High school sophomores to gain full access to college

A.C. Jones High School sophomores and parents are encouraged to attend the Passport Program, a dual credit presentation by the high school and Coastal Bend College, to receive information regarding dual credit courses. The Passport Program will take place at Coastal Bend College in Beeville on Friday, Feb. 17, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Peter S. Marecek Physical Fitness Center.

Tenth-graders, whose parents signed permission slips, will travel as a group to CBC to learn about earning credits in academic classes and workforce programs. Students will get information on how to take basic academic courses toward bachelor’s degrees or earn certificates in areas including welding, law enforcement, computers, certified nursing and nail technology.

They will receive a CBC Passport that provides information about courses and a college identification card that opens doors to college resources including the library and computer labs and gives card holders free admission to college events and performances.

Information sessions and campus tours are available to parents who attend. Parents may also participate in roundtable discussions regarding educational opportunities for their children.

Sophomores, including those attending Pettus and Skidmore-Tynan High Schools, who are Bee County residents may start taking tuition-free college classes as early as this summer that count for both high school and college credit (dual credit).

Lunch will be provided at no charge. For additional information, please contact Jennifer Linney at (361) 354-2722 or email her at jcoker@coastalbend.edu. Coastal Bend College is located at 3800 Charco Road in Beeville.

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CDL training offered at Coastal Bend College

Coastal Bend College offers CDL Truck Driving School in partnership with Excel Truck Driving on all campuses. CDL training was expanded in 2011 to meet the demands of the current oil boom in the area. Participants in CDL training in Pleasanton include, from left, Oscar Gonzalez Excel Trainer; Efren Covarrubias, student; Jesus Reyes, student; James Polk, student; Simon Nava, student; George Perez, student; Moises Benites, student; Cliff Ross, Excel trainer; and Angela Saenz-Ngo, Excel Southern Area Manager. For more information about CDL training and other professional development opportunities, visit the website at www.coastalbend.edu/ce.

Lady Cougars to start softball season on Feb. 4

Coastal Bend College announces its 2012 Lady Cougars softball roster, including the following athletes:

 Brianna Brunner of Calallen, a/an Outfielder, is a 2010 graduate of Calallen High School. She is a returning Lady Cougar.

 Kelsi Salzinger of Falls City, an Infielder, is a 2011 graduate of Falls City High School.

 Jaqueline Guthrie of Houston, a Pitcher/Outfielder, is a 2011 graduate of Cy-Lakes High School.

 Kelsy Runk of Ingleside, a Pitcher/First Baseman, is a 2010 graduate of Ingleside High School. She is a returning Lady Cougar.

 Joseta Hernandez of Beeville, a Utility Player, is a 2011 graduate of A.C. Jones High School.

 

Coastal Bend College announces Fall 2011 graduates

Coastal Bend College congratulates students who recently earned degrees and certificates. The list of Fall 2011 graduates follows.

Gisele A. Solis of Agua Dulce, Associate of Science Degree

Christina Rae Gonzalez of Alice, Associate of Arts Degree

Coastal Bend College students earn academic honors

Coastal Bend College recognizes students for academic achievement during the Fall 2011 semester. Students named to the scholastic leadership roll, also called the “dean’s list,” completed 12 or more semester hours with passing grades in all courses and earned a semester grade-point-average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. More than 300 students were honored, including the following:

Agua Dulce: Breena Torres; and Katie Wernecke;

Alice: Carol Cadena; Jimie Castillo; David Cuevas; Robert De La Fuente; Leagh Dorsett; Pamela Duckworth; Jose Franco; Jonathan Garcia ; Adan Garza; Christy Garza; Jacqueline Garza; Maria Gonzalez; Ilene Guzman; Adrian Hernandez; Lace Jaramillo; Courtney King; Daniel Lopez; Elias Lopez; Roman Molina; Paul Rodriguez; Anna Salinas; Homero Salinas; Ashley Silva; Jose Trevino; Vicky Trevino; Cecilia Vahalik; Nora Varela; and Dalia Ynfante;

Coastal Bend College acknowledges faculty, staff for dedicated service

Coastal Bend College recognizes faculty and staff members with long service to the institution. The following have achieved milestones in their careers at the college and will be honored for their service during a Feb. 10 ceremony.

