In today's day and age, people are worried about reducing their carbon footprint. But shouldn't they also be worried about increasing their community footprint? Many people identify themselves by the community that they live or work in. Therefore, they should take some responsibility for what is happening in their community. A community could really benefit if each individual in it took at least one day out of their year to do something beneficial for the community. I feel strongly one should work to make their community a better place. Because of this belief, I am active in my own community. I work with children, the future nursing community and also through my school, Catawba Valley Community College. Also I have chosen to pursue a career in nursing so that I can contribute to the community for many years in the future. The children in our area are our future. We need to help cultivate these children to become effective adults. I help the children in my community through several avenues. First, I have been a Girl Scout leader for the past three years. I lead troop 10725. Girl Scouts teaches many values to young girls. I help teach them leadership, self worth, diversity, community awareness and social conscience. As a troop, we also complete projects based in community service. My troop has participated in the Salvation Army stocking drive for all three years that we have been a troop. The troop also headed the drive two years ago. I have also led the girls in the collection and mailing of donated items to the military. Other service projects that have been completed are recycling and promoting the use of local businesses. I have also participated in helping our local community children by coaching and mentoring them in sports. I have been a Tee ball coach at Cool Spring Elementary school for two years. And since I believe that young girls need a strong female as a influence, I also coach the girl's softball team for the same school. I have been the coach for this team for two years as well. I am the president of the Catawba Valley Area Nursing Students (CVANS). Through this group I am able to reach out to the community. We have participated in backpacks for kids, food drives, the Salvation Army stocking drive, Hike for Hope ,which supported the local ALFA organization, The CVANS group also participated in the March of Dimes walk and Red Cross blood drives. In the upcoming academic year, we plan to continue with these events but also plan to organize some events with the Brian Center. We anticipate meeting with the residents to make crafts and play games. I also try to help through the school. I am a nursing tutor and as such try to help other nursing students with their studies. In the fall semester, I will also become a mentor to two new Catawba Valley Community College students. I will do this through the Peer Mentoring Program, run by Renee Neal of CVCC. This program helps new college students with their transition into college. By helping students make it through school, I am helping the community build our future leaders. A third way that I am able to help the other students at CVCC is through my position as the Catawba Valley Community College Nursing Class of 2010; Vice President. The class completes service by its participation in Red Cross blood drives as well as the March of Dimes walk. I am also able to help the other students individually if they have any problems with the program. As I have mentioned, I am pursuing a nursing degree. I love the fact that nurses help people. This aspect of the job makes it an extremely rewarding job. Another benefit of the career is that many volunteer opportunities open up to registered nurses. Many clinics need volunteers with medical experience. There is also the opportunity to educate our youth on many diseases, which is of the utmost importance. Once I pass my boards, I hope to volunteer my services to nursing homes and to clinics. Community service is a win-win situation. The community receives the service that you are providing for them. However, you also win by the sense of accomplishment you achieve. You can smile a little brighter knowing that you have done something to help your community.

