13 August Join ICC's Alumni Association and for a limited time, receive a free Mississippi custom car license plate August 13, 2024 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Itawamba Community College is offering an opportunity for Mississippi residents, especially its alumni, to share its message through displaying a custom car license plate. For a limited time, residents of the state can join ICC’s Alumni Association for a $20 yearly membership fee, and receive the license plate free of charge, according to Michael Upton, director of Advancement. Incoming ICC Alumni Association President Joey Cox of Fulton has already ordered a tag to support the College. “I am very proud of my association with ICC and enjoyed my time spent here. I look for opportunities to show my ICC pride and think our specialty ICC car tag is a great way to express that pride.” Karen McFerrin of Mantachie, past Alumni Association president and current board member, agrees. “I can’t think of a better way to show support for the college I love than displaying an ICC tag on my car. It’s just a small way of showing my support for a college that means so much to me, and I encourage everyone to support ICC by purchasing a tag and joining our Alumni Association.” Upton said that 300 tags must be presold before the Mississippi Department of Revenue will begin production. ICC will notify the applicant when the tag can be picked up at the tax collector’s office in the county of residence. Pick up should be immediately after notification that the tag is available at the tax collector’s office. If the applicant waits more than 60 days for pick up, the special tag fee must be paid again at that time. “I was so excited when ICC introduced the license plate option,” said Stacey Chapman of Houston, Chickasaw County representative Alumni Board representative. “I knew immediately that I wanted one because ICC is a special place, and I am honored to show my pride for this amazing school. $20 will allow you to join the Alumni Association and get your ICC car tag. It’s an easy YES to show your support for ICC! In addition to the tag, ICC Alumni Association members receive benefits including subscription to The Connection magazine, an ICC Alumni Association decal, free admission to ICC athletic events, discounts to ICC Bookstores, discounted membership to the ICC Fitness Centers and use the Libraries and their resources. For more information, email alumni@iccms.edu or call (662) 862-8039. Related Articles ICC's Lancaster receives University of Mississippi grant for Open Educational Resources Dr. Ashley Craig Lancaster of Tupelo has received a grant from the William-Flora Hewlett Foundation from the University of Mississippi to fund the integration of Open Educational Resources into her American Literature I course at Itawamba Community College. The award will enable Lancaster to replace her copyrighted course material with that which is openly-licensed, which means that the teaching, learning and research resources can be accessed easily and for free. The openly-licensed material allows for full use, reuse, adaptation and resharing by learners and educators. The free materials that are openly-licensed that Lancaster finds valuable and useful will be acceptable, according to guidelines of the grant. According to Lancaster’s notification letter, the OER projects often save students money and increase engagement and learning. “The committee sees great promise in your proposal, and we look forward to supporting your development efforts.” “ICC is dedicated to helping its students succeed in class, so I’m trying to do my part by making classes more affordable while still maintaining high-quality instruction,” Lancaster said. Lancaster has published academic ... Two ICC students receive Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association scholarships Two Itawamba Community College students were among the winners of Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association scholarships for 2022-23. Chad Bishop of Blue Springs and Joseph Harper of Baldwyn each received an award of $1,500 for one academic year to be used for educational expenses. Bishop, who is a sophomore at ICC majoring in robotics automation, has been a wastewater treatment plant operator at APMM in Guntown for the last 11 years. He is a certified treatment specialist and a hands-on practitioner with operational, analytical and maintenance proficiency across a full spectrum of wastewater systems and equipment. Bishop said that he is “excited for the opportunity to work as a maintenance team member in the automotive industry. With the hands-on training I am receiving, I will be more prepared to take on maintenance responsibilities at APMM when I finish. This degree will help me better support my family and reach higher occupational goals.” A sophomore at ICC, Harper is studying Industrial Maintenance and is in the Advanced Manufacturing Technician program at Toyota Mississippi. ... ICC's Dayton Hipps recipient of Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association scholarship Itawamba Community College industrial maintenance major Dayton Hipps of Smithville is one of 14 recipients of the Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association scholarship for 2024-25. According to the announcement, MAMA awarded the scholarships to community college and university students interested in pursuing a career in the automotive manufacturing industry. “MAMA has supported the growth of a strong workforce essential to the health of all industries in the state since its inception in 2006. This year’s scholarships were awarded to technical and engineering-related majors as well as nontraditional majors that can be applied within the automotive industry.” “After speaking with a life coach right after my first year at Itawamba Community College, I finally realized what I enjoy doing and want to do for the rest of my life,” Hipps said. “After starting the Industrial Maintenance program at ICC, I quickly started to fall in love with it…Hearing about these different types of industries has really made me want to become a maintenance technician at an automotive plant because of my love for vehicles.” His experience includes an internship/co-op at Tronox ... ICC's Chris Stevenson selected Mississippi Community College Faculty Association vice president Chris Stevenson of Fulton, Social Science Division Chair and history instructor at Itawamba Community College, has been selected as vice president of the Mississippi State Community College Faculty Association for 2021-23. A native of Guntown, Stevenson has been employed at ICC since 2010. He earned the associate’s degree from ICC, bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University and the master’s degree from the University of Mississippi. He has additional graduate hours from Ole Miss and Delta State University. He is married to Bruce native Jessi Stevenson, and they have two children, Rourke and Riley. As vice president, Stevenson’s role includes support of current state president Brandi Pickett, and he will automatically become president at the conclusion of his two-year term. Stevenson said he plans to emphasize the value and the quality of instruction that originates in the community college classroom to state leaders as well as all residents of Mississippi. ICC's Dickinson elected Mississippi Campus Law Enforcement Association president Itawamba Community College Campus Police Chief Jason Dickinson of Mantachie has been elected president of the Mississippi Campus Law Enforcement Association for a two-year term. Dickinson returned to ICC in 2021 to become Campus Police Chief 28 years after he first enrolled as a student. He previously spent 23 years working patrol and investigating in such roles as chief of police, chief investigator, captain patrol, commander special operation group, sergeant patrol and patrol officer. A graduate of Mantachie High School, Dickinson earned Associate of Applied Science degrees in Agribusiness and Law Enforcement at ICC. He has received numerous honors during his career in law enforcement, including the youngest Chief of Police (Mantachie) in 1998-99. In addition, his career has included serving as Patrol Sergeant for the Baldwyn Police Department and Chief Investigator for the Itawamba County Sheriff’s office. Among his certifications, Dickinson has earned the full-time Law Enforcement Certificate and every state teaching certificate. He is a nationally certified Active Shooter instructor and K-9 handler and state-certified Criminal Investigator and SWAT Operator. Dickinson and his wife, Amanda, have ... ICC's King, Craig receive MHC grant Itawamba Community College English instructors Amber King and Dr. Ashley Craig have received a $4,500 grant from the Mississippi Humanities Council for “Reflecting Mississippi: Finding Yourself in Mississippi’s Reflection.” “When Amber and I decided to apply for the Mississippi Humanities Council grant, we really thought about what the theme ‘Reflecting Mississippi’ meant to us,” Craig said. “I grew up in Mississippi, and I know the stereotype of Mississippi. I also know I don’t fit that stereotype, but I was unaware until later in my life that I wasn’t actually the lone non-stereotype. What Amber and I hope to do with our lecture series is show all the voices Mississippi has to offer. I hope that our students and the surrounding communities can see what it took me so long to see: Mississippi is diverse and complex, and that’s exciting and hopeful.” Public events, which will include hosting several speakers and writing competitions and activities, will showcase the diverse culture that is often overlooked in Mississippi, according to Craig. Speakers will include author Mary Miller, ... Comments are closed.