 Ann Harrell, 35 years, Kingsville Campus

Jayne Duryea, 30 years, Beeville Campus

Amador Ramirez, 30 years, Beeville Campus

Robert Roberts, 30 years, Beeville Campus

Terry Kirkpatrick joins Coastal Bend College in providing instruction to oil and gas industry

Coastal Bend College adds oil and gas industry basic orientation to its list of continuing education and professional development courses. Terry Kirkpatrick, a safety trainer and consultant, joins the college bringing over 23 years of experience in the industry with him.

Glynis Holm Strause, left, of Coastal Bend College welcomes safety trainer Terry Kirkpatrick. The partnership will increase training opportunities in the Eagle Ford Shale.

Kirkpatrick is a retired Conoco employee. He worked as a pipe operator, inspector, facility manager and safety manager. He has 12 years of experience transporting hazardous liquids; 13 years of experience in pipe lines operations and safety; and five years of facility management experience. He is certified for SafeLand, OSHA 10/30, First Aid CPR/AED, H2S Beyond Awareness and customized training. He is an independent instructor certified by PEC Premier to teach basic orientation safety awareness courses, including lock-out, confined space, respiratory protection, terrorism response awareness, emergency response and Hazwoper.

Guitarist Susan McDonald to perform at Coastal Bend College

Coastal Bend College Cultural Arts Committee will present Susan McDonald in a free concert on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 3 p.m. in the Gertrude R. Jones Fine Arts Auditorium.  McDonald is a native Texan. She fell in love with the guitar when she was just four years old and began playing when she was six.  Self-taught for many years, McDonald was accepted by Wolfgang Justen into the guitar ensemble at the University of St. Thomas when she was 14.  Several years later, she was invited to become the student of Pepe Romero, with whom she studied for many years.

McDonald has become known as the “Guitar Goddess” and has been described as the first woman to follow in the footsteps of Segovia. Her studies have taken her from the University of St. Thomas to Los Romeros in California to the Mozarteum in Salzburg and finally to the Banff Centre for the Arts in the Canadian Rockies.  McDonald has given concerts throughout North and South America and Europe. The concert is free and open to the public and is partially sponsored by the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Coastal Bend College offers performances, exhibits and sporting events at nominal or no cost to the community. For more information about upcoming activities, go to www.coastalbend.edu.

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Coastal Bend College 2012 calendar available

The greater roadrunner on the cover of the 2012 calendar was photographed by Linda Alley of Corpus Christi.

 The 2012 Coastal Bend College Wildlife Calendar showcases the Coastal Bend at its best and most beautiful. Local photographers Linda Alley of Corpus Christi; Robert Benson of Normanna; John Breidenbach, Sylvia Garcia-Smith, James Hunt, Sheryl Hunt, Jimmy Jackson, Alex Kibler, Linda Swickheimer and John West of Beeville; and Bobbie Waldron and Janice Webb of George West, share the region as they see it with an annual wall calendar.

 Complimentary copies are available while supplies last at Coastal Bend College, Alice Chamber of Commerce, Beeville Chamber of Commerce, Kingsville Chamber of Commerce, Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce, Beeville Bee-Picayune, Hogue’s Jewelry (Beeville), A Box of Chocolates (Beeville) the Wicker Basket (Beeville) and other area businesses.

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A.C. Jones High School sophomore parents invited to dual credit info session

Coastal Bend College and A.C. Jones High School will host the annual Sophomore Class Passport Program on Feb. 17 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Marecek Physical Fitness Center in Beeville. Dual credit students who are Bee County residents can take tuition-free college classes. Parents interested in learning about dual credit opportunities available for high schoolers are encouraged to attend and take part in a parent’s panel discussion. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Jennifer Linney at (361) 354-2722 or jcoker@coastalbend.edu or call the high school counseling office.