Alumna Iesha Taylor is proud of her Ferrum College success story.
She entered higher education as a first-generation college student, and participated in Ferrum’s freshman College Success coursework, which provides additional academic support for first-generation students. She said the opportunities and guidance she received at Ferrum provided a pathway for her to make the Dean’s List for seven semesters and graduate in 2018 with Magna Cum Laude honors.
Originally from Manassas, VA, Taylor majored in business administration with an emphasis in management and a minor in accounting. She was a member of the Accounting Club and the Delta Phi Epsilon sorority. Additionally, Taylor was a work study in the College’s Admissions Office.
“As a first-generation college graduate, I had a strong desire to do my absolute best in my undergraduate studies. The faculty and staff from Ferrum helped me achieve that goal,” said Taylor.
After her graduation from Ferrum, she landed a position as an assistant project manager at Diamond’s Management Group, Inc. “It’s a small, women, minority-owned business located in Manassas,” explained Taylor.
Her duties as an assistant project manager include developing marketing and advertising strategies, reviewing project movements, and maintaining customer accounts, along with other responsibilities. She is also a member of the Women’s Leadership Organization through Prince William County’s Chamber of Commerce, where she represents Diamond’s Management Group, Inc. in monthly meetings and networking events.
“I use my education from Ferrum to resolve issues and make decisions on a regular basis,” said Taylor. “My problem solving and critical thinking skills are enhanced due to the program and its curriculum. My business administration degree from Ferrum was instrumental in establishing my career as a project manager.”
“Iesha Taylor is a wonderful young lady,” said Director of Academic Outreach and Athletics Initiatives Tom Steele, who instructed Taylor during her freshman College Success course in 2014. “She overcame obstacles any first-generation college student might face, and graduated with honors. She listened to resources, applied success strategies, and became a scholar. I am so proud of this young lady.”
Taylor’s future is only growing brighter as she was recently accepted to George Mason University’s Masters of Business Administration program. “Ferrum College taught me that consistency, persistence, and hard work are required to succeed. It gave me the tools I need to succeed in my graduate program, and in my career,” said Taylor.
Learn more about Ferrum College’s business administration program here.
Alumna AnnGardner Eubank ’20, pictured here in her Ferrum College volleyball uniform, is the youngest member to serve on her local town council.
The day after returning home to White Stone, VA, when Ferrum College’s spring semester classes transitioned to virtual learning due to COVID-19, AnnGardner Eubank ’20 received her absentee ballot in the mail for her local elections. The ballot listed only three names for four available town council positions.
“I realized if I spread the word enough, the last seat that was up for grabs could very well be mine,” said Eubank. “I called and messaged everyone I knew, asking them to write me in. I used social media to get my name out there, as well.”
On May 20, 2020, just 11 days after graduating from Ferrum College, Eubank received word that she would officially serve a two-year term as the youngest person on White Stone’s town council.
“A big part of what I’d like to achieve during my term is to simply provide a new perspective and to represent the younger demographic,” said Eubank.
White Stone is located near the Rappahannock River and the Chesapeake Bay, and Eubank wants to utilize and protect those waterways.
“My town is extremely small business oriented, and I’d like to continue to strengthen those small businesses within my community while promoting sustainable practices and standards,” she explained.
At Ferrum College, Eubank majored in political science and minored in international studies. She was also a member of the women’s volleyball team and secretary of the Lambda Sigma National Honor Society. She served on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and was a sport’s editor for the College’s newspaper, The Iron Blade.
“The political science curriculum at Ferrum not only educated me on the functions and structures of government and politics, but also aided me in seeing myself as a global citizen. I can truly and empathetically see policies and issues from multiple different stances,” Eubank said. “Dr. [Sandra] Via [director of Graduate and Online Studies and associate professor of political science] and Dr. [Ed] Hally [associate professor of political science and assistant professor of public administration] not only taught me everything I know systemically and fundamentally, but they inspired me and ignited a passion for change and the overall betterment of society.”
“We’re really proud that AnnGardner found a way to apply the lessons learned in her political science classes to serving her community so soon after graduation. She is proof that a Ferrum education and a political science background gives students the ability to change the world,” said Hally.
Eubank’s election to her local town council is just the beginning. She plans to continue serving her community through politics and will ultimately work her way into diplomacy.
Learn more about Ferrum College’s political science program here.
President’s Cup recipient Brian Mann; Arthur S. Owens Leadership Award recipient Layura Henley; and Senior Academic Excellence Award recipient Chris Stone.
Last month, three members of the class of 2020 received top senior awards.
