Heather Leigh Ann Fogner, an accounting student at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, recently received the honor of being named the 2008 North Carolina Cooperative Education Student of the Year.
Fogner, a second-year student at RCCC, has a 4.0 grade-point average in her accounting courses and a cumulative GPA of 3.6. She is a resident of Salisbury and an honors graduate from East Rowan High School.
This semester, Fogner is completing her second cooperative education (co-op) assignment with Food Lion LLC in Salisbury. She works part-time in Food Lion’s corporate accounting and analysis department. Fogner participated in the company’s co-op/summer internship program and was asked to return for a second co-op assignment.
Fogner received a plaque, a cash award of $100 and an all-expense paid trip to Boone, N.C., to receive the statewide co-op award. Her credentials will be submitted for national award consideration. She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and has earned President’s and Dean’s List recognition.
Cooperative education blends classroom learning with practical work experience. RCCC’s co-op program is designed to make the student’s education more meaningful by integrating classroom study with planned supervised practical work assignments in business, industry, government and professional and service organizations. The program is called cooperative education because educators and outside employers work together to design and provide a superior educational experience for students.
RCCC offers two co-op plans. Through the “alternating” plan, students alternate semesters of full-time work (40 hours per week) with semesters of carrying a full course load. In the “parallel” plan, students work part-time (10-30 hours per week) while attending classes.