action The Magazine of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Alumni Association•Summer 2013 Pé It Forward Scholarship established in honor of Jerry St. Pé Winner! Selected as one of the top three community college magazines in the state by the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi! action INSTITUTIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT and OFFICE OF ALUMNI/DEVELOPMENT Michelle Sekul Michael Sewell Jenifer Freridge Interim Vice President of Institutional Coordinator of Multimedia/ Coordinator of Alumni Relations Advancement and Student Services Graphics Project Manager Dee Dee Hatten Brenda Davis Jennifer Collier Tinnin Foundation Office Secretary Coordinator of Institutional Relations Graphic Services Assistant Rachel Graves Kathy McAdams Kimberly Jones Alumni Office Secretary Public Information Coordinator Editor/Writer Bill Snyder Richard Kopp Sports Information Director District Photographer COMMENTS, NEWS & UPDATES/ CONTRIBUTORS CHANGE OF ADDRESS Corinne Butler [email protected] John Fitzhugh, Photographer, The Sun Herald 601-928-6288 Alumni Office P.O. Box 99 Perkinston, MS 39573-0099 Find out more about us at Action is published three times a year by MGCCC Institutional Relations. This issue was published in June 2013. mgccc.edu • 1.866.735.1122 “In compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX, Education Amendments of 1972 of the Higher Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and other applicable Federal and State Acts, the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College hereby adopts a policy assuring that no one shall, on the grounds of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age or qualified disability be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination in any program or activity of the College. The Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes students and employees without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age or qualified disability.” Compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title II of the Age Discrimination Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is coordinated by Dr. Michael Heindl, Vice President for Administration and Finance, Perkinston Campus, P. O. Box 609, Perkinston, Mississippi 39573, telephone number 601-928-5211, email address [email protected]. SPRING 2013 INSIDE Letter from the President • 4 Pé It Forward • 5 5 6 Graduation 2013 • 6 Alumni Spotlight: Anna Faye Kelley-Winders • 8 Alumni Trudy Showles and Jamie Miller • 9 10 Annual Scholarship Gala • 10 Instructors of the Year/Difference Makers • 14 College Happenings • 16 Sports • 20 Foundation Spotlight • 22 Scholarships/Cody Breland • 23 Alumni News • 24 In Remembrance • 25 Healthy Living at MGCCC • 26 Michelle Sekul named interim vice president • 27 16 Board Members • 27 20 22 4 Action Magazine l SUMMER 2013 A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Alumni and Friends... This issue of Action features many activities that took place during the spring semester. First, however, let us welcome Michelle Sekul as vice president of Institutional Advancement and Student Services. An alumna of the college and a longtime MGCCC employee, she will lead the efforts of Foundation, Alumni, Institutional Relations and Student Services. She will do an outstanding job in this new role. On March 26, the Alumni and Foundation Spring Reception honoring Instructors of the Year and Difference Makers was held at the Jackson County Campus. Congratulations to our honorees! The annual Scholarship Gala, Silent Auction and Celebrity Roast was held on April 29 at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi. This year’s gala raised approximately $89,000 for student scholarships. Jerry St. Pé, former president of Ingalls Shipbuilding and retired executive vice president of the shipyard’s parent company, Litton Industries, was the guest of honor. The spring semester culminates each year with graduation. The 2013 commencement ceremony was held on May 9 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum, with almost 900 graduates participating and 1,939 degrees conferred. The college-wide Pinning Ceremony for Nursing and Radiologic Technology programs was held at the coliseum on the morning of May 9, with 64 graduates. On May 8, the GED graduation was held at the coliseum, with 214 participating graduates. Also this spring, MGCCC sports teams continued our winning tradition in athletics. In the sports section of Action, you’ll find wrap-ups of tennis, golf, softball, baseball and men’s and women’s basketball. It was a season filled with state and regional titles and spots in national tournaments. This time of year is always tinged with melancholy as we say goodbye to good friends who are retiring – some have spent their entire careers at the college, such as Anna Faye Kelley-Winders. She is featured in this issue as the Alumni Spotlight. Also, we are deeply saddened by the loss of some of our alumni, longtime supporters and former