Photo Caption: L to R: Ferrum College Vice President for Academic Affairs Kevin Reilly, Ronald Dickerson, Jonathan Martinez, Bralynn Beamesderfer, Morgan McCrary, Elizabeth Austin, Lane Hodges, Kolby Stinson, Franklin County faculty Charles White, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Jason Powell, Darrius Mandy, Ferrum College President Mirta Martin, and Administrator of Special Education Lisa Cook.
On Friday, September 15, Ferrum College welcomed students from Franklin County High School’s “Education for Employment – Start on Success” course to witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the College and Franklin County High School. Course instructor C.D. White ’08 and school administrator Lisa Cook ’99 accompanied the students and signed the agreement with College President Dr. Mirta Martin.
In the course, the high school students learn a variety of skills they will need when they join the workforce. Thanks to the agreement with the College, they will now come to the Ferrum College campus as part of the course to apply what they have learned by working alongside someone who is doing a job they are interested in exploring. They will also get to experience what life is like on the Ferrum College campus.
“We’re excited to partner with Ferrum College. We think this will be a great opportunity for the students to build confidence in themselves and see themselves as college students. We want them to see that they can be successful and move forward,” said Administrator of Special Education Lisa Cook. “We’re also hoping that it will help them want to go to college just because a lot of our students don’t have enough confidence to know that they can do it,” she continued.
The high school chose Ferrum College because of the proximity to the school and the endless opportunities the College offers. “There’s so many more class options. There’s also a nursing program and graduate programs. Ferrum offers so much,” Cook said.
Dr. Mirta Martin welcomed the high school students asking each individual what type of career they were interested in and then shared with them the details of what department and type of work they will do when they come back to the
College for their hands-on experience. “Tell me what you want to do. When you imagine your future and how you will apply what you learn in this course, what excites you?”
“We are thrilled to welcome students from our hometown high school to our campus,” said President Martin. “They are learning skills to prepare them for the workforce, and the College is honored to provide a setting where they can put the skills to the test and receive additional constructive feedback. We are incredibly thankful for the vision of two of our alumni – Mr. White and Ms. Cook – to bring the students to the College for this experience. We hope they will feel at home here and choose to continue their education with us.”