LSC-Tomball Celebrates a Record Numberof Graduations

Seven hundred and forty-four stu-dents took a major step in securing a brighter future for themselves and their families by graduating from LSC-Tomball during the 2011-2012 academic year. This represents an-other record-breaking year for the number of graduates from LSC-Tomball. On May 12, 171 of these graduates, smiling and to the sound of supportive cheering from family and friends, walked the stage at the 2012 Commencement Ceremony held at Fel-lowship of The Woodlands. Student Government Association President Collin Parr led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Dr. Donetta Goodall, LSCS Vice Chan-cellor of Academic Affairs and Student Success, delivered the keynote address encouraging students to live lives of service as well as to persevere in times of hardship. President Dr. Susan Karr then announced a memorial scholarship in honor of Dr. Goodall’s mother, Opal Gene Beverly. Additional distinguished guests at the event included LSCS Board of Trustees Secretary Priscilla Kelly, LSCS Board of Trustees member Linda Good, and Ray Laughter, LSCS Vice Chancellor of External Affairs.

May 2012An Update from Dr. Susan Karr, President

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Mission

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Lone Star College System provides comprehensive educational opportunities and programs to enrich lives.

Student Success ...... P. 1

Star of the Month .... P. 2

Accolades ............. P. 5

New Faces ............ P. 5

Community

Partnerships ......... P. 6

Spotlights.............. P. 7

In this Update

Student Success & Engagement

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349 Students Pass the General Education Development (GED) Exam

For some local residents, the first step in reaching their educational goal of completing college begins with passing the General Educational Development (GED) exam. On May 24 in the Performing Arts Center, LSC-Tomball celebrat-ed 349 students who passed the exam this year during the college’s 3rd annual GED Graduation Ceremony. Dressed in full graduation attire, the students cheered for their fellow classmate, Katelyn Johnson, as she told her story of overcoming debilitating depression to complete her GED. Then, the students and guests heard from LSC-Tomball faculty member Catherine Dep-Wah Davis as she shared her personal journey that began with her passing the GED exam. Dr. Rand Key, LSCS Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, also

Congratulations to Karen Stamps,Kent Cook Scholarship Nominee

Among a competitive field of candidates from across the System, LSC-Tomball student Karen Stamps was unanimously chosen to represent LSCS as one of four Jack Kent Cook scholarship nominees. The Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Program enables community college students with exceptional promise and demonstrated financial need to pursue a baccalaureate degree. Students in any dis-cipline are eligible. The selection commit-tee recognized Ms. Stamps’ academic gifts

as well as her involvement in college life. With a 4.0 GPA, she impressed the committee by her dedication to taking full advantage of the curriculum that was available to her. This included demonstrating the initiative to enhance the rigor of her academic experience with meaningful college and community service as well as well-rounded campus involvement. The committee was also impressed that Ms. Stamps’ academic and professional goals were clearly defined, her will to succeed was evident, her desire to affect a positive social impact was deeply felt, and her professional potential was beyond doubt.

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Star of the Month

Xzavia Baines

Lone Star College-Tomball’s most recent Star of the Month would like you to believe that there is nothing special about her. Twenty-four year old Xzavia Baines would, in fact, tell you that she is just like everyone else. Those who know her, howev-er, know that her perseverance and her positive attitude place her in an extraordinary class all her own.

Ms. Baines, one of the recent recipi-ents of LSC-Tomball’s Scott Cole-man Heart Award, began taking classes in the fall of 2009. Her plan is to earn her core credits at LSC-Tomball before transferring to the University of Houston.

