Student Nathan Leon Guerrero delivers the keynote speech at Monday night's GCC Middle College Reception & Awards Ceremony

Student Nathan Leon Guerrero delivered a stirring speech, then he and 14 other Germanna Community College students received awards at Monday night’s Middle College Reception & Awards Ceremony at GCC’s Riverside Center.

Middle College is a free program that prepares students who didn’t finish high school, often due to hardships, to earn their GEDs and enter degree programs.  In the program’s eight years of existence at Germanna, it has prepared 550 students to go on to get their GEDs and put them on the path.
Guerrero noted that some dispragingly call GEDs “Good Enough Degrees.” “The potential is always within us,” he said in his speech. “I think we are good enough to get what we want in life.”
He called Middle College “One key that opens the gates for everything.”
GCC Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services Ann Woolford congratulated the students and urged them to continue their educations. “We hope you continue the journey,” she said. “This is just the beginning.” Dr. Woolford recalled that when she was a student, some asked her when she would finish school and she was embarrassed to say she “had no idea.”
“Those same people spent their time watching ‘I Love Lucy’ reruns and going nowhere in life. We want you to have careers.”  Dr. Woolford noted that those who have college degrees earn twice as much as high school dropouts.

Middle College Director Carolyn Bynum noted that the August earthquake that damaged the Dickinson Building at GCC’s Fredericksburg Area Campus and forced the Middle College program to move to Riverside posed a hardship for many Middle College students. The program shrunk from 40 students to 15. She praised those who endured changed schedules and had to find a way to get to Stafford County for classes.

“My sincerest congratulations to all my students for their accomplishments,” Bynum said, in the face of the difficulties the move created.

Scott Weber (right), a national security analyst for CNBC, Fox News, CNN and BBC Television and Dr. Cedric Sims. executive director of the Program Accountability and Risk Management Office within the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Under Secretary for Management talk during a breakout session at Germanna's last Intelligence & Homeland Security Summit.

 The Germanna Community College Center for Workforce & Community Education will host an Intelligence & Homeland Security Summit from 8:45 a.m. to noon on May. 1 at GCC’s Daniel Center in Culpeper.   The Center for Workforce hosted a similar event in Fredericksburg in December that attracted 165 people looking into switching careers, students seeking information about careers in the growing field of national security and business leaders seeking to learn about opportunities related to homeland security and to network.

 Seats, at $20, are limited and those interested in attending should call 540/891-3012 for reservations and go towww.germanna.edu for more information. Germanna students and area high school students with student ID may attend free, but must make reservations.

 A panel discussion will  provide an insider’s perspective on the agencies and the career and business opportunities they offer. Breakout sessions on the intelligence community, the Department of Homeland Security  and information technology, including cyber security, will follow.

 Cyber attacks are now considered by some to be the most grave threat to national security. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has warned Congress that “the next Pearl Harbor” is likely to be a cyberattack.

 Because of threats like that, the Department of Homeland Security is hiring despite the slow economic recovery.

DHS has a $50 billion budget for 500 programs,  Rob Zitz said at December’s summit.

He said USAjobs.org, the official federal government jobs site, lists hundreds of pages of DHS job openings, many of those pages in Virginia, Washington and Maryland. “They are hiring, but it’s importantyou have the skills,” he said at the previoussummit. Often, career-switchers can make themselves more marketable to DHS by simply picking up a certification or taking a class. He said Germanna offers many courses that can quickly make an applicant attractive to agencies.

Germanna’s Center for Workforce & Community Education is broadening offerings that will help area people get DHS and intelligence community jobs.

GCC President David A. Sam said the college is continually pivoting to match curriculum with existing job openings

Dr. Wesley said Germanna’s Center for Workforce already offers many of the courses and certifications needed for an entry level job, career switch or career advancement in intelligence and homeland security. She mentioned cyber security, Cisco network certification, network security and information systems security. She noted that GCC also offers a Police Science degree and other IT degrees that could lead to homeland security jobs.

 “At DHS, there are so many job opportunities in so many fields,” Cedric J. Sims, a senior executive who has over seen $6.8 billion in IT investments across DHS and has also been a leader with the Secret Service, said at the previous summit.

