MONTGOMERY Nine outstanding alumni were honored by Bridgemont Community and Technical College during Alumni and Friends Week.

Rocky Hackworth was selected as Bridgemont Alumnus of the Year by the college at large, while Amy Taylor Lewis, Eric Bess, Lisa Skidmore, Mary Gibson, Jon Casto, Dave Perdue, John Pennington and Scott Duffer were honored as departmental Alumni of the Year for their exemplary professional successes and/or service to Bridgemont academic programs. Additionally, Terry Easter, of Walker Machinery, was recognized as the 2012 Friend of the College for his support of the new program in diesel technology.

Below is thumbnail sketch of each of the honorees:

-- Rocky Hackworth Having received an A.S. and B.S. in mining engineering technology in 1980 and 1981 respectively, Stephen Rocky Hackworth, general manager for Pritchard Mining Company, was selected as the College Alumni of the Year. Hackworths professional success, his service as a charter member of the Bridgemont Foundation, his community service as a coach and director for youth sports, and his tireless efforts to obtain internships and scholarships for blasting, diesel and engineering technology students were highlighted during the ceremony.

-- Amy Taylor Lewis Amy Taylor Lewis, executive director of the State and Local Government Purchasing Card program, was selected by the Business and Health Management Department. Amy graduated with her A.S. degree in office administration in 1994. She has been employed in the state auditors office for 17 years.

-- Eric Bess Civil engineering technology honored Eric Bess, coordinator of geographic information systems at Chesapeake Energy. Bess serves on several college advisory committees and as an adjunct professor for Bridgemont. He graduated with his A.S. degree in civil engineering technology in May 1995 and a B.S. in engineering technology in May 1996.

-- Lisa Skidmore Selected by the Collaborative Studies Department, Lisa Skidmore, a 2007 graduate of the A.A.S. Board of Governors program and a 2008 B.A. graduate of the Board of Regents program, began her college studies at the age of 40 while working full-time. She works as an employment associate for the Charleston Area Medical Center and serves on an advisory committee at Bridgemont.

-- Mary Gibson The Department of Dental Hygiene honored Mary Gibson, who works as office manager and hygienist at Gibson Family Dentistry. Gibson enrolled in the dental hygiene program as an adult student and has served as a role model for her children as well as Bridgemont students as an adjunct clinical instructor and a member of the advisory committee. She graduated with an A.S. degree in dental hygiene in May 1990.

-- Jon Casto Jon Casto was selected by the Digital Design and Print Communication Department. Casto is the director of global logistics engineering for Elizabeth Arden. He received his A.S. degree in printing technology in May 1991, his B.S. in printing management in May 1993, and his M.B.A from Wake Forest in 2003.

-- Dave Perdue Selected by the Drafting and Design Engineering Technology Department, Dave Perdue, production control senior engineer at NGK Spark Plugs, Inc., has been a long-term advisory committee member and is responsible for multiple donations to the college. He graduated with his A.S. degree in 1993 and earned a B.S. in industrial technology in 1995.

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Bridgemont honors alumni and friends

A tip of the basketball bowler to St. Mary Catholic Secondary School, which recently inducted four more outstanding hoopster alumni into their Wall of Fame.

The Crusader program is unparalleled on the hard court in the province of Ontario: 12 OFSAA gold (11 girls and 1 boys); four OFSAA silver (girls); two OFSAA bronze (girls) and 55 graduates who are presently playing or have played varsity basketball at the CIS or NCAA levels.

Julie Lamparski was among the 2012 honourees. The four-time OFSAA basketball gold medallist was thrilled to be included onto the wall with so many players whom she looked up to as role models when she was a little girl.

Its amazing that I get to be on the wall next to the girls I used to pretend to be in my driveway, said the two-time OUA West First Team All-Star. St. Mary is a special place. It has such a rich tradition of success.

When I went to Western, the work ethic I learned from Richie (Wesolowski) and the St. Mary coaches helped me to make the transition to university.

After graduating from Western, the two-time OUA West defensive player of the year took her game to Holland, where she played professionally for Rene Mulders Katwijik Grasshoppers.

