Area residents can show support for the College by purchasing an LFCC license plate through the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. LFCC will receive $15 for every license plate purchased after the first 1,000 are sold. These monies will be used to establish a Phi Theta Kappa scholarship through the Lord Fairfax Community College Educational Foundation Inc.

LFCC's Financial Aid Office awarded 108 scholarships totaling $139,437.28 through the LFCC Educational Foundation Inc. Scholarship Program for fall 2008. The scholarships provided financial assistance to LFCC students, helping to defray the costs of tuition, fees and books. Because of our generous donors, we are able to educate students who never saw college in their future. Because of our donors, the students' futures are now bright! The application deadline for fall 2009 scholarships is Friday, March 13, 2009.

A recent USA Today article titled "More college students turn to food banks" examined how the current economic downturn and rising prices are impacting college students. The students profiled and interviewed in this article could very well be LFCC students. In fact, many of our students have similar stories. Just a few weeks ago, an LFCC nursing student e-mailed her professor to tell her that she would be unable to attend class that day. Why? She could not afford gas for her car; therefore, she had no way to get to class. Unfortunately, we are receiving these types of messages and pleas for help all too frequently. Whatever you can do to help an LFCC student and ease his or her financial burden would be greatly appreciated. How? It's simple.

LFCC typically graduates more than 560 students per year. Imagine the impact that could be made if every LFCC graduate contributes just $20 to the Foundation! Please make a tax-deductible contribution of at least $20 to the Foundation by Dec. 31, 2008. Your investment will make a difference and help a student travel the same academic path that you traveled not so long ago.

Find out more about the College's funding needs. For your convenience, contribution forms are available online. Thank you!

Are you ready for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at LFCC? The LFCC Educational Foundation Board is seeking new members who are:

• Connected to the College in some way (graduate, former student, relative of an LFCC graduate or former student, etc.)
• Influential and respected in the community, with the ability to attract other good people to the Foundation Board and to influence people to give to the Foundation
• Passionate about LFCC, community colleges and/or higher education
• Experts in law, estate planning, sales, marketing, public relations or fundraising
• Residents of Page County, Rappahannock County, Shenandoah County or Warren County

Contributing appreciated stock to the Foundation is an excellent way to achieve your charitable giving goals, while receiving valuable tax benefits. You may designate the contribution toward the project(s) of your choice. In addition to helping the Foundation further its work, you may receive several benefits, including:

• Avoidance of capital gains tax on 100 percent of the stock's appreciation
• Charitable income tax deduction of the stock's full market value

LFCC said goodbye to two local philanthropists and College supporters in May. Shirley T. Corron passed away on May 3, and Paul Wolk passed away on May 28.

• Mrs. Corron believed in higher education and the important role that LFCC plays in educating community residents. This belief prompted her to contribute the largest gift in the College's history. Her gift, which was in honor of her deceased husband, is helping to construct the Corron Community Development Center, an important addition to LFCC's Middletown Campus.
• Mr. Wolk was an advocate of higher education and a strong supporter of the mission of LFCC. He served on the LFCC Educational Foundation Board for several years. In addition to establishing a scholarship, Mr. Wolk was instrumental in many of the efforts of the Foundation and the College. As a tribute to Mr. Wolk's support, two College buildings are named after him. In 1994, the Paul Wolk Library opened on the Middletown Campus, and in 1999, the Paul and Sheila Wolk Hall opened on the Fauquier Campus.

In May 2008, the College hosted a retirement celebration for two long-time faculty members — Charlie Spiro and Gary Tusing. Spiro served on the Foundation Board as the LFCC faculty representative for almost two years. Therefore, it was very touching when he made a surprise announcement toward the end of the retirement luncheon. Spiro announced his contribution of $1,700 to the Foundation to establish a named scholarship in memory of his mentor, the late Albert M. Dryer.

