Change Starts Here

If you enjoy working with children and possess a special talent or fun skill, then TTC  would like to hear from you!   The Division of Continuing Education and Economic  Development i s seeking proposals for the presentation of innovative and creative academic-related  summer camps for children ages 7-16. If selected, you would have the opportunity to teach kids in a fun environment, all while earning a little extra pocket money.   The 2015 Kids’ College Summer Camp  program is tentatively scheduled to run June 8-Aug. 7. Each camp runs for a five-day period,  meeting three and one-half hours each day (8:30 a.m.-noon or 1-4:30 p.m.) and costs from $99  to $199 per camp. Kids’ College is an innovative series that inspires, educates and  engages children by featuring fun and educational offerings in  subject areas such as 21st century life skills, computer technology,  creative arts, culinary and pastry, math and science as wel...

Sarah Jones, a 27-year old camera assistant, was tragically killed last February by a freight train while filming a movie in southeast Georgia.  Since then, many friends and colleagues of Jones, a former TTC student, have spoken out about the safety issues surrounding the film industry.  Film Veteran Presented Workshop in Honor of Sarah Jones Douglas C. Hart, a respected camera technician in the film industry, agrees that safety on film sets must be improved.   Hart presented a a free public workshop at Trident Tech last month. He literally wrote the book on working as a camera assistant. His textbook, “The Camera Assistant: A Complete Professional Handbook,” is used by film students at Trident Tech and at other colleges around the country. In a meeting with TTC film students and in the workshop, Hart focused on safety as well as many other aspects of working in the industry, including camera mechanics, on-set procedures, lenses and filters, and screen...

Victory Media, originator of the  Military Friendly  group of education and career resources for veterans and their families, recently announced their list of 2015 Military Friendly Schools on MilitaryFriendly.com and GIJobs.com .  For the sixth consecutive year, Trident Tech was named a  Military Friendly School, exhibiting leading practices to support military students. The Military Friendly Schools designation process includes extensive research and a data-driven survey of schools nationwide approved for Post-9/11 GI Bill funding. The school survey, methodology, criteria and weightings were developed with the assistance of an Academic Advisory Board of educators from across the country. The survey is administered for free and is open to all schools who wish to participate. Criteria for consideration can be found at  http://www.militaryfriendly.com . Learn more about TTC's military programs.

Trident Technical College's employees have a long history of giving back to the college, contributing more than $1 million to the TTC Foundation since 1980.   This year, as the college celebrates 50 years of educating the Lowcountry, 77% full-time faculty and staff came together again and raised $72,498, breaking all previous records, benefitting student assistance programs such as scholarships and emergency funding, as well as programs for faculty and staff, such as tuition reimbursement and classroom equipment programs for  faculty and staff.   The 2014 Campus Campaign,   Your Story is Our Story,   ran the entire month of September. The campaign celebrated the college's anniversary by sharing the personal stories of employees, alumni and friends of the college. At the campaign kickoff luncheon on September 2, employees shared what the college means to then and why they support TTC Foundation. "Many faculty and staff are also graduates of the co...

When Will Reid was asked to speak at an event honoring Anita Zucker and her family as they received the prestigious Francis Salvador Award Sunday evening, he was honored and excited.   “The family has done so much for our community. Not just by donating, but giving their time when they don’t have to,” said Reid during his remarks. Reid graduated from TTC last spring with an associate degree and represents one of the many individuals that have benefited from the generosity of the Zucker family.  But Reid knew who the Zuckers were even before he came to TTC. He and his wife Martha are die-hard fans of the South Carolina Stingrays and as newlyweds, their first major purchase together wasn’t a house or a car. It was season tickets to the Stingrays.  Reid and his wife saw Mrs. Zucker and her family on a regular basis at season ticket-holder functions. He says, “Ask any Stingray fan about the Zuckers and you won’t find a single person who doesn’t sm...

