RCCC hosts information sessions

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is hosting a series of short information sessions on careers fields such as automotive systems, heating and air, law enforcement, cosmetology and medical office.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from industry experts and ask questions about the training and job prospects.

Thirty-minute sessions are offered every Wednesday morning at the NC Works office located at 1904 South Main St. Upcoming sessions include:

October 12: 10 a.m., medical office and office administration; 10:45 a.m., business administration and motorsports management.

October 19: 10 a.m., radiography; 10:45 a.m., biotechnology.

October 26: 10 a.m., early childhood and school age education; 10:45 a.m., automotive systems technology.

November 2: 10 a.m., information technology; 10:45 a.m., cosmetology.

November 9: 10 a.m., occupational therapy.

Seating for these sessions is limited, so please call 704-216-7192 to reserve your spot.

Scholarship available

The application period opened today for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program. This is the largest undergraduate scholarship in the nation, providing up to $40,000 per year for four years of study for high-achieving high school seniors with financial need.

The application period will remain open until Nov. 30.

Each scholarship is intended to cover a significant share of the student’s educational expenses – including tuition, living expenses, books and required fees. Awards will vary by individual, based on the cost of tuition as well as other grants or scholarships he or she may receive.

Cooke Foundation College Scholars are selected based on exceptional academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, service to others and leadership. Students must be residing in the U.S. at the time they submit their applications. Scholarships are awarded without respect to religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, geographic region, race or ethnicity.

The foundation anticipates that a majority of scholarship recipients will be eligible to receive a federal Pell Grant for low-income students. The average family income of Cooke Foundation College Scholars selected this past year was $33,645.

At a minimum, applicants must earn a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.5 or above, and receive an SAT combined critical reading and math score of 1200 or above (based on the old SAT scores) and/or an ACT composite score of 26 or above.

Deb Group launches Happy Hands contest for K-12 Schools

Ready, set, draw! Deb Group has officially opened its first Happy Hands Dispenser Design Contest. The program promotes the importance of proper hand hygiene at school in an artistic and creative manner by enabling students to design their own soap dispenser. Schools can enter the contest online at info.debgroup.com/happyhands through Nov. 15.

The contest will award the winning student in each category — elementary, middle and high school — with a $200 gift card. Each winning students’ school will also receive a $500 donation. The winning designs will be custom printed for free on up-to 500 manual Deb soap/sanitizer dispensers for use at the students’ school.

The Happy Hands dispenser design contest is open to all students in grades kindergarten through 12. Submissions will be evaluated for visual appeal, overall design, creativity and unique design elements. Schools can get access to free hand hygiene resources by visiting info.debgroup.com/happyhands.

Representatives from Healthy Schools Campaign will help select 10 finalists in each category. Between Jan. 16 and Feb. 19, 2017, the public will be able to vote for their favorite design among the finalists. The designs receiving the most votes in each category will be announced on March 1, 2017.

Scholarship available

he National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Young Entrepreneur Foundation announced that its scholarship application for the 2017 NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards is now open through Dec. 18.

High school seniors who run their own business and plan to attend a two- or four-year university, college, or vocational institute during the fall of 2017 are eligible to apply.

Students may apply at www.NFIB.com/YEA.

The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation offers scholarships that recognize high school seniors who have demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit and initiative through having established and run their own businesses. The scholarship program’s goal is to raise awareness among the nation’s youth of the critical role that private enterprise and entrepreneurship play in the American economy.

Thanks to Visa Inc. and other small business supporters, ninety-five scholarship winners will receive a $2,000 award, and five students will be chosen as Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award finalists and will attend an event in Washington, DC. The Young Entrepreneur of the Year recipient will receive $15,000, the Dan Danner Leadership Award winner will receive $15,000, and the remaining three finalists will each receive $5,000.

What do students need to know?

• Students are able to apply through Dec. 18.
• The independent selection committee will review all applications and select semi-finalists. Semi-finalists will be notified by mid-January.
• Semi-finalists must be interviewed by an NFIB member, who will be assigned to each semi-finalist.
• The award recipients are selected by an independent scholarship organization. Scholarships are merit-based, not based on financial need.

Daughters of the American Revolution Essay Contest

The Elizabeth Maxwell Steele Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution would like to invite Rowan-Salisbury students to participate in the national society’s annual American History Essay contest.

Local essay winners and their parents will be honored during the local February DAR meeting. The winning essays will be forwarded to the regional competition and regional winners will compete at the state level. All students who participate will receive a certificate from the local DAR chapter. The local winners will receive a medal and a $50.00 check.

Students in grades fifth through grade eighth are asked to write about the National Park Service. High school students are asked to write about how modern technology would have changed Christopher Columbus’s voyages. Each essay will be judged by three qualified local scorers and will be evaluated using a rubric that was developed for the National DAR Society.

Complete DAR Essay Contest information and essay guidelines were delivered to the local schools in mid-September. Students can also find information on the DAR web site, www.dar.org/national-society/education/essay-contests. The deadline for local essays is Friday, Oct. 27. Essays should left at the school office or main desk. A DAR representative will come to the school and pick up the entries. Questions should be directed to Karen C. Lilly-Bowyer, 704 213-4232 or krnbowyer@yahoo.com.