Stephanie Brackin is PCC 2010 Academic Excellence Award Winner

Specer Baldwin, Margaret Laverty, and Shawn Lyon recognized as finalists.

She was 40 with grown children when she committed herself to her goal of becoming a school teacher and enrolled at Pamlico Community College. Now, adding to a growing list of college achievements, Stephanie Brackin is the PCC 2010 Academic Excellence Award winner.

The North Carolina Community College System recognizes a student from each of the 58 community colleges in the state every spring. They are dubbed "The Great Within the 58" and will be honored on April 14 in Raleigh with a reception at the Governor's Mansion.

Brackin's two children were "at a place in their lives where they were basically self-sufficient. I had been working as a teacher assistant and that's where my dream of becoming a teacher was born and grew. It was time for me to focus on going to college if I were ever going to do it." She added, "I wasn't sure what to expect but I learned that determination was going to make this dream come true."

She has been inducted in the Phi Theta Kappa, the nation's honor society for students attending two-year colleges, and has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average. In an Art Appreciation class she created pen and ink drawings that became part of the college's exhibit at Circle Ten Art Gallery in Oriental and a project she completed for a history class predicting the future of Pamlico County 20 years hence was featured in two newspaper stories.

Brackin noted, "Going back to school, juggling job, family, and my studies, no matter how hard it was at times, I managed to look down the road to see that this effort was going to pay off. This is more than just reaching a goal to eventually graduate from East Carolina University with a four-year degree so I can teach.

"I'm doing something that I know is going to make me a better person. I'm going to be able to set a good example for my children and my grandchild."

PCC President, Dr. Cleve H. Cox, noted Brackin's accomplishments. "Stephanie Brackin epitomizes the essence of this college, achieving as she has in her academic program. We are proud to recognize her in this way. She obviously values education and has the long-term commitment and determination to excel in her endeavors. Just as we honor her, she also brings honor to our campus."

Brackin's husband, Wayne, works with Tideland Electric. Their daughter, Lyndsie, is a PCC cosmetology student. Their son, Christopher, works in private industry and has one child, Miles.

Three finalists for this recognition at PCC will be recognized locally. They are Spencer Baldwin, Margaret Laverty, and Shawn Lyon.

Baldwin, a business Administration major, also works at Staples. He credits his PCC English and Business classes with helping him in communications skills that have benefitted him on the job. He said, "I have used theories I learned in classes at work and I was selected to train new employees. I have excelled in my workplace and learned to also give back to my community in service to my church and Habitat for Humanity."

Laverty, who moved to North Carolina from the Midwest, admits to anxiety about her move. She says, "Now I see this was the best decision I could have made for my future. School is exciting for me rather than overwhelming. Although I graduated from a high school in Chicago four times the size of PCC, I feel right at home. I don't shy away form challenges now, I embrace them at PCC."

Lyon said, "At PCC I have the freedom I would have at a university but I am in a one-on-one environment that makes learning pleasurable. I really enjoy attending class because I never know what's going to be new and exciting from one day to the next. If I had it to do all over again, I would again start on my path in higher education at PCC."

Spencer Baldwin, Margaret Laverty, and Shawn Lyon, Finalists

Seated, left to right, are Deborah Stewart, Brenda Mattocks, Donny Stewart, Pansy Stewart, and Daniel Pate, Jr. Amanda Bennett, PCC Director of Basic Skills joins them for a "family" photo. The five family members seated are completing studies to earn the GED high school equivalency.

Some restaurants advertise meals served 'family style.' Pamlico Community College is serving educational needs - 'family style' -especially to one area family.

Donny Stewart, his sister Brenda Mattocks, Brenda's son, Daniel Pate, Jr., Donny's daughter, Deborah, and Pansy, sister-in-law to Donny and Brenda, are completing studies at Pamlico Community College in order to take the test to earn the GED high school equivalency.

For a variety of reasons, high school did not seem to be a good fit and all five dropped out at or around the age of 15. Donny led the way to PCC not long after being laid off from Hatteras Yachts where he had worked for many years.

