Stories

Almost as soon as we spring forward one hour, the extra daylight draws casual gardeners outside to begin prepping their yards for the season. A team of four Piedmont Technical College horticulture students led by PTC Horticulture Program Director Daniel Greenwell approached the growing season with a slightly more professional eye when they traveled to Alamance Community College in Graham, North Carolina, to compete in the 42nd annual National Collegiate Landscape Competition held March 14-17. After the pine straw had settled, PTC’s landscape plant installation team finished 16th out of 58 teams, even beating out teams from several large four-year institutions such as North Carolina State University, Mississippi State University, Virginia Tech and Michigan State University.

There’s nothing like that first time you ease into the seat of a new car and grasp the steering wheel. How does it fit? How does it feel? Like purchasing a car, entering higher education can be a significant investment. It would be imprudent not to try it out before buying. Right? Now those interested in trying out Piedmont Technical College can take selected classes out for a two-week spin at no cost as part of “Test Drive PTC.” The new program offers an opportunity to take a test drive via one of two educational routes ― industrial technology or health care.

It can be scary venturing into the world of postsecondary education. Aside from the challenging coursework, the cost can seem daunting. But more than ever before, education beyond high school has become a necessary step for a rewarding career. Recognizing this need and the value of a well-trained workforce, the Greenwood County business community and forward-looking citizens created the Greenwood Promise ― a unique scholarship program designed to help Greenwood County high school graduates begin their college studies tuition-free.

From an early age, Charles L. “Chuck” Graves learned the value of discipline and hard work. As a child, the newest Piedmont Technical College Area Commissioner watched his neighbors ― the late superstar Michael Jackson and his siblings ― exhaustively rehearse musical numbers in the garage of their childhood home in Gary, Indiana. The retired Greenwood School District 50 educator, appointed to the PTC Area Commission in January, likes to include memories of his early relationship with the Jackson family in motivational speeches to communicate that true success does not happen overnight and not without extreme dedication and effort.

Ever wonder what it will take to secure the right job at the right time for the right pay? The answers you find at the Upper Savannah Regional Job Fair just might surprise you. Hosted by Piedmont Technical College (PTC) and the Upper Savannah SC Works System, the event on Thursday, March 22, will feature more than 70 employers from Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry and Saluda counties. The employers will be on site from 1-3 p.m. at the Medford Family Event Center on PTC’s Lex Walters Campus at 620 N. Emerald Road in Greenwood.

As superintendent of the 89th Operations Group, 1st Airlift Squadron, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Stephanie Patterson is proud of her place on the continuum of African-American military achievement. From humble beginnings, the Abbeville native ascended to the highest enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, providing executive airlift to world leaders. The senior enlisted aviator shared her experiences with dozens gathered in the Piedmont Technical College Library on Feb. 27 in commemoration of Black History Month.

Dr. Matteel D. Jones believes you have to get personal before you can get real about change. The keynote speaker for the New Directions in Student Development Conference at Piedmont Technical College on March 1 asked the educators in attendance each to identify their personal “ouch” ― that internal tipping point that finally puts one on the path toward transformation. A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Jones today is vice president for student services at Greenville Technical College. For Jones, her obesity was one “ouch” that was exacerbated by divorce and a spiritual awakening. These combined to put her on the path to her own transformation.

Students from Piedmont Technical College’s Diversified Agriculture Program visited the SC State House in Columbia on Feb. 21, 2018, to participate in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) State Legislators Appreciation Day.

Piedmont Technical College (PTC) on Feb. 22 held a special information session for students interested in a new apprenticeship program with BMW Manufacturing in the Upstate.

Three Piedmont Technical College associates were honored as Outstanding Educators for the 2017-2018 academic year at the annual South Carolina Technical Education Association (SCTEA) convention, held Feb. 15-17, 2018, in Myrtle Beach.