TCC graduate found her passion to serve while in college

Shorntail Goodrich came to Tidewater Community College to retrain for a new career. She spent her 20s and 30s working as an apartment complex manager and later as an identification clerk for Norfolk Police Department.

“With no degree, I was stuck in low-paying jobs,” she said. “You can have a great work ethic and think you will be moving up. But all I saw was more responsibility, and no more pay.”

Today Goodrich is an administrative assistant for the Norfolk Community Services Board and plans to start her own nonprofit.

Goodrich, 42, came to TCC to prepare for a career in management. On May 12, she will walk the stage at the Ted Constant Convocation Center to receive her Associate of Science in Business Administration.

Shorntail Goodrich accepts her leadership award from Linda Berardi, chair of the Women's Center Advisory Council. — Shorntail Goodrich accepts her leadership award from Linda Berardi, chair of the Women’s Center Advisory Council.

She found her passion working with Hearts Full of Grace, a nonprofit organization providing support for individuals and families coping with food and housing instability.

Aside from providing meals and clothing for those experiencing homelessness, the group hosts empowerment workshops for individuals in transition, and gives toiletry bags to those in need.

“My original thought was go to TCC and further my education and then get a job in a big corporation or bank,” she said.

Encouragement from Emanuel Chestnut, dean of students on the Norfolk Campus, and Jennifer Dixon-McKnight, professor of history, led her to re-examine her direction.

“I really have a heart to serve,” Goodrich said. “I see myself opening my own nonprofit, an extended-stay center to help clients get back on their feet. I see it as a road back home for those facing homelessness, where they can learn basic life skills and gain job training to become self-sufficient again.”

While at TCC, Goodrich served as vice president and president of Alliance of Excellence (AOE), an empowerment and community service club on the Norfolk Campus. In her first year, she organized an anti-bullying campaign and earned “Student Leader of the Year.”

Goodrich also planned a human trafficking symposium to raise awareness of modern-day slavery.

Alliance of Excellence human trafficking panel members included Adriana Mirarchi, special agent, Homeland Security Investigations; Courtney Pierce, Samaritan House, human trafficking grant coordinator; Ebony Velazquez, Attorney General’s office of human trafficking, task force coordinator; Shorntail Goodrich, TCC student; Krista Fulton, Norfolk deputy commonwealth's attorney state prosecutor; and Rebecca Stone, Norfolk Police Department, task force officer. — AOE human trafficking panel members included Adriana Mirarchi, Homeland Security Investigations; Courtney Pierce, Samaritan House; Ebony Velazquez, Attorney General’s office of human trafficking; Shorntail Goodrich, TCC student; Krista Fulton, Norfolk Commonwealth Attorney’s office; and Rebecca Stone, Norfolk Police Department.

She also served as vice president of the Student Government Association and was the 2018 Mary Pat Liggio Student Leadership Award recipient, named for the founding coordinator of the Women’s Center.

Goodrich was also honored with an Exemplar Award by the Hampton Roads Gazette for going above and beyond in serving her neighbors.

“Shorntail is a person who rises to the task time and time again with grace and humility. I’m inspired by all that she has accomplished here at Tidewater Community College,” said Dixon-McKnight, also a faculty advisor for AOE.

Goodrich tried college right after high school with little success. “I was older and wiser this time,” she said with a laugh. “This time I found TCC to be like a village with people checking up on me, investing in my success.”

Goodrich credits her husband, Dante, with “being her rock.”

“It was really hard to go back to school after 23 years. I had to take a step of faith and really trust God with my future,” she said. “My husband encouraged me and told me that I would have a job before graduation. And I do!”

“If I can do it, anyone can do it. Just take advantage of every resource TCC has to offer and see what you can do.”

TCC’s Norfolk Campus awards its first Governor’s Medallion

Jay Sellers is the first Tidewater Community College student to earn his associate degree from the Norfolk Campus while still in high school.

The homeschooled senior started at TCC taking 19 credit hours his first semester.

