Media issue - Community College of Baltimore County

Walking on air
Tim Williams enjoys
triple duty at WJZ-TV
SPRING 2006 • MEDIA ISSUE
1
features
how does a clean-cut kid
from baltimore wind up with
such a dirty job?
3
marge neal travels
a meandering road
from ccbc to a local
newspaper office.
8
COVER STORY
wjz-tv’s tim williams does
triple duty as meteorologist,
news anchor and reporter.
12
when nestor aparicio talks,
people listen.
and then
talk back.
20
departments
6
22
24
BENEFITS
ENTREPRENEUR
COMMUNITY NEWS
Discounts and services for alumni
Arlinda Harris helps keep Baltimore
beautiful ... inside and out.
CCBC moves beyond campus boundaries
10
25
COLLEGE NEWS
FINALE
CCBC achievements and events
An image from the CCBC photo library
15
EXPRESSIONS
Alumni talent takes center stage
16
CLASS NOTES
Updates on your former classmates
2
Emerge
mag az i ne
CCBC Chancellor
Dr. Sandra Kurtinitis
Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement
Bruce Berman
Senior Director for Public Relations
Mary De Luca
Editor
Bonnie Y. Stecker
Art Director/Designer
Jodi Ceglia
Contributors
Kimberly Bleakley, Hope Davis, Jacquelyn Lucy,
Dawn Mercurio, Christopher Mihavetz,
Christine Rowett, Jannette Witmyer
Alumni Contributors
Brendon Cavanaugh '03, Shayna Clevenger '99, Heather
Marcus ‘99, Meg McKinley '83, Anne B. Mulligan ‘88,
Robert Ridgley '87, Douglas R. Sentz ‘93, Mark Trojan ‘84,
Brian Vinyard '00, John Young, Jr. ‘89
CCBC Alumni Offices
1.877.alumnus (258.6687)
Stephanie Melvin (Catonsville) smelvin@ccbcmd.edu
Janice Evans '88 (Dundalk) jevans@ccbcmd.edu
Beverly Stoewer (Essex) bstoewer@ccbcmd.edu
CCBC Alumni Association 2005 Board of Directors
Lewis L. Kubiet
Laura Edwards ‘02
President
Karen Gunter ‘73
Janet Haley ‘70
Rhonda Malkowski ‘88
Lisa Turner - SGA (C)
President-elect
Natalia Leimkuhler ‘76
Sabrina Mercer ‘04
Lori Christian ‘91
Roy Moreland ‘63
Secretary
Sandy Myers ‘79
Paula Sexton ‘95
Danna A. Williams ‘87
Anthony Brown - SGA (D)
Treasurer
Jonelle Williams - SGA (E)
Emerge is published for alumni by the Institutional Advancement division
of The Community College of Baltimore County. Reproduction in whole or
in part without permission is prohibited. Postmaster and others, please
send change of address correspondence to CCBC Alumni Office, 800 S.
Rolling Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21228.
The comments and opinions expressed within this magazine do not
necessarily reflect those of The Community College of Baltimore County
or its officers.
Dear CCBC Alumni:
My first few months at CCBC have been nothing short of amazing. I have been
warmly welcomed by both our college and our external communities and am proud
to have been chosen to lead CCBC into the next chapter of its remarkable history.
CCBC draws strength from its size and its diversity, but its greatest marketing resource
is you – our 40,000 alumni. You are our gift to our community and every day you
represent the best and proudest work that we have done over the nearly 50 years
that our college has served its region.
Although the individual colleges that many of you fondly recall now comprise The
Community College of Baltimore County, we invite you to rediscover us, to reconnect
or stay connected with the college in some positive way. We are one college with three
wonderful campuses, each still very much as you remember it. We are working hard
to frame a strategic agenda that will transform the biggest community college in
Maryland into the best community college in Maryland.
If you find yourself on or near the campus, or perhaps if we meet out in the
community, please do not hesitate to introduce yourself to me. I am always pleased
to meet a CCBC alum and always proud to hear of your wonderful accomplishments.
Sincerely,
Sandra Kurtinitis
Chancellor
The Community College
of Baltimore County
Contributions of articles, artwork and photographs are welcome. Emerge
accepts no responsibility for unsolicited items. Address editorial correspondence to: Emerge, Room K217-B, CCBC, 7200 Sollers Point Road,
Baltimore, Maryland 21222 or emerge@ccbcmd.edu. Please include writer/
contributor’s name, address and daytime phone number. Submissions may
be edited for clarity or space.
CCBC Board of Trustees
Thomas M. Lingan, Esq., Chairman
Elayne Hettleman, Vice Chairman
Evelyn S. Brunner
Aurelia T. Burt
Regina E. Carson
Dorothy E. Foos
Linda C. Goldberg
The Hon. Barbara Kerr Howe
Charles E. Kountz, Jr., Esq.
Robert E. Latshaw, Jr.
Richard W. McJilton
Cecile V. Myrick
H. Edward Parker, Jr.
1
Clark Vandergrift
The Community College of Baltimore County is an equal access/equal
opportunity affirmative action institution. For more information, visit
the CCBC Web site: www.ccbcmd.edu.
Alumni and families enjoy annual picnic
Larger, single-site event set for May 13, 2006
Dear Fellow CCBC Alumni,
Our inaugural edition of Emerge, published in spring 2005,
received outstanding reviews from many alumni and friends
in Baltimore County, as well as throughout the region
and nation. We’re pleased that CCBC alumni far and wide
are looking to Emerge as a way to stay in contact with the
institution that played such an important part in their lives.
This issue takes a look at CCBC alumni who have made
their unique mark in the communications field, from radio
and television to print media. For each of the talented
individuals profiled in these pages, we’re certain there are
scores more who have found success, thanks in part, to the
solid education they received at one of CCBC’s campuses.
future ccbc alumni enjoyed balloon scuptures and other treats at
the 2005 leap, learn & laugh! picnics.
In spring 2005 CCBC alumni enjoyed a series of Leap, Learn &
Laugh! picnics at each of the CCBC campuses. On three consecutive
Saturdays in May, alumni gathered for picnic lunches while enjoying
guitar music by John Adams and Brian Cooney. Clowns playfully
mingled throughout the picnic sites making balloon animals and
hats, and “Scales and Tails” from the Department of Natural
Resources entertained picnic guests with animal demonstrations.
Also in this edition, we’ve included a number of new alumni
benefits as well as information about several alumni chapters
that are forming. The purpose of these chapters is twofold:
to give you the chance to network with other graduates in
the same field, and to provide professional development
opportunities that can help you be more successful in
your career.
Some alumni and future CCBC alums sported painted faces; others
who took the time to sit for caricatures took home lasting souvenirs
of the events. Although the atmosphere was fun-filled, all of the
campus events also featured learning opportunities.
I invite you to take advantage of these wonderful features as
you explore all that the CCBC Alumni Association has to offer.
CCBC Dundalk attendees toured the Baltimore County Police
Academy role-play rooms and toured the campus’ attractive
gardens. Falun Gong, an ancient practice for relaxation of mind,
body and spirit was highlighted at CCBC Essex and CCBC
Catonsville, and a self-defense demonstration and planetarium
shows were included at Catonsville. All of the picnics included
opportunities for CCBC alumni to learn how to use new voting
machine technology and receive a relaxing seated massage.
Throughout Emerge you’ll find a variety of chances to
actively participate in forming the content of this magazine:
Send in a written work or photo for “Expressions;” submit an
update for “Class Notes;” volunteer to write or contribute
photographic services for one of our features; suggest a
subject for an article. Whatever your talent or inclination,
we’re anxious to hear from you. Just send an e-mail to
emerge@ccbcmd.edu or call 1-877-alumnus (258-6687).
Door prizes for alumni included tickets for families to go to Six Flags
Theme Park in Largo, Md. Cathy Fialkowski Majerowicz ‘92, who
attended the picnic with her twin sons (William and Gregory) and
mother, Jeanne Fialkowski (also of the class of ’92), was the CCBC
Dundalk ticket winner. Kirk Thomas ’93 won the drawing at Essex,
and Kathy Mayr ’94 was the winner at Catonsville.
Your comments and suggestions about how Emerge and
the CCBC Alumni Association can better serve you are
always welcome.
Lewis L. Kubiet
President
CCBC Alumni Association
800 South Rolling Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21228
alumni@ccbcmd.edu
Brendan Cavanaugh
Best regards,
Mark your calendars now to attend a bigger, single picnic event
for CCBC alumni in 2006. This spring’s event will be held at CCBC
Essex 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, May 13 and will include the best
features from each of the three previous campus events. Alumni
will again be treated to tasty food and drinks, live music and
entertainment for all ages.
More 2006 picnic details are coming your way soon. But if you just
can’t wait, log on to our Web site at www.ccbcmd.edu/ccbcalumni/
index and click on “Calendar of Events” for the latest updates.
2
by bonnie y. stecker
photography courtesy
of discovery channel
Selling diamonds on QVC or pumping septic tanks
… it’s all in a day’s work for Mike Rowe
To everyone who has ever felt guilty about
not having a career plan, look to Mike
Rowe and hold your head high. Here’s a
man who admittedly – and consciously –
has lived a “go with the flow” life, and
made it work remarkably to his advantage.
Even without a clear-cut occupational
strategy, attributes like flexibility, spontaneity
and healthy doses of natural talent and
charm have made it possible for Mike
Rowe to find success in an impressive
range of performance venues. Even those
who may not recognize the name most
certainly will find his face and baritone
voice immediately familiar.
From humble beginnings in school plays
and community theater productions,
CCBC Essex alumnus Mike Rowe has
plied his talents on stage, in front of the
camera and behind the microphone.
He helped create and has been the affable
host of Your New Home on Sunday
morning local television for the past
15 years, and can regularly be seen
chatting with Epic Pharmacy customers
in the company’s long-running series
of TV commercials.
Mike also cultivated quite a viewer
following during a three-year stint
selling diamonds – among other things –
on QVC, and recently entertained Bay
Area audiences as host of San Francisco’s
Evening Magazine. For the popular
Discovery Channel, Mike hosted Egypt
Week Live! in the Valley of the Golden
Mummies, working with archeologists as
they opened ancient tombs live on the air.
Behind the microphone, Mike Rowe is
just as versatile and prolific. He’s narrated
more than 1,000 hours of television programming, including Ghost Hunters on
Sci-Fi, Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV, as
well as American Chopper, American
Hot Rod and Southern Steel (all on the
Discovery Channel).
Last year Mike celebrated the debut of his
own Discovery Channel series, Dirty Jobs.
The program airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m., and
takes an up-close (sometimes too close)
look at all of the jobs people do so the
rest of us don’t have to.
