There’s still time to register for fall semester at MGCCC

Students still have time to join Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College for the fall semester! Through the college’s Premiere Experience, students can register for classes in September, October, and November, making it more convenient than ever to start their educational journey.

Additionally, the Premiere Experience offers a choice of classes in online and hybrid flexible (HyFlex) formats so students can customize and self-manage how they receive instruction. Online classes are more dynamic and robust, while HyFlex classes combine face-to-face and online learning in a flexible format that permits students to decide, the day of class, whether to attend face to face or virtually. Students can switch back and forth between formats as much as they want, depending on their comfort level.

For more information on classes designed to fit your lifestyle, visit mgccc.edu/registration, call (228) 896-2536 or email questions@mgccc.edu.  

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Halter Marine held an Apprenticeship Orientation Session on September 1 at Halter Marine in Pascagoula. Fifty shipbuilding apprentices began the program, with 10 in each of five programs that include electrical, welding, pipe welding, shipfitting and pipefitting.

With the exception of pipe welding, each of the Apprenticeship programs is four years in length and consists of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and 576 classroom hours.  Pipe welding is three years, with 6,000 hours of on-the-job-training and 432 classroom hours.

The apprentices are following Maritime Technology curriculum approved by the Mississippi Community College Board.  The curriculum comprises 10 – 12 classes in support of their craft, plus management/leadership classes.  The classes are being taught as noncredit, workforce classes, but the apprentices will have the opportunity to convert their noncredit classes into credit through competency-based exams (CBE).

The apprenticeship program is a new workforce-training model for Halter Marine to ensure consistent high-quality shipbuilders, enabling Halter Marine to successfully pursue federal shipbuilding contracts.

“Halter plans to begin new Cohorts of Registered Apprentices each fall for several years,” said Gayle Brown, MGCCC grants and special projects developer. “Additionally, six other crafts have been approved by the Department of Labor for Halter to apprentice, so when Halter is ready, the college will stand up those programs as well.”

Brown said Gulf Coast is already working with other companies to provide apprenticeship programs.

“Keesler Federal Credit Union started their third cohort of Branch Manager Apprentices this fall with nine,” she said.  “F.E.B. Distributing has plans for additional Commercial Truck Driving apprentices in the future.”

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has been selected as the No. 1 Community College in Mississippi by Schools.com.  For over two decades, Schools.com has connected current and prospective students with the tools, resources, schools, career info and more that they can use to find the right degree program for their educational goals and career plans.

MGCCC awards more than 3,400 credentials and degrees annually and offers students flexible, convenient classes in a variety of formats with start dates throughout the semester.  The college has 10 locations throughout the college’s four-county district and offers students the opportunity to take classes strictly online or in hybrid flexible formats that allow them to attend class on campus or virtually.

The Schools.com ranking is based on data gathered from government agencies and other nationally recognized primary sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and, its data collection program, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.  Schools.com uses proprietary methodologies to weigh and measure state and college rankings specifically based on the typical needs of students who are returning back to school for a career change, completing a degree, or who are fresh out of high school, and include affordability, flexibility, and student success.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College received a $10,000 National Endowment for the Arts – Arts Engagement in American Communities grant for the Immersive Media Performing Arts Center (iMPAC) at the Harrison County Campus.  The grant will be used to produce a multifaceted celebration of local art in conjunction with the opening of the center.

“We will use the celebration as an opportunity to introduce the new facility to the community, but also as a way to showcase our community’s artists,” said Lisa Bradley Palermo, director of Business Development at the Hospitality Resort Management Center. “Their demonstrations will be representative of the types of displays, functions, shows and other events we will feature at iMPAC over time.”

While construction of the 54,000-square-foot iMPAC facility will be completed before the end of the year, events will not be scheduled until after January 1, 2021.  The facility will include a 1,200-seat theater that will be used for community and college events and programs, and will provide students a space to train and explore technology in several existing and new program areas.

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Charles Sullivan and the MGCCC Archives

Anyone who has walked through Heidelberg Hall and peered down the steps into the building’s catacombs, or who has seen the exhibits at the Alumni House on Homecoming Day, knows about the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Archives.  They may not know the history of the Archives, however, or the role Charles L. Sullivan has played in it.

