Author: mbrown

Don’t lose momentum due to the summer slide!

Staying academically engaged – even if it’s just a few hours each week, prevents learning loss. Plus, with Workshop Wednesdays, students can gain important skills that will help with college access and job skills!

Workshop Wednesdays is a summer program designed to prepare rising high school seniors for their college admissions journey, or to move directly to the workforce. Sessions focus on key aspects of the application process, strengthening student skills and confidence when applying to college, applying for scholarships, or applying for a job.

Crosby Scholars can attend one or all of the six sessions:

JUNE 10 – Essay Writing – Brainstorming Topics

Students learn to assess essay prompts and gain insights on applying their own ideas and life stories to craft a compelling response. Session topics include the benefits of talking with others about ideas, effective note taking, and techniques to expand on an idea to craft a convincing narrative.

JUNE 17 – ACT/SAT Test Prep

In this strategy focused session, students review key SAT concepts, learn time saving techniques, and practice test-taking skills. This helps build confidence, improve performance, and reduce stress leading into test day. These sessions are conducted by Quest College Prep & Tutoring, an organization that provides paid standardized test preparation. Crosby Scholars covers the session fees, however, offering this service at no charge for our students.  

JULY 8 – Financial Aid & Scholarship Session

This year, Workshop Wednesdays will introduce a Financial Aid and Scholarship session—the most requested topic from both parents and students. This session is designed to guide students through the basics of FAFSA, the different types of financial aid, scholarship search strategies, and tips for submitting strong, competitive applications.

JULY 15 – Common App Navigation

Students receive a step-by-step overview of the Common App, which serves as a one-stop portal for students to apply to college, research financial aid and scholarships, and connect to college counseling resources. More than 1,100 institutions are represented through the app across all 50 states.

JULY 22 – Resume & Job Search Skills Session

Another new session this year will focus on Resume and Job Search Skills, which will serve two groups:

1. Those planning to enter the workforce directly
2. Students who intend to work while attending college

This session will focus on resume building, how to interpret job postings, understanding required skills and credentials, and recognizing how education, certifications, and degrees connect to long‑term career pathways.

JULY 29 – Essay Writing – Final Draft Review

Students receive feedback on their draft essays, with particular attention to structure, clarity, voice, and impact. This session helps students build upon lessons from the brainstorming session, to refine their work into polished, admissions ready essays that communicate authenticity and purpose.

In celebration of 10 years of Iredell Crosby Scholars, we’re also celebrating some of the families that have been our most consistent participants and supporters. The Morris Family certainly fits that description.

From Iredell Crosby Scholars’ first Open House to toy drives for children, from chaperoning college tours to volunteering at Carolina Balloonfest, Ayana and her entire family are amazing members of our Crosby community. “They have always given back to the community and given back to our organization,” says Iredell Crosby Scholars Jr./Sr. Program Manager Jenniffer Jamison.

A’zaiah and Anaya graduated high school in 2023. A’zaiah has joined the workforce. Anaya is studying culinary arts at Mitchell Community College. Alaya, is a 12^th grader at South Iredell High School.

Three generations of the Morris family recently participated in the Iredell Crosby Scholars Fall Frenzy 5K. Alaya was captured cheering her grandmother across the finish line! Plus, with her family’s consistent volunteerism for Crosby Scholars at the annual Carolina Balloonfest event, Alaya appeared alongside Jenniffer Jamison to receive our donation check from Balloonfest organizers.

As a part of a new program to train students in highly desirable “soft skills,” Crosby Scholars gathered students and members of the Iredell County business community for a networking luncheon yesterday.

Elevate: Building Skills for Business Success is a program partially funded by a grant from the Foundation For The Carolinas. Students previously took part in self-paced, virtual, and in-person workshops to learn soft skills like communication, presentation, networking and etiquette. Those skills were on display during yesterday’s gathering, with students and business leaders mingling, networking, and making connections.

Held at the Gatherings Catering and Event Center in Statesville, the luncheon provided a real-world scenario for students to apply what they’ve learned through Elevate, from table etiquette to making conversation in a business environment.

