From Freshman to Senior Year

by Stephanie D., Panther Blogger

Going into my freshman year at Ferrum College, I never thought I would succeed as much as I did.  Freshman year is all about adjustment to life on your own, new people, and new living conditions.  Luckily, this was all made very easy by the faculty and staff.  I've been a cheerleader since my freshman year, and playing a sport really got me on track.  Not only did it get me on campus a week early, which helped me learn the college better, but it also provided structure in my day-to-day routine.  I was able to attend team study halls, which helped with my grades, and I made friends with upperclassmen.

Now, it's my senior year and I have been accepted into Radford University's Criminal Justice Graduate Program!  I could not have done this without the preparation that Ferrum has given me. The outstanding resources, the academic atmosphere, and the faculty who helped me get to where I wanted to be really showed me that dreams could come true.  I am so thankful for the experience that Ferrum gave me as an undergraduate that I would recommend Ferrum to any and every senior in high school I meet.

From freshman year to senior year, there were bumps along the way, but at Ferrum, the motto is "Not Self, But Others" and this was implemented by my peers and professors to help me succeed and get the most I could out of my education.  I couldn't be more excited to graduate and further my education at Radford, but I will truly be heartbroken when I miss Ferrum because this is where I found who I'm supposed to be.  I can't wait to call myself a Ferrum alumna!

"Stacks for the Kids" Fundraiser with ZXE

by Brett W., Panther Blogger

On November 3rd, Zeta Chi Epsilon was making stacks on stacks...of pancakes!  This sorority that I "sweetheart" for has a fundraiser every semester for our philanthropy, The Child Advocacy Center in Rocky Mount. The fundraiser is called Stacks for the Kids.  It's held in Confetti's, which is on the bottom floor of Bassett, a dorm on campus.  Confetti's has everything from a kitchen to couches to big screen TVs!  Tickets were sold in the Franklin Hall atrium for a couple of weeks before the event.  A $2 ticket got the purchaser a plate of three pancakes or wait what...three waffles!  Tickets became $3 at the door, $1 for another plate once they were there, and 100% of the proceeds went to the philanthropy.

The night started off wonderfully with the Bassett fire alarm going off at 7 p.m. (the intended start time of the fundraiser), but finally we were able to get back down there and keep cooking!  ZXE provided all of the toppings, such as butter, syrup, whipped cream, strawberries, bananas, and even had coffee with all of the fixings.

A wide variety of people showed up, from students to professors to family, and at the end of the night, we raised enough money to donate $100 to the Child Advocacy Center of Rocky Mount.  A professor who is on the Advising Panel for this organization said she could not have been more pleased with what we were doing and how much it meant to her and the children.

Overall, the night was filled with fun and excitement, as well as the joy of knowing we were doing something good for others just like Ferrum's motto says: "Not Self, But Others."  So be on the lookout each semester here on out for campus mail talking about Stacks for the Kids, and I hope to see everyone there!

Minds-N-Medicine Hosts a Blood Drive

by Paige R., Panther Blogger

On Wednesday, March 26th and Thursday, March 27th, the Minds-N-Medicine Club hosted a Virginia Blood Services Blood Drive in the YMCA.  Virginia Blood Services provides blood to the local community.  Every unit of blood that is donated can save up to three lives, directly fulfilling Ferrum's motto:  "Not Self, But Others."

As the President of the Minds-N-Medicine Club, assisting with the organization of the Blood Drive has become very special to me.  Up until the time I went to Zambia (check my video blog about that trip!), I donated blood at all of Ferrum's blood drives.  I am currently on deferral, but I will be able to donate again in August.

Daniel donating blood for
the first time.

Sticker that Virginia Blood Services
gives to blood donors.

Before each Blood Drive, our club holds sign-ups on campus.  One of my friends, Daniel, signed up to donate blood for the first time during this Blood Drive.  He signed up to donate during my lunch break, so I went and sat with him while he donated.

Virginia Blood Services
40-year anniversary t-shirt

Minds-N-Medicine Club member
Josh donating blood.

