Appalachian Leadership Academy 2008 Cotiga Chapter Fellows

General Robert "Doc" Foglesong returned home to Mingo County on December 17 to participate in a ceremony honoring the first members of the Appalachian Leadership Academy, Cotiga Chapter which has been established at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. To become a true leader, Foglesong stressed the importance of integrity and courage.

The five Williamson Campus students inducted into the leadership academy were Shannon Carbello of Delbarton, WV; Kevin Whitt of Varney, WV; Rita White of Delbarton, WV; Tiffany Razer of Williamson, WV; and Dee Dee Williams of Crum, WV. As Cotiga Chapter fellows, they will receive a full scholarship which will pay for tuition, fees and books, according to Pauline Sturgill, director of the Appalachian Leadership Academy at Southern.

President Joanne Jaeger Tomblin thanked Cotiga Development Company for being a committed partner in making this program possible. Cotiga sponsors numerous scholarships which are awarded to Tug Valley area students attending Southern.

Dr. Cindy McCoy and Karen Preece will serve as co-chairs of the Appalachian Leadership Academy, Cotiga Chapter. They will also serve as student mentors along with Rita Roberson, Mary Hamilton and Beth Deaton.

Dee Dee Williams of Crum, WV is a life long volunteer, having been involved in 4-H and FFA as a child growing up in California. Williams currently serves as the Williamson Campus Student Government Association President and Vice President of the Head Start Policy Council in Wayne County. Williams plans to complete her Associate Degree in nursing at Southern and then become an inspirational speaker for teens and young adults who drop out of school. Her goal through the Appalachian Leadership Academy is to learn the characteristics and traits needed to be a successful leader.

Shannon Lillian Carballo of Delbarton, WV has a passion for health care administration, having managed labs and emergency room admissions in North Carolina, before making West Virginia her home. Her goal is to graduate from Southern’s nursing program and become a faculty member, sharing with others her passion for the nursing profession. Carballo believes that the Appalachian Leadership Academy will help her spread her wings, allowing her to grow both personally and professionally.

Rita Faye White of Delbarton, WV is a freshman student at Southern, recently graduating from Burch High School with honors. She is a business administration major with plans to open her own mortuary business in Delbarton. White’s academic career has been centered around the different service programs that Burch High School offered and her intent through Southern’s Appalachian Leadership Academy is to gain valuable knowledge that will help her become a better leader and person now and in the future.

Kevin Michael Whitt of Varney, WV is an active member of his church and community, having first felt the call to service while volunteering in the Eagles Nest Club at Burch High School. He is working to earn a degree in elementary education with the intent of staying in Mingo County, becoming a teacher and positive role model for young children. Whitt believes that the Appalachian Leadership Academy will help him strengthen his leadership abilities, providing him with more discipline, and opening new doors that will help him to better meet the needs of those he is called to serve.