The Pioneer

"Education to Follow"


           
e-Newsletter            January 2015

Pioneers kick off 2015 baseball season
The Wharton County Junior College Pioneers are gearing up for the 2015 season with new uniforms and a packed schedule. Donning a stunning new white and red color scheme, WCJC has its first game of the season at home, facing McLennon Community College at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31. Coach Keith Case, in his second season, is hoping to top last year's record - 25-31 overall and 16-24 in conference - with a handful of returning starters and quite a few new faces. "This conference is one of the premier junior college conferences in the country," Case said. "I was proud of what our team was able to accomplish (last season)." The Pioneers will play more than 30 games, including two at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, which is the home of the Sugar Land Skeeters.                                                                  

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WCJC singers make National Honor Choir
Several members of the WCJC Choir have joined the ranks of an elite group of vocalists representing the most talented singers in the nation. Of the 3,300 singers auditioning for the 2015 National Honor Choir, only 230 - some seven percent - made the final cut. Eight WCJC vocalists - including one alternate - were named to the group. "They competed against college, university and community vocalists from across the nation," said WCJC Choir Director Eddie Vandewalker. "This is the highest honor a college or community-based singer can achieve in the United States."

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'Generations' chronicles college's history

Some remember the football team. Others recall when the oak trees were planted. And many remember the bus route which took students to and from the college. When it comes to WCJC's history, memories abound. Founded in 1946, the college has been a mainstay in the lives of countless individuals, providing courses to those looking to continue their education and a place of employment to those seeking a good, family-oriented place to work.
AEL program reaches more students

The WCJC Adult Education and Literacy program has made its New Year's Resolution for 2015: enroll more than 1,200 students in its GED and ESL classes. If that sounds like a lofty goal, consider this: In 2014, nearly 900 students from four southeast Texas counties - Wharton, Fort Bend, Colorado and Matagorda - were enrolled in the program. This current year, two additional counties - Waller and Austin - will be added to the program's service area. Dr. Cyrus Johnson, director of WCJC's AEL program, couldn't be happier about the expanded service area.

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Golf tournament benefits scholars group
It felt more like hockey weather than golf weather. Yet 40-degree temperatures and gusting winds were not enough to handicap the 2nd Annual WCJC Invitational Golf Classic. Held at the Wharton Country Club this past November, the event achieved the goal of raising funds for the WCJC President's Scholarship Fund and the newly created WCJC Presidential Scholars program. By the end of the cold and wintery day, more than $19,000 had been raised.

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'Serve our Soldiers' assists military
A campaign sponsored by several WCJC organizations recently raised food and hygiene items for U.S. soldiers. Deemed "Serve our Soldiers Over-Seas," the campaign included four collection days last fall during which 568 personal hygiene, 436 food and 67 leisure items were donated for members of the military. In addition, Newgulf Elementary School students made holiday cards to go along with the care packages. The campaign was a collaborative effort of WCJC's Support Staff Organization, Human Services Club, Student Government Association, Phi Theta Kappa and the Pioneer Christian Fellowship. 

 

In This Issue
Administrator Feature

 

 

Dr. Amy LaPan's road to WCJC has been far from straight. From growing up in Los Angeles to working in the healthcare industry in Baltimore, LaPan has followed a singular path that presented numerous twists and turns that quite literally could have taken her anywhere. That her journey brought her to southeast Texas and a position as WCJC's Dean of Vocational Instruction has been something of a surprise - though a pleasant one, LaPan says. "My being a dean is very serendipitous," she said. "The community college system is one of the best options for many students."

 

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Upcoming Events
WCJC Drama Department presents:
Dearly Departed
7 p.m. February 19-21
Horton Foote Theatre
Duson-Hansen Fine Arts Building
Wharton Campus
No admission
  
The Pioneer Band presents:
A Night of Disney Music 
7 p.m. March 3
Horton Foote Theatre
Duson-Hansen Fine Arts Building
Wharton Campus
No admission
  
  
Thought for the Day
"Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success." - C.S. Lewis
  
Contact Information
WCJC Office of Marketing and Communications
911 Boling Highway
Wharton, TX 77488
979-532-6322