The first professor emeritus and the first and only archivist at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Sullivan was instrumental in creating the MGCCC Archives in 1992 under the auspices of then-President Barry L. Mellinger.  The Archives’ mission was “to seek out, discover and find the remaining documentary and photographic evidence of the institution’s role and impact on its district and the state since its inception. (“Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College: A History.” 199)

Sullivan, who continued to teach history at the Perkinston Campus until 2006, also ran the Archives from 1992 onward.  After retiring from teaching, he began working at the Archives fulltime.  Over the years, he has helped amass tens of thousands of documents, newspaper articles, and photographs, along with a wide variety of memorabilia pertaining to the college and South Mississippi.  Providing photos and historical details on Athletic and Alumni Hall of Fame members each year and information used on historical markers at the college, the Archives play a crucial role in college events.

Alumni and friends of the college make donations to the Archives on a regular basis, allowing the collection to continue to grow.  Sullivan said one of the most memorable donations to the Archives was made by the late Don Massengale, alumnus and former MGCCC Board of Trustees member, who discovered the location of a missing trophy from the 1953 Lions Bowl and returned it to the college.  “It is a beautiful trophy with two lions rampant on it and all of the players’ names engraved on the front.  I still consider it a prize possession of the Archives.”

Another memorable donation to the Archives was almost 46,000 photographs from the C.C. “Tex” Hamill Down South Magazine and Dixie Press.  These photos depict life on the Gulf Coast from 1917 through 1980 and are probably the greatest archival collection of the 20^th century for South Mississippi. MGCCC archives staff spent 15 years captioning the photos.  This year, with permission from MGCCC President Dr. Mary S. Graham, the archives donated the photographs to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in Jackson as part of its Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Archives Collection.

“We received about half of the photographs before Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, and I was very worried that the rest were lost, but they weren’t. Within several months after the hurricane, I went down to secure the remaining photographs and brought them to Perk.  It is just incredible that they survived.”

Using information stored in the Archives and from other sources, Sullivan wrote several books during his years at Gulf Coast, including “The Mississippi Gulf Coast: Portrait of a People” (1985), “Hurricanes of the Mississippi Gulf Coast” (1986), “Gathering at the River: South Mississippi’s Methodist Camp Meetings” (1990),  “Hurricanes of the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Three Centuries of Destruction” (2009), “Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College: A History, 1911-2000” (2002), “Down South with the Dixie Press” (2006), and “Gulf Coast Album: A Journey in Historic Photographs 1899-2011 From New Orleans Across the Mississippi Gulf Coast to Mobile” (2011).  In collaboration with Bourbon Hughes, he produced “Valor Remembered: 20^th Century War Dead of the State of Mississippi” (1996).

Together with former publicity director Winfred Moncrief, and Jackson County Campus television instructor Doug Mansfield, Sullivan produced four video documentaries as part of the Magnolia Series.  They include “Henry Jetton Tudury: Mississippi’s Most Decorated Doughboy” (1988), “Gathering at the River: South Mississippi’s Methodist Camp Meetings” (1990), “Beauvoir: Memorial to the Lost Cause” (1991), and “No Greater Love: Roy Wheat in Vietnam (1992).

Named Biloxi Historian of the Year in 1987, Sullivan was also the recipient of the Director’s Award for Preservation of Mississippi Culture by the Mississippi Humanities Council (2008); the Dunbar Rowland Award from the Mississippi Historical Society in recognition of his lifelong contributions to the preservation, study, and interpretation of Mississippi history (2010); and the Mary Ellen Alexander Award from the Long Beach Historical Society (2013).  He was also named to the Benjamin L.C. Wailes President’s Society (2013) while serving as president of the Mississippi Historical Society.  He is the only two-year college professor to ever serve in that capacity with the Society.

A native of Natchez, Sullivan began teaching at Gulf Coast in August 1967.  His classes were very popular with students, who enjoyed his descriptions of history, which he often shared while in uniform.  They worked hard to be members of the Order of the Iron Cross with red ribbon for making an “A” for the semester. Each class had a field marshal, who received the highest grade in the class along with a cross adorned with a golden ribbon.

This year marks 53 years of service to MGCCC for Sullivan, who is 77 years old.  He has spent twice as much time at MGCCC than anywhere else in his life. Time well spent, according to him.

He is currently in the process of scanning information on every game in every sport since 1925 (when the junior college was born) to the present.

“I’m afraid I’m running out of time to get all of the things done that I wanted to accomplish at the Archives,” he said.  “I may have to tell St. Peter to hold the Pearly Gates until I finish.”

