/news-archive/tag/ua-ptc/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Wed, 09 May 2018 15:21:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2018/05/09/kenneth-edwards/ Wed, 09 May 2018 15:21:02 +0000 /news/?p=70474 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock grad wants to be 鈥渁 beacon of light鈥�]]> Kenneth Edwards鈥� path to college took many detours as he struggled to find out who he was and who he wanted to be. He鈥檚 done much soul searching over the past three years, and he鈥檚 found his answers. On May 12, Edwards of Little Rock will graduate cum laude with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in sociology during the University of Arkansas at Little Rock鈥檚 commencement at the Jack Stephens Center. He knows that his calling is a career working with youth, particularly those who are at-risk. He feels a connection to them because he was one of them for many years. Raised in Little Rock, Edwards spent much of his youth in and out of school and at times, homeless. 鈥淲hat I witnessed growing up was a lot of violence and drug,鈥� he said.聽 He found positive role models at (Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids), a Little Rock program that works to keep at-risk youth in school and on track to graduate. Edwards violated terms of attendance, though, and was kicked out of the program. At 15, he also left home and eventually dropped out of Central High School. 鈥淚 got detached from school and focused on making money,鈥� said Edwards, who went to work as a car detailer. He stayed with various relatives for periods of times, often not knowing where he would sleep at night. One of his aunts eventually took him to Clarksville, Tennessee, to live with her, but Edwards didn鈥檛 adjust well to the transition. 鈥淪he tried to keep me on target to graduate in 2009, but school wasn鈥檛 my main focus. I went from hustling to make ends meet to having everything at my fingertips. I was complacent. I wanted love and didn鈥檛 know how to receive it.鈥� With three months left to graduate, Edwards was expelled from school. He was able to finish his diploma through a homeschool academy. He moved back to Little Rock in 2010, this time intent on making some changes. He completed a nine-month program at Little Rock鈥檚 Union Rescue Mission where he focused on sobriety, discipline, and faith. He also completed a three-month, pre-employment training program through Our House. 鈥淓very time I felt like giving up, I had someone to prop me up,鈥� Edwards said. Knowing he needed an education, he enrolled in 糖心Vlog传媒-Pulaski Technical College and earned an Associate of Arts. With good grades, he received a transfer scholarship to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 2015. He originally wanted to be a teacher, but his sociology courses resonated with him. He credits sociology professors Dr. David Briscoe, Dr. Neveen Shafeek Amin, and Dr. Kinko Ito for helping him find his passion. 鈥淭hey changed my life and my mindset, literally,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 found meaning in sociology. I was able to heal from my lost victories through a different perspective. I think I鈥檓 able to see and empathize because I was shown empathy.鈥� In college, Edwards was part of of the TRiO program, which serves first-generation college students. 鈥淜enneth has continued to deal with and overcome formidable challenges and obstacles,鈥� said Dr. Ge Chen, director of TRiO programs at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淗e was determined to complete his bachelor degree. He has been working two jobs throughout his college years to cover education expenses, and he also has volunteered at local programs helping at-risk youth. He is a role model for many young people with similar backgrounds and experiences.鈥� Edwards has even been back to P.A.R.K – this time as a mentor for at-risk youth. Along the way, Edwards has also reconnected with his mother, Golden Edwards, who has returned to college after dropping out when she first had Edwards. She graduates May 11 from 糖心Vlog传媒-PTC and plans to continue her studies at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Edwards is now applying to graduate schools and hopes to earn a master鈥檚 degree in counseling education. Eventually, he wants to work with at-risk youth. 鈥淚 want to be here for these kids,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to be a beacon of light for them. I know that if you don鈥檛 change the environment, you become a product of it. I spent my whole life trying not to be a statistic.鈥�]]> /news-archive/2018/05/03/cliff-haney/ Thu, 03 May 2018 18:17:20 +0000 /news/?p=70420 ... Outstanding Marketing Award recipient ready to ‘hit the pavement’]]> When Cliff Haney graduated from high school, he didn鈥檛 plan on going to college. He wanted to start working right away. 鈥淚 thought I was going to hit the pavement and make my fortune selling real estate,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know that pavement was actually going to hit me. As it turns out, people who are making the biggest investment of their lives, don鈥檛 really trust an 18-year-old to handle such a large transaction.鈥� Rejection – and the realization that business skills could help him better succeed – eventually led him to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. He will graduate on May 12 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and a Professional Sales Certification. Haney is also the recipient of the 2018 College of Business Outstanding Marketing Student Award, which he received Friday, April 27, in a ceremony at the College of Business. 鈥淚t has been an amazing experience working with Cliff,鈥� said Dr. Lenita Davis, chair of the Department of Marketing and Advertising. 鈥淗e is very competitive and always strives to do his best and to be the best. Everyone in the college is familiar with Cliff鈥檚 drive and spirit of excellence and recognize him as being a leader.