Announcements

There will be a Drug-Free Communities Coalition Board meeting at Terry Hills Restaurant from 8:45 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 14.

Please RSVP by Dec. 10 by contacting Carol Nicometo at 815-1873 or via e-mail at <cnicometo@gcasa.org>.

The restaurant is located at 5122 Clinton St. Road in Batavia.

Genesee Community College along with the Genesee County Career Center will host a workshop titled "Adults in Career Transition: Are You a Purple Squirrel?" on Thursday, Dec. 2. It will be held at the Batavia Campus  from 5 to 7 p.m. in T119. This event is free and open to the public.

"Purple Squirrel" is a human resource term for the elusive candidate, with exactly the right qualifications and experience, to match an employer's need. The term is synonymous with "ideal candidate."

The Adults in Career Transition workshop will focus on introducing transition skills and career opportunities for adults returning to the workforce or attending college. Guest speakers include John McGowan, Career Services coordinator at Genesee Community College and Veronica Frost, senior employment and training counselor at the Genesee County Career Center.

"We want to encourage adults of all ages and skill sets to come to this workshop," McGowan said. "Employers are now looking for the ideal candidate and we want to inform adults transitioning back in to the workplace on how they can be that 'purple squirrel.'"

Interested participants should RSVP to the Adults in Career Transition workshop by calling the GCC Career Services Office at 345-6888, by e-mailing slburns@genesee.edu or registering online at <http://www.genesee.edu/career/events >.

Learn how to make a Christmas ornament using wool felt and decorative stitching at the Richmond Memorial Library.

This class for adults will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 14. The library is located at 19 Ross St. in the City of Batavia.

Jen Reardon is the instructor. This session is a repeat of the Nov. 23 class.

Registration is required to attend and $6 is due at the time of registration to cover the cost of materials. Participants also need to bring straight pins, fabric scissors, and a pen or pencil.

Please register in the library. More information is available in the library and at www.batavialibrary.org.

Present Tense Books and Gifts will host a book fair to benefit the St. James Episcopal Church Restoration Fund from Nov. 30 through Dec. 4.

A percentage of purchases made during that period with a voucher will benefit the church. Vouchers may be picked up at the church, located at 405 E. Main St., Batavia, or by calling 343-6802.

They are also available on the bookstore's website: www.presenttensebooks.com.

Present Tense Book and Gift Shop is located at 101 Washington Ave., Batavia.

Hours are: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday; closed on Sunday and Monday.

Genesee Community College will present the third segment in the Wealth and Poverty Around the World cultural series on Thursday, Dec. 9.

Sonja Livingston, award-winning author of "Ghostbread," will discuss her memoir and highlight childhood poverty in Western New York.

The presentation and discussion will take place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in T102 at the Batavia campus. This event is free and open to the public. After the discussion, Sonja will be available to sign books (outside of T102) and the GCC Barnes and Noble bookstore will have her book available for purchase.

"Ghostbread" uses a poetic approach to chronicle a childhood stricken with poverty in Western New York. Ghostbread has won an AWP Book Award and it was named a book of the year by "ForeWord" magazine.

One of seven children brought up by a single mother, Livingston moved from an old farming town to an Indian reservation to a dead-end urban neighborhood. She and her siblings followed their nonconformist mother from one ramshackle house to another on the perpetual search for something better.

Along the way, the young Sonja observes the harsh realities her family encounters, as well as small moments of transcendent beauty that somehow keep them going. While struggling to make sense of her world, Livingston perceives the stresses and patterns that keep children--girls in particular--trapped in the cycle of poverty. (www.Sonjalivingston.com)

"Ghostbread" is being featured in Human Services Field Experience classes at Genesee, under the instruction of Connie Boyd.

"'Ghostbread' is an excellent memoir that provides Human Services students with a firsthand account of what it is like to grow up in poverty in our area," said Connie Boyd, director of Human Services at Genesee.

"After reading the poetic novel, students will be doing a reflective paper, and having the opportunity to speak with the author will help our students gain knowledge and understanding in the Human Services field."

Livingston has earned a NYFA Fellowship, an Iowa Award, and Pushcart Prize nomination for her nonfiction writing. Her work has appeared in several textbooks on writing, as well as many journals, including "The Iowa Review," "Spoon River Poetry Review," "Alaska Quarterly Review," "AGNI" and others.

