WINTERVILLE—Pitt Community College held its annual Academic Excellence Awards ceremony on March 25 to celebrate top students for their classroom achievements and volunteerism.

The program, said PCC President Lawrence Rouse, was an opportunity for the PCC to recognize students who have maintained high standards in their academic pursuits and civic engagement, despite the ongoing pandemic.

“As we all know, the 2021-22 academic year has been tough,” Rouse said. “The students we honor today have overcome unforeseen circumstances as well as the typical challenges associated with obtaining a college degree. Not only did they succeed in their studies, but they did so exceptionally well while serving the campus and their communities.

Each spring, CCP faculty and staff nominate students for Academic Excellence Awards. Recipients receive a certificate and special medallions made by Pitt Machining Technology students in commemoration of their achievement.

“Remember, your award today is the beginning…” said Dr. Thomas Gould, PCC’s executive vice president of academic affairs and student services. “In your case, that means raising the bar and taking it to the next level.”

As part of the ceremony, PCC announced the recipients of several special awards.

Industrial Management Technology graduate Victor Long was selected as Pitt’s recipient of a State Academic Achievement Award from the NC Community College System (NCCCS). A Dean’s List student with a 3.94 GPA, Long has volunteered with the Robersonville Ruritan Club, United Way, Love a Sea Turtle’s “Paint the Drain” program, and the “Hunting Matters!” ‘Hats On’ Mentoring Campaign.

Harriss Evans, a building construction student, has received the 2022 President’s Scholarship worth $1,000 from the PCC Foundation. Evans is a CCP Student Ambassador with a GPA of 3.83. He also volunteers for Upward Basketball and Bible School at Jarvis United Methodist Church in Greenville.

This year’s $500 President’s Award was presented to Jennifer Beatty, a college transfer student nearing graduation with a 4.0 GPA. A member of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), she also volunteered at a recent PCC Adopt-A-Highway roadside cleanup.

The division awards were presented to students Sarah Cooke (arts and science), Stephen Rockwell (business), Long (construction and industrial technology), Krystan Simpson (health sciences) and Helaina Black (utilities and fine arts ). Each student received $250 through the honor.

Awards were also given to Johnny McCarter III and Savannah Pitvorec for excellence in development studies courses. McCarter was also announced as Pitt’s nominee for the NCCCS’ Dallas Herring Achievement Award.

CPC softball player Abigail Carpenter, a Business Administration: Human Resources Management student, and Martin Zelenka, a university transfer student, received student-athlete awards in recognition of their academic achievements, sportsmanship and the positive impact they have had on their teams. and community.

Architectural Technology student Matthew Simpkins has been nominated as the PCC’s nominee for the NCCCS Governor Robert W. Scott Student Leadership Award. Simpkins has a GPA of 3.91 and is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, NSLS, and Gamma Beta Phi National Honor Society. He received the Hope Lodge Volunteer of the Year award in 2018.

CCP Alumni Association Holds Annual Awards Ceremony

The CPC Alumni Association honored the graduates for their professional achievements and service to the college and the community at its annual awards ceremony on March 24.

The program included awarding six people in five different categories. The winners were selected based on criteria established by the CCP Alumni Association Board of Directors.

“It’s always a joy to recognize the success of deserving Pitt alumni,” said PCC Development Manager John Bacon. “They made their alma mater proud and are prime examples of what can happen when individuals combine their PCC education with hard work and determination.”

PCC presented a Distinguished Alumni Award – its most prestigious – to Michele Marston. A 2012 university transfer graduate, Marston helps marginalized communities achieve economic security as a program administrator with Koinonia Community Solutions. She is currently working on a bachelor’s degree in economics at East Carolina University (ECU).

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Marsten volunteers with several community organizations. She mentors girls through the nonprofit group Daughters of Worth and has helped the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge raise nearly $12,000 for its education and outreach programs.

“I wouldn’t be who I am without the opportunities I had at CCP and the people there who saw value in me,” Marsten said after receiving his award.

Outstanding Alumni Awards were presented to 2009 transfer graduates Keoshia Allen and Brian Ennis, who earned an Associate in Science from Pitt in 2015 and an Associate in General Education in 2016. Allen, who earned an bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from ECU, now works as the library media coordinator at Wakelon Elementary School, while Ennis is a pharmacist at O’Neal’s Drug Store in eastern North Carolina.

Tara Hughes, a horticultural technology graduate in 2015, received a Young Alumni award. Hughes is a licensed landscape contractor with his own landscaping business in Kinston.

Anthony Dunn, professor of CCP history and coordinator of the social studies program, received an alumni award. Dunn graduated from Pitt’s college transfer program in 2002 and says college helped him “find his way” in life.

The PCC presented an Honorary Alumni Award to former Administrator Max Joyner Sr. for adopting Pitt as its own through “outstanding service, substantial and continued commitment and loyalty.” An ECU graduate, Joyner excelled in his career with Jefferson Pilot Standard Life Insurance Company. He received the prestigious Order of the Long Leaf Pine from the state in 2014 and was named the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year in 2016.

Former North Carolina Governor James Holshouser appointed Joyner to an eight-year term on the CCP board of directors in 1972. His loyalty to the CCP never wavered, and in 2017 the college was named the auditorium of his new building Walter & Marie Williams after him. in recognition of their outstanding financial support.