Happy 50th anniversary, Southern State Community College

Rory Ryan
By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press
It was a pleasant surprise last week to read Elizabeth Burkard's announcement that Southern State Community College is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Elizabeth is the college's director of marketing, and she always does a great job of keeping the college's five-county community informed.
As she notes, "Over the past five decades, Southern State Community College has honored its mission of providing accessible, affordable and high-quality education to students in the region. As a cornerstone of educational excellence, community engagement and empowering students, Southern State is proud to launch a yearlong series of events to commemorate the past while preparing for the next 50 years."
The college opened in 1975. With more than 14,000 degrees and certificates awarded in half a century, SSCC has had a significant impact on the lives of thousands of individuals and families – and continues to do so.
“This anniversary is a testament to the dedication and commitment of our faculty, staff, students and community partners who have contributed to the college’s success over the years,” said Dr. Nicole Roades, SSCC's sixth president.
“It’s hard to find someone in southern Ohio who hasn’t shared some experience with Southern State. We are delighted to celebrate this anniversary year by LEARNING from our rich history, LIVING our mission and LEADING toward a bright future for the next 50 years.”
From a personal perspective, Pam and I are grateful to SSCC for the opportunities our three children had through the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option. (Former Gov. John Kasich changed this to College Credit Plus or some such moniker just to gain some political clout for something that was in place long before he was governor.)
Southern State Community College will always be special to me. Many, many years ago, I attended the college. I also used to occasionally drive one of my sisters to classes at the old Fincastle campus. Another sister used to teach English at Southern State. That sister's husband was an adjunct professor of history at SSCC.
Through the Ohio Post-Secondary Enrollment Option Program, my two daughters, Caitlin and Meghan, graduated from Southern State prior to graduating from North Adams High School. They are among the youngest siblings to have graduated with associate's degrees from SSCC and bachelor's degrees from Wilmington College. Their younger brother, Colin, was the fourth member of this family to attend SSCC, before following suit and graduating from Wilmington College.
Not one of them had any significant issues with the transfer of credits from SSCC to WC. It was a smooth transition for all three – and a tremendous reduction on their parents' academic expense budget.
In 2006 in one of his less lucid moments, Ohio Gov. Bob Taft appointed me to a six-year term on the SSCC Board of Trustees. It was an honor and privilege to have worked with SSCC Presidents Dr. Lawrence Dukes, Dr. Sherry Stout and Dr. Kevin Boys. It was also an honor to work with current SSCC President Dr. Nicole Roades, who was an SSCC Vice President when I left the board in May 2012.
I feel equally honored and privileged to have served with the following SSCC college trustees: Ernie McFarland and Larry Anderson from Adams County; Paul Hall, Bill Herdman and Dr. Ben Houser from Brown County; Dan Mongold, Dr. Vicki Wilson, Leilani Popp and Don Gephart from Clinton County; Jim Ward, Patty Griffiths, Don Moore, Judith Craig and Doug Boedeker from Fayette County; and Kay Ayres, Ralph Shell and Michelle Cimis from Highland County.
While Southern State Community College provides academic opportunities for all students, it also does something that larger colleges and universities do not. Southern State has a much more personal touch. Students actually get to know not only their classroom professors but the college president.
My oldest daughter used to come home from class and announce that "Dr. Dukes came over and talked to me today…"
I always appreciated that. I am sure Sherry Stout, Kevin Boys and Nicole Roades were equally engaged with the students.
One of my special memories as a Southern State Community College board member will always be the night at Commencement 2007 when I handed my daughter, Meghan, her first college diploma at the Patriot Center. I temporarily replaced trustee Bill Herdman in the reception line next to President Sherry Stout. Stevetta Grooms, the executive administrative assistant to the college president, made that special moment happen for me. I will always be grateful for that. The year before, Pam and I sat in the audience as our oldest daughter, Caitlin, after being home-schooled by her mother, received her first college degree at age 16.
And at Colin's graduation, I have a great photo of Colin and one of his classmates, former Hillsboro Mayor Betty Bishop. Yes, Colin and Betty graduated together.
One of my dear friends, the late Professor Bill Horne, taught for many years at Southern State. Bill wrote a newspaper column for me for almost a decade. While we were political opposites, our friendship and mutual respect always trumped partisan rhetoric.
Bill loved to teach. He was always teaching – whether in the classroom or out of it. I was a guest in his college classroom three or four times. Once, I pretended to be a student, lacking a pen, pencil or notebook. I interrupted Bill's lecture by asking an actual student for a piece of paper, then asking another student for a pen. (For the record, I was not an SSCC board member at the time.)
Then, as I started to take notes, I interrupted Bill again, saying, "Wait a minute, Professor, I'm just an Old Hog Farmer, but this doesn't make any sense to me…"
He cracked up. So did I. He may have told his class that I was a test student for a work-release program with the Justice Center. Bill and I shared many laughs and a few serious discussions over the years. I miss those talks.
Southern State has served thousands of students, many of whom have gone on to pursue successful careers in fields such as health care, business, technology, education, etc. The college has continually adapted to meet the evolving needs of its students and employers in the region.
To commemorate its 50th anniversary, SSCC will host a series of special events throughout the year. The slate of activities includes community service initiatives, a student birthday celebration, an anniversary gala and various commemorative activities throughout the region.
Congratulations, Dr. Roades, the SSCC Board of Trustees and the college's students, faculty, staff and community supporters. Your work has had a very positive impact on the southern Ohio counties you have served for the last 50 years.
For more information about the 50th anniversary celebrations and events, please visit https://www.sscc.edu/50/index.shtml.
Rory Ryan is publisher and owner of The Highland County Press, Highland County's only locally owned and operated newspaper.
A great asset to this region
I'm one of those SSCC students that it took 8 years to get a 2-year AAS degree. The term that is used for students like me is "non-traditional college student." In my case, that means I attended SSCC in my twenties as a Veteran and an erstwhile tobacco farmer. I have so much respect for other students, that were-not the 18–22-year-old traditional college clientele. The working mother that took evening classes. The laid-off factory worker expanding their credentials. The future deputy, police officer, or EMT. The medical professional putting in the time, studies, and practicals to be a certified in their field. The list goes on. And for those young teenagers who are willing to get a head-start at further education, the post-secondary program is a great way to get a variety of classes under your belt before you move on to other institutions.
In full disclosure, Nicole is my life-long friend from childhood. Our mutual friends and I are very proud of her!