The CFCC Foundation staff would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Wilmington community for your overwhelming support of CFCC students at the 2012 Changing Lives through the Gift of Education luncheon on Thursday, May 17. Over 640 guests attended and donated almost $225,000 for student scholarships.

A special thanks also goes out to Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits who donated the catering for the event, allowing the Foundation to award an additional 30 student scholarships. Bojangles’ president and CEO Randy Kibler also served as the keynote speaker.

Click here to read a great summary of the event in the Greater Wilmington Business Journal.

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The mission of the CFCC Foundation is to raise scholarship dollars for CFCC students. 100% of the money raised at the luncheon goes directly to student assistance. We are asking each attendee to please consider a minimum donation of $100.00 to fund these much-needed scholarships. Of course, many of our donors give significantly more, and donations of any size are greatly appreciated.

By Josh Bowman, CFCC Foundation Intern

David and Genie Earp have been part of the Cape Fear family since they first met on campus in in 1982. David, a student in the marine technology program, first saw Genie, a chemical technology student, in the cafeteria. “She was having lunch, and I was starving,” he recalls.

David also recalls with great fondness the unique opportunities he enjoyed in the CFCC marine tech program, such as multiple cruises on the R/V Cape Hatteras, which was operated by the Duke/University of North Carolina Oceanographic Consortium, and took CFCC students to Bermuda. David was also a member of CFCC’s first-ever golf team, which was coached by Rick Stewart who is still the coach today.

The classes David and Genie took at CFCC helped them find employment directly after college. David became employed with Teledyne Oil Exploration in 1984 as a technician on a seismograph boat. Genie found employment as a water and coal analyst at Duke Power’s coal power plant.  

So it was not a surprise when years later, the Earps encouraged their daughter Rachel to attend CFCC just as they did, when she was recruited by CFCC Womens’ Soccer Coach Chris Libert in fall 2006. Rachel and her teammates won the NJCAA Region X tournament two years in a row, and the entire Earp family was usually there to cheer her on at every game.  Rachel went on to UNCW, majoring in biology and chemistry.

A couple of years later, oldest daughter Saralynn also joined the student body, and CFCC officially became a family affair. “Cape Fear was a great choice for Saralynn,” said David. She concentrated in fine art classes and had the opportunity to submit art pieces for various exhibits at the Cameron Art Museum. Saralynn has since transferred to UNCW and is completing a bachelor’s degree in fine arts.

As CFCC graduates both Saralyn and Rachel have specific reasons why they feel connected to the college. Saralyn stressed that what made a difference to her was the way advisors and the instructors at CFCC were willing go out of their way to help their students. Rachel also experienced this first hand at CFCC when she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and underwent surgery during the school year. The hospitalizations kept Rachel from attending class for weeks and could have led to her being forced to repeat the semester. It was only through help from the administrators, support from her soccer team, support from her family and personal perseverance that she managed to take special class sessions and finish the semester out strong. “Coach Libert and her teammates were there for her when her family couldn’t be,” says her dad. Rachel concurs: “I’ve made lifelong friends here” she says, and she returns every year to play on the alumni soccer team with some of those friends.

Since then the Earps have remained avid Sea Devil athletic fans. There is rarely a soccer or basketball game that a member of the Earp family isn’t cheering from the sidelines. Even Mr. Earp, who suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury in a tragic boating accident ten years ago, has managed to attend multiple games with the family.

When asked to describe how the college has changed since 1984, David comments with a chuckle that “back then there weren’t so many buildings.” It is true that the facilities and staff have grown over the years, but according to both of his daughters the intimate atmosphere and caring staff are two things that haven’t changed one bit.

1973 Marine Technology alumnus Tony DelToro had a pleasant surprise on a recent vacation. Says Tony: “I was on a cruise and the last port of call was Nassau, Bahamas. I got one heck of a surprise to see the R/V Dan Moore docked there also!! I introduced myself to Captain Steve Beuth and a couple of students (the rest of them had already prepared for shore leave.) We chatted for a bit and then took this photo.”

The R/V Dan Moore is CFCC’s own ocean-going training vessel. The ship is a 85-ft. fisheries research vessel formerly operated by the State of NC Division of Marine Fisheries. Marine Technology students undergo 5 different training cruises totaling over 32 days at sea. The ship carries a compliment of 17 students with cruise durations ranging from 4 to 11 days.

