Wallace State’s Talent Search program conducts annual TRIO Day celebration, recognizing Academic Achievers for year

HANCEVILLE – Wallace State Community College recently recognized middle school students during its Talent Search TRIO Day celebration, capping off another successful academic year for the program.
 

Hanceville Middle School representatives at the celebration were, from left, C.J. Wood for Most Outstanding, advisor Karen Yarns and Brooklyn Bice for Best Attitude.

 
This year’s celebration was geared to honor students, consisting of 6th, 7th and 8th graders, who participated in the Academic Achiever program by receiving academic tutoring and college preparatory mentoring from qualified instructors throughout the year.
Falkville, Hanceville and Holly Pond Middle Schools participated in the Academic Achiever program and each visited Wallace State’s campus for the celebration. The day’s events began with the Wallace State Singers performing selections from their spring concert and included praise and insight from multiple speakers including keynote speaker Colonel Mike Ledbetter of the Air Force Reserves, Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Hawsey and Wallace State Talent Search Project Director Kristi Nyquist.
Ledbetter discussed the value of choosing the proper role models in life and using their examples to achieve one’s goals throughout their secondary and postsecondary careers.
Hawsey advised the students to never think they are too young to be thinking about college.
“We are here to celebrate your accomplishments and what you are doing is incredibly important. You are establishing a plan to succeed,” Hawsey said. “You represent what we are about at Wallace State, which is learning, living and excelling. You are doing those things at your respective schools.”
Certain students in attendance received recognition and medals for outstanding academic achievement and good attitudes throughout the entire school year.
Winners at Holly Pond were Demi Alvarez for Most Outstanding and Serena Knedlick for Best Attitude.
At Hanceville, C.J. Wood was named Most Outstanding and Brooklyn Rice earned Best Attitude.
For Falkville, Adrianna Brown was named Most Outstanding and Baylee Lockhart and Chloe Weaver were each bestowed Best Attitude honors.
All students in attendance ended the day by touring different Wallace State sites or programs, including the cosmetology and welding departments and the Evelyn Burrow Museum.
Wallace State’s Talent Search is a federally funded TRIO program which provides college information, academic support and activities such as campus visits in order to encourage students to complete high school and enroll in college. The Wallace State Talent Search program includes 9th-12th grade participants at high schools in Blount, Cullman, Marshall and Morgan counties.
For the first time, Wallace State’s Talent Search partnered with Merchant’s Bank this year and was delighted to give away a free Apple Ipad to one of the program’s students, Brianna Carter, a sophomore at Cleveland High School. The partnership between Talent Search and Merchant’s meant they were able to provide current, essential information and activities to a program participant. All Talent Search students who attended three or more activities throughout the year were eligible for the drawing.
Along with Nyquist, Evelyn Timmons, Melissa Arnold, Joan Moore and Shiela Mosley are each Wallace State Talent Search employees.
For more information about Wallace State, visit wallacestate.edu.
 

Falkville Middle School students recognized at the Wallace State Talent Search celebration day were, from left, Baylee Lockhart and Chloe Weaver for Best Attitude and Adrianna Brown for Most Outstanding Academic Achievement. Pictured with them is advisor Pam Blevins.
 

Holly Pond Middle School winners were, from left, Demi Alvarez for Most Outstanding and Serena Knedlik for Best Attitude. They were accompanied by advisor Russell Whisenant.
 

Colonel Mike Ledbetter of the Air Force Reserves talks to the middle school students assembled at the Talent Search celebration day about the importance of choosing positive influences in life.
 

Colonel Mike Ledbetter of the Air Force Reserves grew up in Opelika.
 

Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Hawsey welcomes the Talent Search students to campus and congratulates them on achieving a completed academic year in the program.
 

Wallace State Talent Search Project Director Kristi Nyquist discusses the accomplishments achieved by the middle school students during the recently completed academic year.
______________________________
Russell Moore
Staff Writer
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 Direct line: 256-352-8443
256-352-8314 fax
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu