The newest members of the Alpha Alpha Delta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society have been inducted at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. The spring 2016 inductees are Kayla Baker, Ashley Bolton, Ivory Brabham, Heather Fender, Robert Hallman, Rebecca Hickman, Alyssa Hutto, Courtney Keller, Lamaranda Kelly, Larry Osborne, Christina Quatrone, Rachel Reid, Katelyn Reynolds, Jacquleen Skinner, Charles Stoudenmire and Brett Young. Carolena Dukes and Edward Singleton were installed as officers. To be eligible for membership, students must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher with a minimum of 12 credit hours, establish academic excellence as judged by faculty …

By DALE LINDER-ALTMAN T&D Staff Writer “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes You can steer your self Any direction you choose.” Dr. James Williamson, president of the S.C. Technical College System, launched Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College’s 2016 graduating class into the world with words from Dr. Seuss. During Thursday night’s commencement ceremony, Williamson told the graduates that they’ll be deciding what’s next in their lives. Some are contemplating a new career. Some are working on promotions. But what they decide will be unique and special. The degrees and certifications awarded to OCtech’s students ranged in …

By GENE ZALESKI T&D Staff Writer An agreement signed Thursday will help Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College students transfer their courses to the online bachelor’s degree programs-old-old-old-old offered through the University of South Carolina. OCtech students will now be able to transfer to online degree completion programs-old-old-old-old offered by USC-Columbia, USC-Aiken, USC-Beaufort and USC-Upstate. The areas of study included in the agreement are business administration (USC-Aiken), criminal justice (USC-Upstate), elementary education (USC-Columbia), human services (USC-Beaufort), liberal studies (USC-Columbia), nursing (USC-Upstate) and organizational leadership (USC-Columbia). In addition, an agreement has been put in place for health promotion (USC-Beaufort). The criminal justice programs-old-old-old-old and …

By DALE LINDER-ALTMAN T&D Staff Writer “My life is just amazing,” Amanda Cisco said. “I got my son back. I have two wonderful jobs that I love. I’m surrounded by family and friends who care about me and I’m completely restored in my health.” When the 35-year-old single mom marches across the stage tonight to graduate from Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, she’ll be taking a step into a future that’s been designed by God, Cisco said. Nine years ago, she was homeless and hooked on oxycodone, crack cocaine and heroin. She was also desperately ill. “I should be dead,” she said. …

A table of brightly colored vegetables, a bag of surprise ingredients and 20 minutes to pull it all together for a festive arrangement in front of a live audience. Cathy Hughes, publisher of The Times and Democrat, and Daryl Cate, owner of The Garden Gate Florist, will battle for the best decorative vegetable arrangement during Vegetable Wars – just one of the highlights of this year’s Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Foundation Home and Garden Symposium, set for Wednesday, May 11, in the college’s Math and Science Center. “Decorating with vegetables is completely different than decorating with flowers, so I’m going to …

Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College will host summer day camps for middle and high school students in July and a special workshop for teachers in June. The VEX Robotics Summer Camp for rising sixth- through 11th-graders will be held Monday through Friday, July 11-15. The Ten80 Student Racing Challenge Introductory Camp for rising eighth- through 12th-graders will be held Monday through Friday, July 18-22. A non-refundable $50 camp fee includes snacks and lunch. Camps are limited to 20 participants. Sessions are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday. A recommendation from the student’s current …

Vegetable gardeners rejoice – there’s a new category in the Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Foundation’s Home and Garden Symposium Flower Show. The “vegetable plants grown from seed in 2016” category celebrates the beauty of plants that offer us sustenance and joins the returning categories of specimen plants and houseplants; bulbs and rhizomes; roses; herbs and other edibles; annuals and perennials; shrubs and trees; vines, groundcovers and perennial grasses; and informal mixed-cut arrangements in the annual Flower Show. “Each year, we try to focus on a theme that we hope will offer something new and different. This year we are celebrating vegetables,” …

Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College will hold its spring graduation at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 12, in the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center on the campus of South Carolina State University. This year’s speaker will be Dr. James “Jimmie” Williamson, president of the South Carolina Technical College System. Prior to becoming System president in March 2014, Williamson served as chief human capital officer for Agape Senior and president of Northeastern Technical College and Williamsburg Technical College. Additionally, he has served as a faculty member or administrator at four community colleges and three universities in South Carolina. Williamson is co-author of “Roadways to Success,” a …

The Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College Foundation will hold its 12th annual Home and Garden Symposium on Wednesday, May 11, on the campus of OCtech. The day will begin with flower show entry drop-off from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., followed by a silent auction and brunch catered by Buckridge Plantation from 10 to 11:45 a.m. in the atrium of OCtech’s Math and Science Center, Building R. The keynote speaker will be Jim Martin, a horticulturalist who previously worked at Brookgreen Gardens, Mepkin Abbey Botanical Garden and Riverbanks Zoo, where he played a key role in the development of its Botanical Garden. His …

Dozens of local high school seniors learned about the many STEM career opportunities available at OCtech during the “Ignite Your Career” Youth Forum on March 17. The forum was sponsored by OCtech, the South Carolina Department of Commerce, S.C. Regional Workforce Advisors, Lower Savannah Council of Governments, SC Works Lower Savannah and American Job Center. The keynote speaker was former NFL wide receiver Troy Williamson. Students participated in critical thinking and team-building exercises, learned about the many ways to pay for college, and toured OCtech’s advanced manufacturing, nursing and health science, and engineering and computer technology areas.