2014 SKIP winners Jim Skinner and Tony Bertauski Innovators see the world differently than most people. To them, the world is an imperfect place offering limitless opportunities for anyone who is willing, able and impassioned to make it better.  The 2014 SKIP award winners,  Physical Sciences Research Specialist Jim Skinner and Horticulture Program Coordinator Tony Bertauski,  a re no exception. Their goal is to make life better for their students and their colleagues, and last Friday at the TTC annual faculty/staff meeting, they were awarded for their efforts. The SKIP award (Strategy + Knowledge = Innovation Prize) was established in 2012 by Dr. Skip Godow through donations to the TTC Foundation to recognize faculty and staff members who have instituted innovations that have significantly enhanced the student experience or administrative functioning at TTC.   "By creating the SKIP award, I wanted to help foster a culture of innovation at ...

Around the World with Sweets and Treats: (L-R): Vann Crosby, Gray Griffen, Cameron Cox and Antonio Tarplin    Wouldn’t it be fun to turn a basket of mystery ingredients into a winning dish and compete on “Chopped?”  How about investigating a mock digital crime scene, gathering evidence and bringing someone to trial for computer-related crimes?  Or how would you like to take a close-up look at an actual human brain and spinal cord?  More than 1,500 kids ranging in age from 7 to 16 had those and many more opportunities at this year’s Kids’ College summer camps at Trident Technical College. Camps were scheduled not only at TTC’s Main Campus, but also at TTC sites and campuses in Mount Pleasant, St. George, Moncks Corner, St. Paul’s Parish and in downtown Charleston. Model Airplane Class: front row seated (L-R) Oscar Sanchez, Calvin Paulsen and Jack Wheeler. Back row (L-R) Teacher Larsen Tedder, Teacher Asst. Allison Schwerin, Cale...

Carrying a full load of classes can be very stressful for students. This is especially true if they are balancing a job, family and other day-to-day responsibilities, like many students at Trident Tech.  That's why the college is implementing a new 7-week compressed schedule or TTC's  New Schedule for Success. Starting the Fall Semester, which begins on August 25, TTC will offer most courses in this 7-week compressed format. In a compressed format, the semester is divided into 2 shorter terms within the semester. For example, instead of taking four semester-long courses, a student would take two 7-week courses at a time. That student still would complete four courses in a semester but would be juggling only two in each term. There is much research that shows that students are more successful in compressed courses than in courses taught across a full semester. This means that a higher  percentage of students finish with grades of A, B, C or SC (satisfactory)....

Chris (left) with colleague Sherri Carter Christine Solomon is not only the department chair of accounting at Trident Tech, but she is also an alumna of the college. Her TTC story began in 1991 when, as she notes, “I decided I really needed to figure out how to help my children with their homework. They were A LOT smarter than I was!”  Chris found her passion in accounting and this calling propelled her through her associate’s, bachelor's and master’s degrees in accounting. With feet firmly set upon her career path, she earned her C.P.A. license.  One milestone on her journey was her involvement in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, first as a student member then later as an honored advisor. Recently Chris was appointed as one of five community college instructors from around the country to PTK Honors Program Council and previously served as a faculty scholar. Under her guidance, PTK continues to thrive and win awards both from TTC and regionally. Like many TT...

Trident Technical College was well-represented last week at the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s 2014 Influential Women in Business awards luncheon. TTC President Mary Thornley and TTC Foundation Trustee, Andrea Limehouse, were on the list of 12 CEOs, executives, volunteers and rising stars honored at the luncheon.  Thornley, who won in the executive division, has her teachers to thank for helping her to become a leader in Charleston area’s education.  “Teachers inspired me,” she said.  “A daughter of factory mill workers, I attended a mill village school.  Yet I had caring, dedicated teachers, all of whom I can still name to this day.” It is under Mary Thornley’s leadership that TTC has grown to become the second-largest provider of undergraduate education in the state.  “That growth, I believe, is the logical result of meeting our mission,” says Thornley.  “That growth is essential to the economic vitality of our three counties...