Those wishing to contribute to the MGCCC Archives may send donations made out to MGCCC Foundation: Sullivan’s Archives. Mail to MGCCC Foundation, Attention: Dena Hatten, P.O. Box 99, Perkinston, MS 39573. For more information or help with donations, contact dena.hatten@mgccc.edu or (601) 928-6344.

Note: Upon Sullivan’s retirement from the Archives, the remaining donations will go toward student scholarships for History majors.

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Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association donated a truck for use in the Apprentice Electric Lineman program at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s George County Center.  The donation will allow instructors to train using the types of equipment students will have to operate in their future careers.

Dr. Lisa Rhodes, George County Center administrative dean, said, “This truck will provide hands-on training for our students in the Electric Lineman program. This type of training is incomparable and gives these students the education and skills they need to be prepared to enter the workforce. We truly thank everyone at Pearl River Valley Electric for this generous donation and for their investment in the future of these students. It is because of donations like this that MGCCC programs are so successful.”

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For the ninth year in a row, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has been recognized as a Great College to Work For.  The Great College designation is based on employee surveys at nearly 100 two-year colleges across the nation.

MGCCC received the special “Recognized” designation for outstanding results in four categories: Professional/Career Development, Respect and Appreciation, Teaching Environment (faculty-only survey) and Supervisor/Department Chair Relationship.  Recognition in each category was given to the four highest-scoring institutions in each size for two-year colleges.

“Our employees are vital to achieving the college’s mission and giving students so many opportunities for success,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president. “This award and the distinction of being the No. 1 community college in the state are evidence of their hard work, dedication, and overall work ethic in providing excellence in education and training to our students and to the communities in South Mississippi.”

The annual Great Colleges to Work For survey was administered and compiled by ModernThink LLC for The Chronicle of Higher Education. Now in its 13th year, the program is regarded as one of the largest and most respected workplace recognition programs in the country, recognizing higher education institutions that get top ratings from their faculty and staff regarding workplace practices and policies.

The college was also recently named the No. 1 Community College in Mississippi by Schools.com.  The ranking is based on data gathered from government agencies and other nationally recognized primary sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and, its data collection program, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

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Carlin Taylor of Gulfport was elected president of the Mississippi/Louisiana Region of Phi Theta Kappa for the 2020-21 academic year.  Taylor, a sophomore at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Harrison County Campus, is a multimedia art and animation major.

“I wanted to run because this is my chance to help others change their lives in a positive way,” he said. “I want to inspire, motivate, and bring about positive development not only in others but in myself as well. The previous regional presidents spoke with me and said how much of an amazing journey it is.”

Taylor said his primary responsibilities so far have been to prepare events and lead seminars.

“I attend all regional officer meetings as well as aid in the direction of all regional projects,” he said. “I have to do some public speaking with the position, which is a great learning opportunity for me. Currently, I’m focusing on keeping everyone motivated, focused, and happy despite the COVID-19 crisis.  I feel that’s the least I can do for the incredibly amazing people I work with at PTK.”

Taylor said getting involved with PTK during his freshman year has helped him immensely.  “It’s helped me find a feeling of self-worth,” he said. “A major inspiration has been that others in my PTK chapter saw the potential in me to run for regional office.  My PTK friends, advisors, family, and the previous officer team helped me discover talents I didn’t know I had.  I plan to make them all proud by doing the best job I possibly can and making this region even stronger.”

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new Student Union/Cafeteria, followed by a Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Multipurpose Arena at the Perkinston Campus on September 23.  Students have already begun using the Student Union/Cafeteria, which opened in August.  Construction on the Multipurpose Arena is scheduled to be completed in early 2022.

The 24,717-square-foot Student Union/Cafeteria offers seating for 600 in the dining hall, banquet hall, lobby and covered porch.

“We are excited to have such a state-of-the-art facility on the Perkinston Campus,” said Dr. Ladd Taylor, vice president of the Perkinston Campus and George County Center. “It is extremely spacious, offering students a variety of dining and seating options.”

The 28,500-square-foot Multipurpose Arena will include a competition basketball court with seating for 1,540 spectators as well as a hospitality suite that overlooks the court.  The facility will also house the men’s and women’s basketball teams’ locker rooms and coaching staff offices.  Construction is scheduled to be completed in early 2022.

“Breaking ground on our new arena is truly a momentous occasion for MGCCC and our community as a whole,” said Dr. Ladd Taylor, vice president of the Perkinston Campus and George County Center. “The arena is sure to enhance the overall collegiate atmosphere on campus, as well as provide basketball players and fans with a gameday experience that will be second to none.”

