The Hilltopper The Alumni Newsletter of Virginia Highlands Community College Spring 2013 Richard Leigh (‘73) Headlines Campus Songwriters Festival INSIDE Five of Nashville’s leading Nursing Reunion songwriters and up-and-coming A lively group of graduates from VHCC’s nursing program talents from throughout the region returned to campus in October to relive old memories will gather on the campus of Virginia and catch up with classmates during a special event Highlands Community College on celebrating the programs 40th anniversary. PAGE 2 Saturday, May 18, for the Richard Leigh Music Festival, a celebration of Wolf Grounds Coffee Shop song to benefit foster care students. If you need a boost of energy while in close proximity to Grammy Award Winner Richard the VHCC campus, stop by for a hot cup of coffee or an icy Leigh will headline a 6 p.m. frappe from Wolf Grounds Coffee Shop, the new student performance also featuring Tony venture that is featuring renewable energy and organic products. Page 3 Arata, Mark D. Sanders, Dennis Morgan, and Roger Cook. These five members of the Nashville Alumni Profile Sgt. Jamie Davis prefers the rugged mountain trails, Songwriters’ Hall of Fame - who cascading waterfalls, and open fields of Southwest Virginia have written songs for country to a plush corner office. Read about his time at VHCC and music greats like Garth Brooks, his current job as a Conservation Officer for the Virginia Trace Adkins, Reba McEntire, Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Page 4 George Strait, Faith Hill, and Randy The festival honors the work Travis - will perform their well- of Richard Leigh, a 1973 VHCC Upcoming Events graduate who wrote “Don’t it Make known hits and share the stories A graduation party featuring live music, a pool party with behind the songs. Ed Snodderly, a My Brown Eyes Blue,” the Crystal mammoth waves, and a baseball game with free hotdog local songwriter whose lyrics are Gayle hit that was named “Best are all in the works for the coming months. Mark your inscribed on the wall of Nashville’s Country Song” at the 1978 Grammy calendar now and plan to attend. PAGE 6 Country Music Hall of Fame, also Awards and one of the ten most will perform and emcee the show. performed Country Songs of the Other festival highlights Century. include a 5K Walk sponsored by All proceeds will benefit VHCC’s DePaul Community Resources, a Great Expectations Program for VHCC Alumni Association songwriting contest, and music foster care students. P.o. Box 828 throughout the day from local Tickets are $25 and can be Abingdon, VA 24212 songwriters Gill Brasswell, Mary purchased online through PayPal at www.vhcc.edu/songwriters. A Munsey, Impeach Dixon, and 276-739-2456 • [email protected] Annabelle’s Curse. The festival will PayPal account is not required. VHCC is an EEO/AA Institution end with a 9 p.m. concert featuring Tickets purchased after April 30 will local favorites If Birds Could Fly and be $30. Children under 6 will be Folk Soul Revival.­­ admitted free. Four members of VHCC’s first Nursing Class were among about 50 who returned to campus in October for a celebration of the program’s 40th Anniversary. Pictured, left to right, are Sadie Surber, Shirley Pafford, Martha Ryan, Beverly Bolling, and Dr. Kathy Mitchell, VHCC’s Dean of Nursing and Allied Health. Each of these ladies have enjoyed a prestigious nursing career in our community. The photo below was taken of the first nursing class, which included students from VHCC and Southwest Virginia Community College, while completing a clinical rotation at the Southwest Virginia Mental Health Institute in Marion. 6th Annual Virginia Highlands Community College Educational Foundation Scholarship Golf Tournament April 29, 2013 www.vhcc.edu/golf Sponsored by baked snacks are served at Wolf Grounds Coffee Shop, located on the first floor of the Learning Resources Center (LRC). The business was first envisioned by members of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), a nationally recognized student entrepreneurship club that has since changed its name to ENACTUS, and was made possible with a $30,000 grant from Dominion Power Co. In announcing support of the project in 2010, Dominion lauded the ecologically friendly aspects of the new business, which include organically grown coffee provided by Abingdon’s Zazzy’Z Coffee Roasters, cups and other paper products made from recycled materials, and the use of Energy Star appliances. Additionally, the business will derive a portion of its power from windmills and solar panels that were installed at VHCC as part of the Energy Technology program. “Our mission was to create a self-sustaining, eco-friendly business that would serve ‘green’ products to the VHCC community at a competitive price,” said