA — Mountain Empire Community College is excited to announce a new online search tool that assists students and community members in viewing available classes. Those interested in enrolling in for the summer and fall 2016 semester can now visit www.mecc.edu/class to view the list of classes available by subject, location, semester, catalog number, instructor and more. In addition, the class search features detailed information on class start and end times, prerequisites, and whether the class is filled or open for enrollment. The class search is also available on the MECC website main page, www.mecc.edu, under the “Schedule” heading. Registration for the summer 2016 and fall 2016 semesters begins Monday, April 4. To register for a class, new students must apply for admittance and returning students should log in to their MECC Online Student Information System account. For more information, contact info@mecc.edu or visit the MECC website at www.mecc.edu.
Big Stone Gap — Police officers are trained to serve in multiple roles – as law enforcement personnel, counselors, and supervisors.
However, most law enforcement training programs do not devote the time to train officers on how to serve as effective leaders within their organization and community.
A decade ago, Mountain Empire Community College Professor Robert England and Southwest Virginia Criminal Justice Academy Director Doug Cooley recognized the need to develop stronger leadership skills in new and veteran law enforcement officers. The Southwest Virginia Professional Leadership Academy was born.
Since 2006, hundreds of law enforcement officers have graduated from the academy, a year-long program that meets twice a month involving selected police and corrections personnel from throughout the region. Officers earn 16 college credits from Mountain Empire Community College by completing the leadership curriculum and a detailed administrative project.
“Most officers have been through field training that covers the basic leadership skills needed in the field and at work,” said England. “Our goal with the leadership academy was to develop leadership skills at a whole new level, so that officers can find out about themselves, their personality and leadership profile. There is a lot of focus on personal and professional leadership, morals, ethics, motivation, and communication.”
Numerous academy graduates have attested to the positive changes they experienced after completing the program. Often, graduates have reorganized operations and changed the culture of their organization by implementing ideas gleaned from the experience. Academy participants are encouraged to examine their budgets, operation procedures, training programs, community engagement, and mentoring activities for possible improvements.
“Your way of thinking changes after going through this program,” said Dickenson County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Tammy Robinson. “You are able to re-analyze the processes in your organization and the decisions that you make.”
“I’ve used the program to help our department move forward. The academy has helped me see the potential of our organization and how we can interact better with our community and with each other,” added Bluefield, Va. Police Officer Justin McCully.
England noted that almost every law enforcement agency in Southwest Virginia has participated in the program during the last ten years, with Wise County Sheriff’s Office boasting over 25 graduates of the program. In addition to police forces, the program has expanded to include federal, state and local corrections employees as well.
“A criminal justice agency can only be as strong as its leadership,” added Cooley. “The Academy has afforded the leaders and rising leaders from our local agencies the opportunity to truly develop as professionals. Participating in this academy helps officers develop the skills that our communities expect from their top law enforcement executives. It is critical in these challenging times in law enforcement that we continue to develop strong leaders.”
-MECC-
Photo Left to right: Greg Vencil, Bristol City Sheriff’s Office; David Collins, Bristol Virginia Sheriff’s Office ; Chris Whitt, Bristol Virginia Sheriff’s Office; Marty Berry, Washington County Sheriff’s Office; Ryan Phillips, Wise County Sheriff’s Office; DeWitt Cooper, Tazewell Police Department; Robert England, Mountain Empire Community College; Justin McCulley, Bluefield Police Department; Chris Kent, Wise Police Department; Tammy Robinson, Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office; Charles (Tody) Curry, Wise County Sheriff’s Office; Tim Carroll, Bluefield Police Department; Charles Foster, Wythe County Sheriff’s Office; and Kenneth Joyner, Appalachia Police Department.
BIG STONE GAP, Va. – Mountain Empire Community College has been accredited jointly by the National Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (or CAE-CD).
The accreditation is awarded only to U.S. four-year and two-year colleges that demonstrate a proven ability to deliver quality cybersecurity education to their students while meeting standards related to curricula and faculty. With this distinction, MECC becomes only one of nine Virginia community colleges (out of 23) to carry the accreditation. Of the 84 public and private colleges in Virginia, only 25 percent of them hold the accreditation.
“National Security Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security recognition as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense signifies that MECC has created a strong cybersecurity educational program producing the technology talent necessary to fill positions in cybersecurity within our region as well as attracting new businesses requiring this talent to the region,” said MECC President Kristen Westover.
