STUDENT SUCCESS

While Rowan-Cabarrus students come to the College to earn an education by taking classes and earning credits, many find that the most impactful learning occurs outside of the classroom.

“We believe that our ever-expanding set of extracurricular activities and communications creates a holistic student experience, developing well-rounded graduates,” said Natasha Lipscomb, director of student life and leadership development. “We’re committed to developing leaders and helping students engage in their community.”

Through a rigorous nomination process, the College has the opportunity to select the annual Student Excellence Award winners.

Competition was rigorous as the Student Excellence Award Committee began with a pool of over 300 eligible students, which included Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Foundation scholarship recipients, faculty and staff nominees, and student organization leaders. Student nominees were invited to write a 500-word essay to be reviewed by a committee, and of the 108 submitted essays, 15 finalists were selected to be interviewed.

“These finalists represent the best and brightest of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College,” said President Spalding. “We could not be more proud to recognize these students whose outstanding accomplishments reflect the core values of our college.”
The finalists were up for three prestigious awards. Thea Flynn received the Academic Excellence Award, which recognizes the academic achievement, leadership and community service of one student from each of the 58 institutions in the North Carolina Community College System.

Gina Davis was awarded the Dallas Herring Achievement Award. Dr. Herring is acknowledged as the philosophical godfather of the state’s community college system. He may be best known for his belief that education should be available to all and that community colleges should “….take people from where they are, as far as they can go.” The award is given annually to a current or former community college student who best embodies Dr. Herring’s philosophy.

And, for the first time, the Rowan-Cabarrus nominee for the prestigious Governor Robert W. Scott Student Leadership Award, Roa Saleh, was selected as the top student in North Carolina.

Additionally, Phi Beta Lambda, an honor society dedicated to preparing for careers in business and business-related fields, is a popular and successful student club at Rowan-Cabarrus. Students compete in state-level competitions and then nationally, earning first, second and third place awards across a variety of fields including public speaking and financial analysis and decision making.

“I am so proud of all of our students who competed at the conference. Some competing universities have more on-campus students than the entire population of Salisbury, and these awards speak volumes about the knowledge and education provided at Rowan-Cabarrus,” said Martha Cranford, Rowan-Cabarrus instructor and chapter advisor.

Similarly, students in some of the College’s technical programs, such as air conditioning, heating and refrigeration (AHR), and automotive and welding swept the state competitions and then traveled to Louisville for the 2016 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, only to come home with more national awards.