27 August ICC's Brown returns to the classroom this fall from nine-month deployment to Kuwait August 27, 2021 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Service is an important word to Itawamba Community College instructor Ashley Brown of Blue Springs. Fresh off a nine-month deployment to Kuwait, Brown has returned to the classroom this fall as an industrial maintenance, robotics and electrical technology instructor at the Belden Center. He is now in a different kind of service. He is responsible for recruiting students; building and maintaining the curriculum; ensuring students achieve the skills necessary to be functional, entry-level employees in related career fields; maintaining relationships with industry and prospective employers and linking them. That’s a long way from what Major Brown was doing in western Asia, where he was the logistic officer for a rotary aviation maintenance unit. Brown has been in the military for more than 17 years, beginning as an enlisted private. He has served as an armor crewman in an M1A1 Abrams tank, a calvary scout, completed a 12-month deployment to Iraq and was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. After six years of enlisted time, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and became a calvary officer, serving as a platoon leader, troop executive officer and commander. While Brown was in the command position, his unit was deployed for nine months to Syria and Kuwait. Today, Brown teaches in an air-conditioned and heated classroom, depending on the season. His typical hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-4:40 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Most days consist of teaching three-to-four three credit hour courses maintaining laboratory equipment, periodic student advising and communicating with industry contacts. Brown, who earned his associate’s degree in robotics/automated systems from ICC, became an instructor following a more than 10-year career in industry as a maintenance technician and manufacturing engineer. He also has a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Excelsior College. “After several years working in industry, I had returned to ICC taking courses in Tool and Die Technology,” Brown said. “During this time Mr. (Barry) Emison suggested that I apply for an instructor position with the Workforce department. I was fortunate enough to be hired. A year later the CTE Division opened the Industrial Maintenance Technology program, and I had the honor of being selected as the instructor.” Brown said that what he notices most about how ICC has changed since he was enrolled is that “student access to financial assistance and internship opportunities with local employers has increased dramatically.” He says his ICC job provides an opportunity to assist others in improving their careers and lives, which can be translated into service. Brown also likes that he has a work schedule that allows optimal amounts of time with his family which includes his wife, Mandee, and children Zander, Hope, Gunner and Wyatt, who in 2018 represented him as an honorary captain on the field prior to a football game during his previous deployment. Brown also said a positive of his job is the ability to consistently research and experience new technology and practices that are at the forefront of his field. At ICC, he has been awarded two of its most prestigious honors, Lamplighter 2013 and Meritorious Achievement, 2017. He said he’s learned a lot from the impact of COVID. “It has required us to deliver most of our course content through online methods. Unfortunately, this career field requires a number of learned, hands-on skills that are difficult to attain when unable to work in a laboratory environment. We must continue to research and develop methods of teaching and reinforcement that can be used during COVID-type scenarios.” When he’s not in the classroom or deployed, Brown is boating or hunting. He is also a member of the American Legion, Armor and Cavalry Officers’ Association and Carey Springs Baptist Church. Whether he’s in Syria, Kuwait or Belden, Mississippi, Ashley Brown is involved in service…to his country or to the students he shapes for new beginnings and new careers. And ICC students whose lives he touches have the benefit of what he learned when he was pursuing a degree, “the value of attaining and keeping a competitive edge in your career field.” Welcome home, Ashley Brown. Related Articles ICC's enrollment increases this fall Itawamba Community College’s fall enrollment has increased even during turbulent economic times, according to figures released by the Mississippi Community College Board. With full-time enrollment beginning at more than 4,700 and an increase in credit hours, the increase equates to 1.3 percent. The increase is determined by comparing enrollments for the 2021 and 2022 fall semesters. In August, ICC opened Magnolia Hall, a state-of-the-art residence for honors students and student leaders at the Fulton Campus, which accommodates 246 additional students, and an increased emphasis has been placed on student activities, said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “This is very exciting news, since the increases are in headcount, full-time equivalencies and credit hours and places us on an upward trend to pre-pandemic enrollment,” Allen said. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to provide a solid educational foundation and the best start for those in our five-county district and beyond.” “Statistics show that the more students are engaged on campus, the more successful they will be in the ... 