NEWS |
|
Be sure to check out these other news stories:
SMP wins 21 awards in Macon
|
Lee receives state recognition
By Megan Van Meter
To be considered for this honor, students were expected to boast a 4.0 grade point average and have earned at least 45 credit hours (not including transfer or learning support hours) at Georgia Highlands. This year three students met the criteria, and the selection was made by the Academic Council.For his selection, Lee will receive a resolution signed by Georgia�s senators and representatives as well as a certificate from the Chancellor of the Board of Regents. He will also be recognized for his achievement at the Georgia Highlands awards ceremony in May. �Mr. Lee has brought great distinction to himself in his academic accomplishments and has enriched the institution through his volunteer tutoring efforts,� said Dr. Virginia Carson, vice president of academic affairs.Lee, last year�s winner of the Excellence in Accounting Award, is a business major who has currently earned 63 credit hours at Georgia Highlands. �It was at awards night last year that I found out about peer tutoring,� said Lee. �I had helped a lot of people in class, so I asked Professor Nolen about tutoring. Previously there had been no one to do it. Students needed that help.�Lee said that the hard part is getting the students to come in on a regular basis. Since accounting students come few and far between, any of his spare time in the Tutorial Center is donated to students seeking assistance with other math. Betty Nolen, professor of business at the college since 1983, described Lee as always being punctual, present and prepared. �He never failed to perform in a successful manner,� she said. �We expect him to do extremely well at his four-year school.�According to Nolen, Lee is to be among the first inductees to a new business club at the college, the Alpha Beta Gamma Society. In his spare time, Lee also works as a part-time pianist for North Beech Tree Baptist Church in Atlanta. He said this requires a lot of practice, but his school work takes priority. Maintaining a spotless grade point average does not come effortlessly, and sometimes it does not leave him as much time to practice his music as he might like. �It requires very strong work ethic,� Lee said.Lee stressed the importance of listening during lectures and also completing all the homework. �It�s not necessarily terribly hard,� he said, �but time consuming. Especially in accounting, if you fall behind, it�s hard to catch back up.� He advised other students to take things seriously if they wish to succeed.�A lot of people get into a class and think it�s a joke. That may work for some people. If I was careless like that, I wouldn�t have a 4.0,� Lee said. He also recommended that students always ask their professors when questions arise. After not having set foot in a classroom since sixth grade, Lee confessed that he felt somewhat nervous about resuming his education.It was in 2002 that he earned his GED and overcame any prior apprehension by enrolling in classes during the summer of 2003. Previously, Lee had been living and working in the Atlanta area. In 2001, he and his wife Jennifer, a teacher at Pepperell Elementary, made the move to Rome.It was the coaxing of his wife and then Floyd College Admissions Specialist Charlene Graham that led him to continue his education.�I realized that without having a degree of any kind, my job choices were limited,� Lee said. His family, both parents having graduated from the University of Georgia, was exceedingly happy with his decision and glad to have someone in college.Lee would like to express his gratitude to the entire college faculty, especially those who recommended him for this recognition. After completing his final three credit hours this semester, Lee will graduate and pursue a bachelor�s degree in accounting at Georgia State University. He plans to start this fall and looks forward to returning to Atlanta. |