When Carolyn Hunter graduated from a Virginia community college in 1977 and began working on a McDonald’s grill, she could not have imagined that she would someday own 3 McDonalds locations. Now, as a member of the TTC Foundation Board of Trustees and donor of the college’s first $1 Million pledge, she keeps finding new ways to support the college. Her latest philanthropic venture, Sissy’s Closet, is one of them. “Where upscale meets resale,” Sissy’s Closet is a retail store in Goose Creek that sells new and gently used ladies clothing and accessories.  The shop is named for Rachel Thompson, Carolyn’s late mother, who was affectionately known as Sissy and instilled in Carolyn a sense of determination and perseverance.   All proceeds from Sissy’s Closet benefit Trident Technical College Foundation , Ronald McDonald House of Charleston , and Teacher’s Supply Closet . Their mission is to raise money for these charities, but also provide opportunities for volunteerism and...

The Charleston area is expected to add 25,000 new jobs during the next five years, nearly seven times the growth of the previous five years, and Trident Technical College is leading the charge to meet workforce demand. The Charleston Metro Chamber, along with several other local community and higher education organizations, commissioned and participated in a study to compare the higher education offerings in our region against the needs of our employers. National consultants from Avalanche Consulting and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) worked to identify the region’s higher education gaps. The report focused on training programs that align with job sectors identified by the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Charleston Regional Development Alliance as experiencing rapid growth: Advanced Security and IT, Aerospace/Aviation, Biomedical/Healthcare and Energy Systems. It is not surprising that TTC is leading the way among local higher educ...

Lou Robinson and Carolyn Hunter No one could have predicted the extreme success of the Beatles when they invaded America in 1964, nor the impact that TTC would have on economic development in the Lowcountry when its doors opened the same year.  But guests at the Legacy Society Luncheon held on May 21 were definitely celebrating both! The purpose of the 2 nd annual event was to honor 30 Legacy Society members for their commitment to support the foundation through wills, annuities, life insurance policies, etc.  The members consist of college employees and retirees, foundation board members, college Area Commissioners and other special friends. Guests donned brightly-colored peace specs and enjoyed a Beatles-themed lunch in honor of both the college’s and the Beatles’ 50 th anniversary.  President Mary Thornley asked members of the Legacy Society to share why they support the foundation through the Legacy Society and how they hope to see TTC grow over...

Jimmy Bagwell, Chair, TTC Foundation Board  of Trustees, presents TTC President, Mary  Thornley with a check for VDI. After TTC Foundation raised more than $2 Million for the Technology and Equipment Fund during the Building Opportunity Campaign for Trident Technical College, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is becoming a reality. In fact, many students, faculty and staff are already using the technology. The campus-wide conversion to this transformational technology initiative will allow the college to realize more than $3 million in net savings over the next 10 years while furthering the college’s mission to provide more affordable, accessible educational opportunities for all students and faculty members, across all programs and campuses. VDI replaces individual desktop computers with a client/server cloud system. VDI, which pushes software applications from a central server to individual units, eliminates the need for costly desktop computers that req...

Amanda Simmons started her college career at a four-year college, but only three weeks into the semester found that she had been removed from the class rolls and locked out of her dorm because her student loan had not been approved. She sought assistance to remain in college but after several weeks was finally told by an employee that she should just give up – maybe "she wasn’t meant for college". She tried semester after semester to return, but each time she was met with new challenges and she began to accept those harsh words – maybe she wasn’t meant for college – and eventually she gave up. Over the years she became angry at herself for not trying harder in high school. She became bitter about her circumstances and despaired as she saw the world pass her by. After years of feeling dejected, her husband encouraged her to try again and she found herself at Trident Tech. Even with family and work obligations, she excelled. She became an active member of Phi Theta Kappa...

