Chesapeake College has grown to become the regionalcenter for higher education, economic development,recreation and the arts on the Eastern Shore. The 904-seat Todd Performing Arts Center offers Broadway roadproductions, children’s theater and performances by theBaltimore Symphony Orchestra. The Learning ResourceCenter’s 60,000 books, CDs, DVDs, and 80,000 eBooksare available to students and the community. This is a farcry from the 2,500 donated volumes Chesapeake had inthe original library. The athletic program, which beganwith just men’s basketball, has grown to six men’s andwomen’s teams that compete on the national juniorcollegiate level, earning championship titles.

Dan Cannon was in Chesapeake’s first graduating class, andwent on to a career in banking – and a life of communityservice. Dan was Chairman of the Maryland BankersAssociation, President of the Centreville Rotary Club, and VicePresident of the Chesapeake Board of Trustees. When heretired as president and CEO of Centreville National Bank, hecame back to Chesapeake to teach part time.

In Chesapeake’s early years, that farmer’s daughter, Rita BoyleMielke, along with her sister, became the first in their familyto go to college. She went on to earn bachelor’s and master’sdegrees, and after retiring from a successful career in banking,came back to Chesapeake – and this time as a teacher.

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When ChesapeakeCollege opened its doorsalmost 50 years ago, therewere 260 students, sevenprograms of study, and 31faculty and staff. Thecollege’s annual operatingbudget was $60,875. Today,2,500 students take creditcourses towards degrees andcertificates in 86 programs,and an additional 8,000 are enrolled in continuing education andworkforce training. There are 237 faculty and staff. The original fourbuildings around a muddy quad are now 14 buildings on a beautifullylandscaped campus. The college’s operating budget is $21 million.

Then

Now

“Chesapeake will be celebrating its

50th anniversary in two years, and when you see the

growth here it is fantastic. Thisinstitution has done more for people inthis area than any other in the last 50

years. I hope you will support thecollege.”

Dr. Harry Rhodes, one of the founding fathers of Chesapeake College

A THRIVING

The quality of life in our region is directly tied to economic

development and job creation. Chesapeake College supports

economic growth in many ways. The college’s credit career programs

prepare students for careers in business and accounting, education,

healthcare, hotel and restaurant management, criminal justice, and,

more recently, in the emerging green energy sector.

When students choose credit programs to help them succeed in

business they benefit from the expertise of professors like Jerry Healy,

who owns a multi-national consulting company and is an arbitrator

for the New York Stock Exchange. According to his students, “Mr.

Healy’s real-world experience

makes his courses even more

valuable.”

Small business owners get the help

they need by consulting with or-

ganizations that maintain a pres-

ence on the campus like Small

Business Development Center and

SCORE (Service Corps of Retired

Executives), or by taking contin-

uing education courses in

accounting, marketing, or entre-

preneurship.

Whether starting individual

students on the path to upwardly

mobile careers or providing

employers with resources to

improve their competitiveness,

Chesapeake College has a

significant impact on the local economy. Compared to high school

graduates, Chesapeake graduates can increase their earnings $8,800

per year over the course of their lifetime. Since over 80 percent of these

graduates stay on the Shore, the benefits stay here with them; they are

more productive at work, pay

more taxes, use fewer social

services, and give back as

volunteers.

As we prepare to write the next 50 years of our history, we are more

committed than ever to the success of our students and the community.

Student success is community success.

Economy

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When students, families andemployers find the resourcesthey need at Chesapeake College,the Mid-Shore thrives.

EVERY STUDENT WILLSucceed

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A SCHOLARSHIP CAN CHANGE

A STUDENT’S LIFE FOREVER.OUR GOAL IS TO RAISE $500,000 TOWARD THE

SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT.

The students we serve are as diverse as our community. Ten students

at Chesapeake tell 10 very different stories. Our students range in

age from 16 to 75.

Some are here to get a degree or certificate that prepares them for

jobs, while others plan to transfer to a four-year college or university.

Chesapeake College graduates transfer as juniors to the University

System of Maryland colleges and to most private institutions. Since

public college can cost about $8,000 per year and a private college

as much as $40,000-$50,000 per year, completing two years at

Chesapeake can save a student and his or her family up to $100,000

toward a bachelor’s degree.

Lauren Miller, a St. Michaels Middle/High School Class of 2013

student, began as a Dual Enrollment student at Chesapeake College.