Brian Mann, of Pearisburg, VA, was named as the 2020 President’s Cup recipient; Layura Henley, of Wytheville, VA, received the Arthur S. Owens Leadership Award; and Chris Stone, of Ferrum, VA, was honored with the Senior Academic Excellence Award.
The President’s Cup is awarded annually to a senior who exhibits excellence in academics, athletics, campus and community leadership, and character. Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 3.2.
Mann earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration, graduating on May 9 with Magna Cum Laude honors. He was also a Panther football standout during his time at the institution, and was the first ever Ferrum College student-athlete to earn All-American and Academic All-American honors.
The Arthur S. Owens Leadership Award recognizes civic leader and humanitarian Arthur S. Owens who served Franklin County and the Roanoke Valley as a member of the Institutional Advancement team at Ferrum College. This award is presented to a senior with an excellent academic record, who best exemplifies the qualities of leadership, initiative, honor, and outstanding character. The recipient must also have participated in extracurricular activities and shown creative initiative in making Ferrum College a better place to study, work, and live.
Henley received degrees in pre-professional health sciences, biology, and health sciences. During her time at Ferrum, she was also a member of the Boone Honors Program and the volleyball team, and served as senior class vice president.
Both Mann and Henley were nominated for Old Dominion Athletic Conference Awards – Mann, the Joplin Award; and Henley, the Berkley Award – which recognize member institution seniors who exhibit the highest achievements in athletics, academics, and extracurricular activities.
The Senior Academic Excellence Award is based on the academic achievement of a full-time student enrolled at Ferrum College for four years who has earned a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Stone earned a Bachelor of Science degree in liberal studies. He will have his name inscribed on a permanent plaque displayed outside of the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in John Wesley Hall.
Click here to view a full list of this year’s Academic Award recipients.
Tabatha Chitwood ’19, a third grade teacher at Ferrum Elementary, transitioned to virtual learning in March due to COVID-19.
Alumna Tabatha Chitwood ’19 knew she was always meant to be a teacher.
“I did a co-op my senior year [in high school] and loved it, but I had children first before going to college,” she explained. Chitwood spent her pre-college years working as a restaurant manager, server, and bartender, but never lost her drive to educate children.
She attended Virginia Western Community College for regular classes, and dabbled with becoming a nurse, but ultimately decided to pursue her teaching dream by enrolling as a non-traditional student in Ferrum College’s teacher education program. She graduated in May 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts.
“I was a single mother of two boys that played soccer and football. I was busy working two jobs full-time. But I found balancing everything easy because I am used to doing everything on my own,” she said.
In fact, Chitwood found higher education to be so manageable and worthwhile, she has enrolled at Liberty University to pursue a master’s degree in administration and supervision, with the goal of eventually becoming a principal or administrator. “But I will be teaching for a long time first, because I enjoy it,” said Chitwood.
After graduating from Ferrum, Chitwood was hired as a third grade teacher at Ferrum Elementary School.
“It was evident from the first day of school that Tabatha made instant connections with her students and throughout the year formed a bond that helped every student be successful,” said Jennifer Talley, principal at Ferrum Elementary. “Her classroom is a fun and engaging place for students to learn. She provides a variety of hands-on activities to enrich the learning experience for every student.”
Little did Chitwood know that her first year teaching would be so unusual. On March 13, 2020, Franklin County Public Schools closed abruptly for the remainder of the school year to tamp down the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.
“Transitioning to virtual learning was hard,” said Chitwood. “We continued using Google Classroom, which is something that we did from the first week of school. That part was easy. Technology is easy and fun for me. The hard part was not seeing my students in person.”
“I am sure she never expected her first year of teaching to transition so quickly from a typical classroom to a virtual classroom. Not only did Tabatha accept the challenge, she embraced the opportunity to provide the richest experiences for all of her students,” said Talley.
Chitwood worked diligently to conduct weekly Google Meets for her students to stay in touch. She also made the work interactive, assigning virtual field trips and hands-on projects like building solar ovens so students could harness the sun’s power to make s’mores.
She said transitioning to virtual learning during her first year of teaching went smoothly, thanks in part to the teaching strategies she learned at Ferrum College.
Chitwood is looking forward to hopefully returning to her in-person classroom in the fall. She is using the summer to continue dreaming up unique and creative ways for her next class to learn, noting “I just hope my students will look back and say I had a positive impact on their lives.”
Learn more about Ferrum College’s teacher education program, including the new elementary education major, here.
Alumna Caitlin Menefee ’09 with her husband Earl and daughter Ella.
