HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Wallace State Community College’s Applied Technologies Division recently welcomed a record number of participants to its National Coalition of Certifications Centers (NC3) National CTE Letter of Intent Signing Day.
Wallace State had 101 individuals sign letters of intent and 78 guests were also in attendance at the event. First introduced in 2016, the NC3 Signing Day is modeled after an athletics commitment ceremony, celebrating students who are entering a technical field and emphasizing the importance of their career choice.
“We were overjoyed with the turnout we had from students and their families. It was awesome. This bodes well for the future of career technical programs at Wallace State,” said Wes Rakestraw, Wallace State’s dean of Applied Technologies.
Bobby Parrish, of Douglas, was among the students to sign his intentions to join Wallace State’s Aviation/Flight Technology program.
“I’ve always worked in construction or performed some type of manual labor; however, the idea of becoming a pilot and earning money doing so is appealing. I love flying and I love traveling. I’m excited to get started,” said Parrish, 26.
Yolanda Coleman, a Jefferson County native, is interested in diving deeper into food sustainability and production through the college’s Agriculture/Horticulture Production program.
“I initially attended the Small Farmer Training classes taught by Travis Kress because I love farming and gardening. He made the classes so fun and interactive, and it made me want to learn more,” Coleman said. “There are no grocery stores where I live. I want to grow items in my greenhouse and introduce healthy options to my neighborhood.”
Four Wallace State Agribusiness students were awarded the 2022-2023 Skilled Trades – 3M/NC3 Transformational Scholarships: Daniel Campos, Jordan Mills, Lauren Seymore and Annalisa Pope. The quartet was among 50 students nationwide to earn the scholarship.
Wallace State Applied Technology programs to sign students at the event were Advanced Automotive Technology, Agriculture/Horticulture Production, Aviation/Flight Technology, Diesel Technology, Engineering Technology, HVAC and Refrigeration, Machine Tool Technology, Mechatronics, Electronics and Robotics, Salon and Spa Management and Welding.
Among those in attendance, 65 individuals completed scholarship applications.
“I want to congratulate all of you who are signing,” said Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics. “You are undertaking your career goals at a very good time in the life of the state of Alabama. The professions you are entering are in high demand and they’re greatly needed.”
Wallace State’s Applied Technologies Division also welcomed industry partners to signing day, including from Yutaka, Mercedes-Benz, Snap-on, Jack Daniels Cooperage, GE Appliances, Blackjack Horticulture and Sonoco.
As an NC3 certification institution, Wallace State has awarded 957 NC3 certifications since Jan. 2021.
For more about NC3 Signing Day, visit https://nc3.net/signingday/.
