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Career Focus Summer 2012 - South Piedmont Community College

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<strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />

<strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> Volume 8 • Number 1<br />

Starting A Bachelor’s<br />

Degree At<br />

SPCC Makes<br />

Perfect Sense<br />

See Page 4<br />

Earning A Degree<br />

Can Be The Key<br />

To A Promotion<br />

See Page 6<br />

Nothing But<br />

The Skills, Please!<br />

See Page 7<br />

Be Prepared To Get The Job<br />

You Want<br />

See Page 3


Don’t Assume – Apply!<br />

Unemployed?<br />

Underemployed?<br />

Let us help you plan the next<br />

chapter of your work life.<br />

Human Resources<br />

Development<br />

In Anson County:<br />

Kristi Phifer, 704-272-5460<br />

In Union County:<br />

Linda Kappauf, 704-290-5215<br />

The only way to know if you are eligible<br />

for financial aid is to apply!<br />

Financial aid includes:<br />

• Grants (which are not repaid)<br />

• Scholarships (based on merit or need)<br />

• Student Employment in the Work-Study Program<br />

Fill out your Financial Aid application at:<br />

www.fafsa.ed.gov<br />

If you do not have access to a computer, visit the<br />

Student Success Office in Monroe or Polkton<br />

to use a computer.<br />

SPCC Financial Aid Office<br />

704-272-5391<br />

I should have finished high school!<br />

Re-start your education at SPCC*<br />

Start where YOU need to…<br />

Adult Basic Education,<br />

Adult High School or GED classes.<br />

Start at any time throughout the year.<br />

Classes and materials are FREE.<br />

Choose your location…<br />

Choose your class time…<br />

Pick your class days.<br />

Call 704-290-5830 or 704-272-5468<br />

to learn more.<br />

*Classes are open to adults ages 18 and up.


Questions about the <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />

programs and services described in this publication<br />

should be directed to Student Success at 704-290-5100<br />

(Monroe) or 704-272-5300 (Polkton). Comments or questions<br />

about this publication should be directed to the<br />

Marketing and Communications Office at 704-272-5342.<br />

Publisher: ................................................. Dr. Stanley Sidor<br />

President, <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />

Features<br />

Contents<br />

<strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong><br />

Editor: ......................................................... Rosemary Britt<br />

Director, Marketing & Communications<br />

Contributing Writers: ........... Rosemary Britt, Jim Muldrow<br />

2 Ambulance Simulator Gives<br />

Students A Real Experience<br />

Photography: ....................... Kenn Bowers, Rosemary Britt<br />

and Jim Muldrow<br />

Digital Imaging: .............................................. Kenn Bowers<br />

3 Be Prepared To Get The<br />

Job You Want<br />

Visit <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong><br />

<strong>College</strong> on the web<br />

at www.spcc.edu<br />

4 Starting A Bachelor’s Degree<br />

at SPCC Makes Perfect Sense<br />

<strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />

Board of Trustees<br />

Kenneth E. Collins<br />

6 Earning A Degree Can Be<br />

The Key To A Promotion<br />

Thomas L. Crooke Sr., Chair<br />

John N. Hendley<br />

7 Nothing But The Skills, Please!<br />

Kenneth W. Horne Jr.<br />

Hoy S. Lanning Jr.<br />

Harvey H. Leavitt III, Past Chair<br />

8 Co-op Experience Leads<br />

To The RIGHT Job<br />

Cynthia H. Little, Secretary<br />

Donna McNair<br />

<strong>Career</strong>s<br />

Bill F. Norwood<br />

Dr. Charles F. Palmer<br />

Richard Stone<br />

Dr. Jerry Thomas<br />

Jarvis T. Woodburn, Vice Chair<br />

Elizabeth Lynn Hodge,<br />

Student Government Association President<br />

Executive Staff<br />

Stanley Sidor, Ed.D., President<br />

Charlene Broome, Interim Executive Director,<br />

SPCC Foundation/<strong>Community</strong> Relations<br />

Elaine Clodfelter, Vice President,<br />

Student Success<br />

John DeVitto, Vice President,<br />

Finance and Administrative Services<br />

Ernest Simons, Vice President,<br />

Information Services<br />

Stuart Wasilowski, Vice President,<br />

School of Applied Science and Technology<br />

Hayne White, Interim Vice President,<br />

School of Arts and Sciences<br />

<strong>Career</strong> <strong>Focus</strong> is published twice a year by <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong><br />

<strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong>, P.O. Box 126, Polkton, NC 28135. All rights<br />

reserved. No part of the material may be reproduced or used in<br />

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including<br />

photocopying, recording or any information storage retrieval<br />

system without the permission of the publisher.<br />

<strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> is an equal opportunity<br />

institution.<br />

© <strong>2012</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />

9 <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong><br />

<strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> A-Z<br />

Are you ready to start a career, learn<br />

new skills or change careers?<br />

<strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />

has a program for you.<br />

Find More<br />

Online<br />

Download a free QR Reader<br />

for your smartphone and<br />

scan this code for<br />

more information about<br />

<strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong><br />

<strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />

On the cover<br />

Lisa Murphy earned an associate degree in Advertising and Graphic<br />

Design at SPCC. While she was in high school and college, Murphy<br />

never missed an opportunity to get her art work noticed. Today she<br />

works full time for the Mecklenburg County Council of the Boy Scouts<br />

of America.<br />

Get a FREE Digital Subscription to<br />

<strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> Interactive<br />

Valuable <strong>Career</strong> Information You Need Now<br />

• Just graduated from high school?<br />

• Looking for a new career?<br />

• Ready to move up?<br />

• Need a better income?<br />

The NEW Interactive <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> magazine connects you<br />

directly to <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> resources to<br />

help you choose the right education and career path.<br />

Sign up for a Free Subscription<br />

at spcc.mycareerfocus.org<br />

704-290-5100 or 704-272-5300 I www.spcc.edu I <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> I 1


<strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong><br />

Feature<br />

Ambulance Simulator Gives<br />

SPCC Students A Real Experience<br />

<strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong><br />

<strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong>’s<br />

ambulance simulator<br />

looks so real, one might<br />

think it was driven into<br />

the building. Some folks<br />

have looked around<br />

the corner into the<br />

next room to see if the front of the<br />

ambulance is there.<br />

“Several people have asked where<br />

the front of it was,” said SPCC<br />

Emergency Medical Services<br />

Coordinator Robby Smith. “The gas<br />

cap on the side really gives it some<br />

feel like it was driven in here.”<br />

As the gas cap illustrates, no<br />

detail was spared in creating an<br />

ambulance simulator for SPCC’s<br />

EMS students. The same attention<br />

to detail went into the inside of<br />

the simulator, which is actually an<br />

ambulance that was stripped apart<br />

and rebuilt inside the classroom.<br />

“We’ve put everything in here an<br />

ambulance would have – oxygen,<br />

a vacuum pump system,” said<br />

Dennis Baucom, SPCC’s director of<br />

Vocational Trades, who helped build<br />

the simulator.<br />

“It actually gives students the look<br />

of a real ambulance to practice in<br />

prior to going to clinical,” Smith<br />

said. “Another benefit is they’re<br />

learning to work within their space<br />

restraints. Paramedic students<br />

are used to working with large<br />

tables to put in IVs. There are<br />

actually documented studies that<br />

show when you put students in<br />

the environment, with pictures<br />

and noises, it will increase their<br />

adrenaline and cause stress.”<br />

The simulator has that with a<br />

23-minute looping video, complete<br />

with siren blaring, on a screen<br />

where the cab would be that gives<br />

the impression the ambulance is<br />

traveling down the road.<br />

There is also a camera mounted in<br />

the ambulance that allows students<br />

in an adjacent classroom to watch on<br />

a monitor what’s going on. Jackson,<br />

SPCC’s high-fidelity training<br />

mannequin, is on a stretcher in the<br />

ambulance. A computer connected<br />

Robby Smith, SPCC’s Emergency Medical Services coordinator, sits in the back of the ambulance simulator with Jackson, the<br />

