GCC internship program making Javier Penzelina's dream a reality

Germanna internship program helping him find public service path

Since he was in the second grade, Javier Penzelina has had a dream.

Germanna Community College’s internship program is helping him make it a reality:

The 2008 Caroline High School graduate and resident of Ruther Glen knew he wanted to be involved in politics, but wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted to do or how to get his foot in the door..

Germanna’s internship program has helped Javier Penzelina pursue his dream of a career in public service

Penzelina has been figuring it out with help from Cheri Ober, Germanna’s internship coordinator, who’s helped him land on Capitol Hill in the office of U.S. Rep Steny Hoyer and in Richmond on Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s staff.

Working for Rep. Hoyer in Washington, he focused on issues of concern to fellow millenials.

In Richmond, he worked in constituent services.

With the governor’s office, “I was able to get a better understanding of how state politics work, “ Penzelina said.

In Washington, he said he was surprised  to see that politicians who seem to be bitter foes in the media are often friendly when they’re not in front of the cameras. Penzelina has been interested in politics since the second grade and “the 2008 presidential election confirmed my desire to pursue a career in government.”

As a result of his experience, he’s decided that “Ultimately, I’d like to run for public office.”

“Javier is focused and has a deep commitment to serve the American public,” Ober said. “I’m impressed with the sacrifices he has made to complete the two internships…  these opportunities gave him the fire to want to continue his education and succeed in a political career.”

Penzelina thanked Ober for her help and added that Caroline Maloney, his second-grade teacher at Ladysmith Elementary School, helped him see what was possible early in life.

“She encouraged me to reach for the highest level,” he said of Maloney. “She never placed a limit on how far I could go.”

“Cheri has been a great person in my corner,” Penzellna said.  He said she’s been working hard with him in an effort to land a White House internship.

Penzelina spent the early years of his life with his aunt and uncle in the northern part of the Bronx, in a neighborhood on 224^th St.

“It was a diverse neighborhood and diversity was the pillar my upbringing was centered around,” he said. “When we moved to Virginia, we had to make the adjustment from a but city to a slower-paced rural area.”

Spending his formative years Virginia “has taught me more about myself,” he said,  “and it is why I want to give back in the best way I know how–public service.”

The interships forced Penzellna out of his comfort zone. He said he had to assert myself in intimidating situations, speaking up in meetings with high profile people.

He will graduate from Germanna in May and will study political science at UMW.

He said he’s glad he chose to start at GCC.

“The professors here do a really good job and they’re really friendly and cater to the needs of students here..”

“For me, Germanna made economic sense,” he said. “It cut my tuition in half. I’m debt free right now. When I graduate from UMW, I won’ t have the same debt as someone who went to a university for four years.”

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Germanna and I’m grateful for the internship opportunities,” he said. “I encourage other students to take advantage of the opportunity.”

STEM careers not only for boys, Girl Scouts learn at GCC

Mirela Fetea, Ph.D., (right) answers questions from area Girl Scouts who participated in hands-on science workshops at Germanna Saturday.With her (background, l-r, are Trudy Witt, Ph.D. Prof. of Biology, GCC student Zilmara Montecinos Bonnet, Izabela Sikora, education technician wih the Tri-City Soil and Water Conservation Board, JoAnn Schrass, Ph. D., Biology professor.)

Fifty Girl Scouts from Fredericksburg and Stafford and Spotsylvania counties deconstructed electronic devices including computers, printers, smart phones and televisions and learned about physics and ecology during the first Girl Scout Science Day Saturday at Germanna Community College's Fredericksburg Campus in Spotsylvania.

Isabella Grasso of Girl Scout Troop 5214 takes part in a "Deconstruction" workshop during Girl Scout Science Day at Germanna Community College's Fredericksburg Area Campus in Spotsylvania Saturday. participated in hands-on science workshops led by Germanna Community College faculty at the Fredericksburg Area Campus on Saturday, (Photos by Robert A. Martin)

During a panel discussion about women in science, Dr. Mirela Fetea, who teaches physics at Germanna, told the Girl Scouts not to worry about stereotyping that implies girls aren't suited to STEM careers.

"Just pursue your dreams," Fetea told the Girl Scouts. "If you want to stay home and raise your children, that's ok. But there's nothing wrong with chasing your dreams, whatever they are. Even if you are told you cannot do it. Show people you can."
Dr. Trudy Witt, who teaches biology at GCC, told the Girl Scouts not to be concerned about being pigeon-holed as a "nerd."
"I always remind people that nerds make more money," she said with a grin.
"It was pretty fun," 12-year-old Evelyn Pailthorpe of Stafford Troop 3546 said of the day.
"We're really excited about having the opportunity to get elementary school-aged girls thinking about careers in science," Witt said.

