Scott Receives Karen Reader Memorial Scholarship - February 4, 2010
Submitted by Van Patterson

On February 2, 2010 Ms. Sharon Stump presented Ms. Emily Scott the Karen Reader Memorial Scholarship. Ms. Stump is currently a licensed vocational nurse in Center, Texas. She created the Karen Reader Memorial Scholarship in memory of her sister, a registered nurse, who recently passed away. Ms. Stump’s intention was to provide financial assistance to students pursuing a career in the nursing field. Emily Scott is studying to become a registered nurse and is in the fourth semester of Panola College’s Associate Degree Nursing Program. “I have always wanted to make a difference in someone’s life, and I knew that nursing was the field for me,” said Scott. “To say that the timing of this donation was perfect would be an understatement,” said Van Patterson, Director of Institutional Advancement. “Ms. Stump has turned a tragedy into hope for a young lady who, because of her education and training, will be able to pass along Ms. Reader’s and Ms. Stump’s legacy of helping others in their time of need.”

Photo: (L to R) Emily Scott, Sharon Stump, and Dr. Barbara Cordell, Dean of Nursing and Health Sciences

The Panola College Workforce and Economic Development Department announces a Beginning Guitar class to be offered Thursdays, February 11, 18, 25, March 4 and 11, at Panola College’s Carthage campus. Classes will be held from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM. The cost is $55.00, and Larry Brumley will be the instructor. Enrollment is limited, and pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, call 903-693-1193 or email CE@panola.edu.

Foundation Helps College Acquire JET Grant - January 28, 2010
Submitted by Van Patterson

On January 27, 2010 Mrs. Carol Vincent, Chair of the Panola College Foundation, presented Dr. Lillian Cook, Vice President of Instruction, with a check for $10,000. This gift resulted from a request from the College for funds to help meet a matching funds requirement for a Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant. The Foundation responded by pledging $10,000 to the effort. Panola College was recently awarded a JET grant that will provide approximately $250,000 for new equipment for its welding and petroleum technology programs.

“We are proud that we could play some part in helping Panola College acquire this grant. It will enable the College to provide an increased level of excellence to the students it serves,” said Carol Vincent. “Because of the efforts of our Board members and the generosity of those who have made contributions to the Panola College Foundation, we were able to assist the College when it mattered most.”

“The Panola College Foundation will be starting a new fundraising effort this month,” Vincent continued. “Foundation Board members will be selling tickets for a drawing for a one ounce, 24k gold bar. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased from members of the Foundation or through the Office of Institutional Advancement at Panola College’s main campus in Carthage, Texas. The funds raised in this effort will be used to benefit the students, faculty and staff at Panola College.”

Picture (L to R) –Front: Margie Hopkins, Dr. Lillian Cook, Carol Vincent, Doris Gibbs. Middle: Jean Bunyard, Wanda Hanszen, Bobby Phillips, Patricia Smith, Fannie Watson, Back: David Murphy, Kevin Smith, Jackie Robinson, Brett Biggs, David Chadwick, Andy Nutt, and Stuart Lipsey. (Not shown – Philip Pool)

Panola College Congratulates Latest CNA Class - December 18, 2009
Submitted by Judy Lee, RN, BSN

Congratulations to the latest Panola CNA class for a 100% PASS. The following students took their state exam on Dec. 8.
Pictured, but not in any order: Cathylene Williams, Heather Holland, Rachel Kruger, Christina Ainsworth, Tara Cecil, Brittany Hudman, Martha Bell, Megan Tarver, Christina Clark, Jana Bellard. Not pictured: Judy Reynolds, LVN, CNA Instructor.

On December 9 Panola College celebrated the careers of many long-term employees at its annual Christmas buffet. Those with 10 years of service include Sherri Baker, Cristie Ferguson, Kevin Rutherford, Vanessa Walls, and Kathy Watlington. Employees with 15 years of service are Shannon Baker, Karie Lindsay, Freddy Mason, Sheila Ritter, and Barbara Wilson. Carolyn Lawson, Charlene Johnson, Dr. Dennis Golden, and Don Clinton have each served 20 years while Jeff Brooks and Linda Vickery have contributed 25 years of service to Panola College. The highlight of the ceremony was when those assembled gave Shirley Ingram a standing ovation for her 30 years of dedicated service.

