VGCC Scholarship endowed in memory of instructor
The legacy and tradition of beloved Vance-Granville Community College faculty member William Michael “Mike” Huffaker, Sr. of Oxford will live on through a new scholarship created to honor his memory. Huffaker’s wife, Gail, and son, Will, supported by contributions from friends and colleagues, have endowed the Mike Huffaker Academic Achievement Scholarship in memory of the longtime VGCC science instructor. Huffaker retired in late 2008 after teaching for 30 years at the college. He passed away Nov. 8, 2009 at the age of 59, after a courageous battle with cancer.
In awarding the scholarship, preference will be given to students in VGCC’s Health Sciences programs, since Huffaker taught students in several of those programs. Gail Huffaker is also a graduate of the VGCC Nursing program. “Mike thought of Vance-Granville as his family,” his widow remarked. “He loved teaching, and he touched so many lives. Through his former students, his work will live on for generations.”
Reflecting on his three decades at VGCC, Mike Huffaker said in 2008, “I think of the thousands and thousands of students I have taught and the contribution VGCC has made to the community. I feel a deep satisfaction for having been a part of what has been probably the single most important institution in changing lives and offering opportunities for improvement in this region.”
Huffaker came to VGCC in the fall of 1978 after teaching at Morehead State University (his alma mater) and Maysville Community College in Kentucky. He taught Vance-Granville’s earliest biology courses as part of the College Transfer program and taught Anatomy and Physiology as part of the Radiography program. He helped initiate the college’s Associate Degree Nursing program and taught VGCC’s first Anatomy and Physiology course for Nursing students. Huffaker also helped develop the Anatomy and Physiology curriculum that is used by all Registered Nursing programs across the state. He was a charter member of the International Human Anatomy and Physiology Society. In addition to biology and “A & P,” Huffaker taught courses on nutrition, CPR, first aid and safety. His students included Emergency Medical Technician trainees and Basic Law Enforcement Training cadets, as well as employees of businesses such as Revlon and Iams. Huffaker also taught at Piedmont Community College for a time while continuing to teach full-time at VGCC. Early in his tenure, Huffaker was president of the VGCC Faculty Senate. Later, he was the chairman of the college’s first Professional Advisory Committee (PAC). Huffaker was recognized by Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and Who’s Who in Collegiate Faculty.
The new scholarship, which will join more than 5,000 awarded through the VGCC Endowment Fund since 1982, is scheduled to be presented to a student for the first time at the annual scholarship ceremony on Feb. 24.
Above: From left, VGCC Vice President of Instruction Dr. Angela Ballentine, Will Huffaker, Gail Huffaker, President Randy Parker and Vice President of Institutional Advancement/Endowment director Jo Anna Jones. (VGCC Photo)
