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Many of you, over time, may have come across this quote from the late Anne Frank, "No one has ever become poor by giving." In fact, I would say that everyone becomes richer, in some way, by giving. A-B Tech's volunteers (over 70 of them!) give much to our College in a variety of ways and we are grateful! Our Volunteers have already, this year, given almost 3,000 hours to our college community!
This month's edition is filled with stories, examples and even statistics about our Volunteer Program. This program is a priority for the Foundation's Board of Directors who have seen the enormous value of the program to A-B Tech. I'd like to give a "shout out" to the members of the Foundation Board of Directors and also to Volunteer Coordinator Patti Cameron for providing support to the Volunteer Program.
When you see a volunteer giving their time and talent on campus-through tutoring, mentoring and administrative support -- we hope you will take a moment to express your gratitude. We know you'll be all the richer for it!
Best regards,
Sue Olesiuk
Sue H Olesiuk
Executiv
e Director
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The Veterans' Café: A Life-Line to Veterans' Success
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"The Veterans' Café is a vital lifeline to each and every student Veteran who walks through its doors. It is a place Veterans can call their own. A place where they can
come for companionship, work on assignments, socialize, relax between classes, decompress and destress, seek academic assistance, career counseling and to grab a bite to eat -- to just be," says Veterans' Café Volunteer Holly Reiling.
Located across from the Ferguson Auditorium, the Veterans Café is run by a group of dedicated A-B Tech Volunteers, many of whom are Veterans themselves with staff support provided by Mary Albert,
Coordinator of Veterans' Services.
The Volunteers p
rovide tutoring, mentoring, and create a safe outlet for Vets to share their feelings and issues they address on a daily basis. Most importantly, the Volunteers connect Veterans to community and College resources and make the Veterans' Café a place of comradery.
According to Tom Anspach, one of the founders behind the Café, "more than one student credits the support provided through the Veterans' Café in helping them to succeed, and for a few, even saved them from a life of homelessness." The Café was a response to the wave of Veterans enrolling in A-B Tech through the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP). Many of these Veterans had never gone to College and had not attended school in over 20 years. Coupled with the stressors associated with being a Veteran, a new approach to student support was required, and so the Veterans' Café was created.
Over 250 student Veterans utilize the Café each academic year. "We are thankful for all those involved in its success," says A-B Tech President, Veteran and staunch supporter of the Café, Dr. Dennis King. "
We are delighted to have a reserved facility for Veterans' use. It not only gives them a place of their own in which to mingle and to study on campus, but it also is a tangible sign of our collective appreciation for their service
. It has taken many hands to make the Café the success it is today. We are especially thankful to the volunteers who have selflessly provided countless hours of their time and talents in the creation of a warm a supportive environment for our student Veteran," he shared. From its humble beginnings to a program with immeasurable impact, the Veterans' Café has become a vital aspect of A-B Tech.
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| Volunteers in the Department of Transitional Studies |
Volunteers at A-B Tech perform a myriad of roles in almost every department throughout campus. One department which utilizes a large number of volunteers is our Department of Transitional Studies (DOTS). This department focuses on assisting all students in the transition into post-secondary education or training, employment, or developing increased independence and/or self-sufficiency. It includes the English Language Acquisition program (formerly known as English as a Second Language) and the program previously referred to as Compensatory Education which addresses the instructional needs of adults with intellectual disabilities and persons with Traumatic Brain Injuries.
Volunteers Jim Brown, Ruth Gee, Ed Brasfield, John Roeth, and Linda Hewitt are all regular math and science tutors. Romauld Guy helps frequently with new student orientations. Theresa Ryder, Ruth Jadeed, and Pamela Dupuis all help in language arts and social studies. These regular volunteers, and others, provide routine support to the instructors, which then allows the instructors to plan for one-on-one tutoring for students in their classes. According to Rebecca Loli, the department's Coordinator of Instruction, "Every day we see areas in which our students need one-on-one support. Unfortunately, our instructors can't always provide that. It is a relief to know that we can match a volunteer with the student in order to help them learn to navigate a computer, make sense of fractions, review a difficult concept, develop their writing skills, and improve their English vocabulary and reading fluency."
Our sincere thanks to all volunteers throughout campus who give of their time and talents in an effort to help A-B Tech's students succeed!
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Mentoring: How a Campus Reaches Out and Supports Students
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Beyond rolling out the right programs, how a campus reaches out and supports its students can make a huge difference. The Volunteer Mentoring Program is just one of the many supportive programs offered to students at A-B Tech. The program pairs community Volunteers who have been successful in their academic and work careers with students who are looking for academic and life coaching.
