One of Southwestern Community College’s graduates joined the ranks of film maker George Lucas, actor James Belushi, Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise Jr., former U.S. Presidential candidate Ross Perot. Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Michell Hicks, a 1990 graduate of Southwestern, joined those ranks when he received the 2005 Outstanding Alumni Award from the American Association of Community Colleges. Now 43 and the youngest chief to ever lead his nation, Hicks received his AAS degree in accounting from SCC. “I was working full time for the tribe so the best route for me was to attend SCC because of the flexible class schedules. I was able to take the courses I needed and to sit for my Certified Public Accountant exam while continuing to work. Even though many years have passed since I left SCC, I still draw strength and inspiration from the positive experiences I had as a Southwestern student. I owe much of my personal and professional success to that good start.”