The path from an eastern Baltimore
County suburb to the tombs of ancient
Egypt was not laid out according to any
plan. In fact, little that Mike Rowe does
is scripted … literally and figuratively.
Emerge: How would you describe your
childhood in Baltimore?
D`b\Ifn\1 Unique. I grew up with a
lot of room to wander and roam. My folks
had some property that backed up against
several hundred acres of dense woods that
was owned by the state. It felt like the
middle of nowhere. In reality, it wasn’t far
from [then] Essex Community College,
and maybe a mile from the city line.
(continued on page 4)
3
(continued from page 3)
E: Do you come from a theatrical family?
DI1 My dad has appeared in over 100
plays in community theatre throughout
Maryland, and still performs with the
Senior Star Showcase at CCBC Essex. My
mom plays the piano, and sings in the
church choir. Both taught public school.
E: What was your first professional gig?
DI1 A commercial voiceover for Mattress
Discounters in 1980. My music teacher at
Overlea High School – Fred King, “King
of the Barbershoppers” – turned me on to
voiceover work. I had a rather low voice,
and Fred told me I could use it to make a
little money on the side. “No one will
know how old you are,” he said. He was
right. We sent out a tape and I got the job.
E: Ever named “most likely” to do
something?
DI1 According to my high school yearbook, I was voted most likeable. Of
course, that was 25 years ago. And I
may have voted for myself.
E: What led you from Overlea High
School to CCBC?
DI1 To be honest, it was very cheap and
very convenient – appealing qualities for a
guy with no discernable career path. I am
baffled by anyone who knows what they
really want to do after graduating high
school. I know a lot of people who
enrolled in four-year universities way too
early, majored in the wrong thing, and
spent years trying to “be” whoever it was
they had planned on turning into. For me,
Essex was a good place to catch my breath
and figure it out. It helped me narrow
things down.
E: Is there any particular CCBC instructor
or experience that had a long-lasting
impact on your life?
DI1 The theatre department was
memorable. Scott Black and J.R. Liston
were teachers that left an impression.
Scott created a fascinating microcosm of
the theater world, and accurately showed
what that world would be like if you
pursued it as a vocation.
E: What types of jobs did you have
during and after college?
E: How did you make the leap from local
performer to instant celebrity on QVC?
DI1 In college I sold magazines over the
phone. Forgive me, but I was really pretty
good at it. After graduating from Towson,
I sold service contracts on personal computers for a few years. Those jobs were
important because I learned that it was
possible to make decent money doing
something that I didn’t particularly enjoy.
That worried me.
DI1 I was in a production of Tosca at the
Lyric, and enjoying a beer with a friend
of mine during intermission. (It’s fun to
drink and sing Puccini.) We were across
the street in the Mt. Royal Tavern, and
the TV was turned to QVC.
My friend found it disturbing that
people would buy fake diamonds from
complete strangers in the middle of the
night. I pointed out that we were wearing
togas and carrying swords in broad daylight, and that some people might find
that disturbing. Anyway, the bartender
chimed in and said QVC was holding
auditions later that week in the Inner
Harbor. I crashed the audition and got
hired on the spot.
E: When did you realize that you could
actually make a living in front of the camera
and behind a microphone?
DI1 When Blossom went into syndication.
E: You’ll have to explain that one.
DI1 What I mean is that the field is wide
open and the possibilities are endless. I
never had a confidence problem – always
had a lot of positive feedback, quite a
few voiceover jobs, parts in plays, etc.
I managed to get an audition with the
Baltimore Opera Company, figuring it was
a way to get my AGMA [American Guild
of Musical Artists] card; then I could get
my SAG [Screen Actors Guild] and
AFTRA [American Federation of
Television and Radio Artists] cards.
That was pretty much the only time
I had any semblance of a career plan.
E: So there was no conscious drive to
become host of your own TV show?
DI1 All I knew for certain after college
was that I didn’t want to sit behind a desk,
and I didn’t want to commute in rush
hour. The notion of a career was just too
big, so I settled for short-term jobs. Most
of those jobs turned out to be TV related.
And I guess after 20 years and several
hundred TV-related jobs, it might look as
though I had a career plan. I didn’t.
E: Have you ever worked a typical
day job?
DI1 No thanks. The computer thing was
technically full-time, but my attendance
record would suggest otherwise. Today, I
often work 70 hours a week, but I never
work 9-to-5.
right: mike takes the stage during a dundalk community
theatre production of the rainmaker, 1987.
photo courtesy of dundalk community theatre
4
E: Has your quick wit and talent for snappy
repartee ever gotten you into trouble?
DI1 I was fired twice from QVC, and
spent most of my three years there on
double-secret probation. I can’t say for
sure that wit was the cause.
E: You do a lot of voiceover work. What’s
the best part about that aspect of your
career?
DI1 I like long form documentary. I did a
10-hour series on commercial crab fishing
for Discovery called The Deadliest Catch,
and really enjoyed telling the story. In
general though, voiceover is great because
it’s creative, anonymous, efficient and
profitable. It’s also insanely competitive,
and a lot harder than you think.
“I have a healthy fear
of most dangerous
things, but when you
work alongside people
who don’t, you either
suck it up or look
like a sissy.”
mike rowe
E: How did the idea for Dirty Jobs come
about?
DI1 I was hosting Evening Magazine in
San Francisco, and started profiling local
people who had disgusting but important
jobs. The idea was to offer my services as
an apprentice, and show the viewer, through
my bumbling and often disastrous efforts,
just how difficult the work is. The segment
became popular, and I sent one of the
more memorable ones – artificial cow
inseminator – to the Discovery Channel.
They ordered a series.
E: What’s the dirty job you would never
even consider doing again?
DI1 A dozen come to mind. But if you
want just one, I’ll go with catfish noodler.
Noodling means fishing with your bare
hands, usually in a swamp or bayou. The
noodler typically stands in four to five feet
of fetid water, running his hands through
black, smelly, oozy mud, searching for a
hole where a catfish of indeterminate size
may be sleeping.
This is done with the intention of provoking the fish into biting the hand of the
noodler, at which point the noodler will
attempt to grab the fish by the jaw, and
pull it from the mud barehanded. (I swear
this is true.)
It is a surprisingly efficient way to fish,
but in my opinion, a surprisingly stupid
one as well. Where there are catfish, there
are also alligators, copperheads and snapping turtles. All noodlers have multiple
scars, and only a few have all their fingers.
E: Have you ever been in the middle of a
dirty job and realized, “This isn’t as bad as
I thought it would be?”
DI1 No.
E: Is there one that was a lot worse than
you anticipated?
DI1 Bat biologist. The largest concentration
of mammals in the world can be found
in Bracken Cave, in the form of 40 million
Mexican free-tail bats. Once a month, a
biologist named Jim Kennedy goes deep
into the cave to check on the health of
the colony. (Bats apparently are very
important to the environment.)
Anyway, the air in Bracken Cave is
toxic with ammonia, so we don gas masks.
On the ground lies tons of moist guano,
which Jim and I must wade through. In
the guano live billions of flesh-eating beetles, waiting for bats to plummet from the
ceiling and perish in their own excrement.
The bats themselves are highly agitated by
our presence, chirping wildly, and covering us in a steady rain of urine and poop.
They are also giving birth, and peppering
me with placentas. Bracken Cave is a dirty,
dirty hole.
E: How do you come up with ideas for
the show?
DI1 I make a list of things I would never
want to do.
E: Is anyone ever offended that you think
his/her job is dirty enough to make for
interesting TV?
right: work at an oyster reef is a dirty and wet - job.
far right: mike holds a bunch of taro at
kukui farms, a taro field outside of hawi, hi.
photos courtesy of discovery channel.
check out more of mike rowe’s gigs on dirty jobs
at www.discovery.com.
5
DI1 The people themselves are usually
flattered. On the other hand, corporations,
like sausage makers for instance, are
hesitant to associate their brands with
dirt and filth.
E: Do all of your wild and varied
experiences make you the “Cliff Claven”
of your social circle?
DI1 I am a good and dependable Trivial
Pursuit partner.
E: Which one of your experiences has
most freaked out your parents?
DI1 I once used a garden shovel to
remove hundreds of pounds of coagulated
grease from the walls of a waste pumping
station in Wisconsin. The job required me
to wear a rubber suit and stand in a well
of human waste. My father hasn’t quite
gotten over it, and my mother won’t
discuss it.
E: Do you have any advice for aspiring
performers?
DI1 Yeah. Don’t take any advice. In this
business, there is no straight line to follow
and no justice at all. Most everyone I
know who does what I do will struggle
all their life to stay even. And the few who
have done OK, including me, have no idea
why. We’re just guessing, and like to sound
smarter than we are.
E: What’s left on your list of things to do
or places to go?
DI1 Happily, that particular list is in the
process of being revised.
alumni benefits
You received more than just a great education at CCBC. As an alumnus, you’re entitled to a wide
range of benefits like those detailed below. We’re always working to add even more opportunities for
you, so be sure to check this page in future editions of Emerge or www.ccbcmd.edu/ccbcalumni/index
for alumni benefit news.
CCBC defines alumni as those students who have graduated with an associate degree,
completed a certificate program, or completed 30 or more credit hours at any campus.
CCBC Libraries
University Alumni Travel
CCBC Alumni members have borrowing
privileges at all three campus libraries by
presenting their alumni membership cards.
Six Flags Amusement Park
Contact the Alumni office at 1.877.alumnus
(258.6687) to purchase discount tickets to
Six Flags America for the 2006 season. Enjoy
all the rides like Batwing, Superman Ride
of Steel and Hurricane Harbor waterpark.
Tickets are just $32 each, a substantial
savings over the gate price of $54.99.
Counseling Services
Individualized academic, personal and career
counseling is available on each campus by
appointment. For more information or to
make an appointment, call:
Catonsville 410-455-4382
Dundalk 410-285-9809
Essex 410-780-6368
You can take advantage of the perfect weeklong getaway at the location of your choice
for only $349. At University Alumni Travel
Benefits, choose your vacation spot at any
of its worldwide resorts. Call the CCBC
Alumni office at 1.877.alumnus (258.6687)
for your special order code.
Career Development/Job Placement Services
Services include individual career counseling,
planning, testing, job hunting skills, resume
writing, and interviewing and placement
services. For further information, call:
Catonsville 410-455-4242
Dundalk 410-285-9927
Essex 410-780-6732
WorkingAdvantage.com
Health/Life Fitness, Physical Development/Education Centers
Racquetball, tennis courts and gymnasiums are available free of charge on a first come,
first served basis when not in use by CCBC classes or teams. For more details, call:
Catonsville 410-455-4430, Dundalk 410-285-9743 or Essex 410-780-6735
Swimming pool privileges are available free of charge during “open swim” hours.
