Fauquier Campus | 6480 College Street | Warrenton, VA 20187 | 540-351-1505 | 800-906-LFCC | http://www.lfcc.edu

When Jamie Carlson first enrolled at Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC), she entered the College as

a home-schooled student who intended to take only a few classes.

After a month and a half at the College, she had changed her mind! By her second semester, she was a full-time student. “I ended up falling in love with it,” she said of the College. In May 2007, Jamie graduated from LFCC with an associate degree in education.

At LFCC’s Fauquier Campus, Jamie found friends — some of whom she feels she will stay in touch with for the rest of her life — and received an excellent education, with a personal touch. Her professors and others were always willing to provide help whenever it was needed, she said. “I never felt like I would fail.”

Although Jamie originally planned to study English at LFCC, she switched her focus to history after her experiences in Nicole Martin’s classes, which inspired her to consider teaching the subject herself. Martin’s influence is still making an impact on Jamie, who is now studying at Virginia Tech. “Her class definitely prepared me for the workload,” she said.

Although Jamie is hours away from her Culpeper home, she still feels connected with the area and LFCC. One reason is because her roommate also graduated from LFCC, and while Virginia Tech is different, it has some of the same qualities she prized at LFCC, such as community and connection. “It’s like a big Lord Fairfax [Community College],” she said.

Still, she already misses LFCC, and her first college experience holds a special place in her heart. “It will always be the foundation for where I am today and where I will be 10 years from now,” she said.

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A Foundation for Her Future

“I ended up falling in love with it,” she said of the College.

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SUCCESS STORIES

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SUCCESS STORIES Your Future is Our Focus!Fauquier Campus | 6480 College Street | Warrenton, VA 20187 | 540-351-1505

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On Sept. 27, 2007, Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC) student Margie Clark met U.S. President

George W. Bush. Through hard work and determination, this high school dropout and single parent is achieving her dreams and experiencing things she never imagined.

Margie represented the Virginia Community College System at the signing of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act in Washington, D.C.

Before Bush signed the bill, he asked Margie to step forward. “My first thought was, ‘Is he really talking to me?’ That’s why I have such a stunned look on my face [in the picture to the right],” she said.

“I cannot put this experience into words. It was very exciting,” said Margie, a Fauquier County resident and accounting major at LFCC.

Margie is the first of four children to go to college. But to even get to LFCC, she overcame numerous obstacles. “I grew up in a family where we did not have much money. When we turned 16 years old, we were required to quit school and go to work to help our family

pay the bills,” she says. At age 17, Margie was married, and by age 19 she had a child. After getting divorced, she decided to resume her education. She earned her general educational development (GED) certification and then enrolled at LFCC.

Since enrolling at LFCC’s Fauquier Campus in fall 2005, Margie has maintained a 4.0 grade point average. She has also juggled full- and part-time jobs and the responsibilities of raising her son. “Financial aid has benefited me in many, many ways. I would not be at the College or be able to make a better life for myself and my family without financial aid or scholarship assistance.”

After she graduates from LFCC with her associate of applied science degree in

accounting – if she receives financial assistance – she plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

Patrick Hansen graduated magna cum laude from Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC) with an associate

degree in arts and sciences in May 2007 and now attends James Madison University (JMU).

Patrick is a multifaceted young man who decided to enroll at LFCC’s Fauquier Campus, because it was cost-effective and convenient to his Amissville hometown. The College led him to a number of friends and provided a fun experience. It also had the study environment he wanted. “It’s a pretty close-knit family,” he said. While at LFCC, Patrick also earned a place in Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges.

His family has been a key element in his success. He credits his parents, William and Sunee Hansen, for their help in keeping him energized. “They push me to do my best,” said Patrick, who works to achieve his potential every day. “I like to work hard and believe the harder you work, the better you get.”

He knows the value of such work. He became an Eagle Scout at the age of

17 by assembling safety packets filled with information from local fire companies and police departments and then distributing them to his approximately 200-home neighborhood.

Patrick also enjoys pushing himself physically. He has been involved with karate for more than a decade and participated in karate tournaments with Team Excellence, based at Karate Sports Academy in Warrenton. Patrick has earned a black belt in Tang Soo Do. He plans to continue engaging in the martial arts while at JMU. “I can’t see myself getting out of shape,” he said.