To learn more about the Dan Moore or the CFCC Marine Technology Department, visit http://cfcc.edu/martech/.

Ray, the CFCC Sea Devil, will make another appearance at this year's CFCC Homecoming Celebration on February 10th!

Written by Josh Bowman, CFCC Foundation Intern

Wilmington, NC- The Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) Alumni Association is pleased to announce its fourth annual alumni homecoming celebration. On Friday, February 10, CFCC alumni are invited to bring friends and family to a night of fierce competition, free food and fun with fellow Sea Devils.

The night begins with a special reception for alumni and guest from 5:30 – 7 pm in the CFCC Schwartz Center lobby before a heated game against USC Sumter. This family-friendly night will feature a free appetizer buffet, photos with CFCC’s mascot Ray the Sea Devil, a fun half-time shootout contest and an opportunity to participate in a raffle for great prizes. All raffle proceeds will be used to support the CFCC Alumni Legacy Scholarship.

Tip-off for the men’s basketball game is at 7 pm.

RSVPs are required; please call 910-362-7029 to confirm attendance. Admission to the reception and game are free for CFCC alumni with a membership card; up to three guests per alumni member. Not a member yet? Not a problem. Join for free at the event! The Schwartz Center is located at the corner of Front and Hanover Streets on CFCC’s downtown campus.

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In celebration of Cape Fear Community College’s 50^th anniversary in 2008, CFCC established the CFCC Alumni Association. The mission of the CFCC Alumni association is to form partnerships and strengthen relationships between the community, the College and its alumni. Alumni initiatives are based on the association’s core values of giving back to through involvement, fellowship and service. The association strives to be a positive, goal-oriented steward for CFCC, its mission and goals.

By Micaela Fouhy, CFCC Foundation Intern

Julia Nepper graduated from Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) in 2008 at the age of fourteen, making her the youngest graduate from CFCC.

Her first course at CFCC was a piano class in spring 2006. “It was the only class I took,” says Nepper. “I was slightly nervous, but I had already been trying piano without instruction for three years at this point so I was mostly excited to be taking the class.”

Since Julia was eleven when she began attending CFCC, her father chaperoned her to every class. “I began to feel self-conscious about always having my father around when I reached the teenage years,” states Nepper. “But, it was never a big deal to me.” Although Julia was home-schooled for most of her early education, she did spend one semester in middle school and another in high school. One thing Julia says she learned at CFCC was how to socialize effectively with college-aged people since she had been interacting primarily with students her own age for most of her life. It certainly helped her when she went to the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), considering she was no longer required to be accompanied by a parent there and had to adapt by herself.

“I always tell anyone considering college to start their education at a community college,” advises Julia. “Professors teaching a sophomore level course at a university often have two or three hundred students; at a community college they have less than a hundred. Teachers will know your name and care about your success.”

Nepper graduated with honors in 2011 from UNCW with a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry, a Bachelor of Science in biology and a minor in Spanish.

Nepper decided to study biology simply because she liked animals. However, during senior year she realized that while she liked animals, she did not want to be a biologist. “I enjoyed chemistry much more,” explains Nepper. “I knew this because I had to take several chemistry classes to fulfill the requirements to get a biology degree.”

Over that summer, Julia began working with Dr. Antje Almeida in her lab. Dr. Almeida is a professor in the chemistry department at UNCW and most of her research is in biophysics relating to nature. “That was how I became interested in biophysics–by accident,” states Julia. “I didn’t even know the field existed before that year.”

Currently, at seventeen years old Julia is participating in the one year Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNC). She works in a research lab on campus full-time and is also taking a graduate class, Advanced Biochemistry of Human Disease.

Julia finds biophysics appealing because “the questions that are asked are relevant to human health, but the answers that you get are much more quantitative than those you get in other fields, so it is easier to draw definite conclusions from the data.”

Julia is applying to graduate programs in biophysics and if accepted she will most likely go to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to pursue her Ph.D. After that she intends to travel. “I plan to visit as many countries I can afford, on every continent except Antarctica.”

After finishing her Ph.D. program, Nepper hopes to become a professor of chemistry at a smaller university, similar to UNCW, and running her own lab. “What I liked about UNCW was that there was a research presence, but it wasn’t the main focus as it is at UNC,” states Julia.