The Germanna Educational Foundation brings a little bit of Las Vegas to Culpeper with its 18th Annual Scholarship Monte Carlo to be held on Saturday, April 21 at the Daniel Technology Center from 6 p.m.–11 p.m.

The black tie event has become one of the social events of the year for the area. The event features Las Vegas style “gambling” for prizes donated by local businesses includes roulette, craps, poker, slots, drinks, food, music, dancing and a live auction for items such as vacations in exotic locales, all for a  $75 ticket that goes toward scholarships.

NEW THIS YEAR: Foundation Director Mike Catell has chartered a Martz Group bus for sponsors, their guests and individual ticket buyers. The bus will pick people up at the Gordon Road commuter lot off State Route 3 in Spotsylvania at 5:45 p.m. and will leave the Daniel Center at 10:30 p.m., after the auction. Plenty of seats are available and reservations may be made by calling 540/423-9060 or emailing foundation@germanna.edu by Wednesday, April 18.

Monte Carlo Night raises money for the Germanna Guarantee Program. This program provides financial assistance to students who have the potential to succeed, and who need additional financial support, the opportunity to pursue and achieve their educational goals at Germanna. The program goal is to ensure that no student is denied access to an education because of financial need. During the current academic year, more than 100 Germanna students are receiving Germanna Guarantee scholarship funding because of the success of last year’s Scholarship Monte Carlo. This year’s goal is $120,000.

Call the Foundation Office at 540-423-9060 or email foundation@germanna.edu for tickets.

Germanna Community College’s Distance Learning program does things right, according to OnlineCollege.org, which cited GCC’s faculty mentoring  in “5 Fundamental Strategies for New Online Instructors.” 

“Find a mentor. Who at your institution is leading the way with online teaching? They may be willing to answer a few questions, share their expertise, and recommend resources. You may even find formal faculty mentor programs at your school similar to those at Germanna Community College, Regents Online, and Central Michigan University…”

 In this video, autism dad Paul Williamson talks about Germanna’s Distance Learning program and the flexibility of its instructors allowing him to stay home with his daughter.

Online classes allow working students and those who need to stay home with children the flexibility they need.

 Germanna Community College’s  “Nursing Idol” competition may have seemed to be merely a fun idea to recognize some of its top nursing students, but it has proven to be a test of the effectiveness of GCC’s Virtual Hospital as a teaching tool.    

 Students, faculty, administrators and event judges said the high-tech Virtual Hospital deserves an “A” after watching the  Second Annual GCC Nursing and Health Technology “Nursing Idol” competition held Friday at college’s Daniel Center in Culpeper.

   Student contestants had to think quickly on their feet, competing under pressure in front of  acrowd of 350 of their peers and 50 faculty members. They cooly responded to questioning from judges about how they’d handle real-life tests at hospitals.

The intellectual competition required students to demonstrate knowledge of diagnostic tests, medications and nursing interventions–including those necessary for patients with psychological problems.

   “I was skeptical at first,” said Dr. Robert Harry, Chairman of the Physician Quality Management Committee at Mary Washington Hospital and a former surgeon there who has been one of the judges both years. Since 2004, he has taught as an adjunct faculty member in GCC’s Virtual Hospital. “But the students have done an outstanding job. I didn’t know what to expect the first year. But it gives them a forum in which they can show off their clinical and analytical skills instead of just regurgitating back what they’ve learned from textbooks.”

The competition, said Dr. Harry, “puts students on the hot seat. This is a spinoff of the Virtual Hospital.”

 ”The faculty sets the bar really high in the Virtual Hospital,” said Krystle Todd of Bumpass, who won the LPN segment of the contest, in part by making scenarios as realistic and challenging as possible. She said the fact that she did well in the event proved to her that she could hold her own in a real hospital environment.

 The Virtual Hospital simulates that  environment to the point that “The faculty even plants mistakes on patient charts,” said Amber Groves of Locust Grove, who won the RN segment of the event. “But they don’t do it to defeat you, they do it to prepare you for situations you might encounter.” 