The featured speaker was Richard Totten, Organizational Development Professional at Goodwill Industries of Northwest NC. Totten spoke about the value of networking and making connections, providing four R’s to guide students:

👉 Reflection: Make sure that when you look in the mirror, you believe in the person you see. You can’t sell yourself to a prospective employer unless you recognize and believe in your own value.
👉 Relationships: You must be willing to reach out and make connections, even when it’s uncomfortable.
👉 Repetition: Keep up with your relationships. Text your connections. Message them. Like and comment on social media. And do so when you have nothing to ask of that person. Otherwise, you risk becoming what Totten called a “AAA,” meaning someone for whom there is, “Always An Ask.”
👉 Rubber: Be resilient. Bounce back. If you are turned down for a job, don’t allow that diminish your belief in your own value.

Students were given the opportunity to connect with attending members of the business community through LinkedIn, forming professional relationships to help them in the future.

The gathering also included a shout-out for Xavier, an attending student, celebrating his birthday!

A final Elevate session will be held for students in January to review all that was learned from the business luncheon.

Thanks so much to those members of the business community that stepped up to support student success in Iredell County!

View photos from the event below.

You can also CLICK HERE to view photos from our Oct. 29, 2025 Elevate Workshop, where students learned the essentials of presenting themselves in a professional environment.

Celebrating Iredell Crosby Scholar’s 10^th Anniversary

For the Ingrams, it’s a family affair!

Isabelle Ingram, a Crosby Scholar alumni and 2022 graduate of Lake Norman High School, was recently featured on social media by UNC Wilmington’s Center for Marine Science. She’s pursuing her master’s degree and working as part of the college’s DrugDiscovery Group.

This work includes using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to conduct a range of chemical science research, clarifying natural and synthetic compounds to discover possible advances in cancer therapy.

Isabelle has the distinction of being the only student to work in the DrugDiscovery Group during her time as an undergraduate, and she’s happy to continue her work as a graduate student.

Isabelle joined Iredell County Crosby Scholars in the program’s first year, 2015. She stuck with it, and was part of the first graduating class to have been in the program since 6^th grade.

But this isn’t just about Isabelle.

She’s one of three Ingram siblings who have all been Crosby Scholars!

Isabelle’s older brother, Casey, graduated in 2018. He attended Western Carolina University, studied computer programming, and now works for a contractor with Amazon.

Isabell’s younger brother, Nathanial, is a now a sophomore at Langtree High. He takes courses at Mitchell Community College and is on the soccer, cross-country and track teams, all while maintaining a 4.3 GPA.

In our tenth year, Crosby Scholars of Iredell County has come a long way. And the Ingram siblings are certainly a part of that great legacy.

STATESVILLE, NC – July 1, 2025 – Crosby Scholars of Iredell County is welcoming a new Executive Director as the non-profit college access program prepares for the 2025-26 school year. Jennifer Christian takes on the leadership role, effective July 1, following the retirement of longtime Executive Director Suzanne Wegmiller.

“I am excited to continue the work that has been done by the Crosby Scholars team, our Board, and our Volunteers,” shared Christian. “It is an exciting time for Crosby as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary serving students in the Iredell County community.”

Christian has served as Iredell County Crosby Scholars’ High School Program Coordinator since 2021, leading student-centered programming while collaborating with staff in our public schools and public charter schools in our community. Her passion for public education, however, precedes her time with Crosby Scholars.

Christian is a decade-long volunteer with PTO organizations at numerous schools in Iredell County. She has helped generate funding for student initiatives and teacher support. Her service as Chair of the Iredell County Education Facilities Task Force and as a member of Our Schools First has helped secure more than $125 million in capital investments for local schools and community college facilities.

She currently serves as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of the Piedmont and continues her long-standing service as a Girl Scout Troop Leader.

While reflecting on education in Iredell County, Christian says, “I live here, my children go to school here, and I care about how we support our students and all of the teachers and staff that support them, too.”

In prior roles, Jennifer held senior marketing and communications leadership positions with healthcare organizations and PR agencies, where she developed campaigns, led corporate communication strategy, and managed brand portfolios. Her early career in broadcast media gave her an understanding of audience engagement and campaign execution. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Broadcast Journalism and a Master of Business Administration degree.

A reception for departing Executive Director Suzanne Wegmiller was held last week, honoring her decade of service with the organization. She will remain as a consultant through Aug. 1 to provide a smooth transition.

Wegmiller has been leading Iredell County Crosby Scholars since its founding in 2015, establishing student programs, building relationships in the county’s two school systems and creating partnerships with local and statewide student support groups.