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The Process Operations Technology program at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has been named a winner of the Excellence and Equity in Community College STEM Award by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and the Siemens Foundation.

Eight winning programs across the country are receiving this award for not only providing outstanding preparation for high-demand jobs in advanced manufacturing, energy, healthcare or information technology, but also for their intentional outreach and support of diverse populations that typically are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. Winning colleges will receive $50,000. Half will be allocated for program development, and half will be allocated as scholarships for outstanding students, known as Siemens Technical Scholars.

“We are so excited by the opportunities this award provides to our institution and our Process Operations Technology students,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president. “At MGCCC, our goal is to provide outstanding education and training for the diverse population of our four-county district so they have a clear pathway to great-paying jobs and advanced degrees.”

Four Process Operations Technology students at MGCCC were named 2021 Siemens Technical Scholars.  They are Queena Myles, Nicholas Nguyen, Vivian Tran and Brandon Wallace.  Scholars were nominated by their award-winning programs for outstanding academic achievement, strong leadership capacities, and a deep commitment to give back to their communities.

Overall, U.S. jobs in STEM fields are projected to grow at almost double the rate of non-STEM occupations. More than half of all STEM jobs across the United States require no more than an associate degree and pay wages that average more than $50,000 annually. The community colleges honored with the Excellence and Equity in Community College STEM Award are playing a unique role in working to meet this demand. The selection committee identified exemplary programs that deliver exceptional training for jobs that require strong STEM technical skills, some classroom hands-on training and a postsecondary credential below the four-year degree. Importantly, these programs are successful in reaching and supporting populations that are underrepresented in STEM fields, such as students of color, low-income students and females.

“Our Process Operations Technology (PPT) program has a strong history of reaching out to under-represented populations,” said John Poelma, Technical Department chair at the Jackson County Campus. “Students are able to see diversity in the program from day one. Two of our lead instructors in the PPT program are from industry and are members of under-represented groups in the energy STEM field. Students can relate to them as leaders in both industry and in the classroom, and these instructors have been able to make their students, regardless of background, feel welcome and part of a larger group. This inclusive atmosphere has led to a high graduation rate and employment in the high-paying field of energy.”

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County Campus Fine Arts Gallery is proud to present the exhibit “Retrospective,” featuring the artwork of Grady Byrd. The show will run until October 29.

Byrd of Ocean Springs has been one of the most prominent artists of the Gulf Coast since 1970. In high school, he was awarded a first-place medal from the Mississippi Art Association’s statewide competition and a Mississippi College art scholarship. As a U.S. Marine, Byrd was a staff artist for Leatherneck magazine, and later a combat artist for the Camp Lejeune Globe.

Moving back home to Ocean Springs after his service, Byrd gained prominence by being a consistent winner in the Edgewater Plaza Annual Tri-State Art Exhibit. His oil painting “Lill Cruso” won three awards in one show in this exhibit and was later chosen to be cast in bronze on the Biloxi Bay Bridge.  His water-black painting “Sea Harvest” won most outstanding seascape in any media and was selected for the permanent collection of the Edgewater Plaza Merchant’s Association. He received the Judge’s Award of Excellence for his pencil rendering of “Bogue Chitto Blues” in the 2000 Singing River Fine Art Association Show.

A 1984 vision of Mother Teresa in his mother’s hospital room inspired Byrd to create her portrait, and with her blessing, make prints for contributions to her relief fund handled by the Biloxi Knights of Columbus. The Archbishop of New Orleans was so impressed he used the image for the cover of Mother Teresa’s Prayer Service for the Poor brochure in 1984. Additional prints were requested to be given as gifts to the volunteers during the visit. Prints were also delivered by the artist to Mother Teresa’s National Convention in Peoria, Illinois, for distribution to her 34 missions in the U.S. and Canada. Upon request, the artist provided a giclée artist proof of the portrait for her center in San Ysidro, Mexico.

His act of charity and faith was rewarded two years later with the discovery of one of the prints by Marken Graphics of New Orleans, during a search for an appropriate artistic style for a commemorative poster of Pope John Paul II for his second pastoral visit to the U.S. in September 1987. When Byrd’s art was viewed by Archbishop Hannan of New Orleans, he was so impressed that he sent unsolicited letters of recommendation for the posters to all the archdioceses on the visit. The mixed media painting is hanging in the New Orleans Archdioceses’ foyer and was well received by the Holy Father.

