Golden LEAF Scholarships help with cost of N.C. colleges and universities 

Applications for Golden LEAF Scholarships of $12,000 – $3,000 per year for up to four years – will be accepted until March 1 online at the College Foundation of North Carolina website, CFNC.org/goldenleaf .

A total of 215 awards, funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation, are available for first-time recipients with financial need for the 2015-16 academic year.

Applicants must be currently enrolled at a North Carolina public or private high school or a community college in the state during the 2014-15 academic year and plan to enroll for fall 2015 as a full-time, degree-seeking freshman or North Carolina community college transfer at one of the 57 North Carolina participating private or public colleges and universities.

Applicants also must be North Carolina residents for tuition purposes with a permanent residence in one of the 79 qualifying rural counties in the state. The complete list of participating campuses and qualifying counties is available at CFNC.org/goldenleaf.

In addition to completing the Golden LEAF Scholarship application by March 1, applicants must submit their current high school or community college transcript and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at fafsa.gov to determine financial need.

 

Catawba’s director of Career Services appointed to state internship council

Robin Perry, director of Career Services for Catawba College, has been appointed by N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory to the N.C. Internship Council that serves as the governing body of the State Government Internship Program.

The 17-member council includes former interns, a legislator and college faculty and career development professionals.

The council is charged with determining appropriate proposals for student intern projects and the number of students to be placed, before screening eligible applicants and selecting the students for interviews with project supervisors.

Since 1969, more than 3,300 college and law students have gone through the State Government Internship Program. That program is among the oldest and largest paid internship programs of any state government in the U.S.

Perry has been director of Career Services at Catawba since 2011. Prior to that, she spent 18 years in the executive search profession, the majority of that time as a partner with Patton-Perry Associates, a top-50 ranked retainer search firm in Charlotte.

She is a member of the Salisbury Rotary and Rotary Scholarship Trust Fund board of directors, the board of directors of Rufty-Holmes Senior Center and the Workforce Development Committee of the Rowan Chamber of Commerce.

Petty is a graduate of Memphis University-Lambuth campus with a bachelor of arts degree in English.

As Catawba’s Career Service director, Perry is responsible for counseling and advising students regarding “life after Catawba” with skills such as: resume prep, interviewing, career planning, networking, business etiquette, internship search, social media and career search resources. Her office also conducts career fairs, grad school fairs, mock interviews and coordinates guest speakers and recruiters on campus.

Since 2012, Perry has served as an adjunct professor in the Ketner School of Business teaching experiential learning to business, communications and information systems majors.

On Feb. 6, Perry was in Raleigh for the N.C. Internship Council meeting. There, she and her fellow council members reviewed over 500 applications for summer internships with 20 agencies of the state.

 

Lady Indians earn academic honor for second straight year

The Catawba College women’s soccer team was recognized with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic award for the 2013-14 academic year. The award marks the second consecutive year the Lady Indians have received this honor.

For a team to be considered for the Team Academic Award, it must have a composite team grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all team members who appear on the official National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics or junior college roster forms for the fall season.

All players on the roster must be included in the calculation of the team grade point average, and the nomination form must be signed by a college or university official.

 

Catawba faculty member delivers keynote for state convention

Dr. Tom Appenzeller, associate professor and director of sport management at Catawba College, delivered the keynote address for the 66^th annual state convention for the N.C. Alliance for Health Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Sport Management.

Appenzeller was invited to deliver the inaugural keynote address named by this organization in honor of the late Dr. William “Bill” Russell, a longtime faculty member at Catawba and Appenzeller’s colleague.

During the convention held in November 2014, Appenzeller was also presented with the organization’s Honor Award for Distinguished Service, the highest award offered by the organizatioin. Appenzeller offered a session on Youth Sport and Child Labor at the convention.

Appenzeller joined the Catawba faculty in 2011 after 22 years at Wingate University, where he served as assistant professor of sport management; coordinator of the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation and a Spivey Professor. His prior work experience includes serving as assistant athletic director at Chowan College; athletic director of Riverheads High School in Staunton, Virginia.; head football and track coach at Elkin High School in Elkin and East Montgomery High School in Biscoe, and sports information director at Presbyterian College.

A native of Greensboro, Appenzeller earned his bachelor’s degree in history education from Presbyterian College, his master’s of education in history education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, his master’s of science in sport management from the University of Massachusetts and his doctorate in physical education from they University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Today, he has four books to his credit: “Successful Sport Management” (third edition); “Youth Sport and the Law: A Guide to Legal Issues;” “Sports and the Courts” and “Cows are People Too: Lessons from Someone Out Standing in the Field.”

 

Catawba’s Alpha Chi Chapter Named a Star Chapter

 

Catawba College’s North Carolina Omicron chapter of Alpha Chi was recently recognized as a Star Chapter for the 2013-14 academic year, one of only 47 chapters in the nation to earn this designation.

The Omicron chapter will be formally recognized during the awards presentation at the 2015 Alpha Chi National Convention in Chicago, Ill. in March.