As a CAE-CD institution, MECC is now eligible for federal funding opportunities reserved only for CAE-CD colleges. Other incentives offered include virtual student job fairs and special training seminars for faculty. Lastly, MECC’s CAE-CD status confirms a cybersecurity curriculum deemed worthy by some of the nation’s largest employers like the NSA and the U.S. Department of Defense.
MECC Assistant Professor Ritchie Deel, who serves as both the college’s cybersecurity professor and Chief Information Officer, expressed that the accreditation represents both MECC’s diligence in developing its cybersecurity program since 2016 and the overall effort by colleges in Southwest Virginia to attract technology companies to the region.
“We started our cybersecurity program back in 2016 with grant funding backed by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, and since then, we’ve made sure to leverage that opportunity by building a program that signals that there is technology talent in Southwest Virginia for those companies that are interested in the area,” Deel said.
Since the creation of MECC’s Cybersecurity Career Studies certificate program in 2016, MECC has formed a student competition club that participates in national cybersecurity-based tournaments and has collaborated with regional colleges like the University of Virginia’s College at Wise and Southwest Virginia Community College to organize technology-themed events.
MECC offers a 10-course Cybersecurity Career Studies Certificate that can be taken on its own or paired with the college’s Computer Networking and Computer Software Specialist degrees. Those interested in learning more about the program can visit MECC’s Cybersecurity Center at www.mecc.edu/pathways/cyber-security or contact Mr. Deel at 276-523-9444 or at rdeel@mecc.edu.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College is pleased to announce the college has been selected by The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program as one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
The Aspen Prize is the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges. With a singular focus on student success, the Aspen Prize recognizes institutions with outstanding achievements in four areas: learning; certificate and degree completion; employment and earnings; and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students.
“I knew Mountain Empire Community College had strong student success metrics when I chose serve as the President. MECC values and measures student performance related to learning outcomes, progression through academic programs, success in completing credentials, and ensuring those outcomes are equitable across diverse sectors of our student population. I am excited that the college has been recognized for our exceptional outcomes that empower citizens for better lives,” said Dr. Kris Westover, President at MECC.
The 150 community colleges named as eligible to compete for the 2019 Prize were selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 public two-year colleges nationwide using publicly available data on student outcomes. Located in 39 states in urban, rural, and suburban areas, serving as few as 300 students and as many as 95,000 students, the colleges represent the diversity and depth of the community college sector. For a full list of the top 150 eligible institutions, visit: www.highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize.
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC, whose mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program aims to advance higher education practices, policies, and leadership that significantly improve student outcomes. Through the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the Siemens Technical Scholars Program, and other initiatives, the College Excellence Program works to improve colleges’ understanding and capacity to teach and graduate students, especially the growing population of low-income and minority students on American campuses.
According to the Aspen Institute, higher education attainment has never been more important. Estimates from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce suggest that out of the 11.6 million jobs created in the postrecession economy, 11.5 million require at least some college education. The vast majority of students who enroll in community colleges do so because they believe that postsecondary education will provide them a path to rewarding work, stable employment, and family-sustaining wages.
“Especially in the current social and economic climate, it is exceptionally important that our nation’s community colleges develop the diverse talent needed to fuel democratic engagement, social mobility, and economic opportunity and growth,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “Through this competition we’re working to inspire other institutions across our country to ensure more students succeed in college and their lives beyond those campuses.”
The top ten finalists for the 2019 Aspen Prize will be named in May 2018. The Aspen Institute will then conduct site visits to each of the finalists and collect additional quantitative data, including employment and earnings data. A distinguished Prize Jury will select a grand prize winner, finalist(s) with distinction, and rising star(s) in spring 2019. To read more on the selection process, visit: www.highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize.
Previous winners of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence include: Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, South Dakota (2017); Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida (2015); co-winners Santa Barbara City College in Santa Barbara, California and Walla Walla Community College in Walla Walla, Washington (2013); and Valencia College in Orlando, Florida (2011 inaugural Prize winner).
BIG STONE GAP, VA – Mountain Empire Community College is pleased to announce that the Military Times has named MECC one of the top 20 colleges nationwide in the Best for Vets: Career & Technical Colleges 2016 rankings.
The organization made up of Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times focused on culture and curriculum that caters to military veterans when conducting and scoring the annual survey of schools that self-identify as career and technical colleges.