On Friday, Nov. 7, 2008, LFCC hosted a grand opening celebration of the Science and Health Professions Building. LFCC employees, students, donors, alumni, elected officials and community residents toured the new facility, which is an important addition to the Middletown Campus and meets the need for additional space for many of LFCC's technical programs. LFCC is excited about educating students enrolled in its science and health professions programs in a facility with plenty of laboratory space for hands-on learning.

The event was sponsored by Chick-fil-A (of Winchester); Lawrence J. Finkel, M.D., P.C.; Mid-Atlantic Home Health Network Inc.; McDonald's/Nerangis Enterprises; and United Bank. In addition to the sponsors of the grand opening celebration, LFCC is grateful for the generous support of Patricia Bradshaw and The Titmus Foundation Inc. for their contributions to the Science and Health Professions Building Fund.

Do you have a passion for your field of expertise? Do you desire to share your knowledge and skills with others? LFCC is currently hiring part-time instructors for the spring 2009 semester. The College offers flexible teaching schedules, and individuals with full-time day jobs are welcome to teach at LFCC during the evenings. LFCC is a logical workplace choice for local residents, because high gas prices often negate the benefits of a higher salary elsewhere.

LFCC recently unveiled its new and exciting Web site! Take the time to explore the new site, featuring the design voted on by the College community. We welcome your comments and/or suggestions on this important resource! Some of the benefits include:

• Easier navigation
• New and enhanced content
• More accurate search results
• More efficient layout

A new, exciting exhibit — "Honored Alumni of Lord Fairfax Community College — Our Pride, Your Legacy…" — recently made its debut. The exhibit creatively features photographs and profiles of some of LFCC's esteemed alumni. The traveling exhibit will be showcased at the College's three locations and at special events. Please consider nominating someone for the exhibit.

The Office of Workforce Solutions and Continuing Education offers hundreds of professional development and personal enrichment courses annually. These short courses will help you expand your knowledge, skills and abilities in the workplace and at home. Following are a few upcoming courses:

• Assisting Aging Parents — available online through Ed2Go
• Feedback Fundamentals —Nov. 20 at the Middletown Campus
• Learn to Buy and Sell on Ebay — available online through Ed2Go

LFCC's Luray-Page County Center has its first official club — the Cycling Cannons. The purpose of the club is to promote fitness, friendship and fun by planning recreational rides once or twice a month.

The College is enjoying a great deal of media coverage, which helps us to educate the community about the great initiatives occurring at your community college and all the ways we are changing lives. Please check out LFCC in the News to see a sampling of the coverage.

LFCC alumni, we want to hear from you! Whether you graduated from LFCC 20 years ago or two years ago, we need your input. Please take a few minutes to complete an alumni survey. The results will give us insight into how we can better serve and communicate with you. Thank you!

This summer, LFCC announced that its accreditation was reaffirmed by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. All institutions accredited by the Commission on Colleges are required to undergo a review for reaffirmation of accreditation every 10 years.

LFCC's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) seeks to create a culture of critical thinking at the College. The plan was given final approval by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and LFCC is now implementing the plan. Following are a few highlights:

• This summer, LFCC partnered with Tennessee Technological University and the National Science Foundation to pilot the Critical Thinking Assessment Test (or CAT), which is a faculty scored short-answer test of critical thinking skills.
• A critical thinking mini-grant program will begin in spring 2009. This grant program will enable faculty to receive funding for resources to develop innovative ideas for teaching critical thinking in each discipline. Cross-disciplinary proposals and partnerships across campuses and divisions will be encouraged.
• A best practices critical thinking resource book is in the planning stages with production scheduled to begin in spring 2009.

The QEP Team looks forward to sharing our progress over the next five years! For questions or comments, please contact Miriam Moore.

