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Sports and Exercise Studies programs inducts alumni
Alumni inducted into the Sports and Exercise Studies Hall of Fame are, from left, George Coleman III, Kristy Graham-Kramer, and Kenneth Pitts.
The 2010 SES Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held June 3 on campus and inducted:
George W. Coleman III, M.A., Class of 1999: Counselor for Disabled Veterans through the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs in Atlanta Georgia.
Kristy Graham-Kamer, B.S., Class of 1996: Head Women’s Volleyball Coach at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth.
Kenneth Pitts, B.S., Class of 2004: Former Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.
Also recognized at the ceremony were: Anne Justice, named the 2010 SES-Human Performance Center Associate of the Year; Amanda Coleman, named the SES 2010 Adjunct Instructor of the Year; and Daniel T. Watrous, who was given the 2010 Friend of the Program Award.
Two degrees follow two tours of duty
By David Wayne, Institutional Advancement
Photo: Bennett Ayebeafo
It wasn't the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan that proved to be the biggest hurdle for Bennett Ayebeafo. Rather, it was a leg amputation following an accident on his Navy base in the United States.
He spent a couple of weeks in a coma with life-threatening injuries. But in December, the honorably discharged officer graduated with two degrees from Columbus State.
The proud new American citizen began his journey in 2000. That's when Bennett left his hometown in Ghana to explore opportunities in the United States, where he quickly settled on the military.
He spent five years in the Navy, where he eventually took a supply test to qualify for a promotion to petty officer third class, which was followed later by a promotion to second class. Following the 9/11 attacks, he served overseas as a plane captain. (The plane captain is a ground position designed to help the pilot start the aircraft, and then take off.) From the deck of an aircraft carrier, he put the skills to use with his squadron stationed near Afghanistan in 2001 and near Iraq in 2003.
In each mission, Bennett and his squadron loaded fighter jets with supplies so they could be launched into action. While on official standby on his base in the United States in 2004, he was critically injured in a crash involving the military vehicle he was riding in. As he awoke from a coma two weeks later, Bennett discovered his right leg had been amputated just above the knee. He also suffered multiple fractures, breaks and bruises. His long recovery included learning how to walk with a prosthetic leg.
Those enormous challenges could have proved to be a road block for some, but not for Bennett. Once released and independent again, he moved to Columbus and began looking at opportunities in higher education. With the military picking up the tab, there were few restrictions on where he could attend.
He settled on Columbus State and began taking classes during Winter Quarter 2007. "I felt welcome here," says Bennett. "The professors and instructors here treat me as their own son or brother. It was a perfect fit."
Faculty members give him high marks across the board. "Bennett is one of the most committed students I know," says Lee Blyth, associate professor of Logistics. "He never hesitates to come to my office for clarification of course material. On several occasions he has told me how much he loves the U.S. and the people in this country. He's never used his handicap as a crutch. His attitude is the main reason he achieved what he has at this point in his life."
Bennett Ayebeafo graduated last December 11 with two associate degrees in Logistics: Supply Chain Management and Strategic Procurement. Bennett's goal is to earn a bachelor's in Logistics then perhaps settle into a career with a government agency as a purchasing manager. And in Bennett's case, two tours of duty plus two associate degrees equals a whole lot of experience and opportunity.
'I'm Still Totally Geeked Out'
Scholarship Recipient and recent grad mixes practice and theory
Nathan Roby got pretty good training from life, but he came to Columbus State for an education.
Roby started working in restaurants right out of high school, with his first formal training coming in the management program at Chipotle. He quickly saw the value of formal education. Whereas his experience helped him solve problems he'd already seen, his education gave him the tools to analyze new problems. He is also a recipient of several scholarships through the CSCC Development Foundation. These scholarships include: Accounting & Finance Scholarship, Campos Moeller Access Endowed Scholarship and the CSCC Scholarship.
That insight propelled him to Columbus State, where he graduated this summer with an Associate of Applied Science in finance. Roby was the salutatorian for his class, delivering the Pledge of Allegiance at graduation, and he's enrolled at Ohio State's Fisher College of Business in the fall.
Although he came for the classroom education, he appreciated that his professors had many years of experience in their field. One professor, Jack Popovich, used last year's financial crisis as a real-time learning tool.
