Get a jump on your future! 

     Are you a high school student who wants to get a head start on earning college credit? If so, East Mississippi Community College’s dual enrollment program might be just what you need. High school students study side-by-side with college students like Greg Deans and Shannon Rhea, pictured, in Licensed Practical Nursing and Industrial Maintenance classes at EMCC’s Golden Triangle campus.
     Special arrangements can be made for qualifying high school students who want to enroll in other career-technical programs – and academic and online classes are also open to dual enrollment students.
     For more information, call Dr. Melanie Sanders at (662) 243-1904.

• To hear more about what two Columbus High School students think about dual
  enrollment, click to watch a WCBI-TV report broadcast on Aug. 26.

EMCC: We’re here to answer your questions 

   East Mississippi Community College invited the community to “A Night at the Trotter” on Aug. 14. Faculty, staff, coaches, potential students, elected officials, alumni and friends gathered in Columbus to ask, and answer, questions about programs and classes at the college’s Golden Triangle and Scooba campuses. The evening opened with an invocation by EMCC alumnus Charlie Studdard, and remarks by event organizer Johnny Fisher, Ward 5 Councilman Jay Jordan of Columbus and Lowndes County District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders.    

   “EMCC is an unsung hero. Economic development is not possible without EMCC,” Sanders told the crowd. “The hardest ship to sail is a partnership, but our ship is sailing real well because we’ve got a good captain … Dr. Rick Young.” 

   The photo above shows Columbus City Councilman Gene Taylor, Ward 1; EMCC Development Director Nick Clark; Johnny Fisher, Criminal Justice instructor and recipient of EMCC’s 2007 Distinguished Service Award; and Charlie Studdard, president of the EMCC Alumni Association, swapping stories during the event.

   EMCC officials also announced that the college’s Industrial Workforce Training program is now ranked
No. 1 in the state, with more than 1 million hours of service. 

• Click here for more photos of “A Night at the Trotter.”
• Click here for a WCBI-TV news report, broadcast 8-13-08.

PLANNING THE FUTURE
Dr. Rick Young, right, president of East Mississippi Community College, paints a picture of the future Aug. 15 during a visit to the college’s Golden Triangle campus by U.S. Rep. Travis Childers, D-Booneville. Childers spent much of the day in the Columbus area, attending a pilot graduation at Columbus Air Force Base and stopping at the Mississippi Coffee House. Childers also visited the Golden Triangle Industrial Park, where he toured Aurora Flight Services. The visit ended with a stop at EMCC’s Golden Triangle campus, where Dr. Young talked about college’s need to expand its healthcare programs: “EMCC is the only community college in the state without an Allied Health building and it limits what we can do. There is no question that the healthcare industry needs more skilled workers, but right now we have to limit the number of licensed practical nursing students we can take because of space constraints – and there’s a wide range of therapy programs that we can’t offer at all.” Looking toward the future, Young said, EMCC is also working to establish an Associate’s Degree Nursing program and facility improvements are key to that expansion.

• WCBI-TV, 8-22-08: More about EMCC's proposed Associate’s Degree Nursing program.
• Gallery: More photos of the tour

CONVOCATION AWARDS
East Mississippi Community College honored faculty and staff members with the most years of service during its annual Convocation earlier this month. Members of the EMCC family recognized for having served five years or more included, first row from left: Dr. Melanie Sanders, 10 years; Sandra Grych, 10 years; Mary “Ms. M” Smith, 15 years; Gypsy Gray, 15 years; Melissa Wilson, 10 years; and Mary Hastings, 10 years. In the second row are: Timmy Billups, 30 years; Janet Gullett, 20 years; Karen Quarrels, 20 years; Debby Gard, 15 years; Tony Montgomery, 10 years; Dr. Hari Sharma, 10 years; Dudley Shurlds, 15 years; Dr. Jim Huerkamp, 10 years; and Jerry Davis, 10 years. Not pictured are: Louis Nabors, 10 years; Bob Weining, 15 years; and Debbie Coker, 10 years.