Since my early childhood, I have felt my responsibility is to help others as well as animals. When I was three-years-old my parents enrolled me in a program called Smart Start, which was provided by the state. I attended school just like any other kindergartner at Shuford Elementary, but we had our own room and teachers. In this program there were five normal children and five children with physical or mental challenges. My best friend in this class was Beverly. Beverly was in a wheelchair and had no control over her arms or legs, but had a wonderful personality. Beverly and I would pretend to read books, but mostly we just liked being together. Beverly’s health declined after two years and her parents moved her to a school closer to home. Recently, I was reading our local newspaper and saw an article on Beverly, she graduated high school. I was so proud of her and knew that the first years in school that we spent together had made a difference. From the first moment I attended this program, I realized that all people regardless of their mental or physical challenges just wanted to be loved and treated the same. Those years made a big impact on my life. In middle school, a group of students including myself spent every Friday at a local school for the challenged. We sang, played games and had the most wonderful time. At the same time I was helping others, I also had to help my brother who is five years older than me. He was adopted before I was born. He has some real emotional behavior problems and was placed in a wilderness camp to work on his issues. At Christmas time, my parents and I would make shoeboxes with items for the boys. We went to local businesses and manufacturers and asked for contributions. So much love and fun was put into these boxes and the boys really appreciated them. Having danced since I was three years old, being a Junior Varsity and Varsity Cheerleader, and a Key Club member at St. Stephens High School and representing pageants such as the Carolina Piedmont, American Royalty or Miss St Stephens High School my goal was community service awareness. From visiting rest homes, passing out Christmas cards, singing to the senior citizens and dancing in a small talent show. I contributed school supplies, canned food, baby items and hygiene products which were taken to area shelters or food banks. At Christmas all the contestants brought stockings, candy and small gift items and we filled the stockings for children in foster care. Early in junior high I became involved in animals, especially marine life. When on vacation in Florida, we would visit Sea World or Busch Gardens and I would inquire on what I needed to do to become a marine biologist or what training was needed to work there. Through my high school I was able to volunteer in an internship program at the Catawba Science Center. I loved volunteering and learning about all the animals. The director approached me before my internship ended and offered me a summer job and to continue after college starts. I spend days working in the aquarium and in the butterfly hut teaching children about all the different animals and their habitats. The children love to visit and their eyes light up when I teach them different things about the animals. In the butterfly hut, we spray sugar water on their fingers and show them how the butterflies will land on their fingers and we compare the butterfly to the chart to identify the species. My passion in life is to make a difference with children and animals by teaching children to respect animals. If I could leave today and go to the gulf coast and help with the oil spill, I would, but my training is limited and that is one reason I need this scholarship. I want to learn as much as I can at CVCC and transfer to a four year college. I have been accepted to attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Tampa University, beginning in the fall of 2011, and plan to major in marine biology.

"¡Que bonita! This whole place is amazing. The family that I am staying with is answering all of my questions, and so far I have been able to learn about the schools, the medical system, a human rights oriented body of government and so much more. Yesterday, we visited a school and were able to spend time with the teachers and the students. Today we visited a butterfly farm and I was able to create a photo library for my students to use when they study metamorphasis. I am learning so much and the people are so nice. They say I speak good Spanish, but I am not sure I believe them. It has been wonderful and one of the most educational and influential trips of my life. Desirae is visiting other places so we are getting twice the information. I think that she is enjoying it as much as I am. Tenemos que regresar demasiado temprano."

Kelley sent me a little note after her and Desirae finished packing this weekend. They are so excited and grateful for all the help Nissan of Hickory fans have provided them. We will hear more from them when they have time to send us a note from beautiful Costa Rica. Here is what she sent me: So it is 2:34 am and we just finished packing for Costa Rica. We are leaving for the airport in less than an hour. We are armed with bug spray (deet included) and are ready to face the basketball sized mosquitoes in all of that flora and fauna we are exploring. In route to the airport, our plan for staying awake is loud music and reviewing our Spanish grammar and vocab. Hot pockets and caffeine are in stock, and we are so excited. Here we come Costa Rica!

Kelley Hensley sent this note last night from Germany: This trip is amazing. We have been able to listen to several educational professionals and evaluate areas in which they will be able to provide insight under our research topic later on. We have been able to network and find several contacts that we can interview later as well. The Germans students have been wonderful and immensely helpful in navigating the cultural differences. We observed and discussed many differences in school system and social norms. We also visited Amsterdam and The Anne Frank museum. It was a beautiful and heartbreaking view of literature coming to life in the humanity of one young girl. There will be so much from this trip to bring back to our students. Many pictures to come! Kelley and Desirae are in Germany through Friday, May 21. we look forward to hearing more about this 1st portion of their research abroad!