employees. We extend condolences to the families. As we move into summer and leave the hectic pace of the school year behind, it is important that we remain connected with our alumni and friends. If you are not a member of the Alumni Association, we encourage you to join. The 2,300-member strong organization offers a variety of benefits and allows you to remain a part of a rich tradition at MGCCC. We also urge you to read the Foundation Spotlight in this issue. It is an inspirational story about why three relatives of Rodney L. Mansfield established a $100,000 scholarship in his honor. Please contact our MGCCC Foundation to learn more about establishing a scholarship and/or Planned Giving options. Become a member - give toward student scholarships and be the difference! Sincerely, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Making a Positive difference... Mary S. Graham, Ph.D. MGCCC.EDU Action Magazine l SUMMER 2013 Action Magazine l SUMMER 2013 5 0 CollegePé students have different Itneeds when it comesF to student Gamingrward Commission, and served as vice chairman of Gov. Haley success. Sometimes it’s money for tuition and textbooks, Barbour’s Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal and sometimes it’s material items required for college-related to develop plans and public policy for recovery from Hurricane conferences. Katrina. Through a donation A native of New Orleans, from Jerry St. Pé, the Pé he came to Mississippi in It Forward Scholarship 1958 as a newspaper reporter was established to fulfill for the then Pascagoula these needs. Through Chronicle Star (now the this fund, students can Mississippi Press). In receive assistance with 1961 he joined the public supplemental items relations staff of the Ingalls necessary for their Shipbuilding Division of representation of the Litton Industries, and in 1967 college at varied events and played a major role in the competitions. Ingalls/State of Mississippi As St. Pé well knows, partnership that resulted success sometimes depends in the construction in on the help of others. Jackson County of the first Therefore, he knows the totally new shipyard built in value of paying it forward. America since World War II. “I’m a strong believer In 1971, St. Pé was appointed in that there are no director of Public Relations private victories,” he says. for Ingalls, and in 1975 was “Whatever we achieve, named vice president of Public we succeed because of the and Industrial Relations. In public/private partnership 1985, he became president of working together.” of Ingalls and was elected a St. Pé, former president corporate vice president of of Ingalls Shipbuilding Litton Industries. In 1998 and retired executive vice he was named corporate president of the shipyard’s executive vice president of parent company, Litton Litton Industries. He retired Industries, was honored at in October 2001, following the the Annual Scholarship Gala, completion of the transition Silent Auction and Celebrity Roast on of Northrop Grumman’s purchase of April 29 and Beau Rivage Resort and Litton Industries in April 2001. Casino. That was also the night that the Following his retirement, he formed Pé It Forward Scholarship at MGCCC was St Pé and Associates LLC, through born. “I’m a strong believer which he engages in private business “The MGCCC system has been a major interests and volunteer work. partner in the success of this region,” St. Pé resides in Jackson County with St. Pé says. “I look back on my time at in that there are no his wife, Joann, a native Mississippian Ingalls Shipbuilding, and I see the role and retired school teacher. They have the community college played in two children, Prudence Graham and providing skills to thousands of men and private victories.” Laurin St Pé, and five grandchildren women.” Jerry St. Pé (Pasley Graham, Hansen Graham, Abby Pé, a community college advocate, is St Pé, Ella St Pé and Caroline St Pé). a former chairman of the Mississippi MGCCC.EDU 6 Action Magazine l SUMMER 2013 Mississippi Gulf Coast Communityraduation College held the annual Monty Harris, of Perkinston, 2013 said she plans to continue her Commencement Ceremony on May 9 at the Mississippi Gulf education and major in Nutrition and Dietitics. “Community Coast Coliseum, with almost 900 students participating and college was a wonderful experience and has given me the 1,939 degrees conferred. Ed Day, former president and CEO confidence, the academic reinforcement and general support of Mississippi Power, gave the commencement address. I needed to be successful at the university. I feel completely GJohn and Kasi McDaniel, husband and wife from prepared for whatever the rest of my college experience Ocean Springs, were thrilled about participating in the throws at me.” commencement ceremony together. “We are excited about Elizabeth Broderick, of Lucedale, was a Cosmetology starting the next phase of our lives,” said Kasi, an Associate student at the George County Center and decided to receive Degree Nursing graduate.