Under her guidance, Iredell County Crosby Scholars has benefited more than 7000 students, awarded more than $250,000 in scholarships, and celebrated more than 1700 program graduates. The program has hosted hundreds of academic and career exploration sessions, reviewed thousands of student essays, and hosted campus visits to dozens of colleges. The community has also benefited. As a part of the program requirements, Iredell Crosby Scholars have completed more than 100,000 hours of local volunteer service.

Wegmiller’s influence will also continue in the future, with the newly created Wegmiller Volunteer Learning Scholarship. It is a $500 renewable scholarship for graduates of the Iredell Crosby Scholars program. Qualifying students must create a 400 to 500-word essay detailing lessons learned through volunteer service. Students must also maintain a 2.0 GPA.

“When I was in college, I was lucky to receive a scholarship through a community program in my hometown”, stated Wegmiller. “I’m thrilled to be able to offer this same kind of help to local Crosby Scholars.  My family and I are proud to continue our support with this scholarship knowing that Jennifer will lead the program to new levels of excellence and success.”

CONTACT:

Mark Brown, Marketing and Engagement Coordinator

mbrown@crosbyscholarsiredell.com

336-247-3285

We are told that A.I. (artificial intelligence) is revolutionizing the workforce. The effects are already being felt in virtually every corner of the job market. 

As A.I. grows in importance, two more letters will also become essential to the workplace skill sets – E.I.

E.I., or emotional intelligence will become even more highly valued in the future, no matter the job you take or the career you pursue.

Here’s why.

A.I. is expected to take an increasingly larger share of the workplace workload. And as these changes take place, employers will seek skills technology can’t replace. That’s according to Bill Daggett, founder of the Successful Practices Network and International Center for Leadership in Education. Daggett spoke at Iredell Ready’s Annual Workforce Forum March 28. 

Employees displaying honesty, trust, teamwork and motivation will be better positioned for success, according to Daggett, who urged school systems to support developing those skills in students.

He says AI will eliminate the most tedious administrative tasks, with workers focusing on decision-making, based on critical thinking and analysis. 

A recent CNBC report on AI and the workforce agrees. The most successful employees of the future will be able to:

• Handle and deliver constructive feedback
• Manage conflict
• Have critical conversations with urgency
• Work cross-functionally by persuading peers and other leaders
• Effectively present ideas to leaders above them

This isn’t to say that technological skills should be ignored. Technology will exist everywhere. But that technology will be driven by people.

And as artificial intelligence continues to expand, emotionally intelligent employees will need to keep the pace. Make sure you make time to develop those skills, even as you train for a more A.I.-integrated workplace.

TWO MONTHS TO GO! How to finish the school year strong!

For a deeper dive on this article from School Habits, click here. 

1. What is your current situation?

Know where you stand. Are your grades in a good place? Are you struggling? It’s not too late to make things better. And we know it might be tough, but talk to your teachers or your counselor. If you’re willing to help yourself, they’ll help you do it.

• If you have one class that’s an issue, you know where to focus. 
• If you’re struggling in more than one class, figure out where you should focus to make the most improvement. 
• Are you missing assignments? Ask if you can get partial credit. 

2. Pick a goal. 

If you don’t have a target, you don’t know where to aim. 

• Do you want to go from a C to a B in science? Find out what you can do, like turning in missing work or going above and beyond on a final project.
• Is your goal to maintain your grades, but do really well on finals? Create a study plan and stick to it. 

3. Prepare for finals and final projects – NOW! 

Do you want to finish on a good note? Start prepping now! 

• Two months may seem like a long time, but it’s not. Taking 20 minutes of study each weekday can pay off in a big way.
• If you have a final project, start now. Figure out obstacles you’ll face, while you still have time to overcome them. You’ll thank yourself later when other students are stressing over that deadline. 

4. Show up. 

We get it. The sun is out. The weather is warm. There are a lot of things you’d rather be doing. But don’t get distracted now. Show up to class, physically and mentally. Remember, this is your last chance to:

• Pull up your grades 
• Earn class participation points 
• Strengthen your connections with teachers

Plus, you DON’T want to miss assignments and deadlines that could tank your grade at the last minute. 

5. Work WITH your teachers. 

Keep a good relationship with your teachers, especially as the year finishes up. Teachers can be really helpful in your future. They can provide letters of recommendation for college applications, job applications, or internship opportunities. And they might even be talking to the teachers you’ll have next year. Having a good relationship with your teacher now might result in getting off to a great start with next year’s teachers in the fall. 🙂