Although he loves being busy and likes to get things done as soon as possible, he also likes to take time to enjoy nature. In his free moments, he heads to the mountains and goes fishing and camping.

With Patrick’s successes – at LFCC, JMU and in life – he certainly demonstrates the “power of potential!”

Tony Tedeschi, Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC) alumnus and successful area business owner, is

definitely an ongoing supporter of the College and a proponent of higher education. “From my perspective, LFCC is an important component of our community and its future on so many levels,” he said.

Tony should know. He attended LFCC and graduated with his associate degree. He then continued his education through Old Dominion University’s (ODU) Teletechnet program, located at LFCC, and received his bachelor’s degree in management.

Tony enrolled at LFCC 22 years after first entering college. According to Tony’s column

in the May 2007 issue of The Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine, he was inspired to go back to school after his sons asked him, “Dad, why is college so important if you didn’t finish and you’ve done well in business?” He stammered for a few minutes before he realized what he had to do. “Boys, Dad knows college is important and that’s why I’m going back to school in the fall to finish my degree.” That September, Tony began attending classes at LFCC’s Fauquier Campus.

Although Tony’s decision to return to school while raising four children and managing several businesses required sacrifice, it certainly paid off. Tony’s oldest son, Mike, attended classes at LFCC and then transferred to Virginia Tech, where he is now completing his junior year! Tony happily reported that all of Mike’s LFCC classes transferred.

Regarding Tony’s fellow LFCC students, teachers and administrators, he said, “The support is tremendous, and I could not have done it without all of them.”

Tony also credits his wife, Holly, for her constant support. He and Holly own and operate several successful companies together, including the thriving Piedmont Press & Graphics and a print management consulting firm. Tony is also planning to open another business with his two older sons this spring.

As for the future, Tony had this to say: “One day, I hope to teach at the College and give back some of what LFCC has given to me.”

Butch Farley, deputy general manager of the Fauquier County Water and Sanitation Authority located in Vint

Hill, is very happy with the assistance he’s received from Lord Fairfax Community College’s (LFCC) Office of Workforce Solutions and Continuing Education.

The Authority needed to enhance its staff’s technological abilities, and, with the help of LFCC, the Fauquier County Water and Sanitation

Authority is proud to say it is now becoming a technologically savvy workplace!

The field workers for the Authority now take laptops with them into the field. With these laptops, employees are able to receive work orders as they come in, download architectural drawings, manage project schedules and more!

“They were astounded, as was I, by how much they learned,” Butch said. Because of the training, the Authority’s employees are becoming more confident in their computer skills and are able to use their new-found knowledge every day.

Butch also said that Kathy Howard, coordinator of business and industry for LFCC, was very important to the process. “One of the first things a business should do is to survey its staff members and establish their training needs,” Butch said. “Then, the business should take those needs to Kathy, who will make excellent recommendations for classes that will assist in developing the needed skills.”

The Authority has arranged for professional development opportunities through LFCC’s open-enrollment classes. It has also partnered with the Fauquier

County government to take advantage of LFCC’s customized training, which was designed specifically for both entities’ needs and was focused on computer-based project management. “We are now able to establish milestones and detailed project schedules. The process has improved our ability to properly track and evaluate our progress,” Butch said. “The Authority is very pleased with what the staff has learned and accomplished.”

To sum it up, Butch offered the following: “The staff here [at the Authority] is excellent, and these educational opportunities have provided us with the opportunity for further improvement.”

To learn more about what LFCC’s Office of Workforce Solutions and Continuing Education has to offer, please visit http://www.lfccworkforce.com.

A Presidential Encounter

Embracing the Importance of Education

The Power of Potential

A Workforce Solutions Success

“I cannot put this experience into words. It was very exciting,” said Margie, a Fauquier County

resident and accounting major at LFCC.

“From my perspective, LFCC is an important

component of our community and its

future on so many levels.”

“They push me to do my best,” said

Patrick, who works to achieve his potential

every day.

“The Authority is very pleased with what the

staff has learned and accomplished.”