Brandon Bess—continued from page 7
students’ voice. The students can’t be heard without
someone to speak for them. I’ll voice my opinion and
be honest. You can’t get anywhere without being hon
est.”
One of his biggest challenges as SGA president will be
serving a diverse student body that includes all ages
from high school students in the Afternoon College
program to those well past age fifty, from traditional
college track students like himself to those coming
back to school at middle age for retraining. Plus,
Wilkes Community College includes campuses in
Ashe and Alleghany in addition to several off campus
centers serving the community. Bess says he plans to
use his well developed people skills to overcome this.
“I’m going to outreach, to talk to different students, as
many as I can. The more ideas I hear, the more I can
incorporate them into student life. I talk to all age
groups and types of WCC students. I aim to be well
rounded. Outreach to the Ashe and Alleghany cam
puses involves phone, email, and visiting them with
Scott Johnson. I want to get students there involved
with the Wilkes campus so that they can take advan
tage of the enrichment opportunities here.”
“Brandon’s record of service and involvement make it
evident that he is committed to improving his campus
and that he has a strong desire to be a leader,” Johnson
notes. “During his second year of enrollment at WCC,
Brandon will continue to make a positive and lasting
impact on the campus through the various leadership
roles he has assumed.”
Brandon Bess may be young, but as a leader he is al
ready the real deal.
Dr. Walt Plexico—continued from page 3
I want to end this piece with a series of quotes from
this week’s edition of the Wilkes Rotarian the clubs
weekly newsletter, edited by Chuck Parker.
It read: “There is so much we could say about this
unique and remarkable man. His contributions to
mankind, higher education. Rotary and his community
are unique, powerful, and irreplaceable. He was a
husband, a father, a Rotarian, a leader, a scholar, a
teacher, an advisor, a mentor and a good friend to gen
erations. We will always remember this thought he
left with us...‘As we stop at the stations of life, we
should remember those around us, both friends and
family.’ We celebrate the life of this exceptional
man.”
In Memoriam
Dr. Walter Moore Plexico, Jr.
(1945-2005)
A ROTARACT
CLUB WELCOME
TO WCC!!
By Cindy Smith
WCC offers students the opportunity to belong to Ro-
taract, a worldwide organization of young college men
and women who believe they can make a difference.
Through community and international service projects,
club members help improve the lives of the people
around then. In doing so, they develop leadership and
professional skills and establish a network of friends.
Consider joining your collegiate peers in this service
organization. For more information contact Cindy
Smith, Instructor, at extension 6425.
WCC To Host
Interactive Success
Presentation for
First-Year Students
WCC will host “The Ultimate Road Trip: Cam-
pus2Career,” a free success presentation for first-year
college students, at 12 noon on Monday, August 29,
at the Pit (located in Thompson Hall). The presenta
tion will be delivered on campuses across the nation
this fall to more than 350,000 students.
The program emphasizes the importance of academics,
time management, setting goals, and maximizing op
portunities both in college and in future careers.
“Currently, only 75% of college freshmen progress to
their sophomore year,” said JR Cifani, Vice President
of Making It Count. “Couple that with the fact that
only 50% of students entering college will graduate
within five years and the importance of the program
becomes very clear. We are providing students with a
map to realize their goals and ambitions.”
Ninety-nine percent of students who attended the pro
gram in 2004 indicated that their peers would benefit
from the presentation.
More information about the presentation can be found
online at www.makingitcount.com.
This is the first program in a series of 9 events that are
a part of the WCC Student Success Series. Door
prizes will be distributed at each event and more infor
mation is available on Campus Cruiser.