Alumna Caitlin Menefee ’09 owns and operates Forget Me Not Flowers, a quaint flower shop located in the small but bustling town of Somerville, VA. “It’s kind of a thoroughfare,” she explained in a Fauquier Times article. “From the beginning, people have seen our sign and stopped on their way home to pick up flowers.”
After graduating from Ferrum College in December 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in general agriculture and a minor in history, Menefee opened Forget Me Not Flowers in 2011 in Grove’s Store in Somerville. “I worked in flower shops throughout high school and college, and knew it was something I was good at,” said Menefee. “I learned a lot from my experiences at each flower shop and with a family background of small business, I decided to give it a try.” The store, originally established by her great-grandfather in 1908, has been continuously family owned and operated since opening. Menefee and her mother manage Grove’s Store in the historic building which now includes a small contract post office and a convenience store.
Forget Me Not Flowers has been very successful. After opening her first location in Somerville, she then expanded to include a Remington location in 2012. Running two shops was time consuming, but Menefee managed without trouble. “At the time, I had several employees and was able to maintain both locations. Over the years, not only has the flower industry changed, but so did my life. I married my husband Earl in 2016 and we had our baby girl Ella in 2018,” she said.
This past January, Menefee consolidated her two shops into just the Somerville location to provide a more streamlined service for her customers. She hires part-time help during the busy holiday and wedding seasons, but otherwise runs the shop herself. Ella accompanies her mother to work most days: “She’s 19 months old and the happiest baby you’ll ever meet. Everyone knows Ella’s sweet smile, and she’s the light of our life,” said Menefee.
Forget Me Not Flowers serves the entire southern Fauquier County area along with the towns of Warrenton and Culpeper. Visit Forget Me Not Flowers online at www.forgetmenotva.net.
Read more about Menefee and her flower shop in this Fauquier Times article.
Director of Athletics John Sutyak
Director of Athletics John Sutyak reflected on his first two months in his new role with a letter of introduction to Ferrum College alumni.
Dear Ferrum Panther Alumni,
As I sit in the Norton Center, it is hard to believe that I have been here now over two months as the Director of Athletics at Ferrum College. It is also unfathomable that I would be sitting here in the last half of March with no contests being played and the season suspended indefinitely. The events in our world due to COVID-19 have certainly forced us to reevaluate how we live and work. It has been a life altering experience for all.
With that said, I couldn’t be more thankful to be a part of the Ferrum family during these turbulent times. The welcome I have received from alumni, faculty, and staff upon my arrival was nothing short of tremendous and has only solidified the feeling I experienced when I first came to Ferrum on my interview. This truly is a special place and I am so glad to have joined the Ferrum community.
My initial days on Ferrum Mountain Road were filled with an enormous amount of support from campus leadership, faculty, and staff. It is clear how important the intercollegiate athletic experience is on campus and I am honored to have the opportunity to work with so many talented coaches and staff members. I have been intentional in engaging our athletics and campus staff, faculty, and student-athletes to learn what it is that makes the Ferrum athletic experience special. Additionally, I have learned how we can further enhance our work as a department, and college, in delivering a student-athlete experience that is second to none.
Being present as Ferrum announced the start of a track and field program was a great way to begin my tenure here and I am thankful for the work that Head Cross Country Coach Mark White and Interim Athletic Director Gary Holden did in getting that program started. Since then, I had the privilege to experience some fantastic performances on the playing surfaces. I was able to witness numerous school records in the pool at the ODAC swimming & diving championships, observe Alisha Elizalde ’20 become our first all-American in women’s wrestling, see the men’s wrestling team win a fifth consecutive Southeast Wrestling Conference championship (and have two men qualify for the NCAA championship), watch men’s basketball advance to its first ever ODAC playoff at the Salem Civic Center, and experience the softball team achieve a national top-25 ranking. I have no doubt that with the support of the campus, and you all as our alumni, we will continue to witness great things out of future Panther teams in the years to come.
I won’t lie: the last few weeks have been an emotional roller coaster. While we all know that suspending the season under the blanket of a global pandemic was the right thing to do, it has been difficult for all of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff to see the spring season suspended indefinitely. Despite the current disappointment, I have been inspired by the level of resilience and perspective of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff. They all know that it is OK to be disappointed at a season being disrupted, but they also haven’t lost sight of the seriousness we face as a world right now and that the health and safety of everyone is of the utmost importance.
Our President, Dr. David Johns, likes to remind us that “Ferrum” means “iron”. And it is in that vein that I remind us that all Ferrum Panthers – past, present and future – are resilient, strong, and tough as iron. My pledge to you is that we will work nonstop to continue to the proud tradition of Panther athletics, even in these tough times. As things go back to a more normal pace in the near future, my hope is that I will have the opportunity to interact with all of you, our alumni. I look forward to meeting many of you and learning about your Ferrum experience in the coming months.
