VGCC Student named Finalist for Statewide Honor
Vance-Granville Community College student Peggy McGohan of Oxford was recently selected as one of three finalists for this year’s Angela Moore Trogdon Student of the Year Award, which is presented to a Basic Skills student by the North Carolina Community College System. McGohan was recognized at the state’s Basic Skills and Family Literacy Conference in Durham on Nov. 17, 2009. McGohan attended the event with her husband, Wayne, as well as VGCC Vice President of Community and Economic Development Vanessa Jones, Director of Basic Skills Sue W. Grissom and LEIS Specialist Norma Pulley.
“North Carolina Basic Skills and Literacy Programs serve over 110,000 students annually; therefore, to be selected as one of the three finalists for this award is a true honor,” said Dr. Randy Whitfield, the community college system’s associate vice president of basic skills.
“I am so proud of Peggy’s accomplishments in our Basic Skills program at VGCC,” said Sue W. Grissom. “She has learned much from that great instructor called ‘Life,’ and she shares this wealth of knowledge with our classes.”
McGohan quit school at age 16 to help raise her younger siblings when her father became ill. She was originally motivated to earn a GED when her granddaughter dropped out of high school shortly before she was due to graduate. “I told her, ‘If you will go back to high school, Grandma will go, too,’” McGohan recalled. Her granddaughter not only completed her high school equivalency diploma but also later entered college, while McGohan has worked toward her GED at VGCC. “At first, it was a promise to my granddaughter, but later it became something I wanted to do for myself,” she reflected. “I want to say that I completed it, and to tell other people that you’re never too old to learn or to climb the ladder of success.” McGohan said that she enjoys encouraging young people to get as much education as they can, both to get better jobs and to improve their self-esteem. She has promised to give the finalist medal she received at the state literacy conference to her great-grandson — as soon as he graduates from high school.
The Student of the Year award is given in memory of Angela Moore Trogdon, who served as Basic Skills/Human Resources Development director at two North Carolina community colleges.
For more information or to register for GED/literacy classes at VGCC, call Sue Grissom at (252) 738-3315.
Above: Peggy McGohan of Oxford (left), wearing her state literacy medal, is congratulated by VGCC Director of Basic Skills Sue W. Grissom. (VGCC photo)
