State office honors SCC students for their academic achievements and leadership abilities


Two Southwestern Community College students were recently recognized at the ninth annual Academic Excellence awards luncheon in Raleigh as among the most talented students attending North Carolina's community colleges.

Sherman Colvard

Bentley Robison

Sherman Colvard of Bryson City and Bentley Robison of Sylva were selected to receive the honor based on their academic accomplishments and leadership ability.

"These students enrolled in their respective community colleges because they knew they would find the resources they needed to put them on a path to success," said System President H. Martin Lancaster. "Each man and woman had the guidance of talented instructors and the support of loving family and friends to encourage them towards excellence."

As part of the award process, the participating students presented testimonials concerning their community college experience. Colvard, who entered SCC at 28, said he had previously had an unsuccessful attempt at college, "largely due to lack of confidence in my abilities and, in part, to lack of maturity. Enrolling for classes after a 10-year leave of absence from high learning caused me a great deal of trepidation. Some of the same doubts lingered in my mind, but the lack of maturity was gone."

Colvard singled out mathematics instructor Rudranath Beharrysingh as being a powerful influence toward his success at SCC. Having struggled as a younger student with math, Colvard was concerned that his difficulties with the subject would hinder him in his goal to become a civil engineer.

"Mr. Beharrysingh excited me about the applications of mathematics and I found I was very capable of learning them," he said. "There were times when I found particular concepts especially challenging but his door was always open to me for extra help… My experience in Mr. Beharrysingh's math classes helped mold me into a new person. I found confidence in myself and a thirst for knowledge. On his syllabus there is a sentence that says, 'The object of education is not just for academic achievement and career, but for the development of character.' This development of character is, in part, achieved by meeting the challenge a good instructor sallies forth. A teacher's job is to inspire students to want to learn, a job Mr. Beharrysingh knows well."

Robison also came to SCC at a pivotal point in his life and found what he needed at SCC. "I met Mr. Peter Messier, coordinator/instructor of surveying technology at SCC…I had called and expressed an interest in the program and asked if he would be willing to meet with me. He graciously allotted ample time to provide me with comprehensive information and to answer my questions. I was immediately impressed with his knowledge, experience and enthusiasm in the field of surveying. Through his leadership, it was my impression that SCC was offering a quality surveying program to meet the needs of a demanding profession…I have been impressed with SCC as an institution. Every aspect of returning to school was clarified and simplified by either helpful staff or information from well published literature.

"It seems SCC has made a priority out of helping non-traditional students get an education that is meaningful and oriented to making a real difference in their lives. I hold a four-year degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin, yet I have turned to SCC to obtain the education I need to pursue my dream. To merely say that SCC has impacted my future and changed the way I feel about the 'learning process' would be a gross understatement!"

At the award luncheon each received plaques prepared at the System Office, medallions forged at Pitt Community College, key rings made at Wayne Community College and t-shirts provided by Gaston College and other items donated by the Faculty Association and Instructional Administrators.

This spring, both Robison and Colvard graduated with 4.0 grade point averages. Robison earned an Associate in Applied Science degree in Surveying Technology and Colvard earned an Associate in Arts degree.

To learn more about SCC and its programs, visit www.southwesterncc.edu or phone the college at 888.447.4091 or 828.586.4091.

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