11 August ICC convocation features motivation and a special visit August 11, 2022 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Itawamba Community College’s 2022 fall convocation Wednesday included not only state-of-the-college and motivational information but a special visit by members of the IJC first graduating class. Rev. Roy and Doris Ryan of Tupelo accepted “keys” to ICC and reminisced about their two years at IJC, where they met. Their visit was the beginning of a year-long commemoration in observance of ICC’s Diamond Anniversary, which will be officially celebrated next September 1. Faculty, staff and administrators packed the W.O. Benjamin Fine Arts Center auditorium in the college’s first in-person convocation since the onset of the pandemic. They heard not only the Ryans’ story but also how Juanita Floyd, “a scared little girl,” overcame significant obstacles in her life to eventually become CREATE Foundation’s Vice President of Finance and Administration. In her “You Be The Difference” presentation, Floyd shared how at the age of 14 in the summer of 1969, she survived 10-15 minutes underwater at Tupelo apartment complex swimming pool, numerous car accidents and other misfortunes. “I should not be standing here today,” Floyd said, “but the Lord had other plans. I am so thankful to have been given a chance to fulfill my purpose in life. You make the difference!” Floyd attributed all of her success, from being the only black child in a white classroom, to achieving college degrees, to a career she never thought possible to the encouragement and love from her mother, Bernice Gambrell, who with only an eighth-grade education worked hard so that her children would have opportunities to succeed and make a difference. “Aspire to be the difference,” Floyd challenged members of the ICC family. “It’s in your hands to make a difference. My mother’s story is a prime example of building relationships and making a difference. If I had given up, I would not have succeeded…As working men and women, you can effectively make a difference in someone’s life…You can be a change agent. My mother chose to see a different world filled with hope. She was a difference maker. You are difference makers. You be the difference.” ICC President Dr. Jay Allen challenged faculty and staff members to take his 10 percent challenge during 2022-23. “As Rick Warren, author, pastor and motivational speaker said, “It’s not about me, it’s about making the world a better place. YOU are the difference and one of the many reasons ICC is the premier community college that it is. You belong here.” “I am often told what a great job the College is doing, and I quickly respond with, ‘We have great people that are doing great things! It is our goal to be a little better than we were yesterday,’” Allen said. He challenged faculty and staff to join him in taking the 10 percent upward challenge, “in other words being 10 percent better than we are today. This can be done by each person, office, department, division and the College as a whole, and in doing so, we all make a difference.” Related Articles ICC recognizes new faculty, staff and reassignments at 2024 fall convocation Several area residents have joined the Itawamba Community College faculty and staff and were introduced at the fall 2024 convocation, Aug. 14. They include Amory – Morgan Speed, Advising Center assistant; Dixie Owen, Dual Credit admissions specialist; Baldwyn – Alisha Boren, Administrative Assistant to the Office of the President; Bay St. Louis – Andrew Elkins, assistant men’s soccer coach; Belden – Jay Harrelson, manufacturing specialist; Cayce Smith, athletic creative content coordinator; Belmont – Jessica Johnson, Residence Hall Director; Izaac Johnson, Campus Police officer; Blue Springs – Casey Peeples, Associate Degree Nursing instructor; Columbus – Cody Morris, TIS technician; Danville, Ala. – Carson Owens, head softball coach; Fulton – Jimmy Sartin, Campus Police officer; Mara Shumpert, custodian; Jenna Russell, custodian; Caroline Mason, digital media specialist; Ethan Davis, TIS technician; Paige Barksdale, custodian; Dee Hentz, assistant football coach/defensive line; Ashley Brewer, custodian; Samantha Hanna, Campus Police officer; Brycen Carsten, TIS technician; Leah Caldwell, strategic office specialist; Anna Daher, English instructor; Madison Monson, assistant softball coach; Golden – Daris White, transportation driver; Jason Harris, Diesel Equipment Technology ... New ICC faculty, staff introduced; reassignments announced at Aug. 9 Convocation Several area residents have joined the Itawamba Community College faculty and staff and were introduced at the Aug. 9 convocation. They include Aberdeen – Serenity Pierce, Instructional Support team supervisor, ISC technician; Amory – Kelle Spencer, TANF Career Step navigator; Amanda Knight, custodian; Sierra Logan, WIOA office assistant; Belden – Bryant Nickels, head cheer coach; Blue Springs – Ashley Wells, WIOA career coach; Blake Buse, Health Science adviser; Bruce – Lauren Murphree, Associate Degree Nursing instructor; Fulton – Richard Beyer, transportation driver; Stephen