Further international exposure resulted in one of his water-black originals, “Last Few Minutes,” (of his mother and young daughter on her lap) being chosen for the U.S. State Department’s Art in Embassy Program to be exhibited at the American Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados, for two years.

Today’s Art, a trade magazine published in New York, saw Byrd’s work and did a feature story on his original “water-black” style.  Elevating black-and-white acceptance with representation of prominent fine art galleries and museums and unprecedented sale prices is the artist’s proudest achievement.

Other publications include a feature story in Art Voices South; cover art and 32 illustrations for the book “Unnatural Resources”; front and back covers for “A Banker’s Daybook”; “Biloxi and World History” by Glen L. Swetman, Peoples Bank president; inclusion in “Moods of Mississippi,” a collection of visual and written works of state artists with a pencil rendering entitled “Fishermen III”; and a cover story for Intermission Art and Theatre magazine.

Byrd’s work “Bogue Chitto Blues,” was executed on handmade bark paper with pencil and has won numerous awards. The most prestigious was the top-10 finalist in the people and figures contest of International Artist magazine and was featured in the 2006 December-January issue. There were 1,600 worldwide entries. Byrd was also the featured artist in the August-September 2007 issue of the magazine, in an eight-page article depicting 11 of his works.

Five duotone silkscreen prints were selected to hang in the Museum of the Southwest in Midland, Texas, along with fellow renowned artists Thomas Hart Benton, Peter Hurd and G. Harvey.  Additional accomplishments include being one of the artists chosen to participate in the First Annual Walter Anderson Museum of Art Show, “Coastal Artists Reflect on Walter Anderson.” The work Byrd created for this show was a watercolor entitled “Pair of Souls.”

Byrd and Emmitt Thames were featured artists in the campus’s Fine Art Gallery 2011 Art Show “Keeping It Real.” The show included 55 originals valued at more than a quarter of a million dollars, earning a second title of “The Last Great Picture Show.”  Byrd’s latest honor was the inclusion of his Dominican Republic combat art in the National Museum of the Marine Corps Combat Art Gallery in Quantico, Virginia, along with artists Tom Lovell, John Clymer, Charles Waterhouse, James Montgomery Flagg, Howard Terpning and Henry Casselli.

For a virtual tour of the exhibit, along with an artist’s interview, visit mgccc.edu/grady-byrd-retrospective.

MGCCC’s Jackson County Campus Fine Arts Gallery is open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.  For more information about the exhibit, contact Gallery Director Marc Poole at marc.poole@mgccc.edu.

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PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast’s game against Copiah-Lincoln this Thursday has been postponed. Co-Lin has suspended football operations for two weeks because of COVID-19 concerns.

Gulf Coast will still celebrate Homecoming this week. More details will be released.

“Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve taken this action to continue to protect our student-athletes, coaches, fans and administrators,” MACCC Commissioner Steve Martin said. “We will continue to monitor the situation as we move forward.”

Gulf Coast, Copiah-Lincoln and the MACCC have rescheduled the game for Nov. 19. MGCCC Athletic Director Steven Campbell worked with Commissioner Martin to arrange a different opponent for this week’s game, but nothing could be scheduled on short notice.

Last week, the league’s presidents voted to add a week to the end of the regular season to allow games to be made up, as well as pushing the championship game to Dec. 5.

Bulldog Club members who have purchased tickets during the presale window should hold onto those tickets. Gulf Coast will issue further instructions once more details about the game are ironed out.

For more information on MGCCC’s 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will host MIBEST Week 2020 events October 19-23 throughout its four-county district.  The events will include information on Adult Education programs at MGCCC, including MIBEST and WIOA Youth.  Many of these programs are offered at no cost to participants.  College representatives will be available to help at each event.

Events include the following:

For more information on events and programs, visit mgccc.edu/mibest.

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MGCCC Homecoming 2020 held on October 15

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College held its annual Homecoming on October 15, minus the football game against the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wolves.  The game was rescheduled for November 19 due to COVID-19 issues with the opposing team.

The Homecoming celebration focused on honoring the 2020 Alumni Hall of Fame inductees, Sam Owen Award honoree, and Homecoming courts from each campus, and performances by the Band of Gold, Perkette Dance Team, Bulldog Cheerleaders and Perkinston Campus Choir.

The Alumni Hall of Fame honorees are Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, Harrison County Campus; Christian Hartley, Jackson County Campus; and Dr. Nollie Hickman, Perkinston Campus. The Alumni Hall of Fame award was established in 1970 to honor MGCCC alumni who have exhibited exceptional merit and achievement resulting in fame and recognition for themselves and the college.