Injured in a car accident on the morning of her ninth birthday, Ms. Baines is paralyzed from the neck down. Crediting her mother’s in-spiration, she strives constantly to focus on her potential and to work hard to reach goals that she sets for herself, such as making the honor roll in high school and attending prom and high school graduation.

addressed the graduates and encour-aged them to continue to press for-ward and find the support they need to reach their goals. One way Lone Star College does this is through scholarships. So, at the ceremony, two students, Darren Ricketts and Fabiola Jimenez, each received a $500 scholarship at the ceremony to continue their education within the Lone Star College System. More than 400 people, including 74 graduates, attended the inspiring event. Dis-tinguished guests included: Linda Good, LSCS Trustee, Dr. Donetta Goodall, , LSCS Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Student Success, Dr. Nadezhda M. Nazarenko, Director – ESOL, Dr. Lee Ann Nutt, LSC-Tomball Vice Presi-dent – Instruction, Ms. Ann Johnson, LSC-Tomball, Vice President – Student Success, Dr. Lisa Morales, Nicole Finkbeiner, Jill Riethmayer, Kathy Sanchez, Sharon D. Jones, GED Examiners Agnes Hudspeth and Virginia Hernandez and GED Proctor Lana Bowsher; GED Instructors Marilia Simon, Nelson Or-tiz, and Leah Goyer; and Aurora Project Graduates and Aurora Project Faculty member Michelle Lanz.

Providing a Deeper Understanding through Honors Projects

Every semester, some students dedicate themselves to taking an extra step in their academics, to dive deeper into a subject, by taking an honors course or completing a specialized honors project for a non-honors course. On April 27, the spring honors candi-dates presented their projects on a wide vari-ety of topics and subject matters to their fac-ulty advisors, family, friends, and interested LSC-Tomball employees. Each student ana-lyzed a complex problem, which required a high level of critical thinking, and then pro-vided their solution to the problem. The fol-lowing students delivered presentations:

Tony BarahonaTammy BirklineCourtney BellJasmine CobbMarilyn ComerQuanda Lee DelcoPaul EmeryLarry GerhardtLauren HarsanyKristina HavensMandie HolstRobert Hunnicutt

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Student Excellence

Awards

On May 2, LSC-Tomball’s Stu-dent Life office hosted the 2012 Student Excellence Awards in the Performing Arts Center. The annual event honors exceptional LSC-Tomball students in the ar-eas of academics, service, leader-ship, and talent. The 54 students who received awards were:

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AcademicSamantha Araujo

Joshua BakerAndrea Batchelor

Sara Jayne BroussardKelly CarstensMarilyn ComerAndrea Dillon

Brandon GeddieHope Gonzalez

Justine GrayRani Halliday

Rebecca HarkinsMarsha Harper

Rachel HillRobert HunnicuttMeaghan KellyCarla Kinard

Cheryl Kutcher

Kayla HornMike JacksonLubna JamalMelinda JensenChris KellerParker KempAlex LoeppkeJohn MacusiMelissa MastersBrittany MeinenRebecca MillerKirsten Moore

Jared NelsonTriniti OrtizTraci OverstreetValecia PlumbarVy QuachAndrew RobinsonKenneth RusianaMaria SadoAndrew SkeltonCatherine StewartUmair TariqJesse Williams

Celebrating LSC-Tomball Nursing Graduates

Along with walking in the LSC-Tomball Commencement, nursing graduates also participate in a traditional pinning ceremony that signifies their inaugura-tion into the nursing profession. After receiving their pins, the students recite the Nightingale Pledge by which they solemnly swear to “maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, to aid the physician in his work,” and devote themselves to the welfare of those committed to their care. On May 9, 48 nurs-ing students received their pins and recited the pledge. After Nursing Program Director, Catherine Wampler, introduced the nursing faculty and distinguished guests, student Tara Romanski provided a reflection of her experiences. Then, attendees were treated to a slideshow of the students’ experiences and memo-rable moments in the program. In addition, the group honored those students who received special recognition: Spirit of Nursing Award - Justin Thompson; Service to Others Award - Jennifer Chobuathong; and Academic Excellence - Jacquelynn Frakey and Susan Owen.

Honors student Alex Loeppke presenting her honors project.