Stay safe and healthy out there and Go Panthers!
John Sutyak
Director of Athletics
On Friday, December 13, 2019, alumnus Nate Daniels ’99 cut the ribbon in front of Daniels Sports Performance, his new athletic training facility in Richmond, VA.
“The opening of Daniels Sports Performance has been a culmination of a lifetime dream,” said Daniels. “I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to help as many athletes as possible.”
Daniels, from Richmond, VA, is founder and president of Daniels Sports Performance (DSP), which provides one-on-one sports training and personalized workout sessions for athletes. The new 3,000 square foot facility offers a year-round indoor space to train in any sport regardless of the weather.
In his sports training career so far, Daniels has worked with notable athletes such as National Football League wide receiver Eddie Royal, professional soccer player Jim Flores, and former Professional Golf Association Golf Pro Tyler Clark.
Although the facility is open to athletes of any age, Daniels’ main focus is youth training. The DSP website cites three main training benefits for youth: a lifelong pattern of physical activity, improved health related to physical activity, and improved coordination and balance.
“As I was growing up, so many people provided guidance and support throughout my athletic career, and to have a platform to do the same for young people is an amazing feeling,” said Daniels.
At Ferrum College, Daniels majored in criminal justice and minored in music. He played football for the Panthers and trumpet for the band. He served as class president and worked in the sports information office. After his 1999 graduation, Daniels went on to play professional football in the Arena Football League and eventually founded DSP in 2017. He is a certified personal trainer, and a certified speed, agility, and quickness trainer. Daniels also won Collegiate All-American honors and has been inducted into the Ferrum College Hall of Fame and the Fairfax High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Learn more about Daniels Sports Performance here.
Ferrum College sweethearts Bradley Lael ’16 and Virginia Pannill ’17 met at the College in 2014. As freshmen, both enrolled in the agricultural studies program and slowly got to know each other over the course of about a year. “We met in Garber, room 123,” said Lael. “We really hit it off during the summer of 2015. When we returned to Ferrum in the fall of 2015, we decided to make it official. We started dating in September that year.”
The couple experienced their first trial during the spring semester of 2016. Over Christmas break, while Pannill was visiting Germany, Lael severely broke his foot while cleaning his grandfather’s gutters. He was forced to use a wheelchair for about fourteen weeks. Once Pannill returned home from Germany, she dutifully took care of Lael, getting him to and from class and helping him walk again just before his graduation in May. “She only forgot me once at the top of the auditorium in Garber,” laughed Lael.
During that semester, Pannill’s loyalty and caring nature shone through. “I believe she would’ve played that role for anybody,” Lael said. “All semester long, she was right there by my side.”
The similarities between the couple are obvious. Both are agriculture teachers for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, both love classic country music and singer George Jones, and both plan to be lifelong educators. They are independent, professional, and their love for each other grows stronger each day.
It didn’t take long for Lael to realize he wanted to marry Pannill. “I probably asked her mother at the wrong time,” he said. “She was taking something hot out of the oven.” But the blessing was given and Lael proposed to Pannill at Kings Dominion’s Halloween Haunt.
The couple will tie the knot this Saturday, December 7, 2019, in Ferrum College’s Vaughn Chapel. “Coming back to where we first met, shared laughs and tears, and the continued love and concern from everyone at Ferrum made it an easy choice for a venue,” explained Lael. After the wedding, they will honeymoon in the Caribbean and return home in time to celebrate their first married Christmas with family.
Lael is thankful for the role Ferrum College played in his romance with Pannill. “We never would’ve met if we didn’t choose Ferrum,” he said. “I wouldn’t change a Ferrum experience for anything.”
One hundred percent of Ferrum College’s teacher education program graduates are employed, according to data gathered across three years, from 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Ferrum College teacher education program graduates: spring 2017 (top); spring 2018 (left); fall 2018 (right).
“Approximately ninety percent of our graduates secure full-time employment in their endorsement area by the start of the next school year,” explained Assistant Professor of Teacher Education Christine Christianson. “It is typical for several of our student teachers to interview for and be offered positions before graduation in May. Graduates who are not employed full-time by the start of the school year in August typically work part-time coaching or teaching in a district they targeted until a full-time position in their endorsement area becomes available.”
Franklin County Public Schools has hired forty-seven percent of Ferrum College’s teacher education graduates. The other graduates are teaching in South Carolina, North Carolina, and all over Virginia, including Southwest Virginia, Northern Virginia, Tidewater/Hampton Roads, Southside, and Piedmont regions. Employment data for May 2019 Ferrum College teacher education program graduates will be available in spring 2020.