The Sam Owen Award recipient is Vernon Ehlers.  The Sam Owen Award was established and given in memory of the late Sam Owen, a 1927 Perkinston graduate. It is given each year to a person who has actively supported the college through dedication and service.

Alumni Hall of Fame and Sam Owen Award honorees were also celebrated at a special ceremony and dinner in their honor earlier in the day.

HARRISON COUNTY CAMPUS HOMECOMING COURT

Nyah Brown is the 2020 Homecoming queen for the Harrison County Campus.  Nyah is from Gulfport and is a 2019 graduate of Gulfport High School.  She is the daughter of Nina Ladner and Chris Ladner. She is currently majoring in sports administration.  After graduating, she plans to attend cosmetology school.

Maurianna Ellis is a sophomore maid. Maurianna is from Long Beach and is a 2019 graduate of Long Beach High School. She is the daughter of Kevin and Donna Ellis. She was Freshman Class Favorite and is on the Vice President’s List.  She is Reflections Team vice president and a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Coastal Vibrations, and the Campus Concert Choir. Maurianna is a student worker in the campus Recruitment Office.  She is a Business and Marketing Technology major.

Taylor Lee Jordan is a sophomore maid. Taylor is from Biloxi and is a 2019 graduate of D’Iberville High School.  She is the daughter of Denise Pierce.  She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the Student Government Association, Reflections Team and Campus Activities Board.  She was chosen as a 2020 Class Favorite.  After graduating from MGCCC, she plans to pursue a degree in public relations from Mississippi State University.

Gabriella Michelle Rojas is a freshman maid.  Gabriella is from Gulfport and is a 2020 graduate of Gulfport High School.  She is the daughter of Hector and Tania Rojas. She is the recipient of the MGCCC New Century Skills Master Scholarship.  After graduating from MGCCC, she plans to transfer to The University of South Alabama and pursue a major in nursing.

Alaina Paige Olsen is a freshman maid. Alaina is from Gulfport and a 2020 graduate of St. Patrick Catholic High School.  She is the daughter of Johnny and Amy Olsen. She is a member of the Honors College and Student Government Association.  After graduating from MGCCC, she plans to attend either Mississippi State University or The University of Mississippi to major in marketing. 

JACKSON COUNTY CAMPUS HOMECOMING COURT

Amaya Janelle Johns is 2020 Homecoming queen for the Jackson County Campus.  Amaya is from Pascagoula and a 2019 graduate of Resurrection Catholic High School.  She is the daughter of Kristen and Brian Johns.  She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Student Government Association and Campus Activities Board.  She is historian for the Reflections Team.  After graduating from MGCCC, she plans to transfer to The University of South Alabama to pursue a degree in nursing.

Makiyah Buckley is a sophomore maid.  Makiyah is from Moss Point and will graduate from Gautier High School in 2021 as a Collegiate Academy student.  She is the daughter of Howard and Willean Buckley. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, STEM Club, and Campus Activities Board.  She serves as the parliamentarian for the Student Government Association. After graduating from MGCCC, she plans to transfer to The University of Southern Mississippi to pursue a major in nursing.

Hailey Michelle Richards is a sophomore maid. Hailey is from St. Martin and is a 2019 graduate of St. Martin High School.  She is the daughter of Jason and Michelle Richards.  She is a member of the Honors College and maintains a 4.0 grade point average.  She is the public relations/communications director for Phi Theta Kappa and serves as Reflections Team president.  After graduating from MGCCC, she plans to attend The University of South Alabama to work toward a doctorate in physical therapy.

Nissa Lee Johnson is a freshman maid. Nissa is from Ocean Springs and is a 2020 graduate of Ocean Springs High School.  She is the daughter of Sam and Anita Johnson.  She is a member of the Student Government Association. After graduating from MGCCC, she plans to transfer to The University of South Alabama to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Lauren Walters is a freshman maid.  Lauren is from Hurley and is a 2020 graduate of East Central High School.  She is the daughter of Todd and Jennifer Walters.  A member of the Reflections Team and Student Government Association, she plans to attend The University of South Alabama after graduating from MGCCC and major in physical therapy.