Donny left school when he was 16. He said, "I don't want this to happen to me again. I don't want to be laid off and not be able to find another good job. I know that with the GED, I'll stand a better chance of staying employed."

Daniel never saw himself in college, but one of his passions has been music. "I didn't know what I wanted to do but now I know to do anything professional in music I have to have an education," he said. He has placed high on competency tests and hopes to enroll at PCC either in the summer or next fall.

Brenda, who always thought of herself working as a secretary in an office now has even higher aspirations. She said, "I found that I would have a better chance of succeeding at a smaller school like Pamlico. I want to grow and get the skills to open my own business offering floral and decorating services."

Brenda raised two children as a single parent and later a step-daughter. She recalled, "I did a man's job for five years to make good money for my family. That took a toll on my back. I know I can't get a good job making good money without more education. I'm going to use my education so I won't have to do a man's labor anymore."

Pansy was inspired by a question from her son. "My son asked me one day, "What's your dream?' I told him how much I wanted to work in a veterinary hospital and care for animals. I want to finish the GED, get an Associate's degree and move on to this goal," she related.

Deborah told of never seeing herself finishing school, dropping out at age 16. While Pansy's passion is working with small animals, Deborah is passionate about working with small children in a doctor's office. She said, "I want to ultimately be a pediatric nurse and getting my GED is going to be the first step."

Amanda Bennett, PCC Director of Basic Skills, observed, "This family is working so hard, individually and collectively. I can't express how happy I am that we have the venue here at PCC to help them finish the process they started when they entered high school. Keep in mind, this is just the beginning. They are not going to stop with a GED. They are moving on."

Basic Skills instructor Nicole Gibbs was thanked by all the family members for her patience and individualized instruction. Gibbs said, "I don't do this just because it's my job. I do this because I love helping people improve their station in life. When that happens, everybody's life is better."

As an interview with the family concluded, a family member slipped a note to the interviewer and said, "Please put this in anything said about us." The note said, "With God, all things are possible."

Scarlet Stokes, left, along with Jim Curry, seated, review Sam Credle's plans to erect a basketball goal on the PCC campus. Stokes is Purchasing Agent for the college, curry is the vice-President for Administrative Services.

It's not as far as one would think from Long Island, NY to Pamlico County. Ask Sam Credle. He has bridged the miles, physically and culturally.

In a relatively short span of years, Sam's mother lost her parents and her husband. Though not from this area, she decided to move to North Carolina to be near her late husband's family. This would be deemed a culture shock for the average teenager moving from New York to Pamlico County.

Turns out, the move was not dreaded by Sam. "I was really excited to see a new place. We had moved before so it didn't scare me to move again," he said. He enrolled as a freshman at Pamlico County High School and played varsity basketball his last three years there. He relates that a highlight of his playing years was when the team made it to the state 1-A finals.

The basketball court was not the only place that made an impact on Sam's life at PCHS. Because of his interest in drawing, he was drawn to Robin Migliorato's drafting classes. He says, "I was walking by the classes and thought to myself that my calling just might be in there. I have felt that I have always been good in art and math and I was excited that drafting was a place I could put that to work."

Sam's experiences in drafting classes with mentoring by Ms. Migliorato convinced him he wanted to become an architect. Recognizing the expense of going to college to become an architect, he joined the Army Reserve upon graduation in 2008. He successfully completed boot camp and is now in college using assistance from the Army. He is looking at schools of architecture to attend after completing his studies at PCC.

At PCC, Sam has become an active and involved student. With his basketball days still fresh on his mind, he approached the college's Director of Community Relations and inquired as to why the college did not have a basketball goal on campus so students could shoot hoops during long waits between classes. Sam was then ushered to the office of the college's vice-president for administration.

While many administrative stereotypes take a slow and methodical approach to anything that is new or might cost even a small amount of money, Jim Curry's very first words upon hearing Sam's idea was, "I'll be the first to go out and shoot hoops with them."

Curry asked Sam to study the campus and make a proposal in writing. What Curry did not have at the time was knowledge about Sam's background in art and drafting. The very next day Sam appeared with a detailed drawing of the entire campus and a cut-out, drawn-to-scale replica of a basketball court that could be placed on the campus drawing at various possible sites for erecting a goal.