Learning to Plan Service Projectsthat Benefit the Community

Bringing the outside world into the classroom, Professor Jackie Thomas worked with students enrolled in his Learning Frameworks (EDUC 1300) course as they designed a ser-vice project for their final examina-tion. The students each developed their project around any topic, issue, or cause which they are passionate

about. Students immersed themselves in their projects, establishing project plan-ning committees, defining project goals, creating task lists, developing timelines, and designing advertisements for their initiatives. Some of the final project ideas included creating a walk for fallen police officers, writing letters to and collecting items for soldiers overseas, providing a musical outlet for those who are incarcer-ated, and creating a student organization for single mothers. Professor Thomas was very impressed with the efforts of his students. “They did a wonderful job,” he said.

Eco Trail Clean-Up is Crucial to Preserving Wetlands

The Eco Club, led by advisor Professor Brandon Lowery, continued their efforts to maintain the Wetlands Nature Trail on LSC-Tomball’s cam-pus by conducting a Trail Clean-Up on April 27. In addition to battling Chinese Tallow trees and clearing brush from the paths, which are located on the north side of campus, the students also hauled timbers down to the wetlands where a pier will soon enable visitors to have closer views of wetland wildlife.

Promoting Diversity by Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

Students and employees, some dressed in Mex-ican-themed attire, celebrated Cinco de Mayo at a fiesta hosted by SALSA Club on May 2 in the courtyard between the library and the Commons. Music, dancing, food, and Loteria, a form of bingo, brought a slice of Mexico to LSC-Tomball. Attendees enjoyed making pa-per flowers and the LSC-Tomball Dance Club provided free Cha Cha and Merengue lessons.

The first fifty guests received free sombreros. Mariachi Los Gallitos, a nationally renowned mariachi band that has played for the first President Bush as well as Queen Elizabeth II, provided the authentic musical entertainment. ¡Olé!

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Student Excellence Awards

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Julie LinderMelissa LopezWilliam Lugo

Adrianne MillerAn “Peggy” NguyenAndrew Robinson

Claire VeronieKory Webb

Inkling Marilyn Comer

Shannon DudleyMadison Estes

Benjamin HathcockLinh Hoang

Tammi HorriganJeanAnn Mangold

Jennifer OsobkaMeghan Persons

Zoe Williams

LeadershipMatt Beck

Marilyn ComerJanette CurtisMadison EstesRama Hardy

Daniel HarrisonChris Henry

Lance HolmonCarla KinardAmanda LazoDeirdre Parker

Alexandra ParkinErika Sivils

Leadership Lone Star CollegeJacquelyne BurchVandaless Bush

Rama Hardy

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Connecting with LSC-Tomball Adjunct Faculty

The Developmental Studies - English, Education, and Humanities division instituted an adjunct news-letter, Adjunct News and Notes, in the spring semester to encourage meaningful interaction between adjuncts and full-time faculty. Donna Willingham, Latoya Hardman, and Caroline Jamroz worked as a team to design, write, and distribute the newsletter. The news-letter included important upcoming department dates and events, such as a field trip to tour the Julia Ideson Library, and it reminded adjuncts of available train-ing resources and opportunities, such as the profes-

sional library on campus. In the future, the newsletter will also include adjunct birthdays and fun trivia. For example, do you know which adjunct faculty mem-ber is fluent in Russian? The answer will be in an upcoming edition!

Promoting Leadership Through Staff Fellows Program

Celebrating a year of leadership growth and learning, the first cohort of the Staff Fellows Leadership Academy enjoyed lunch on May 3 with their supervisors and LSC-Tomball President Dr. Susan Karr. Ana Abshire, Irene Briggs, Gail Jolley, Beth King, Janet Moore, Bobbye Silva, and June Becker received Certifi-cates of Achievement and eagerly agreed to be mentors for the next cohort. This inaugural group also created a mission statement for the program:

The mission of the Lone Star College–Tomball Staff Fellows Program is to nurture a group of professional and support staff members committed to being leaders among their peers and in the community inside and outside of the college. Cohort members will participate in activities to discover and reinforce personal strengths, build effective teams, serve the community at large, and discover the principles and confidence to lead from where they are.