Four Catawba students and Dr. Margaret Stahr, assistant professor of English at Catawba and sponsor of Catawba’s Alpha Chi chapter, will attend this convention. The students, who will present their original creative and scholarly works, include Andres McCollister and Darby Reedy, both senior English majors; Taylor Spillman a junior biology major and Kyle Mechling, a junior athletic training major.

Alpha Chi chapters induct no more than the top 10 percent of juniors, seniors and graduate or professional students on each campus, representing all academic disciplines.

With some 300 chapters and an active presence in almost every state, Alpha Chi actively promotes academic excellence, undergraduate and graduate research, campus academic dialogue and civic engagement.

 

Rusher Oil Co. presents grant to Knox Middle School

Rusher Oil Co., a BP branded petroleum marketer servicing locations throughout Salisbury-Rowan and Piedmont North Carolina, presented a BP Fueling Communities grant donation of $4,000 to Knox Middle School.

Our motto at Knox Middle School is, “The Knox Way: Experience excellence. Experience Knox. We are college bound.”

Knox’s mission is transforming into the best middle school in the United States. Knox’s principals believe that public education is the cornerstone of our society and they will work hard to ensure all of our students are prepared to excel in high school and beyond.

This grant will aid Knox’s endeavors to create successful and motivated middle school students.

 

Nominations sought for business scholarship

Nominations are being sought through March 13 for a $750 scholarship offered by the N.C. Cooperative Extension Administrative Professionals Association.

The scholarship is available to North Carolina residents pursuing a college degree (associate’s or bachelor’s) in business or a business-related field of study. Applicants must be enrolled to attend classes at a college during the 2015-16 school year.

The scholarship is awarded annually to honor the work and dedication of Edith Herter and Frances O’Neal, co-leaders in forming the N.C. Cooperative Extension Administrative Professionals Association in 1973.

Qualified applicants interested in applying for this scholarship can obtain an application by contacting Melva Menius, administrative assistant, N.C. Cooperative Extension, Rowan County Center, 704-216-8970, or by visiting the center at 2727-A Old Concord Road in Salisbury.

 

Annual endowment convocation at Hood Seminary brings in record offering

Hood Theological Seminary held its annual Endowment Convocation on Feb. 4^th and received a record-breaking total of contributions for the seminary’s restricted endowment.

At this special convocation each year, the bishops of the 12 Episcopal Districts of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church conduct a moving and inspiring service at the seminary and bring collections from their respective Episcopal Districts for Hood’s permanently restricted endowment.

This year, more than $175,000 was brought forth during the convocation. Dr. Vergel Lattimore, Hood Theological Seminary president, said, “At this service, we are indeed blessed to witness the impressively generous action of the A.M.E. Zion connection, which tangibly supports Hood’s long-term growth as a leading regional graduate educational institution. The permanently restricted endowment helps ensure the financial viability of the seminary, which receives no funds from federal, state or local governments.”

The featured speaker, Bishop Seth O. Lartey, residing prelate of the Western West Africa Episcopal District, preached on “Ministering in the Manner of Jesus.”

A highlight of the service was the formal announcement of the establishment of a new endowment to fund a professorial chair in Black Theology and the Black Church in memory of Dr. Leon Walter Watts II. Members of the board of trustees of the Dr. Leon Walter Watts II Scholarship Fund, Inc. were on hand for the announcement of this $100,000 gift.

 

2015-16 Title I Pre-Kindergarten Application

The Rowan-Salisbury School System’s Title I program is accepting applications for children to enroll in pre-kindergarten programs to be held at Hanford Dole and North Rowan elementary schools.

The programs are scheduled to start in August. Transportation will not be provided. However, students who live in the Hanford Dole and North Rowan attendance areas will be permitted to ride the regular school bus.

To be eligible, a child must be 4 years of age on or before Aug. 31, demonstrate an educational need and have a completed application returned by March 6.

Screening will take place in April. Parents will be contacted by the Title I Office to make arrangements for screening. DIAL-4, a preschool assessment instrument, will be used to identify the educational need of students being screened.

Children’s scores are placed in rank order for selection based upon DIAL-4 assessment scores, previous preschool experience, and teacher observation.

Parents will be notified of their child’s placement as soon as possible after screening has been completed. Children will be placed in one of two categories: eligible and accepted into the program, or eligible but placed on a waiting list.

For more information, contact Dixie Dalton, Title I parent coordinator, at 704-630-6106.

 

Growing Scholars  FFA scholarships

Tractor Supply Company has announced the third annual Growing Scholars program in partnership with the National Future Farmers of America Foundation. Last year, Tractor Supply customers donated $447,671, resulting in 334 scholarships awarded to FFA members pursuing a college degree.

The Growing Scholars program will be supported nationally by each of the more than 1,400 Tractor Supply and Del’s Feed & Farm Supply stores from Feb. 20 to March 1, which includes National FFA Week. Tractor Supply customers can donate $1 or more at store registers during checkout to support local FFA chapters and their members — 90 percent of funds raised through the Growing Scholars program will be fund scholarships for FFA members. The remaining 10 percent will benefit state FFA organizations.

To be eligible, students must be current FFA members and either high school seniors or a freshmen, sophomore or junior college student seeking a two- or four-year degree or other specialized training program. Major areas of study will also be considered when determining scholarship recipients.