The idea has been passed to Scarlet Stokes on the Buildings and Grounds Committee for it to evolve through proper channels, but as Jim Curry says, "It's going to happen."

Sam's experience exhibits many characteristics of what it's like to attend a small college first before going to a bigger university. "PCC might be a small college, but if you are looking for the opportunity to learn, this place has a good environment. This is the right place to be for me. The instructors and the staff people really help the students," he said.

Sam, who likes designing houses, is in the right house now for his education. His instructors and fellow students see great things ahead for him as he pursues personal and professional goals ... goals beyond a basketball goal at PCC.

Taking boatbuilding under Graham is like taking guitar lessons under Eric Clapton.

"Hell no! Too much engineering goes into this to have failures like that."

That was the emphatic, demonstrative, and profound answer from Graham Byrnes when asked if any boat his students had built had failed in any way or sunk. Pamlico Community College recently saluted Byrnes for having completed a quarter century of teaching boatbuilding, a tenure longer than any faculty member from any program of study ever in the history of the institution.

Recent interviews revealed how Byrnes is revered by his current and former students. Bob Andrews, 76, went to work for a boat manufacturer in New Jersey when he was only 15. Before retiring to the waterways of Pamlico County, Andrews lived near the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and has been involved with boating for 61 years. He said, "Having worked on boats and owned many boats, I thought I was fairly knowledgeable, but I learned much from Graham. For one thing, he taught me to stitch and sew wood panels, something I carried with me after his class when I built a Chesapeake Light Craft kayak."



Bill Creswell, a retired Information Technology manager is currently building a 17 foot Core Sound boat in the class. Creswell observed this about the class under Byrnes. "There is nowhere else on this planet where all the ingredients come together better than they do here. We have the best in woodworking, engineering, and design background. Graham is a naval architect with all the right experience. I can't put a value on my experiences here. You can't replicate this class anywhere."

Byrnes lives and breathes for wooden boat designs and their construction. He has a motto in his private workshop, "If God had intended man to have fiberglass boats, he would have created fiberglass trees."

Last year Byrnes won a prestigious international wooden boat design competition sponsored by two magazines, Professional Boat Builder and Wooden Boat Magazine. There were 73 entries from 16 different countries. Byrnes designed a lightweight and economical center console power boat, outclassing the competition that would use a small engine but cruise at normal speeds with four people on board. The prize also included a cash award.

When asked if there had been any major changes in the instruction he has offered over the last 25 years, Byrnes was quick to point out the advent of the computer in creating boat designs and cutting material. He said, "Now we have computerization in the designs and in the equipment used to cut wood. A router's movement can now be guided by a computer to create the most intricate of designs or patterns."



On the flip side, Byrnes, with decades spent on the seas, noted that some things have not changed and will not change. "The laws of the sea have not changed. We still have to compete with nature and nature does not cut us any slack."

In addition to the many wooden boat competitions both he and his students have won, Byrnes has also won more sailing competitions all over the world than he can remember. One of his most memorable wins was at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1993. The race was sponsored by Wooden Boat Magazine and had 103 entries. Byrnes won both first in his class and first in the fleet.



Becky Fitzgerald is taking her first boat building class and building her first boat in the current class. She is building an eleven foot spindrift, a sailboat referred to as a catboat, only one sail, the mast near the bow.

"I like tools, and I always wanted to try this. My husband, Jerry, lets me play. I love this challenge. Graham is world class. To be in this class around his talent is simply unbelievable," she said.

Jeff Gurney, like many former students of Byrnes, is set to try his hand at becoming a professional boat builder. He has built a 30 x 30 shop at his home on Upper Broad Creek where he plans to open his new business, Coastal Carolina Watercraft of New Bern, NC, USA.

Gurney exclaimed, "Taking boatbuilding lessons from Graham Byrnes is like taking guitar lessons from Eric Clapton."



The class attracts students from many levels. Some have professional interests like those of Gurney, many are retired from a variety of professions, and some are still very much involved in careers. Brian Dodds said, "After working all day at a desk in front of a computer, to be able to do something as creative as this is more than satisfying."

