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Virginia's Community Colleges invites students to its 2021 Student Leadership Retreat called “Facing the Future.”  The free online event takes place 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12. The informative and inspirational sessions are guaranteed to take participants’ leadership skills to the next level. The day will include two keynote sessions and a choice between three breakout sessions for students. You can attend one or multiple sessions during the day.

The VCCS has announced that the Re-Employing Virginia’s (REV) program will end in December. Launched last year, the state initiative was designed to help students cover tuition and fees for degree and/or certificate programs in several high-demand fields.   The program’s funding for degree and transfer students enrolled for fall 2021 must be awarded, disbursed and processed by Dec. 31. For the Workforce Credentials Grant and FastForward, REV funding must be awarded for courses that begin no later than Dec. 1 and end no later than Dec. 30.  Courses may not extend into 2022.

Officials at the College advice students, faculty and staff to be vigilant in ensuring a safe working and learning environment on our campuses.   The College offers tools for reporting suspicious behavior. The Report an Incident or Concern button located on our website (homepage bottom right) allows confidential reporting of any incident and the matter will be addressed by the appropriate unit -- Campus Police, Counseling Center, Academic Affairs or Student Affairs.

Thomas Nelson’s online Information Technology program has been ranked No.21 in the country by Value Colleges. The College offers more than 100 diploma and degree programs at the associate level. Two other colleges in Virginia were among the 25 ranked: Northern Virginia Community College at 10th, and Liberty University at 12th. Purdue University Global was ranked No. 1.

It’s setting up to be a busy November at Thomas Nelson, with a distinct nod to the College’s military community among the many scheduled events.

The College's Educational Foundation is accepting new grant proposals through the Faculty-Staff Innovators Grant Program to award funding of up to $5,000. All full-time and part-time faculty, staff and administrators are eligible to apply with a supervisor's approval before the application is submitted. The deadline is to apply is Oct. 31. Obtain an application and grant guidelines by emailing Development Director Tracy Ashley at ashleyt@tncc.edu.

For Ethan Wunibald enrolling at Thomas Nelson was an ideal fit and an obvious choice. He followed the lead of his two siblings who are alumni of the College. “It was so beneficial to their academic path that I chose to follow suit,” said Wunibald noting that his siblings completed the 2+2 program in their day.   A Jamestown High School graduate who is keen on biology, he is working toward an associate degree in science and aspires to a career in medicine.

Thomas Nelson Community College’s Local Board will meet at 5 p.m.  Wednesday, Oct. 20 at the Peninsula Workforce Development Center at 600 Butler Farm Rd. on the Hampton campus. The Board will discuss enrollment and curriculum. The College Board will also enter into a closed session to discuss personnel matters in accordance with Section 2.2-3711(A)(11) of the Code of Virginia.

Dr. Betsy Harrison and the Care Team organized drive-up food pantries at the Hampton III Building during the pandemic. Spring normally is the time associated with cleaning. However, Thomas Nelson’s Care Team is offering a chance for fall cleaning by organizing another pop-up clothes closet, and it’s scheduled for Nov. 9-10, with Nov. 8 dedicated to dropping off items.

Being successful on the racetrack requires more than speed. It requires extensive knowledge in science, technology, engineering, math and many more subjects. That is one of the reasons Thomas Nelson Community College is a sponsor for the Day of Destruction at Langley Speedway on Oct. 23.

Thomas Nelson Community College’s Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Services Committee will meet at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18 at the Peninsula Workforce Development Center (PWDC) in room 1124. On the College's Hampton campus, PWDC is located at 600 Butler Farm Rd.  The committee will discuss curriculum updates and changes. The meeting is open to the public in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.  Learn more about the Local College Board at tncc.edu/board.

The chance to take a horse-and-carriage ride was too good to pass up for many at the Historic Triangle campus Thursday. Horse-and-carriage rides, a spirited game of Jenga, and a real live dancing president. Those were just some of the images from the Chill Fest events last week at Thomas Nelson’s Hampton and Historic Triangle campuses. The two-day event, one day at each campus, used to be known as Fall Fest. It was designed to give students, faculty and staff a few hours to relax, and they took advantage of the opportunity.

Thomas Nelson students and community members in the Williamsburg-James City County area have another resource available to help them with career exploration. The Hampton Roads Workforce Council opened the Virginia Career Works Williamsburg Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 7 at the College’s Historic Triangle campus.

Thomas Nelson students have had great success recently regarding the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholarship program. The College has had at least a semifinalist each year since 2017. Rebecca Holmes, a 2018 recipient of the undergraduate transfer scholarship, is doing her best to help the College continue its streak. She's headlining two Zoom seminars that will offer current students guidance on the application process.

When discussing themes for this week’s Chill Fest, formerly known as Fall Fest, Student Life and Leadership Coordinator Kadisia Archer said one stood out. “I received a lot of input from students that they’re very highly stressed, and that they would like to connect with one another,” Archer said. President Towuanna Porter Brannon, in talks with Archer, expressed similar thoughts.