11 graduate from ICC's prestigious Leadership Development Institute Eleven members of Itawamba Community College’s faculty and staff have graduated from its prestigious Leadership Development Institute. They include Lindsey Patterson of Amory, Natural Science instructor/eLearning A&P lead and A&P department chair; Audra Perry of Belden, Adult Education director; Lee Adams, Bookstore manager; Kaitlyn Stanfield, Housing and Residence Life director; and Rachel Steele, director of Admissions/Registrar, all of Fulton; Jason Dickinson, Campus Police chief; and Jason Williams, Transportation director, both of Mantachie; Caleb Ramey of Red Bay, Ala., TIS systems administrator; Adam Denton of Saltillo, Respiratory Therapy program director; Stacey Loden, Workforce accountability and information specialist; and Alicia Thornton, Surgical Technology program director, both of Tupelo. “I’m honored to have been a part of LDI, and the experience was very special,” Lee Adams said. “It helped me gain a broader understanding of the three locations of the college as well as how the (ICC) cabinet and administration work to benefit the college, students, employees and surrounding communities. The program, Dr. (Jay) Allen and all of the speakers expanded my knowledge of how to lead so that I can apply ... Nine graduate from ICC's prestigious Leadership Development Institute Nine members of Itawamba Community College’s faculty and staff have graduated from its prestigious Leadership Development Institute. They include C.J. Adams of Fulton, assistant director of marketing; Terry Bland of Mooreville, financial aid director; Josh Gammill of Fulton, continuing education director; Adam Gore of Fulton, sports information and media relations director; Holly Gray of Fulton, library director; John Wayne Harris of Fulton, director of physical plant operations; Chris Stevenson of Fulton, dean of academic instruction; Dr. Dana Walker of Tupelo, Associate Degree Nursing program director; and Steven West of Mantachie, systems analyst and programmer. “The LDI was extremely beneficial and helped me broaden my vision for ICC, both as a college and our nursing program,” Dana Walker said. “The sessions on leadership styles from Dr. (Jay) Allen (ICC President) and others helped foster new ideas on how to use the college’s strategic plan and goals for decision making at my level. The LDI motivated me and made me feel connected to ICC and especially aware of how my decisions impact ICC and the ... No tuition increase at ICC this fall When Itawamba Community College begins its fall semester in mid-August, there will be no tuition increase. “We realize that with the economy and price increases, such as fuel, now more than ever, the College needs to make extra sacrifices to meet the needs of the people we serve,” according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “By not increasing tuition, Itawamba Community College can continue to make education more affordable to help families during these stressful economic times,” Allen said. Again, this summer, ICC has extended its workday hours from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mondays-Thursdays, and closed on Fridays to conserve energy, which has been especially important during the extreme heat during June and July. The College also reviews each employee departure and evaluates if a reorganization and absorption of duties is a better fit for the College at that time or should the position be rehired. “Like our business partners and private citizens, ICC is doing more with less,” Allen said. “ICC continues to attempt to remove barriers and increase access to education while maintaining its reputation for academic excellence.” ... ICC's Nursing students have opportunity to benefit from Women's Foundation of Mississippi grant Students in Itawamba Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing programs will have an opportunity to benefit from a significant grant from the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi. The $40,000 Access to Opportunity – Training and Graduating a Healthcare Workforce for Mississippi grant will be divided between the ADN and PN programs based on relative program enrollments, said Rilla Jones, dean of Health Science Instruction. This year, 31 ADN and 19 PN students will receive funds. Students in their final year/semester of their nursing program will be informed of this grant during the beginning of the fall semester, Jones said. Those who would like to be considered for the grant will complete an application and sign a consent form for FAFSA data to be accessed. Selection will be based on lowest estimated financial contribution and income level and the most number of dependents. Students who are selected will be awarded $800. “This targeted, need-based funding will allow students near graduation to be able to pay for expenses, such as NCLEX review courses, licensing exams ... ICC's ADN, PN programs to benefit from $40,000 Women's Foundation of Mississippi Grant Students in Itawamba Community College’s Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing programs again will have an opportunity to benefit from a significant grant from the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi. For the second consecutive year, the $40,000 Access to Opportunity – Training and Graduating a Healthcare Workforce for Mississippi grant will be divided between the ADN and PN programs based on relative program enrollments, said Tonya Vaughn, dean of Health Science Instruction. Last year, 31 ADN and 19 PN students received funds. During 2021-22, recipients of the grant money expressed their appreciation for their selection. Among the uses for the funds included purchase of a new computer that was compatible with technology used in the nursing program, payment for the NCLEX review and application, vehicle tires for less hazardous travel to and from school and clinicals and childcare to enable continued enrollment. Students in their final year/semester of their nursing program will be informed of this grant during the beginning of the fall semester, Vaughn said. Those who would like to be considered for the grant will complete an ... Comments are closed.