She holds a master's degree in education from SUNY Brockport and a master of fine arts degree from the University of New Orleans. She also teaches in UCLA Extension's Creative Writing Program. Livingston is an elementary school counselor in Rochester, where she lives with her husband, artist Jim Mott.

For further information, please contact Nina Mortellaro at Genesee Community College at 343-0055, ext. 6228 or nimortellaro@genesee.edu.

There will be a Business After Hours from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9 at the newly renovated and remodeled Travelodge.

It is located at 8204 Park Road in Batavia.

Come take a tour and see why you will want to stay overnight!

The event is sponsored by the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce. Cost is $5 for members and $10 for potential members.

There will be a 50/50 raffle, door prizes, hors d'oeuvres and refreshments.

Come share some holiday cheer! PLEASE RSVP by phoning 343-7440 or via e-mail: chamber@geneseeny.com

Here's a news release submitted by Elba resident Chantal Zambito, co-coach of Elba's FIRST Lego team; please see the Aug. 5 article:

On Saturday, Nov. 20 the NXT Lancers Team from Elba competed in the Finger Lakes Regional Foundation for the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Qualifier Tournament.

It took place at Churchville-Chili High School.

Five students made up the Lancers' team: Christian Gerould, Garrett Sinemus, Evan Hare, Colin Hunt and Johnny Zambito.

They used LEGO kits to build robots programmed to perform specific tasks.

Over the course of eight weeks, they designed, researched, built, programmed, tested and refined a fully autonomous robot capable of completing various missions.

This year’s theme, "Body Forward Challenge," explored the cutting-edge world of biomedical engineering.

Participants learned about innovative ways this science is used to repair injuries, overcome genetic predispositions, and maximize the body’s potential -- with the goal of helping people lead healthier, happier lives.

The NXT Lancers designed a hockey helmet with a visual warning, airbag, and damping system to help a player avoid a concussion if they were body checked during a game.

The boys performed a newscast skit using themselves as "emergency medical technicians" and expert "doctors" to present their invention to a panel of judges. They were limited to five minutes.

The team was then asked questions about their project for another five minutes. The judges commented, “Great presentation and teamwork. We really like how you researched concussions and included an explanation of them in your skit.”

Next, the robot design judges interviewed the team. They talked about the construction of the robot and its programming. The judges were interested in what the team came up with to solve problems and what they considered to be the best parts of the robot.

The NXT Lancers demonstrated several of the robot's programs during their interview. The technical presentation judge commented: “Sturdy robot, nice consistency with the robot arm and good documentation.”

Then it was on to the robot performance rounds. Each team performed in three rounds, each lasting two-and-a-half minutes.

The team scored a total of 205 points, winning one of the three rounds -- an exceptional accomplishment for their first qualifier event.

In all, there were 21 teams, seven of which will go on to the RIT competition.

Saturday was a nonstop day of preparing and presenting. The team members worked hard and their determination was amazing, according to co-coach Evelyn Hunt.

Next, they will be preparing for an exhibition competition at Genesee Community College on March 17 during the GLOW region Tech Wars.

The Elba team is looking for more members, especially girls. Robotics are not just for boys! (In fact, there were two all-girl teams at the Nov. 20 competition and one of them earned the highest award. Both are going on to the next round.)

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerse will hold its Annual Membership Meeting on Tuesday Nov. 30 at the Batavia Party House, located at 5762 E. Main St. Road, Batavia.

Registration begins at 11:15 a.m. Buffet lunch begins promptly at noon. Cost is $20 per person.

Agenda topics include "Health care reform and how it impacts small business" and a review of 2010 and selection of 2011 board members.

The event is sponsored in part by: Clark Paterson Lee, Freed Maxick & Battaglia; Key Bank; Bank of Castile/Tompkins Insurance Agency.

The guest speaker is Patrick Reilly from Impact Employee Benefit Solutions.

Please call or e-mail the chamber office at 343-7440, ext. 27, or e-mail to chamber@geneseeny.com. The chamber office is at 210 E. Main St. in Downtown Batavia.

The Senior Spice Committee, a program of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse (GCASA), invites Genesee County senior citizens to the “All That Glitters Dinner Dance” on Saturday, Dec. 4. It will be at First Presbyterian Church, 300 E. Main St. in Batavia, from 5 until 8:30 p.m.

