Unsung Heroes Recognized at Greenville Tech
January 26, 2015
GREENVILLE, SC – Greenville Technical College recognized members of the community and the college who act unselfishly in service to others. This year, the Unsung Heroes awards event was held on January 20, 2015 with four categories of recognition: student, college faculty and staff, community member, and corporate representative.
Sterling Green was the honoree in the student category. Green is a campus leader who has served as a Student Ambassador, president of the Student Government Association, vice-president of the African American Male Leadership Institute, and a member of the Student Diversity Council.
Employees recognized were Kayla Conner Clark, Julio Hernandez, and Gina Power. Clark gives tirelessly to students as the only full-time staff member for Student Housing. Hernandez is one of the most visible faces on campus, serving as a recruiter and inspiring students with his own experience as a first generation high school graduate, college graduate, and master’s degree graduate. Power is student centered, caring, and compassionate in her work in Counseling Services, where she helps countless students look at their problems objectively and figure out the best solution in order to focus on their studies.
Community honorees were Adela Mendoza and Ruud Veltman. Mendoza is executive director of the Hispanic Alliance of South Carolina and uses a collaborative style and bridge-building leadership to create life-changing opportunities for Greenville’s Hispanic population and the larger community. Veltman serves as a volunteer and Quality Assurance Team member for Habitat for Humanity, taking a leadership role with the organization to ensure standardized build practices and quality construction.
The Corporate award recipient was Carolina Holdings, a company that has partnered with the Greenville Tech Foundation, the college and tenants of McAlister Square to support and grow the former retail mall, transforming it into one of Greenville’s major assets for education and workforce development.
Entertainment at the event was provided by the Phillis Wheatley Dwight Woods Repertory Theater for Youth.
Group photo: Left to right, Wendy Walden, associate vice president for executive affairs, Adela Mendoza, Ruud Veltman, Gina Power, Sterline Green, Kayla Clark, Robert Martin, Julio Hernandez, and David Stafford, Chairman of the Greenville Technical College Area Commission,
