Smyth County Education Center of WCC: Celebrating 20 Years of Teaching and Learning Excellence
Lea Lofty, |
"The Virginia Department of Business Assistance has worked closely with WCC in meeting the Workforce needs of the area's business community. WCC has always and will continue to be one of our greatest allies and partners. The Smyth County Education Center is a great asset to the community." |
Donna Fender, Marion |
“Being at WCC gave me the opportunity to meet people from different communities and really expanded my horizons. The teachers were great, and I also had the opportunity to serve as Business Manager for the Collegian, the student newspaper. When I transferred to Radford University, every class that I had taken at WCC was accepted there. I am very fortunate that my career has taken me full circle. I am currently Associate Professor of Administrative Support Technology at WCC, and I want to make sure that my students have the same positive experience I had when I was here.” |
Logan Jarvis, Marion |
"I decided to attend WCC because it is close to home, affordable, and I'm able to transfer to Virginia Tech. I wasn't ready to attend a large university straight out of high school, and so I decided to enroll at WCC. It was been a great experience for me in getting adjusted to college-level course work." |
Ed Stringer, Marion |
"As a member of the WCC Educational Foundation Board, I was involved with the initial campaign to raise funds for the Smyth County Education Center, which was instrumental in helping train people and bringing Smyth County into the computer age." |
Dale B. Tiller, Lincoln Nebraska |
After graduating from Marion Senior High School, Dale Tiller was initially accepted into the Architecture Program at Virginia Tech. Tiller says that when he arrived at Tech, it was quite a change; instead of being in classes with 25-30 students, he was suddenly in classes with more than 300 students. During his first quarter there, he also realized that he wasn’t sure that he wanted to major in architecture after all. He chose to leave Tech and attend Wytheville Community College—a decision that Tiller says was a great one. Tiller notes that WCC prepared him well. He enjoyed working with instructors and professors who took a genuine interest in his learning. Tiller recounted how much he enjoyed physics classes taught by Dr. Yeu Pyng Hwu. Hwu involved Tiller in several research projects and subsequent publications. Hwu later nominated Tiller for an outstanding student award which Tiller received. Tiller noted that the fact that Hwu nominated him meant as much to him as receiving the award itself. While at WCC, Tiller also served as a Student Senator and was a member of the Honor Society. Dale Tiller graduated Summa Cum Laude from WCC in 1978 with a degree in Design. He then transferred to Virginia Tech and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology and later a Masters of Engineering Degree in Systems Engineering. Currently an engineering and management consultant, Tiller previously served as President of Lincoln Composites in Lincoln, Nebraska, from 2007 to 2010. |
Adrianna Umbarger, Sugar Grove |
"I am transferring to Virginia Intermont this fall to pursue my bachelor's degree in social work and I hope to counsel inmates with mental health or drug addiction problems in a regional jail or prison setting. Wytheville Community College has given me the skills and training I need to help make that happen." |
Donna B. Hoffman, Marion |
"The Smyth County Education Center of WCC is an invaluable asset to Smyth County and the surrounding area. Not only has it enabled our high school students to further their education, but many people have been trained or retrained locally for jobs in our industries." |
Nancy M. Sauls |
"WCC not only gave me an education, but the college also gave me a career. I worked at WCC for more than 30 years before I retired in 2006. I know first-hand, both as a graduate and as a former employee, how hard the faculty and staff work to help students achieve their educational and career goals." |
Cameron L. Wolfe, Marion |
"Having been a student at WCC when it was a part of Virginia Tech, I am proud to be a part of this facility that offers continuing education opportunities to the area businesses, industries, students, and citizens of Smyth County." |