For hours call:
Catonsville 410-455-4470, Dundalk 410-285-9743 or Essex 410-780-6342
Circuit Center privileges are available for alumni at each of the campuses.
Fees and hours may vary. For information call:
Catonsville 410-455-4470, Dundalk 410-285-9717 or Essex 410-780-6342
You must present your alumni membership card to access these areas.
Save on movie tickets, baseball tickets and
other entertainment venues as well as on
shopping with WorkingAdvantage.com.
There are plenty of venues in Baltimore
where you can save money too. CCBC
Alumni Association members get access
to special discounts. Contact Alumni
Relations at 1-877-ALUMNUS or visit our
Web site at www.ccbcmd.edu/ccbcalumni/
index for more information and to get
access to the order code.
Find out more
For information regarding alumni benefits, services and events on the CCBC campuses,
or to obtain or replace your alumni card, call 1.877.alumnus (258.6687) or contact:
Catonsville
800 S. Rolling Road A-104
smelvin@ccbcmd.edu
Dundalk
7200 Sollers Point Road K-217C
jevans@ccbdmd.edu
Essex
7201 Rossville Road J-121
bstoewer@ccbcmd.edu
And remember to check out our Web site at www.ccbcmd.edu/ccbcalumni/index.
6
alumni benefits
Win a 2006 Scion xB!
Call now to purchase your tickets for the annual CCBC Student
Scholarship Raffle. Each $10 ticket gives you a chance to win the grand
prize of a 2006 Scion xB. Second prize (one winner per campus) is an
Apple computer, and third prize (one winner per campus) is a three-day,
two-night getaway (hotel accommodations only; selected destinations).
Planned giving reaps benefits now and in the future
You’d be surprised just how much careful financial, estate and
tax planning can benefit you now … and CCBC later. Planned
giving provides immediate rewards to the giver, and long-term
benefits to the gift recipient. CCBC can help you create a
purposeful, effective strategy for achieving your financial
goals while generously supporting the work of the college
in the community.
Winning tickets will be drawn at the CCBC Alumni Bull Roast on Saturday,
March 25 at the Hawks Pleasure Club in Essex. You need not be present
to win. Proceeds benefit scholarships and programs at CCBC.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call:
CCBC Catonsville 410-455-4944
CCBC Dundalk
410-285-9463
CCBC Essex
410-780-6208
For information regarding planned giving options at CCBC,
contact Woodrow Powell at wpowell@ccbcmd.edu or
410-780-6832.
benefits
Massage Therapy Clinic
The Massage Therapy Clinic, located at
CCBC Essex, is now open to alumni. Enjoy
a relaxing one-hour massage by students
in the Massage Therapy program. Alumni
recveive $5 off the regular fee. To schedule
an appointment, call 410-780-6598.
Calling all zoo lovers!
Does your company provide insurance
or financial services that would be of
interest to more than 40,000 alumni
throughout Maryland and across the
nation? Contact the CCBC Alumni
office at 1.877.alumnus (258.6687)
to discuss how we can add your
product or service to our growing
list of benefit providers.
Membership Management Services
Membership Management Services has
provided discounts for CCBC Alumni
Association, Inc. members using the Alamo,
Hertz, National, Budget and AVIS rental
car agencies as well as discounts to select
Choice Hotels across the nation. Contact the
alumni relations offices at 1-877-ALUMNUS
(258-6687) or go to the Web site at www.
ccbcmd.edu/ccbcalumni/index.html for
more information on how to obtain your
discount cards.
As a member of the association, you can
save on admission prices to the zoo.
Ticket prices are as follows: Adults: $13.50,
children (2-11) $9 and Seniors (65+) $11.
Tickets are good for any day from March 1
through December 31 except June 9,
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Call or come by any CCBC Alumni office to
get your tickets. Go to www.marylandzoo.org
to find out what’s happening at the zoo.
Become a benefit partner
Children’s Learning Centers
Part-time and full-time programs are
available for children two to five years
of age. The centers are fully licensed
by the Maryland Department of Health.
For more information, call:
Catonsville 410-455-4242
Dundalk 410-285-9890
Essex 410-780-6900
7
Arlinda’s Place is THE place to get your skin
in great shape. CCBC Alumni Association,
Inc. members get a 10 percent discount off
any service worth $50 or more. Treat yourself
to a European facial, expert body massage
or spa body scrub. Show your alumni card to
get the discount. Contact Arlinda’s Place at
410-298-8778 to schedule your appointment.
Stay updated via e-mail
Find out what’s happening at the college
each month and get information on new
benefits, services, upcoming association
meetings and events - all by e-mail.
For more information, go to our Web site at
www.ccbcmd.edu/ccbcalumni/index, e-mail
us at alumni@ccbcmd.edu or call us at
1-877-ALUMNUS.
ACCIDENTAL
JOURNALIST
the
One woman’s circuitous journey
to the fourth estate
by marge neal
photography by rob ridgley
Emerge took Marge at her word when she made a broad offer to write an article or two for
CCBC’s new alumni magazine. In a moment of weakness she agreed to author a first-person
feature. While Marge may question the wisdom of that decision, we still think it was a fine idea.
Take my word for it. This would be a far
more interesting article if I was writing
it about someone else. Several months
ago, when asked if I would be interested
in writing for this newly launched
magazine, I didn’t hesitate when I
answered in the affirmative.
And when I got my first assignment, I
felt honored and ecstatic. For about 10
seconds. That’s when I learned that my
first subject would be a difficult and less
than cooperative one ... me.
Being asked to write an article about
yourself is a little bit like being asked
to write your own obituary. And maybe
there are those who would like to do that.
Me? I’m willing to take my chances on
someone else doing the deed.
This assignment, which has caused many
second thoughts since being accepted, has
proven to be a task that has caused more
than a little bit of discomfort, dread and
anxiety. But the opportunity to reminisce
about a college that means the world to
me, and talk about two professions I am
honored to have been a part of, far outweighed the personal angst caused by
the assignment. Here goes.
I am an accidental journalist.
That will probably make a lot of old newspaper people cringe, but there you have it.
I’m not writing because of some lifelong
desire to be a newspaper reporter or to
fulfill the fantasy of exposing bad guys,
extolling the virtues of the good guys and
otherwise making the world a better and
safer place.
I’m writing because of an early midlife
crisis that found me – as a longtime
Recreation and Parks supervisor –
shopping under “R” in the want ads of
the daily paper nearly seven years ago.
I had worked as a radio broadcaster in
the early 1980s and was looking for a
new job either in recreation or radio.
Nestled among the ads recruiting realtors,
restaurant workers and research assistants
was one for a reporter at a community
weekly newspaper.
Hmmm, I thought to myself. I could do
that. All they can do is say “no.” They –
the friendly and apparently desperate folks
at The Dundalk Eagle – said yes. And the
rest is history. I owe all the credit for my
new career in journalism to the letter R.
But even though I came to this career
relatively late in life, the building blocks
have been there all along. Sometimes the
brick wall has to crash for us to take
notice. Individual bricks had fallen on me
at various times; I just didn’t get the message.
8
The seeds to chronicle life through words
and pictures were always there, but to me
it was just fun. I got my first camera for
Christmas the year I was in fourth grade.
I instantly became the class historian. In
poorly composed, often under-exposed
snapshots that routinely featured part of
my thumb, I documented the activities
of my elementary school classmates.
The cameras and ability improved
over the years.
High school journalism classes landed me
on the yearbook staff as the photographer.
But the closest I came to pursuing a
remotely related career was the short-lived
– it died during a bout of substitute teaching
– desire to be a high school English and
drama teacher.
I stumbled upon a part-time job as a
recreation leader and was told by an
early mentor that Rec and Parks was
a legitimate field, complete with its
own college curriculum, and that [then]
Catonsville Community College just
happened to have a program. Off I went.
While at Catonsville, I came into my
own as a student and as a human. Willa
Brooks, then a young teacher and now
chairman of CCBC’s Recreation, Parks
and Tourism program, took me under her
wing. She was the first person to tell me I
was smart and instilled in me a confidence
that had never existed.
Brooks was an inspiring, encouraging
mentor who went out on a limb to give
me some incredible opportunities outside
the classroom that, had I failed, would
have made her professional peers question
her sanity.
But even while studying Rec and Parks,
bricks continued to rain down upon my
head. I continued my unofficial role as
photographer, snapping into history
events of the student Recreation and Parks
Society. I also chronicled four summers of
Camp Heritage, which was founded by
Brooks for two purposes: to provide a
quality nature day camp for youngsters
while also creating a meaningful field
experience for Rec majors who worked
at the camp.
I served as editor of Recreation and People,
the Rec Society’s newsletter, and also The
Changing Times, a weekly campus-wide
publication that listed events and activities
at Catonsville. Several years later, I would
serve as public relations coordinator for
the Baltimore County Department of
Recreation and Parks. I wrote brochures
and press releases, designed fliers,
edited the departmental newsletter
and photographed events.
But still no thought to a career
in journalism.
Fast forward to 1999, when the Rec gig
had about played itself out. What started
as an ignorable itch to do something
different became a longing of epidemic
proportions and I started job shopping.
After seeing the Eagle ad, I threw caution
to the wind and applied. Three weeks
later, I was a newspaper reporter.
Talk about feeling like a fraud. Here I was,
this Rec and Parks supervisor, staring into
a computer I didn’t even know how to
turn on. Eagle Editor Wayne Laufert,
hopeful he had hired the right person but
hedging his bets in case he didn’t, assigned
me to what I affectionately referred to as
the “warm and fuzzy” beat.
“
I owe all the credit for my new career
in journalism to the letter
R.
”
marge neal
While my more esteemed colleagues were
writing about house fire deaths, a gunman
holed up with hostages and the antics of
local politicians, I was writing about
stuffed animals, retiring school principals
and churches celebrating anniversaries.
But eventually I had to be trusted with
headier topics — all my colleagues quit
within a three-month span and, with 10
months under my belt, I was the senior
reporter. I think it was around that time
that Laufert started to go gray.
Almost seven years into this career, I have
been recognized with photography and
writing awards from state, regional and
national press and journalism organizations. But it is I who am honored to be a
part of this profession ... honored to have
been allowed into people’s lives at their
highest of highs and lowest of lows.
Honored to tell the stories of everyday
people and their accomplishments,
their tragedies, their quirky hobbies or
collections, their community activism
and their political aspirations.
9
And perhaps the biggest honor – and the
most responsibility – comes with writing
an obituary. To put into words what
becomes a send-off to a human life is
pretty intense.
So, I’m an accidental journalist for now.
