Building on their success at Phi Beta Lambda’s (PBL) Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in the spring, Montgomery County Community College students Lindsey Montague, Wyncote, and Jacob Robertston, Malvern, gave a repeat performance on the national stage this summer.
Montague and Robertson, both members of the College’s PBL chapter, were awarded eighth place in the Business Decision Making competition at PBL’s National Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tenn. in June. They qualified for the national competition by taking first place at the state level.
“This is a huge accomplishment for Lindsey and Jacob, who competed against students from four-year colleges and universities from across the country, many of whom recently graduated with bachelor’s degrees,” said Eileen Kearney, Assistant Professor of Marketing and PBL Advisor. “Their success speaks to the quality of education at Montgomery County Community College and the value of organizations like Phi Beta Lambda in preparing students for their careers after college.”
Montgomery County Community College student Ariel Mookherji, Plymouth Meeting, was also elected to the office of National Eastern Regional Vice President during the conference. Mookherji, who enrolled at the College to complete prerequisites toward an MBA in Marketing, previously served as the College’s PBL chapter president and as PA State vice president. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Design from Moore College of Art and Design, and she ultimately hopes to work at a marketing firm or with a non-profit organization.
Each year, thousands of students from across the country attend PBL’s National Leadership Conference. Along with the competitions, students attend workshops and business events during the conference.
Phi Beta Lambda is a student-led, collegiate-level organization of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). For more information, visit fbla-pbl.org.
Montgomery County Community College is among six institutions in the country to receive the 2014 Climate Leadership Award from Second Nature—a national non-profit organization that works to create a healthy just, and sustainable society by transforming higher education.
For the past five years, Climate Leadership Awards have been presented annually to signatory institutions of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) that demonstrate innovative and advanced leadership in education for sustainability and climate mitigation and adaptation.
Montgomery County Community College is a two-time recipient of the award, having also been recognized as a Climate Leader in 2011.
“The commitment, enthusiasm, and leadership of this year’s Climate Leadership Awards winners are undoubtedly leading the way for higher education to address the urgency of climate crisis. These institutions’ innovative approaches and exemplary actions in the pursuit of sustainability, both on campus and in the community, are tremendously exciting, and further strengthen the progress made by the ACUPCC network,” said David Hales, president of Second Nature.
For the 2014 award, institutions were evaluated on a variety of criteria for climate leadership on campus, including student preparedness, climate innovation and creation of opportunities.
In the area of student preparedness, the College’s core curriculum shapes students’ experiences through 13 learning competencies, one of which is civic responsibility. To meet this competency, several faculty developed sustainability-focused courses in the disciplines of Economics, Geology and Geography, while others incorporate sustainability-themed projects into their existing courses, including Public Relations, Ceramics, and Composition, among others.
In the area of climate innovation, the College piloted a four-tier Green Office Initiative in 2013 that encourages departments to adopt sustainable practices and purchase greener supplies in partnership with Office Depot. The six pilot offices reported an average 12 percent decrease in spending while moving to more sustainable supplies and practices. The initiative was brought to scale this spring and has earned awards from the Philadelphia Area Collegiate Cooperative (PACC) and Office Depot.
Montgomery also forged a partnership with Sustainable Waste Solutions to make the Culinary Arts Institute its first landfill-free facility. One hundred percent of the Institute’s trash, cooking grease and food trimmings is recycled or converted into organic agricultural compost or biofuel. To learn about this initiative, watch the College’s “Cooking Green Cuisine” video, produced by Alana J. Mauger and Matt Porter.
Transportation is another key area in which Montgomery excels in climate innovation. To compliment a 20-passenger transportation shuttle—introduced in 2010 to make the 30-mile trip between campuses several times daily—the College also partners with Zimride to facilitate a safe ridesharing program for students, faculty and staff. Combined, the two initiatives reduced vehicle use by almost one million miles and carbon emissions by an estimated 54,644 metric tons. This spring, the College implemented a new compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle that will further reduce carbon emissions by a projected 11 metric tons.
To support its transportation programs, the College opened a green lot in 2012, allowing drivers of electric, hybrid and high-efficiency vehicles, carpoolers, and shuttle riders to access prime parking at the Central Campus. Electric vehicle charging stations are also available at both Central and West campuses. Collectively, the College’s transportation initiatives earned Platinum-Level Sustainability Award from GVFfor three consecutive years.
For the final award criteria, creating opportunities, Montgomery partnered with Siemens Inc. to implement a self-funded energy conservation project that will result in more than $6,000,000 (19 percent) in energy savings over 15 years. The project incorporates renewable energy sources from wind turbines at the West Campus and solar panels at the Central Campus, as well as other energy/cost-saving initiatives like transitioning to natural gas, retrofitting lighting, and upgrading HVAC and building automation systems.
To educate and influence the community at large, the College documents all of its work on the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) award-winning “Think Green” blog. The College also invites the community to participate in its annual Earth Week and Campus Sustainability Day activities. To learn more about the College’s sustainability efforts, visit mc3green.wordpress.com.
As a charter signatory of the ACUPCC, Montgomery pledged to neutralize its net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The ACUPCC network is made up of more than 680 colleges and universities, representing nearly 6.6 million students. To date, ACUPCC institutions have achieved a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since the initiative began in 2007. To learn more, visit presidentsclimatecommitment.org.
For her contributions to education, Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) President Dr. Karen A. Stout was honored by the Montgomery County Commission on Women and Families during its 17th Annual Awareness Event, “Changing Lives Through Education” earlier this month.