"If you came to him with a question, he'd tell you to go home and research it," Roby says. "Then that would be your lesson."
At age 27, Roby was one of the older people in his classes. Still he said his life experience was valuable and allowed him to focus on his goals.
"I can honestly say that a lot of people get through college, and they don't really like their field," Roby says. "Because I took the time to explore aspects of the real world and my career field, I'm done with my associate degree and I'm still totally geeked out about finance."
The finance associate degree fulfills the first two years of a bachelor's degree at many Ohio colleges. Roby will have to retake only two finance classes at Fisher, but he figures he'll have a leg up on the rest of the class. Columbus State also offers a general Associate of Arts degree, which is designed specifically to transfer.
On its own, the associate degree program in finance allows you to acquire entry level jobs in several arenas. These jobs can be in banking, corporate finance, insurance or investments. The vast majority of finance majors end up with a bachelors degree at some point, but the associates can prepare you for the rigors of a four year institution and give you a leg up on other candidates for jobs in the field while you achieve your bachelor's degree.
Roby hadn't planned on getting a master's or a Ph.D., but after his success at Columbus State, he's considering it. After graduating, Roby hopes to work for a public service agency or maybe the Federal Reserve—anywhere he can make a difference.
"I look at education as a social benefit," he says.
"I feel an obligation to give back."
Columbus State alumnus receives national award and former Columbus State police academy cadet is the recipient of a national crime fighting award
Timothy Grimm, who is now a Columbus police officer working with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), was named the National Task Force Officer of the Year. He received the award September 28 at the National JTTF conference in Orlando, Florida.
After completing his police academy training at Columbus State in the early 1990s, he went through the Highway Patrol Academy before working as a highway patrol officer guarding the Ohio Statehouse. A couple of years later he went through the 24-week Columbus Police Academy before joining the city police force. Grimm played a key role in the I-270 sniper investigation in 2003-04.
Five years ago he was assigned to the FBI's Terrorism Early Warning Unit, where he continues today. While he remains a Columbus Police officer, his unique role allows him to be a liaison between the two agencies.
Since his arrival on the JTTF, Detective Grimm has participated in numerous high-profile international terrorism investigations. Among these were the investigations and prosecutions of Nuradin Abdi and Christopher Paul, both of whom have been convicted of conspiring to engage in terrorism and providing material support to international terrorism.
Keith Bennett, special agent in charge of the FBI Cincinnati Division, said, "I feel comfortable stating that because of the work of Officer Grimm and the other members of the Columbus JTTF, acts of international terrorism have been prevented."
Spring Quarter graduation is Friday, June 12, with Columbus State's biggest graduating class in history. This week, we're taking a look at three notable grads.
Brandon Carter - Columbus State's Youngest Alumni...Graduating high school and college
Brandon Carter marks a first for Columbus State graduates. The 18-year-old will graduate from the college and Columbus City Schools' Africentric High School at the same time.
Carter took college-level courses alongside of his high school classes, allowing him to finish both degrees at the same time. The Associate of Arts degree he's receiving from Columbus State is basically the first two years of a bachelor's degree. It's designed to transfer seamlessly to any state college in Ohio.
"It was a great opportunity to get general education courses out of the way," says Brandon. "Columbus State offered a new and challenging environment. I found out how much pressure I can handle and still push forward."
He plans to attend Miami University in the fall to begin working on a software engineering degree with a future goal of a master's degree.
Although he took most of his courses at Columbus State, he didn't miss out on his high school experience. He took Spanish back at Africentric and was in the National Honor Society.
Carter took classes at Columbus State through an innovative Early College program, which is a partnership between the college and Africentric. The program brings 200 Africentric students to campus, and many of them will graduate with a full year of college credit under their belts.
Any high school student can take college-level classes through Ohio's Post-Secondary Enrollment Options program.
Preston Carmichael
It's not every day a professional with a Ph.D. enrolls to pursue an associate degree. But that is exactly what Preston Carmichael did.
The 78-year-old Columbus resident had already retired from a successful career as a clinical audiologist at the Veteran's Administration hospital in Dayton. In 2004, his ill wife had to be moved to a nursing home for full-time care. To keep himself occupied and engaged during the difficult time, Dr. Carmichael began taking a few classes at Columbus State.