Registration must be received no later than Friday, Nov. 26.

Admission is $10 per person and includes dinner, dancing, and holiday and dance music from the Batavia Swing Band. Individuals and couples can also have photos taken by Bill Moon, free of charge.

The evening will follow this schedule: 5-5:30, social time with punch; 5:30-6:30, dinner; 6:30-8:30, dancing. Dinner will include salad, Swiss steak, potatoes, vegetable, dessert and beverage.

For more information about “All That Glitters” or the Senior Spice Committee – which will hold its next meeting at GCASA, 430 E. Main St. in Batavia, at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 8 – call or e-mail Sue Hawley at 815-1872, shawley@gcasa.org.

RSVP of Genesee County and the Genesee County AmeriCorps program are asking for donations for a service project they will be holding to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

We need donations of fleece (1 yard or more) or contributions to help purchase the fleece.

The fleece will be used to make blankets that will be given to the Agri-Business Child Development Center.

Donations can be dropped off to the Genesee County Youth Bureau at County Building Two located at 3837 W. Main St. Road, in Batavia. Office Hours are from 8:30 a.m to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information please call 344-3960.

The Genesee Community College Foundation is seeking nominations for its Alumni Hall of Fame, which recognizes those who have achieved outstanding success and made a lasting impact on the community.

The foundation will induct its fifth group of honorees in a ceremony on March 30 at the Batavia campus.

"We are once again looking for successful Genesee alumni who should be recognized for their accomplishments," said Jackie Christenson, Genesee's alumni coordinator. "There are many alumni who have outstanding careers or have given back to their communities who can be an inspiration to all students at Genesee Community College."

The criteria for nominating an individual to the College Alumni Hall of Fame are based on the individual's contributions to his or her profession, distinguished service to the community and/or service to Genesee Community College.

Nomination forms can be downloaded from Genesee Community College's alumni website (www.genesee.edu/alumni/HallofFame/  <http://www.genesee.edu/alumni/HallofFame/> ) and emailed or sent to the Genesee Community College Alumni Office.

Nominations may be submitted by the nominee or by friends, family, work associates or other colleagues who are familiar with the nominee. All nominations received by Friday, Feb. 4 will be considered by the Selection Committee.

New inductees will be honored at a reception, and their photo and a short biography will be featured on a plaque displayed in the Alumni Hall of Fame, located on the second floor of the Conable Technology Building.

Genesee Community College's Alumni Hall of Fame inductees currently include: Ellen Ryan ('76), early supporter of Genesee Community College and active community member; Wanda Frank ('97), WBTA 1490 Radio Host; Paula Schaefer ('79), Virginia House of Delegates 87th District – Norfolk; George Schaefer ('76) clerk of the Norfolk Circuit Court Clerk's Office in Virginia; Joseph H. Bell ('79), vice president of Global Process and Product Integrity at Moog, Inc., and managing director for Moog operations in Bangalore, India; Monica H. Dawson ('72); co-owner and secretary/treasurer of Shepard, Maxwell and Hale Insurance Agency; Jerry Reinhart ('71), founder of Access Rentals and president of Reinhart Enterprises, Inc.; Paula Savage ('76), director of tourism for the Greater Rochester Visitors Association; Lori Stupp ('89), regional director of United Way and a member of the AAA Speakers Bureau; Peggy Weissend ('99), registered community health nurse with the Genesee County Health Department; Ann M. Bell ('88), retired executive director of the Genesee Region Independent Living Center; Steven G. Hyde ('82), president and CEO of Genesee County Economic Development Center; Gary T. Maha ('76), Sheriff of Genesee County; James Fraser ('73), president of the Population Health Consulting Services, Inc.; Cecilia A. Stearns ('80), nurse practitioner/midwife at the Women's Care Center in Batavia; and Dorothy Wentland ('91), founding member and past director of the Genesee County Mental Health Association.

Here's a news release from the Genesee Community College Foundtion.

Batavia residents Joseph and Mary Beth Teresi have been named chairpersons of Encore 2010, an annual holiday celebration that supports student scholarships at Genesee Community College.

The Teresis would like to invite residents to an "Evening of Traditions" at Encore 2010 on Wednesday, Dec. 15. The festivities begin with a Gala Reception and continue with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) performing in the Stuart Steiner Theatre at the Batavia Campus.

