SCC student Maria Pizzo was honored with the MCCA Student Leadership Award. Pizzo is currently SCC's Phi Beta Lambda chapter president and was vice president in 2013. She took the leadership role in the business student organization during the first days on campus and has since led the group in fundraising efforts, networking events and competitions at the national level.
SCC alumna Laura Helling was honored with the association's Distinguished Alumni Award. Helling attended SCC nearly 20 years ago and now serves as the director of development for Wings of Hope. Wings of Hope is an international nonprofit organization that supports humanitarian efforts that lift people out of poverty. In the United States, the organization provides access to healthcare for people in rural settings through its Medical Mission and Air Transport service. The organization's international efforts are diverse, from creating alliances to fight infectious diseases in Zambia to building wells to provide clean drinking water in Guyana.
Callie Daniels, SCC professor of math, received the MCCA Senior Service Award. Daniels joined the college more than 20 years ago and is considered a faculty leader whose high standards are an inspiration to her colleagues. In addition to her service in the classroom, the Math Department has benefited greatly from Daniels' leadership in assessment activities, development and teaching of an online statistics course and dedicated service on hiring committees. She has served as a department chair, chaired many critical committees and been president of the SCC Faculty Association.
MCCA presented SunEdison's Steve Edens with the Distinguished Business/Industry Award. The award was presented to SunEdison in recognition of the company's $100,000 gift to St. Charles Community College's pre-engineering program. The funding has allowed SCC to enhance and expand the pre-engineering program while keeping tuition affordable.
MCCA celebrated it's 50th annual convention by hosting several former community college leaders at the convention,
including Dr. Norman Myers, founding president of Ozarks Technical Community College;
Dr. Don Shook, founding president of Crowder College, East Central College and St.
Charles Community College; and Dr. Jim Kellerman, former MCCA executive director.
The Missouri Community College Association is a statewide organization through which Missouri's community colleges work together to advance common agendas. MCCA provides advocacy, education, information, and networking opportunities in service of the state's 5,700 community college faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees.
St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit stchas.edu.
Editor's Note: Contents of this news release were, in part, gathered from information released by the Missouri Community College Association.