Schools - page 10

Lamar State College Orange is incredibly excited to announce their 2023-2024 LSCO Student Ambassadors!

They include:

• Paislee Byrd – Evadale High School
• Bryan Cano – West Orange-Stark High School
• Makenna Carey – Bridge City High School
• Jamey Flores – Vidor High School
• Jeanna Ingram – Orangefield High School
• Paige Rains – Vidor High School
• Cristian Salinas – Home School
• Dawson Sandlin – Home School
• Carolyn Wilhite – Bridge City High School

Up to 10 Ambassador scholars are chosen each year and receive full tuition for one year, up to 15 hours per semester, worth up to $4,000 for one year.

They also have access to networking opportunities on campus and in the community and leadership and skills development.

Their responsibilities include the following:

• Enroll & maintain full-time at LSCO with a 3.0 overall GPA
• Attend training sessions and required meetings (monthly)
• Serve the college an average of 4 hours a week throughout the semester
• Assist college Recruiter with community events, high school visits, and college fairs
• Campus Tours and Welcoming Groups to campus
• Special Assignments
• An opportunity to be the face of LSCO for advertising and marketing
• Have transportation to off-campus events

For more info, visit their website.

Lamar State College Orange broke ground on April 19, 2023, on its new, state-of-the-art academic building. When finished, the nearly $38 million building will house academic classrooms, labs, and the Information Technology department.

The 87th Legislative session approved the funding and Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 52 into law in October 2021, officially granting Lamar State College Orange (LSCO) $37,435,695 to construct the new building.

“We are thrilled to break ground on this incredible new building that will provide a much-needed space for our students to learn the skills and concepts needed to meet their educational goals, whether that helps them begin work immediately or transfer to a four-year institution. We are also excited for our hard-working faculty to have a brand new space in which they can lead their students to new academic heights,” said LSCO President Dr. Tom Johnson.

“We thank Speaker Phelan and Senator Nichols for their leadership in providing the funding for what will be a new hub of learning and life on our campus,” President Johnson added.

Members of the community, elected and city officials, and staff and students gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking.

Helping LSCO President Dr. Tom Johnson break ground were Texas State University System Regents Stephen Lee and Sheila Faske, Cole Michalk from Speaker Dade Phelan’s office, Jennifer Harris from Senator Nichols’s office, Orange County Judge John Gothia, Gisela Houseman from the LSCO Foundation, LSCO Provost/EVP Dr. Wendy Elmore, LSCO CFO Mary Wickland, Jason Mooney from PBK Architects, and John Mixon from Durotech Contracting.

The building is the largest single capital investment that the Texas Legislature has granted Lamar State College Orange. It is expected to open in time for the Fall 2024 semester.

Lamar State College Orange will be expanding and opening a campus in Hardin County in Lumberton. The Orange campus has experienced a 12 percent increase in enrollment, and when they determined the location from which their students were enrolling, Hardin County kept popping up.

“Time and transportation are issues we hear about from students when it comes to attending college,” noted LSSO President Thomas Johnson. “If we can help those students who otherwise may not be able to attend a college, then it’s a win-win for both of us.”

LSCO has purchased a 3000-square-foot building on Main Street in Lumberton that was once a doctor’s office, and renovations have begun. General education classes and technical training will be offered, as well as online learning is an option for some classes, but this new campus ensures more students have access to in-person learning.

“So many of our students really crave face-to-face interaction. They enjoy the engagement with their classmates, with their instructors,” said LSCO Provost Wendy Elmore.

The Lumberton campus is expected to open in the Spring of 2024

Three local educational institutions put their minds together to combat teacher shortages by creating a pathway to success for paraprofessionals across our region.

Administrators from Vidor ISD, Lamar State College Orange, and Lamar University met today to celebrate a co-enrollment partnership that aims to bridge the gap for paraprofessionals who are eager to further their education. Through this program, a cohort of paraprofessionals employed by Vidor ISD enrolls in Lamar State College Orange’s Associate of Arts in Teaching program with courses being taught at Vidor ISD. The first cohort made up of Vidor ISD and Newton ISD employees, began their LSCO courses in Fall 2022 and will take their first Lamar University co-enrolled course in Summer 2023. This allows them to obtain a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.

“Providing career-ready graduates for our community is a top priority and Lamar University is dedicated to truly understanding what our local workforce needs. The partnership with Lamar State College Orange and Vidor ISD is an excellent example of how collaboration can work to create a sustainable workforce for Southeast Texas. We look forward to providing support ensuring student success and watching this program grow,” said Dr. Jaime Taylor, President of Lamar University.

“As we all know, the demand for qualified teachers in our state is at an all-time high. We are thrilled to establish this partnership with Lamar University and Vidor ISD to produce more teachers to address this shortfall. These bright students will no doubt have a lasting impact in our community and in making a vibrant, Talent Strong Texas moving forward,” said Dr. Tom Johnson, President of Lamar State College Orange.

“Vidor ISD is excited to work with Lamar State College Orange and Lamar University to bring this next generation of teachers to our profession. This collaborative effort has provided a tremendous opportunity for recent graduates to pursue a career in a field they love while working at Vidor ISD as instructional aides. We look forward to continuing to grow this program for our community and bringing the best and brightest into the field of education,” said Dr. Jay Killgo, Superintendent of Vidor Independent School District.

Lamar State College Orange (LSCO) is pleased to announce the promotion of Mandee Tucker, RN, MSN, to Dean of Nursing and Health Profession Programs at LSCO. She will now oversee the Nursing, Dental Assisting, EMT/Paramedic, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, and Pharmacy Technology Programs. Tucker previously served as the Associate Dean of Nursing.

“Dean Tucker has committed her entire career to advancing students in the critical practice of nursing. Recently, Dean Tucker successfully navigated a Board of Nursing re-accreditation and added an additional Associate Degree in Nursing summer cohort in order to serve the immense healthcare needs of our area. We are grateful to Dean Tucker for her dedication to LSCO,” said Dr. Wendy Elmore, Provost and Executive Vice President of Lamar State College Orange.

“Dean Tucker is an example of the best that LSCO has to offer. She began as a student and is now transforming lives each day through her leadership of the Nursing and Health Profession Programs. We couldn’t be prouder that she will now lead the program as Dean. Day in and day out, she is helping us create a Talent Strong Texas,” said Dr. Tom Johnson, President of Lamar State College Orange.

Tucker began her nursing studies at LSCO when it was Lamar University-Orange. She earned her Certified Nursing Assistant certificate in 1995 along with her Vocational Nursing degree in 1995. She earned her Associate Degree in Registered Nursing from Lamar University in 1997, her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix in 2014, and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2019.

She has taught as an instructor at Lamar State College Orange since 2008.