PERKINSTON CAMPUS HOMECOMING COURT

Krystle Marva Hughes is the 2020 Homecoming queen for the Perkinston Campus. Krystle is from Winona and is a 2019 graduate of Winona Secondary School. Krystle is the daughter of Maverick and Katherine Hughes. She is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa, Student Government Association, and the Gulf Coast soccer team.  She was named to the President’s and Vice President’s lists.  Krystle plans to attend The University of Mississippi and study biological science, and plans to have a career as a plastic surgeon.

Adyson Reneé Barlow is a sophomore maid. Adyson is from Moss Point and is a 2019 graduate of Resurrection Catholic High School.  Adyson is the daughter of James and Shannon Barlow. She is a member of the Perkette Dance Team and was on the Vice President’s List. Adyson plans to attend The University of Mississippi and study speech pathology.

Nyla Durden is a sophomore maid. Nyla is from Ocean Springs and is a 2019 graduate of Ocean Springs High School. She is the daughter of Lakesha Durden and Gene Hunt. She is captain of the Perkette Dance Team and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and the Student Government Association. She was named to the President’s List. After Gulf Coast, Nyla plans to attend The University of Southern Mississippi and study early childhood education with a minor in dance.

Alexis Hughes is a freshman maid. Alexis is from Byram and is a 2020 graduate of Terry High School. Alexis is the daughter of Charles Sr. and Michelle Hughes. She is currently a member of the Student Government Association and the Reflections Team. After Gulf Coast, Alexis plans to study diagnostic radiology.

McKenna Danzey is a freshman maid. McKenna is from Wiggins and is a 2020 graduate of Stone High School. McKenna is the daughter of Todd and Sandy Danzey. She is currently a member of the Reflections Team and the Baptist Student Union.  She plans to pursue a major in elementary education at The University of Southern Mississippi.

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Jackson County Campus holds ribbon-cutting ceremony for 91,150-square-foot facility

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 20 for the newly renovated and expanded STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Building at the Jackson County Campus in Gautier.  The 91,150-square-foot facility will house all science disciplines and laboratories, as well as math and computer science classrooms and related technology programs. The facility will also offer dedicated student study rooms, an outdoor classroom and meeting space.

“We are excited to provide this new state-of-the-art facility for our science, math and computer science classes and labs and other STEM-related courses and programs,” said Dr. Tammy Franks, vice president of the Jackson County Campus.  “STEM careers are growing at an impressive rate in our state, region and nation, and we are happy to offer students the very best programs, instruction and facilities to prepare them for success in those fields.”

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will host Fall Festivals at the Jackson County Campus in Gautier and the Harrison County Campus in Gulfport on Thursday, October 29.  Each festival will feature a drive-through trunk-or-treat from 5-8 p.m.

The Fall Festivals offer a safe and central location for community members and their children, along with MGCCC students, to enjoy a trick-or-treat experience from the safety of their vehicles.  The event is complimentary to the public and open to all ages.  All visitors must remain in their cars, and face coverings are required on campus.

“This event brings the community on our campus to enjoy a fun, festive and memorable experience each fall.  We’re excited to offer the event again,” said Paige Cannon, Student Activities coordinator at the Harrison County Campus.  For the Harrison County Campus event, she added, cars should enter through the Debuys Road Entrance to the Harrison County Campus.

Brandi Martino, coordinator of Student Life at the Jackson County Campus, mirrored Cannon’s remarks, adding that cars should enter through the Gautier-Vancleave Road entrance to the Jackson County Campus.

“This is our eighth year to host the event and we are thrilled to offer this fun and safe outing for families and MGCCC students,” Martino said.  “We hope everyone plans to attend!”

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Instrumentation andControls Technology program has received gold-level endorsement from Central Gulf Industrial Alliance (CGIA), an industrial alliance of industrial companies and colleges in the Central Gulf Coast region.  The gold-level endorsement, which is the highest level of endorsement available, is based on factors like industrial training, safety and job placement.  It marks the program, which is offered at the Jackson County Campus, as a superior training program in the region.

“The Instrumentation and Controls Technology program and instructors are proud to be endorsed by CGIA,” said John Poelma, chairperson of the School of Manufacturing, Maritime, and Transportation at the Jackson County Campus. “It validates our commitment as a college to our community and our students.  The program went through a long and thorough audit process that included our curriculum, training facilities, instruction, safety and job placement of graduates. We knew we had an excellent program, but this gives official proof of that excellence.”

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The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has been ranked as the No. 1 community college nursing program in Mississippi by RegisteredNursing.org and No. 4 in the Southeast region by NursingProcess.org. For both rankings, nursing programs were assessed on several factors which represent how well a program supports students towards licensure and beyond, including past and present first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates.