And though I’m not currently using my
Rec and Parks education in that field, it
was the CCBC education, mentoring and
extracurricular opportunities that paved
the way – in however a circuitous manner
– to this job. And will no doubt pave the
way for whatever I decide to do next.
I might not be hired as a brain surgeon or
an astronaut, but pretty much everything
else is on the table.
Editor’s note: We’d like to congratulate
Marge Neal on her most recent honor:
Third place for best sports feature
story or series in the annual National
Newspaper Association Better Newspaper
contest. Marge bested other writers
nationwide with her two-part series
on a local Paralympic swimmer.
college news
Kurtinitis chosen as new CCBC chancellor
Sandra L. Kurtinitis, former president of
Quinsigamond Community College in
Massachusetts was appointed chancellor of
The Community College of Baltimore County
in November 2005. Her selection by the
Board of Trustees followed an extensive
national search. Kurtinitis is no stranger to
Maryland. She spent 22 years as a professor
of English, department chair and academic
coordinator at Prince George’s Community
College, received her master’s degree in
British Literature from the University of
Maryland, College Park, and earned her
Ph.D. in American Civilization from The
George Washington University.
“Baltimore County is pleased to welcome
Dr. Kurtinitis as the new chancellor of CCBC,”
commented County Executive James T. Smith,
who was on hand at a campus welcome event
and proclaimed Nov.1, 2006 “Sandra
Kurtinitis Day” in Baltimore County.
“My administration recognizes the enormous
positive impact of CCBC on the community
and we look forward to partnering with Dr.
Kurtinitis on initiatives that further the
education, training and enrichment needs
of Baltimore County residents,” Smith said.
“We’re proud that CCBC plays a major role
for more than 100 local businesses and
nearly 70,000 credit and non-credit
students each year.”
BBJ ‘Book of Lists’ ranks CCBC as the
largest college in the Baltimore area
CCBC author chronicles lives of Bethlehem
Steel communities and their women
The Baltimore Business Journal’s “Book of
Lists 2006” puts The Community College
of Baltimore County in the top spot on its
list of “Largest colleges and universities
in the Baltimore area” based on full-time
enrollment for Fall 2004.
CCBC History and
Anthropology Professor
Karen Olson took to heart
some oft-repeated advice
to authors: write what you
know. After more than
20 years of research, she
knows the communities of Turners Station,
Dundalk and Sparrows Point, Md. Karen
shares her knowledge and insight about the
history of those communities in her book,
Wives of Steel: Voices of Women from the
Sparrows Point Steelmaking Community.
CCBC led the category with 19,968 enrolled
students, followed by Towson University
with 17,667 students and Anne Arundel
Community College with 14,421 students.
Towson led in last year’s list and CCBC
was listed fourth. Recognition of CCBC
as a single, multi-campus college has
resulted in this #1 listing.
CCBC graduates garner two full Regents
Scholarships for transfer students
Rebecca Ellick and Esther Markwordt, June
2005 graduates, were awarded University
System of Maryland (USM) Regents
Scholarships for 2005-2006. Regents
Scholarships recognize exceptional students
transferring from any of the 16 Maryland
community colleges to any institution in
the University System of Maryland. This
year, 50 students were nominated for the
11 full and six partial scholarships. CCBC
Dundalk students received two of the full
scholarship awards, which cover the total
cost of in-state tuition and mandatory fees,
living expenses (equivalent to campus room
and board) and a book stipend.
Dundalk, Md. resident Rebecca Ellick,
recipient of the Kelly Regents Scholarship,
has continued her education at University
of Maryland School of Nursing. Rebecca is
a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA). Esther
Markwordt received the Schaeffer Regent
Scholarship. The 19-year-old Eastwood, Md.
resident, who maintained a 4.0 GPA at CCBC
Dundalk, now attends Towson University
majoring in Spanish with an eye toward a
career in medicine.
Another CCBC alumna, Glyndon, Md.
resident Laura Martin, was recognized for her
academic achievement by the USM Regents
Scholarship Committee and received a Kelly
Academic Opportunity Grant of $3000. A
former CCBC Catonsville student, Laura
now attends the University of Baltimore.
dr. kurtinitis (left) enjoys impromptu
conversations with students.
10
Recently published by Penn State University
Press in University Park, Pa., Wives of Steel
examines area history, specifically examining
how women experienced deindustrialization
differently than men.
Karen conducted more than 80 formal
interviews with women and some men,
both white and black, all of whom were part
of Sparrows Point as workers, spouses, or
longtime residents of the local communities.
CCBC School of Health Professions ranked
45th nationally in degrees awarded
Community College Week (CCW) in its Dec. 1,
2005 issue ranked The Community College
of Baltimore County School of Health
Professions as 45th in the nation in awarding
associate degrees in Health Professions and
related Clinical Services. CCBC was the only
Maryland community college listed in
CCW’s top 50. CCW used data from the U.S.
Department of Education that showed the
CCBC School of Health Professions with
a 30 percent increase in the number of
graduates from the preceding year.
“This national ranking is testament to CCBC’s
proactive approach to addressing the shortage
of health care workers by educating highly
skilled professionals for the workplace,”
notes Sandra L. Kurtinitis, CCBC chancellor.
Earlier in 2005, the Baltimore Business
Journal ranked the CCBC School of Health
Professions as the third largest professional
school in Maryland, behind Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health and
University of Maryland School of Nursing.
Noted design magazine honors Emerge
for communication excellence
The inaugural edition of Emerge won an award
from Graphic Design USA for “excellence in
communication and graphic design.”
Graphic Designs USA, a magazine for
professional graphic designers, received
approximately 11,000 entries for the competition. This is the 43rd year that Graphic
Design USA has hosted this competition
and it is noted as one of the most prestigious
in the industry. Of the 11,000 nationwide
entries, only 10 percent received awards.
New Hunt Valley center offers training and
education to individuals and businesses
CCBC relocated its Hunt Valley center to
an expanded location in July 2005. The new
20,000-square-foot facility, located at 11101
McCormick Road, provides CCBC with twice
the capacity to expand its course offerings
for individuals, businesses and organizations
in the Hunt Valley area.
CCBC Hunt Valley offers a wide range of
courses for those seeking academic degrees
and life enrichment in everything from the
arts to technology, while expanding offerings
to the business community and adult learners.
CCBC Hunt Valley houses corporate and general
purpose classrooms, specialized allied health
facilities, computer labs and a comprehensive,
customized workforce training facility.
For more information about CCBC Hunt
Valley, call Donna Reihl at 410-771-6835 or visit
www.ccbcmd.edu to access class schedules.
New CCBC Web site features Alumni Services
CCBC will soon roll out an all-new college
Web site, and featured front-and-center is
a new content area for “Alumni Services.”
This new area pulls together all of CCBC’s
online information and resources of interest
to college alumni, including continuing
education opportunities, events, alumni
benefits, an online transcript request form,
college athletics, performing arts and more.
The new site includes a bold new design
and a more intuitive navigational system.
These features of the new site were developed
over the past year based on careful research
into user needs and preferences, including
a series of focus groups, an online survey
and a review of other Web sites from
colleges across the nation.
Take a sneak peak at the new home page at
www.ccbcmd.edu.
Student-athletes named to NJCAA
2005 All-American lacrosse teams
Nine student athletes from CCBC were
named to the National Junior College Athletic
Association’s 2005 All-American lacrosse
teams. Four women players from CCBC
Catonsville received the honor after their
team won the 2005 NJCAA Women’s
Lacrosse Invitational Championship in
Garden City, N.Y. Five male players from
CCBC Essex made the honorary team after
their team lost the championship contest to
Herkimer County Community College (N.Y.).
All-American Lacrosse team members
include Monica Buck, Alison Smith, Amie
Barcikowski, Melissa Seesz, Johnathan Beard,
Daniel Carmack, Evan Kay, Travis Begay and
William Sadtler.
college news
Faculty member Brian Comotto wins third
Emmy for daytime drama music
Hidden in the quiet recesses of the “E”
building basement on the Essex campus
is a state-of-the-art music production studio.
This is where you often can find CCBC’s
three-time Emmy winner, Brian Comotto.
Brian is part of a team of music directors and
composers who received Emmys in 2002,
2003 and 2005 for “outstanding achievement
in music direction and composition for a
daytime drama.” They were also nominated
in 2001 and 2004. Their music sets the
tone on the daytime hit, All My Children.
Brian was a graduate student at NYU when
he got the chance to work with All My
Children. Now, living back in Maryland,
he journeys to New York several times a
year to work with the team on new music.
Brian received his B.A. in music from
Towson University and his M.A. from NYU.
An adjunct Music program faculty member
at CCBC, Comotto teaches Introduction to
Audio Technology I and II, required courses
in CCBC’s 30-credit certificate program in
Music Production and Audio Technology.
Equipped with computers and a MIDI room,
CCBC’s music production studio has a variety
of uses – serving as the classroom for audio
technology classes as well as a recording
studio for music demos for local musicians.
CCBC Catonsville athlete Melissa Seesz was
named a NJCAA Academic All-American with
a grade point average of 4.0. Melissa plays
both volleyball and lacrosse; she graduated
from CCBC in Spring 2005 and is studying
psychology at Lock Haven University in Pa.
Volleyball and lacrosse player Monica
Buck and softball player Sarah Knotts won
distinguished Academic All-American awards.
ccbc allied health students gain
practical experience in the hunt
valley center’s new phlebotomy lab.
In November 2005, two CCBC Catonsville
volleyball players were named to the 2005
All-Maryland JUCO volleyball team. Michelle
Davis was selected to the All-Maryland JUCO
first team. Brittany Fleming was named to the
All-Maryland JUCO honorable mention team.
11
brian comotto recently added a third
emmy to his collection.
It’s always a SUNNY
for WJZ’s Tim Williams
Tim Williams is always amused by people’s
perceptions of his job as a news anchor.
“They think that the life is glamorous and
we make tons of money.” Wrong on both
points, according to Tim.
“Anchors and reporters are not the decision
makers who mandate which stories air and
which do not,” he remarks. “Although we
co-write the news and proof information,
we do not have the final word on what is
broadcast. Assignment editors, managers
and producers make that decision.”
Tim Williams’ smiling face brightens the
airwaves of WJZ-TV (Channel 13), the
local CBS affiliate, Wednesday through
Sunday each week as he forecasts the
weather, reports on news and anchors
the weekend morning news with Sharon
Lee. He’s currently the only on-air
personality in the Baltimore area to
juggle these diverse duties.
“The weather personalities have a much
greater say in what is aired since they
create their own reports and maps,” he
explains. The downside of this privilege is
that weather personalities are considered
“essential personnel” at the station, and
are out in all kinds of weather to make
sure that accurate conditions are broadcast.