She completed three college courses with an A average and plans to

transfer those credits to Randolph Macon College, a four-year

institution, where she will major in Biology. Taking classes at

Chesapeake has helped her prepare for college, save money and get

an early start on her major.

Renee Murphy graduated in 2013 with a degree in Hotel/Restaurant

Management. After an internship with the Hyatt Regency

Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa & Marina in Cambridge, Hyatt has

placed her in its management training program while she works on

her bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

A scholarship can change a student’s life forever.

Some of the area’s top students enter the college’s rigorous honors

program and may earn membership in Phi Theta Kappa, an

international honor society, which makes them eligible for full

scholarships at colleges and universities like Washington College,

Johns Hopkins University, Salisbury University, and University of

Maryland College Park.

Chesapeake College graduate James Cutter received $25,000 in

scholarships from Washington College to earn a bachelor's degree

in Biology.

Chesapeake College student Samantha Stelz received the $30,000

Roberta B. Holt Scholarship from the Mid-Shore Community

Foundation. She will use the funds to pursue a bachelor’s degree at

Towson University.

Faculty and staff support academic and

personal encouragementJimmie Jenkins came to Chesapeake to play basketball, but he paid more

attention to what was happening on the court than in his classes. At the

beginning of the Fall season 2012, he was declared academically ineligible

to play.

Richard Potter, Chesapeake’s co-director of FOCUS, a program for male

students, told him he was running

out of chances and had to become

a more serious student with better

study habits. Jimmie improved his

grades, got back on the court and

in January 2013, was named the

NJCAA Division II National Player

of the Week.

Over half of all the college-bound

students in the five support

counties enroll at Chesapeake

College. For many, the college is

their only opportunity for a college education. Whatever their story, all of

our students deserve success, and we help them achieve it with proven

programs and services and an outstanding faculty and staff. The college’s

faculty, 31 percent of whom have doctorates, are teachers first and foremost.

“I wanted to be in a small institution because I believe it

responds better to the communities it serves. I wanted to

teach multiple topics in small classes so I could get to know

my students and I wanted room for professional growth. I

found those things here.”

Gregory Farley

Associate Professor of Biological Science and

Director of the Center for Leadership in

Environmental Education

“Once I was in the classes, the professors helped me really

learn the material. They always had time for my questions

and sometimes they would help just by listening to me. When

I was overwhelmed by the course work, I could always find

help in the Academic Support Center. Chesapeake was like

a supportive family. No matter what problem cropped up,

someone was always there to help.”

Sharon Cole

2010 graduate, winner of the college’s

highest honor, the John T. Harrison Award

The cost of an education should never be a barrier to a determined student.

Every student has the opportunity to succeed at Chesapeake, but even

though tuition is considerably more affordable than a four-year school, it is

still out of reach for many Eastern Shore families. More and more students

have had to reduce their course load or stop out temporarily because they

can't afford the tuition, fees, books and transportation. Last year the college

awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships.

Jill Willis was a young mother

living in Chestertown. When her

daughter

became

gravely ill,

she spent

many days and nights waiting for

the right diagnosis and an

improvement in her condition.

Now, Jill likes to say, “The doctors

saved my daughter’s life, but the

nurses saved mine.” She was

comforted and inspired by their caring and compassion. After her little girl

recovered, Jill resolved to become like them. She graduated from

Chesapeake’s Macqueen Gibbs Willis School of Nursing and is working as

a Registered Nurse at Memorial Hospital at Easton. Her scholarship covered

tuition, books and supplies, with a little left over for living expenses.

“My parents did not attend college, but they pushed me to

do well in school so that I could. Our family has always

worked on the water and they knew that it couldn't be our

livelihood in the future. This scholarship means so much

to me."

Colleen Ruark

After graduation Robbie Sheehan went on to Salisbury University where he

is now the director of government relations. He attributed his success at

Chesapeake to the financial assistance he was awarded.

"The scholarship I received from the Chesapeake College

Foundation allowed me to go to school without having to

worry about paying for my tuition. The assistance I received

inspired me to strive higher in my educational goals and

make those who supported my education proud. I know that

the scholarship I received made it possible for me to

graduate with a perfect 4.0 GPA."

Robbie Sheehan

“Without the financialaid, becoming a nursewould have only beena dream.”

Veterans benefit at ChesapeakeIn the last two years, the number of Chesapeake College students

receiving veteran’s benefits has more than doubled.

“I think it says a lot about Chesapeake that they’ve made this commitmentto helping veterans. The certification paperwork alone is a challenge, butwhen you add that to the transition issues or medical problems then it canbe completely overwhelming. The staff here means it when they ask how theycan help.”