The application process for the second cohort is currently underway. For selec-tion as a program participant, employees must have worked full time in a support or professional staff position at Lone Star College for one year.

Two LSC-Tomball Professors Receive Writing Awards

Congratulations to LSC-Tomball English professor Melissa Studdard, recipient of a 2012 LSCS Published Writing Award. LSCS recognized Ms. Studdard for

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New Faces

Erica JordanProgram Coordinator

CE Healthcare Occupation

Amy GalavizAdvisor I, International

Michelle HaynesAdvisor II

Susan MartinAdvisor I

Accolades

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her work Six Weeks to Yehidah, a children’s fantasy book that also won First Place in the Middle Grade/Chapter Books category at the 2011 Forward National Lit-erature Awards. The LSCS Writing Awards committee also selected Psychology professor David Beaulieu’s “Parental Investment in Caregiving Relationships” for an Honorable Mention.

The committee considers submissions in the form of articles published in jour-nals and magazines; textbooks, study guides, supplements, and other textbook contributions; non-fiction books, novels, short stories and feature articles; plays, librettos, lyrics, and poetry; movie or documentary scripts; computer software, and internet publications. All employees, including full-time faculty, adjuncts, and staff, are eligible to enter. Each winner receives a cash award.

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Community Partnerships

Forming Bonds with Local High Schools

On May 1, approximately 60 high school faculty from around LSC-Tomball’s service area came together with LSC-Tomball college faculty in the Beckendorf Conference Cen-ter for an in-depth discussion of instructional needs and dual credit course content. Dr. Lee Ann Nutt, Vice President of Instruction, opened the session with an analysis of curricular issues and an assessment of

their impact on dual credit instruction. She also gave attendees a sense of LSC-Tomball’s processes and commitment to instructional quality.

The primary mission of the afternoon, however, was extended discipline-spe-cific discussions among colleagues across the educational spectrum. Divided into round tables based on their course subjects, high school and college faculty quickly became deeply engaged in dialogue focused on how dual credit faculty can meet both high school and college demands within the substance of their courses. Participants explored both teaching opportunities and challenges and were able to examine a multitude of ideas and teaching strategies. At the close of the afternoon, Dr. Nutt noted that “earnest dialogue among colleagues creates an important arena for idea sharing and innovation. We believe that these efforts will help to further student success throughout our communities.”

Partnering with Local Employers

Dr. Susan Karr attended Lone Wolf’s Manufacturing’s Open House on May 1. She is pictured here with Wade Schindewolf, President of the manufacturing solutions company. As part of LSC-Tomball’s educational mis-sion, the college partners with local companies such as Lone Wolf Manufacturing to provide employment and skills training.

Brian Mielke, an instructor at Klein Oak High School, participates in a round table discussion of local education needs.

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“God does everything for a rea-son,” she says. “I’m still alive and well enough to tell my story. He has a purpose for me.”

Part of that purpose, Ms. Baines hopes, will be to eventually attend law school and work for the rights of disabled individuals. She says, “I want to inspire others by setting goals and achieving them no matter what the circumstance.”

She goes on to say, “People who are walking are an inspiration. I want to prove to them that just because I’m the way I am doesn’t make me any different.” With much admira-tion, we beg to disagree.

Star of the MonthContinued from Page 2

Numaan IsmailMargaret Mata

Harrison Royalty

USA Academic TeamHannah AndisCheryl Kutcher

Scott Coleman AwardXzavia Baines

Tamara Speaker

ServiceMatt Beck

Lance HolmonAmanda Lazo

Student Essay Challenge Winner

Rebekah Picou

Student Excellence Awardscontinued from Page 4

Working with Energy and Manufacturing

A key strength of community colleges, and especially the Lone Star System, is the ability to meet the demands for highly trained and qualified employees by working with industry representatives to ensure that local students are re-ceiving the training they need to be successful in the industry. On May 10, the Chancellor’s Global Business and Advisory Committee, with LSCS Chancellor, Dr. Richard Carpenter, serving as Chair and LSC-Tomball President, Dr. Susan Karr, serving as a member, held their quarterly meeting at LSC-University Park. The council works to enhance LSCS’s strategic plan by engaging with leaders from the Houston energy and manufacturing industry. At the meeting, the coun-cil focused on a variety of their initiatives, including job placement, labor market data research, language skills, workforce training grants, and the future of pre-apprentice programs.

