Eaton-Johnson Middle School, VGCC Forge Partnership

At first glance, it seems to be quite a leap from middle school to community college. But educators in Vance County believe that it’s never too early to start exploring and planning for higher education.Students at Eaton-Johnson Middle School in Henderson recently got a heads-up on several occupational fields and the training that is available for those fields at Vance-Granville Community College. A new partnership between VGCC and EJMS is the brainchild of Dr. Priscilla Chavis-Lockley, lead counselor at Eaton-Johnson, who recognized the need to expose her middle school students to college vocational and technical programs. “The purpose is to get more students interested in going to college,” Chavis-Lockley said. “We are bringing Vance-Granville to the students, so that they will know what they might be interested in before they sign up for high-school classes as eighth-graders.” Dr. Chavis-Lockley coordinated with Bobby Van Brunt, the Dean of Applied Technologies and Public Service programs at VGCC, to bring several demonstrations and presentations to students during March and April. Chavis-Lockley said that “the students were very interested in the presentations, and I learned some things, too!” She recalled that several students expressed an interest in Cosmetology, which led to a special visit by Cosmetology program head Tomeka Moss, who brought mannequins with her. “We want to make sure our students know that VGCC is a valuable institution that is conveniently located almost in their own back yard,” Chavis-Lockley said. She knows the value of a VGCC education from personal experience. Chavis-Lockley earned two degrees at Vance-Granville — early childhood education and associate in arts (college transfer) — before moving on to North Carolina Central University for a bachelor’s degree and three master’s degrees (middle schools education, English Literature and school counseling), and to North Carolina State University for a doctorate in education and counseling.“We’re excited to have this kind of relationship with the middle school,” Van Brunt said. “We don’t expect any decisions to be made by students in this grade level, but we feel confident our presentations will provide an excellent foundation for decisions in the future. We’re very happy to have a presence at Eaton-Johnson.” Van Brunt asked Chavis-Lockley to visit some VGCC classes over the summer, and they will expand and build on their partnership at EJMS this fall. Among the VGCC faculty members who have participated so far are Carpentry program head Keith Tunstall, Electronics Engineering Technology program head Jim Tart, Industrial Systems Technology program head Robert Hudson, Cosmetology program head Tomeka Moss and Welding Technology instructor Rusty Pace. Chavis-Lockley also thanked VGCC counselor Mary Mangum and recruiter Spence Bailey for their assistance.EJMS Principal Brian Creasman is excited about the possibilities of the partnership with VGCC. “We think that the high schools will see a positive impact from our work at the middle school level,” Creasman said. “Research shows that the more we talk about college with students, the more likely they are to graduate from high school.” Likewise, Van Brunt always emphasizes to students the need to graduate from high school and to go on to some form of higher education, in order to take advantage of high-paying jobs.Creasman started his own higher education with one year at a community college, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, and today he is working on a doctorate. The principal noted that the vocational programs offered at community colleges are particularly interesting to middle-school-age children, who prefer “hands-on” subject matter. He also expressed hope that EJMS students can take field trips to VGCC’s main campus in the future. Creasman said that the partnership with VGCC has elicited overwhelmingly positive feedback from parents and students. In recognition of Chavis-Lockley’s recent efforts, he has given the counselor a new additional title: College/Career Counseling Coordinator.Above: From left, Dr. Priscilla Chavis-Lockley, Eaton-Johnson Middle School Principal Brian Creasman and VGCC Dean of Applied Technologies and Public Service Bobby Van Brunt pose in front of the middle school. (VGCC Photo)