The Virtual Hospital, GCC President David A. Sam said, provides a “safe, but not comfortable” environment in which students must diagnose and“treat” high-tech human simulator “patients” who may “die” if the students make mistakes. It’s safe in the sense that real patients aren’t in jeopardy as students learn, but it’s stressful for the students, who are on their own and who often become so involved they forget the “patients” aren’t real.  He said the Germanna nursing department faculty does a good job of preparing students for the most difficult real-world situations by bringing in actors to play distressed family members and even baby-snatchers.

“The faculty teaches you as future nursing colleagues and gives you a level of respect that builds confidence,” Groves said.

  Dr. Sam said it was gratifying watching the students’ display of knowledge and their poise under pressure. 

   Next year, Nursing Idol organizer and GCC faculty member C. Bonnie Dixon R.N. said, Dean of Nursing Mary Gilkey would like the event to go statewide. She said Germanna’s nursing department will invite other schools in the Virginia Community College System to participate. Dixon said Gilkey introduced the idea to Germanna, which is the only college in the VCCS that has such an event.

 ”The concept is similar to debate and sports competition,” Dean Gilkey said. “It helps develop new ideas and critical thinking skills. Citizens in Germanna’s communities deserve the best care, and this kind of challenge prepares students to deliver that level of care.”

Philanthropist Doris Buffett, a Germanna supporter, met with dozens of students and parents at GCC Educational Foundation Scholarship Reception

Harlan Ellison once wrote that the only three words more meaningful than “I love you” are “Let me help.”

During the Germanna Community College Educational Foundation Scholarship Reception Friday at Fawn Lake, donors learned how much their uttering the words “Let me help” has meant to students they have helped attend GCC.

They learned their donations are turning lives around.

They learned they are giving those students a chance they might not have otherwise had to be successful, a chance to make lives for themselves and their families that they are proud of and to become good citizens in our communities.

And they learned that providing those chances is making a real difference for the students, their families and our area.

“In the past year,” GCC President David A. Sam said, “our Educational Foundation has provided $175,000 in scholarships to about 300 students. That’s great and we want to do even more. Without the support of the donors, that wouldn’t be possible. “

GCC Educational Foundation Director Mike Catell introduced one of those donors, Doris Buffett, sister of Warren, who has given $150,000 for scholarships over three years, in addition to other support for Germanna.

As of March 2012, Catell said, “Through Doris’ Sunshine Lady Foundation Scholarships, 25 students have received scholarships that allowed them to get an associate’s degree.”

Many have transferred to four-year schools to pursue bachelor’s degrees. “You have certainly changed the lives of thousands of people, including students at Germanna, and we thank you.”

Ms. Buffett lives in Fredericksburg and has given away $120 million of her own money in what her brother calls “retail philanthropy.” He says most philanthropy is “wholesale.”

Hers is different in that she often deals with people “unlucky through no fault of their own” one on one, and stays involved in their lives, helping them turn things around.

“There are no shortcuts.” she told a room packed with students, parents and donors. “You don’t go on to pro ball.
You don’t go on to be a rap star. Those things don’t happen. But a good education will take you all the way. Here at Germanna, you can start a life for yourself better than you ever thought you could have.”

Also in attendance were Lee Kirk, president and CEO of Culpeper Regional Health System, who donated $35,000 on behalf of CRHS and the Culpeper Regional Hospital Foundation, to the Germanna nursing program at the event, and Fred Rankin, president and CEO of Mary Washington Health Care.

Between the two of them, they have given well over $2 million to Germanna, making GCC nursing the nationally respected, cutting-edge program it is and helping to double its size so it can produce the nurses our area needs.

Culpeper Regional Health System’s total overall giving, includes Culpeper Regional Hospital, Culpeper Hospital Foundation now stands at more than $600,000. CRHS was the GCC Educational Foundation’s 2010 Philanthropist of the Year.

Mary Washington Health Care has given a total of $1.4 million and is the Educational Foundation’s 2012 Philanthropist of the Year.

In the crowd were students Kim and Brian Morris, who have gone from living in their car to finding themselves on the road to success, in part because of the Germanna Guarantee Scholarship Program, which helps students who don’t qualify for financial aid or have gaps in that aid that might otherwise prevent them from attending college.