We are proud to announce the 1st Annual Nissan of Hickory $1000 Scholarship Essay Contest, available to Catawba Valley Community College students for use toward tuition in the Fall 2010 semester. All CVCC students are invited to submit an entry before the deadline of 5 P.M., Saturday, July 10, 2010. Award $1000 Scholarship toward tuition at Catawba Valley Community College in the Fall 2010 Semester for one student Essay Framework Nissan of Hickory believes strongly in each citizen’s responsibility to be a productive, positive member of his or her community. We want to reward a CVCC student who is actively involved in the service of others. In an essay of 500-750 words, explain your own contributions to your local community. You may include activities and services from the past, present, or those you plan to enact in the future. A Few Thoughts on the Framework ---If your essay focuses on your future plans for community involvement, please be specific about how your coursework at CVCC will help you to enact these plans. ---For essays about past and present activities, please indicate how you view the role of your education at CVCC in regard to being a positive and productive citizen. ---Please be specific with name(s) of organizations, causes, and events as Nissan of Hickory will check the validity of all entries’ claims. Selecting a Winner – The Process ---Of all entries received, Nissan of Hickory will select 5 finalists that will be displayed on the dealership’s Facebook business page. These finalists and their essays will be posted to the page on Friday, July 17 between 9 and 10 A.M. ---Two weeks will be allotted for Nissan of Hickory fans to vote for the best essay. During this period, finalists will be encouraged to recruit fans. ---On Saturday July 31, Nissan of Hickory will announce the winner of the 2010 essay contest. A Rubric for Success – Essentials to Winning ---The essay uses proper sentence and paragraph structure. It is free of any spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors. ---Since the essay deals with personal achievements, a lively, engaging first person voice is a must. Maintain a balance between an informal tone and professional presentation. ---Be specific and provide concrete examples of how your achievements (past, present, future) have (or will) positively affect your community. ---The essay will show an understanding of the relationship between education at CVCC and opportunities for service and success. ---Provide details of organizations, causes, and events of importance so that a background check of your facts can be completed. A Note on Evaluation of Essays Essays will be evaluated by Katie Urbain, Director of Marketing & Social Media at Xspond Incorporated. Xspond works with Nissan of Hickory on marketing programs. She will submit her choices for finalists to Nissan of Hickory and CVCC officials for final approval. Instructions for Submission 1. Essays may be submitted either as a physical copy or digital file. 2. Be certain to include the following contact information: First and Last Name, Day and Evening Phone Number, Home Address, Personal or CVCC Email Address 3. If submitting essay electronically, please send essays as Microsoft Word attachments (.doc files please) to kurbain@xspond.com. 4. Additionally, essay entries may be submitted through mail to the following address: Xspond Incorporated c/o Katie Urbain 523 W. Main Street Brighton, MI 48116 5. Deadline for submission is 5 P.M. on Saturday, July 10, 2010. Timeline of Events Promotion in Schools/Web/News: Late May –July 10, 2010 Deadline for Submission: July 10, 2010 Finalists Announced: July 17, 2010 Voting Period: July 17–30, 2010 (midnight EST) Winners’ Announcement: Saturday, July 31, 2010 (by 8am)

Hi everyone and greetings from Germany! For our 2nd blog, Kelley and I want to explain why we are here in Europe and why we will travel to Costa Rica in July. Also, we’d like to share the many hopes and some apprehensions about these journeys. As members of the Lenoir-Rhyne Teaching Fellows program Kelley and I are required to choose a large-scale research project in an area of interest for us. Both of us were enrolled in several art courses and were inspired to find ways to incorporate the fine arts into our lesson plans. And so we decided to combine our interests in this area with the current issue of overly standardized assessments. We began by looking at the importance of arts integration in schools and its ability to engage a variety of students regardless of their experiences and learning styles. After a series of meetings with various professionals in different levels of the education system, we decided to research project-based learning and authentic assessment. Knowing that formative assessments are essential in gaining an accurate picture of students’ level of mastery, we wondered about how a culture or completely different system of education would create these authentic assessments. Both Kelley and I have taken a particular interest in classroom assessments and the reasons behind their implementation. In light of the changing global market and classroom structure, it