Germanna Biology Prof. Trudy Witt with local scouts
during Girl Scout Science Day at GCC.

Getting to Know: Student Success Coach Matt Fitzgerald

Germanna Community College has launched a Student Success Coach Program. The coaches stay with students from enrollment through graduation, giving them the help they need to succeed in college and in life.

We’ll meet each of the coaches in a series of Q&A profile—Matt Fitzgerald works with students at the Fredericksburg Area Campus in Spotsylvania.

•  Where are you from?   

   I'm from Stafford and am in the process of moving to the Fredericksburg area.

Matt Fitzgerald

• ·     Where did you go to high school and college?

     I attended Colonial Forge and Mountain View High School. I then came to Germanna and graduated with an associate’s degree in General Studies. I also transferred to the University of Mary Washington and finished there with a B.S. in Psychology.

• ·     How long have you worked at Germanna?

    Two years.

• ·     What do you like about working at Germanna? About being a Student Success Coach?

        I enjoy working with the other faculty and staff. Everyone is focused on the students and their success. Being a Success Coach, I am able to work with students one on one and be a part of their college experience.

• ·     What’s the biggest challenge you face in your job?

     Reaching the students. Emails and calls do not always bring responses. Most of the time I find them in class and then I set up a time to meet up later.

• ·     What’s your advice for Germanna students?

     Read the directions and ask questions. If you are ever doubtful or unsure, you need to ask questions. College is a place and time in your life where you hold all of the control. You have the choice of being successful or not.

• ·     For students graduating from high school and thinking about college?

    What do you want for your future? What do you need to do in the present to get there? College may or may not be in your plans, but be sure of what path will lead you to the life you want.

• ·     For older students thinking about returning to college?

       You are an inspiration. You have lived life and are now returning to school. Having an age-diverse college is beneficial to everyone. For the younger students, this is a great way to further develop their social skills: interacting with actual adults. It is also an opportunity for those students that are older to become a mentor in the classroom.

• ·     What misconception does the public have about community colleges and community college students?

      Community college is always considered to be “Plan B”. The last resort effort to go to school, or where everyone goes who is kicked out of their University.

·     Are you married and do you have children?

     I will be getting married this Spring, and no children at this time.

• ·     Fun fact about you?

    I have been playing drums for 15 years and I have tattoos!

• ·     What’s your favorite book?

    “Stuff Christians Like” – by Jon Acuff

• ·     Your favorite movie?

     “Kill Bill” (1&2), “Star Wars” (all), “Edward Scissorhands,” “Ironman.”

• ·     Your favorite TV show?

     “Chopped,” “Fast & Loud,” “American Pickers,” “Duck Dynasty.”

• ·     Your favorite sport and team?

   Football, Hokies. I also like to bowl.

Vision for permanent Germanna Center in Stafford taking shape

What role should Germanna Community College play in Stafford County 20 or 30 years from now?

That’s the question GCC President David A. Sam asked a gathering of business, educational and political leaders from Stafford at a “visioning” session Monday at Riverside Conference Center.

“I like to say that ‘community is our middle name,’ “ Sam told the group. “We want and need your input.”

The group was interested in expanding GCC’s Dual Enrollment program, which makes it possible for students to earn associate’s degrees while in high school, and securing criminal justice/national security training that would support nearby Quantico and government agencies.

Stafford Director of Economic Development Tim Baroody said the county expects Germanna to play a role in the development of its own vision for the Courthouse area.

Germanna Community College Dean Denise Guest talked with community members as GCC held a Stafford County Visioning Session at the Riverside Conference Center Monday, Photos by (Robert A. Martin)

“Stafford County is working to build exciting opportunities in the Courthouse area,” he said.

He said the county’s vision is a complex of retail, restaurant and office capacity in a village concept that’s pedestrian friendly.

Baroody said “building a sense of place” is important to the county’s vision for the Stafford Courthouse area.

“Germanna would love to be one of the anchors,” Sam said.

He said the kind of workforce development Germanna provides “is critical to economic development.”

GCC Vice President Jeanne Wesley said Germanna will be able to provide expanded  offerings in training in health care, IT, industry and construction, national security skills such as cybersecurity and customized training at a larger facility near Stafford Courthouse.

“We’re very excited about a larger space in Stafford,” she said. “What we have now is a very small space.”

Germanna opened its existing Stafford County Center at Aquia in 2009 with support from the county Economic Development Authority. Enrollment immediately exceeded the 1,000 capacity of the four-classroom facility.

Virginia Del. Michael T. Futile (D-2nd) - foreground, right) - and Mark J. Safferstone, Ph.D., executive director of the University of Mary Washington's Stafford and Dahlgren campuses, look over the list of suggestions make by attendees at a Germanna Community College Visioning Session at the Riverside Conference Center in Stafford County.