The Teresis are looking forward to this year's BPO concert after having served on the organizing committee for many years.

"Encore ushers in the holiday season, while also serving as GCC's premier community social event and raising awareness to the importance of scholarships for the deserving students as well as raising scholarship funds," said Joe Teresi.

They are proud parents of a current Genesee Community College student and are vested in the local community.

Joe has served on several local boards and committees including GCC Foundation's Encore; Genesee - Wyoming YMCA;  Regional Action Phone; ARC; and The Notre Dame Educational Foundation, as well as both a board member and coach of various sports teams and leagues.

He is currently a vice president of Tompkins Insurance Agency and Mary Beth is the Work Study Program coordinator at Batavia High School. The Teresis have three children including Joe III -- currently serving in the Air Force -- Michael and Paul.

The evening's events will begin with a private Prelude Reception with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra conductor, Paul Ferington. For all guests, a Gala Reception Grandioso with sensational food selections will follow at 6 p.m. in the William W. Stuart Forum.

An Encore Energico Chance drawing to win an opportunity to be a BPO Guest Conductor will be held at 7:30 p.m. Guests will proceed to the Stuart Steiner Theatre for a holiday pops concert at 8 p.m. with the two-time Grammy Award winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and afterward enjoy Delectable Dessert Finale back in the William W. Stuart Forum.

Proceeds from Encore support Genesee Community College Foundation Scholarship Fund. The foundation would like to thank Five Star Bank, the lead corporate benefactor, for its continued support of Encore.

For ticketing and sponsorship information, please contact the foundation office at 345-6809 or foundation@genesee.edu <http://foundation@genesee.edu>.

For reservations please call the Genesee Community College Foundation at 585-345-6809.

Sponsorship support is welcome at the following levels: Conductor's Circle provides six tickets for $1,000; Golden Baton Society provides four tickets for $600; and the Inner Circle provides two tickets for $300. Singular Platinum Patron tickets are $100 each. The evening is black tie optional.

Batavia High School Class of 2000 will hold its 10-year reunion from 8 to 11 p.m.
on Friday, Nov. 26 at the Center Street Smokehouse, 2nd floor.

There will be appetizers provided by the reunion planners. There will also be a cash bar available. Come on down and see what your classmates have been up to.

With the wealth of growing international programs at Genesee Community College, a Study Abroad Open House for interested students is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 18.

The Open House will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union (S104), with 30-minute information sessions about each trip. Faculty representatives will be available to provide information on each program as well as registration materials.

A general information session will take place from 12:30-2:00 p.m. for students interested in learning about all of the study abroad/away opportunities.

Genesee now offers seven study abroad/away programs for students. All led by Genesee faculty, programs include Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, The Netherlands, Ireland, Croatia, Australia, and New York City study away.

In addition, information regarding potential summer internships in Toronto and Brazil will be available.

"This is the perfect opportunity for any student interested in a study abroad program to come and talk to the faculty about their specific program," Robert Frail, International Programs specialist at Genesee said. "We have such a variety of programs, that any student will be able to find a study abroad/study away program that will suit his or her interest."

For further information please contact Robert Frail, International Programs specialist at 585-343-0055, ext. 6456 or rjfrail@genesee.edu.

Three students in the Conservation Program at Genesee Valley Educational Partnership in Batavia earned a Bronze Team Award in the National FFA Forestry Event.

They are Jacob Hopcia and Phil Gorney, from Attica, and Zach Noble from Pavilion.

In addition, individual medals went to Jacob, who earned a Bronze Metal, and Zach and Phil who won silver medals.

The National FFA Forestry Career Development Event is a competitive activity that tests students’ skills and knowledge in the area of forest management.

Components include a general exam, tree and equipment identification, tree disorders identification, a chainsaw practicum, forestry issues interview, and a team activity.

Each team competed at local and state levels for the privilege of representing their
state at the national FFA convention, held in Indianapolis, Ind., Oct. 20-23.

Finding a government job in this tough economy may be a little easier with the help of the Genesee Community College Career Services Center. It will host a Government Job Search workshop from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11 in B307.

It is sponsored by the GCC Career Services Center and Wellness Center and is free and open to the public.