Photos (L to R)

10 years – Dr. Gregory Powell, Sherri Baker, Cristie Ferguson, Kevin Rutherford, Dr. Lillian Cook, Vanessa Walls,

10 Years Kathy – Dr. Gregory Powell, Kathy Watlington, Dr. Lillian Cook

15 Years – Dr. Gregory Powell, Shannon Baker, Karie Lindsay, Dr. Lillian Cook, Freddy Mason, and Barbara Wilson. (Not shown - Sheila Ritter)

20 Years – Don Clinton, Dr. Dennis Golden, Dr. Lillian Cook, Carolyn Lawson, and Dr. Powell. (Not Shown - Charlene Johnson)

25 Years - Dr. Gregory Powell, Jeff Brooks, Linda Vickery, and Dr. Lillian Cook

30 Years – Dr. Gregory Powell, Shirley Ingram, Dr. Lillian Cook

Texas History Month Celebration - December 10, 2009
Submitted by Van Patterson

The M. P. Baker Library is proud to announce a ‘Texas History Month’ event for the month of March 2010. This program is made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

“For this celebration we are featuring Dr. Armando C. Alonzo as our guest speaker for a lunchbox lecture at noon on March 1 in the Community Room of the Library,” said Zeny Jett, Director of Library Services. “Dr. Alonzo is an associate professor of History at Texas A&M University. He is a Borderlands historian specializing on the social and economic history of Texas and Northern Mexico from the 18th to the 20th century. The theme of his presentation for the lunchbox lecture will be on ‘Border Studies.’ Dr. Alonzo has written numerous publications, presented papers at professional meetings and national conferences on the subject.”

To complement the event a traveling exhibit from the Humanities Texas on ‘Border Studies’ will be on display in the Fay Cassity Allison Gallery located in the M. P. Baker Library. The exhibit will be available during regular Library hours from March 1 to March 12.

This Texas History Month celebration is a joint venture between the Government and History Departments of Panola College and the M.P. Baker Library. As part of this initiative students from Professor Curtis Odom’s history class will be doing project papers on the relevance of the program to Texas history. The event is free and open to the public. For more information please contact Zeny Jett at 903-693-2005 or email at zjett@panola.edu.

On Wednesday, December 2 Mr. Brett Biggs, Panola National Bank Vice President, presented Mrs. Carol Vincent, Panola College Foundation Chair, with a check for $1,000. Panola National Bank supports the efforts of the Foundation and has agreed to be a sustaining member. The Sustainers Group was created in 2008 to help the Panola College Foundation raise funds to build an endowment to meet the long-term needs of the College.

Panola College’s Excellence in Teaching Award recipients were recently named. Chris Blair, mathematics instructor, and Linda Vickery, cosmetology instructor, will have their information sent to the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) in Austin as nominees for the NISOD Excellence Awards. The awards will be presented at the national convention in Austin in May.

Mrs. Blair has taught mathematics at Panola College for 18 years. She also works in Institutional Research for the College. “She is loved by her students, and always goes the extra mile to help her students become proficient in math. Her dedication is obvious to all who know her,” according to Dr. Lillian Cook, Vice President of Instruction at Panola College.

Mrs. Vickery has taught cosmetology at Panola College for 25 years and has continually studied to learn more about teaching and about her field of expertise. Dr. Cook stated, “She is respected by her students, who do well in the workplace when they finish her program. Mrs. Vickery has a sincere dedication to teaching her students well.”

Blair and Vickery will attend the NISOD conference in May to accept their awards and to participate in some of the best professional development in the nation. Cook stated, “Both women are assets to Panola College’s instructional division.”

On Friday, November 20 Mr. George Whiting, Area Foreman for the JW Power Company, delivered a natural gas compressor to the Panola College Petroleum Technology program. “We are grateful to JW Power for donating this piece of equipment,” said Gary Hughes, Petroleum Technology Instructor. “Donations of equipment currently being used in the field strengthen our program. Students can familiarize themselves with the equipment before they go into the field, and employers receive a more knowledgeable employee. It’s a win-win situation. We are also thankful to 5J Trucking of Palestine, Texas who donated a truck and driver to deliver the 5-ton piece of equipment to Panola College.”

