NRCC History Book

37

Speakers . On January 15, 2001, to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the college sponsored a program entitled “The Dream Continues” with key note speaker Dr. Benjamin Dixon, vice president for multi-cultural affairs at VT. In August 2006 Mr. Daniel LeBlanc, Governor Tim Kaine’s senior workforce advisor, spoke at the college during a workforce develop ment conference. Each spring from 2007 to 2009, the college hosted a regional career fair for high school sophomores in the service region. Presenters from multiple businesses and industries talked to students about skill requirements for different jobs. Open to the public and all students, another annual event held on campus was the Job Fair at which over 50 employers set up booths and handed out information concerning their company. Student Activities Student organizations in the early 2000s included the Black Awareness Association, International Association of Administrative Professionals, Student Government Association, the Human Services and Early Childhood Development Organization, PBL, and Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), an international honor society. Also, several students belonged to Virginia 21, a state-wide student advocacy group which addressed concerns and issues affecting young voters across the Commonwealth. Student Awards/Recognition From 2000 to 2009, PBL, the student business organization, continued its 25-year tradition of supporting the New River Valley March of Dimes WalkAmerica. In 2001 PBL won first in the state and nation for the March of Dimes fundraiser. The organization

continued to place first in March of Dimes at the state level for several years after 2001. For example, in the spring of 2003, over 150 walkers raised $21,000. NRCC’s PBL students consistently won competitions at the state and national levels against their peers from other community colleges and four-year institutions. At the beginning of the decade, Al Guthrie placed fourth in the nation in the PBL telecommunications competition in Orlando, Florida. In 2004 five students placed in the state competition, including Tracye Cooker, Sherrill Thomas, Brian Midkiff, Travis Allen, and Chris Callahan. In the summer of 2007, NRCC marketing major and PBL student Kara Rogers placed third in the national PBL “marketing concepts” competition. In 2008 PBL students won two state competitions. Kara Rogers placed first in decision making and computer concepts and marketing analysis. Miguel Arreola won second place in accounting principles. For many years, PBL students delivered over 130 filled Christmas stockings to the Salvation Army to be given to children in the New River Valley. In 2002 through a service-learning program called TechWeb Partners, students used their skills in web design, marketing, instructional design, application programming, and IT maintenance services to support faculty, staff, and students on campus, as well as real-world clients in the community. TechWeb Partners won a TIE award at the VCCS New Horizons conference in 2002. Directed by Alisha Taylor, technical instruction supervisor, students Branden Johnson and Andrea Mollick received a $500 cash prize and a TIE awards banner and certificate. In the spring of 2003, students in a “Sociology of the Family” course and Heidi

Chapter 1