Within three days of Julies arrival in Holland, our family realized that we had a new family member in our home and in our hearts, said Mulder. Julie became a Canadian daughter to my wife, Nancy, and myself; and a big sis to both our sons (Patrick and Tom).

Mulder remembers a person who everybody on the team loved. She brought back the love for the game to our team. No matter what happened on the court, Julie was always positive.

Lora Mighty Mouse te Boekhorst was also called to the Wall. I was thrilled and felt extremely honoured to be inducted into the St. Mary Wall of Fame, said the three-time OFSAA basketball gold medallist.

St. Mary is an extraordinary school, said the magna cum laude Niagara University graduate. I am so fortunate to have such a strong supportive basketball community around me.

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Hoopster all-stars called to St. Mary Wall of Fame

DUBUQUE, Iowa -- Loras College has received a $2.5 million gift commitment from a graduate, officials announced Friday.

Loras President Jim Collins said the gift from Dr. Patrick J. Lillis, a 1971 graduate, will advance strength in the health sciences and medical school preparation. The gift helps ensure even more graduates can pursue medical fields, Collins said.

Lillis received his bachelor's degree in biology from Loras and then received his medical degree at the University of Iowa in 1975. Since then, he has lived and worked in Denver, where he is a partner with Lake Loveland Dermatology and a leader in the dermatology field, officials said.

Lillis played on the Loras basketball team during his four years at the school. He is the fifth-leading all-time scorer and the third-leading all-time rebounder at Loras. He was inducted into the Loras Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Lillis Court in the Athletic and Wellness Center was named in 2011 in recognition of his financial support of the building construction. Lillis also has received the Loras Alumni Excellence Award.

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Loras College Gets $2.5 Million Gift From a Graduate

Ross University School of Medicine students have achieved a 96 percent first-time pass rate on Step 1 of the United States Medical Licensing Exam between January 1, 2012 and the end of September 2012, according to reporting by students.

Miramar, FL (PRWEB) November 09, 2012

Our students performance on USMLE Step 1 meets or exceeds the rate achieved by students in U.S. medical schools, said Dr. Joseph A. Flaherty, dean and chancellor of RUSM. This is a great testament to the quality of our students and our program.

USMLE Step 1 is designed to test the knowledge acquired during the basic science years of medical school. Graduates of international medical schools must take and pass USMLE if they want to practice in the United States. In 2011, the first-time pass rate for RUSM students was 95 percent, one percentage point higher than the rate for students in U.S. and Canadian medical schools reported in the National Board of Medical Examiners Annual Reports. Updated 2012 data on U.S. and Canadian schools is not yet available.

RUSM features an integrated organ systems-based basic science curriculum taught by faculty whose sole responsibility is the teaching and mentoring of medical students. Students build a strong foundation for USMLE Step 1 success during the four semesters spent on the Schools Dominica campus. There the students not only complete a rigorous, accelerated study in the basic sciences, but also learn in RUSMs cutting-edge anatomy and medical imaging laboratory, as well as a simulation center where students begin to develop clinical skills.

About Ross University School of Medicine

Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM), founded in 1978, is committed to educating a diverse group of skilled physicians to serve as leaders in the US healthcare system. With more than 9,000 alumni, RUSM has become an important part of healthcare education in the United States. RUSM alumni practice in virtually every medical specialty and can be found in every U.S. state. Students complete their foundational studies in Dominica, West Indies, before completing their clinical training in one of RUSMs affiliated teaching hospitals throughout the United States. RUSM is accredited by the Dominican Medical Board and the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and Other Health Professions. Over the last five years, RUSM has placed more graduates into U.S. residencies than any other medical school in the world.

Nicole Pride DeVry Medical International 732-509-4822 Email Information

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Ross University School of Medicine Students Post 96 Percent USMLE Step 1 First-Time Pass Rate To Date in 2012

There will soon be a new memorial at Science Hill High School to honor alumni who have fallen in battle, and officials at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center Friday honored those it serves prior to this Veterans Day, which is Sunday.