Attendees will learn how to: conduct a focused federal job search; read and understand the GS (general schedule); decipher the verbiage included in job postings and what to look for when evaluating job announcements.

In addition, the workshop will cover the importance of aligning skills with the KSA (knowledge, skills and abilities) and the federal resume, plus free resources that are available to assist in the federal job search, beginning with www.usajobs.gov <http://www.usajobs.gov>, and information on federal internships that can lead to a permanent career with the federal government.

Guest presenter for the workshop is Sharitta Gross, a program coordinator in the Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is also an adjunct professor at Monroe Community College, teaching remedial English, and has coordinated and facilitated career development workshops within the Rochester community.

She is a Certified Federal Career Counselor (CFCC) and Certified Job Search Trainer (CFJST). Over the past two years she developed a cross-campus initiative to educate RIT students and alumni, as well as faculty/staff on the federal job process. Along these same lines, she coordinates RIT's annual Federal and Public Service Career Fair and other on-campus federal sector employer related events.

"This workshop should be very informative to students and community members who are seeking a government job," said John McGowan, director of the Career Services Center at Genesee.

"Federal government jobs can be fairly complicated to acquire, but have many benefits to them. This workshop will hopefully take the uncertainty out of applying for and attaining a government job."

All community members are encouraged to attend this job-search event including current students, or soon-to-be college graduates, community members in a career transition, or seeking a career change, veterans seeking to leverage their military experience by obtaining a federal job and/or recently unemployed members of the community.

To register: stop by the Career Services Office at Batavia Main Campus: B201, call 345-6888, email: slburns@genesee.edu or register on-line: www.genesee.edu/career/events.

Genesee Community College has named Oakfield native Staci Williams as the new director of the Genesee Community College Association's Child Care Center.

Along with the assistance of the office manager, Patti Cassatt, she oversees the center in all aspects, including child enrollment, finances and budget and supervising teachers, assistant teachers, and work-study students.

She also works closely with the Office of Children and Family Services to keep the Center licensed and in compliance with New York State regulations.

"I am very happy to have settled here in the GCCA Child Care Center," Williams said. "I look forward to continuing the high level of care that the center currently offers. I also look forward to increasing our enrollment numbers and exploring our summer child care opportunities."

Not only is she an alum of Genesee, she previously worked for the college as a STAR coordinator from 2001-05.

In 2006, she worked as a lead teacher at Holley ABCD Child Care Center. She then made the transition to the public school system where she worked from 2006-2009 at Oakfield-Alabama Central School as a first- and fifth-grade teacher. Most recently, she was a first-grade teacher in the Newark Central School System for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Williams holds a master's degree in Early Childhood and Childhood Curriculum and Instruction from Buffalo State College, a bachelor's degree in Childhood Education from SUNY Geneseo, and an associate's degree in Elementary Education from Genesee Community College.

She lives in Oakfield with her husband, John, and their three daughters Kayleigh, Katelynn and Summer. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, scrapbooking, photography and spending time with her family.

“If media creates reality, what is your truth?”

That’s the question that Prevention Educator Laura Ricci of Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism & Substance Abuse (GCASA) wants to get young people thinking about.

Ricci teaches Media Literacy, an ongoing prevention program, to Genesee County students along with other GCASA staff. GCASA started implementing these presentations in the schools two years ago, and they are still going strong.

Holy Family School in Le Roy included the program in its Red Ribbon Week activities last week. Ricci came to teach two Media Literacy sessions – one to fourth- through sixth-graders, one for seventh- and eighth-graders.

Students were excited about the presentation and contributed by sharing stories about their own experiences.

“Laura did an excellent job presenting the information and getting students involved,” said Principal Kevin Robertson. “The presentation educated our students on the many types of media messages that so greatly affect them on a daily basis.”

Today’s youth are exposed to greater volumes of media input than any other generation, from television to radio, iPods, billboards, store advertisements, video games, magazines and the internet, and more.

The goal of the Media Literacy Program is to inform them about how they are being influenced by the media without realizing it, and to get them thinking independently and critically about the messages being conveyed by commercials, television shows, advertisements, etc.

Each presentation is age-appropriate, but all of them raise the same points and questions about media influence, with particular focus on how companies have used it to market alcohol and tobacco products.