• The Northern Region of the Virginia Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (VMATYC) held its fall conference on Nov. 1, 2008, at the Northern Virginia Community College Annandale Campus. Jim Cole, adjunct instructor of mathematics at LFCC, was an invited speaker. In his presentation, "Math:Don't Make it a Foreign Language,"he spoke about how to maintain a student's interest during a discussion of a topic or topics that may not appear exciting.He instructed attendees on how to improve communication in the classroom by using language that the students use, instead of using what he calls "mathspeak."
• William Warren, associate professor of science at LFCC, has been elected to serve as the vice president of the Chesapeake Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers. Warren has invited the association to hold their spring 2009 conference at LFCC's Middletown Campus.

Check out what is happening at LFCC, and join us at an upcoming event!

Emily Bishop, a Winchester resident, received the surprise of a lifetime after enrolling at Virginia Tech (VT) for the fall 2007 semester. As every other college student, Emily registered for her classes and paid her tuition. However, unlike other students, Emily received a check from VT for a full refund. Naturally, she was very confused and looked on her online account. That's when she discovered that she had been awarded the Lifeline Scholarship — a scholarship that she did not even apply for.

After further research, Emily learned that VT awards six Lifeline Scholarships each year to transfer students with the highest grade point average (GPA) who have completed an associate degree from one of the 23 community colleges in the Virginia Community College System. Five of the scholarships pay for half of the tuition for two years at VT, and one scholarship pays for full tuition for two years. Emily was awarded the full-tuition scholarship. Emily received the scholarship for the second year by maintaining a 3.6 GPA.

An accounting major at VT, Emily began her college career at LFCC and graduated in May 2007 with an associate degree in business administration. "The people are what I enjoyed most about LFCC. Everybody is so friendly — the people in the offices when I first arrived at LFCC, the students that I got to know, the professors and the nursing faculty who I worked for while I attended LFCC," she said.

After taking a few accounting classes at LFCC, Emily decided to make it her major. "One of my greatest personal achievements would have to be choosing a major that I enjoy and sticking with it."

Emily will graduate from VT in May 2009 and hopes to start an internship that summer. Then in the fall, she will begin working on a master's degree in accounting at VT. After completing her master's degree, Emily plans to obtain her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license and start working at an accounting firm.

"As I look to the future, what matters most to me is that I remain honest in my dealings in the business world [and] grow in my relationship with God, my family, my friends and the people that I will meet in the future," Emily said.

Matthew Reges is one step ahead of most of his classmates at the College of William & Mary (W&M), thanks to the head start he received at LFCC. In May 2009, he will graduate from W&M with his bachelor's degree in government, approximately two years ahead of most of his peers.

Matthew, a Frederick County resident, began his college career at age 16 when he enrolled in a course at LFCC. He was looking for an academic challenge and decided to take advantage of the College's Dual Enrollment Program, which enables high school students to take college-level classes that apply for high school credit as well as college credit. By taking dual enrollment courses taught at James Wood High School as well as summer and night classes at LFCC, Matthew graduated from LFCC in May 2007 with an associate degree in liberal arts, a month before graduating from James Wood High School.

"In my courses at LFCC, I met students from many backgrounds. I remember an ethics class that was made up of middle-aged students retraining after factory layoffs, [U.S.] Army veterans, high school graduates and me, a 16-year old. We all shared our perspectives and benefited greatly from the exchange. I felt more mature and empathic after that summer. Such a mosaic is hard to find at William & Mary," Matthew said.

Matthew feels strongly that higher education should be affordable and available to anyone who wants to obtain a degree. "A better educated population is more economically, socially and politically powerful and responsible. Better schools would make for a better nation," Matthew said. "LFCC is a tremendous resource for everyone in our community. Getting a degree or certificate can get you ahead in your career, open new opportunities and illuminate new perspectives. We are lucky to have such an accessible and valuable college so close by."

This sense of community has led Matthew to choose a career path in public service. After graduating from W&M, he plans to move back to Frederick County and work in local politics and government or a related nonprofit organization or business involved in land use, environmental, education and/or economic development policy. After a few years of work, Matthew plans to pursue a master's degree in public administration and perhaps an elected office.