school’s high-fidelity training mannequin. At the back a video is playing that gives the appearance of looking through the cab as<br />

the ambulance travels down the road.<br />

to Jackson allows Smith to create<br />

scenarios and have the students<br />

respond accordingly, or a two-way<br />

radio allows Smith to pretend he is<br />

at the hospital, giving instructions<br />

to the paramedic students as they<br />

are “en route.”<br />

The simulator also allows for<br />

better training in what might seem<br />

like simple tasks – like lifting a<br />

stretcher into the ambulance with a<br />

body on it. The students have taken<br />

turns being “the body” and found<br />

out how it feels to be lifted off the<br />

ground and pushed into the back of<br />

an ambulance.<br />

Smith noted that even professional<br />

EMS workers have been impressed<br />

by the simulator.<br />

“Basically, Robby has been<br />

dreaming of this for a couple of<br />

years,” Baucom said. “Companies<br />

have simulators available, for<br />

$30,000 to $40,000. He came to<br />

me and said, ‘Can you build it?’ He<br />

brought me some blueprints.”<br />

Baucom thought that he could build<br />

it, but before he got to that point,<br />

a friend of Smith’s alerted him to<br />

a pediatric ambulance without an<br />

engine that had been sitting at<br />

First Class Emergency Vehicles<br />

in Charlotte for five years. The<br />

ambulance would be free to the<br />

college.<br />

Over a period of seven to eight<br />

weeks, Baucom, Smith and<br />

Vocational Trades Instructor Terry<br />

James stripped the ambulance down<br />

and rebuilt it in the classroom.<br />

Baucom and James framed up<br />

walls, raised the floor and then<br />

rebuilt the ambulance around their<br />

framework. “We covered the outside<br />

with aluminum coil,” Baucom said.<br />

“We put screws along it to give it<br />

a rivet effect. We tried to make it<br />

look as much like an ambulance as<br />

possible.”<br />

“You can buy commercial<br />

ambulance simulators for training<br />

purposes,” Smith said. “This is the<br />

real thing.” CF<br />

Learn more about Emergency<br />

Medical Technician and<br />

Paramedic Training at SPCC:<br />

Robby Smith<br />

704-290-5817<br />

rsmith@spcc.edu<br />

2<br />

I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> I <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> I www.spcc.edu I 704-290-5100 or 704-272-5300


Feature<br />

<strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong><br />

Two New Design<br />

Certificates!<br />

<strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong><br />

<strong>College</strong>’s Advertising and<br />

Graphic Design program will<br />

add two new certificates this<br />

fall. Both certificates take two<br />

semesters to complete with all<br />

classes offered at night.<br />

Be Prepared To Get The Job<br />

You Want<br />

By Jim Muldrow<br />

CHARLOTTE – “Be<br />

Prepared” has been the<br />

motto of the Boy Scouts<br />

of America since 1907.<br />

Lisa Murphy obviously<br />

has never been a Boy<br />

Scout, but she’s been<br />

preparing herself for<br />

her current position for quite some<br />

time.<br />

Murphy, 23, who graduated from<br />

<strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />

in 2010 with a degree in Advertising<br />

and Graphic Design, now works<br />

as a graphic specialist for the<br />

Mecklenburg County Council of Boy<br />

Scouts of America.<br />

“It was something I always wanted,”<br />

Murphy said of her new career.<br />

Even before she graduated from<br />

Monroe High School, Murphy was<br />

winning awards for her work. Her<br />

prom dress design won a contest<br />

sponsored by Belk and garnered<br />

a three-day trip to New York. She<br />

won several Cosmo Girl contests,<br />

including a T-shirt contest and an<br />

art contest.<br />

She brought that talent to SPCC,<br />

where she continued to win contests.<br />

Twice, her Christmas card design<br />

was selected to be SPCC’s official<br />

Christmas card. She was also a<br />

featured artist several times for the<br />

Monroe Art Walk.<br />

Murphy can rattle off a list of<br />

reasons that made her time at SPCC<br />

“a great experience.”<br />

“Flexibility,” she said. “I was able to<br />

work and go to school at the same<br />

time. We did a lot of the exact same<br />

type of things I’m doing here. One<br />

class, we had to create a brand and<br />

identity for a certain event.” As<br />

part of that assignment, students<br />

had to create fliers and marketing<br />

materials.<br />

As it turns out, that is a lot of<br />

what she does now. “I get to design<br />

print pieces in house,” she said.<br />

“Quarterly newsletters, fliers, the<br />

annual report. … I do a little bit on<br />

our website as well.”<br />

She especially enjoys being creative<br />

on the in-house print pieces. She<br />

recently designed personalized<br />

invitations and thank-you notes for<br />

Scouts to send out for their Eagle<br />

Scout ceremonies. “We’ll start<br />

selling them soon,” she said. “Just<br />

little ideas we can come up with<br />

so … our council can make a little<br />

profit.”<br />

Another thing Murphy liked about<br />

SPCC was more one-on-one time<br />

with teachers than one would get<br />

at larger schools. One of those<br />

instructors really stood out to her.<br />

“Cheryl Hicks,” she said. “I think<br />

she inspired us a lot. You could tell<br />

creativity was a passion of hers. She<br />

always pushed us to do more.”<br />

But, Murphy also made an<br />

impression on Hicks. “She’s<br />

absolutely one of the top three<br />

creative designers we’ve ever had<br />

here,” Hicks said. “She had a great<br />

work ethic. She was always willing<br />

to go above and beyond what was<br />

expected of her.”<br />

Murphy worked at Target during<br />

her time at SPCC, working freelance<br />

jobs on the side. She continued<br />

doing both after she graduated,<br />

and one of her free-lance jobs led to<br />

her job with the Boy Scouts. “I was<br />

actually doing some free-lance work<br />

for another printer,” she said. “He<br />

was very involved in Scouting. He<br />

told me they had a job open here,<br />

and I was able to get an interview.”<br />

That was last summer. She is quite<br />

happy in her job, especially when<br />

she gets to let her creativity flow. “I<br />

do plan on staying here for a while,”<br />

she said.<br />

Multimedia Design<br />

Certificate<br />

Web Development Tools<br />

Computer Design Basics<br />

Intro to Internet Multimedia<br />

Social Media<br />

Animation I<br />

Multimedia Design I<br />

Multimedia Design II<br />

Web Design Certificate<br />

Web Development Tools<br />

Computer Design Basics<br />

Internet/Web Fundamentals<br />

Animation I<br />

Web Design<br />

Multimedia Design<br />

For more information:<br />

Linda Ward, 704-290-5279,<br />

lmward@spcc.edu<br />

Cheryl Hicks, 704-290-5815,<br />

chicks@spcc.edu<br />

John Hill at jhill@spcc.edu<br />

She plans to continue her free-lance<br />

work, as well. “One of my goals is to<br />

do something on my own,” she said.<br />

And, she has a bit of advice<br />

for anyone studying at <strong>South</strong><br />

<strong>Piedmont</strong>, whether it’s in<br />

Advertising and Graphic Design<br />

or another program. “Take any<br />

opportunity you can,” she said.<br />

“I probably could have taken a<br />

couple more classes to get my web<br />

certificate. I did not and I regret it.<br />

Everything is very useful. It’s not<br />

going to be a waste of time.” CF<br />

Learn more about Advertising<br />

and Graphic Design at SPCC:<br />

Linda Monroe Ward<br />

704-290-5279<br />

lmward@spcc.edu<br />

704-290-5100 or 704-272-5300 I www.spcc.edu I <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> I 3


<strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong><br />

Feature<br />

Starting A Bachelor’s Degree At SPCC<br />

Makes Perfect Sense!<br />

By Jim Muldrow<br />

Rhonda Timberlake<br />

always wanted to be a<br />

teacher, but her father<br />

had other ideas. He<br />

was a CPA and thought<br />

she should go into a<br />

field where she would<br />

make more money, so<br />

she spent 10 years in banking.<br />

When Laura Poland was 7,<br />

she would play school with the<br />

neighborhood children and teach<br />

her friends’ younger siblings. She<br />

even wrote out a schedule that<br />

included recess. Out of high school,<br />

however, she enlisted in the Army<br />

National Guard instead of pursuing<br />

a teaching career.<br />

Both were able to achieve<br />

their dreams through <strong>South</strong><br />

<strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong>’s<br />

2+2 partnership with Wingate<br />

University. Basically, the program<br />

allows a student to earn an<br />

Associate in Arts – Elementary<br />

Education degree at SPCC, then<br />

transfer to Wingate and earn<br />

a Bachelor of Science degree in<br />

Elementary Education K-6. SPCC’s<br />

tuition is lower than any fouryear<br />

school’s, and Wingate has<br />

historically given students in the<br />

program a lower tuition rate as well,<br />

making the program available to<br />

some who might not otherwise be<br />

able to afford pursuing a teaching<br />

degree.<br />

Timberlake, now 43, landed a job<br />

as a reading teacher at Porter<br />

Ridge Elementary School. She was<br />

already enrolled in Early Childhood<br />

Education classes at SPCC when the<br />

program first kicked off in the fall of<br />

2006. “SPCC was starting it while<br />

I was there,” she said. “I was able<br />

to finish Early Childhood as well as<br />

start in 2+2. The schedule was more<br />

convenient because I could take<br />

night classes.”<br />

Timberlake continued to work full<br />

time while she returned to school.<br />

“(The two schools) offering night<br />

classes helped to complete the<br />

degree, with me already being a<br />

mom and life in general going on,”<br />

she said.<br />

“I really enjoyed being at <strong>South</strong><br />

<strong>Piedmont</strong>, because I lived right<br />

down the street,” she added.<br />

Timberlake had first enrolled at<br />

Wingate when she finished high<br />

school – majoring in business per<br />

her father’s wishes – but did not<br />

last long. “Fresh out of high school,<br />

I thought I knew it all,” she said. “I<br />

Rhonda Timberlake, SPCC Associate in Arts-Elementary Education graduate and teacher<br />

4<br />

I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> I <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> I www.spcc.edu I 704-290-5100 or 704-272-5300


SPCC Offers So Many<br />

Transfer Options<br />

SPCC’ s transfer agreement with<br />

Wingate University for the 2+2<br />

program is just one of many that<br />

SPCC has in place to ease students’<br />

transitions into four-year schools<br />

after they graduate.<br />

Because each agreement is different,<br />

prospective students should talk<br />

with an SPCC counselor to see if<br />

a particular program meets their<br />

needs.<br />

Laura Poland, SPCC Associate in Arts-Elementary Education graduate and teacher<br />

was having to work and pay my way<br />

through it. It wasn’t working.”<br />

But, even though her father had<br />

talked her out of pursuing an<br />

education degree, the dream never<br />

really died for her. “Even when I<br />

was working at the bank, all the<br />

things I was involved in – in the<br />

community, at church – all revolved<br />

around children,” she said. “I went<br />

back for what I should have gone for<br />

in the first place.”<br />

Poland, now 25, teaches third grade<br />

at Waxhaw Elementary School.<br />

Having finished her post-high<br />

school stint in the military, she had<br />

no desire to live in a dorm room,<br />

which she might have done had she<br />

followed through on plans to attend<br />

UNC Charlotte. But the thing that<br />

really caught her attention about<br />

the 2+2 program was the cost.<br />

“Financially, it was a much better<br />

choice than what I was going to do,”<br />

she said.<br />

“You get the same quality education<br />

for less money,” she said. “You have<br />

smaller classes at a community<br />

college. You get to know the people<br />

you meet. It made the transition to<br />

Wingate easier, because you already<br />

knew the people. Having the sense<br />

of community made it easier.”<br />

The idea was that the members of the<br />

cohort would bond and support each other.<br />

That idea apparently took hold.<br />

That camaraderie among the<br />

participants was one of the goals<br />

when the program was established.<br />

The idea was that the members of<br />

the cohort (the group of students<br />

who go through the program<br />

together) would bond and support<br />

each other. That idea apparently<br />

took hold. Timberlake said that five<br />

of the eight who graduated with the<br />

original class in 2010 still keep in<br />

regular contact and meet for dinner<br />

occasionally.<br />

“You have to really want to do it,”<br />

Poland said. “No one is going to hold<br />

your hand. It’s very rigorous. Just<br />

because it’s a community college<br />

doesn’t mean it’s anything less. …<br />

It’s a really good deal and a good<br />

opportunity.”<br />

Even the student teaching<br />

component proved to be beneficial<br />

for Poland. She did her student<br />

teaching at Union Elementary, and<br />

the principal there was friends<br />

with the principal at Waxhaw. One<br />

recommendation later, Poland had<br />

a job. She started at Waxhaw in<br />

January 2011.<br />

The agreement between SPCC<br />

and Wingate stipulates that<br />

students must meet all of Wingate’s<br />

admissions requirements, as<br />

well as graduation requirements<br />

according to their catalog of entry.<br />

To receive credit for a course taken<br />

at SPCC, a student must have made<br />

a C or higher. Wingate agrees to<br />

accept transfer credits for specified<br />

courses. Other courses taken at<br />

SPCC will be evaluated for transfer<br />

on a course-by-course basis.<br />

For more information about the 2+2<br />

agreement with Wingate, contact<br />

Valerie Jones at 704-272-5424 or<br />

vjones@spcc.edu.<br />

SPCC has agreements in place with<br />

the following schools for the programs<br />

noted:<br />

• Barton <strong>College</strong>: Early Childhood/<br />

B-K Education<br />

• Bellevue University: Associate in<br />

Arts; Associate in Science<br />

• Central <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong><br />

<strong>College</strong>: Computer Technology<br />

Integration; Simulation and Game<br />

Development; Fire Protection;<br />

Geographic Information Systems<br />

(for Union County Public Schools)<br />

• Gaston <strong>College</strong>: Biotechnology<br />

• Queens University: Associate in<br />

Applied Science – Human Services<br />

Technology<br />

• Stanly <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong>:<br />

Biomedical Equipment<br />

• StrayerUniversity: Associate<br />

in Arts, Associate in Science,<br />

Associate in Applied Science to<br />

Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of<br />

Science<br />

• UNC Charlotte: Associate in<br />

Applied Science – Early Childhood<br />

• UNC Greensboro: Associate in<br />

Applied Science for Accounting;<br />

Advertising and Graphic Design;<br />

Air Conditioning, Heating<br />

and Refrigeration Technology;<br />

Associate Degree Nursing;<br />

Business Administration;<br />

Computer Information<br />

Technology; Criminal Justice<br />

Technology; Early Childhood<br />

Education; Electrical/Electronics<br />

Technology; Entrepreneurship;<br />

Human Services Technology;<br />

Medical Assisting; Medical<br />

Office Administration; Medical<br />

Sonography; Paralegal Technology;<br />

School-Age Education; Surgical<br />

Technology<br />

• University of Phoenix: Associate in<br />

Arts; Associate in Science<br />

• Wingate University: Associate<br />

in Arts – Elementary Education;<br />

Associate in Science – Pharmacy<br />

Pathway<br />

• Winston-Salem State University:<br />

Associate Degree Nursing to<br />

RN-BSN CF<br />

704-290-5100 or 704-272-5300 I www.spcc.edu I <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> I 5


<strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong><br />

Feature<br />

Earning A Degree Can Be<br />

The Key To A Promotion<br />

SPCC Accounting Graduate Windy Smith pauses in ATI Allvac’s company museum.<br />