During the program, Dr. Stout was lauded for her work to improve and expand higher education access by Montgomery County Commissioner Leslie Richards, as well as by MCCC alumnus Sarah Munson, now a mathematics major at Temple University, and by current MCCC student and biotechnology major Connie Barnes-Edwards.
Munson, now a member of MCCC’s Alumni Board of Directors, shared her positive experiences as a student leader, praising Dr. Stout’s accessibility to students, and the powerful impact Dr. Stout’s guidance and mentoring had on her academic path. Likewise, Barnes-Edwards, who returned to school after losing her job in the communications industry, talked about how Dr. Stout’s leadership and advocacy is helping her to receive a quality and affordable education.
Dr. Stout’s unwavering commitment to student access and success has impacted thousands of students like Munson and Barnes-Edwards. During her 12-year tenure as president, Dr. Stout’s leadership laid the groundwork for MCCC’s selection as one of only 73 Achieving the DreamLeader Colleges in the nation. She also helped to design and launch the College’s first comprehensive Honors Program and Minority Student Mentoring Program; expand support services for student veterans; re-introduce MCCC’s intercollegiate athletics program; collaborate with the Montgomery County Workforce Investment Board to deliver GED instruction to more than 800 community residents; and re-energize the College’s facilities to enhance teaching and learning, among many other accomplishments.
She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and a bachelor’s degree in English from University of Delaware, as well as a master’s degree in Business Administration from University of Baltimore.
Some of the College’s ASL members at the conference. Submitted photo
Members of Montgomery County Community College’s African-American Student League (ASL) acquired new insights, networking opportunities and leadership skills last month at the National Black Student Leadership Conference (NBSLC) in Raleigh, N.C. ASL is an organization that supports the development of African-American students at the College and in the surrounding community.
The annual conference was presented by the William’s Foundation with the goal of creating and maintaining ways to educate, train and develop leaders of color through a weekend long conference. Attendees of the event, which encompassed a theme of “Embracing the Leadership Challenge,” participated in workshops just one week prior to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and President Barack Obama’s second term inauguration.
“There were many mentors that passed along important information to us during the conference so that we could continue the trend and pass that information along to others. This will better our community by making an army of leaders to make a change like Dr. King and President Obama,” shared Caroline Moman, a freshman education major and member of the ASL.
Events throughout the weekend included an improvisation leadership workshop, banquet and a discussion about the troubles facing today’s students in their academic and personal lives. Cullen Jones, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist in swimming, was the keynote speaker at the NBSLC. Jones shared his own personal story about his involvement in swimming and work with kids, “which was extremely inspirational,” said Lois Ajiboye, a computer science major at the College and member of ASL.
“I had lost sight of my goals and objectives somewhere along the road, but between the speeches I heard I regained my vision,” she shared.
The 15 ASL members that attended the conference brought back significant values relating to the importance of diversity and leadership.
“In one session, we discussed what it meant to be a leader; it was there when I realized I’m doing all the right things to be successful and that a leader lives inside me,” explained Moman.
“The celebration of diversity at MCCC is very important, because we all bring something important to the campus community as current students and future leaders,” stated Ajiboye.
The NBSLC will convene again January 9-12, 2014. Students who are interested in learning more should contact Counselor and ASL Advsior Mr. Tony Davis in the Central Campus Student Success Center or visit the conference’s official website www.WilLead.com.
Four Montgomery County Community College student leaders recently attended the American Student Association of Community Colleges’ (ASACC) National Leadership, Citizenship and Advocacy Conference in Tampa, Fla.
The student representatives included Serena Dunlap, Gilbertsville, Student Government Association (SGA) Senator at Central Campus; Margaret Kanter, Boyertown, SGA Senator at West Campus; Shanae Roberts, Limerick, SGA President at West Campus; and Iris Wang, Norristown, SGA Treasurer at Central Campus. The College’s Director of Student Leadership and Involvement Chris Coia accompanied the students.
The three-day ASACC conference focused on several aspects of leadership, including how to build a social network, develop strong communication skills and create and accomplish goals. Students attended presentations and workshops to learn how to develop these skills, as well as how to effectively use technology in communicating and networking.
“The purpose of the trip was to make us better leaders,” said Serena Dunlap, a Liberal Studies major who plans to become an art therapist. “We learned how to connect with other leaders, so we can network and help each other.”
As a SGA Senator, Dunlap plans to use her new skills to interact more with other students on campus and to listen to their opinions and ideas about the College.
In addition to participating in discussions with 150 other community colleges students from across the country, Dunlap, Kanter, Roberts and Wang earned student leader certifications in ASACC’s L.E.A.P.S. program (leadership, education, advocacy, planning and service).
“The conference really made me stop and think about my future, as well as my past and present,” Roberts said. “The highlight of my experience was having the chance to meet many different people from all walks of life. It was really cool to see how other people ran their clubs.”
The SGA leaders will have the opportunity to attend the National Student Leadership Advocacy Conference in March 2013 in Washington D.C. The conference will inform and educate students about major issues of importance to community colleges and students, including Pell grants, student loans, federal work-study funding, Perkins funding, textbook prices and student debt.
For more information about ASACC, visit www.asacc.org.
: Student Government Leaders (from left) Serena Dunlap, Shanae Roberts, Margaret Kanter and Iris Wang earned certificates for their participation in the American Student Association of Community Colleges’ National Leadership, Citizenship and Advocacy Conference in Tampa, Fla. Photo by Chris Coia
Building on their success at Phi Beta Lambda’s (PBL) Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in the spring, Montgomery County Community College students Lindsey Montague, Wyncote, and Jacob Robertston, Malvern, gave a repeat performance on the national stage this summer.
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