Julia says her favorite quote is “learn the rules so you know how to break them properly” by the Dalai Lama XIV. Julia has found that most rules are “superfluous for sensible people,” therefore she tries to break them without getting caught. “It adds a bit of excitement,” she says. Although Julia didn’t break any rules while being the youngest graduate from Cape Fear Community College, it should definitely be considered a high achievement.

Desiree and Tom Florio make a great team—not only in life, but as study partners too. These recent graduates from CFCC’s Fast Track Business Administration program figured they “might as well attend classes at the same time and support one another,” said Tom, who serves as the manager for W. W. Grainger’s onsite branch at General Electric. Desiree, a business office supervisor for Atlantic Surgery Center, added, “the instructors were great, classes were a good size, and online courses worked with our schedules.” 

The Florios will now continue to support one another as classmates through an online bachelor’s program in business through UNC-Pembroke. View a video of the Florios, along with many other great student stories on CFCC’s You Tube channel. Just click the You Tube link located at the bottom of CFCC’s website, www.cfcc.edu.

by Conway Dryden, CFCC Foundation Intern

Growing up in a house full of military heroes, Carolyn Justice was taught the importance of honor, country and service at a young age. 

Justice, a current House Representative for the 16^th district of NC, didn’t start out her life knowing she wanted to be in politics. Born in Wilmington in 1946, Justice and her parents lived with her grandparents who ran a boarding house at 913 Market Street. Her grandmother opened the business in the early 1940’s and after the passing of Justice’s grandfather, she moved her family of seven into the boarding house. During WWII, all of her uncles went off to war and her mother and aunts helped cook, clean and run the boarding house. Men who would come to Wilmington during the week to work in the shipyard would stay at the boarding house. Justice and her sister were raised in this busy environment of men who served as surrogate fathers, since they were away from their families during the week. 

“I not only grew up knowing the importance of serving your country, but after the war patriotism was strong among my family, each whom had sacrificed something during their efforts,” said Justice. 

As a young adult, Justice went straight into the workforce taking advantage of an apprenticeship bookkeeping program while living in Northern Virginia. She eventually was promoted to a Full Charge Bookkeeper. In 1976 Justice and her husband moved back to North Carolina and opened a clothing store in Hampstead. Soon realizing there were few advertising opportunities for a business, Justice started a newspaper named the Sounds of Pender East. 

Driven to have more news to publish in her newspaper, Justice started attending Pender County Commissioners’ meetings where she soon developed a keen interest in politics. Her newspaper began covering the county commissioners, school board, health department and hospital, along with any other news of interest on the Pender coast. Justice later sold her newspaper and it is now called the Topsail Voice. Some 25 years after selling the newspaper, Justice began Hampstead Management Services and over the years she has managed a portfolio of 13 home owners associations, two shopping centers and a 300-unit mini storage facility.

Justice’s interest in politics soon led her to run for the office of County Commissioner in 1994. After serving nine years, Justice ran for the North Carolina House in 2002. With nine years of service in the House, next year may be her last. 

 “I believe in term limits in any one elected office. Though there is no state statue limiting the number of terms a member can service in the House or Senate, I have limited myself to ten years and next year will be my tenth year.” Justice says, “I am considering other elected options but have not yet made my mind up as to whether or not I will run or for what office.” 

Justice has attended classes at CFCC on and off for years and continues to do so. Her studies have mainly consisted of core subjects but her long-range goal is to transfer to UNCW and seek a degree in political science. Justice says she has truly enjoyed her classes at CFCC. “I think it’s different for older people than it is for college-aged students. I think it takes a different set of skills to study than it does to be in the workforce. But I do believe that in today’s world, community colleges are more geared up than ever to deal with older students coming back to school to retool for different jobs in this very difficult economy,” comments Justice. 

Justice says that owning a business, serving as an elected official and taking classes is a labor of love, but she has a very supportive family who help her accomplish this feat. “Learning to focus and compartmentalizing your work is very important. If not, you can find yourself scattered and you will never do anything well,” advises Justice. 

When asked what she would tell other students Justice said, “I would advise all students to focus on their future and where their course work is really going to take them. Find out what careers are going to remain stable in this changing economy. Diversify your curriculum and give yourself some options. When you do get out in the job market, be ready to be flexible.”