By Jim Muldrow<br />

A<br />

few years ago, Windy<br />

Smith realized she<br />

needed a little more.<br />

She had been working<br />

at ATI Allvac, a<br />

subsidiary of ATI<br />

Metals, in Monroe<br />

for more than four<br />

years as an accounts payable clerk<br />

and had just been promoted to<br />

accounting supervisor.<br />

“I knew then that for me to work<br />

effectively in that position, I would<br />

have to go back to school and get<br />

educated in that area so I could<br />

understand the process,” she said.<br />

She picked <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong><br />

<strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong>.<br />

“The reason I chose SPCC was<br />

flexibility for me – transportationwise,<br />

distance, classroom size,” she<br />

said. “I just like to keep it local<br />

and patronize things around me. I<br />

knew a lot of people who had gone<br />

there and graduated. I was very<br />

comfortable as far as curriculum<br />

and staff.”<br />

A native and resident of Anson<br />

County, Smith took classes on the<br />

L.L. Polk Campus in Polkton and<br />

the Old Charlotte Highway Campus<br />

in Monroe. “Wherever a class was<br />

being offered and was better for my<br />

situation, that’s where I went,” she<br />

said.<br />

Smith continued to work full<br />

time while going to school. With<br />

a husband and three children at<br />

home, it took her more than seven<br />

years to finish her associate degree<br />

in Accounting. She graduated in<br />

2009.<br />

“I was unable to go during the day,”<br />

she said. “It took me a while to get<br />

through. I was determined that I<br />

was going to finish. When you have<br />

a family – God is first, and then<br />

family. Those are my priorities first<br />

and foremost.”<br />

All the while, Allvac was supportive<br />

of her efforts. “We have an excellent<br />

training department here that will<br />

help any employee with continuing<br />

their education,” Smith said.<br />

“Supervisors understood with<br />

being a working parent, a full-time<br />

worker, it might take a while. They<br />

were flexible.”<br />

With her degree completed, Smith<br />

has been promoted again and is now<br />

a junior staff accountant. Because<br />

of company requirements, she might<br />

not have been able to take that<br />

promotion without the associate<br />

degree.<br />

To advance further at Allvac, Smith<br />

might need a bachelor’s degree,<br />

and she’s considering enrolling at<br />

Strayer University. For now, she’s<br />

happy doing what she does, which<br />

requires a lot of interaction with<br />

internal and external customers.<br />

To make it all work, she has to be<br />

knowledgeable about the company’s<br />

fixed assets.<br />

“I really love what I do,” she said. “I<br />

really love solving problems, even<br />

though sometimes they may take<br />

a little more effort. … I’m just not<br />

limited to fixed assets. I can multitask<br />

in other areas. Accounting is<br />

never boring at all.”<br />

A member of SPCC’s advisory board<br />

for Accounting, Smith remains an<br />

advocate for community colleges in<br />

general and SPCC in particular.<br />

Her two daughters are currently<br />

students at four-year colleges –<br />

UNC-Pembroke and Winston-Salem<br />

State – but one of them attended<br />

SPCC for a year before moving on.<br />

“I would recommend to any person,<br />

if you’re not sure what you want to<br />

do, try community college,” she said.<br />

“They are less expensive, and the<br />

instructors are excellent.<br />

“I think community colleges make<br />

a powerful impact on people,” she<br />

said. CF<br />

Learn more about<br />

Accounting at SPCC:<br />

Toiya Evans<br />

704-290-5233<br />

tevans@spcc.edu<br />

6<br />

I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> I <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> I www.spcc.edu I 704-290-5100 or 704-272-5300


Nothing But The Skills, Please!<br />

Feature<br />

<strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong><br />

By Jim Muldrow<br />

Ever wished you could<br />

take just part of a class<br />

because you wanted<br />

a particular skill, but<br />

didn’t really want to sit<br />

through every session?<br />

Or, maybe wanted to<br />

brush up on a particular<br />

topic without going to class for four<br />

months?<br />

Now you can!<br />

and tour the labs,” she said. “I ask<br />

them, ‘What do you want to do with<br />

this?’”<br />

She said the biggest benefit of the<br />

classes without credit is for the<br />

people who have been out of school<br />

a while. “They’re afraid of failure,”<br />

she said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity<br />

to gain the knowledge and get over<br />

the fear of college placement tests.<br />

Some are not sure how they’re going<br />

to deal with homework. Some ask,<br />

‘What if I get a job?’<br />

The School of Applied Science and<br />

Technology at <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong><br />

<strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> allows students<br />

to take the parts of classes that<br />

appeal to them or meet a specific<br />

need, without having to attend class<br />

for an entire semester.<br />

The student does not earn college<br />

credit for the class, but also does<br />

not have to take a placement test or<br />

any developmental classes. And, of<br />

course, it costs less to take just part<br />

of a class.<br />

Cheryl Hicks, an instructor in the<br />

Advertising and Graphic Design and<br />

CISCO programs, has already seen<br />

first-hand how this can benefit the<br />

student, as well as others students<br />

in her classes.<br />

She had a student in her Adobe<br />

Illustrator class during the<br />

spring semester who already has<br />

a successful career, but attended<br />

her class just to learn the newest<br />

software.<br />

“It was like a fish to water,” Hicks<br />

said. “He came in and did what he<br />

was expected to do. He’s quick to<br />

share his knowledge. … He has a<br />

great deal of enthusiasm. He’s done<br />

every single assignment the rest of<br />

the class has done.<br />

“It brought a new dynamic to my<br />

class,” she said. “The people who<br />

have chosen this path are excited<br />

to begin with. It has improved the<br />

quality of the learning experience<br />

for everyone. I think enthusiasm is<br />

contagious.”<br />

Hicks noted that the Advertising<br />

and Graphic Design program also<br />

hosts open labs that are open to nonstudents.<br />

“They’re free to come by<br />

“Even for the younger ones, it’s<br />

a way to come in and explore,”<br />

she said. “They could just take a<br />

portion of the class. They can get an<br />

e-chapter in an online book. They<br />

can get the knowledge they want<br />

based on how much they want to<br />

spend on it.<br />

“I feel like this is one of the best<br />

things we’ve ever done,” Hicks<br />

added. “They can get the skills they<br />

want based on their needs. I love<br />

the fact that it’s like a customized<br />

education for what they need. It<br />

offers the community a way to stay<br />

on top of things.” CF<br />

Short-Term Training…The First Step Towards Your Dream Job<br />

SPCC’s School of Applied Science<br />

and Technology offers shortterm<br />

medical programs that<br />

provide stepping stones into<br />

more advanced careers. All can be<br />

completed in a year or less.<br />

“The short-term certificates and<br />

diplomas put people in a position to<br />

get a job,” said Stuart Wasilowski,<br />

SPCC’s vice president of Applied<br />

Science and Technology.<br />

Programs that fall into this category<br />

include Medical Assisting, Medical<br />

Laboratory Assisting, Nursing<br />

Assistant, Surgical Technology and<br />

Emergency Medical Services.<br />

Wasilowski said these short-term<br />

programs can help people get their<br />

foot in the door in the medical<br />

field. Once they finish one of these<br />

programs, they might be able to find<br />

a job in that field and come back for<br />

more training later.<br />

He noted that 70 percent of people<br />

who leave college say it’s because<br />

of finances and 57 percent say they<br />

have to work. Obviously, some people<br />

fall in both categories.<br />

“Creating the short-term training<br />

opportunities puts people in position<br />

to get a job,” he emphasized. CF<br />

Learn more about<br />

short-term training<br />

options:<br />

Karen Elizabeth Smith<br />

704-290-5272<br />

ksmith@spcc.edu<br />

704-290-5100 or 704-272-5300 I www.spcc.edu I <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> I 7


<strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong><br />

Feature<br />

Co-op Experience<br />

Leads To the<br />

RIGHT Job<br />

Lessons aren’t always<br />

learned in the classroom.<br />

That’s why <strong>South</strong><br />

<strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong><br />

<strong>College</strong> has a co-op class<br />

that allows students to go<br />

into workplaces and get<br />

real-world experience for a<br />

semester.<br />

Often, these students get a job<br />

with their co-op employer, or make<br />

connections that allow them to get a<br />

job somewhere else.<br />

“I’ve seen so many people get so<br />

many jobs and experience, it’s<br />

amazing,” said Deneice Hendrick,<br />

Co-operative Education coordinator<br />

and instructor of the co-op class.<br />

“The networking – you meet so<br />

many people who say, ‘Hey, I know<br />

the kind of job you do.’<br />

“I have had several where the site<br />

they’re working did not have an<br />

opening, but they knew another that<br />

did,” she added. “They recommended<br />

that student and the student got the<br />

job there.”<br />

The class consists of 160 hours on<br />

the job and one classroom session<br />

every two weeks. In the classroom,<br />

the students learn, among other<br />

things, skills that will help them in<br />

future job interviews.<br />

Some programs, such as Paralegal<br />

and Medical Office Administration,<br />

require students to take the co-op<br />

class.<br />

Students who gathered in Hendrick’s<br />

classroom for one of the last classes<br />

of the spring semester had glowing<br />

reports about their experiences.<br />

Many of them said they would even<br />

go in to work when they weren’t<br />

scheduled.<br />

“You build a relationship with them<br />

and you don’t mind helping (when<br />

you’re off),” said Wendi Tarlton,<br />

a Medical Office Administration<br />

student who did her co-op with Dr.<br />

Matthew Chavis, a chiropractor in<br />

Marshville.<br />

Erin Murphy, a Paralegal student,<br />

did her co-op with attorney Zack<br />

Jackson. Admittedly “afraid of<br />

criminal law,” when she started, she<br />

said she told paralegal Instructor<br />

David Broome, “I don’t know what<br />

I would do if I didn’t go to the<br />

courthouse every morning. I leave,<br />

go to class, and come back.”<br />

Now, she said, “I walk into the<br />

courthouse and everyone knows I’m<br />

Zack Jackson’s assistant. They get<br />

to know you in a context besides<br />

meeting you off the street and<br />

interviewing for a job. They know<br />

how hard you’re working.”<br />

She believes that will benefit her<br />

and other co-op students in the<br />

long run. “The co-op student has<br />

the advantage over the non-co-op<br />

student,” she said.<br />

Other students agreed that the<br />

experience and the connections are<br />

both valuable benefits of the class.<br />

“Everybody in the office has said I<br />

can use them as a reference,” said<br />

Sarah Sossamon, a Medical Office<br />

Administration student who did her<br />

co-op at Medical Group of Waxhaw.<br />

“I’ve been told what I need to<br />

say, and how I need to say it in<br />

interviews,” she said.<br />

“Several people said, ‘I’ve told J.R.<br />

(Rowell, Union County clerk of<br />

court) that he needs to hire you,’”<br />

said Monica Eubanks, a Paralegal<br />

student who is working in the Clerk<br />

of Courts office.<br />

While the connections are nice,<br />

the skills that come with the co-op<br />

experience are extremely important.<br />

Each student has three learning<br />

objectives selected jointly by<br />

Hendrick and the student’s employer.<br />

“Without the hands-on experience,<br />

you’re walking in (to a new job)<br />

blind,” Sossamon said.<br />

“Instead of saying, ‘I read about<br />

that,’ you can say, ‘I’ve done that,’”<br />

said Stephanie Renwick, a Medical<br />

Office Administration student who<br />

did her co-op at the Dove Clinic in<br />

Indian Trail. “I feel more confident<br />

walking into an interview after this<br />

class.”<br />

Artis Radford credits his co-op experience with getting him a job offer in the HVAC<br />

business.<br />

“It gives you an opportunity to work<br />

through mistakes,” Murphy said.<br />

“You get the experience, but you’re<br />

also getting guidance.”<br />

“This gives you the opportunity to<br />

learn how they like things because<br />

every office is different,” Sossamon<br />

said.<br />

“Mrs. Hendrick is wonderful,”<br />

said Marcus X, a student in the<br />

Air Conditioning, Heating and<br />

Refrigeration Technology program<br />

who is doing his co-op with Hinson<br />

Mechanical. “She put me in the<br />

perfect spot. … I told her I wanted to<br />

learn as much as I could about HVAC,<br />

and she put me with a company that<br />

has such a diversity of accounts.<br />

David Hinson has put me with some<br />

of the best technicians in the area.<br />

“I owe him something even though<br />

he would say I didn’t owe him<br />

anything,” X continued. “When<br />

they say co-op students don’t get<br />

paid, that’s not really true. They<br />

get paid in skills and knowledge.<br />

That hands-on experience goes<br />

hand-in-hand with the theory in the<br />

classroom. That co-op experience is<br />

going to make the difference when<br />

it’s time to get a job.”<br />

Artis Radford, an Air Conditioning,<br />

Heating and Refrigeration co-op<br />

student who expects to graduate<br />

in December, said he was proof<br />

that co-op pays off for students.<br />

Radford became so enthusiastic<br />

about his co-op experience that he<br />

worked an extra 30 hours at his coop<br />

site, Funderburk Heating and<br />

Air in Pageland, S.C. As the spring<br />

semester drew to a close, Radford<br />

and his co-op supervisor began to<br />

discuss employment at the company.<br />

In addition to the skills and<br />

connections, there is one other<br />

important thing students can learn<br />

in co-op.<br />

“You may get there and realize that’s<br />

not what you want to do,” Murphy<br />

said. “Any learning experience is a<br />

good learning experience. From that<br />

point, you can move on and try other<br />

things.” CF<br />

8<br />

I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> I <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> I www.spcc.edu I 704-290-5100 or 704-272-5300


SPCC A to Z<br />

Your Workforce Training & <strong>College</strong> Transfer Options<br />

<strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong><br />

SPCC Credential<br />

Certificate<br />

Diploma<br />

Associate in Arts Degree/<br />

Associate in Science Degree<br />

Gives you<br />

The skills you need to move into an entry-level job and<br />

college credits<br />

Additional skills to help you move up with a promotion<br />

and college credits<br />

The first two years of college coursework to transfer to a<br />

four-year college or university as a junior<br />

Associate in Arts or Science (<strong>College</strong> Transfer)<br />

Associate in Arts - Criminal Justice<br />

Transfer to a senior college or university to study criminal justice<br />

Program Contact: Carl Bishop, cbishop@spcc.edu, 704-290-5235<br />

Associate in Arts – Elementary Education<br />

Transfer to a senior college or university to study elementary education<br />

Program Contact: Tammy Frailly, tfrailly@spcc.edu, 704-290-5829<br />

Associate in Applied Science<br />

Degree<br />

Continuing Education<br />

Program<br />

In-depth career preparation, as well as some general<br />

education classes, during a two-year course of study<br />

Training in your chosen field, but does not award college<br />

credits<br />

<strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> A-Z<br />

What follows is an alphabetical listing of programs and areas of study offered by<br />

<strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong>. For more information, call 704-290-5100 or<br />

704-272-5300 or visit SPCC on the Web at www.spcc.edu.<br />

Accounting<br />

Employment in accounting firms, as well as large and small corporations, preparing financial<br />

statements, balance sheets and tax returns.<br />

Employment opportunities: Accounting firms, small businesses, banks, hospitals; selfemployment.<br />

AAS or Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $29,785-$40,794<br />

Program Contact: Toiya Evans, tevans@spcc.edu, 704-290-5233<br />

Activity Coordinator<br />

Employment planning daily activities for older adult residents of assisted living and long-term care<br />

facilities, and coordinating volunteer programs (Graduates of the program are state-qualified to be<br />

employed.)<br />

Employment opportunities: Assisted living and long-term care facilities.<br />

Continuing Education Program Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $18,000-$30,000<br />

Program Contact: Sandy Huntley, shuntley@spcc.edu, 704-272-5456<br />

Advertising/Graphic Design<br />

Employment in graphic design with emphasis on print design, web design, multimedia design,<br />

social media, advertising, illustration, photography and publishing.<br />

Employment opportunities: Graphic design studios, advertising agencies, in-house<br />

graphics, printing companies, web design, social media specialist, publishing, and<br />

ePublishing.<br />

AAS or Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $24,051-$30,487<br />

Program Contact: Linda M. Ward, lmward@spcc.edu, 704-290-5279<br />

Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration<br />

A career in residential and commercial maintenance and installation of heating and cooling systems.<br />