Byrnes is a native of Australia. He studied boat building and design at Brisbane Technical College, a school similar to North Carolina's community colleges. That school is now a part of Queensland University.



Looking back over hundreds of classes and scores of students, Byrnes revealed why he has had and continues to have a passion for teaching. "It's the people. I have made so many fine friends, and I have learned as much from them as they have learned from me. Old yachtsmen never die. They just get a little dinghy."

PCC President, Dr. Cleve H. Cox, paid tribute to Byrnes. "Since the day I arrived at Pamlico Community College, I have heard countless accolades regarding Graham Byrnes and the boat building course he has been teaching here for 25 years. That certainly speaks to the quality of instruction he provides and the interest there is in learning from 'the best!' After seeing his work and that of his students, it is without question that he is an asset to the college, the county, and the world-wide marine community."

In western cultures, yoga is viewed as the union of the mind, the body, and one's spirit. Susan Koepp, who will be the instructor for a yoga class at Pamlico Community College beginning January 26, describes yoga as... a process of self discovery, a health practice that encompasses the whole being."

Her current students in Oriental describe the yoga experience in her classroom as the "best of the best." Susan Gulko, who has travelled extensively, Wendy Osserman, a professional dancer who lives mostly in New York, and Ken Laser, a New York architect who also has a home in Oriental - all say that though they have been in classes from New York to California, nothing compares to being in a yoga classroom with Koepp.

Paula Beattie, a novice in the yoga classroom, says, "This yoga class under Susan has changed my life, physically, mentally, and emotionally." Beattie has even convinced her husband, Chuck, a retired airline pilot, to give yoga a chance.

Laser observed, "Susan intuits what's going on in the classroom. She senses the energy in the classroom on each particular day and addresses the needs of the individual students. She works with the energy in the class from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective. She addresses those needs as she intuits them."

Osserman, who has performed in a wide variety of venues nationwide, described Koepp's classroom as "so challenging." Laser noted that this area was so fortunate to have an instructor with Koepp's qualifications. "I have been in yoga classes in New York and other places, but nothing compares to being in a classroom with Susan Koepp. She tunes into the right combination of the spiritual and the physical. It's a perfect pitch when we are together. She is absolutely the best," he said.



Susan Gulko described her four years of taking yoga under Koepp as "an incredible journey." She said, "Susan is strong but flexible. My overall health is so much better since I have been taking part in this class. She is caring about the students and their needs. She understands that students have different abilities and works with them individually. It's not a competition in this class. We all mutually benefit."

George Wieniescky joined the chorus of praise and commented that Koepp would expose the students to more than they imagined, heightening their classroom experience.

One can log on to the website, www.mywellnesspartner.com to learn more about yoga's benefits for muscle tone, and better health for tissues, ligaments, joints, and nerves. Yoga is practiced in many cultures to reduce stress and anxiety, boost metabolism, improve concentration, focus, and attention as well as enhance balance, posture, coordination and agility. Yoga is also known to improve sleep patterns, enhance digestion, increase lung capacity, and alleviate pain.

Classes begin January 26 at Pamlico Community College and will be held during the noon hour, 12 - 1:00 PM each Tuesdays, through March 26. To learn more, call Misty Rasmussen, 252-249-1851 x 3019, mrasmussen@pamlicocc.edu.

It has been reported that Janet Rogers, parade judge, created a special category for an award for Pamlico Community College. The college was recognized for the most Christmas spirit in delivering candy to parade goers. Led by Jamie Gibbs, the PCC parade participants didn't just throw candy to parade watchers, they placed it in their hands.


Gibbs delights octogenarian Betty Brandon with candy from PCC.


PCC was ready to roll when the parade started in chilly temps.






"Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight."

Pamlico Community College, Pamlico County, and other counties in Eastern North Carolina will benefit from funds provided by the American Recovery and Re-Investment Act to train qualified veterans and military spouses for high demand jobs. Labeled the Veterans Initiative Project, this effort will significantly expand training opportunities and provide funds for tuition, fees, and books.