Mountain Empire Community College offers a military tuition exception (in-state tuition) through the Virginia Community College System. In addition, the college employs a dedicated Veteran’s Officer that provides advising and counseling services for military personnel. MECC also offers veterans recognition events throughout the year and at graduation.
“Mountain Empire Community College is very proud to be recognized for the efforts we take to support our veterans,” said Dr. Scott Hamilton, MECC President. “Our veterans have served their country well and MECC is committed to assisting them as they transition to civilian life and employment.”
Best for Vets: Career & Technical Colleges is an editorially independent news project that evaluates the many factors that make an institution a good fit for military veterans.
The rankings are published in full in the issues of Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times on newsstands the week of Oct. 12, as well as on ArmyTimes.com, NavyTimes.com, AirForceTimes.com, MarineCorpsTimes.com and MilitaryTimes.com.
Military Times’ Best for Vets survey-based rankings include Colleges, Career & Technical Colleges, Business Schools, Franchises, Employers and Law Enforcement.
For more information on MECC’s Veterans Services, contact Lena Grace at 276.523.2400 ext.217.
Big Stone Gap – Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors are invited to participate in the 2018 Mountain Empire Community College Governor’s School to be held June 11 through June 22 on the college campus.
MECC Governor’s School is open to public and home school students in the counties of Lee, Scott, Wise, and Dickenson, and the City of Norton, who have a 3.0 GPA or higher. This two-week program features a variety of hands-on activities in one of several subject areas selected by the student. Students spend time in the field, in labs, on tours, and in the classroom with the faculty of Mountain Empire Community College. Students who complete the session will receive six college credit hours, tuition-free. In addition to classroom activities, students will participate in field trips to area colleges.
Twelve academic strands will be offered this summer, including:
3-D Animation/Game Design – Are you a gamer? Take your skills to the next level by learning the basic techniques of game design. Create your own 3D game from concept to implementation using traditional and computer-generated animation.
Art Illustration for Graphic Novels – Love a good story? Create your own narrative by learning character development and illustration techniques. Students will complete a graphic novel they design.
Cyber Security – The FBI anticipates that cyber-attacks will soon become one of the greatest threats to our nation’s security. Fight crime by delving into the minds of hackers. Learn how to prevent cyber-attacks while also preparing for one of the nation’s most in-demand career fields.
Drama – Calling all drama queens and kings! Produce your own full-length play and learn the basic components of play production, from lights to sound, set design and character study. Students will premiere a full-length production of their own creation.
Drones – Immerse yourself in one of the world’s most innovative new technologies. Learn to build, configure, maintain, and legally fly drones both for fun and for commercial use. An exciting career pathway for those interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
EMS – The EMS strand features exciting activities and practical information including: CPR/First Aid certification, examine and stock an ambulance, prepare for an air ambulance (helicopter) landing, interact with air ambulance medics and nurses, extricate a patient from a wrecked vehicle. Students will participate in a SIM Lab emergency simulation and explore health care careers.
Engineering – Be an innovator! Use your technical and creative skills to design 3-D models and animation and solve complex engineering problems. Invent your future in engineering in this exciting field.
Entrepreneurship and Regional Tourism – Interested in starting your own business? Southwest Virginia’s tourism industry is dependent on small businesses. Develop your own business concept while exploring the best of our region’s assets.
Environmental Science – The mountains are calling. You must go! Learn about the mountains and streams of Southwest Virginia and current and potential threats to these ecosystems. Students will engage in a water quality study on the Clinch and Powell Rivers that will have a long-term positive impact on our region’s water systems.
Music – Rockin’ Guitar provides students with an opportunity to build and uniquely design their own electric guitar from a kit. Learn the basics of playing the guitar and perform a song at the completion of the course.
Solar Energy – Want to change the world? The future of energy technology is solar power! Learn basic electrical theory while exploring solar and wind technologies in an exciting new career field.
Web Design – The future of technology is endless. Learn more about computer programming, application design and development, and robotic technologies. Students will explore career paths in high-paying, high-demand technological fields.
Applications to attend the 2018 Governor’s School will be accepted until May 18, 2018 or until spaces are filled. Limited space is available and students are encouraged to apply early. To view additional information or to download the 2018 application, please visit the Mountain Empire Community College Governor’s School website at www.mecc.edu/govschool or contact John Bledsoe, Governor’s School Coordinator, at (276) 523-2400 ext. 307 or Ann Lane at ext. 363.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College will offer a corn shuck doll workshop on Saturday, Nov. 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Wampler Library in Robb Hall.
