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Swain
New Century Scholars Inducted
Wearing
their College 101 T-shirts and
holding their New Century Scholars
certificates are, left to right,
front row: Candace Brock, Alexandria
Crisp, Heather Frady, Carrie
Randolph, Caleb Sutton, Tyler
Cook, Sarah Osborne, and Miranda
Nations. Back row: Austin Warren,
Constance Birchfield, Alicia
Woodard, Breanna Bryant, Cheyenne
Woodard, Dixie Walker, and Hali
Jenkins. Not pictured are Joseph
Adams, Katherine Adams, Region
Ball, Amber Bryant, Austin Curtice,
Monica Fortner, Whitney Gibson,
Richard Jenkins, Brittany Kirkland,
Kanesha McMahan, Anna Postell,
Lisa Roland, and Danni Shuler.
(click on photo to enlarge) |
Twenty-eight Swain County sixth graders
got the opportunity to receive a college
education, tuition free, Tuesday,
September 12, when they were inducted
into the New Century Scholars program
at Southwestern Community College.
"This is your first day of
college,” Dr. Connie Haire,
vice president of Macon Campus and
Institutional Development, told
the young people who were accompanied
by family members and friends.
"You’re starting out
tonight in the auditorium where
you will graduate with an associate
degree. You’ll receive your
degree right there,” she said,
pointing to the left side of the
stage where SCC grads traditionally
are handed their diplomas at commencement
exercises.
Later in the ceremony, Mark Sales,
assistant principal at Swain Middle
School, addressed the students and
asked, “If I offered you $17,000
tonight, would you take it? If I
then offered to give you $40,000
for that $17,000, would you give
it to me?”
He then told the students that $17,000
is the average yearly earnings for
someone with a high school education
and that $40,000 is the average
yearly earnings for someone with
a college education. White went
on to tell the young people that
they have a wonderful opportunity
before them and urged them to follow
the agreement they and their parents
signed as inductees into the NCS
program.
Connie
Haire, Southwestern Community
College vice president of Macon
Campus and Institutional Development,
presents Charles Wolfe of Charles
Wolfe Insurance in Sylva a certificate
of appreciation for his generosity
as a New Century Scholars scholarship
sponsor. |
Commenting after the induction
ceremony, Charles Wolfe of Charles
Wolfe Insurance in Sylva explained
why he is an NCS scholarship sponsor.
“The New Century Scholars
program is one of the best things
going in education in Jackson, Macon
and Swain counties,” he said.
“It’s a really wonderful
thing. Education made all the difference
in my life and I wouldn’t
have made it without the help of
others.”
The NCS program targets high-potential
students at the end of the sixth
grade and provides extra support
through their middle school and
high school years.
Students are nominated by school
personnel based on their potential
for academic success, yearly promotion
and leadership ability. Selected
students must maintain good grades
and have a positive attitude and
desire for education. They must
also demonstrate good behavior and
character and meet the county attendance
policy.
Ashley
Frady brings her sister, Heather,
a piece of cake during the picnic
festivities prior to the recent
New Century Scholars induction
ceremony at Southwestern Community
College. Heather and 27 other
Swain County sixth graders and
their parents signed contractual
agreements that, if kept, provide
the students with a college
education, tuition free. |
The New Century Scholars program,
begun in 1995, is a collaborative
effort among the public schools in
Jackson, Macon and Swain counties,
Southwestern Community College and
Western Carolina University. Upon
graduation from high school, an NCS
student who successfully follows the
contractual agreement with the schools
and his or her parents is awarded
a last-dollar tuition scholarship
for each of two years at SCC.
In turn, Western Carolina University
adds guaranteed scholarship support
that will enable each student who
completes the NCS program and earns
an associate's degree at SCC to
continue their education at Western
for two years and earn a bachelor's
degree. In essence, successful NCS
students receive tuition support
for a college education.
The NCS program in Swain County
is supported through generous contributions
from a number of scholarship sponsors
in the community. To learn more
about the NCS scholarship program,
visit the SCC web site at www.southwesterncc.edu.
For more information on contributing
to the program, contact Sonja Haynes
at SCC at 586.4091, extension 218.
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