This fall 2019, Ferrum College began offering courses for a new Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education. This degree comes with the state education board’s approval of 53 new teaching preparation programs and allows Ferrum College students interested in teaching in an elementary school setting to earn a degree focused in elementary education.
Christianson explained that Ferrum College usually has more elementary education students than other endorsement areas. Over the last three years, sixty-three percent of Ferrum’s teacher education graduates received an elementary endorsement (pre-kindergarten through sixth grade); twenty-three percent received an endorsement in health and physical education in all grades; and fourteen percent earned an endorsement in secondary subjects, like social studies and English, for sixth grade to twelfth grade.
Ferrum College teacher education program graduates: spring 2016 (top); fall 2016 (bottom).
“Well-prepared educators are influencers at a critical time in the development of elementary-aged children,” said Ferrum College Provost Aimé Sposato. “Our new four-year elementary education degree provides future teachers with the skills and hands-on experience in the classroom they will need to gain employment in school districts throughout the state and region. Our dynamic faculty share their passion and expertise as experienced educators with the students and guide them through the licensure and job search process.”
Christianson noted there is a teacher shortage crisis across the nation. “In Virginia last year, there were one thousand unfilled teacher positions on the first day of school. At Ferrum, we have the capacity to grow our teacher education program, and we are working to do that in several ways: we are offering a dual credit education course at Franklin County High School beginning in Spring 2020; we are participating in campus activities such as the Academic Majors Fair, Academic Fair Open House, and Major Decision Day to promote our program; and we promote our program and our students’ achievements on social media,” said Christianson.
Ferrum College teacher education graduates are proud of the knowledge they received in the program. “Being part of the teacher education program at the College was simply amazing,” explained Tabatha Chitwood, who graduated this past spring and is now a third grade teacher at Ferrum Elementary School. “Not only was I provided with various opportunities to work in my desired field, I was able to make strong connections within the county I have always called home. I also felt empowered by the small class size and was able to make special bonds with friends that are now my colleagues. If I had to do it all over again, I would still choose Ferrum College.”
Learn more about Ferrum College’s teacher education program here.
Watch WDBJ-7’s coverage of this exciting news here.
Additional recent data confirmed an employment rate of 100 percent for spring 2019 teacher education graduates. Per Christianson, “All 14 of the graduates were offered and accepted full time employment during the academic year following graduation.” Data for spring 2020 graduates is still pending.
Nicol Martins ’17 stands in front of the United Nations building in Geneva, Switzerland. She is working toward her master’s degree in international affairs and diplomacy through UNITAR.
“Courage above fear.” This is how Ferrum College alumna Nicol Martins ’17, from Fairfax, VA, views her future. In March 2019, Martins was accepted into the International Affairs and Diplomacy master’s program affiliated with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). She will emerge from the program with a master’s degree in international affairs and diplomacy.
In conjunction with the master’s program, UNITAR invited Martins and other program members to visit Geneva, Switzerland in July 2019. While there, Martins met with United Nations members and learned more about the various UN agencies.
Martins’ passion has always been for human rights. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in international studies from Ferrum College in May 2017, Martins worked for a due diligence company in Washington, D.C. that researched specific individuals and entities from all over the world. “If you had asked me a few years ago what I wanted to do after college, I would have responded: ‘to work with human rights, specifically children [and] refugee rights,’” Martins wrote in a social media post announcing her trip to Switzerland. “The United Nations was always a dream.”
“Nicol has always had a passion for helping people and international affairs,” said Director of Graduate and Online Studies and Martins’ advisor at Ferrum College, Sandra Via. “While at Ferrum, she melded those passions in almost everything she did. She would come to my office to discuss international issues and the impact they were having on the world. Nicol used her class research papers and projects to further hone her interests and understandings, which culminated into her international studies capstone project on the Syrian refugee crisis.”
Martins (front row, third from left) stands with other UNITAR continuing education program members.
Martins remains extremely passionate for refugee rights. “My future goal is to work directly with the United Nations and the UNHCR [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] agency, which deals with refugee rights all over the world,” explained Martins. “I would like to one day create my own non-governmental organization that also works with refugee rights to spread more awareness to children around the world, to tell them what is going on and how we can make a difference.”
Via expressed her pride in Martins for her continued work to support human rights. “She knew that she wanted to change the world and pursued that dream. Now she is taking the Ferrum College motto global: ‘Not Self, But Others!’”
Learn more about UNITAR.
Learn more about UNHCR.
Learn more about Ferrum College’s international studies major.
