SPIRE Summer 2019

college news

Bluefield College Pre-Law Students Visit Appalachian School of Law

Bluefield College Alumna Thriving in Criminal Justice Not only has Tatiana Dronsick graduated from Bluefield College, but she has also graduated from New River Criminal Justice Training Academy and has since been working as an officer at Radford University Police Station. Dronsick graduated from Bluefield in May 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She continued her studies at New River Criminal Justice Training Academy in Dublin, Virginia, where she later graduated on December 10, 2018. Dr. Kim Farmer, professor and chair of the department of criminal justice, and Dr. Kelly Walls, associate professor of criminal justice, both attended Dronsick’s graduation last December.

On Thursday, March 14, 2019, four Bluefield College pre-law students and Dr. Kim Farmer, professor and chair of the department of criminal justice, visited the Appalachian School of Law (ASL) in Grundy, Virginia. These students were Adrina Brown Duncan, Autumn Williby, Khadijah Law, and Ryan Franceschina. They spent their day touring the school while visiting current law students. They were even able to sit in on a first-year law school class in Contract Law. “Some of our pre-law students are thinking about attending ASL. We are so blessed to have a law school so close that partners with us,” said Dr. Kim Farmer. An agreement between Bluefield College and the ASL allows students to finish their senior year at ASL and have one year of law school completed when they graduate from Bluefield College.

BC Professor Appointed to Commissioner’s Special Advisory Council on Health Disparity & Health Equity Bluefield College Professor of Psychology, Chair of Human Services, and Director of Early Childhood Education, Bonny Dillon, is serving the state of Virginia on the Commissioner’s Advisory Council on Health Disparity and Health Equity (ACHDHE).

“I learn about their programs and resources and how they can connect with their students and then I bring that back to Bluefield College. Then our students can share that information in their communities for their benefit.” Dillion brings several areas of expertise to the board - clergy, academic training, and mental health background. Out of 19 individuals, Dillion is the only member from Southwest Virginia serving on the board. This is a four-year appointment and Dillon’s first year. Dillon discussed her role on the committee saying, “The purpose is to be a resource for the community and learn from the community. I learn about programs across the state as well as health issues the state is facing.” Dillion is joined by other health professionals from Norfolk State University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, the College of William and Mary, Virginia Commonwealth University, and directors of various departments, including the Office of Health Equity in the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities. “Bluefield College is an emerging source for health and wellbeing, and I’m delighted to serve the College in this capacity,” said Dillion.

BC Students Help Out Blessings in a Backpack Bluefield College’s third core education class, Civic & Global Response, encourages students to find a role in serving their community. On January 15, four Bluefield students joined with their professor and did just that. Students Nicky Dronsick, Melissa Denson, Jordyn O’ Saben, Gabrielle Reed, and professor Dr. Cindy Bascom volunteered at Trinity United Methodist Church in Bluefield, West Virginia, packing food for Blessings in a Backpack. The Blessings in a Backpack organization has fed over 87,300 children in 1,092 schools in 45 states. Denson, O’ Saben, Reed, and Bascom packed 700 bags of food, contributing to the overall group’s 2,800 bags in under two hours. “When my students and I walked into the church basement to help pack food, we were astonished! There were at least 50 volunteers passionately packing up food that was piled two to three feet high on row after row of tables. It looked chaotic, but we quickly realized it was a highly organized assembly. I’m so thankful my students and I had the chance to help. It does a heart good to volunteer, play a part in a community effort, and have some fun,” said Bascom.

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