It was the first day of first grade for Caroline Falls. She quickly reviewed her checklist: Hand sanitizer, check. Crayons, check. The eager 20-year-old Piedmont Technical College (PTC) Early Care and Education (ECE) major was truly stoked to begin her formal field experience at Hodges Elementary School on August 24. Any first-day nerves she may have harbored evaporated the moment she met her supervising teacher.
Piedmont Technical College (PTC) has been awarded a federal grant totaling $1.5 million over the next five years. The grant comes from a federal program known as TRiO, which provides funding so that colleges can offer extra assistance to students who may face any number of financial, social or physical challenges to their college success. PTC recently was awarded more than $314,000 in TRiO grant money to be renewed every year for five years to assist these very students. The grant is administered through the PTC Student Support Services division.
The Piedmont Technical College (PTC) Human Services Program recently established a new student internship opportunity with Clear Skye Treatment Centers in Clinton. The internship is designed to afford students a broader experience in the Human Services field. The first three PTC interns began their field experience at Clear Skye in mid-September.
It’s important to listen carefully for the sound of opportunity. Sometimes it’s just a slight murmur. A heart murmur. Piedmont Technical College (PTC) student Kevin Jones pays meticulous attention to heart sounds, monitors and the imaging equipment he is using while completing his clinical experience in invasive cardiovascular technology (CVT-I) at Self Regional Healthcare. And he doesn’t hesitate to speak up when he hears something of interest.
A family tragedy set Piedmont Technical College (PTC) summer graduate Victoria Robbins on a course toward her degree in human services. The Laurens woman is now an AmeriCorps phenomenon working at the South Carolina Empowerment Center (SCEC). She fills her calendar to the max with personal, professional and volunteer responsibilities executed with love and compassion.
During her first week of her field practice teaching experience at Hodges Elementary School, Piedmont Technical College (PTC) Early Care and Education Major Caroline Falls found great wisdom in the subtle things, like how to respond correctly and empathetically to a student posing an awkward question. In her first week in Kimber Burrell’s first grade classroom, Falls constantly looked to the senior teacher to see how she handled various, sometimes uncomfortable situations.
One of the big draws for students enrolling at Piedmont Technical College (PTC) traditionally has been the smaller class sizes and direct personal access to instructors. And while PTC professors have moved heaven and earth to maintain close contact with their students at a time when pandemic pushed instruction into the virtual realm last spring, many students simply learn better in person. It is those students, in particular, who should know that they can find in-person options on campus today.
The SC Technical College System (SCTCS) recently took action to double the award for the SC Workforce and Industrial Needs Scholarship (SC WINS) and increase the allowable award for the Lottery Tuition Assistance (LTA).
Would it be considered extravagant for a young college student to purchase a high-end, 55-inch, flat-screen TV? Every year? Perhaps. But many college students are spending at least as much annually on textbooks and course materials. In fact, the College Board recently reported that the average U.S. college student spent about $1,298 on books and supplies during the last academic year. Convinced that that sort of expense is not reasonable, many college officials are embracing a concept known as Open Educational Resources (OER).