Faculty: Lisa Davis

Lisa Davis began her role as a Counselor/Pro-fessor at LSC-Tomball in 2007. Her duties focus on providing academic support services to stu-dents. She accomplishes this by teaching HUMD 0330 (Human Development) and EDUC 1300 (Learning Frameworks); providing counseling services such as crisis intervention, academic, career, and educational counseling; and develop-ing and implementing retention services for stu-dents on academic probation. “I am passionate about student success and retention of college students,” she says.

Spotlights

“Interesting Times” Video Stresses the Importance of Education for Houston’s Future

Members and guests at the Greater Tomball Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Networking luncheon watched “Interesting Times,” a documentary fo-cusing on the 30th Houston Area Survey. One of the major points of the film is the importance of education as the source of wealth in the new economy and how important it is for people to have an education to be economically secure now and in the future. “The source of wealth in the 21st century will have less and less to do with natural resources and more to do with knowledge,” said Rice University’s Co-Director for the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Dr. Stephen Klineberg, during the film. To view a trailer of the “Interesting Times,” visit www.kinder.rice.edu

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Currently, Lisa serves on the LSCS Counselor’s Council Committee, the LSCS Policy Review Committee, and the Best Start Committee. She has initiated and implemented various programs at LSC-Tomball including the Early Alert pro-gram and is currently co-chair of the LSC-Tomball Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT). “I see student success as a partnership between the student and the college. I always encourage students to get connected to at least one person on campus and take advantage of the various academic support services available to them. For me, it is important for every student that walks on LSC-Tomball’s campus to know that we are invested in their academic success.”

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PSSA Employee of the Month: Kayla Marshall

Few people on campus do not know Kayla Marshall. She has served as the administrative assistant for the Vice President of Student Services (VPSS) for three years, but has been employed full time at LSC-Tom-ball for 11 years. In May, PSSA named Ms. Marshall Employee of the Month. In her duties assisting the VPSS and assisting students, Ms. Marshall engages will all college departments. She says the relationships she has developed over the years are what she likes most about the college. “The work environment at

LSC-Tomball is considerate and nurturing,” she says. “I came from a very com-petitive business environment so LSC-Tomball was refreshing and exactly what I needed.” When not at work, Kayla likes to read, travel, watch baseball and spend time with family. Lately, she has become interested in Texas music and Texas football.

Police: Karen Curtis

Police Officer Karen Curtis worked for 22 years as an administrative assistant with the Houston Independent School District before deciding she needed a change. She was ready to forego office work and embark on a career where she could help people. She has worked full time at LSC-Tomball for one year, but she previously worked five and a half years as a part time officer at Kingwood and then as a full-time officer at LSC-University Park before finding her home here on our campus.

Officer Curtis enjoys the fact that people at LSC-Tomball are nice and friendly. She stresses how respectful the students are when they interact with her. Outside of work, she enjoys shopping, traveling, particularly on cruises, and engaging in activities at her church.

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Scenes from the GED graduation

May 24, 2012

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Scenes from CommencementMay 12, 2012

30555 Tomball Pkwy.Tomball, TX 77375

Phone (281) 351-3300LoneStar.edu/Tomball

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Upcoming Events

• Summer Session Ibegins June 4

• Fouth of July Holiday (offices closed)July 4

• Summer Session IIbegins July 12

• Summer Musical:

Fiddler on the RoofPerforming Arts Center

July 12-15

To see the most current events, visit LoneStar.edu/calendars