Transformations-COA Foundation Newsletter

Transformations:

COA Foundation Newsletter

Connecting with community, alumni, donors and friends.

COA welcomes Dr. Jack Bagwell, 11th President of College of The Albemarle. In an interview with The Daily Advance on December 4, Dr. Bagwell shared, "My initial impression of the college is still absolutely true. It is filled with dedicated people working together toward a common goal."

Photo above left: Dr. Jack Bagwell, 11th President of COA. Photo above right: Dr. Jack Bagwell talks with James White, COA Alum, during a tour of Vidant-Chowan Hospital in Edenton.

Meet the Wootens

Family Connected to COA

Photo above (from left to right): Dr. Tracy Wooten, Evan Wooten, Logan Wooten, Abigail Wooten and Rodney Wooten

Here at College of The Albemarle , we have a whole family that is dedicated to higher education. Rodney Wooten, MLIS, is the Director of Library and Learning Services at the Elizabeth City Campus and his wife, Dr. Tracy Wooten, is the Admissions, Academic and Financial Advisor at the Dare County Campus. While the two drive in opposite directions each morning, their children are busy taking courses online. Logan just graduated from COA with a diploma in Computer Integrated Machining and has decided to pursue an Associate in General Education degree, graduating this summer. Evan is taking a few COA courses for transfer while simultaneously taking a full load of courses at Liberty University in the Criminal Justice Strategic Intelligence program. Abigail is dual enrolled as well, taking a full load of courses at COA for completion of an Associate in General Education degree for transfer to Liberty University's Marketing and Sales Management program. All three Wooten children are highly aggressive in their academic load and career goals. For the Wootens, COA is a family affair.

Highlights and Happenings

Shop at participating boutiques on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, February 29 during the "Leap into Spring Boutique Crawl." 10% of all sales benefit COA student scholarships!

Students and the Arts

An encore presentation of Glenn Eure's Stations of the Cross will be held Friday, February 7, at 5:30 p.m. at the Dare County Arts Council. COA students on the Dare County Campus took part in the film.

Click on photo below for Facebook event link:

The Outer Banks Woman's Club presented $1,000 to COA Foundation for the Julia Haywood Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to one graduating high school senior and one returning COA student who are residents of Dare County.

Thank you to the Outer Banks Woman's Club for their support of our students!

Click on photo above for link to article.

COA Literary Festival - April 9, 2020

Save the Date!

COA's second annual Literary Festival, sponsored by Sylvan Learning Center, will be held on Thursday, April 9. The keynote speaker will be Tim Seibles, past poet laureate of Virginia and a 2012 nominee for the National Book Award. Additional event information will be forthcoming.

Click on the photo below to see photo album from the 2019 Literary Festival:

Tommy Wooten, Pasquotank County Sheriff and graduate of College of The Albemarle, takes a photo with Bob Pippen, President, COA Alumni Association, and Amy Alcocer, Executive Director, COA Foundation.

For information on joining the Alumni Association, click here.

COA Performing Arts Center presents:

"Footloose"

Based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford

One of the most explosive movie musicals in recent memory bursts onto the live stage with exhilarating results. To the rockin' rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated top 40 score and augmented with dynamic new songs for the stage musical, "Footloose" celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people, guiding them with a warm heart and an open mind.

Click on the poster below for showtimes and ticket information:

New Scholarships Established

The George P. Armstrong, Jr. Memorial Scholarship: An annual scholarship established by family members of Mr. George P. Armstrong, Jr. The gift of $1,000 will provide funding for a resident of COA's seven-county service area enrolled full or part-time in the college's CDL program. This is the first scholarship established for students enrolled in COA's upcoming CDL program that will begin in the fall of 2020. See here for article.

The Plant Park Scholarship: A scholarship established by Suzanne Stallings, owner of The Plant Park in Elizabeth City. The scholarship, funded with a gift of $1,000, will benefit a student enrolled full-time in COA's Agribusiness Technology program. This is the second scholarship established for the Agribusiness Technology program this fiscal year. Click here for article.

The Marine Corps League Annual Good Citizen Scholarship: The scholarship will be awarded in three increments of $500 to high school graduates from Dare or Currituck counties. Those applying for the scholarship must be enrolled in a two-year trade program at COA. To read the article, click here.

The Faye Hoffman Cosmetology Scholarship: Established by the Elizabeth City Woman's Club with a gift of $500, this annual scholarship will benefit a resident of Pasquotank County with a financial need enrolled in the Cosmetology program. Click here for more information.

Photos and News

Thank you to everyone who attended COA Foundation's Scholarship Luncheon on November 3, 2019 at The YMCA at the Pines of Elizabeth City. Joan Maxwell, Owner of Regulator Marine, (pictured above), and Al Partin, COA Alum and VP of Sales at Regulator Marine, were guest speakers at the event.

Save the date for the next Scholarship Luncheon: November 6, 2020

COA Foundation: Scholarship Lunche on 2019

Save the date for the Foundation's Annual Event

"COA Cheers to 60 Years"

Saturday, October 3, 2020

Weeping Radish Brewery

6810 Caratoke Highway Grandy, NC 27939

5:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Click on photo above for photos from the 2019 "T-Off and High Tea" Fundraiser.

Featured Alumni News

Charlie Sawyer '68

Charlie Sawyer became a lifetime member of the Alumni Association in November 2019. About his experience at COA, he shared:

"I graduated in 1968 and COA provided a quality two year education, plus a much needed extra two years to mature. I did not lose a single credit when transferring to NC State University where I completed a master's degree. I worked at our local community college for seven years, mainly because of how much COA meant to me. I had the opportunity to move to Carolina Power and Light Company which became Progress Energy and, ultimately, Duke Energy. I had the honor of working there for almost 40 years and as I look back, none of this would have been possible without COA and the Foundation it provided me."

William Norrell '12

Will Norrell, COA alum and COA Foundation board member, was recently named a partner with the firm Hornthal, Riley, Ellis & Maland in Elizabeth City. Mr. Norrell is a resident attorney in the firm's Elizabeth City office and primarily practices Real Estate, Business, Estate Planning, Education and Local Government/Municipal Law.

Congratulations to Will!

COA's President Tours Local Communities

As a way to get to know the communities in COA's seven-county service area, Dr. Bagwell has been participating in county tours of area businesses and industry leaders. Dr. Bagwell has toured the campus host counties of Edenton-Chowan, Currituck, Elizabeth City-Pasquotank and Dare thus far, with visits to Camden, Gates and Perquimans to be scheduled.

Top row, left to right: Group tour at Jimbo's Jumbo's in Edenton; Dr. Bagwell with COA alumni and Regulator Marine employees Lee Norfleet, Erik Wiborg and Al Partin in Edenton

Second row, left to right: Group tour at the US Coast Guard Base in Elizabeth City; Group photo at Currituck BBQ in Currituck

Bottom photo: John McCord of Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese, talks with Dr. Bagwell and Tim Sweeney, Dean of the Dare County Campus, about recent research along the Outer Banks.

College of The Albemarle Foundation disbursed $368,000 for scholarships during the 2018-2019 academic year and raised $546,000 through pledges, in-kind gifts and property donations.

Thank you to our Community Sponsors! Your support of the Foundation's efforts is vital to ensuring COA has a lasting footprint in our service area for years to come.