the Magazine, Volume 2 Issue 2 - The College of Coastal Georgia

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A Greensboro Dreamer Puts HisThey are known as the “Greensboro Dreamers.” Fifty-fourkindergarteners in Greensboro Elementary School werepromised a college education 12 years ago by Cathy andTom Kelly, a CEO from Philadelphia who had retired to LakeOconee in Greene County, Georgia. The promise came withstrings attached: expectations of academic performance,community involvement and volunteering, good behaviorand proper etiquette, group travel toexpand horizons – social and life skillsto improve the likelihood of success.Forty-five students remained in theprogram and graduated from highschool on schedule this spring. Twelve– more than 25 % of the Dreamers –selected the College of Coastal Georgiaas their college choice.Freshman William Mitchell fromUnion Point is one of them.Making the change from the nurturingschool environment providedby Kelly and his wife, including intensivementoring and tutoring, to a statecollege on the southeastern coast ofGeorgia entails much more than tradingthe hills of Greene County for themarshes and beaches of Glynn.That’s where the College’s minorityoutreach programs and academicsupport systems, such as the Center for Academic Successand TRiO, help bridge the transition. In fact, the Collegereceived a University System of Georgia grant this spring toestablish a new program, Summer Bridge and Go, specificallysupporting efforts to enhance the enrollment, retention andgraduation of African-American males in the USG system.Coastal Georgia used the grant to support a pre-collegeexperience this summer for African-American malesinterested in attending the College this fall. Over the program’sthree-week period in June, the recruits lived on campus inLakeside Village; received coaching in reading, vocabularyand math; completed the admissions and financial aidprocess; and built supportive friendships with other students,mentors, faculty and staff. “They also developed a deeperunderstanding of leadership and community commitment,”explained Heidi Leming, Vice President of Student Affairs.“I’m confident they will successfully transition to existingsupport services designed to assist first-generation collegestudents.”“I feel prepared,” Mitchell says, “and I know what to expectfrom college life.” He already has a community mentor,Eugene Williams, a member of Fourteen Black Men of Glynn,and is interacting with support staff. “The program was fun,but just like Mr. K, they made it clear they want and expectme to succeed.”Linell Bailey, Assistant Coordinator of Academic Services,stresses the minority outreachprograms provide cultural supportas well as academic support:“Community mentoring is importantfor students who are away from homefor the first time.”Mitchell enjoyed meeting classmatesfrom around the state. “The Dreamershave stuck together a long time,” headmits. “One of my roommates inour dorm suite is Ronald Shelton –another Dreamer – but the other guyscome from different places.”One of their assignments duringthe summer program was to readand discuss Pulitzer prize-winningpoet Natasha Trethewey’s memoir,Beyond Katrina: A Meditation onthe Mississippi Gulf Coast. The bookexamines the impact of HurricaneKatrina on the lives and culture of thatregion. Mitchell liked Trethewey’s poetry and hopes he’llhave the opportunity to meet the U.S. Poet Laureate duringthe Georgia Literary Festival at Jekyll Island in November.He also plans to participate in the fall term service-learningproject on the Gulf coast.That Mitchell would prefer poetry is no surprise. He writespoetry himself and incorporates it in his hip hop routines.“I don’t play an instrument,” he says, “I use myself as aninstrument.” So one of the things he’s looking forward to isopen mic night on campus, when he can perform with poetry,music and everything in between.With his eye on the goal of graduating in four years,his freshman year will be spent in core classes such asart, literature, and math. He is committed to campusinvolvement and community engagement, includingvolunteering at the Boys and Girls Club in Brunswick. Hisdegree is the dream, but this Dreamer intends to enjoy thejourney, one day at a time. u20 College of Coastal Georgia – the Magazine
