Appreciation Day held at Robeson Community College
Robeson Community College closed its campus on November 16, 2021 from 12 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. for an Appreciation Day event for faculty, staff, elected officials and members of the media.
“Today is a celebration of all who support RCC,” said RCC President Melissa Singler as she welcomed guests. “Thank you for all that you do on a daily basis to support our students, community, and each other to make this county great.”
Faculty and staff, as well as invited guests, enjoyed an old-fashioned pig pickin’ complete with all the fixings, which was prepared by RCC’s culinary department in the new smokers that arrived in the kitchen lab this fall.
“In the past, we would have an event to honor our faculty and staff who have earned service awards,” said RCC President Melissa Singler. “However, with COVID we were not able to celebrate in the traditional way, and so this year, we thought why not do something where people could float in and out, enjoy time with each other where they could fellowship and get to know each other, network and connect.”
She added, “We also wanted to take time to thank our elected officials and show our appreciation to them, for their service, and we also would like to thank the members of the media and all that they have done in sharing and telling Robeson Community College’s story with the community at large.”
Lumberton Mayor Bruce Davis spoke and told of how he was once a student at RCC when it was Robeson Tech, saying his first class was at Barker Ten Mile, the original site of RCC in Lumberton until it moved to its current location off I-95 and Fayetteville Road.
“I have a long history with Robeson Community College,” said Mayor Davis.
Shirley Stockton, Chair of the RCC Board of Trustees, told of her appreciation to employees, telling them that, “Education heroes work here…Our employees have worked under conditions never experienced before and yet they persevered. They were able to get the job of educating students done. To the employees, we appreciate what you are doing, you are our heroes.”
Adding to that sentiment was Faline Dial, chair of the Robeson County Board of Commissioners and a member of the RCC Board of Trustees, saying in part, “We are so happy to support RCC as a partner and we are so proud of everything that the employees, the students achieve, and just the effect that you have on the community.”
Dr. Danny Stedman, a member of the RCC Board of Trustees, shared his testimony with the audience, saying “Back in 1974 when I graduated from high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but this is where I started. I got my start at Robeson Community College…. And 40 years later, I can say this is where it began for me.”
“Appreciation can make someone’s day; it can even change someone’s life,” said President Singler. “It’s the little things that count, and we wanted to do more than just say thank you, we wanted to show it and I hope we were able to achieved that today.”
