- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Single mother works hard to provide better life for her son

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 16:18:15 +0000

When Emily “Addie” McClenny gave birth to her son, Phariss, seven years ago, that was the moment she decided to go back to college. “He’s the reason I do any of this,” McClenny, of Little Rock, said. “The sole reason to come back to college was to give my son and I a chance at a better life.” McClenny has faced several hardships since starting at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2014. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in applied communication and a minor in information technology on Dec. 16 in the Jack Stephens Center. During her second semester, McClenny went blind in her left eye in spring 2015, which led to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. “My first treatment didn’t go so well, and I was in and out of the hospital three times,” she said. “The last time I left the hospital in a wheelchair and started the fall 2016 semester having to learn to walk again. I was in physical therapy for three months.” McClenny is very grateful to friends and family members who stepped in to help take care of her and her son. “I am grateful to all my friends and family who stepped up to help make this degree possible,” she said. “You really feel down when you can’t take care of your own child. I wouldn’t have stayed in school if it wasn’t for their support. Being a single parent, it truly takes more than just myself. That is why I work so hard.” Her hard work, academic excellence, and perseverance has led McClenny to receive the Making a Difference award from the Department of Applied Communication, the Outstanding Student award from the Department of Information Technology, and the Scholar of the Year award from the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Pulaski County. McClenny cites the staff at the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Pulaski County, which awards $900 a semester to single parents to be used for living expenses and child care, with being one of the reasons she was able to stay in college. “They helped me stay in contact with my professors and got me connected with disability resources and helped me go through all these things to keep me successful in my coursework,” she said. “They are the only scholarship I know that does that.” Despite the hardships she has faced, McClenny has worked hard and come out on top. She has worked for the Communication Skill Center, the Department of Applied Communication, and the Division of Student Affairs. Additionally, she has served as president of the National Lambda Pi Eta, honor society of the National Communications Association, and is a member of three more honor societies, Phi Kappa Phi, Delta Epsilon Iota, and National Society of Collegiate Scholars. McClenny isn’t finished with her education. She will begin a master’s degree in education program focusing on learning systems technology in January and will work as a graduate assistant in the Division of Student Affairs. After earning her master’s degree, McClenny wants to help faculty and students by creating online courses. “My goal is to make educators’ lives easier by creating online curriculum, and I want to help students with different learning styles be able to master those courses,” she said. “I want to transform the in-class experience to an online platform.”

Williams completes degree 15 years after being accepted to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 14:15:18 +0000

In 2002, after taking a gap year, Alexis Parker Williams had been accepted to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and was ready to take the next step in her life. “I chose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock because it is in the metropolitan area, and it is a good school locally and regionally,” she said. “I felt like ��Vlog��ý Little Rock would be the tried and true best route for me.” Life got in the way of Williams’ carefully laid-out college plans. “I applied for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and my mom got sick after that, so I didn’t attend,” she said. “I took another year, and then I started at Pulaski Tech and did a year there. Then I got married and started a family.” After 15 years since first applying to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Williams will graduate Dec. 16 at Jack Stephens Center with a bachelor’s degree in applied communication. “It is very rewarding to get to the finish line, but it has taken everything to get to this point,” Williams said. “I am graduating with honors. I try to show excellence in everything that I do.” During a decade of what Williams refers to as her “period of obscurity,” she had four beautiful children – James III, Joshua, Jonathan, and Naomi – and started a family home construction business with her husband, James, where she works as the business administrator. “I am extremely grateful for God’s grace and my husband’s patience,” she said. “I am humbled because so many mommies put themselves last for the betterment of their families. They often don’t get the recognition and praise they deserve for the contributions inside their homes.” In 2014, Williams completed another year of college at Pulaski Tech before transferring to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in fall 2015. While on campus, she completed an internship with the Communication Skill Center, which helps students with brainstorming, research, organization, outlining, and PowerPoint/Prezi presentations.

Alexis Williams helps a student in the Communication Skill Center. Photo by Lonnie Timmons III/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications.

Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, chair of the De partment of Applied Communication, described Williams as one of the most compassionate and giving students she has ever met. “She has served as a dedicated intern in the Communication Skill Center and often goes above and beyond to help students,” Chatham-Carpenter said. “Alexis is beautiful inside and out, and I am proud to have gotten to know her. She has made me a better person by having gotten to know her.” This semester, Williams interned with, a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with local congregations to offer homeless families shelter, meals, transportation, and case management. Williams worked as the internal communication coordinator. “I would highly recommend most students do an internship,” said Williams, who plans to attend graduate school in fall 2018. “It would highly help in getting out of the classroom and putting your skills to use in the real world. Both internships really helped me develop my professional skills.” When she graduates, Williams will have her “cheering section,” including her husband, four children, a brother traveling from Mississippi, and a sister coming from Oklahoma. “I am humbled to have been able to pour my effort into my children and husband, but also to have this experience for myself. It makes me very proud,” she said. “I’ve spent a lot of years watching my peers go on and do great things in life while I was changing a diaper or running to parent-teacher meetings. It is very humbling, and I am grateful.” In the upper right photo, Alexis Williams is ready for commencement. Photo by Randall Lee.

Communication Skill Center to celebrate semester’s start Sept. 1

Jenny Lambert — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 18:13:39 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus community is invited to join the Communication Skill Center for its fall kick-off Friday, Sept. 1. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to noon in the Speech Building, Room 201. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and greet the center’s staff, as well as enjoy a variety of snacks and door prizes. With the help of devoted professors and well-informed graduate assistants, the skill center provides students with ample resources to create speeches or presentations from beginning to end. This semester, operating hours for the center’s main location will be 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday. The center’s satellite location in the Ottenheimer Library student computer lab will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Tuesday. For more information or to book an appointment, visit the Communication Skill Center online.

Community Connection Center to hold Service-Learning Academy

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 24 May 2016 21:14:42 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Community Connection Center will hold a Service-Learning Academy for ��Vlog��ýLR faculty members and instructors interested in integrating service learning into their courses. The workshop will run from 9 to 11 a.m. June 6-9 in the ��Vlog��ýLR University District Building. Full-time faculty members and instructors will have the chance to earn a $1,000 stipend for successful completion of the workshop and a service-learning course. Led by Dr. Kristen McIntyre, director of the Communication Skill Center, the academy will cover all aspects of adapting a course into a service-learning course, including learning outcomes and assessment, working with community partners, reflection activities, and liability and access issues. Full-time faculty and instructors who participate in all academy sessions and complete a course syllabus and teaching plan will receive a $500 stipend. They will be given an additional $500 stipend after teaching a service-learning course and providing feedback. For more information, contact Betsy Hart at edhart@ualr.edu or 501.569.3424.

Free campus service helps students with public speaking

Taylor Aldana — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 16:47:27 +0000

At the Communication Skill Center, University of Arkansas at Little Rock students learn to take the panic out of public speaking. One of the oldest university student communication help centers in the nation, the center is devoted to aiding campus and online students with all stages of the presentation process so they become more comfortable and confident speakers. “All students are welcome in the CSC whether they’re working on a presentation, working on other course work, or just need a friendly place to eat lunch,” said Kristen McIntyre, director. Located in Speech Building 201, the Communication Skill Center (CSC) offers free services in anxiety management, brainstorming, research, organization, outlining, and PowerPoint/Prezi presentations. “School is hard at any age, but having a place of refuge on campus is a blessing,” said past intern Sayra Crandall. “I learned that kindness goes a long way, and everyone appreciates a helping hand.” The center has PC and Mac computers, printers, and small tables for group meetings. In addition to helping students on site, the center also offers communication workshops both on and off campus. The staff includes graduate and undergraduate communication students who applied and interviewed for the positions. Staff members participate in a rigorous eight-hour training day before classes begin and meet weekly for additional training. “Working in the CSC, I learned to not judge a book by its cover,” said graduate assistant Shelby Owens. “I once thought, ‘I am the intern here helping other students understand material.’ But what happened, on multiple instances, is that the students taught me something when I thought I knew it all. Everyone in the CSC is learning from one another. And this connection is what makes me love the CSC.” About 80 percent of the 1,500 visits to the center each semester involve students who have majors other than speech communication. The center’s hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday. Appointments are available, but walk-ins are welcome. For more information, call 501-569-8208 or send an email to communication.skill.center@gmail.com. Information may also be found on the Communication Skill Center webpage.