This experience was so rewarding for me because I had the opportunity to see Ferrum students taking a step to save lives.  While I observed students donating blood, I saw something change in them when they realized that what they were doing was going to make a significant impact on another person.  This event made me so proud of what the Minds-N-Medicine Club does and even more proud of the selflessness of Ferrum students.  Although this was the last Blood Drive I'll ever have the opportunity to assist with at Ferrum College, I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to see my peers make a difference.

Serving Others with the Lions Club

by Jessa K., Panther Blogger

Being in a club on campus can be very time-consuming and hard to juggle especially when combined with other things like classes and jobs.  Being the president of a club or holding any office for that matter can be a serious challenge because, like somebody told Spiderman, "with great power comes great responsibility."  He really wasn't joking.  I am currently the president of the Ferrum College Lions Branch Club on campus and it is an all-consuming job, yet it is the most rewarding I have ever had.

Lions International is a health-based community service organization with a focus on vision, hearing, and diabetes.  Our club has tried very hard to stick to these main focus points, and we really try to remain true to the Lions International motto:  "We Serve."  Like Ferrum's motto, it does not get much simpler than that, yet it is so profound.  We do serve. We serve our communities, our country, and our world.  This international organization links millions of people together in the Lions community.

On Tuesday, December 10, thirteen out of fifteen of my branch club members attended an initiation ceremony held for us by the Ferrum College Lions Club.  We were inducted into the parent club as official Lions International members. It was a very rewarding ceremony because it provided us with the physical reward for all of our hard work.  We became a club on campus in the spring semester of 2013.  We are now approaching our first anniversary and just now have finished the long and tedious process of becoming International members.

A few of the events we have participated in during the past year are the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes, an eyeglass drive, a diabetes awareness day, a hearing screening, Spring Fling, the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival, and Trick-or-Treat for canned goods.  It has been a very busy year and even busier fall semester!

All of these activities have been time-consuming, but I really cannot stress enough how worth it every single second was.  Even though I had to wake up very early some mornings and not return from the event until late at night, I will never feel like I wasted my time.  Helping to make a difference in the lives of others is the best way to spend your time, and don't let anyone tell you differently!

Greeks Helping Others!

by Victoria B., Panther Blogger

Hello, all!

I am President of the local sorority Theta Gamma Omega, also known as OGO.  During September and the beginning of October, we held a campus-wide coat and teddy bear drive. We collected these items in order to donate them to the Rescue Mission located in Roanoke.  We collected coats of all sizes for the adults and children who use the services that the Rescue Mission provides.

OGO also teamed up with the local fraternity Mu Sigma Chi, or MEX, to take the items to be dropped off.  Upon dropping off our items that were donated, our two groups also volunteered at the Rescue Mission for their lunch shift.  We were involved in making hundreds of sandwiches for the needy and even helped serve in the cafeteria lines.  Both groups helped to clean dishes, prepare food, and help the Rescue Mission in many ways. It was very a humbling and beneficial experience for everyone involved.

Greeks and other groups on campus try to be involved in community service projects such as this as often as possible.  OGO and other Greeks try to be living examples of Ferrum's motto "Not Self, But Others."  Becoming part of a Greek organization on campus helped me to become more active both on campus and in the community as a whole. This is just one of the many benefits that becoming involved in this organization has done for me. For anyone who is interested in helping others, being involved in the community, and having fun at the same time, I strongly suggest "Going Greek!"

Not Self, But Others

by Laken P., Panther Blogger

This summer, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Remote Area Medical Clinic at the Bristol Motor Speedway.  The event is used to provide free dental, physical, and eye care to people in rural areas who have little or no health insurance.  After working in patient registration and blood pathology for the weekend, I not only helped thousands of people receive free healthcare, but I also came out with a changed outlook on life.