GCC is working with the county toward opening a much larger, permanent center near Stafford Courthouse. The Germanna Educational Foundation is seeking private donations to help make that possible.

Sam said the new center in Stafford may look different than most campuses do today, with more labs and fewer classrooms and more emphasis on hybrid classes that combine online and face to face learning, but with greater emphasis on creating the type of sense of place of which Baroody spoke.

Deborah Brock, Germanna’s executive director of organizational planning and assessment, said Stafford can expect a 144 percent increase in population by 2040, with the number of young people of traditional school age doubling.

She said 36 percent of Stafford residents currently have bachelor’s degrees and that’s higher than the national rate of 29 percent. Still, she said, developing technology will create growing demand from county employers for workers with college degrees and credentials.

Dr. Jeanne Wesley , Germanna vice president, for workforce development, reviews suggestions made Monday at the cpllege's Stafford Visioning Session at the Riverside Conference Center.

She said demand for workers in the health care professions and support fields will grow, as will demand for skilled workers in construction and supporting trades. At the same time, she said, the nature of the federal government as an employer will be shifting if it continues to downsize. It’s currently the biggest employer for county residents.

Participants in Germanna’s Stafford Visioning Session included:

Bruce Davis – Former Germanna College Board and Educational Foundation Board Member

Dana Reinboldt – Stafford County School Board, Griffis-Widewater District

Kathy Baker – Stafford County Planning and Zoning

Jack Rowley – Germanna Educational Foundation Board

Bruce Benson – Stafford County School Superintendent

Michael Adams – JON Properties, LLC

Joseph Neubert – Stafford Ruritan Club Member

Meg Bohmke – Stafford County Board of Supervisors, Falmouth District

Marie Frederick – Community member

Mark Safferstone – UMW, executive director – Stafford and Dahlgren Campuses

Jim Brown – Community member

Tim Baroody – Stafford County, deputy county administrator

Jack Cavalier – Stafford County Board of Supervisors

Michael Futrell – House of Delegates, District 2

Getting to Know: Student Success Coach Brian Ogle

I    In an effort to help students from enrollment to graduation Germanna Community College has launched a new Student Success Coach Program. The coaches will stay with students all the way through their time at Germanna, giving them the help they need to succeed in college and in life.

We'll meet each of the coaches in a series of Q&A profiles--Student Success Coach Brian Ogle works with students at the Fredericksburg Area Campus in Spotsylvania.

Brian Ogle

·   Where are you from?

I grew up in Williamsburg, VA. I came up to Fredericksburg in 2004 when I started college at the University of Mary Washington, and I loved Fredericksburg so much I decided to stay. I now live in South Stafford, a few minutes away from downtown.

·   Where did you go to high school and college?

I went to high school at Lafayette High, then attended the University of Mary Washington starting in 2004. I graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and I am happy to say I use my degree every day!

·    How long have you worked at Germanna?

I started part-time in November 2010 with the Dual Enrollment program, an opportunity that allowed me to explore many different areas of the College. That evolved into a full-time position and through that experience I learned just how cool it is to work in higher education, as well as gained an appreciation for Germanna’s goal to expand access to educational opportunities.

·     What do you like about working at Germanna? 

The people. I am very privileged to work with a group of compassionate, intelligent, and committed employees. Our students are inspiring, coming from all walks of life but sharing in common their goal to advance their education. As a Coach I get to work directly with students to empower them with skills for life-long learning—it’s incredibly fulfilling.

·   What’s the biggest challenge you face in your job?

Un-jamming the copiers! I seem to have a knack for causing jams, and am far less skilled in resolving them.

·   What’s your advice for Germanna students?

Please, check your student email. We want our students to become actively engaged in our campus community, and the first step toward that goal is tuning in to student email. In college I benefited tremendously from my involvement outside of the classroom—in campus clubs, guest lectures, and special events. I hope to share that with our students.

·  For students graduating from high school and thinking about college?

I hope students come out of high school with a hunger to learn more, attend college to gain a more worldly perspective, and upon graduating from college are inspired to become a contributing world citizen. Sometimes high school students think of college as the next destination after high school, but it should be a journey that inspires personal growth. College is what you make of it!

·   For older students thinking about returning to college?

It’s never too late! Here at Germanna we serve many adult students, and many of our employees attended college as adults. We can relate to older students who may be attending school part-time, working full-time, and are supporting a family, and we welcome every learner into our campus community.

·     What misconception does the public have about community colleges and community college students?

Having spent many evenings at recruiting events, I’ve heard many different takes on community colleges from students, parents, and community members. Some think we only offer job training, others don’t know that our credit courses transfer to four-year colleges/universities, or that we exist merely to serve “under-achieving” students. Of course, that’s not true, so I always confront those misconceptions with a simple statement: through Virginia’s community colleges, students can start anywhere and go anywhere. We specialize in meeting students where they are, and act as a springboard to success, empowering them to reach their goals.