A ceremony was held Friday morning at the location where the memorial will be on the campus of the high school. At least 50 people attended the somber occasion.

Theresa Billings was instrumental in getting the memorial placed.

She began work on the project about a year and a half ago by contacting Jenny Brock, Johnson City School Board member, and they started this project thinking there would be a lot of money to raise, but many businesses contributed to the effort.

Billings son is a major in the Marine Corps and also a 1994 graduate of the school.

So, yes, were a military family and it makes it even more dear to us, Billings said.

Thirty-eight names will be on a wall that will be included in the memorial. The area will be known as Alumni Memorial Circle. Each class will decide what to add to the area, but certainly there will be landscaping and pavers that match the school building in addition to the wall.

This memorial will honor fallen Science Hill veterans and will be located around the flagpole in the commons area between the schools old office and auditorium. Names of veterans will be etched in panels attached to brick walls that will surround the flagpole, which will feature an alumni flag that will fly under the American flag.

Science Hills JROTC will monitor the area.

Brock said she was already looking for a project to bring the alumni of Science Hill together when Billings approached her with this idea.

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SHHS, VAMC pay tribute to veterans

Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe received the distinguished alumni award from Barry University late Saturday.

The Haitian leader said his experience at the school was one filled with discipline and perseverance when he studied political science and French there.

I never thought that I would become prime minister after I graduated, he said. I wondered what was next and whether I would find a job.

Lamothe, who came to the private university to compete on the tennis team, graduated from the school in 1996.

Born in Port-au-Prince, Lamothe lost when he first tried out for team.

Very badly, he said at a news conference before receiving the award. But the coach gave me an opportunity and I seized it.

Lamothe became the first mens tennis player to be named an All-American at the school and he represented Haiti in the Davis Cup in 1994 and 1995.

He later went on to St. Thomas University to earn an MBA.

Before joining President Michel Martellys government in Haiti, he worked mostly as an entrepreneur in the telecommunications industry.

Lamothe has previously said he wanted to reignite reconstruction and promote Haiti as an investment destination.

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Haitian Prime Minister receives alumni award

Staff from Southeastern Technical College had their work commended at a public relations conference on Hilton Head Island, S.C., on Oct. 21-24.

The National Council on Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) held its District II conference on Hilton Head over four days, culminating in an awards dinner that saw STC public relations staff receive NCMPRs Medallion Award for their work on the schools medical programs booklet.

Even though we try to do a lot of our recruitment efforts electronically during this day and time, I decided last year that we should create another booklet and a video highlighting our medical programs, said Barry Dotson, vice president for student affairs. I didn't want it to just repeat the course information in our catalog and on our websiteI also wanted it to tell the stories of some of our amazing medical graduates.

Southeastern Techs health science alumni include department managers, directors, and other high-level employees in regional facilities like Meadows Regional Medical Center and Optim Medical Center-Tattnall, so locating subjects for the stories wasnt difficult.

So, I sketched out my ideas on a piece of paper, and passed it along to the incredible team of Krysta Rushing and Clarke Schwabe, and the result was a medical booklet that got second place in the NCMPR District II Medallion Awards in the Wild Card category, said Dotson.

The scoring system used by the NCMPR judges does not necessitate the awarding of gold, silver, and bronze, and the highest medal awarded in the Wild Card category was a silver. So, STCs medical booklet actually tied them for top honors in the category with three other schools.

The NCMPR District II encompasses 11 southern states and that is a lot of technical and community colleges, so I'm very proud of this award, said Dotson.

I'm very proud of Krysta and Clarke and the months of hard work they put into this booklet and the accompanying video. I'm also extremely proud of the graduates highlighted and the fact that Southeastern Technical College was able to change their lives forever.

To view the accompanying video to the award-winning medical booklet, visit http://www.youtube.com/SoutheasternTechColl. To find out more about Southeastern Technical College and its medical programs, call 912-538-3100 or 478-289-2200 or visit http://www.southeasterntech.edu.

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Southeastern Tech awarded for Medical Programs Publication