The questions Ricci wants students to think about when watching a commercial or reading an advertisement are:

    •    Who created the message, and why?
    •    Who is the target audience? What suggests this?
    •    What is the text of the message (the actual words and pictures portrayed)?
    •    What tools of persuasion are used?
    •    What healthy/unhealthy messages are being communicated
    •    What part of the story is not being told?

She showed the students commercials and print advertisements that exemplified persuasive techniques such as beauty, humor, and fame/status.

Once she moved onto the cigarette ads, she talked about the target audience.

“People who smoke almost never switch brands,” Ricci said. “So when tobacco manufacturers (of any brand) advertise their products, they’re trying to get non-smokers to start smoking.”

“Media Literacy is a very important part of our activities during Red Ribbon Week,” Robertson said. “This is the first year we’ve done it, but it will continue each year from now on.”

For more information or to request a Media Literacy session at your school, call Shannon Ford at 815-1876.

Disclosure: Dan Crofts is employed by GCASA.

The Landmark Society of Genesee County will be hosting its annual meeting and  board elections at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at the First Presbyterian Church in Batavia. The guest speaker will be John Bero of Bero Architecture in Rochester.

He is an architect that has specialized in historic preservation for more than 30 years. He will be discussing architectural styles. From Greek Revival to Craftsman style, you will enjoy this informative presentation on what to look for when identifying the style of your house or building.

For more information about Bero Architecture, visit their website at www.beroarchitecture.com.

The presentation is FREE and open to the public. Anyone interested in joining  or supporting the Landmark Society are encouraged to attend.

Following the presentation will be a brief board meeting with board member elections.

To honor and recognize all active duty, guard, reserve, separated and retired veterans of all branches of the armed services, Genesee Community College is holding special programs in honor of Veteran's Day.

Celebrations to honor all veterans will take place on Veteran's Day, Nov. 11.

Genesee Community College has a rich history of serving veterans returning to school after serving their country and offers a scholarship to veterans through the GCC Foundation.

At the main campus in Batavia, a reception will be held in the Conable Technology Building Lobby from 12:30 – 2 p.m.

All of the college's veterans from all branches of military service, past and present, and including faculty, staff, students, administration and alumni are being asked to sign the college's U.S. Veteran's Book of Honor.

Each signatory will receive a patriotic ribbon. At 1 p.m, a salute to the flag by the Genesee County Joint Veterans Honor Guard will commence at the college's centrally located Clock Tower. Refreshments will be served throughout the celebration.

From 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. laptops will be set up in the Technology Building Lobby to send e-mail messages to troops serving abroad.

Additionally, a Wall of Honor will be posted from 10 to 2 p.m. on the college's video boards that will display photos of students, staff, family members and alumni that are United States veterans. Michael Perry, Television Production technician at Genesee has led the way for the Wall of Honor to grow each year as names and photos are added to the memorial.

Genesee student and Iraq War veteran Chad Cummings knows the value of attaining a college degree after serving his country. Originally from Boston, he settled in Batavia after serving in the Army for more than 13 years. He began his college career while still serving his country and attending classes through Jefferson County Community College. He made it a priority that when he finished his military career, he would finish his education.

While serving in the Army, Cummings was a Staff Sergeant and performed two tours of duty in Iraq as well as a tour in Bosnia. He completed his commitment to the military in July of 2008 and is scheduled to graduate from Genesee with a degree in Criminal Justice next month.

He hopes to take more classes in the spring to further his education before transferring to a four-year college. Cummings currently works at the INS Detention Center in Batavia and is balancing being a student and working to support his family.

"I'm finding it's challenging to balance going to class and fitting in work," Cummings said. "I'm lucky that I have the financial support from the GI Bill to complete my education. It's important for vets who don't qualify for full tuition reimbursement to have financial support from scholarships like the one GCC's foundation provides."

Cummings currently resides in Batavia with his wife, Lee, and their 3-year-old son Chase. His future plans include completing a bachelor's degree and one day working in local law enforcement.

The Genesee Community College Foundation offers a Veteran's Scholarship award for returning veterans, which augments federal benefits to help veterans obtain vital career training at the college.

For further information or to donate please contact Alice Weather at 343-0055, ext. 6539. Applications for the Veteran's Scholarship can be found online at: http://www.genesee.edu/index.cfm/general/dspArticle/financial.scholarships/.