Corn shuck dolls are hundreds of years old, adopted by early European settlers from Native Americans. These dolls were made from the moistened husks or shucks of corn. Master artisan and workshop instructor Ganell Marshall (http://www.ganellscornshuckery.com/) has had her corn shuck dolls on display in Williamsburg, the Smithsonian, and on the White House Christmas tree. The workshop is limited to 15 participants. The non-credit workshop fee of $25.00 includes the costs of materials. Participants are encouraged to bring a bag lunch. Wampler Library will furnish coffee, tea, and water. Registration is required by noon on Friday, November 11. To register, visit https://mecc.augusoft.net/ or call Lori Dingus at276.523.2400, ext. 372.
MECC To Hold Advanced First Aid Class
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College will hold three upcoming Advanced First Aid classes in November. This American Heart Association certification course for Heart Saver AED will include child and adult CPR and use of AED plus required first aid recertification topics to recertify first aid training. The course will be offered Friday, November 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Saturday, November 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Friday, November 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost of the course is $35. To register, visit https://mecc.augusoft.net/ or call Lori Dingus at 276.523.2400 ext. 372.
MECC To Hold CPR Recertification Class For Health Care Providers
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College will hold two upcoming CPR-BLS courses for Health Care Providers in November. The courses will be offered Saturday, November 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on Friday, November 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Robb Hall Room 117. This American Heart Association certification course in BLS for health care providers includes modules of AED, BVM, one-person and two-person adult CPR, child and infant care CPR, and obstructed airway. The cost of the class is $35. To register, visit https://mecc.augusoft.net/ or call Lori Dingus at 276.523.2400 ext. 372.
Big Stone Gap — Mountain Empire Community College will offer an online Principles of Real Estate course beginning in January. Persons interested in obtaining a certification to practice real estate in the State of Virginia should complete the class and take the state licensing exam. The course will run through May. For more information or to register, contact Sabrina Ward at sward@mecc.edu or by phone at 276.523.2400, ext. 224.
Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will offer a Concealed Weapons Permit course Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost for the course is $100. Pre-registration is required. This class satisfies the requirements for a concealed weapons permit, and will cover legal guidelines, safety issues, and hands-on instruction on the firing range. Early registration is recommended as this class has limited spots available. To register go to www.mecc.edu/workforce and complete the Non-Credit Registration form or contact Beth Campbell at 276.523.2400 Ext. 225 or bcampbell@mecc.edu.
MECC Offers Basic First Aid & CPR
Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College’s Workforce Development Center will offer Basic First Aid & CPR training on Saturday, May 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Phillips Taylor Room 231. The fee for this course is $70. To register go to www.mecc.edu/workforce and complete the Non-Credit Registration form or contact Beth Campbell at 276.523.2400 Ext. 225 or bcampbell@mecc.edu.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College will host two international education travel opportunities for students and the public in the spring of 2018. The trips include an Eastern Europe tour in May 2018 and a Japan tour in June 2018.
Explore the intoxicatingly upbeat Eastern Europe on a 12-day whirlwind tour with stops in Budapest, Hungary; Krakow, Poland; Prague, Czech Republic; and Vienna, Austria. Visit fortified castles, breathtaking scenery, and humbling stops like Auschwitz and Krakow’s Jewish Quarter. Eastern Europe offers thrills and history unfiltered.
Japan is a microcosm of civilization at heart. This 11-day tour will feature stops in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and Hakone. Discover a polite order to urbanization that is defined by the ancient world that remains, a seamless blending of cutting-edge technology and preserved history. Visit historic, religious, and natural monuments on this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime journey.
Both tours will be led by MECC faculty members. Current MECC students who have completed at least 12 credit hours and have maintained a 3.0 GPA are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship toward travel expenses. Current MECC students who reside in Dickenson County may be eligible for an additional scholarship.
To view the full trip itinerary or apply for a scholarship, visit www.mecc.edu/travel. For more information, please contact MECC Community Relations Coordinator Amy Greear at (276) 523-7480 or by email at agreear@mecc.edu.
Beginning July 1, MECC students will have access to financial aid support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. A support specialist will answer your questions when you call 1.844.MECC4ME.
This toll-free number will provide access to the new MECC Financial Aid and Student Accounts Support Center anytime you call.
Prefer using online services? Also beginning on July 1, you’ll gain access to the online self-help portal. There you can browse self-help articles, track your financial aid and student accounts information and even chat live with a support specialist.