This May, Sellers, 17, will earn his Associate of Science in General Studies, enabling him to enter a four-year university as a junior. He hopes to be a Hokie at Virginia Tech by spring 2019.

“I needed more challenging classes and wanted to start working on college credits early,” Sellers said. “It feels great to be ahead of the game.”

Sellers will receive the Governor’s Medallion awarded to those who complete associate degrees by taking part in a dual enrollment program where they earn four semesters of college credit while in high school.

Three Portsmouth Campus students are also receiving the Governor’s Medallion.

While at TCC, Sellers became friends with classmates who were often a decade older than he was. “It felt kind of strange starting college so young, but it was definitely the right choice for me,” he said.

“I was always accepted and included in study groups. We spent free time together, too, going to the movies and just hanging out.”

While at TCC, Sellers discovered a love for science through early morning biology lectures with instructor Grace Murray. His older sister, Kiley, was in class with him.

“Jay’s calm, amicable, dedicated, and curious nature shines through and lends to his academic success,” said Murray “This blend of traits will certainly extend beyond college and allow him to achieve greatness throughout all avenues of his life.”

Sellers plans to pursue a bachelor’s in exercise science at Virginia Tech. He would like to give athletes and others who have lost mobility the chance to live life to the fullest. He hopes to earn a master’s in biomedical engineering and design prosthetics.

Sellers competes in triathlons and is a lifeguard with the City of Norfolk, working at the beach and the Norfolk Fitness and Wellness Center. He is currently training for a Kinetic Half Ironman triathlon that will take place this May.

TCC has been a family affair with Kiley also earning an Associate of Science in General Studies and now working toward a bachelor’s in speech pathology at Old Dominion University. Another sister, Emma, is four classes away from earning her associate degree in general studies.

“One thing I’ve learned is that it’s good to have a daily routine. Use a planner and don’t wait until the last minute to get things done,” Jay Sellers said. “With determination, you really can go anywhere from here.”

Earn an associate in one year at TCC’s Norfolk or Portsmouth Campuses

Students who want to fast track their education by earning an associate degree in just one year can take advantage of an accelerated degree option on Tidewater Community College’s Norfolk and Portsmouth campuses.

By enrolling in consecutive eight-week sessions, students can complete all 61 credits in one year for an Associate of Science in General Studies. Those who complete the degree and meet the required GPA for admission to their transfer institution will likely be admitted as juniors.

“This dynamic initiative is perfect for students willing to make the commitment to take classes consecutively for nearly a full year,” said Michelle Woodhouse, provost of TCC’s Portsmouth Campus. “Students who enroll in the accelerated degree program will receive the support of our dedicated advising staff to ensure a seamless transition to a four-year university or college.”

Classes on both campuses will be offered in five eight-week sessions beginning on Aug. 20 and concluding in July 2019.

Courses for each session are tentatively scheduled for Monday and Wednesday evenings, some Saturdays and online at the Portsmouth Campus.

Students able to attend classes every weekday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., can complete an accelerated degree on the Norfolk Campus. Some classes will be online only.

Recent high school graduates and adult learners, including military-related students, are eligible to apply. Applicants must complete the Virginia Placement Test and schedule an interview with the Portsmouth Campus Advising & Counseling Department.

Anyone with an interest in the accelerated degree program should email enroll@tcc.edu for information and logon to tcc.edu/accelerated.

The application deadline is July 23. Financial aid is available by completing the FAFSA.

Explore your options during TCC’s College Preview Day, April 14

Discover why Tidewater Community College is the best place to earn your degree at College Preview Day on April 14.

Students and their families will get a firsthand look at all TCC offers by meeting program representatives, attending information sessions and receiving one-on-one help. Information regarding every campus will be available.

The event on the Chesapeake Campus, 1428 Cedar Road, is from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

At TCC’s College Preview Day, prospective students can:

Explore college programs and career pathways
Learn about financial aid
Find out about student services, including tutoring and child care
Talk with counselors and advisors
Prepare to enroll for summer classes and fall semester

Registration is recommended by visiting www.tcc.edu/open.

