Driving to a Suffolk Wal-Mart wearing a hoodie, jeans and Vans, Mozell Person got the phone call of his dreams. Tidewater Community College wanted to interview him to be an adjunct psychology professor. “When?” he asked excitedly. “Now,” he was told. A resident of North Carolina, Person didn’t have time to go home, so he […]
Antonio “Tony” Passaro Jr. spent the first fifteen years of his career working as a State Trooper. He was later assigned to high-tech computer crimes for the Virginia State Police. Today he is the Criminal Justice program head and professor on the Norfolk Campus. “I enjoyed my time in law enforcement, but I like what […]
Hometown: Chesapeake Degree: Graduated with an Associate of Applied Science in Automotive Technology from Tidewater Community College in 2009. Employer: Instructor at TCC’s Regional Automotive Center, teaching the Toyota T-TEN program and general automotive classes. Why TCC? “I had a lot of interest in cars as a teenager and took automotive classes in high school. I went to work in […]
You won’t get bored taking Chris Cartwright’s classes at Tidewater Community College. Program head for Civil Engineering Technology, Cartwright understands that droning on endlessly does little to improve students’ retention. “I lecture less and try to engage the students more,” said Cartwright, who regularly puts lecture content online so he has plenty of time for […]
Megan Taliaferro is as comfortable treating a mini horse as she is to a goat, and she looks forward to adopting a new lab puppy this summer as a companion for her tabby, Owen. But in addition to her love for animals, Taliaferro has an affinity for teaching – the main reason why she chose […]
English instructor Doug Thiele has impacted students on Tidewater Community College’s Chesapeake Campus for almost two decades. A published author, Thiele knows firsthand the perils and joys of writing. Thiele got his start writing poetry and lyrics. He has two hit songs “Almost in Love” by Dolly Parton and “Dancing Like Lovers” by Mary MacGregor. “Since I teach composition […]
Thomas Stout joined Tidewater Community College after a successful career in the U.S. Navy. He served as an avionics senior chief, working on F-14s and aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise. “I enjoyed avionics and also teaching. I did two instructors tours while in the Navy and became a master training specialist. I found my […]
Michelle Alderman remembers spending lazy childhood afternoons creating colorful rooms on paper. Fast forward to today and Alderman is regional manager of Green Forest Cabinetry, where she puts her design degrees to work. A 2010 graduate of TCC’s Interior Design program, Alderman was recently named to the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) 30 Under […]
Kristina Bezanson is at home on a bike. The Tidewater Community College horticulture instructor, will cycle more than 500 miles in a week in Florida to fund education and research for the TREE Fund. She hopes to raise $3,500 during the STIHL Tour des Trees by biking from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale. “I do this […]
Cynthia Pedigo never wants to hear these words: “I’m just a paralegal.” Head of Tidewater Community College’s Paralegal Studies program and a former attorney herself, she knows firsthand how valuable paralegals are in the profession. “I know the awesome responsibility they had and worked with a few who were indispensable,” she said. “They really are […]