Students may also visit the Financial Aid Office located on the first floor of Godwin Hall for financial aid questions or issues.
For more information about financial aid, click here.
Big Stone Gap — Mountain Empire Community College will offer a variety of accelerated 8-week course offerings this spring. Classes begin March 12 and include online and on-campus offerings. Topics in accounting, small business taxes, art, business, management, economics, medical terminology, computers & computer programming, cybersecurity, fitness, customer service, CPR, and psychology will be offered. Senior citizens may qualify for a tuition waiver for these classes. For more information, or to register, visit www.mecc.edu/go8 or call 276.523.7474.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College offers a free Quick Start to College class designed for individuals who have considered college, but have hesitated to enroll.
The course allows students the opportunity to obtain college credit at no cost without having to enroll for a full semester. To qualify, students must have a high school diploma or equivalent (GED).
The course will include an orientation to the basics of college life at MECC. Students will be able to learn how to find offices and classes on campus, use online learning tools, and MECC email. Career counseling sessions will also be included so that students can learn more about program offerings that best fit their interests.
The course will cover computer basics including using Word and saving documents to flash drives. Students will also focus on math and English. Students will be able to freshen up on important basics that will help them take or retake the math and English placement tests.
The Spring Quick Start program will be offered:
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (2:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) February 11 – March 5
February 11 & 13 – Orientation and Campus Information
February 18 & 20 – Computer Skills
February 25 – English Skills
February 27 & March 3 – Career Exploration and College Success Skills
March 5 – Math Skills
For more information or to register for Quick Start, Contact Beth Boggs, Career & Transfer Counselor, bboggs@mecc.edu; 276-523-7438 or visit our website: www.mecc.edu/quickstart.
Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College’s Workforce Development Center will offer Basic First Aid & CPR training on Saturday, July 9 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Phillips Taylor Room 231. The fee for this course is $70. To register, go to www.mecc.edu/workforce and complete the Non-Credit Registration form or contact Lori Dingus at 276.523.2400 Ext. 372 or ldingus@mecc.edu.
Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will offer the opportunity for students to enroll in a Certified Nursing Assistant Program in spring 2018.
This cohort program will be held on the Mountain Empire Community College campus Saturdays from 8: 30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from January 20 to April 14. An information session to learn more about the program will be held on Monday, December 11 at 5 p.m. at MECC’s Phillips-Taylor Hall Room 115.
For more information on MECC’s Certified Nursing Assistant program, or to enroll, contact Arietta Harvey at aharvey@mecc.edu or by phone at 276.523.7456.
Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will offer a Concealed Weapons Permit course Saturday, August 6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost for the course is $100. Pre-registration is required. This class satisfies the requirements for a concealed weapons permit and will cover legal guidelines, safety issues, and hands-on instruction on the firing range. Early registration is recommended as this class has limited spots available. To register go to www.mecc.edu/workforce and complete the Non-Credit Registration form or contact Lori Dingus at 276.523.2400 Ext. 372 or ldingus@mecc.edu.
Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will offer a Concealed Weapons Permit course in August. The course will be held Saturday, August 12 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The cost for the course is $100. Pre-registration is required. This class satisfies the requirements for a concealed weapons permit and will cover legal guidelines, safety issues, and hands-on instruction on the firing range. Early registration is recommended as this class has limited spots available. To register go to www.mecc.edu/workforce and complete the Non-Credit Registration form or contact Lori Dingus at 276.523.2400 Ext. 372 or ldingus@mecc.edu or tdavidson@mecc.edu.
Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will offer a variety of late starting classes for students this fall. Late starting classes begin October 5 through October 22. Classes include topics in Math, Healthcare, Basic Pharmacy, History, Business Management, Office Administration, & Legal Assisting and more. To view the full list of October late start courses, visit www.mecc.edu/latestart. For more information, or to register, contact the MECC Office of Enrollment Services at 276.523.7474 or visit www.mecc.edu/apply.