After his wife passed away, he focused on earning an associate degree in Hospitality Management: Travel, Tourism and Hotel Management. He always dreamed of starting a travel business to offer education and heritage-related travel vacations. His latest degree will make him an expert in that field.
And it will certainly complement his vast educational achievements: A bachelor's in Engineering in 1968, a master's in Speech Pathology and Audiology in the 1970s, and a Ph.D. in Communication Sciences from the University of Cincinnati in 1982. He also earned a master's in Hospital Administration in 1992 from Xavier University.
"I studied hard to earn my associate degree at Columbus State," Carmichael says. "I did not want to waste my time, and I didn't want to waste the time of the professors. I took it very seriously."
When he walks on stage to receive his latest degree this week, he will be an inspiration for the hundreds of students—many of whom will be earning a first degree to begin a new career.
Vet Tech student interns in Rwanda with one of world's most endangered populations - Mountain Gorillas
Photo: Barb DeLorme, with "Fearless," an orphaned Eastern Lowland Gorilla at MGVP, who DeLorme described as "like a two-year-old on steroids. He loved to bite and I have the bruises to prove it!"
Barb DeLorme spends her days working in IT as a business specialist at Nationwide, her nights studying veterinary technology at Columbus State... and her "vacations" working with the native people and gorillas of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
She recently returned from one of those vacations, where she was able to combine three weeks working with her Columbus Zoo-based Partners In Conservation group, with two additional weeks as an intern at the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project. The internship satisfied a portion of the required curriculum in her studies at Columbus State in the Veterinary Tech program. You see, Barb is planning ahead for her retirement.
Although she has worked for Nationwide for 28 years, she has also been involved with Partners In Conservation (PIC) for 15 years. She co-founded the group in 1991 with two other docents and a keeper from the Columbus Zoo. DeLorme plans to "retire" into a whole new career working in animal psychology, cognitive research and behavioral studies of non-human primates.
Earning a degree in Veterinary Technology satisfied the technical and veterinary aspects of her retirement plan; she hopes to complete an independent studies degree in animal psychology at Ohio State in the future.
The Vet Tech program at Columbus State has a rigorous internship requirement, and DeLorme was able to fulfill one portion of that requirement by returning to the country she has visited several times before. She worked with Dr. Chris Whittier of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project doing everything from helping with an orphaned infant lowland gorilla named Fearless, to learning how to dart an animal with tranquilizers, to cataloging bones.
"They had really gotten behind on cataloging the bones," laughed DeLorme. "I was also able to help them do a complete drug inventory at the project, and did a lot of laboratory blood work on samples they brought back from the field."
The Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project provides field veterinary care for the remaining 380 mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda and Congo. DeLorme's group, Partners in Conservation, helps provide health care screenings and preventive medical programs for 158 native trackers and park guards who work in this region. By helping the human populations working in the regions of these highly endangered gorilla populations, PIC helps protect the gorillas from contracting human diseases.
Partners in Conservation also helps fund salaries, field equipment, vehicles and construction for employees of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International in Rwanda. The late Dian Fossey founded the organization in 1967 to study and protect the endangered mountain gorillas.
DeLorme had an encouraging report on the status of the rarest of gorilla subspecies. "They are really doing very well right now," she said. "They are not being poached, and the country is much more politically stable than in the past. Much of their habitat is protected, and the genetic makeup of the population is fairly diverse. I believe there are actually more than the 380 individuals known. I think there are more wild ones that cross the borders between three countries," she said.
While in Rwanda during her last trip she was able to go up in the mountains on an official tracking expedition with her husband, a friend, and a Rwandan tracker, guide and military escort. Such expeditions are still quite dangerous, hence the military escort.
Now that Barb DeLorme is home from Africa, she's looking excitedly to her next internship, at Ohio State with famed animal behaviorist Dr. Sally Boysen. There, she hopes to gain experience working with the chimpanzees that Boysen has studied for many years to great acclaim.
"I'm actually a little worried," says DeLorme. "I only speak gorilla. I need to be very careful because there is a totally different language with the chimps. I'd hate to say the wrong thing!"
Former Columbus State student attends Mt. Holyoke
Professor Charlie Gallucci, Biological & Physical Sciences, reports that one of his former students, Sichu Mali, has begun her first year at Mount Holyoke College, the oldest institution of higher education for women in the United States. Mt. Holyoke is located in South Hadley, Mass.
