As much as I want to eat healthy, so much comes down to convenience. For me, cooking is more of a chore than a creative act. This is why I loved “Meals that Heal,” a cookbook that showed me how to eat more anti-inflammatory foods. Author Carolyn Williams (PhD, RD) recommends having easily accessible, minimally processed meal components ready to go. She calls these “simple staples,” and for my kitchen, that means eggs and canned pinto beans for quick tacos; frozen berries for smoothies; and pre-cut veggies for … everything. Make it tasty, make it easy. This is exactly the thinking behind our Co-op Quick Meal Cards grant project, which was made possible by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE). Student Activities Coordinator Natasha Lee came up with the concept, wrote the proposal, and managed the six-month project, which was funded by the Anthem Foundation Hunger Relief Grant Program. With this $5,000 award, the college commissioned more than 60 laminated “quick meal cards,” which will be displayed in the Virginia Western Student Co-op, fueled by Kroger. The recipes were created and curated by registered dietitians, including Evita Huang, a 2016 VWCC alumna who recently graduated with a master’s… Continue Reading 6 summer recipes: Transform pantry staples with Co-op Quick Meal CardsRead More
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Wendy Holmes In May, Virginia Western announced its 2021 special awards for faculty and staff. Perhaps you noticed Wendy Holmes, a Financial Aid and Records Specialist, won two awards: (1) Classified Outstanding Achievement Award and (2) the STAR Award (Service, Teamwork, Achievement, and Results). This seemed like a huge accomplishment — and I was struck by the comments that accompanied her awards in the weekly Bulletin: “Wendy’s performance at Western has always been record-breaking in terms of the volume of positive interactions she has had with current and prospective students, parents, faculty, staff, and the general public. … She goes beyond the call of duty in ensuring that whether it is an individual’s first or last encounter with Virginia Western, when they come to Chapman Hall or utilize the 24/7 Student Support Center, that the support services provided will be of the highest quality. Their response will be accurate, equitably, timely and conveyed in a way that is easily understood.” I didn’t know Wendy, who has worked at Virginia Western for almost nine years. But I could tell from these comments that she is cultivating a culture of care through all of her positive interactions. I wanted to know more… Continue Reading Q&A with Wendy Holmes, award-winning financial aid specialist who ‘always greets everyone with a smile and a heart to serve’Read More
I’ve long joked that we could connect current, past, and prospective students through bowling nights organized by college focus area. The idea was sparked as I was analogizing Guided Pathways with bumper bowling, which blocks the gutters and provides an almost effortless path to higher scores. I was reminded of my bowling night idea as I was reading a June 2021 report from the Community College Research Center (CCRC), entitled, “How Ohio Community Colleges Are Using Guided Pathways to Personalize Student Support.” Image from West Chester University’s Career Development Center For me, the top takeaway was the concept of creating “career communities.” This is the term Washington State Community College uses instead of “meta-majors.” Virginia Western calls them “focus areas.” What I love about this wording is that I can see relationship-driven support for students at almost every stage: From middle schoolers attending camps themed by “career community,” to my wacky bowling nights designed to connect alumni, employers, and prospective students. The report focuses on how these Ohio community colleges organize their orientations, onboarding, advising, and first-year experience courses (like our SDV) around meta-majors and “career communities.” The report also seems to focus more on traditional-age students coming in through… Continue Reading Would cultivating ‘career communities’ change how we see ourselves?Read More
About Shelley
Shelley Lyons is glad to be back on campus as she is a Virginia Western alum, and has served as the Administrative Officer for Grants Administration at Virginia Western since early 2022. Prior to VWCC, her career focus was within the Human Services and Arts fields. She wrote her first grant in 1996 on a whim and has continued to plan and learn since that time. She most enjoys seeing a well-planned project come to fruition, where funder, project manager and beneficiaries can all feel success and see impact.
Recent Posts
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