鈥� The award was all the more special to Haney because his grandfather, Eddie Langford of Maumelle, received the College of Business鈥� first Outstanding Marketing Student Award in 1985 and was at the award presentation. Haney credits his grandfather with being his lifelong mentor. Langford dropped out of school in 8th grade and went to work putting up ceiling tiles. At age 34, though, he injured his back and couldn鈥檛 do the physically demanding work. He enrolled at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to learn skills that could help him earn a living. He chose business, and when he left 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, he went back to work, selling ceiling tiles and later was part owner of an acoustical supply business. Haney points to the S-shaped silver acoustical panels that hang from the ceiling of the College of Business atrium. 鈥淪ee those,鈥� Haney said. 鈥淢y grandfather designed, built, and installed those.鈥� Haney has a work ethic like this grandfather. After he graduated from North Little Rock High School in 2012, he got his real estate license and was ready to work, but he quickly discovered that selling was tougher than he expected. 鈥淚鈥檇 never faced rejection before, but I was facing 聽rejection on a daily basis,鈥� Haney said. 鈥淚 had to learn how to overcome that.鈥� He enrolled at 糖心Vlog传媒 -Pulaski Technical College in 2014 and earned his Associate of Science in Business in 2016. 鈥淚 paid for my first semester, and after that, I applied for so many scholarships that I鈥檝e gotten paid to go to school ever since,鈥� he said. With high grades, he received the Shelby Breedlove transfer scholarship to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock that sealed the deal. 鈥淲hen I came here, I had two goals: make good grades and save money,鈥� he said. Shannon Gwinn, director of the Center for Student and Career Services, persuaded Haney to see the bigger picture. 鈥淪he encouraged me to get involved with groups and really got me plugged in,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was about building a network, about building relationships with professors. They all had successful corporate careers before they came here, and they have taught me lessons that I don鈥檛 have to learn the hard way.鈥� Haney is an Ambassador for the College of Business and the first student member of the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Sales Board. He鈥檚 co-president of the Student Marketing Association and vice president of , the college-level organization of Future Business Leaders of America. He will travel to the national Phi Beta Lambda conference in June to complete in the interview competition. Since August 2017, Haney has been the coordinator of the State Farm Business Skills Lab, a place where student learn effective communication skills. 鈥淪tudents come in and we鈥檒l role play job interviews, sales pitches, presentations, and speeches. We record it, review it, and find ways to improve,鈥� Haney said. Seeing it on camera makes students aware of their gestures, body language, speed of delivery and other things that could be distracting to the listeners – and potential customers. Earlier in April, he competed in the 鈥淪old in 60 Seconds鈥� competition, winning second place and 聽$500. Last summer, he lived in London, England, and worked for , developing an app for people with disabilities to use to locate accessible buildings. He also traveled to Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, Paris and Switzerland. Working and traveling abroad also led him to a realization – that Central Arkansas is home and where he wants to work. 鈥淕rowing up in North Little Rock, I always wanted to go somewhere bigger,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 did that. I went to London. I missed family, friends, and the sense of community. I want to stay here and help grow Little Rock into what it can be.鈥� For now, graduate school isn鈥檛 in his future plans. A job in sales or sales training is calling him, and he鈥檚 once again ready to work. 鈥淚鈥檓 ready to get out there and hit the pavement once again.鈥�  ]]> /news-archive/2018/04/24/kuar-ed-stilley/ Tue, 24 Apr 2018 23:01:33 +0000 /news/?p=70312 ... K糖心Vlog传媒R to host live recording featuring folk art of Ed Stilley]]> K糖心Vlog传媒R鈥檚 Arts & Letters program will host a live recording Thursday, April 26, about Kelly Mulhollan鈥檚 book 鈥淭rue Faith, True Light: The Devotional Art of Ed Stilley.鈥� 聽 The event begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall. , who have played with Paul Simon and Bob Dylan, will provide the music. In his book, Mulhollan documents the life of Ed Stilley, a farmer from Hogscald Hollow, Arkansas, who created more than 200 musical instruments from found objects: a rusty door hinge, a steak bone, a stack of dimes, springs, saw blades, pot lids, metal pipes, glass bottles, aerosol cans鈥攁nything he could use to build a working guitar, fiddle, or dulcimer. On each instrument Stilley inscribed 鈥淭rue Faith, True Light, Have Faith in God.鈥� Mulhollan has collected some of Stilley鈥檚 hand-crafted instruments, which Polygraph Lounge鈥檚 Rob Schwimmer, Mark Stewart, and Melissa Fathman will play. Tickets are $10. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and 糖心Vlog传媒-Pulaski Tech faculty, staff and students get in free. Call 569-3294 or purchase online Friends of the Arts will host a reception with light hors d鈥檕euvres and beverages from 6:30鈥�7:30 p.m. This event, which is part of the Chancellor’s Concert Series, is sponsored by Arts & Letters Radio, K糖心Vlog传媒R, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Department of Music, The Friends of the Arts, The College of Arts, Letters and Sciences, and the College of Social Sciences and Communication.]]>