Change Starts Here

Andrew Kay When Andrew Kay was in the eighth grade, his grandfather gave him a 1980 El Camino.  That was when he discovered what he wanted to do with his life.  “I always loved working with my hands and fixing things, but tinkering with that car really helped me find my passion,” says Andrew, who is an automotive technician at Hendrick Honda of Charleston . 1980 El Camino Andrew entered high school having already decided what he wanted to do.   So he started taking classes   through Trident Technical College’s Dual Credit Program , earning credits that applied to both his high school diploma and his college degree.  He graduated from high school a year early and immediately started full-time at Trident Tech. “Most of the required classes in high school had nothing to do with my career goals. I didn’t want to waste another year. I loved the automotive classes and the instructors at TTC and wanted to concentrate on that. When you are ...

The TTC Foundation’s 12th annual “A Night in the Valley” wine dinner and auction, which was held Friday, January 30, grossed more than $465,000 from sponsorships, ticket sales, silent and live auctions, and a special appeal during the dinner.   Dr. Thornley and event chair Clara Varga-Gonzales of Tiger Lily Florist thank the event sponsors for their support.   Working with the faculty and staff of the Culinary Institute of Charleston, students prepared and served a four-course meal with wine pairings to 600 event attendees. Money raised by the black-tie event is used to fund student scholarships, purchase instructional equipment and pay for employee professional development. During the event, Dr. Thornley recognized five legislators for the special efforts they made to support the S.C. Aeronautical Training Center during the last legislative session. Dr. Thornley presented Hugh Leatherman, Paul Campbell, Chip Limehouse, Bobby Harrell and Jenny Horne with plaqu...

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...