ccca

CCCA business advisory board meets in Fair Bluff

The inaugural meeting of
the Columbus Career and
College Academy business
advisory board was held recently
at the CCCA Fair Bluff
campus. The group, composed
of school representatives and
business leaders from the
community, will meet again
in November.
Business and stakeholder
representatives in attendance
included Jennifer
Holcomb and Karen Grainger,
presidents of the Columbus
Chamber of Commerce and
Tourism and the Greater Fair
Bluff Chamber of Commerce,
respectively, David Baker
of owner of Baker’s Bug
Business in Fair Bluff, plant
manager Tony Rogowski of
Ply Gem Building Materials
in Fair Bluff and Gary Lanier
and Samantha Alsup of the
Columbus County Economic
Development Department.
School faculty present were
CCCA Principal Nicky Hobbs,
career development coordinator
Rod Lykins, broadcasting/
radio/video teacher Alisha
Alston, drafting, metals and
scientific visualization instructor
Lionel Sweat, masonry
instructor Fred Mason
and chef Sherman Axelberg,
whose culinary arts students
prepared the meal for the
occasion.
But the stars of the meeting
were several students who
have excelled in regional, state
and national competitions.
Broadcasting student Emily
Pridgen, along with classmate
Blair Watts (who was not present
Tuesday), won first place in
the nation in a recent Public
Service Announcement competition,
and she attended to
discuss the award and the efforts
that went into it.
Other students who briefly
spoke included SkillsUSA
regional and state commercial
winner Hannah Brown,
who also was instrumental
in CCCA’s Barbecue on the
Bluff competition entry, regional
and state culinary
arts SkillsUSA winner Tris
Faulk and Maggie Barnhill,
SkillsUSA local pledge contest
winner.
Faculty members gave updates
on their programs and
discussed upcoming events in
which their students will take
part, including SkillsUSA state
leadership training, the masonry
contest at the N.C. State
Fair, the N.C. Yam Festival
and the N.C School Boards
Association video contest.
Principal Hobbs encouraged
the visitors to sign up to come
out to the school and speak to
students about what they do,
work ethic and what it takes to
be successful. Plans for a chicken
bog fundraiser and ideas for
funding the school’s radio station
also were discussed.
The group’s next meeting
will be Nov. 29 and Hobbs said
that a major positive announcement
involving the school and
the community will be made at
that time, but that he couldn’t
discuss details until then.

CCCA broadcasting student Emily Pridgen, right, discusses how she andclassmate Blair Watts won first place in the nation in a public service announcementcontest. Their PSA on bullying, which they wrote and announced, is being broadcastnationwide thr…

CCCA broadcasting student Emily Pridgen, right, discusses how she and
classmate Blair Watts won first place in the nation in a public service announcement
contest. Their PSA on bullying, which they wrote and announced, is being broadcast
nationwide through the National Association of Broadcasters. Looking on are culinary
instructor chef Sherman Axelberg, seated, and Hannah Brown, award-winning
commercial baking competitor in state and regional SkillsUSA contests.