“Sometimes we’re the only people out
on the road, driving in pretty hazardous
conditions,” Tim remarks. Another hazard
is facing area students and teachers when
a prediction of snow goes awry!
Gift of Gab
A Baltimore native, Tim grew up in
Forest Park and his family still lives in the
Baltimore area. In 1981 he graduated from
Merganthaler Vo-Tech High School (aka
Mervo) where he was a drafting major.
Because of his self-described “gift of gab,”
12
DAY
by jacquelyn lucy
photography by rob ridgley
he thought of pursuing a career in sales or
retail after college. His instincts proved
right as he was one of the first corporate
sales people for MCI in Maryland.
He had applied to the Fashion Institute
of Technology (FIT) at both its New York
and Los Angeles campuses with an interest
in design and fashion merchandising.
Design piggybacked on his drafting
background, and fashion merchandising
appealed to his interest in retail sales.
But he couldn’t be accepted at FIT
until he had completed a full semester
of college-level coursework.
Tim found his true calling when he
attended CCBC Catonsville in the
early 1980s. “Going to Catonsville was
a ‘no-brainer’ for me,” he quips. “It was
convenient, inexpensive, and it gave me
the opportunity to decide what career
I really wanted to follow.”
In 1981, after his fall semester at CCBC,
Tim was accepted at both of the FIT
campuses. However, fate, Mom and
the Olympics intervened.
“Los Angeles was gearing up for the 1984
Olympics and became far too expensive
for me to live there. And my mother was
so stressed about a move to New York City
that both ideas were scrapped. I stayed in
Baltimore,” he says without regret.
(continued on page 14)
13
(continued from page 13)
Broadcasting wins out
Tim credits his CCBC experience with
sparking an interest in broadcasting.
“Everything there seemed to drive me to
communication as a career,” he remarks.
After a year and a half at Catonsville, Tim
transferred to Towson University, where he
earned his B.A. in Mass Communication.
Several years later, he enrolled in the
Broadcasting Institute of Maryland (BIM).
His BIM internships included stints at
WWIN-AM radio, the Mayor’s Office
of Communication cable station and
Maryland Public Television (MPT).
At MPT, Tim interned for Dave Durian
(currently on WBAL-AM radio with his
own show, Dave Durian & the Morning
Team), his first mentor. As Tim recalls,
“He made me write wire copy over and
over again until I got it right, and would
make me sit in the anchor chair and read
from the teleprompter. It was wonderful
preparation, although I’m not sure that
I appreciated it at the time.”
position with a major network affiliate,
WJZ-TV. His first reporting story at WJZ
was about Baltimore’s new football team,
the Ravens; his favorite story was the
snowstorm of January 1996.
Tim will soon celebrate his tenth anniversary
as a weatherman at WJZ, and recently
received his degree in meteorology from
Mississippi State University. Despite his
longevity with a single station - a rarity in
most media markets - he is still a relative
newcomer in WJZ’s weather department
compared to station weathermen Bob
Turk, who has been there for 33 years,
and Marty Bass, who is a 29-year veteran.
Tim cites national weather personalities
Spenser Christian (formerly with Good
Morning America) and Al Roker (NBC’s
Today Show), as his professional heroes,
along with his cohorts at WJZ. Bryant
Gumbel and WJZ legend Al Sanders are
two other broadcasting professionals who
inspired him to pursue a television career.
Tim, his wife of 16 years, Sandra, their
10-year-old son T.J. (Tim, Jr.) and dogs
Mufasa and Maxx are happily ensconced
in Maryland. At home, he continues a
lifelong hobby of collecting and restoring
vintage cars. His current pride and joy is
a gray 1992 SAAB convertible. Tim is also
an accomplished musician who plays the
piano, guitar and drums. He has recently
cultivated interests in gardening and
cooking as well.
Since his days at CCBC as a student, Tim
has returned to the college several times
to cover news stories, and occasionally
still visits just to walk around CCBC
Catonsville to enjoy the campus ambiance.
Tim is a contented man, his smiling face
and calm demeanor reflecting satisfaction
with both his personal and professional
lives. “Most people spend a lifetime trying
to get back home,” he muses. “I reached it
early and I am very content.”
Dave’s memories are similar. “Tim was
older than the typical intern with whom
he was competing for jobs. But he had a
natural talent for broadcasting and used
his age as an advantage,” he continues.
“His calm demeanor both on and off
the camera has served him well over the
years.” As Dave recalls, “Tim still seemed
a little hesitant about broadcasting as a
career. But since he seemed like he was
dipping his toe into the pool, I pushed
him in!”
That push actually propelled Tim into his
first entry-level job in broadcasting. From
January 1991 until September 1993, he was
a “one-man band” at WHAG-TV (NBC
Channel 25) in Hagerstown, Md. “I did
everything - reporter, photographer, 11 p.m.
news anchor and co-producer,” he remarks.
The wealth of experience he gained at
WHAG prepared him for his next broadcasting job, a two-year stint as reporter
and weekend morning anchor at WTLV,
the NBC station in Jacksonville, Fla.
Back to Baltimore
Since his family and friends live in the
Baltimore area, it was natural for Tim to
want to be nearer to home. His third job
in broadcasting proved to be the charm a move back to Baltimore for an on-air
tim williams’ energetic personality is well suited to the hectic pace of a tv newsroom.
14
e
express
expressions
writing
as the front turns to a storm
you see the lightning that has the power
to enflame a city
or to darken
no matter--once you are struck
nothing is ever the same.
writing is the scalpel
that rips you in half
and there are no stitches
to put you back to where you were
Douglas R. Sentz Jr. ‘93
Fountain of Highlandtown
Mark Trojan ‘84
The People’s Pope
The Poet
Wind blows the clouds
Like soft lightning.
Swans skate on shimmering water.
The poet reads her poems.
More than lines on a page,
They sing of her spirit.
Anne B. Mulligan ‘88
Hawaii
Heather Marcus ‘99
For the year was 1920, the 18th of May.
God must have wanted it to be this way.
For Karol and Emilia Wojtyla would have such joy.
The birth of their third child, Karol Jozef, a baby boy.
You excelled through the church that’s for sure.
Officially appointed archbishop of Krakow in 1964.
What must have seemed like a gift from heaven.
Pope Paul VI appointed you to Cardinal in 1967.
Our faithful were hurting and things did not look great.
How things would change on October the 16, 1978
God must have heard our cries.
You accepted the appointment with tears in your eyes.
You were forever trying to even the score.
Calling on the wealthier nations to share with the poor.
Never wanting to support a fight.
A vocal advocate for human rights.
Reaching out across the world with your touch.
The world is in mourning, we miss you so much.
For the life that you lived, we now rejoice.
With the faith of God, let us sing with one voice.
Thank you for your Faith, Love and Hope.
You will forever be “The People’s Pope.”
With Love,
John
Do you have a creative side you'd like to share? Send your photos, drawings, short written works or other artistic expressions to
emerge@ccbcmd.edu. Digital photos must be in jpeg, tiff or eps format, preferably 600 dpi. Be sure to include your name,
mailing address, daytime phone number and year you graduated from/attended CCBC.
like a low lying cold front
over the mountains
you can smell the pulse
you can hear the tremble.....
John Young Jr. ‘89
Editor’s note: The above is an excerpt of a longer work. For the full text,
send an e-mail request to onesremembered@yahoo.com.
15
class n o t e s
THE 1960s
Joanne Sebly ’68 (Teacher Education) is now
an English teacher for the Queen Anne’s
County Board of Education. She lives in
Centreville, Md.
THE 1970s
Frank A. Knecht, III ’73 (General Studies)
is a truck driver supervisor for Marcor
Environmental. He received his B.A. from
UMBC.
Kaye Quinn ’74 and ’04 (Registered Nursing
and Massage Therapy) finished the Certified
Massage Therapy program at CCBC and is a
practitioner of Reiki Massage.
M. Frances Smither ’75
(General Studies) has been
employed by CCBC since
1989 and is currently director
for the Center for Academic,
Career and Life Planning at
CCBC Dundalk. She earned
her B.S. from Towson in
1976, M.Ed. in 1980, and M.B.A. in 1987. She
and her husband, Vernon, live in Pasadena,
Md. Fran earned her U.S. Coast Guard
Captain’s License in May 2001.
Anthony G. DiGirolamo ’75 (General Studies)
is a technical support representative for
Kodak Dental Systems. He also occasionally
works part time for WPOC and was involved
with WCCN, Films Committee and Red &
Black while at CCBC. Anthony and his wife,
Darleen, and children, Matthew (15) and
Angie (11), live in Reisterstown, Md.
Cristine A. Fluke ’76 (General Studies)
graduated from Morgan State College.
A disability claims officer with the state
of Maryland, Cris lives with her daughter
Meghan in the Pikesville, Md. area.
Craig A. Rossmark ‘77 (General Studies)
earned his B.S. in Psychology in 1990 from
Towson University, finished all class requirements for M.A. in Experimental Psychology
but he says he regretfully chickened out on
the thesis. Craig is a Baltimore City Police
Department sergeant. He is married to Mary
Jean, and their daughter Robyn is a current
student at CCBC.
W. Scott Boyer, ’78 (General Studies) is
currently a project engineer with CCBC
and is the father of two children, Caroline
and Andrew.
Lois J. (Horrocks) Artes ’79 (General Studies)
attended the University of Baltimore, Towson
University and the Baltimore City Community
College. Lois and her husband, Don, have
three children: Rachael, Joel and Daniel.
Lois is a Biology technician at CCBC. Her
personal interests include scrapbooking,
one-stroke painting and reading.
Michael J. Mayhew ’79 is the chief of
Community Planning in the Baltimore
County Office of Planning.
Keith A. Myers ’79 (Accounting) and his wife,
Sandy, have two children, Lauren and Scott.
Keith is the lead auditor for the State of
Maryland Department of Transportation.
Michael W. Puls ‘79 (Criminal Justice)
earned his degree in Police Administration.
Mike and his wife, Karen, have two
daughters, Emily and Rebecca. They
live in the Catonsville, Md. area.
THE 1980s
Brian J. Stein ’80 (General Studies) is a
senior design engineer for Mines Safety
Appliances Company. He and his wife,
Joy, live in Owings Mills, Md.
Ronald Pettie ’80 (General Studies) is a
sergeant in the Baltimore Police Department
and has two children, Julian and Cicely.
He received his B.A. in English from UMBC
in 1982.
Charles McKnight ’81 works as an assistant
manager for Johns Hopkins University and
lives in Baltimore City.
Debbie Hunker Ragan ’83
(Arts and Sciences), a
25-year employee at CCBC
Dundalk, works in the
college’s Admissions office.
