News

The Thomas Nelson Community College Board’s Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Services Committee will meet at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 11 at Hamptons Peninsula Workforce Development Center, 600 Butler Farm Rd. Convening in room 1124, the committee will discuss curriculum matters. On Thursday, May 12, the Board’s Budget and Finance Committee will meet at 1 p.m. on the Hampton campus in room 717, Hampton III to discuss financial matters. The committee meetings are open to the public in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

The VCCS is nearing the “Go Live” date for the transition from HRMS 9.0 to HCM 9.2. This system upgrade requires a transition period that will limit user system access during the period from May 13 at 5 p.m. to May 17.   Specifically, the system will be unavailable for users, except those directly involved in the upgrade. Changes will be allowed once the new 9.2 system is released on May 17.

Jonathan Romero was surprised when Thomas Nelson President Dr. Towuanna Porter Brannon asked him to serve as the keynote speaker for the College's 2022 commencement.  “Why me?” was his first thought. “Faculty doesn’t know who I am. Neither do the students,” said Romero, who is a Thomas Nelson graduate and has served on the College Board since 2018 representing the City of Hampton. “I’m just  surprised that anybody would know who I am.”

Sandra McKenzie is pictured with VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois, President Towuanna Porter Brannon and Vice President for Institutional Advancement Cyndie Callaway, who is also executive director of the College's Educational Foundation. Richmond – Ms. Sandra McKenzie of Hampton received the 16th Annual Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy. She was nominated for the award by Thomas Nelson (becoming Virginia Peninsula Community College).

Best in Show award winner Thomas Nelson's Visual Arts department congratulates winners of the 2022 Juried Student Art Show. Tom Siegmund, a Tidewater Community College photography professor, judged the works. "The student show was without a doubt a fun show to look at," Siegmund said. "Thanks for asking me to do it. I really enjoyed it. The entries were serious and showed focused evidence of a serious and very much alive art program. In addition, I was very much impressed with the large body of studio submissions."

The Nominating Committee of Thomas Nelson Community College’s Local Board will meet virtually at 2 p.m. Friday, May 6. The meeting is in accordance with § 2.2-3708.2 of the Code of Virginia and Chapter 1283 of the 2020 Acts of the General Assembly.

Grace Howard said the most rewarding part of being a nurse is watching patients progress. For the 52 Thomas Nelson students participating in this year’s nurse pinning ceremony May 7, the journey began in August 2020. It has been unlike that of any other class.

Student Affairs will be closed Monday, May 16 allowing staff to prepare for the College’s 5 p.m. commencement ceremony. This includes Admissions & Enrollment Services, Academic Advising, TRiO, Disability Services, Great Expectations, Single Stop, Student Life & Activities, Testing Services, and Dual Enrollment. The offices will reopen Tuesday, May 17 with personnel reporting at 7:30 a.m. and services beginning at 8 a.m. During the closure, some services such as registration will be available online.

Sarah Ritchey is a lifelong Peninsula resident who graduated from York High School in 2007. She applied to colleges back then, but wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. Money was an issue, also, so she entered the work force instead. “I meant to only take a year or two and go back to school, but again, life happens,” she said. “I got married and started a family, continued working, got divorced and suddenly realized that a decade had gone by and aside from my family, I had very little to show for it.”

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Basketball coach Chris Moore and his team were among those honored at the annual awards gathering. Thomas Nelson’s annual sports awards held April 22 honored the past and present while also looking to the future. The basketball team, led by coach Chris Moore, celebrated a 16-1 season that was capped by a title in the New South Athletic Conference championship game. It was the Gators’ first conference title since 2015.