Phil Ferguson, a VHCC faculty member who advised students during the early planning stages. “We’re confident that Wolf Grounds will become a symbol of environmental sustainability and economic enrichment for our customers and all VHCC students.” While space was being renovated for the new business, Oliver Grab a Cup of Joe Craughwell, owner of Zazzy’Z, came on board as a volunteer A student-operated coffee shop that uses organic products mentor. He shared his expertise with students, helping them with and renewable energy opened recently on the Virginia Highlands important tasks like choosing the proper equipment and developing Community College campus, where it serves as a hands-on a menu. learning laboratory for students enrolled in a wide variety of Wolf Grounds is currently open to the public Monday-Thursday academic programs. from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday hours will be added soon. Hot lattes, flavored cappuccinos, iced mochas, and fresh FROM the ARCHIVES Joyce Crusenberry, a long-time employee of the VHCC Library, is among those planning to retire at the close of the academic year. Joyce is quite the fashion plate in this photo from the VHCC archives (circa 1970). Other photos found buried in file cabinets and desk drawers indicate she was quite fond of go-go boots, too, when they were all the rage. Since Joyce has always been willing to share a friendly smile and tidbits of campus history, it seemed only fitting that we honor her with this stroll down memory lane. Best wishes for a great retirement, Joyce. You certainly will be missed. Do you remember the young man in this photo? If so, email [email protected] with information. Sgt. Jamie Davis isn’t interested in a corner and call you by name. That means a lot.” office with leather furniture and plush Sgt. Davis worked on the family farm while earning a degree in General Studies from VHCC and, soon after carpeting. graduating in 1994, went to work for UPS. He got married a few years later, changed jobs, had a child, and was working He prefers the rugged mountain trails, cascading at Bristol’s Ball Corp., when he decided it was time to return to waterfalls, and open fields of Southwest Virginia that provide the classroom. the perfect backdrop for his job as a conservation officer for “My wife, Wendy, was the education driving force,” he the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. said, noting that she is currently working toward a Ph.D. “She “This is my office,” he said, proudly holding a photo of gave me the confidence that I could succeed.” a babbling creek on a sunny summer day.”I’m able to be Sgt. Davis enrolled in an online program through Florida’s outside and work in the natural resources of Southwest St. Leo University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Virginia. That’s awesome. I’ve always believed that if you Administration with a specialization in Management in enjoy what you do, you do a whole lot better at it.” 2001. The online program provided the flexibility he needed Growing up in Glade Spring, Sgt. Davis learned farming to balance class assignments with his work and family techniques, as well as how to hunt and fish, from his father. responsibilities. It also paved the way to his “dream job” with The father-son outings were valuable experiences for young the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF). Jamie, who said his father always stressed safety and respect He began as a Boating Access Maintenance Supervisor, for the natural resources that make the region such a great overseeing and performing maintenance for public boat place to live. By the time he was in high school, he knew that ramps in the region, while he began training for the job that he wanted a career in the great outdoors. he always knew he wanted. In 2004, after graduating from But football was also in his blood. A standout athlete at Patrick Henry, he landed a football scholarship to West Virginia Tech. He was in his first semester when an injury forced him to give up the game. “The tuition was affordable and the Once back home, Virginia Highlands just made sense. “The tuition was affordable and the educational resources educational resources that were that were available here were as exceptional as any four-year school,” he said. “The professors were excellent to work with, available here were as exceptional and I really enjoyed the small campus atmosphere. At big universities, the professors post your test scores by the last as any four-year school.” four digits of your social security number. Here they know you the VDGIF Law Enforcement Academy, he became a Virginia State Game Warden. Because education had played such a key role in his success, he enrolled once again in an online program at St.