Pictured, from left to right, are SSCC President Dr. Nicole Roades, SSCC Executive Director of Workforce Development Amy McClellan, Alex Bradshaw, Kayla Bradshaw, Tyler Havens, Cole Newsome, and SSCC Professor Dr. Joshua Montgomery at the Community Colleges of Appalachia Conference in June

A team of faculty, staff, and students from Southern State Community College was invited to present at the 31st annual Community Colleges of Appalachia (CCA) Conference held in Asheville, North Carolina.

The College’s presentation, Empowering Futures: Transformative Impact of our Computer Information Technology, was presented during the general session by Associate Professor of Computer Science Dr. Joshua Montgomery and Executive Director of Workforce Development Amy McClellan.

A panel of Southern State students also assisted with the presentation, which included Alex Bradshaw, a recent graduate and eSports Manager; Kayla Bradshaw, a current student, Intel Scholar, and Ohio Code Scholar Technician; Cole Newsome, a recent graduate, eSports Manager, and Ohio Code Scholar Technician; and Tyler Havens, a current student and Ohio Code Scholar Technician.

The presentation highlighted Southern State’s Computer Science Program pathway and its involvement with the Ohio Code Scholar project, a robust learning opportunity for secondary students across southern Ohio to equip them with essential technical skills, including coding, afforded to students in more affluent districts.