has become evident that traditional standardized assessments alone are not an accurate depiction of the skills and understanding that students possess. Assessments must target the ability of students to not only receive new information but also synthesize, evaluate, and creatively apply that information in a way that is directly relative to the world in which they live. We have chosen to study authentic assessments in three countries with distinct educational systems: the United States, Germany, and Costa Rica. Germany is known for an academically differentiated structure and its heavy use of open-ended questioning. According to UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 22.8% of government spending in Costa Rica goes to education, and the country has one of the most literate populations in Latin America. The stark differences in educational practice in these three countries will provide us with a wide variety of assessment strategies. We are excited to start our observational research. In both countries, we hope to be fully immersed in the culture and witness the traditions and values that impact their society, particularly in the education systems. With no familiarity of the German language, and only a partial background in Spanish, we worry a little bit about the language barriers that could restrict some of our communication and interviews that we hope to use as part of our data. However, in Germany we will have the opportunity to spend extended amounts of time with German university students. This one-on-one discussion with students who have grown up in the system will hopefully give us a clearer understanding of the system and their personal feelings towards the types of assessments being used. During this past semester, we have been researching the sights and cities that we will be visiting in Germany and now we are finally here. If we have the chance, Kelley and I will post a third blog during this trip. Until we speak again,Guten tag from Deutschland!

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for the support of this trip. Please spread the word to your networks by giving them a link to the page -> http://bit.ly/cWD6bn or using the Suggest to Friends option! To begin, let us give you a sense of who we are and why we have chosen education as a career. My name is Desirae Ball, and I am the third child of four in my family. As my parents were born and raised in southern California, I lived the first four years of my life in Lancaster. In 1992, we moved to Mooresville, North Carolina, and it is still the place I call home. Coming from a family fairly active in sports, I participated on a variety of teams, my favorites being soccer, basketball, and softball. Throughout my primary and secondary school years, I played for my school teams as well as for club travel teams. Since high school, I now spend many of my weekends and breaks horseback riding at a local stable. As I once craved to be on the field or court, I now love the athleticism, technique, and relationship that are required to ride. I also have a passion for art in various forms, particularly painting and photography. With paintings, I have a more abstract artistic style, but with photography I prefer the natural, un-posed capture of life. Out of all the memorable experiences I had growing up in school, my third grade year will always stick out in my mind. My teacher that year not only taught the curriculum in the most interactive and relevant way to the class, she taught us a great deal about character and the pursuit of our dreams and aspirations. That class significantly helped shape who I was as a student as well as a person, and I have taken the lessons I learned that year and still apply them to my life today. That third grade experience was the year I decided I wanted to teach. I knew that I wanted to make those positive influences on students of my own one day. Teaching immeasurably impacts the world as the students’ characters and outlook on life are partially developed in the classroom. As a teacher, I will have the opportunity to inspire students to move forward in life and the power to unlock their hidden talents and potential. As far as what grades I would like to teach, I do not have a true preference beyond teaching in an elementary school where my certification will apply. I believe that all ages bring something unique to the table and require a different approach of teaching subject matter. All in all, elementary school is a time to build that strong foundation necessary for students to succeed in life-long learning. The basis of a child’s schooling needs to focus on areas of content and character in order to build an all-around sturdy structure. Knowing this, I hope to work in a Title I school that is geared towards an interactive atmosphere for students. I plan to develop a teaching style that goes beyond the text and gives children an opportunity to engage in experiential learning. Preparing students does not only apply to the end of year tests; it should include an inspiration and inclination to step out into the world and produce positive situations and outcomes for themselves and