·     Are you married and do you have children?

My partner and I share our house with four furry friends—two dogs and two cats.

·     Fun fact about you?

Here are a couple: I am part of the approximately 10% of the world’s population who are left-handed.

When I graduated from college, I had hair down to my shoulders. After a bad haircut before a job interview that summer, I decided to cut my own hair and have done so ever since. You may have already noticed!

I’ve played the guitar for half my life, and my most prized possession is an acoustic guitar my Dad made. I have a life goal to learn this skill from him.

I consider myself a “revolutionary” gardener, and believe in the power of a garden to change the world—one backyard plot at a time. To paraphrase Henry David Thoreau, I have great faith in a seed.

·     What’s your favorite book?

I must admit I start more books than I finish. Here are several:

Personal interest – The Market Gardener, by Jean-Martin Fortier; a step-by-step guide to starting a small-scale sustainable farm.

Best books from high school – Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse, and Civil Disobedience, by Henry David Thoreau.

Best book from college – Power and Powerlessness, by John Gaventa; a case study demonstrating the role of ideology in shaping how we think of conflict, and why oppressed peoples often don’t recognize and combat their oppression.

Your favorite movie?

The Big Lebowski—though I still don’t know what it all means! There Will Be Blood was also a recent favorite. I like nature documentaries, too.

Your favorite TV show?

I don’t have cable, and try not to spend too much time in front of screens outside of work. But I do enjoy the occasional dose of The Daily Show.

·     Your favorite sport and team?

I’m not too big into any particular sport, but I love being outdoors—camping and hiking especially.

·     Your favorite music?

I like a lot of different artists, but most recently have been into artists featuring a pedal steel guitar. My favorite album of all-time is The Grateful Dead’s American Beauty.

Getting to Know: Lead Student Success Coach Antwan Perry

      In an effort to help students from enrollment to graduation Germanna Community College has launched a new Student Success Coach Program. The coaches will stay with students all the way through their time at Germanna, giving them the help they need to succeed in college and in life.

We'll meet each of the coaches in a series of Q&A profiles--Lead Student Success Coach Antwan Perry works with students at the Fredericksburg Area Campus in Spotsylvania.

Antwan Perry

·     Where are you from?

I am from Chesapeake and currently live in Fredericksburg.

Where did you go to high school and college?

I     I graduated from Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake. I graduated from Hampton University with a B.A. in Political Science, M. Ed. From Regent University in Student Affairs, Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study from Regent University in Higher Education, and current Ed.D. student also at Regent University in Higher Education with an emphasis in Teaching.

How long have you worked at Germanna?

I have worked at Germanna for a little over 3 years.
What do you like about Germanna?

I like that everyone is focused on the success of the student. Germanna is very student-centered and student focused.

·     About being a Student Success Coach?

I like being a Success Coach because I get to focus my efforts on those students who might otherwise fall through the cracks without this specialized attention.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your job?

The biggest challenge that I face is that I am limited to a certain number of students when so many others need help. I try to find balance by focusing on my assigned students, and checking in with those others who need help as well.

What’s your advice for Germanna students?

My advice is to take advantage of all of your learning opportunities, and enjoy the time as Germanna as much as you can because you never get this time back!

For students graduating from high school and thinking about college?

For those considering college I would say do it! There is no other experience like it in the world, and education can literally change the entire trajectory of your life!
For older students thinking about returning to college?

For older students I would say, do it! The maturity that one would bring to the classroom coupled with the desire to learn can make for a very successful student experience.
What misconception does the public have about community colleges and community college students?

One misconception about community colleges is that they are not comparable to four-year colleges and universities; in actuality faculty at Germanna also teach the same courses at other area 4 year colleges and vice versa. All VCCS colleges are accredited by the same accrediting body of 4 year colleges and universities in in Virginia and across the country. So this means GCC and UVA, UMW, and GMU, for example, are all accredited by the same accrediting body.

Are you married and do you have children?

I am married to Yolande, and do not have any kids yet. However, when we have a child, if it is a boy, I will name him Richmond…she hates that name.

Fun fact about you?

In college I was a drum major in the marching band. If you have ever watched the movie “Drumline” you can understand how exciting it is to hold that position in an HBCU marching band.

What’s your favorite book?

I do not have a favorite book; however, I love the mostly anything by Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison.

Your favorite movies?

My favorite movie is the academy award nominated move, “The Color Purple”; however, “Scarface”, “Mommie Dearest”, “Steel Magnolias” and “Dead Ringer” get honorable mentions.

Your favorite TV shows?

Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Golden Girls, Martin, and Family Guy

Your favorite sport and team?

The Hampton University Pirates!!!!!