Debbie and her husband,
Bob, have two daughters,
Sarah and Amy, and live
in Essex, Md. Bob Ragan ‘98 (Chemical
Dependency Counseling) works as a
counselor at Johns Hopkins Bayview.
Lisa Meyer ’83 (General Studies) is a teacher
at Owings Mills High School. She earned
a B.S. from George Mason University in
1985 and an M.S. in Education from James
Madison University in 1987.
Scott P. Gardner ’83 (Mortuary Science)
and ’84 (Business Administration) attended
Towson University. He is the vice president
of Duda-Ruck Funeral Home in Dundalk,
Md., a member of the Dundalk Community
College Foundation, and is president of both
the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce and the
Dundalk Concert Association.
Carla A. Crisp ’84, (Arts and
Sciences) has worked at
CCBC Dundalk for 31 years.
Carla is active with the youth
of the community and
Project Millennium (PMI),
and was chosen Dundalk’s
Citizen of the Year for 2005.
Carla and her husband, Gary, have two sons,
Andrew and Matthew (both of whom are CCBC
graduates). The family lives in Dundalk, Md.
Allen Christopher Ludwig ’76 (General
Studies) and his wife, Sharon, have twin
boys, Anthony and Louis. Allen is employed
by the U.S. Department of Transportation/
Federal Railroad Administration as a track
specialist.
16
class notes
Neal J. Patterson ’85 (Arts and Sciences)
graduated from University of Baltimore with
a degree in Liberal Arts and Writing. Neal is
busy working on his first novel. He and his
wife, Kathy, live in Rodgers Forge, Md.
THE 1990s
Lorelei Kahn Chapman ’88 (General Studies)
and her husband, Alan, are the parents of
Kaylee and Elodie. Lorelei choreographed and
appeared in The Miracle Player’s production
of Brigadoon last spring.
John R. Godwin ’90 (General Studies
transfer program) received his B.A. at
Towson University and his M.B.A. from
Loyola. John is employed by the Municipal
Employees Credit Union of Baltimore, Inc. as
director of Business Development/Strategic
Alliances, and also holds the position of lead
faculty at the University of Phoenix.
Kathleen Krawczyk ’88 (Music Education)
is currently the band director at the Seton
Keough High School. She lives in the
Rosedale, Md. area.
Kristen Klinge Ayres ’88 (Retail Floristry) is
now a homemaker/domestic engineer. After
graduation she worked in the floral industry
as a designer and then manager of various
shops. Kristen married the “man of her
dreams,” Vance, and has four daughters. She
has kept her floristry skills honed by helping
out former employers during the holidays.
Sandy (Fletcher) Bixby ’89 (Early Childhood
Education) is a kindergarten teacher in
the Baltimore County School system. She
received her National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards as an Early Childhood
Generalist and her B.S. in ECE from Towson
University in 1991. She has one child,
Zachary.
Dawn (Nukolczak) Phiess ’88 (General
Studies) is the owner of Tailor Maid, a
residential and office cleaning service
she has operated for 11 years.
Contributing alumni photographers
for this issue of Emerge:
Rob Ridgley ‘87
Reckner Ridgley Productions
cell 410-336-8611, fax 410-536-9472
Shayna Clevenger ‘99
www.shaynasphotography.com
410-925-2584
Brendan Cavanaugh ‘03
P3 Imaging • www.p3imaging.com
410-382-4478, P3imaging@yahoo.com
Thomas Dotson ‘90 (General Studies) is a
team support professional for Baltimore City
Public Schools and lives in Baltimore, Md.
Todd P. Evans ‘90 (General Studies) is
employed at HTLT, a computer software
company. He and his wife, Sonja, live in
White Marsh, Md.
Cecelia Marie Grandy ’91 (General Studies)
is a cancellations administrator for Crown
Premium Funding/GEBCO.
Greg D. Ruby ‘91 (Accounting) is employed
as an account executive for the Baltimore
Convention Center. Greg was honored as
Convention Services Manager of the Year by
the Association of Convention Operations
Management and Successful Meetings
Magazine at their annual convention in
Hawaii earlier this year.
Jewel Ronette Johnson ’91 (General Studies)
is a project director for the Maryland
Highway Safety Office in the Baltimore
Traffic Safety office.
Yvonne L. Pearson (General Studies) is the
supervisor of Respiratory Care services at
Kernan Orthopedic Rehabilitation Hospital.
She is currently pursing a bachelor’s degree
in physical technical sciences at Towson
University. Pearson is the proud grandmother
of Brian Alan Pearson II, who will be two
years old in September 2006.
Mitchell Rainess ’92 (General Studies) is
a certified occupational therapy assistant
for Genesis Rehabilitation at Brightwood.
He is the father of two children, Michael
and Michelle.
Margaret Jung Foster ‘92 (Business
Administration) is an administrative aide
for the Howard County Government Office
of Purchasing. Margie and her husband,
Michael, live in Baltimore, Md. Margie proudly
announces that she is only four classes from
obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Business.
Michele D. Manigault ’92 (General Studies)
is currently the political, health and
education reporter for the Catonsville Times
and Arbutus Times, published by Patuxtent
Publishing.
Jannie Anderson ‘93 (Criminal Justice) is
employed by the State of Maryland as a
correctional officer. Her children are
Constance, Sheila and Malik.
Mary Tine ’93 (General Studies)
is an account manager for Olympic Fence
and Guardrail and is the mother of two
children, David Jr. and Ashley.
Natalie J. Frampton ’93 (Teacher Education)
is a residential supervisor for Harford-Bel Air
Community Mental Health Center and is the
mother of two boys, Christian and Noah.
Paul Andrews ‘95
(Information Systems) graduated from UMBC in 1999
with a B.S. in Information
Systems Management. Paul
began working at Towson
University in 2000, a month
prior to his wife giving birth
to twins, McKenzie and Chase. Paul is a Web
application developer who creates online
forms. He and his family live in Dundalk, Md.
Deborah Lynn Miller ‘96 (Nursing) works
as a registered nurse at Franklin Square
Hospital. She and her husband, Miles
Ward, have two children, Jenifer and
Howard. They live in Westminster, Md.
Angela Massey ’97 (Arts and Sciences)
graduated with an M.Ed. from Frostburg
State University in 2004. She is attending
West Virginia University to pursue her
Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology.
Eric R. Popp ’97 is employed by Giant Food
and lives in Rosedale, Md.
To volunteer your photography expertise for
future editions of Emerge, contact Jodi Ceglia
at 410-869-1227 or jceglia@ccbcmd.edu
17
class notes
Alan Tamres ’97 (Local Area Network) earned
his A.A.S. degree in Data Communications
and resides in Baltimore County.
Trish Ross Selby ’97 (Paralegal Studies)
earned her B.A. in Jurisprudence from the
University of Baltimore in 2001 and plans to
receive her M.A. in School Counseling. Trish
and her husband, Chris, live in Dundalk, Md.
and welcomed their first child, Nathaniel
Edward Selby, on August 7, 2005.
Jennifer Naylor ’98 is the proud mother
of Dan Brennen and resides in Maryland.
Kevin P. Kearney ’98 (General Studies)
married Megan E. Yendall ’97 (General
Studies) in September 2000. Kevin is currently
the executive director for Mount Saint Joseph
High School in Baltimore. Megan is the
director of Program Advancement for the
Believe in Tomorrow National Children’s
Foundation in Catonsville, Md. They have one
child, Madeline Alyce, born in October 2004.
Diane M. Howe ’98 (General Studies)
is a math and social studies teacher at
St. Ursula School and is in her fifth year of
teaching. She received her B.A. in Elementary
Education in 2001 from the College of Notre
Dame of Maryland. She is the mother of one
son, Brandon.
Erica Birkelien Brazier ’98 (General Studies)
and ’99 (Office Technology) works at Towson
University as an administrative assistant in
the Computer Information Science Division.
She lives with her husband, John ’00
(General Studies) in Harford County. John is
taking online classes with UMUC pursuing
a degree in Business Administration. He is
employed at Comcast as an enterprise call
center supervisor.
Karen Dolbow ’99 (Early Childhood
Education) is a substitute teacher in the
Frederick County Public School system and is
the mother of Timothy, Meghan and Zachary.
2000-present
Nancy Benjamin ’00 (Chemical Dependency
Counseling certificate) is a full-time student
at Anne Arundel Community College where
she is working on a certificate in medical
billing and coding and administrative
medical assisting.
Deatra A. Gilmore ‘01 (General Studies)
is an accountant for the Orange County
Government and lives in Orlando, Fla. She
says she left CCBC feeling as though she
was “ready to take on the work world.”
Murillo Soranso ’01
(Computer Science)
transferred to Ithaca,
Fla., and graduated in
May 2005 with a master’s
degree in Educational
Leadership: Student Affairs
Administration. He recently
obtained a position as a residence hall
director at the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign.
Robert M. Coyle ‘02 (Arts
and Sciences) is employed
as a technology training
specialist at Goucher
College. He is very interested
in South Asia (culture and
history), technology, education
and European social history,
and has done research in India
and Prague.
Stephanie C. Norris ’02 (General Studies)
is an independent contractor through
AFLAC. She graduated from the University of
Baltimore in 2005 with a B.S. in Management
Information Systems.
Catherine Armstrong ’02 (General Studies)
is married to Richard Armstrong and is
employed by the Baltimore County Public
Schools as an administrative assistant.
Randy Zimmerman ‘02 (Business
Administration) graduated from University
of Baltimore with a B.S. in Finance. Randy
lives in Baltimore, Md. and is employed as a
supervisor at Johns Hopkins Health System.
18
Chante’ Callaway ’02 (Arts and Sciences)
attended University of Baltimore for two
years and plans to return to the IDS field
of study at UB in the near future. She has
spent the last year working for the nonprofit Workfirst, a division of Humanim,
as an employment consultant. Chante’
lives in Rosedale, Md.
Tenisha Benjamin ’02 (Criminal Justice)
earned her associate degree in Criminal
Justice and resides in Baltimore County.
Constance (Walsh) Knecht ’02 (Business
Management) is the library circulation
manager for the Baltimore County Public
Library in Towson, Md.
Zanile E. Cypress-Curtis ’02 (Business
Administration) is a quality assurance
technician for Rhodia, Inc., a global
specialty chemicals manufacturing company.
Missy Dawn (Hohman) Jones ’03 (Business
Administration) is employed at the Ravenwood
Nursing and Rehab Center as a staff development/infection control employee.
Shavonna Rivers ’03 (General Studies)
currently resides in the state of Washington
where she is employed in the health field.
She is continuing her education in Theology,
Ministry and Marriage and Family Counseling.
Share it with us ...
Are you getting married? Starting a family?