Summer classes begin May 21. Fall classes will start on Aug. 20.

Questions? Call 757-822-1111 or email enroll@tcc.edu.

One of TCC’s own named YWCA Woman of Distinction

Christine Damrose-Mahlmann has been named a 2018 YWCA South Hampton Roads Woman of Distinction.

Tidewater Community College’s associate vice president for student services is one of 12 honorees who will receive the award at a reception at the Waterside Marriott on March 29.

YWCA South Hampton Roads honors women in the community whose professional accomplishments, philanthropic efforts and civic involvement align with the organization’s mission of eliminating racism and creating equal opportunity.

“To be recognized by my peers and to know so many great women who have received this award before me is very humbling,” said Damrose-Mahlmann, an alumna of TCC. “I think the most important thing we can do for women is help them become educated because that leads them to be self-sustainable and able to contribute economically.”

Damrose-Mahlmann, a Portsmouth resident, joined the college in 1996 just before the Norfolk Campus opened downtown. That year, she started a women’s support group that met at the YWCA.

“It was stunning to see the women in that environment,” she said. “They were growing and learning from each other. They talked about their classes, the obstacles they were facing and about their fears.

“Working with them helped me see that women can overcome anything from domestic violence, poverty, child care issues and even homelessness.”

That group was the precursor to the Women’s Center on the Norfolk Campus. “We were growing and really needed to be back on campus,” she said. “We were given a small faculty office on the fourth floor of the Martin Building and took off from there.”

TCC President Edna V. Baehre-Kolovani was recognized as a 2016 YWCA South Hampton Roads Woman of Distinction. Other prior winners from the college are Ivory Warren, program head for human services, and Jeanne Natali, director of the Intercultural Learning Center.

Natali nominated Damrose-Mahlmann for this award and said, “Christine came to TCC to finish her education and found her professional home. Through hard work and persistence, she began as a student employee and worked her way through the ranks, gaining experience across student services at the college.”

Natali added, “Today, she uses her professional expertise to ensure that our students have access to the highest quality programs and support services so that they can meet their academic and professional goals.”

A licensed professional counselor, Damrose-Mahlmann has a history of community service, which includes work with a crisis hotline and grief support groups. She created a Violence Against Women training course for administrators at the college. She routinely collaborates with local agencies to ensure that students of all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds have access to opportunities at TCC.

Damrose-Mahlmann currently provides team building and Myers-Briggs indicator testing for nonprofits and other community organizations.

“I think the women’s movement is in the best place it’s ever been because people are listening and men are standing with women to make necessary changes,” she said.

Damrose-Mahlmann earned her doctorate in community college leadership and a master’s in education from Old Dominion University. She got her start at TCC with an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts.

A baseball enthusiast, Damrose-Mahlmann and her husband, Jim, have visited every Major League Baseball stadium except Houston and Toronto. The couple also enjoys time at the beach with their two adult children and grandchildren.

For ticket information for the luncheon, contact the YWCA South Hampton Roads at development@ywca-shr.org or 757-625-4248.

Make your child’s summer count with TCC’s fun and educational camps

Are you looking for summer fun with a purpose for your kids? Check out Tidewater Community College’s summer camps with offerings for budding scientists, engineers, artists, chefs, interior designers, computer wizards and more.

Spark your child’s imagination with interactive and fun programs tailored to their interests and grade levels.

Students learn to make paninis at the Norfolk Campus.

TCC’s week-long programs are affordable and conveniently located on the Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach campuses, and at the Center for Workforce Solutions in Suffolk. Limited enrollment size ensures students receive personalized attention. In addition, every camper will receive a free career interest assessment using the Virginia Wizard!

TCC’s has more than 50 camps geared for rising 3rd to 12th graders. For a complete listing, visit tcc.edu/camps

Registration is now open. For information, contact Emily Richardson at 757-822-1505 or erichardson@tcc.edu.