Inspiration can come from the most unexpected places.  When Betsy Bamberg answered her door late one night several years ago, the last thing she expected to see was a young woman standing there holding Betsy's purse.    At first it wasn’t clear exactly why the woman was holding her purse - Betsy hadn't even realized it was missing! But as the woman stood before her, it was evident that she was living a hard life, possibly on the streets.  The mystery woman told Betsy that there are people who wander downtown Charleston checking for unlocked cars and anything of value that may be inside. Betsy had inadvertently left her purse in her unlocked car. At first, Betsy was skeptical.    But when she looked through the purse there was absolutely nothing missing.  And when she tried to give the woman the $100 cash that was in her wallet, the woman refused.  She said, “Thank you but I only wanted to make sure that it was returned to you safe...

Jeff Walters attributes two things to his success:  his graduation in Trident Technical College and a work-related injury that left him with a broken coccyx, fractured lower back, two sprained ankles, a sprained wrist and worst of all, an arm that was “shattered into a million pieces.”    On December 8, 1988, Jeff voluntarily climbed on to a conveyor belt to secure a limit switch that was needed in order for the machine to operate.  In his haste to get home for the day, he violated the lock out procedures and the belt started to run more than 100 feet per minute.  Jeff was slammed against a wall, knocking him up in the air, then fell 19 feet to a concrete floor.  His doctor explained his injuries and that he had sustained fractured vertebrae in the lower back and a broken coccyx (tail bone). Then he said, “We are most concerned about your left arm; it is shattered into a million pieces.” Jeff asked if they could pin it back together...

On March 26, the TTC Foundation hosted the 14 th annual Scholarship Luncheon honoring over 220 scholarship donors and recipients and other major donors throughout the college and the community. The program featured a panel discussion that highlighted the difficulties of being raised in a single family household and also being a single parent while obtaining a college education. The panel featured donors Dr. Rew “Skip” Godow Jr. and Elizabeth “Skeet” Godow (The Godow Opportunity Fund for Single Parents), and four scholarship recipients: Talisa Pinckney, Jake Sauppe, Josie Sauppe, and James Usher. “I was raised by a single parent. I am currently a single parent of three and take care of my mother, as well,” said Talisa Pinckney, Charleston Bed & Breakfast Association Scholarship and TTC Foundation Scholarship recipient. “I decided one day that I was so tired of working in jobs that did not interest me or make me happy, and I wanted to improve my family life and show my c...

Donors and recipients of the R.L. Helmly Family Scholarship at the 2011 scholarship luncheon As Trident Technical College’s enrollment continues to grow, so does the demand for scholarship funding. The Trident Technical College Foundation has been working to keep pace with this demand, and in the last couple of years has gone from awarding $200,000 per academic year to over $300,000, thanks to the generosity of donors. One such scholarship is the McMillan Industrial/Engineering Technology Sch olarship.  This year, the new scholarship is assisting seven students studying Industrial or Engineering Technology.  TTC student Stephanie Lounsberry expresses her gratitude for this support in a thank you letter to the founders of the scholarship, Eddie and Karen McMillan:  “People say you know that you are in the right career when you don’t feel like you work a day in your life…this scholarship is allowing me to finish college and accomplish that dream.” ...

Accredited by the   American Veterinary Medical Association, TTC's Veterinary Technology program includes the study of animal breeds and husbandry, veterinary anatomy and physiology, animal nutrition, diseases and zoonosis, and small animal surgery.  Trident Tech's vet tech students get hands-on experiences with animals at the Berkeley Campus location's multi-use treatment center which has separate kennel space for dogs and cats, a simulated veterinarian's office and x-ray and research labs. The surgery area has cameras focused on the operating table and amphitheater-style seating behind glass so 26 people can watch and learn. Veterinary Technology students work with animals from local shelters, treating their illnesses and providing shots and treatments including spaying or neutering them.  The students also clean and groom the animals so they are more likely to be adopted when they return to the shelter. Veterinary technicians assist veterinarians by p...