Employment opportunities: Firms that specialize in installing, repairing and servicing heating<br />

and cooling systems and refrigeration equipment in homes, commercial and industrial buildings.<br />

AAS, Diploma or Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $24,960-$27,040 1<br />

Program Contact: A. Trent Younger, ayounger@spcc.edu, 704-272-5365<br />

Associate in Arts - Information Systems-Business<br />

Transfer to a senior college or university to study business computing<br />

Program Contact: Dr. Susan Lauer, slauer@spcc.edu, 704-290-5886<br />

Associate in Arts – Nursing (Pending State Approval)<br />

Transfer to a senior college or university to earn a BS in nursing<br />

Program Contact: David Wheeler, dwheeler@spcc.edu, 704-290-5879<br />

Associate in Arts - Social Work<br />

Transfer to a senior college or university to study social work<br />

Program Contact: Carl Bishop, cbishop@spcc.edu, 704-290-5235<br />

Associate in Science – Engineering (Pending State Approval)<br />

Transfer to a senior college or university to study engineering<br />

Program Contact: Dr. Susan Lauer, slauer@spcc.edu, 704-290-5886<br />

Associate in Science – Pre-Pharmacy<br />

Transfer to a senior college or university to study pharmacy<br />

Program Contact: David Wheeler, dwheeler@spcc.edu, 704-290-5879<br />

Auto Body Repair<br />

Employment in the auto body repair trade.<br />

Courses lead to I-Car Alliance national certification. WIA approved program. Scholarships<br />

available. Job placement assistance.<br />

Employment opportunities: Auto dealerships or franchised independent garages;<br />

self-employment.<br />

Continuing Education Program Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $26,750-$32,949<br />

Program Contact: Bob Winfrey, rwinfrey@spcc.edu, 704-272-7554<br />

Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET)<br />

A career as a certified law enforcement officer in North Carolina.<br />

Employment opportunities: Municipal police departments, sheriffs’ offices, bailiff, NC<br />

State Highway Patrol, State Bureau of Investigation.<br />

Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $22,048-$23,728<br />

Program Contact: Kevin Ashley, kashley@spcc.edu, 704-290-5820<br />

Biomedical Equipment Technology<br />

(offered in collaboration with Stanly <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong>)<br />

Employment as a biomedical equipment technician.<br />

Employment opportunities: Hospitals, clinics,<br />

research laboratories, service organizations and<br />

medical equipment manufacturers.<br />

AAS<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $30,000-$50,000 3<br />

Program Contact: George Kouvaris, gkouvaris@spcc.edu, 704-290-5265<br />

704-290-5100 or 704-272-5300 I www.spcc.edu I <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> I 9


Biotechnology (offered in collaboration with Gaston <strong>College</strong>)<br />

Employment as research assistants to biologists or chemists, laboratory technicians,<br />

instrumentation technicians or quality assurance technicians.<br />

Employment opportunities: High tech manufacturing, agribusiness, government, research<br />

and development, sales, customer service.<br />

AAS<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $25,000-50,000 4<br />

Program Contact: David Wheeler, dwheeler@spcc.edu, 704-290-5879<br />

Business Administration<br />

Employment requiring fundamental knowledge of business functions and processes.<br />

Employment opportunities: Government agencies, financial institutions, large/small<br />

businesses; self-employment.<br />

AAS or Diploma or Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $27,094-36,478<br />

Program Contact: Fredrea Crawford-Smith, fsmith@spcc.edu, 704-290-5274<br />

Computer Information Technology<br />

Employment with organizations that use computers to process, manage and communicate<br />

information.<br />

Employment opportunities: Systems maintenance, troubleshooting, support/training and<br />

business applications design and implementation.<br />

AAS or Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $29,000-$73,000 5<br />

Program Contact: Chris Johnson, c-johnson@spcc.edu, 704-272-5426<br />

Computer Information Technology – Mobile Apps Foundation<br />

Employment as a Mobile Apps Developer trainee.<br />

Employment opportunities: Business and industry, including entertainment, health care,<br />

education and government agencies.<br />

Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $48,000 - $68,000 5<br />

Program Contact: Kim Bateman, kbateman@spcc.edu, 704-272-5417<br />

Computer Information Technology-Game Development<br />

Entry-level employment as game designer.<br />

Employment opportunities: Gaming industry as programmer trainees and software<br />

developers.<br />

Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $29,000-$51,000 5<br />

Program Contact: Oscar Gonzalez, ogonzalez@spcc.edu, 704-290-5232<br />

Computer Information Technology - Microsoft Office<br />

Entry-level employment as a Microsoft Office specialist.<br />

Employment opportunities: Business, industry, government organizations as computer<br />

operators and software support technicians.<br />

Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $29,000-$52,000 5<br />

Program Contact: Patricia Johnson, p-johnson@spcc.edu, 704-272-5423<br />

Computer Information Technology - Operating Systems<br />

Entry-level employment with organizations that require operating systems administration.<br />

Employment opportunities: Systems maintenance, troubleshooting, support/training and<br />

OS administration.<br />

Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $29,000-$68,000 5<br />

Program Contact: Kim Bateman, kbateman@spcc.edu, 704-272-5417<br />

Computer Information Technology-Routing & Switching (CISCO)<br />

Employment installing and supporting computer networks<br />

(Students in this program may prepare for exams to earn<br />

Cisco certification.)<br />

Employment opportunities: LAN/PC administrators,<br />

microcomputer support specialist, network control operator,<br />

communication technician/analyst, network/computer<br />

consultant, information systems specialist.<br />

Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $29,000-$63,000 5<br />

Program Contact: Cheryl Hicks,<br />

chicks@spcc.edu, 704-290-5815<br />

Computer Technology Integration-Mobile Apps Development<br />

(Partnership with Central <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong>)<br />

Employment as programmer, tester, quality assurance analyst, engineer and software developer.<br />

Employment opportunities: Business and industry, including entertainment,<br />

health care, education and government agencies.<br />

AAS<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $48,000 - $98,000 5<br />

Program Contact: Kim Bateman, kbateman@spcc.edu, 704-272-5417<br />

Computer Technology Integration-Web Technologies<br />

(Partnership with Central <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong>)<br />

Employment as designer, administrator and developer in the areas of web applications, websites,<br />

web services, and related areas of distributed computing.<br />

Employment opportunities: Business and industry, including education and<br />

government agencies.<br />

AAS<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $56,000 - $70,000 5<br />

Program Contact: Chris Johnson, c-johnson@spcc.edu, 704-272-5426<br />

Contractors’ Exam Review<br />

Taking the N.C. Residential or Commercial Contractors’ Exam given by the North Carolina<br />

Contractors’ Licensing Board.<br />

Employment opportunities: Residential and commercial construction.<br />

Continuing Education Program Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: Varies according to construction field<br />

Program Contact: Geri Duncan, gduncan@spcc.edu, 704-290-5221<br />

Criminal Justice Technology<br />

Employment within the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, court systems,<br />

correctional facilities, security, loss prevention and forensic science.<br />

Employment opportunities: Police officer, deputy sheriff, detention officer, state trooper,<br />

probation/parole officer, surveillance officer, loss prevention specialist, crime scene tech,<br />

FBI agent, SBI agent, court clerk, private investigator, trial court administrator, victim/witness<br />

assistant and criminal background researcher.<br />

AAS or Diploma or Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $26,000-$42,000 6<br />

Program Contact: Miriam Sallee, msallee@spcc.edu, 704-290-5264<br />

Early Childhood Education<br />

Working with children from infancy through middle<br />

childhood in diverse learning environments.<br />

Employment opportunities: Preschools,<br />

childcare programs, Head Start, public and<br />

private schools, recreational centers.<br />

AAS or Diploma or Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $17,202-$19,618<br />

Program Contact: Sharon Little,<br />

s-little@spcc.edu, 704-272-5399<br />

10<br />

I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> I <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> I www.spcc.edu I 704-290-5100 or 704-272-5300