Brazil, groundskeeper; Shanda Loague, custodian; Kristie Seawell, custodian; Kristin Adams, Physical Therapist Assistant Technology clinical coordinator of education; Amy Jo Holcomb, English instructor; Cassidy Little, Associate Degree Nursing/Practical Nursing administrative assistant; Danny Oswalt, English instructor; Becky Taylor, Health Sciences administrative assistant; Aaron Anguiano, assistant football coach; Kristen Hawkins, assistant softball coach; Edward Krajewski, assistant football coach; Justin Lucas, assistant football coach; Collin McCrory, assistant baseball coach; Kareem Moore, assistant football coach; Jamilah Sanders, assistant women’s basketball coach; Diamond Wraggs, assistant women’s basketball coach; Golden – Drae ... ICC/The W sign MOU for bachelor's degree program in elementary/special education Itawamba Community College and Mississippi University for Women signed a memorandum of understanding today (Nov. 1) to offer an undergraduate program of study that will lead to a bachelor’s degree in elementary education or special education from the School of Education at The W. “We are excited to announce this partnership with ICC that strengthens our commitment to providing access and new pathways for our students,” said W President Nora Miller. “Together we are dedicated to fostering academic growth and preparing teachers for their classrooms.” “This agreement will allow our students to now have an opportunity to transfer their credits and work toward a bachelor’s degree at MUW in a discipline in which they are truly passionate,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “This degree opportunity recognizes the value of both elementary and special education degrees offered at Mississippi’s community colleges and the impact they are making not only on Mississippi’s workforce but to provide an unparalleled foundation for our children in the state and beyond. This allows our previous, current and future elementary education or special education majors a natural ... ICC celebrates STEM Week with special speakers, events Itawamba Community College is celebrating February 3-6 as STEM Week with special events through its organization. They include STEM Club meetings featuring Ole Miss representatives, Feb. 3 and Mississippi State University representatives, Feb. 4; debut of ICC’s planetarium in the John S. Crubaugh Education Building, Feb. 5; and Community College Innovation Challenge, Feb. 6. Although the special events will take place at the Fulton Campus, they are open to all members, including those from both the Tupelo Campus and Belden Center. The STEM Club connects students with an interest in STEM-related fields. Members have an opportunity to attend events with speakers from different fields, network with other students in similar fields of study, meet representatives from universities and local companies, discover and engage in new technologies and support ICC’s five-county district through community service. For more information, including membership for ICC students, email stemclub@iccms.edu. Business Office Specialist program Itawamba Community College is offering a 15-week business office specialist program that will begin Feb. 20 at the Belden Center. Meetings will be from 5:30-9:30 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, through June 7. The program is designed for students to develop basic office, communication and computer technology skills. Through intensive lab instruction, students have the opportunity to attain an Intuit Quickbooks certification and receive training and instruction to prepare for the Microsoft Office Specialist certification in MS Excel and MS Word. Additional highlights of the program include instruction in performance of technical office tasks; “soft-skills” such as teamwork, communication and customer service; basic math; fundamentals of bookkeeping and basic human resource management. For more information, contact Becky Kelly, Continuing Education specialist, at (662) 407-1500 or email rakelly@iccms.edu. ICC exhibition features work of alumnus Bryce Camp The Itawamba Community College Fine Arts Department is sponsoring an exhibition of photographs by Amory resident Bryce Camp, who is a recent graduate of Mississippi State University and an ICC alumnus. He discovered his passion for art after having taken a class in Art Appreciation at ICC, and it was while transferring to Mississippi State that he declared himself an art major specializing in photography. Of his work he says, “My current series of photographs of roadside memorials show the beauty that can arise amidst the tragedy of death and loss. Accidents happen every day, but people can transform that grief into something beautiful and constructive. The memorials pictured in my series are all from the North Mississippi area. They were spread out across our corner of the state, but they all represent the same thing. These memorials are not simply crosses or balloons on the side of the road; they represent a lifetime to someone, the route they may have traveled to work or home, the laughter and the tears, and to some, an ease of pain.” His ... Comments are closed.