A shining example of the Volunteer Mentoring program is the match between Maddy Edwards and Lanita Smith. Maddy joined the Mentoring Program in 2013 because in her words, "I knew that some young people needed a cheerleader to give them that atta-boys and atta-girls everyone needs. I was especially drawn to students who might be the first in their families to attempt college,
because they don't usually get much encouragement at home." Lanita, a
Mechanical Engineering Technology student and recipient of the Women in STEM scholarship, was seeking a Mentor to help her stay focused on her goals and be there for her when challenges arose. "I am one of the few African American females in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program at the college and challenges are constantly thrown my way", says Lanita. When the two first met, they had an immediate chemistry. One of Lanita goals was to improve her English studies. Maddy, who has a BA in Journalism/English, was a perfect match. English studies was a little easier than the Engineering course-work for Maddy, using her ingenuity she sought out other A-B Tech Volunteers with engineering backgrounds to provide extra support, as a result Lanita has been able to maintain a 3.2 GPA every semester and has had networking experiences in her field she never imagined.
The relationship between the Mentor and Mentee has morphed into love and respect for each other. Maddy is proud of all that Lanita has accomplished. "She had overcome many obstacles and has done without many of the basic things we take for granted in order to pursue her dream of becoming an engineer. This summer I am taking her to Charlotte to look at the BS Engineering program at UNC Charlotte. She wants to spend the next year making sure she has all the credits she needs to transfer to that program. She began, five semesters back, having to take review courses just to get started. Her goal was an Associate degree in Engineering from A-B Tech. Now her dreams are bigger-a BS! Can you understand why I'm so proud of her?" Lanita credits Maddy with keeping her on track and helping her see her own potential. "Before I met Maddy I never thought I could be an Engineer; now I know I can," says Lanita.
Maddy and Lanita are just one example of the success of the Volunteer Mentoring program. There are many others. "We are thankful for the many Volunteers that give of their time and expertise to be a mentor like Maddy. Our hope is to grow the program with better training, support and sustainable funding in the coming year. Perhaps one day we can be a shining star of success to our sister community colleges throughout the county. With the amazing Volunteers we have in the program I am sure we will have no problem getting there," says Patti Cameron, Campus Volunteer Coordinator and staff support to the program.
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Guest Column by Laura Pennington
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You've probably heard or read the ancient African proverb: It takes a whole village to raise a child. And, many of you have even seen it at work throughout your lifetime - people coming together to make something happen. Well, A-B Tech's students have their own village to support and cheer them on as they work to achieve their educational dreams -- individuals and departments coming together for a common goal.
 Tom Mone, a current student, has come to know and value the A-B Tech village first hand -- and is particularly grateful for the support he gets through the College Advancement Department. Tom is a first year college transfer student who plans on obtaining his associate of science degree to prepare him for further study in electrical engineering at NC-STATE. Tom has a passion for robotics and hopes to one day work in the aerospace industry. It's this passion that fueled Tom to establish the A-B Tech Robotics society and win a coveted spot at the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars Project.
With true conviction in his voice, Tom told me recently that he finally feels like he's in the right spot, "I've only been at A-B Tech for a year, and I am here to tell you that this is an amazing place." This is especially high-praise coming from a guy who already holds a bachelor's degree in communications and electronic media from a North Carolina public university. Everywhere he turns, Tom says people are willing to help and "everyone has a smile on their face." This is especially true of the College Advancement volunteer, donor and grantor who, he says, "have made so much of my success at A-B Tech possible."
Dedicated Volunteer
. Tom has wanted to do something in the aerospace field since he was 7, but changed gears when he started to struggle with math and science. After earning a four-year degree and working in the film and entertainment industry, Tom decided to give his original dream another shot. "Overtime, life pulls you in so many directions that sometimes you just have to revert back to your childhood dream," said Tom. One of the folks helping Tom get through a tough chemistry course is A-B Tech volunteer tutor Dr. Steve Pohl. A retired physician, Dr. Pohl lights up when he talks about "how rewarding it is to work with and make a difference in the life of a bright and motivated student like Tom." And, not surprisingly, the impact of this partnership goes both ways. Tom is quick to give Dr. Pohl kudos for his knowledge and patience and says that -- because of Dr. Pohl's selfless gift of time - he also wants to "make an impact and help future generations by volunteering."