Got a new job or promotion? Looking for
an old classmate? Let us know what’s going
on in your life and, if possible, throw in a
photo! (digital or 5x7 headshot)
Here's how:
• Send an e-mail to alumni@ccbcmd.edu
• Go to www.ccbcmd.edu/ccbcalumni/index
and complete the online form.
• Send a note to Emerge, CCBC, Room
K-217B, 7200 Sollers Point Road, Baltimore,
Md. 21222. Be sure to include your
graduation/attendance year(s), campus
and daytime phone number.
class notes
Lisa Howard ‘03
(Arts and
Sciences)
transferred to
the College of
Notre Dame
to continue her
studies. Lisa
was a most
enthusiastic
student, workstudy, and
inspiration
to many.
The campus community may also remember
her beloved guide dog, Toffee. Lisa and her
husband, Mike, welcomed twin sons, Mason
and Jace, in September 2005.
Christina Baublitz ’04 (Radiography) is a
radiologic technologist at Good Samaritan
Hospital. She credits the Radiography
program at CCBC Essex for preparing
her for her position.
Sabrina Mercer ’04 (General Studies)
is the IT Data Control Lead Clerk for the
Office of Development at Towson University.
Her responsibilities include entering
biographical information into advance
database on all prospects and alumni.
Jacklyn Reed ’04 (Computer Information
Systems Tech Support) is the proud mother
of Darius and Derrick.
Alumni chapters now forming
Would you like to reconnect with former
classmates? Eager to meet others who have
similar interests?
Alumni chapters are a great way to stay in
touch, network, continue your education with
workshops and seminars, and raise money to
support program scholarships and activities.
Chapter members can also mentor current
students or speak to classes in their programs
or areas of interest.
We want to help you establish a chapter for
your degree or certificate program or area
of special interest. We can provide you
with a place to meet and even assist
with meeting preparation.
In fact, we’re already working with the Interpreter
Preparation and Physician Assistant programs
to establish chapters. If you’re interested in
becoming a member, contact one of the following:
IP program: Sandra Brown, 410-455-4474 or
sbrown@ccbcmd.edu
PA program: Nancy Bearss, 410-780-6673 or
nbearss@ccbcmd.edu
Congratulations
to Shanika Renee
Carwell ’03 (Arts
and Sciences),
winner of the
“Semester’s
Worth of Tuition”
contest publicized
in the Spring
2005 edition
of Emerge. Shanika plans to use the prize (a
full semester’s tuition at CCBC, approximate
value: $1350) to take classes at CCBC during
the winter and spring semesters. The credits
she earns here will help Shanika complete
her psychology degree at Towson University.
After graduating from TU, she plans to
go to medical school to become an
obstetrician/gynecologist.
For more information on joining or establishing
a chapter, contact the Alumni Association
office at 1-877-ALUMNUS (258-6687) or
alumni@ccbcmd.edu.
Update and
Ida M. Kern ’04 (General Studies) is a coding
technician in the Emergency Department at
North Arundel Hospital.
Dennis Hasley ’05 (General Studies) is the
proud father of Jaime, Caitlyn and Jordan.
Dennis came to CCBC in 1998 after getting
out of the military. He recalls, “I didn’t do
that well in high school, but I was bound
and determined to do well in college. The
setting was so different at CCBC than my
high school; it was fun to learn at college.”
She’s a winner!
WIN!
WIN
Take a moment to update your CCBC Alumni Association profile
and you’ll be entered to win one of three great prizes.
Just go to
www.ccbcmd.edu/ccbcalumni/index.html
and click on “Alumni Update” for an information form and contest rules.
The deadline for submitting your updated information is 12 a.m. EST May 1, 2006.
Here’s what you could win:
First prize
Apple iPod Shuffle • 1 GB MP3 Player
Second prize
$50 Barnes & Noble gift card • Valid for in-store and online purchases at www.bn.com
Third Prize
CCBC Hooded Sweatshirt • Let everyone see your CCBC pride!
19
GA
Always
in the
Baseball, football, hockey … no matter
the sport, Nestor Aparicio loved the game.
His interest in sports was a shared passion
with his father – who taught Nestor to
read using the sports sections of newspapers
and magazines. At that young age he never
could have guessed that his love for sports
would lead him to a successful career in
talk radio.
Growing up in the blue-collar town of
Dundalk, Md., Nestor was nurtured by
a close-knit community full of hardworking people. Many of the adults he
knew weren’t college graduates, but they
encouraged their children to seek greater
opportunities through education. “That’s
why Dundalk Community College [now
CCBC Dundalk] was such an important
part of the community,” says Nestor.
“It offered an affordable education in
a comfortable, friendly environment.”
Nestor loved to write, and in high school
he made the decision to become a journalist.
While some youngsters might set their
sights on specific career paths at that age,
not many go out and immediately find
paying jobs in their chosen fields.
An early start
At the age of 15, Nestor was already working for the now-defunct Baltimore News
American; by 17 he had moved to the
Baltimore Evening Sun and was the
youngest member ever of the BaltimoreWashington Newspaper Guild. “When I
was working at Evening Sun, my parents
had to fill out the forms for me to be a
part of the [writer’s] union because I
was underage,” he says.
Even Nestor marvels at the opportunities
that came his way while working at the
newspaper. “At the ages of 15 and 16,
I was covering music and sports. I did
everything from reporting on high school
girls’ basketball to covering a rock concert
and hanging out with Van Halen. It was
quite an interesting life for a teenager,”
he recalls. “When I started working at
the paper, I was the youngest person on
staff and full of ideas. I covered the topics
that didn’t interest the other reporters.”
After graduating from Dundalk High
School, Nestor continued to work at the
newspaper and also began taking classes
at the college’s Dundalk campus. For a
while, his work schedule was so demanding
that he had to put classes on hold. Luckily,
the newspaper encouraged him to continue
his schooling and even paid for part of
his education at the community college.
To attest to the nurturing environment
at then-Dundalk Community College,
Nestor reveals that he not only received
a quality education, he also acquired a
lifelong friend. It wasn’t one of his fellow
students, it was his health professor.
“I felt that the instructors at the
community college sincerely cared,”
explains Nestor. “While I was going to
school, I was juggling not only classes,
but a child and a job. Occasionally, when
all my child care options fell through, my
health professor allowed me to bring my
son to class.” Nestor says it was this type
of caring environment that made the
Dundalk campus so unique.
“Believe it or not,” adds Nestor, “that
health professor and I are still friends
today. He was actually the best man at
my wedding.”
After completing his associate degree,
Nestor transferred to the University of
Baltimore, where he earned his bachelor’s
degree in Corporate Communication.
He credits both institutions for giving
him the fundamentals needed to build
his successful career.
20
On the air
Nestor’s radio career started out more by
happenstance rather than from a carefully
thought out plan.
“I didn’t start out with a desire to be in
radio,” says Nestor. “Writing was my first
love, but the opportunity to get involved
in radio presented itself and I took full
advantage. I learned the business from
the ground up. There’s no job in radio
that I haven’t done.”
Nestor got his big break in radio when
he started as the sidekick to Kenny Albert,
a good friend who happened to be a
commentator for Baltimore Skipjacks
(American Hockey League) games and
had his own talk show on WITH-FM radio.
Six months later, Albert moved to another
station and Nestor was ready to step in –
thus jump-starting his radio career.
After two years at WITH, Nestor and the
entire management staff took over another
Baltimore radio station, WWLG-AM. That
1994 takeover certainly had very humble
beginnings: they actually spent the first
month broadcasting from a garage.
AME
At the age of 31, Nestor brokered an
“option to buy” deal with WNST-AM.
The station became Baltimore’s first and
only sports talk radio station. The deal,
however, was short-lived. In just 15 months
the lease on the space was up for renewal
and the building’s owner demanded an
outrageous price for Nestor to remain
there. And since Nestor is all about smart
business moves, he had to let the station go.
Over the next few years, Nestor worked
as a nationally syndicated host on Oneon-One Sports and Sporting News Radio.
He traveled the country and earned
good money, but felt vaguely unfulfilled.
“I believe making money is not as important
as doing something that you enjoy,” explains
Nestor. “Having creative freedom brings
me joy. I think that was part of what was
missing during those years of my life.”
The opportunity to buy WNST-AM came
up again in September 2000. Nestor, along
with a group of partners, leapt at the
opportunity, vowing this time it was for
keeps. Today, he continues to be the
majority owner of the station, where he
was once also host of the station’s wildly
popular, four-hour sports radio show.
by hope hall davis
photography by shayna clevenger
Now Nestor is seeking to start another
chapter in his life. He has relinquished his
role as host of the sports talk program and
is concentrating on the business side of radio.
presented the greatest barrier to accepting
invitations by community and nonprofit
groups. Now I have more time to do the
things that I love.”
Giving back
“Many people didn’t think I would step
down,” says Nestor. “The ratings were up,
and so were sales. Even though things
were going really well, I knew it was time
for a change. I believe it’s important to
provide opportunities for others. I needed
to move out of the way and give someone
else a chance.”
Having accomplished so much, it’s hard to
imagine what could be next for Nestor. He’s
just 37 years old and already has achieved
more than many hope to in a lifetime.
No longer consumed by the demands of
a four-hour show, Nestor has the freedom
to pursue other activities and new ventures.
One area in which he is always anxious
to do more is community service. Nestor
is a community chairman for the Ed
Block Courage Awards Foundation, an
organization that benefits abused and
underprivileged children in NFL cities
across America, and also works with the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
“I really enjoy being involved in the
community,” says Nestor. “I rarely say
no if someone asks me to do something.
In the past, my hectic schedule often
21
Does he have any other challenges in his
sights? Well, not even Nestor has an
answer to that one.
“I don’t really know,” he says. “I’m committed to making the radio station viable
and independent. I also want to travel
with my wife because there are still a few
places that I haven’t seen.”
When reflecting upon his career, Nestor
has no regrets. “I’m proud of the work
that I’ve done. I’ve built something from
nothing and I’ve always tried to do the
right thing,” he observes. “I think that’s
the secret to my success. I’ve worked
extremely hard the first 37 years of my life
and if I live for another 37, I’d like to
spend that time being happy.”
From the look of things, he’s well on his
way to achieving that, too.
ORNbaVSbY
It’s a
thing
PROFILE:
Arlinda Harris ’78-79
AREA OF STUDY:
Accounting and Business
CURRENT FIELD:
Owner and operator of Arlinda’s Place,
a total body and skin care salon
by stephanie melvin
photography by
shayna clevenger
WORDS OF WISDOM: When you’re not sure of where you are going,
a community college is a good place to begin.
,WDOORZV\RXWRÀQG\RXUVHOIZKHQ\RXDUH
working on a budget.