Photo: (L to R): George Whiting, John Meador, 5J Trucking, John Jefferies, 5J Trucking, and Gary Hughes.

100% Pass CNA State Exam - November 20, 2009
Submitted by Judy Lee

100 % PASS !! Congratulations to the most recent Panola College Certified Nurse Aide class for a job well done. The following students took their state exam on Nov. 19. Not pictured in any particular order: Brenda Wade, Stacey Wallace, Jere Chambers, Cleashaun Rogers, Jessica Johnson, Latoia Jackson, Alisha West, Hanna Fountain, Tonya Thompson, April Watts, Roderica Polk, Tunya Berry, Claudia Robinson. Cathy Lee, LVN, CNA Instructor. A big thanks to Green Acres, staff, and residents for allowing us to participate at their facility.

Panola College CNA Class Passes State Exam - November 12, 2009
Submitted by Judy Lee, RN, CNA Coordinator Panola College

Congratulations to the most recent Panola College Certified Nurse Aide Class for passing their state exam on November 10, 2009.

Pictured from left to right standing: Kelly Mitchell, Esmeralda Mosqueda, Kana Starner, Ashley Levings, Jessica Carnes. Kneeling - Nicole Fox, Sabrina Smith. Not pictured: Laura Casey, LVN, CNA instructor.

A big thank you to the residents and staff at Holiday Nursing Home for allowing students to participate in their facility.

Wood Earns National Certification - November 4, 2009
Submitted by Van Patterson

Panola College is proud to announce that Laura Wood, Director of the Marshall Center and the Adult Basic Education Program, has successfully completed an intensive two-year training program and is now a Certified Manager in Program Improvement (CMPI). This national certification is the first of its kind in the adult education and literacy field and signifies her as a member of an elite group of professional managers. Strong, professional leadership is critical to program improvement and high quality adult education and literacy services. That is why the National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium (NAEPDC) and ProLiteracy joined forces to develop the Leadership Excellence Academies (LEA) training initiative. Texas is one of only ten states that have adult educators who have achieved this certification status.

The graduation ceremony for the first cohort of nineteen LEA participants was held on Wednesday, July 15 at The Summer Administrators’ Institute in Salado, Texas. The keynote speaker was Dr. Phil Cochran from the Texas Education Agency. A national recognition event in their honor will be held at the joint COABE/ProLiteracy conference in March 2010 in Chicago, Illinois.

“We at Panola College are proud to have Mrs. Wood as one of the first CMPI’s in the nation. We recognize her individual achievement and commitment to continuous improvement and to providing the highest quality educational services to the adult learners in our community,” said Dr. Lillian Cook, Vice President of Instruction.

Anyone interested in furthering his/her education, whether it is completing a high school education or starting college, may contact Mrs. Wood at the Marshall Center located inside the Marshall Mall at 903-923-8207or by email at lwood@panola.edu.

King Donates Loblolly Collection to College - November 4, 2009
Submitted by Van Patterson

Mr. Lincoln King, longtime educator at Gary High School and creator and sponsor of the Loblolly magazine, along with his wife Mary Nell King recently donated their collection of Loblolly magazines and books to the Panola College M. P. Baker Library. Issues of the magazine from 1973-2003 were received in addition to an index (1973-1995) created by Gary High School students.

In addition to copies of the Loblolly, the Kings also contributed a movie script created about the Loblolly project, a binder containing correspondence concerning the publications, a CD with a recorded song written about Mr. King, and a model of the Japanese battleship “ISE,” which was sunk at Kure, Japan in July 1945, by John Searcy of Beckville, TX. A description of the attack, as described by the veteran pilot was included in the Loblolly book, Their Finest Hour.

Photo (L to R) Cristie Ferguson, Librarian, Sherri Baker, Librarian, Zeny Jett, Library Director, and Lincoln King