Wilmington, NC- The Cape Fear Community College Foundation is pleased to announce an all-new leisure travel program which debuts with an October 2012  luxury cruise on the Danube river from Passau, Germany to Budapest, Hungary. 

“We are very excited about our new travel program,” says Dana McKoy, Coordinator of Special Events, Donor & Alumni Relations with the CFCC Foundation. “We would like to invite all CFCC alumni and friends of the College to join us, but the trips will also be open to any community resident who might want to make new friends and experience the life-long learning opportunities and the thrill of international travel.” 

The first planned excursion is an 8-day, 7-night river cruise from Passau, Germany to Budapest, Hungary, which will depart from the United States on October 27, 2012. The cruise is offered through Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, winner of the 2011 Condé Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice award for “Best River Cruise Line.” The voyage will take place aboard the River Beatrice, which launched in March 2009 and was voted “#1 River Ship in the World” by the readers of Condé Nast. According to the Uniworld Web site, the Beatrice is “quite simply the most deluxe and comfortable ship ever to sail any European river.” 

Highlights of the cruise will include the city of Passau, Germany, which is home to the St. Stephan’s Cathedral and Europe’s largest pipe organ. Salzburg (also known as Linz), offers a 15th century cathedral, famous shopping, Mozart’s childhood home, and the Mirabellgarten, featured in the film, The Sound of Music. The villages of Melk and Durnstein are located in Austria’s Wachau Valley, famous for its vineyards and Riesling wines. Passengers will enjoy two nights in Vienna, the cultural center and capital of Austria, also known as the “Waltz Capital of the World.” The cruise will conclude in exotic Budapest, the capital of Hungary, which is commonly cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

The trip will cost between $2625 and $3250 per person depending on the type of cabin booked. However, all cabins feature a breath-taking river-view and the price includes all meals, complimentary  wines and other beverages, six shore excursions hosted by English-speaking guides, and much more. (Airfare is not included but available at an additional cost). A deposit of $200 is due December 21, 2011.

The CFCC Foundation is hosting an information session for prospective travelers on Tuesday, November 29^th from 5 to 6:30 pm in the CFCC Board Room, located in room 101 of Building G, at the corner of Walnut and Front streets. Representatives from Uniworld Cruises and AAA Vacations will be on hand to fully explain the amenities of the cruise.

For more information, visit www.cfcc.edu/travel or contact Karen Pittman at AAA vacations (910) 763-8446 ext 17513 and mention “CFCC European River Cruise” to book a cabin. 

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The Cape Fear Community College Foundation works to sustain and support students, faculty, and the overall mission of the College. The Foundation also works to promote college services and programs to the community, secure and manage gifts, equipment and supplies for educational purposes. For more information regarding Cape Fear Community College scholarships, please contact the CFCC Foundation at 910.362.7207.

John Hinnant (left) of Wilmington Downtown presents a check to Dr. Eric McKeithan, presdient of CFCC, to help fund the CFCC Alumni Legacy Scholarship endowment.

Wilmington Downtown, Inc. (WDI) recently presented a check for $650 to Cape Fear Community College for the CFCC Alumni Association Alumni Legacy Scholarship. The funds were raised during the second installment of the Downtown Sundown Concert Series on June 3, 2011, where the CFCC Alumni Association provided five volunteers to sell wristbands for $1.00 per person during a performance by the popular eighties’ band The Breakfast Club. 

Wristbands will continue to be sold for $1 at each Downtown Sundown performance this summer.  WDI will split the proceeds with local charities and non-profit organizations each week. Please visit www.wilmingtondowntown.com for a list of charities and corresponding dates. 

So far the CFCC Alumni Association has raised over $3,500 to fund the Alumni Legacy endowment. Once fully funded at $10,000, annual proceeds from the endowment will fund a scholarship for a selected student who is a family member or “legacy” of a former CFCC student. 

“As the association enters its third year, our officers felt it was important to give back to the college that has directly impacted the lives of so many community residents and businesses, and to impact future generations of CFCC students. Funding the Legacy Scholarship is one way they have begun to do this,” said Dana McKoy, Alumni Relations Coordinator. “We are very grateful to WDI for the opportunity to raise funds at the Downtown Sundown series, and are pleased to support such a fun and positive community event.” 

The CFCC Alumni Association was formed to build partnerships between the community, the College and its alumni and to give back through involvement, fellowship and service. Free membership is offered to CFCC alumni in which they can enjoy discounts at local merchants and free admission to athletic events. The CFCC Alumni Association continues to encourage voluntary support for this scholarship. 

