Germanna graduates its biggest class ever

Friends and family snap pictures of Germanna's Class of 2010 in this photo by Peter Cihelka of The Free Lance-Star ...


By PAMELA GOULD

The Free Lance-Star

James Richardson is a second-generation Germanna Community College graduate who said his father's words inspired him to complete his degree despite self-doubt and challenges.

"My father always told me, 'James, you have to do the hard thing,'" Richardson said last night before a crowd of about 2,500 at the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center.

Richardson, a 20-year-old Falmouth resident, was the community college's student speaker at last night's commencement ceremony. He spoke of the determination, sacrifice and belief in self that were needed to meet the requirements for his associate degree.

He spoke not only of his own struggles but also those of classmates who worked full time and who had families.

"It takes determination to get up in the morning and go to class knowing that after you're done you have to go work for eight hours so you can pay for your house," he said. "It takes determination to study for a test when you've got kids who want and need your attention."

He added that teachers can't teach determination.

"It's something that you have to work at and want. It is the difference between those who make it and those who don't," Richardson said. Click here for the rest of the story.

Chichester to be honored at June 3 Germanna Educational Foundation dinner

Retired Virginia State Sen. John Chichester has been named the Germanna Community College Educational Foundation’s Distinguished Person of the Year.

Mike Catell, Director of the GCC Educational Foundation, said Chichester was chosen “because of his extraordinary commitment to higher education--in particular his support of the mission of community colleges.”

Mary Washington Healthcare is the title sponsor of a June 3 event in his honor.

Chichester was President Pro Tempore of the Virginia Senate when he announced his retirement in 2007. He represented the 28th district in the Senate from 1978 to 2007. He initially entered that body by winning a special election following the death of Paul Manns, who had held the seat.

In 1985, the Republican Party nominated him for lieutenant governor, but he lost to Doug Wilder, who went on to become Virginia’s first African American governor since Reconstruction.

In 1995, Chichester became co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee. When the Republicans took control of the Senate in 1999, he became the committee’s chairman, a position of power and prestige.

There will be a 6 p.m. reception on Thursday, June 3 at Fredericksburg Square, followed by dinner and an award presentation.

The dinner is $100 a plate, with all proceeds going to the Educational Foundation. Contact the Educational Foundation office at 540/423-9060 or foundation@germanna.edu for more information and to purchase tickets.

For sponsorship and other gift opportunities, please contact Darla Burton, Foundation Executive Committee member at 540/371-3566 or Mike Catell, Foundation Director at 540/834-8988

Deadlines approaching for application to Germanna RN and PN programs

Apply for admission to GCC nursing programs now ...

The deadline for applications to Germanna's Registered Nursing Program at the Locust Grove Campus is July 1.

The deadline for the GCC Practical Nursing Program with classes at Eastern View High School is May 7.

Call 540/423-9821 or email nursing@germanna.edu or visit the nursing office at the Locust Grove Campus for to apply or to request more information.

Above: Members of the Certified Nurse Aide class of Spring 2010. The CNA program quickly prepares students to enter the health care field, allowing them to earn a living in nursing while further studies move them up the ladder.

Germanna's Monte Carlo Night draws big crowd, raises big money for students who couldn't otherwise go to college

Germanna's Monte Carlo Night fundraiser hits the jackpot ...
The Germanna Educational Foundation raised netted $70,000 with Saturday night's Monte Carlo Casino Night fundraiser at the Daniel Center. All the proceeds go to the Germanna Guarantee Program, which helps students in need.
Above, Culpeper native Dana Brill plays the slots at Monte Carlo Night.

Saturday's Monte Carlo Night: Fun for a good cause

The Daniel Center hosts scholarship program's black tie fundraiser Saturday ... BY MICHAEL ZITZ
Life itself is a game of chance, says Germanna Community College President David A. Sam.

"And Germanna Community College is about second, and even third, chances," he said.

A little bit of Las Vegas comes to Culpeper on Saturday, when Germanna Community College's 16th annual Monte Carlo Casino Night returns to the Daniel Technology Center, located 30 minutes west of Fredericksburg, just off State Route 3.

But buying a ticket--or even better, a table--for Monte Carlo Casino Night is no gamble, Sam says. It's more than a roll of the dice.

It's a sure thing.

Monte Carlo Night is what they would call in Las Vegas "a mortal lock"--that is, at least in terms of helping local students who have financial need, and helping to jump-start the area's economy at the same time by making its work force more competitive.

The black-tie event has become a highlight of Culpeper's social season, while providing scholarship funds for the Germanna Educational Foundation's Germanna Guarantee Program. See Free Lance-Star story on Monte Carlo Night and photos of last year's event.

Germanna student immigrates from Brazil, wins top 10 All-Virginia Academic team honors and becomes one of two GCC Coca-Cola Scholar national finalists

GCC's Rosana Marzullo-Dove racking up academic honors ...

Germanna Community College student Rosana Marzullo-Dove has been named one of the top 10 students on the 2010 All-Virginia Academic Team, earning a $500 scholarship.

Marzullo-Dove, a psychology major, is GCC's Phi Theta Kappa Chapter President and Psi Beta Chapter Treasurer.

She has also has been selected as a 2010 Coca-Cola National Finalist, along with fellow Germanna student Pamela Petzold, based on scores earned in the All-USA Academic Team competition. This program is sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and is administered by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. National finalists win $1,000.

Marzullo-Dove and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation will be attending Phi Theta Kappa’s 92nd Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla., April 8-10.

With help from Germanna's Middle College, single mom gets her life back on track after dropping out of high school

My name is Aundrea Handy. I’m 24, and a single mother of two children. I graduated from the Germanna Middle College Program in 2009 and received my General Education Diploma.

As a high school dropout, there aren’t many options when it comes to jobs: the only experience I had was customer service. Therefore, a minimum wage job was all I could get. As the economy slowed down in 2007, I began to struggle. I was living paycheck to paycheck and could barely afford my rent; then business slowed even more and my hours were cut completely. I could no longer afford my home and had to move into a homeless shelter.

I was devastated; I did not know what to do next. Then I saw an ad in the newspaper for The Middle College Program at Germanna and started to think. I thought about my kids and how I didn’t want them to make the same mistakes I did. What better way to show them this than to go back to school, become a great role model, and show them that school is necessary for a better life and a great career.

Going back to school to complete my high school education was the best decision I ever made. Middle College opened my eyes and gave me a new outlook on life. Everything started to fall into place, I became more confident and motivated and I even landed a better paying job. I moved out of the shelter and am now living a very comfortable, stable life and my kids are very happy.

My daughter sees me doing homework and it inspires her, she loves going to school every day. Completing the program and graduating was a dream come true, I never thought I’d be given another chance to graduate. Middle College gave me that chance. This inspired me to want to continue with my education. I thought 'Why stop here? The sky is the limit and school has been the best thing to happen to me.'

I am a Germanna student, and it feels great to say that. I have always wanted to be a successful businesswoman and a psychologist to help people. So I am currently taking classes to earn a degree in both Business Administration and Psychology. I hope to become an Organizational Psychologist. In this career I will apply the principles of psychology and human behavior to personnel, administration, management, sales and marketing problems.

I was so happy to find this occupation, as it is also a part of human services, counseling, and mental health services which I am very interested in. This has been an eye-opening and reassuring experience for me overall. I am so thrilled to continue this journey and grateful for the opportunity that the Middle College Program at Germanna has given me.