Mali, a native of Sundhara, Kathmandu, Nepal, plans to pursue a course of studies that will prepare her for medical school with a specialty in obstetrics and gynecology. When Mali was a student at Columbus State, she served as a Student Ambassador and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. She also won the 2007 Woman Student Leadership Award, the Dorothy Kroeger Endowed Scholarship, and the International Student Scholarship.
Sara Rampersaud, Small Business Development Center
Green is the color of Sara Rampersauds future. With the assistance of the Small Business Development Center at Columbus State, this eco-savvy student turned a personal frustration into a consumer friendly tool for evaluating green products.
Sara approached the Small Business Development Center for help in launching her idea: an interactive blog that presents user-generated commentary on green market products and the companies that make them. The result was www.yourgreenreview.com.
"I noticed a lot of greenwashing going on surrounding products/services promoted as environmentally safe, non-toxic, all natural, certified organic, or carbon neutral," Sara says. "I envisioned yourgreenreview.com as a way for consumers to navigate the exploding green products landscape and to hold companies accountable for their claims."
The Linworth Alternative High School graduate says, "When I first started the blog, I had no clue how to move it forward. The SBDC advised me every step of the way. Currently, we are working on monetizing the site and generating more attention from environmental groups, grass-roots organizations, and businesses involved in the green market."
Sara is using an aspect of the blog as her capstone project for her Associate of Science degree from Columbus State. In the future, she plans to apply her credits toward a bachelors degree. Until then, yourgreenreview.com just may become a full-time job.
Underground Sensation: Columbus State led to popular site
Walker Evans is an up-and-comer and a person to watch, according to (Columbus) Alive. He's also a 2004 Columbus State grad.
Evans founded ColumbusUnderground.com on a whim and built it into a must-read, with 3 million hits per month. Columbus Underground provides a discussion forum for local happenings; news updates; and tips on events, food, nightlife, shopping and more.
Evans, who grew up in Marysville, began his college studies in computer programming at Ohio State. He left after two quarters to find a new direction for his talents.
By day he worked as a techie for Limited Brands and by night he often DJed at local clubs. Wanting to continue his education, Evans searched online and found Columbus State's Interactive Media program. The small classes, convenient times, and affordable tuition fit Evans' requirements perfectly.
'This program offered the right mix of the technical and the artistic for me," says Evans. "And the varied curriculum seemed applicable to so many career fields."
Interactive Media includes web design and video/audio production. It works closely with Columbus State's Computer Information Technology, Digital Design & Graphics and Digital Photography majors.
He took mostly night courses, and gave high marks to his teachers.
"The adjunct faculty members who taught my evening classes brought real-world, workplace experiences into the classroom," Evans says. "Those examples were such a plus, and they gave students a preview of how what we were learning could be used on the job."
Evans left Limited Brands for an internship he acquired through Columbus State, and, as his interests changed (marriage, parenthood, homeownership), so did ColumbusUnderground.com. The site kept expanding and soon he was selling advertising on it.
Evans then consulted the Small Business Development Center at Columbus State before incorporating "columbusunderground.com." Now, the site is his full-time job.
"In so many ways, Columbus State has helped launch my career and my involvement in the central Ohio community," says Evans.
Alumnus of the Quarter
Lewis Smoot, Jr. Class of 1987, is chairman and CEO of the Smoot Construction Company, a general contractor and construction management firm with offices in Columbus, Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. Its hard to think of a major construction project in Central Ohio that hasn't involved Smoot's business. Clearly, Smoot has developed a name for himself and his company with the powers-that-be in Columbus.
Smoot is deeply committed to his alma mater. He says, "I believe in Columbus State Community College because I've experienced it firsthand. In 1985, I had just returned form the Navy, was working full-time for my family's construction business and needed a place that could help me build my business as well as my future. Although a number of options were available to me, Columbus State's educational culture worked best for my needs."
Smoot serves on the Columbus State Community College Foundation Board and was recently appointed to lead "Support What Works," Columbus State's first-ever multi-year fundraising campaign with a full-scale outreach effort to increase donations from Central Ohio businesses, alumni and individual friends of the College who believe in our mission to provide high quality, affordable education and training.