Robert Karge, Jr., Marine Corps veteran who served in Afghanistan, and student

Students without laptops or tablets of their own are already

at a serious disadvantage.

When Chesapeake College opened the Wye Mills campus in1968,

electronic typewriters and push-button phones were state-of-the-art.

It took decades for computers to become essential in every facet of a

college education, but less than five years for smart phones, iPads and

other devices to change it all again.

Every classroom at Chesapeake College is a ‘smart’ classroom with

internet access and video projection. Nine specialized labs with over

250 computers are used to teach CAD (computer aided design),

networking, multi-media and remedial math and English. An

additional six labs with 150 computers are open to students for general

use. The college recently invested, in one year alone, over $500,000

to upgrade its technology infrastructure and improve wireless access

across the campus.

Smart phones and tablets have transformed the way we communicate

and access information, creating new opportunities for learning, but

significant challenges for students struggling to pay for their education.

Students already access and submit their assignments online; every

semester more classes utilize streaming video and e-texts. Students are

increasingly choosing online courses to reduce their commutes and fit

college into their work schedules. The college also offers some degree

programs completely online that can help students achieve their goals

while working and raising families.

Students can contact their advisors, apply for financial aid, and register

online. In the Learning Resource Center, eBooks outnumber paper

books and students routinely use electronic journals and databases.

Mobile devices are fast replacing desktop work stations in fixed

computer labs. While the college will continue to maintain its open

labs for student use, they are no longer enough. Students with work

and family responsibilities need to access information for their

homework and research late at night or on weekends. A laptop or

mobile device is no longer a luxury.

Students without laptops or tablets of their own are already at a serious

disadvantage. Our goal is to raise $500,000 to put technology

resources in the hands of students.

MobileTHE

FUTURE

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The Health Professions and Athletics Center, opening in 2015, is vital to the future of our community. As

the population of the Shore ages, the demand for healthcare will increase. As the healthcare sector continues

to grow as a percentage of local employment, our hospitals, nursing homes, doctor’s offices, clinics and

schools rely on a steady stream of qualified healthcare professionals from Chesapeake College.

Our graduate nurses, radiologic technicians, surgical

technicians, EMTs, Certified Nurse Assistants and

phlebotomists make up a significant percentage of

the local healthcare workforce. If you’ve been to the

hospital or had an x-ray, CT scan or MRI, chances

are a Chesapeake graduate was part of your

healthcare team.

In 1997, the Macqueen Gibbs Willis School of Nursing at the Memorial Hospital at Easton became part of

Chesapeake College. Since that time the profession has changed radically. The college and Shore Health

System are committed to a partnership that ensures the highest quality health education for nurses to ensure

excellent patient care. Memorial Hospital at Easton’s goal is to have a majority of bachelor’s prepared nurses.

Chesapeake RNs are able to earn the majority of credits they need at Chesapeake and complete a bachelor’s

degree in one year. Although the health programs are relocating to the Wye Mills campus at the same time

the hospital plans to relocate, the partnership will continue to the benefit of the region.

Nursing is one of the most challenging programs

students can enter at Chesapeake College. It is a

program where students fulfill their dreams and

provide a vital service to the community.

Healthcare delivery is growing increasingly complex. Medical facilities rely on computers and sophisticated

diagnostic instruments. Robots assist in surgery and treatment information is obtained from around the

globe. Students preparing for careers in healthcare must be trained for the situations they will encounter in

their work. Simulation mannequins, for example, breathe, sweat, blink, cough and more. They are designed

to replicate real-life situations like heart attacks, seizures and giving birth. This offers students the ability

to practice skills such as injections and invasive procedures on something as realistic as a human, but in a

safe environment where they can learn from their mistakes and no one gets hurt.

The State of Maryland and the college’s five support counties have invested $37 million dollars in the Health

Professions and Athletics Center, but when it is complete, we will need specialized equipment in the

classrooms and labs that is beyond the scope of public funding.

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HealthcarePREPARING

PROFESSIONALS FOR THE FUTUREChesapeake’s students, the future healthcare providers

for our community, must be trained on state-of-the-art equipment.

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Students enter the healthcare field atmany levels. Chesapeake offers sevenprograms per year to prepare CertifiedNurse Assistants, an increasingly highdemand position, to meet the growth inskilled nursing facilities.

Ninety-five percent of the EmergencyMedical Services employees of TalbotCounty trained at Chesapeake College.