Lessons LearnedService-learning scholarship winners excel outside the classroomSome lessons can only be learned by experience.Don Jones ’14 can cite numerous examples from lifeas a single parent with a beautiful daughter who has beencompeting in beauty pageants since 3 rd grade. “I’ll neverforget the first pageant. We show up – and there’s no placefor daddy. It’s all mommies. There is no dressing roomwhere a daddy is allowed to help his daughter get ready forthe show,” he laughs, shaking his head.Ayla Wilson ’14 is passionate about helping peoplebecause of her experiences as a child. “I’ve been there. So, Iwant them to understand hurt matters…they matter…andhurt does not define who they are,” she explains. “Someonedid this for me, and I want to pay back. You shed the shell ofbeing self-serving by serving others.”Service-learning courses are now integral parts of everydegree program at Coastal Georgia. In service-learning,the community becomes a classroom. Students connecttheory with practice while meeting a direct and immediatecommunity need.Dana Beckham ’13 says it is how she best learns, “Handson, in the community. I’m out there actually doing it,physically.”Beckham, Jones and Wilson are the inaugural recipientsof Coastal Georgia’s service-learning scholarships.Beckham is a psychology major. Her service-learningcourse assignment in Psychology and Nutrition introduceda healthy-eating nutrition program to Burroughs-Moletteelementary school students in grades K-2. Burroughs-Molette is where Beckham went to school as a child.Wilson, also a psychology major, teamed with otherclassmates to plan, dig out, plant, and maintain a garden toprovide fresh vegetables and herbs for a local soup kitchen,Manna House.Jones worked with two other classmates in Environmentof Business to stage an art contest and exhibit for elementaryand middle schools as part of the Georgia Department ofNatural Resources’ annual CoastFest. The team visitedschools, collected the art, set up the exhibits, arranged thejudging, then returned to the schools with the students’ artand prizes. “It was an excellent study of logistics, problemsolving,and coordination,” Jones contends.Wilson and Jones agree that the team interaction wasa critical component of the structured service-learningexperience.“There is no way that you don’t learn from this typeof experience. It is empowering. You grow and stretch.The garden at the Manna House in Brunswick was one of theservice-learning projects inaugurated during spring 2012.It enriches the material. It is effective because it forcesreflection. But you are experiencing it in a safe way - withyour classmates, as a community,” Wilson explains.Before enrolling in a service-learning course, Jonesrecalls not being fully engaged as a student: “The servicelearningprojects brought our class together, regardlessof age and circumstances. This class made me feel [moreengaged and] comfortable about being in college.”Prior to enrolling in the School of Business & PublicAffairs in pursuit of his BBA, Jones owned a recyclingbusiness for eleven years. “In high school, I rebuilt old cars.I went from selling used car parts to recycling old cars torecycling other metals. But between the economy and thewear and tear on my back and knees, I knew it was time tochange. I came back for my degree to learn how to trust andhow to manage [employees]. I recognized I couldn’t run abusiness by myself. I made money then, but with what I’velearned in college, I could double that money now.”While developing trust was an important componentof his service-learning experience, Jones also cites thesatisfaction of project responsibility. “This isn’t volunteering.I’ve done a lot of volunteer work in my life, especially for theRed Cross and helping out after Katrina. But with the DNRassignment, we were managing and completing a project –we saw the results.”All three scholarship recipients have selected additionalservice-learning courses as well as targeted organizationswith which they will continue to work. Beckham hasalready taken the next step. She has founded a non-profitassociation that is now a community partner for servicelearningexperiences by other students. uPhoto courtesy of Ayla WilsonCollege of Coastal Georgia – the Magazine 21
Page 1 and 2: college ofCOASTAL GEORGIAtheMAGAZIN
Page 4 and 5: Alumni Profile:Jody Carter ’12Mar
Page 6 and 7: Just a Normal College StudentMaggie
Page 8 and 9: MaestroLuis Haza named College of C
Page 10 and 11: Small World - Big DreamsBarbara Nak
Page 12 and 13: Halfway Around the WorldYouTube and
Page 14 and 15: A Public PartnershipCollege partner
Page 16 and 17: A Teacher’s CommitmentDr. Michael
Page 18 and 19: Sharer-in-ChiefReg Murphy named ina
Page 20 and 21: Summer SchoolImproving Teacher Qual
Page 24 and 25: Cooking for a CauseC.H.E.F.One of t
Page 26 and 27: on Saturday morning. Trethewey will
Page 28 and 29: Alumni Profile:Mike Hodges ’73Dur
Page 30 and 31: AroundThe new school on campusConti
Page 32: Advancement OfficeOne College Drive

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