For more information about the CFCC Alumni Association visit www.cfcc.edu/alumni or contact: (910) 362-7207 or alumnew@cfcc.edu. To donate to the Alumni Legacy Scholarship online, visit www.cfcc.edu/foundation. 

For more information about Wilmington Downtown, visit www.wilmingtondowntown.com or contact John Hinnant at (910) 763-7349 or email  john@wilmingtondowntown.com.

A bequest in your will is also the easiest major gift you can make. Why?

It’s Simple:
A simple paragraph in your will (suggested text below) in your will or codicil (an official amendment) sets up your gift to the CFCC Foundation.

It’s Revocable:
A bequest doesn’t take effect until your death. That means that if your plans or circumstances change, you can easily revise your will.

It’s Private:
The provisions of your will are not made public until your death.

And it’s appreciated!
Although your will is not made public, if you let us know you have remembered us in your will, we will welcome you into the W. Mercer Rowe Planned Giving Society at Cape Fear Community College, which recognizes our friends who make an estate-plan gift during their lifetimes. (You can also advise us not to print your name in lists of Society members).

Choose the Bequest that Best Fits Your Needs

Specific Bequest
This transfers a particular sum of money or item of property to us: (“I bequeath all of my shares of ___ Corporation to the Cape Fear Community College Foundation, a North Carolina non-profit organization located in Wilmington, NC.”) Note: if you no longer own this property when you dies, your specific bequest cannot be made.

Residual Bequest
This transfers all or a share of the amount remaining in your estate after debts and taxes have been paid. (“I bequeath twenty-five percent [25%] of the residue of my estate to the Cape Fear Community College Foundation, a North Carolina non-profit organization located in Wilmington, NC.”)  Many donors find that a residual request gives them more flexibility in their long-term planning than a specific bequest, because they are not tied to maintaining particular assets, securities, or sums of money in their portfolios.

Contingent Bequest
A very flexible arrangement, this directs a gift to us only if certain life events do not occur. (“If my daughter does not survive me, I bequeath the residue of my estate to Cape Fear Community College Foundation, a North Carolina non-profit organization located in Wilmington, NC.”)

Planning Note: Please discuss your intentions with us before bequeathing assets such as real estate, business interests, intellectual property or a specific tangible asset such as a car, boat, a collection, a piece of equipment or artwork. We’ll want to talk to you about how we can use, store and/or sell the asset.

Tell Us How to Use Your Bequest

Unrestricted Bequest
This is a gift for our general purposes. It will give us resources to meet any of the challenges and opportunities that the future will bring.

Restricted Bequest
This format specifies how we are to use your gift, such as a one-time scholarship or program funding for a specific department, or placement in a permanent endowment with the annual income applied to the scholarship or project of your choosing.

Planning Note:
Sometimes academic programs or projects evolve and change over time. To make sure that your restricted bequest is as useful as possible when we receive it, please discuss your intentions with us before you or your attorney write your will.

You May Be Asking…

What if I’ve already written my will?
There’s no need to write an entirely new will to add a bequest to us. You may have your attorney prepare a codicil, which makes the changes you want while reaffirming the remaining provisions of your existing will.

If you’ve already included CFCC in your existing will, please let us know! We will prepare a fund authority, or a document that outlines your wishes, to keep on file in our office and ensure we administer your gift according to your wishes. If you wish to be recognized, we will also induct you in the W. Mercer Rowe Planned Giving Society and include you in publications regarding the society. Or your planned gift can also remain anonymous if you wish.

Can you write a will for me?
Unfortunately, no. The role of the CFCC Foundation staff is to explain how your gift can be used to impact students for generations to come, such as providing endowed or non-endowed scholarships. We cannot provide legal advice. To find out more about bequests or other planned giving options, please contact your personal financial advisor.

If you are ready to discuss a bequest or other planned gift (such as the gift of appreciated stocks, bonds, mutual fund shares, a paid life insurance policy, real estate, or including CFCC as the beneficiary of a retirement plan) please contact us at 910.362.7207.

And remember, a bequest in your will is the easiest major gift you can ever make, it costs you nothing during your lifetime, and it can change the lives of students for generations to come.

Content adapted from PlannedGiving.Com, LLC, 2009.