For more than 30 years, Arlinda Harris
has been helping women of all ages, shapes
and sizes look and feel better through skin
care, massage and a whole-body approach
to both inner and outer beauty.
As the owner and operator of Arlinda’s
Place in the Woodlawn area of Baltimore
County, Md., since 1979, Arlinda is
attuned to the needs of her customers.
Her clients range from businesswomen –
and quite a few men – to celebrities, from
sports figures to soccer moms. She is a
licensed esthetician, massage therapist,
motivational speaker, life coach and
entrepreneur who cares as much about her
clients as she does about her balance sheet.
“I wanted to do something that would
help to improve the quality of people’s
lives,” Arlinda says. “That’s one of the
many reasons I started this business.”
Located in Merritt Athletic Club’s Security
location, Arlinda’s Place offers European
facials, skin care and makeup education,
massages, aromatherapy stress reduction,
manicures and spa body treatments.
Arlinda is also known for her powerful
abilities to inspire as a public speaker.
22
Early in her career, Arlinda worked at
a Georgetown salon where her clients
included Marian Wright Edelman and
Cathy Hughes.
“Early on I was working in an industry
that didn’t know how to treat black skin,”
Arlinda says, “I’ve worked on the faces of
some of the most successful women of
color: Oprah, Melba Moore, Vanessa
Williams. They gave me the power to
dream.”
While working in a top salon with highprofile clients was exciting, the pull to
open a salon of her own was strong. “I
wanted to be closer to home and be more
involved as a wife, mother to two children
and an entrepreneur following my own
direction,” Arlinda explains. “I believe
that women need to empower themselves
through education, discipline and structure.”
CCBC Catonsville offered her that
empowerment opportunity.
While she was already an accomplished
esthetician, Arlinda needed help mastering
the business aspects of owning a salon.
She enrolled in CCBC Catonsville (then
Catonsville Community College) and
entrepreneur
CCBC’s new Enterprise Institute
answers the call of budding and
experienced entrepreneurs
by avon garrett, dean, ccbc division of business, social sciences, wellness and education
arlinda’s goal is to enhance each client’s
inner and outer beauty.
More than 450,000 small businesses in Maryland help drive the regional economy, not
only as employers and producers, but as innovators. To help support and nurture those who
want to join the ranks of this entrepreneurial business class, CCBC is launching an exciting
new institute. The CCBC Enterprise Institute will create a “safe marketplace” environment
that fosters responsible entrepreneurship through understanding and awareness of debt
management, risk-taking and business start-up operations.
took accounting and business courses.
“The college was close to home and
provided the financial structure that fit
my budget. It also gave me a sense of being
one with the community,” she explains.
Bolstered by overwhelming support from the college’s Board of Trustees and a partnership
with the Greater Catonsville Chamber of Commerce, the CCBC Enterprise Institute currently
operates as a “virtual” entity. Once fully developed, the center will be composed of three
major components: the Center for Financial Planning, the Center for Entrepreneurial
Studies and the Center for Incubation.
That community spirit still drives Arlinda
to help people beyond the doors of her
salon. She developed the American Cancer
Society’s “Look Good, Feel Better”
program for cancer survivors, and has
served as a member of Rotary International,
the American Red Cross, Toastmasters
International, the United Way of Central
Maryland and the National Cosmetologists
Association, to name just a few of the
organizations and boards with which she
works. In recognition of her entrepreneurial
success and charitable work, Arlinda has
twice been named one of Maryland’s Top
100 Women by the Daily Record newspaper.
Fueled by an initial $10,000 donation from Sen. Francis X. Kelly, former chairman of the
CCBC Board of Trustees, the Center for Financial Planning will provide credit and non-credit
academic initiatives designed to promote and enhance financial education and awareness.
These educational opportunities will prepare students for careers as financial services sales
assistants or professional personal financial counselors.
As for Arlinda’s future plans, she hopes
one day to go back to CCBC Catonsville
and complete her degree requirements.
After all, the best never stop getting better.
While integrated with the Center for Financial Planning, the Center for Entrepreneurial
Studies and the Center for Incubation have just begun to move forward. The Greater
Catonsville Chamber of Commerce has made space available within its offices to assist
these two centers. The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies is developing a program that
will offer courses and workshops for both budding and experienced entrepreneurs.
The Center for Incubation will provide a place for start-up businesses to grow under
the watchful supervision and guidance of experienced professors. Novice entrepreneurs
will benefit from expert advice regarding start-up operations.
Do you own/operate your own business?
Contact emerge@ccbcmd.edu for an
opportunity to be profiled in an upcoming
edition of Emerge.
Working with CCBC’s Community Education and Economic Development division, the
Center for Financial Planning will offer a variety of courses and workshops at CCBC as
well as off campus locations and area high schools. Courses include retirement planning,
family financial planning and benefits review. Workshops will enable government agencies,
businesses and other organizations to enhance the financial awareness and education
of their employees. The Center for Financial Planning has the potential to become a
new training source for existing financial services professionals with certification and
licensure needs.
If you own your own business, plan to start one or would like to support the Enterprise
Institute, call Paul Coakley at 410-455-6917.
23
community notes
CCBC Dundalk Children’s Learning Center
earns national accreditation
The National Association for the Education
of Young Children (NAEYC), the nation’s
leading organization of early childhood
professionals, awarded national
accreditation to the CCBC Dundalk
Children’s Learning Center in 2005.
The NAEYC accreditation program was
created in 1985 to set professional standards
for early childhood education, and to help
families identify high-quality child care and
early education programs.
The Children’s Learning Center on the
Dundalk campus offers developmentally
appropriate programs for pre-schoolers ages
3-5 as well as before and after care for school
age children. Spacious, well-equipped
classrooms and outdoor play spaces offer
children fun, enriching experiences daily.
For information about its programs or to
enroll your child, call the CCBC Dundalk
Children’s Learning Center at 410-285-9890.
Survey results show significant gains
in community awareness of CCBC
Children’s Playhouse of Maryland, Inc.
now in residence at CCBC Essex
CCBC can take pride in the news delivered by
the results of the latest community perception
survey conducted last summer. Survey
questions were designed to track the college’s
progress in promoting the recognition,
visibility and reputation of CCBC since its
reorganization as a single college in 1998.
CCBC Essex is the new home of the renowned
Children’s Playhouse of Maryland, Inc.
Founded in 1986 by CCBC Essex alumna
Diane M. Trowbridge-Smith, the popular
children’s theatre was incorporated as a
non-profit organization in 2001. Its status
as “in residence at” CCBC Essex provides the
organization with a permanent performance
venue while allowing it to maintain full
administrative and creative autonomy.
The 2005 survey noted significant gains in
the overall awareness of The Community
College of Baltimore County since the last
survey - conducted in 2001 - and the original
1998 benchmark survey. All three surveys,
conducted by Sandra Golden & Associates
(a nationally-recognized marketing/research
consulting firm specializing in community
colleges), polled 400 residents at random
from the college’s Baltimore County service
areas on topics gauging their awareness,
interest and attitudes about CCBC.
Key findings of the 2005 survey reflect that
more people now recognize CCBC than ever
before; the more people “experience” CCBC,
the more they like CCBC; people are getting
the message that CCBC has what they need;
and people remember CCBC’s advertising.
Children’s Playhouse of Maryland, Inc.,
underwritten by grants from the Maryland
State Arts Council, The Abell Foundation and
the Bank of America Foundation, offers an
arts education program with workshops and
classes for young performers 18 years of age
and under as well as a summer camp with a
performance. More than 100 young performers
participated in last year’s season.
For information about upcoming productions,
call the CCBC Box Office at 410-780-6369 or
the Children’s Playhouse of Maryland, Inc.
administrative office at 410-918-4226.
CCBC will share $3 million NSF grant
to train cybersecurity professionals
even ccbc’s littlest learners have
technology at their fingertips.
Baltimore County honors training program
The Baltimore County Workforce Development
Council (BCWDC) honored CCBC in November
2005 for outstanding achievement in training
programs. CCBC was one of only two
organizations in the county cited for valuable
employability and occupational skills training
provided to Baltimore County job seekers.
The college was also recognized for delivering
professional development seminars in the
Baltimore County Workforce Development
Centers and for the quality training provided
through its Continuing Education Intensive
Training Center.
CCBC has joined a multi-institutional
consortium created to develop and
implement a curriculum of training for
a variety of cybersecurity professionals.
The National Science Foundation (NSF)
recently endorsed the project with a $3
million, four-year grant to be shared by
CCBC and 15 other Maryland educational
institutions and the Metropolitan
Washington Council of Governments.
For its part in the project, CCBC will host
the Mid-Atlantic Regional Collegiate Cyber
Defense Competition (CCDC), designed to
test hands-on application of Information
Assurance skills. The competition will provide
students a laboratory in which to experiment,
just as in other fields of science, fulfilling the
same role as capstone projects in traditional
degree programs.
24
the children’s playhouse of maryland
staged the secret garden in december 2005.
CCBC teams with Magna International
in tool and die training program
In 2005, CCBC and Magna International,
one of the largest automotive parts suppliers
in the world, embarked upon a unique
collaborative effort to offer training in the
tool and die industry. The Magna International
Baltimore Technical Training Center
(MBTTC), located in Baltimore’s Park
Heights community, is the only Magna
training center in the United States. This
new facility offers instruction not only in
technical tool and die manufacturing, but
also offers General Education Diploma
(GED) classes. MBTTC houses state-of-the-art
industry equipment as well as 80 computers
available to students in both the academic
skills and apprenticeship areas.
finale
unique
Triaxial Link, by William Niebauer, 2004
SCULPTURE WELCOMES BALTIMORE VISITORS
The geometric components of artist Will Niebauer’s Triaxial Link fit together to form a full circle, suggesting the rhythms of life. These three
cast concrete arcs also mimic the curved roof lines of the Baltimore Visitors Center, the site of the sculpture’s permanent installation in 2004.
Triaxial Link was commissioned through the Baltimore Percent-For-Art Program.
Will Niebauer is the CCBC coordinator of Art and Photography. He is a noted sculptor who has exhibited works locally and regionally.
To view more of Niebauer’s works, visit www.inthe3rd.com.
25
“
I have learned a lot at CCBC, mostly the practical
skills that help me adapt to each new phase of my
work life. I have taken everything from accounting
to planning to marketing. As I launched a business
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teaching paired with convenience. The time I save at
CCBC by selecting what I want to know, when I want
to know it is invaluable to my business and to me.
”
-Karen L. Pell, PhD,
President, VIA Consulting LLC
CCBC
Upgrade your skills. Launch a career. Pursue a better you.
Come back to CCBC for life long learning in technology,
health care, business, education, the arts and so much more.
CCBC. The incredible value of education.
Find out more at www.ccbcmd.edu.
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