“Scholarships are an essential element, in order for many Germanna students to achieve their dream of higher education,” Catell said. “Our students are committed, intelligent, passionate, and persevering, but sometimes they face challenging obstacles – one of which is having enough funds to pay for their education.

“Time and again, our benefactors step forward to help students achieve their dreams, and I am most grateful on behalf of the Foundation for their very generous support.”

Kim Morris said the support has allowed her to focus on being a full-time student. She is doing so well she’s on the President’s List and was invited to join the Phi Theta Kappa honorary society.

“When I was living in my car, just trying to make it from day to day and find some way out, I never imagined this could happen,” she said. Both her parents are high school dropouts.

“Now I can say my father is proud of me because I’m on my way to getting a degree.”

Fred M. Rankin III, President and CEO of Mary Washington Health Care, was honored as the Germanna Community College Educational Foundation’s 2012 Distinguished Person of the Year Friday night at the Fredericksburg Country Club.

“I’m deeply moved and honored,” Rankin said. “… But the real heroes are the faculty and staff of Germanna Community College.” He said Germanna is playing “a significant role” in the overall local economy and in the lives of individuals. He also praised MWHC’s employees for their work in serving the community’s health care needs.

Rankin said he’s proud that he’s had a hand in MWHC being GCC’s biggest corporate donor, giving $1.4 million over the years–much of that going to train nurses to meet the area’s rapidly growing health care needs.

GCC President David A. Sam said the key words describing Rankin are “Leadership, generosity and service–and I thank you for your leadership in supporting Germanna over the years.”

Gregory L. Hiebert, his executive coach from Leadership Forward in Marietta, Ga. compared Rankin to George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” saying, “What matters in life is who we have been for and to each other.”

“Fred Rankin’s leadership and record of service … has touched the lives of thousands of our friends and neighbors in Fredericksburg and  across the region,”  Chair of the Distinguished Person of the Year Committee and GCC Educational Board Executive Committee member Darla K. Burton said.

Rankin’s past and current service includes:

• Board Member of Micah Ecumenical Ministries.

• Past-President of the Rappahannock Area United Way.  Served as Chairman for the 1996 United Way annual campaign. Continues to serve on the United Way’s Board of Directors.  Recipient of the David A. Langford Volunteer of the Year Award in 2000.

• Past Chairman and member of the Board of Directors of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce (1996-2001).  Past Chairman and member of the Chamber Enterprises Board of Directors.  2003 recipient of the Prince B. Woodard Leadership Award.

• Ten years on the Board of Directors of Rappahannock Goodwill Industries.

Former GCC Distinguished Persons of the Year have included Dr. Jane Ingalls, Sen. John Chichester and Ed Allison.

The event’s theme was “The Heart of the Community.”

Burton explained:  ”We chose this theme because Germanna Community College is at the heart of our community, whether for more ‘traditional age’ students who have just finished high school and want to begin their higher education journey at Germanna; the father or mother who has lost a job because of market changes and wants to shift careers; a student who had a challenging time in high school and was unable to secure a diploma, but has chosen Germanna’s Middle College program for a GED and to begin a path toward career development and/or an associates’ degree.  The mission of Germanna Community College is really at the heart of it all…providing hope and helping to change lives.”

Mike Catell, Director of the GCC Educational Foundation Director and Alumni Relations, said Friday night’s event set a GCC record for Distinguished Person of the Year banquets, with 185 tickets reserved and nearly $50,000 donated or pledged.

Title sponsor for the event was Mary Washington Health Care. Gold sponsor was Union First Market Bank. Silver sponsors were BB&T and The Campaign Fund of John Chichester.  Bronze sponsors were GEICO, Hilldrup Companies, Atlantic Builders, Leadership Forward, Lee and Barbara Kane, Jack and Pat Rowley, Donley’s Inc, Bruce and Sandy Davis, The Media Partners, StellarOne, Holmes, Riley & Associates, Insight Physicians, Fredericksburg Baptist Church, the Fredericksburg Economic Development Authority and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative.

What’s going to get Daniel Rodriguez into Virginia Tech? Football? Maybe.

His 3.4 GPA at Germanna? Definitely.

Watch Daniel’s story on Dan Rather Reports Tuesday at 8 p.m..