CHANGE STARTS HERE TRIDENT TECHNICAL COLLEGE. A Prisoner No More

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1 TRIDENT TECHNICAL COLLEGE CHANGE STARTS HERE A Prisoner No More In 2000, Trident Technical College student Brian Smith was released from prison after 20 years of wrongful imprisonment. However, still feeling like a prisoner, he turned to drugs and alcohol. I realized I was holding onto some deeply held resentments associated with my lengthy prison stay which I was trying to deal with by self-medicating, said Smith. But on March 29, 2015, he checked himself into a drug and alcohol treatment facility and has been sober ever since. recovering addicts and single mothers. The course, Introduction to Humanities, embarks on a study of literature, philosophy and writing to expand the mind and experiences of students. On his own since the age of 13, Smith was not exposed to the arts or humanities, and the Clemente Course sparked his creativity as well as his desire to keep learning. He is still taking classes at TTC while working full-time. Even after I graduate, I can envision taking at least one college class per semester for the rest of my life, he added. I firmly believe that giving prisoners basic civics instruction, married with critical thinking, will go a long way in making them better citizens, he said. Smith shared his story through his entry for the 2016 TTC Foundation Future Alumni Essay Contest and continued inside... After his recovery, he knew that he needed to keep himself busy, but thought that getting an education was just a fantasy that he could not afford. He was relieved to learn about the Trident Technical College Clemente Course, a free humanities course offered to the homeless, former inmates, Smith s goal is to use his experiences to encourage and inspire others and is now collaborating with Dr. Mary Ann Kohli, director of the TTC Clemente Course, to start a prison initiative, taking the course directly to the inmates.

2 The Sky is Not the Limit! Thank you to the Zucker family for pledging $6 million to support the S.C. Aeronautical Training Center! $500,000 of the pledge is designated as a matching challenge to fund a solar roof on the center s aircraft hangar. So far, the TTC Foundation has raised $311,250 toward the match and hopes to meet the challenge by the end of the year. Help us fulfill the balance of the match and support the state s growing aerospace and automotive cluster! Visit to learn more. Robotics Team Finishes Second! Kordell Bonds and Isaac Perez from Cross High School suspected they wanted to become engineers someday. That suspicion is now a confirmed decision thanks to their participation in the Upward Bound Math and Science (UBMS) program. UBMS Director Antonio Robinson credits grant funding from the Bosch Foundation, which allowed UBMS to expand the equipment and classroom time dedicated to improving knowledge and skills in robotics design, engineering and programming. As a result, Bonds and Perez qualified for the State Championship Vex Robotics Tournament ranked 56th of 61 teams and successfully went undefeated in the individual team competition to finish in second place overall. The exposure to this opportunity has resulted in the development of passion and love for engineering, design, coding, research and troubleshooting for these young men, all vital parts of the robotics process, said Robinson. Neither of these students has internet at home or access to programs like this in their community. Thanks to UBMS, Bosch grant funding and individuals who support TTC, these young men can now see themselves at SPAWAR, BMW or Boeing, not on the assembly line, but as engineers. Photo: (left to right) Bonds and Perez finished second as an individual team and third overall alliance in the State Championship Vex Robotics Tournament.

3 President s Message Dr. Mary Thornley Trident Tech faces the challenge that many large colleges face: providing students with the personalized, individual support of a small college. The college s new Pathways project addresses the critical need of assisting students in selecting programs of study that best prepare them to meet their academic and career goals. A newly developed Pathways Hub is at the center of this project and provides a welcoming physical space where students can find the information and guidance they need. In the Hub, dedicated navigators serve as personal support resources for students throughout their time at TTC. We are eager to begin work on this important project in our ongoing efforts to improve student success. Stay tuned for more information in the months ahead! With the help of grant funding, Trident Tech is transforming our approach to student success by re-engineering the path to graduation. We are focusing on retooling the application and admissions processes in order to provide the one-on-one personal attention that helps students thrive.... continued from front cover won first place. He said that winning the essay contest has been a nice confidence boost. It is confirmation that with focus and hard work I can produce a piece of writing interesting enough to hold someone s attention long enough to convey a life lesson I learned the hard way, said Smith. He said he looks forward to becoming a TTC alum, and by righting my ship I ve gone from being a liability to an asset for my family, friends and community. Read Smith s essay at ttcalumniandfriends.blogspot.com. Learn more about TTC s Clemente program at Upcoming TTC Events... TTC Annual Spring Spin-off Car Show April 29 Student Awards Day Program May 4 TTC Nursing Pinning Ceremony May 4 Graduation May 5 TTC Pro-Am Golf Tournament May 8

4 Grant Funding = New Opportunities in Information Technology! The Information Technology job market is in flux with new technologies emerging constantly, and there is just not enough talent to fill the needs of the industry. Trident Technical College will soon provide new opportunities for students to prepare for in-demand careers, thanks to two recent grant awards. A $432,117 award from the National Science Foundation will fund curriculum development and infrastructure enhancement in the Networks Systems Management program through a project called CLOUDTech. Network Systems Management Department Head Dane Schupbach, who will serve as project director for the grant, said the funding will enable us to add cloud computing and cloud security courses to the Network Systems Management curriculum, expanding educational and career pathways, preparing students for high-skill/high-demand occupations in the region s burgeoning information technology sector, and promoting the development of STEM education. Technicians with skillsets in the areas of cloud technology, including virtualization, storage and network/cybersecurity areas, are in critical demand in the Charleston region. The second grant, in the amount of $49,872, will be funded through the Bosch Community Fund. The money will be used to develop a new Social/Digital Media Marketing and Big Data certificate program that will open up an exciting new educational pathway for students. This project will help meet a growing need for writing, coding and database skills related to social media and data analytics, and we look forward to helping meet this need, said Laurie Boeding, Trident Technical College dean of Business Technology. Courses in the new certificate program will allow students to develop skills and competencies in the use of social media marketing, data analytics and/or computer programming/software development. A portion of the grant funding will also be used to provide tri-county youth with hands-on experience in these IT fields through workshops and scholarships for TTC s Continuing Education Teen University courses.

5 Almost 600 guests filled the College Center at Trident Technical College on Jan. 27 to support and celebrate students. Culinary and hospitality students from the Culinary Institute of Charleston prepared and served a delicious three-course gourmet dinner. More than $500,000 was raised to support scholarships, student emergency funding, faculty/staff development and other critical needs of the college. We offer heartfelt thanks to our generous sponsors.

6 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 47 Charleston, SC P.O. Box Charleston, SC Spring Spin-off 25th Anniversary - Sat. April 29, 10 a.m. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the TTC Spring Spin-off car show and thanks to the support of sponsors Hendrick Automotive Group and South Carolina Federal Credit Union, entry is free for visitors and participants. Proceeds of the show benefit the W. Athell Yon Fund, from which an award is presented each year to three students who achieve the highest GPA in the Automotive Technology associate degree program. Trident Technical College s Automotive Technology program has trained automotive technicians since When you have your car serviced at one of the businesses in the tri-county area, the technician was likely trained or certified at TTC. For more information, walter.varella@tridenttech.edu. The Trident Technical College Foundation advocates and raises funds for the college to support the region s economy. Visit us at Like and Follow Trident Technical College Alumni & Friends on social media!