Meridian Community College

YOU'VE GOT THE KEY! MCC celebrated first-generation students at Ivy-Scaggs Mall, where students picked up first-gen keychains and connected with Family Services & Student Support, which organized the event.

Being the first in your family to attend college is something to be proud of. We’re proud of our first-gen Eagles and all they’re working to achieve.

SERVSAFE FOOD SEMINAR. Gain the knowledge and training needed for food safety, including sanitation, food flow through operations, and more.

Date: November 14
Time: 8am – 5pm
Location: MCC-Riley Workforce Development Center, Room 123
Fee: $150 / Retest only is $60

Register today at workforce.meridiancc.edu.

SMITH EARNS CDL EXAMINER CERTIFICATION. After two years of training, Micheal Smith has earned certification as a third-party commercial driver’s license examiner for Meridian Community College, expanding the college’s capacity to administer CDL skills exams.

The achievement adds a new responsibility to Smith’s role as an instructor in MCC’s Commercial Truck Driving Program. In addition to preparing students for careers behind the wheel, he is now qualified to evaluate the skills required to earn a CDL.

“This has been a lengthy process that required a lot of training, time, and commitment on his part,” said Jimmy Rigdon, MCC Commercial Truck Driving Program coordinator and Industrial Technology Division chair.

Rigdon said Smith’s certification gives MCC another examiner and will benefit students as they work toward earning their licenses.

For Smith, mastering the precise testing limits and specifications was the most challenging part of the certification process. Completing it was both a personal goal and an opportunity to help the program move forward.

As an examiner, Smith also hopes to help students feel more comfortable during the inspection, maneuvers, and road portions of the exam.

“I hear the words ‘test anxiety’ too much,” Smith said.

His goal is to create a relaxed testing atmosphere while students demonstrate their skills.

Smith brings decades of driving experience to his work. He began driving on dirt roads in 1990, and his background includes construction and land clearing, 17 years of over-the-road driving, and more than 1 million consecutive safe miles. He has also driven a church bus and dispatched nightly bread routes.

He said watching students build their knowledge and seeing their excitement when they pass the exam are among the most rewarding parts of teaching.

MCC’s eight-week Commercial Truck Driving Program combines classroom instruction with road driving. Students study safety, U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, shifting, logbooks, trip paperwork, map reading, and cargo handling.

A truck driving simulator helps students prepare for road training, and each student logs at least 20 hours behind the wheel with different loads and driving conditions. Students must pass the DOT commercial driver written examination and obtain a CDL. Those who complete the initial training can enroll in an internship, working under a company trainer for up to eight weeks.

Smith encourages prospective students to ask questions, consider how truck driving fits their goals, and give the training their best effort.

“When you look back years from now, be able to be proud of your decisions,” he said.

For more information, visit meridiancc.edu/truckdriving.

DINE OUT. GIVE BACK. MCC's Honors College and Phi Theta Kappa invite you to join us at Mugshots Grill & Bar for a Give Back Spirit Night.

Grab dinner - dine in or take out - and 10% of eligible sales during the event will be donated to support Honors College and PTK programs and student activities.

📅 November 3 | 5pm - close
📍 Mugshots Grill & Bar

Every meal helps support MCC students.

RESTOCK THE MCC PANTRY. The Margaret Taylor Blalock Resource Center is collecting food and household items to help keep the pantry stocked for MCC students.

Gather your department, program, team, or group of friends and join our food drive benefiting MCC's Pantry. The group that collects the most will earn a trophy, holiday treat basket, and bragging rights.

Donations are Due November 12, from 8am-4pm.

Register your team and see the list of needed items at meridiancc.edu/pantry.

FEDERAL RESERVE EXECUTIVE SHARES ECONOMIC OVERVIEW WITH MCC LEADERS. Adrienne Slack, coordinating regional executive and vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, gave Meridian Community College’s President’s Cabinet members an overview of economic matters during a cabinet work session.

Slack oversees the Atlanta Fed’s economic network program across six offices. She also works with the New Orleans Branch’s board of directors and the district’s Energy Advisory Council. She advises community and economic development and shares regional insights that help guide the Atlanta Fed’s monetary policy process.

MCC President’s Cabinet members in turn offered feedback on a variety of economy-related items.

“Understanding the economy helps us make informed decisions about how we serve our students and community,” said MCC President Dr. Tom Huebner. “We appreciate Adrienne sharing her knowledge and helping us see how regional economic trends connect to our work at MCC.”

The President’s Cabinet is the senior leadership team that helps manage the College’s daily operations and advises the president on campus and community issues affecting MCC. Cabinet members also supervise their respective areas on the president’s behalf. Cabinet members include Dr. Lara Collum, vice president for workforce solutions and dean of nursing; Dr. Cedric Gathings, vice president for student affairs and dean of students; Dr. Leia Hill, chief of staff, vice president for institutional advancement and operations, on and executive director of the MCC Foundation; Lucy Lamberth, vice president for financial services and chief financial officer; Will Nathan, vice president for enrollment services and institutional technology and chief technology officer; and Michael Thompson, vice president for academic affairs.

Visit meridiancc.edu for more information.

GIVE BLOOD. SAVE LIVES. Meridian Community College will host a blood drive on November 2 & 3 from 9am-1pm in the Graham Gymnasium parking lot.

All donors will receive a free T-shirt. Roll up your sleeve and help make a difference.

Schedule your donation at msblood.us/webdonor/ and use code DN12. Donors must have a valid ID.

FALL BACK. Don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour before bed. Enjoy that extra hour of sleep, Eagles!

CANDY CRUISE WINNERS. Another Candy Cruise is in the books. The MCC teams had some amazing creativity!

Congratulations to this year's booth winners:
🥇 1st Place - Workforce Grants & Development
🥈 2nd Place - Radiologic Technology
🥉 3rd Place - Physical Therapist Assistant

Thank you to our faculty, staff, and students who decorated, handed out candy, and made Candy Cruise such a great night.