This endeavor is a collaborative partnership between the Eastern Carolina Workforce Development Board, the North Carolina Eastern Region Military Growth Task Force, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the US Department of Labor and the Employment Security Commission JobLink Career Centers.

Training at Pamlico Community College will be designed to meet the demands of high demand/high growth jobs. Eligible individuals can receive financial assistance for training that must be completed over the next seventeen months, by the end of March 2011.

Cristy Lewis, Coordinator of the Pamlico JobLink Center, said, "This is an excellent program for some very deserving people. These educational and training opportunities will serve people who have in turn done so much to serve our country. I look forward in the coming months to helping as many individuals as possible receive assistance for these training programs."


Cristy Lewis, PCC JobLink Coordinator

To learn more about qualifying for this program and other educational and training programs at Pamlico Community College, contact Lewis, 252-745-9934, clewis@pamlicocc.edu, Kim Wallace, the college counselor, 252-249-1851 x 3023, kwallace@pamlicocc.edu, or Misty Rasmussen, Director of Occupational Extension, 252-249-1851 x 3019, mrasmussen@pamlicocc.edu.

Jamie Gibbs, Dean of Student Services, observed, "We're eager to see people receive benefits from the Veterans Initiative Project. We are confident that we can match the right training and educational programs with the right people. Having this program providing the financial assistance to pay for these classes is just a win-win situation for all."

According to Clark Dimond, Dean of Institutional Advancement, "Pamlico Community College is a participant in Breaking Through, a Jobs for the Future initiative to help individuals move from one level of training and skill to another. The Veterans Initiative Project is one more way our college can provide pathways for people to move forward in education and ultimately toward job satisfaction. We're good at putting different programs together to help people achieve success in pursuing goals. I really encourage veterans and military spouses to give us a call so can help them find the right path to individual success."

Circle Ten Art Gallery in Oriental will host an exhibit of works from a variety of media created by students, faculty and staff from Pamlico Community College. The exhibit, sponsored by the Pamlico County Arts Council, opens with a reception, 2-4 PM, Sunday, November 1.



Highlighting the show are works by PCC art instructor Joan Burns and her students. Christian Jones, a second year student in the Associate in Arts curriculum, hopes to transfer to Meredith College in Raleigh after graduating next year to major in fashion design. Her three-dimensional creation featuring two-dimensional drawings from her sketch book is expected to generate significant interest.

Jones says, "I love creating hands-on work. When I was little, I would make clothes for my dolls out of socks. Before I had a sewing machine, I sewed by hand. I made everything from garments to curtains to pillows and pillowcases for my friends."

Her work for this exhibit is a replica of the Bay River Apartments where she lives. Originally thinking she would create some "weird box shapes" for this assignment in her art class, she went outside late one sleepless night, looked at the apartment building she calls home and decided to re-create that, decorating the walkways and part of the facade with pages of drawings from her pen and ink drawings. She recalled, "I did this to challenge myself."



The foundation of the structure is cardboard. She used a hot glue gun to weld the fabricated pieces of the building together. "Once the glue dried hard, it sort of took the place of beams in a house and made everything stand up straight. I have to admit that there were times I didn’t think I was going to finish," she said. The project was two months in the making.

Part of that process took its toll in pain and scars. "I cut a piece of flesh right off my finger one night but I put a Band-Aid on it and kept on going. I lost track of the times I burned myself with the hot glue gun."

In addition to this and other pieces of work, the exhibit will feature pencil drawings by Allyson Rice who is an Environmental Science student, photography by Clark Dimond, Dean of Institutional Advancement, Cristy Lewis, the college's JobLink coordinator, and Carolyn Casey, Program Director for the Associate in Arts Curriculum. Burns will be exhibiting a painting, not on canvas, but on a life-size door. English instructor Rick Miller will be exhibiting drawings and photographs. Kathryn Gillenwater's compensatory education students will also be represented.

According to Burns, "We're grateful to the arts council and to Circle Ten for giving us the venue to showcase a small part of the diverse talent that thrives on the PCC campus. This exhibit, while showcasing some of the works of faculty and staff, is designed to ultimately encourage students in their artistic expressions. Artistic expression enhances critical thinking and that is big part of the educational process for our students."