for others. My name is Kelley Hensley. In my family, I am one of three girls, 2 cats, and a dog. I grew up in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, NC and still love to be there for the turning of the season in the fall. I love to paint and have several creative outlets including sketching, jewelry-making, crocheting, and writing. My love for the arts and the written word spills over into my position as a student assistant for the Lenoir-Rhyne Visiting Writers Series. My work includes writing for and editing a committee newsletter, working on grant proposals, coordinating and planning event logistics, public relations, advertising work, and any other project that we can muster as the series brings internationally renowned authors and poets with a variety of expertise to the community of Hickory. Just being around such a rich environment feeds my creative spirit and has opened me to a whole new world of perception and possibilities. As author Anna Quindlen states, “Empathy is the key to humanity and reading promotes empathy.” I want to open up humanity for my students. I want them to not only learn history but to experience it, to analyze it, and to decide how they want to create their own history. I want to expose them to a global learning environment where every person is seen as intelligent in at least one way. I will include heavy arts integration in my classroom and most of my lessons are multi-disciplinary. I use games, projects, and role-play to engage, assess, and to build the higher-order thinking skills that are becoming such a necessity in today’s adaptive job market. I will target a variety of learning styles and teach students how to search for their own interests. In a world were the canon of information is always growing, it is important for them to learn how to ask good questions and how they as individuals learn best. I hope to help build life-long learners who are passionate and responsible human beings. This being said, I hope to teach in a Title I elementary school and in an environment where every decision is driven by what is best for the students. I will be certified in K-6 Elementary Education and currently have no preference on what grade I want to teach. My hope is for an education-based environment, not a test-based one. Open discussion and continual questions will help my students make connections and discover the significance of what they learn. I hope to have a heavy community and family connection and bring in experts in various and even unconventional fields to deliver information to my students about the subjects that they are learning. If I can achieve nothing else, I will create a safe environment in which my students can glimpse the world, and feel equipped enough to go and get it. Again, thanks for the support. We are excited to share more with you. Before we leave for Germany on Friday, we will post a second blog about our hopes and apprehensions for these trips!

Dealer’s Facebook Fundraiser aims to raise funds for students' educational trip to Costa Rica Desirae Ball and Kelley Hensley share a passion for the arts. They also share a similar experience of stumbling upon Lenoir-Rhyne University as the place where they would study education and become teachers. Desirae remembers, “Without even getting out of the car, I loved the look and feel of the campus. It was small and had a historic charm that really captured my interest.” Kelley was looking for a challenging university and an “environment that was small enough to know my professors and [be] around people who would inspire me to work hard.” Both girls found what they sought at Lenoir-Rhyne. As Kelley puts it, “They [Lenoir-Rhyne] got their students into the classrooms early, brought in authors from all over to engage their students in the beauty of the writing process, and had a teacher leadership program that I hoped would give me a wide range of experiences in my future career.” Desirae adds, “The close-knit community atmosphere became my favorite aspect.” This spring and summer, the girls will take this sense of community and leadership to Germany and Costa Rica as they study how these two countries approach student assessment compared to the United States. The research conducted on these trips – to Germany in May and to Costa Rica in July – help Desirae and Kelley complete a requirement of North Carolina’s Teaching Fellows program. This program allows aspiring teachers some debt forgiveness in exchange for four years of teaching service in the state. For the research project, Desirae and Kelley discussed their shared love of bringing fine arts into the classroom. Desirae explained, we “decided to combine our interests in this area with the current issue of overly standardized assessments.” Standardized testing such as the EOG (End of Grade test), along with letter grades, has long been a major component in assessing a student’s level of achievement. While some continue to employ paper-and-pencil tests exclusively, teachers and student increasingly favor formative assessments such as community projects, fine arts displays, and science experiments as ways to display subject