The Ferrum College motto is "Not Self, But Others."  I saw this exact philosophy put into action when doctors, dentists, nurses, technicians, office workers, and average people came together from all across the country to donate a few days of their time and services to help others. As I worked the front registration tables, I witnessed thousands of people camp out in their cars and tents for days to attend the clinic. For some of the attendees, the clinic is the only form of healthcare that they will receive all year.  I thought about how frustrated and aggravated I get when I have to sit in the doctor's office waiting room for longer than I want to be there, and I realized that I really am fortunate that I am even able to go to the doctor at all.


By giving up a weekend of my time and contributing some of the skills I have learned in Ferrum's pre-med curriculum, I was able to do my part to help in a significant way. Knowing that a few thousand people were able to get their teeth cleaned, receive a new pair of free eye-wear, or get a thorough physical from a doctor was one of the most indescribable feelings I have ever had. Volunteering at the clinic helped put life into perspective and gave me the extra push to realize beyond any doubt that becoming a doctor is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

At Ferrum College, the curriculum is designed to not only help you reach your career goals but help shape you into a better, well-rounded person who is able to become involved in the community. By working at the clinic and witnessing a smile on the face of someone who is sick and hurting, I truly say that "Not Self, But Others" comes to life. Sure, I had to wake up at 4 a.m. and work extremely long days while sitting out in the cold rain, but I was not there for myself. I was working at the clinic to put others first and use the opportunities I have been given to help the less fortunate.

Not only is the education at Ferrum one of the best you can get, but sometime during your time there, you will see that not only do you grow academically, but you also grow as a person. Community service and helping others will no longer be something you have to do; it will be something you want to do.  I can't wait until next year's clinic, and I plan to make volunteering an annual tradition for me, even after I have a medical degree added to my name!

Panther Packs

by Maryann C., Panther Blogger

 

For the past three years, I have been a Gateway Seminar mentor. For those who don’t know, Gateway Seminar is a class that all incoming freshmen have to take during their first semester here at Ferrum College. My job as a mentor is to, well, be a mentor – help them in any way I can. During their Gateway class, the freshmen have a few big assignments to complete, and one of those assignments is to do a service project. This semester, the instructor I am working with for Gateway asked me to coordinate the service project. At first, I was very nervous to do this, but so far it is going great.

The service project I have planned involves working with Panther Packs. Panther Packs is a nonprofit organization that works with the local elementary school, Ferrum Elementary. Each week, Panther Packs makes packs full of food to give students to take home over the weekend. Essentially, the food is going to kids who, without the packs, may not get enough to eat while they are at home over the weekend. The kids’ families who are interested have to apply to receive the Panther Packs. This year, the program is feeding 51 kids each week.

Wal-Mart shopping group

This past week was my Gateway Class’s first experience in working with Panther Packs. Like I mentioned before, it was a great success. At the beginning of the week, I took a few of the students from the class into town to buy food to go into the packs. We had a set amount of money to spend, and we thought we would not be able to accomplish much. How wrong we were! With the amount of money we did have, we were able to get a lot of food that ended up being a great help to the Panther Packs Program.

Packing group

Later that same week, the professor of the Gateway class and I took some of the other students from the class to pack the Panther Packs. We met with a couple of ladies who help with packing the packs each week and they directed us so we would be able to successfully pack each pack. Each pack has to have a certain number of items in it, so it was good to have experienced hands assisting us in the packing. We got all 51 packs made in no time at all. We then delivered the packs to the elementary school where the students would get them on Friday afternoon to take them home for the weekend.


There were so many great things that came out of this whole experience. I was very pleased with myself for putting together a great service project for the Ferrum students and me to get involved in. I was also very excited about seeing the students happy to do the work. They knew they were making a difference for a few kids who live right here in our area, and I think that made them feel like they made a difference. I know that’s how I feel about it. Ferrum’s campus motto is “Not Self, But Others,” and I think this project resonated with that idea. I am pleased that the freshmen were able to get involved and help out the community. We are planning to do this again – hopefully multiple times through out the semester. I am even hoping to get some of the clubs I am involved in on board with this project as well. This was definitely the highlight of my week!