“We are excited that our Associate Degree Nursing program at MGCCC continues to be recognized as one of the very best in the nation,” said Dr. Joan Hendrix, associate vice president for the School of Nursing and Health Professions.  “We focus on instructional quality, providing state-of-the art technology and learning resources, and maintaining outstanding clinical partnerships across the MGCCC four-county district.  Our instructors are also committed to ensuring that graduates are prepared for safe, quality patient care, success on the licensure examination, ADN and PN, and equipped to begin their new careers in nursing as either a registered nurse or as a licensed practical nurse. We are very proud of what we do here and we want our students to know that their future is in good hands.”

This is the second year RegisteredNursing.org has ranked MGCCC’s ADN program as the top-ranked community college program in the state.

Ranked at No. 4 in the southeast by NursingProcess.org, MGCCC’s program was compared to 731 programs in 12 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week on November 9-13 with a variety of events designed to provide information on apprenticeships and highlight the Apprenticeship Programs MGCCC sponsors. MGCCC has apprenticeship programs with Keesler Federal Credit Union (KFCU), F.E.B. Distributing, Ingalls Shipbuilding and Halter Marine.

“The benefits of our apprenticeships are substantial for both local job seekers and employers,” said Gayle Brown, Grants and Special Projects developer at MGCCC. “They enable employers to fill open jobs, improve productivity and profitability, and reduce turnover while providing South Mississippi’s workforce with pathways to start new careers and acquire the skills needed for good jobs while getting paid during training.”

Through the college, apprentices can choose from 14 training programs at Ingalls Shipbuilding, including carpenter, painter, electrical maintenance, insider machinist, joiner, outside machinist, welder, pipe insulator, pipe welder, pipe fitter, rigger, sheet metal, ship fitter, and electrician.

The college offers five programs at Halter Marine that include electrical, welding, pipe welding, pipe fitting and shipfitting. The KFCU apprenticeship program offers bank manager training while the F.E.B. Distributing program is for commercial truck driving.

A nationwide celebration established by the U.S. Department of Labor, National Apprenticeship Week brings together leaders in business, labor, and education to showcase the impact apprenticeship programs have on addressing the U.S. skills gap and preparing the American workforce for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

“Our apprenticeship program graduates are equipped to fill knowledge and skills gaps within the companies where they already work,” Brown said. “They create a pipeline of talent for employers.  But the programs also provide workers with affordable paths to secure, high-paying jobs and careers without the typical student debt that has often become associated with college.”

As a part of the week’s celebration, MGCCC is partnering with Keesler Federal Credit Union to hold a graduation ceremony for the Branch Manager Apprenticeship Program on Tuesday, November 10 at the Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport.   Nine KFCU bank manager apprentices have completed program requirements of 4,000 hours of on-the-job training along with 325 hours of classroom-related instruction.

For more information on the apprenticeship programs at MGCCC, visit mgccc.edu/apprenticeship or contact Gayle Brown at gayle.brown@mgccc.edu.

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The Omicron Alpha chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Harrison County Campus received a $1,000 Honors in Action grant to enhance their 2020 Honors in Action project.  Phi Theta Kappa and the Mellon Foundation teamed up to fund the 2020 HIA grants.

The chapter’s project involves testing storm water runoff in Gulfport at Courthouse Road outflow for boron, nitrates, nitrites, chlorides, and the organisms vibrio vulnificus and coliform bacteria. Data from that project will determine what steps the group will take.

Each year, PTK chapters choose an Honors in Action Project that combines academic research, problem solving, and action-oriented service to address real-world challenges in their communities.  “At the beginning of the fall semester, the Omicron Alpha members chose the stormwater runoff or outflow as an issue to study,” said Dr. Pat West, Omicron Alpha Chapter advisor. “The grant will provide us the opportunity to purchase items needed for the testing, so we are very excited about receiving it and getting started.”

West said that the chapter is being mentored by Dr. James Farmer, MGCCC Harrison County Campus science faculty member. Farmer is overseeing sample collection, data gathering and research to ensure the project is successful.

Grant money will be used to purchase supplies for the project such as Enterolert test packs, trays and sodium thiosulfate 100 MCE   Sterile Vessels, 50 Extragene 2.0 ml Cryovials and 100 MCE Sterile Gridded Membrane Filters.

Honors in Action Projects will be submitted to PTK’s international headquarters in January 2021.

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