mastery. As the girls elaborated via email, these formative assessments show students can “synthesize, evaluate, analyze, and creatively apply that information in a way that is directly relative to the world in which they live.” Desirae and Kelley selected two countries – Germany and Costa Rica – which couldn’t be more different in culture and environment. What they share in common is a renowned educational system. The girls discovered that: “Germany is known for an academically differentiated structure and its heavy use of open-ended types of questioning. According to UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 22.8% of government spending in Costa Rica goes to education, and the country has one of the most literate populations in Latin America.” In Germany, Desirae and Kelley will spend time inside classrooms in cities such as Stendal, Berlin, and Cologne. Their Costa Rica trip will include participating in Spanish immersion classes and visiting the National Institute of Learning, an English-language employment program for Costa Rican students, and Fundación Sergio Flores, a government-funded special education center that focuses on building life skills. The girls also have the chance to discuss Latin American perspectives on global education with counterparts from Costa Rica and compare their experiences with those of other teachers from North Carolina. Desirae and Kelley have several objectives: --- Gain an understanding of the history of the culture and its current role in society --- Build classroom culture kits and a photo-library targeting science and social studies --- Share their experiences with colleagues and other educators in the field, including a visual presentation and a written collection and analysis of the techniques for authentic assessment they saw implemented They also will apply to present their research at a university-wide convocation and at various community forums. Desirae’s and Kelley’s trip to Germany was funded through Lenoir-Rhyne’s Teaching Fellows program and its community sponsors. The girls are still in the process of earning enough money to travel to Costa Rica in July. This is where Nissan of Hickory and our Facebook fan page come in. We contacted the girls in mid-April about the idea of helping them fund raise for this trip. This is where YOU come in. For every person who becomes a fan of our Facebook page to support Desirae and Kelley, Nissan of Hickory is donating $1 to their Costa Rica fund. We want to raise $500 for each girl. In exchange for these donations, Desirae and Kelley will blog about their experience and post pictures from Costa Rica to the Nissan of Hickory fan page. We have asked Desirae and Kelley to begin suggesting our Facebook page to their friends and family. But YOU can help, too! Three easy steps to helping these girls: --- Simply share this note with friends and family on Facebook. --- Ask them to “like” our page. --- They post to the Nissan of Hickory Wall that they want to support Desirae and Kelley. It will go a long way to help them become the type of teachers you would want for your children. On behalf of Nissan of Hickory and Desirae and Kelley, we thank you for your support of this partnership. We are excited to see and hear about the great experiences the girls have in Germany and Costa Rica. For further questions regarding this fundraiser, please call Trey Colbert at Nissan of Hickory (828-324-5040). PHOTO: Desirae Ball (left) and Kelley Hensley, used with their permission

When the first cold snap of winter or the first hot days of summer arrive, a car owner wonders: Do I have enough coolant to keep from freezing up or boiling over? Is it still any good? When was the last time I changed it? For that matter, when was the last time I checked it? Can it ruin my expensive engine? And does it make any difference what kind I use? The answer is, well, yes—and no… and, it depends. But the main concern, automotive experts say, is not thinking that your coolant—no matter what color or brand it is—will last forever. “Time is as critical as mileage,” says Bobby Likis, Florida garage owner, host of the syndicated radio show “Car Clinic” and long-time advocate of BG products. Bobby recommends checking your coolant every three to four months with a younger car, and more often with a car at least three years old and/or with 50,000 miles. “Not only the pH level, but be sure to have the techs check the system as well. You can be fooled by appearances. The problem may not be visible, for instance, air in the system. Air contributes to corrosion.” An article in an issue of Motor Age magazine points out that while coolants have been developed to meet car manufacturers’ specific needs, “filling a vehicle that was designed for one type of coolant with another type can sometimes cause problems, and you shouldn’t expect the same corrosion protection as the factory fill.” Nothing is perfect in this world, and it is cheaper to find out that your fluids aren’t protecting your car before it breaks down. Special thanks to Jim Purvis at "Nissan of Hickory for these Words of Wisdom and to BG Products for the source material and quotes.