OPINION: Thumbs up to 12 cadet leadership school graduates

Thumbs up to 12 Wilson High School Air Force JROTC cadets who graduated from the Cadet Officer Leadership School (COLS), a five-day summer leadership training program held at The Citadel in June: Amy Guffey, Justin Horn, Jarrod Jones, Jennette Canteen-Carlisle III, William Douglas, Tyler Estep, Tilysha McKenney, Damien Primes, Alec Pritchard, Aaron Smith, Tsung-Min Tsai, and Cody Williams. All cadets graduated with a Graduation Certificate. Douglas was recognized as a distinguished graduate; the top cadet in his respective flight; the top drill performer; and awarded a physical fitness ribbon for his performance on the mile track. Douglas also scored in the top 10 percent for his dormitory room inspection. Jones and Smith also were recognized as distinguished graduates and received physical fitness ribbons. Estep was recognized for outstanding sports teamwork and awarded a physical fitness ribbon. Horn, Pritchard, Tsai and Williams were all awarded physical fitness ribbons. Horn also was a member of the “Outstanding Flight” for the encampment. McKenney scored in the top 10 percent for her dormitory room inspection. Guffey, Wilson’s senior Cadre cadet, earned outstanding leadership and activities accolades for help and assistance for help running cadet operations. Master Sgt. Pat Bubacz, an aerospace instructor at Wilson, served as the COLS flight advisor.

Speaking of Wilson High School, thumbs up to Mary Kay Moriarty, a chemistry teacher at Wilson, for completing a week-long Center for the Advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education seminar at Garrett College in McHenry, Md., in July. Moriarty was one of four science teachers to attend this conference from South Carolina and the only one from Florence School District 1 and the Pee Dee. She was selected to attend the seminar through her rocket team’s selection for the 2009 National Rocket Challenge Competition in The Plains, Va. Moriarty received training using the latest technology to better prepare all STEM teachers for the 21st century classroom. Moriarty was taught how to integrate her science lesson plans with iPods, digital cameras, cell phones and educational science or math games. Middle and high school STEM teachers and Department of Defense scientists and engineers from around the country participated in the program. Moriarty worked with Coleman Lowery, a government scientist, during the week-long Summer Teacher Training Institute.

Thumbs up to the Progress Energy employees in the Carolinas — particularly those in the Pee Dee — as well as in Florida who have raised $2.2 million to benefit charitable organizations during the company’s “Give Where You Live” employee giving campaign. The Progress Energy Foundation provides a 50 percent match to the $2.2 million employee contributions. Progress Energy’s employee giving campaign is conducted annually and provides employees with an opportunity to give from their personal funds to charitable organizations of their choice in the company’s service areas. The pledges made in 2009 will be paid to the agencies on a quarterly basis in 2010. “I’m so proud of how Progress Energy employees stepped up to our employee giving campaign challenge,” said Bill Johnson, chairman, president and CEO. “... Giving to charitable organizations in the communities we serve and where our employees live is one of Progress Energy’s core beliefs. With the matching funds from the Progress Energy Foundation, we have more than $3.3 million that will go to support many good causes in our communities. Those dollars will mean even more than usual because so many people are caught in the grips of this economic recession.”