Generous Donor
. You might be shocked to know that more than 70% of students at A-B Tech need financial assistance to pursue their degree. Students like Tom are not at all surprised by this figure -- they know that college expenses add up and can be a big barrier. Fortunately, many generous donors have "established scholarships to help with things like tuition, fees, books, uniforms, transportation and living expenses," said Sue Olesiuk, Executive Director of College Advancement. During the last cycle, in fact, more than 400 scholarships were awarded - totaling $480,000. One of those awards was to Tom from a scholarship sponsored by the SEH Tabitha Foundation. The SEH Tabitha Foundation Scholarship provides support to students attending full-time in any degree program who have unmet financial need. Tom is blown away by the fact that "people who don't even know you want to help you. I would have struggled financially without the scholarship...having this support takes a huge weight off my shoulders so I can focus on school," said Tom.
Focused Grantor
. A-B Tech has been working with t
he National Science Foundation (NSF) for several years now - an independent federal agency created to promote the progress of science, to advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and to secure the national defense. As part of this focused mission, NSF recently awarded a $600,000 grant to A-B Tech to create
an engaging and supportive environment for academically gifted students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math. And, you guessed it, Tom is among the first cohort of students to be selected to participate in the NSF-funded
Ignite Inspiration and Innovation (i3) Scholars Program.
Dr. Jon Wiener, who coordinates the i3 Scholars Program, shares that students in the program receive a scholarship and are part of a learning community - with the goal of "preparing them to earn an associate's degree and enter the workplace or transfer to a senior level institution to work toward a bachelor's degree." It is the support and challenge of the Program's unique collection of extracurricular experiences that really appealed to Tom. "It was a no-brainer for me," said Tom. "I get to be a part of a group of students with similar goals and tap into things like seminars, industry and college visits, internships, mentoring, and even student led research."
As you might imagine, I could fill pages with these stories about the A-B Tech village which is full of dedicated people who make it their mission to help students from all walks of life reach their goals. Countless acts of service and kindness quietly happen on a daily basis -- without much fanfare. Big or small, the individual and collective impact of this work does not go unnoticed. Students like Tom Mone notice your efforts -- and I notice too. So, to all of you in the A-B Tech village, thank you.
If you want to learn more about how you can get involved, please contact: Sue Olesiuk at (828) 398-7176.
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NC State Employees
Combined Campaign
Designation Code #3803
Combined Federal Campaign
Designation Code #75833
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2016
A-B Tech Foundation Board
of Directors
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Chris Young, 2016 Chair
Clean Environments
Young Office
Mary Ann Rice, 2016 Vice Chair
NCSECU
K. Ray Bailey
President Emeritus, A-B Tech
Joe Brumit
Brumit Restaurant Group
Tracy Buchanan
CarePartners
Dr. Sandra Byrd
Retired, UNC Asheville
Pat Carver
First Citizens Bank
Adam Charnack
Hi-Wire Brewing
Shea Cline
Omni Grove Park Inn
Marcus Cox
Bank of America
John Ellis
Novus, Bowers, Ellis & Watson Architects
Jack Ferguson
Retired, Lowe's
Charles Frederick
TD Bank
Allan Gerson
Retired, Palm Beach State College
Tate Groome
Colton Groome and Company
Darryl Hart
Hart Funeral Services, Inc.
Richard Hurley
Retired, Square D Company
Anthony Johnson
Aspen Realty Advisors
Dennis King
President, A-B Tech
Michael Kryzanek
Associate, CBRE Hotels
, Province Valuation Group, Inc.
Thomas Maher
Pisgah Investments, LLC
Michael Meguiar
GE Aviation
Bill Murdock
Eblen Charities
John Oswald
Mills Manufacturing
Ray Rapp
Retired, Mars Hill University
Dr. Lary Schulhof
Retired, Physician
O'Neal Shelton
Madison County Chamber of Commerce
Steven Sizemore
Northup McConnell & Sizemore, PLLC
Ann Skoglund
Beverly-Hanks & Associates
Ray Spells
Retired, Wells Fargo Bank
Ron Storto
Biltmore Farms
Pat Wood
Budweiser of Asheville, Inc.
Kay Crews
Board Emeritus
Nancy Miller
Board Emeritus
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Office of College Advancement Staff
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Sue H Olesiuk
Executive Director
Phone: 828.398.7176
Liz Atkinson
Lavender Fund Scholarship Advisor
Phone: 828.398.7564
Amanda Bryan
Development Specialist
Phone: 828-398-7177
Patti Cameron
Campus Volunteer Coordinator
Phone: 828.398.7761
Kristabell Certain
Grants and Foundation Accountant
Phone: 828.398.7358
Susan Haldane
Development/Events Coordinator
Phone: 828.398.7567
Laura Pennington
Director of Resource Development
Phone: 828.398.7571
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