Adriana Trigiani is The New York Times bestselling author of 20 books in fiction and nonfiction, including The Shoemaker’s Wife, The Good Left Undone, Don’t Sing at the Table, and Lucia, Lucia, and she is published in 38 languages around the world. She is host of the hit podcast, You Are What You Read, in conversation with the luminaries of our time about the books that built their souls. Adriana is an award-winning playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker. She wrote and directed the major motion picture adaptation of her debut novel Big Stone Gap, adapted her novel Very Valentine for television and directed Then Came You. She wrote and directed the documentary film, Queens of the Big Time, winner of the Audience Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival and Audience award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The film was also featured at the London and Hong Kong International Film festivals. Trigiani grew up in the Big Stone Gap Virginia where she co-founded The Origin Project, an in-school writing program serving over 2,700 students in Appalachia. In 2023, she was knighted with the Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia by President Sergio Mattarella of Italy. She is proud to serve on the New York State Council on the Arts and lives in New York City with her family.
Barbara Kingsolver is a novelist, essayist, and poet. She is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Demon Copperhead, a contemporary re-telling of David Copperfield set in Appalachia at the onset of the opioid epidemic. In addition to Demon Copperhead, her bestselling works include The Lacuna, The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. She was awarded the National Humanities Medal, the highest honor given by the U.S. government for service through the arts, as well as the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for the body of her work. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have been adopted into the core literature curriculum in high schools and colleges throughout the nation. She lives with her family on a farm in southern Appalachia.
Hiltons, VA – The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation will host Grammy-nominated, 2021 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year and Grand Ole Opry Stars, Sister Sadie, for the 2022 Diamonds and Denim Event.
Hiltons, VA – The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation will host Grammy-nominated, 2020 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year and Grand Ole Opry Stars, Sister Sadie, for the 2021 Diamonds and Denim Event. 
Big Stone Gap — One lucky golfer will go home with a $500 cash prize, and other great prizes will be awarded, as well, at the Auto World – MECC Golf Classic on Friday, June 4, at Lonesome Pine Country Club with proceeds benefitting the scholarship program at Mountain Empire Community College. 
Clintwood, VA — The Mountain Empire Community College Foundation is pleased to host Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. at Clintwood’s Jettie Baker Center. 
Governor’s School is open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in the counties of Lee, Scott, Wise, and Dickenson, and the City of Norton, who have a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College held its 46th commencement ceremony on Friday, May 10 at 6 p.m. at the Big Stone Gap campus.
Kara Mullins, of Big Stone Gap, is graduating Summa Cum Laude with an Associate of Arts and Sciences Degree in Science and General Studies. She is a dual enrollment student at Union High School, where she has been named the Salutatorian of the 2019 Class. She is a member of the Lady Bears Basketball Team. She plans to attend UVA-Wise in the fall and will major in Chemistry. Kara is the daughter of Lisa and Greg Mullins. 
Vicki Pearcy, of Duffield, is graduating Summa Cum Laude with an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Administrative Support Technology. Vicki has been the Assistant Registrar at Mountain Empire Community College since October 2018. She is married to Eddie Pearcy and has two sons, Adam and wife Ashlyn, and Brian. She is the daughter of Patricia Berry and the late Billy Berry. Vicki’s speech tonight is dedicated in loving memory of her father.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College held its 44th commencement ceremony Friday, May 12 at 6 p.m. at the Big Stone Gap campus.
Big Stone Gap — Mountain Empire Community College’s Practical Nursing program recently held a pinning ceremony for Fall 2015 Licensed Practical Nursing program graduates. The ceremony represents the completion of the student’s coursework in MECC’s LPN Program. Student Ashley Smith was named valedictorian of the class and received the Healing Hands Nursing Excellence Award. Fall 2015 LPN Nursing Graduates are (back row left to right): Jennifer Caudill, Crystal Hoskins, Jarred Day, Randon Mabe, Thomas Reasor, and Sofian Klimas; (front row left to right): Bria Bloomer, Kristie Blanken, Kelli Scott, Constance Mays, Rebecca Rayburn, Brittany Webb, Ashley Smith, Shelby Thomas, and Emily Meade. For more information on MECC’s LPN program, please contact Mitzi Jones, Sabrina Cowden, or Lena Whisenhunt at (276) 523-2400. 
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College will once again welcome thousands of visitors to the campus this fall for the 46
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College will once again welcome thousands of visitors to the campus this fall for the 48th Annual Home Craft Days Festival held Oct. 18-20.
Big Stone Gap, VA – Mountain Empire Community College will host the college’s annual Home Craft Days Festival, October 21-23, featuring the unique music, crafts, food, and artistry of the Appalachian region.
Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College will kick off its 50th anniversary celebration on Friday, October 1 with a picnic commemorating the initial groundbreaking of the Big Stone Gap campus.