Electrical/Electronics Technology<br />

Employment installing and maintaining electrical/electronic systems found in residential,<br />

commercial and industrial facilities.<br />

Employment opportunities: On-the-job trainee or apprentice assisting in the layout, installation<br />

and maintenance of electrical/electronic systems (Graduates who successfully complete the<br />

required apprenticeship are prepared to take the state electrical contracting license exam.)<br />

AAS, Diploma or Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $33,456-$40,502<br />

Program Contact: Contact: George Kouvaris, gkouvaris@spcc.edu, 704-290-5265<br />

Emergency Medical Technician<br />

Administering first aid treatment and transporting sick or injured<br />

persons to medical facility, working as a paid or volunteer member<br />

of an emergency medical team.<br />

Employment opportunities: Ambulance services, fire and<br />

rescue agencies.<br />

Continuing Education Program Certificate<br />

(Basic, Intermediate and Paramedic)<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $20,000-$40,000 7<br />

Program Contact: Contact: Robby Smith, rsmith@spcc.edu, 704-290-5817<br />

Entrepreneurship<br />

Employment in your own business.<br />

Employment opportunities: Self-employed business owner.<br />

AAS, Diploma or Certificate<br />

Program Contact: Sam Spencer, sspencer@spcc.edu, 704-272-5425<br />

Fire Fighter Training<br />

Employment or volunteer duties with a fire department. Basic and continuing training for fire<br />

fighters is provided in cooperation with local municipal and volunteer departments (A student must<br />

be a member of a fire department to take training.)<br />

Employment opportunities: Municipal fire departments.<br />

Continuing Education Program Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $22,267-$26,130<br />

Program Contact: Chris Yates, cyates@spcc.edu, 704-290-5816<br />

Fire Protection Technology<br />

(offered in collaboration with Central <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong>)<br />

Occupations where the technical knowledge of fire protection is needed in order to deal with<br />

hazardous materials, investigate arson, and make fire prevention recommendations to the<br />

public and private sector.<br />

Employment opportunities: Government agencies, industrial firms, insurance rating<br />

organizations, educational organizations, municipal fire departments with the opportunity<br />

for skilled and supervisory-level positions.<br />

AAS<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $29,463-$32,585<br />

Program Contact: Tammy Frailly, tfrailly@spcc.edu, 704-290-5829<br />

David Wheeler, dwheeler@spcc.edu, 704-290-5879<br />

Human Services Technology<br />

Family and child assistance programs, rehabilitation services, youth services, services for aging,<br />

programs for developmentally disabled.<br />

Employment opportunities: Employment doing direct service delivery work in social<br />

service agencies.<br />

AAS or Diploma<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $24,600-$35,000 8<br />

Program Contact: Fedder Williams, f-williams@spcc.edu, 704-290-5877<br />

Human Services Technology-Substance Abuse Certificate<br />

Employment as substance abuse counselor, DWI counselor, residential facility worker.<br />

Employment opportunities: Substance abuse counselors work with physicians, nurses,<br />

social workers, mental health counselors, police in courts, schools, correctional facilities,<br />

treatment facilities.<br />

Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $28,000-$45,000 9<br />

Program Contact: Fedder Williams, f-williams@spcc.edu, 704-290-5877<br />

Mechanical Engineering Technology<br />

Employment designing, manufacturing, operating and maintaining mechanical systems and<br />

processes such as engines and control systems.<br />

Employment Opportunities: Work in manufacturing facilities, including aerospace and<br />

energy.<br />

AAS or Diploma or Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $34,930-$48,681<br />

Program Contact: Dr. Leo Maganares, lmaganares@spcc.edu, 704-290-5890<br />

Massage Therapy<br />

Work as a massage therapist to provide methodical pressure, friction and kneading of the body for<br />

maintaining wellness or treating alterations in wellness (Graduates will be be eligible to take the<br />

Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEX).<br />

Employment opportunities: Hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, spas, health<br />

and sports clubs.<br />

Continuing Education Program Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $15,000-$50,000 7<br />

Program Contact: Mary Berger, mberger@spcc.edu, 704-290-5865<br />

Mechatronics<br />

Employment in the installation and repair of manufacturing equipment and automated machinery.<br />

Employment opportunities: Work in manufacturing facilities or as field service technician.<br />

Continuing Education Program Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $18.95-$22.45/hr. 10<br />

Program Contact: Russell Carpenter, rcarpenter@spcc.edu, 704-246-0964<br />

Medical Assisting<br />

Employment as a multi-skilled healthcare professional performing administrative, clinical and<br />

laboratory procedures (Graduates are eligible to sit for the American Association of Medical<br />

Assistants Certification Examination to become Certified Medical Assistants).<br />

Employment opportunities: Physicians’ offices, health maintenance organizations, health<br />

departments, hospitals.<br />

AAS or Diploma<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $24,882-$35,882 11<br />

Program Contact: Lori Starnes, lstarnes@spcc.edu, 704-290-5825<br />

Medical Coding Specialist<br />

Employment as a medical coding specialist upon satisfactory completion of online medical<br />

courses and a passing grade on the American Academy of Professional Coders exam.<br />

Employment opportunities: Physicians’ offices, hospitals, nursing homes, coding<br />

consulting companies.<br />

Continuing Education Program Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $20,090-$26,250 10<br />

Program Contact: Geri Duncan, gduncan@spcc.edu, 704-290-5221<br />

Medical Laboratory Assistant (a Medical Assisting certificate option)<br />

Employment performing routine medical laboratory testing and office tasks (Graduates may apply<br />

to take the AMT certification exam to become a Medical Laboratory Assistant.)<br />

Employment opportunities: Physicians’ offices and hospitals.<br />

Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $19,000-$27,000 7<br />

Program Contact: Lori Starnes, lstarnes@spcc.edu, 704-290-5825<br />

Medical Office Administration<br />

Employment performing administrative and support functions in medical and other healthcare<br />

facilities.<br />

Employment opportunities: Medical and dental offices, hospitals, insurance companies,<br />

laboratories, medical supply companies, other healthcare-related organizations.<br />

AAS, Certificate, Medical Insurance Coding<br />

Diploma or Transcription Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $20,250-$41,506 10<br />

Program Contact: Cindy Crenshaw, ccrenshaw@spcc.edu, 704-290-5858<br />

704-290-5100 or 704-272-5300 I www.spcc.edu I <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> I 11


Medical Sonography<br />

Employment as a medical sonographer or ultrasound technologist (Graduates are eligible to take<br />

examinations administered by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers)<br />

Employment opportunities: Hospitals, physicians’ offices, mobile services, educational<br />

institutions.<br />

AAS<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $40,000-$75,000 7<br />

Program Contact: Janet Otton, jotton@spcc.edu, 704-290-5227<br />

Nursing Assistant I & II<br />

Employment as an NA I and II. Training and competency testing required for listing on NA Registry.<br />

Employment opportunities: Hospitals, nursing homes, patients’ homes, physicians’<br />

offices.<br />

Continuing Education Program Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $18,000-$30,000 7<br />

Program Contact: Debra Griffin, dgriffin@spcc.edu, 704-290-5217<br />

Nursing-Associate Degree<br />

A healthcare career as a nurse [Graduates of this program are eligible to take the National Council<br />

of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) to become a registered nurse.]<br />

Employment opportunities: Hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, physicians<br />

offices, community agencies.<br />

AAS<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $39,000-$71,000 7<br />

Program Contact: Joyce Long, j-long@spcc.edu, 704-290-5281<br />

Nursing-Practical<br />

Providing nursing care to children and adults [Graduates are eligible to apply to take the<br />

NCLEX-PN, which is required for practice as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).]<br />

Employment opportunities: Hospitals, clinics, physicians’ offices, long-term care<br />

facilities.<br />

Diploma<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $24,000-$40,000 7<br />

Program Contact: Joyce Long, j-long@spcc.edu, 704-290-5281<br />

Nursing-LPN Refresher<br />

Employment as a licensed practical nurse upon reinstatement of LPN license by N.C. Board of<br />

Nursing.<br />

Employment opportunities: Hospitals, clinics, physicians’ offices, long-term care facilities.<br />

Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $24,000-$40,000 7<br />

Program Contact: J oy ce Long, j -l ong@ spc c.e du, 704-290-5281<br />

Paralegal Technology<br />

Employment performing routine legal tasks and assisting with<br />

substantive legal work under the supervision of an attorney.<br />

Employment opportunities: Private law firms,<br />

governmental agencies, banks, insurance agencies<br />

and other business organizations.<br />

AAS, Diploma or Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $32,139-$41,117<br />

Program Contact: David Broome,<br />

dbroome@spcc.edu, 704-290-5862<br />

REAL (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning)<br />

Self-employment in a business you own and operate using a business plan you develop while you<br />

are enrolled in the one-semester REAL program.<br />

Employment opportunities: Self-employment in a business you build.<br />

Continuing Education Program Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: Varies according to type and success of business<br />

Program Contact: Dan Merle, dmerle@spcc.edu, 704-290-5219<br />

Real Estate Sales/Broker<br />

Upon passing the Real Estate Salesperson/Provisional Broker state exam, you will be qualified to<br />

work as a real estate agent renting, buying and selling property on a commission basis, and will<br />

attain provisional broker status.<br />

Employment opportunities: Real estate agencies.<br />

Continuing Education Program Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $27,851 (average entry earnings) 10<br />

Program Contact: Geri Duncan, gduncan@spcc.edu, 704-290-5221<br />

School-Age Education<br />

Employment working with children in elementary through middle grades in diverse learning<br />

environments. Graduates are prepared to plan and implement developmentally appropriate<br />

programs in school-aged environments.<br />

Employment opportunities: Preschools, childcare programs, Head Start, public and<br />

private schools, public and private agencies, recreational centers<br />

AAS or Diploma or Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $14,545-$19,618<br />

Program Contact: Sharon Little, s-little@spcc.edu, 704-272-5399<br />

Solar and Wind Energy<br />

Employment with solar and wind companies requiring fundamental knowledge of installation and<br />

component functions.<br />

Employment opportunities: Residential and commercial installation, systems maintenance,<br />

troubleshooting, system design, sales and customer service.<br />

Continuing Education Program Certificate<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $30,000-$40,000 5<br />

Program Contact: Contact Dennis Baucom, dbaucom@spcc.edu, 704-290-5222<br />

Simulation and Game Development (Partnership with CPCC)<br />

Employment as designer, artist, animator, programmer, database administrator, tester, quality<br />

assurance analyst, engineer and administrator.<br />

Employment opportunities: Entertainment industry, the health care industry, engineering,<br />

forensics, education, NASA and government agencies.<br />

AAS<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $34,000 - $56,000 5<br />

Program Contact: Oscar Gonzalez, ogonzalez@spcc.edu, 704-290-5232<br />

Surgical Technology<br />

Employment assisting in the care of the surgical patient in the operating<br />

room and to function as a member of the surgical team (Graduates are<br />

eligible to apply to take the Liaison Council’s Certification Examination<br />

for Surgical Technologists.)<br />

Employment opportunities: Hospitals, clinics and other<br />

health related facilities<br />

Diploma<br />

Entry Salary ranges: $26,000-$42,000 7<br />

Program Contact: Carol Courtney,<br />

ccourtney@spcc.edu, 704-272-5421<br />

Web Design<br />

Employment in web design, flash animation and multi-media.<br />

Employment opportunities: Graphic design studios, advertising and marketing agencies,<br />

companies with in-house advertising departments, or self-employment.<br />

Certificate<br />

Entry salary ranges: $37,000-$50,000 12<br />

Program Contact: Linda Ward, lmward@spcc.edu, 704-290-5279<br />

North Carolina salary information taken from www.nccareers.org unless otherwise noted.<br />

1<br />

Results of a survey of local employers. 2 Information from www.ncpublicschools.org.<br />

3<br />

Information from aami.org. 4 Information from www.ncbionetwork.org. 5 Information from<br />

www.cbsalary.com. 6 Information from www.osp.state.nc.us/jobs/ 7 Information from NC Health<br />

<strong>Career</strong>s 2008-2010 published by N.C. Area Health Education Centers. 8 Information from<br />

www.acinet.org. 9 Information from www.nchealthcareers.com. 10 Information from<br />

Employment Security Commission of North Carolina. 11 www.aama-ntl.org 12 Information from<br />

webdesignersalary.net.<br />

SPCC A-Z salary information is designed to serve as a guide to students making career choices.<br />

Graduates may make more or less money than the figures cited and salaries are in no way<br />

guaranteed by <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong>.<br />

12<br />

I <strong>Summer</strong> <strong>2012</strong> I <strong>Career</strong><strong>Focus</strong> <strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong> I www.spcc.edu I 704-290-5100 or 704-272-5300


Need tuition assistance?<br />

Explore WIA funding available through Union County <strong>Community</strong> Action, Inc.<br />

(UCCA offers services to those who are low income or economically disadvantaged. Contact staff for qualifying process.)<br />

Visit www.ncstars.org to explore approved programs and schools for youth and adults.<br />

Explore Youth WIA Services:<br />

•<strong>Career</strong> Planning •Occupational Skills<br />

•On-the-Job Training (OJT) •Work-Related Activities<br />

•Training •<strong>Summer</strong> Employment Opportunities<br />

•Academic Learning •Supportive Services & Follow-Up<br />

Contact: Union County - Paula Holmes,<br />

Youth Development Specialist - 704-283-1114, ext. 239<br />

Anson County - Garrett Malone,<br />

Youth Development Specialist - 704-994-2328<br />

WIA adult participant taking courses in the HVAC program at SPCC.<br />

Explore Adult WIA Services:<br />

•Skill Upgrading & Retraining •Job Referral/Placement<br />

•<strong>Career</strong> Planning •Supportive Services<br />

•Employment Follow-Up •On-the-Job Training<br />

•Occupational Skills Training<br />

Contact: Michele W. Shepherd,<br />

Workforce Development Specialist - 704-283-7541, ext. 212<br />

or michele.shepherd@ncesc.gov<br />

Cleveland Craig, Workforce Development Specialist -<br />

704-283-1114, ext. 236 - or cleveland.craig@uccainc.org<br />

WIA youth participant taking online courses in the Veterinary Assistant<br />

program at SPCC.<br />

Union County<br />

<strong>Community</strong> Action, Inc.<br />

Equal Opportunity Employer/Program<br />

Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.<br />

Prepared by Union County <strong>Community</strong> Action and funded by the Workforce Investment<br />

Act under contract with Centralina Development Consortium.<br />

WIA youth participant taking courses in the Auto Body Repair<br />

program at SPCC.<br />

UNION COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION, INC.


Get ready for <strong>Summer</strong> & Fall<br />

Steps to enroll:<br />

o Apply online at www.spcc.edu<br />

o Request transcripts–high school & college<br />

o Complete online orientation<br />

o Apply online for financial aid<br />

o Take placement test<br />

Register:<br />

May 21-24 (summer and fall)<br />

June 12-13, 26-27 (fall only)<br />

July 10-11, 24-25<br />

August 8-10<br />

Registration Locations:<br />

Old Charlotte Highway Campus,<br />

4209 Old Charlotte Hwy., Monroe<br />

L.L. Polk Campus, U.S. 74, Polkton<br />

Classes begin Wednesday, August 15.<br />

To learn more, call<br />

704-272-5300 Anson County<br />

704-290-5100 Union County<br />

www.spcc.edu<br />

The most up-to-date class schedule<br />

is always available at<br />

www.spcc.edu<br />

Registration for fall college-credit classes automatically<br />

enters you in a drawing for great prizes.<br />

Visit www.spcc.edu for more details.<br />

<strong>South</strong> <strong>Piedmont</strong> <strong>Community</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />

P.O. Box 126<br />

Polkton, NC 28135<br />

ECRWSS<br />

POSTAL CUSTOMER<br />

NON PROFIT ORG.<br />

US POSTAGE<br />

PAID<br />

ACADEMIC<br />

MARKETING SERVICE

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