Whichever direction his career takes him, one thing will remain the same — his desire to be of service and make the community a better place to live. "It's important to understand people, to value everyone and really listen. I don't know when someone's had a bad day — or a bad year — so I try to be patient and helpful. The importance of being polite and considerate can't be overstressed, because little kindnesses sometimes make someone's day," Matthew said.

In his spare time, Matthew is an active member of W&M's Chess Club and Outdoors Club, in addition to the Democratic committees in Frederick County and at W&M. He tutors at local elementary and high schools in the Williamsburg area, as well at W&M. In addition, he regularly gives blood and has volunteered at several historic sites in Winchester and Williamsburg.

Since he was a child, Alan Wolverton has loved nature and respected the environment. These traits were acknowledged by his first grade teacher, who sent a note to his parents telling them to encourage him to continue pursuing his interest in the outdoors, and solidified in the third grade when Alan watched the trout stream that he grew up near go from a sparkling spring-fed stream with plants and fish to a slimy, smelly mess.

"I told my third grade teacher, Mrs. Seek, that I was going to make sure our waters were not polluted and would find a way to make our streams and environment a better place by doing something productive instead of just watching our environment be turned into a dumping ground," said Alan, an Edinburg resident.

After graduating from high school, Alan enrolled at LFCC to pursue an associate degree in natural resource management. He chose LFCC because he wanted hands-on training in the region in which he planned to work.

"I enjoyed the one-on-one association that I had with my instructors. The classes suited my schedule, since I worked full time," Alan said. "LFCC was always adding to its student resources.

I remember the old electric typewriters that they replaced with word processors my last year at LFCC. The library was fantastic and a valuable tool for me."

Upon obtaining his degree in 1986, Alan accepted his first job with the National Park Service. Throughout his career, he has held various jobs in the field of environmental protection and natural resource management. Currently, he works for the town of Round Hill in Loudoun County as a utility supervisor. In addition, he serves as the water and wastewater utility systems chief operator and laboratory director. In these positions, he is responsible for infrastructure planning, reviews of subdivisions and planning for the town's long-term water resource needs.

"The field of water reclamation has long been misunderstood. Clean, fresh and dependable water supplies are taken for granted all over this nation. Within a few short years, we will see more and more cities and towns cry out for freshwater, and there will be no new supplies. My long-term goal is to plan for my town's freshwater supply 60 to 100 years into the future. Our needs for water and wastewater treatment will demand more of our resources all across the nation. Providing innovative approaches and making sure even a small improvement is not overlooked benefits us all on a larger scale as a nation," he said.

Alan feels that our environment is very fragile. He is concerned that, as a nation, we are only interested in what the land can give us versus respecting and preserving our resources. "Aldo Leopold wrote that, 'We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.' To me, 'conservation' is the wisest use for the greatest benefit of all involved, including the environment and wildlife. We have to be willing to allow large areas to be left wild and pristine. Not all of our wilderness needs to be exploited for oil [and] natural gas, [which] desecrates our wild areas for the short-term benefit of man," he said.

As Alan strives to make a difference in the community, he is grateful for the education that he received at LFCC and the difference that the College makes to area residents.

"I would like the community to know that LFCC offers a fine curriculum at an affordable cost. The education is as high a quality, if not better, than many state colleges. LFCC has given our community many students that have gone on to be leaders in their fields and highly respected with their peers," he said. "I feel that if LFCC had not been located in the Valley area, many rural students would have missed the opportunity to attend college. I know I would have been one of them."

Because of Alan's service to the community and protection of the environment, he was selected to receive the LFCC 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award.

Alumni, we would love to hear about your accomplishments and successes after leaving the College. Please take a few minutes to complete the "What's New With You?" form. This information may be used for future issues of Legacy. Thanks for sharing!