Albemarle, NC – Stanly Community College (SCC) commemorated its 50th Anniversary Kick-off Celebration on Thursday, July 15, 2021. Over 100 attendees gathered on the Albemarle campus that was decorated with balloons, banners, streamers, and other 50th Anniversary items. The kick-off celebration is only one of several events planned on and off campus throughout the year.
During the celebration, Dan Hazlett, retired SCC English Instructor and current Student Life Advisor, served as the emcee of the ceremony. Special guest speakers included Dr. John Enamait, SCC President; Richard Lane Brown, III, one of the original SCC Board of Trustees, and an elected member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1971-1976; Bill Lawhon, Chairman, Stanly County Board of Commissioners; and Wayne Sasser, North Carolina Representative. Additional guests included Kay Russell Hatley, a member of the first graduating class. Kay graduated with an Associate degree in Secretarial Science and was also the first Student Government Association (SGA) treasurer in 1972. Hannah Barnhill, a 2021 Accounting and Finance graduate and 2021 SCC nominee for the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) Academic Excellence Award, and Vyktoria Iverson, a current Accounting and Finance student, and the 2021 SCC nominee for the NCCCS Robert W. Scott Student Leadership Award, were also part of the ceremony.
To salute the hundreds of students who have been a part of SCC’s history and who will
call SCC their alma mater over the next 25 years, Vyktoria Iverson, Hannah Barnhill,
and Ms. Hatley buried a time capsule. The time capsule was covered by a large rock
adorned with a plaque that will identify its location. The plaque was made by the
SCC Computer-Integrated Machining and Collision Repair and Refinishing Technology
students. The rock was supplied by the Heavy Equipment Operations Program Head, Joshua
Aldridge.
Items inside the time capsule included current news releases, marketing materials, a graduation tassel, a College phone directory, and a 2021-2024 strategic plan copy, among other items. The time capsule will be revealed on the College’s 75th Anniversary in 2046.
The Stanly County History Museum on North Second Street will be housing a display of documents, pictures, and other items related to the history of the College from September through next spring.
Dr. John Enamait stated, “Today is a day of celebration and we pay homage to all those who played integral roles in the establishment and the growing of what is now Stanly Community College. SCC was born 50 years ago today and has been nurtured since that time by many different stakeholders, too many stakeholders over the 50-year span to recognize each and every one of them. However, it is fitting that we recognize Mr. Lane Brown, Mr. Dan Hazlett, and Ms. Kay Russell Hatley, as having key roles in the beginnings of SCC. Mr. Dan Hazlett, who still works part time for the College, represents the original eight faculty for the College. Ms. Kay Russell Hatley is a representative of the first graduating class of SCC. Mr. Lane Brown represents one of the original board of trustees who help guide the College in its creation and in the very early beginnings. It’s very special to have representatives of the original faculty, students, and board of trustees with us today.”
Mr. Brown and the late Senator Frank Patterson introduced legislative bills in July
1971 that created and provided
funding for what was then Stanly Technical Institute. Mr. Brown shared his story
of how the origins and leadership of the College began 50 years ago, commenting that,
“SCC has turned into one of the finest institutions in the North Carolina Community
College System. Fifty years from now, at the centennial of Stanly Community College,
another generation will have taken the reins and there will be a different board of
trustees, but the mission for this College will remain unchanged from its original
mandate. With continued state and local support, I foresee another half-century of
measured steady progress.”
A special thanks to the members of the 50th Anniversary Committee and others for their on-going work on SCC’s yearlong celebration. The 50th Anniversary Committee members include Jeania Martin (Co-Chair) and SCC Foundation Executive Director; Jessica Smith (Co-Chair) SCC Foundation Operations and Grant Coordinator; Jeff Drake, Chief Technical Officer; Ginger Hatley, Human Resource Specialist; Dan Hazlett, Student Life Advisor; Karen Kiker, Faculty Associate; Shelley Osborne, Purchasing Agent; Lynn Parks, Administrative Assistant; Michelle Peifer, Director of Marketing and Communications; Michelle Poplin, Associate Registrar; Marcus Pryor, Dean of Students; Mark Sample, Media Services Director; Katrina Sams, Institutional Effectiveness Assistant, and Jade Stallings, SCC Foundation Board Member.