VGCC instructor graduates from Leadership Program


Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Stelfanie Williams (left) and Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs Dr. Angela Ballentine (right) congratulate Cynthia Young (center) on her graduation from the North Carolina Community College Leadership Program. (VGCC photo)

Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Stelfanie Williams (left) and Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs Dr. Angela Ballentine (right) congratulate Cynthia Young (center) on her graduation from the North Carolina Community College Leadership Program. (VGCC photo)

Cynthia W. Young of Oxford, an instructor for Human Services Technology at Vance-Granville Community College, recently graduated from the North Carolina Community College Leadership Program (NCCCLP). She is one of 29 community college faculty and staff members across the state to complete the program this year. Young will continue to be involved with the program, as she has been appointed co-director for the 2014-15 year.

The seven-month leadership program, which includes both face-to-face and computer-based learning experiences, provides preparation and training to develop future community college leaders. The program is highly experiential in nature, and participants work in teams to create an “ideal” community college. In addition to strengthening their leadership skills, participants learn about the structure and governance of the community college system, enjoy opportunities for networking, and form a diverse pool of qualified educational leaders.

Young earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of South Carolina and gained her state teaching certificate in K-12 Spanish from N.C. Central University. After teaching for several years, she continued her education at Seton Hall University, where she completed a master’s degree in Clinical Counseling, an Education Specialist certificate in Professional Counseling, and a K-12 School Counselor Certificate. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Education Leadership at Walden University. Young was a counselor at Kerr-Vance Academy before joining the Human Services faculty at VGCC in 2011. She has also taught leadership classes for local businesses and organizations through VGCC’s Continuing Education division, and she has served on the college’s Vanguard Vision Committee. Young is also a graduate of Leadership Vance, a program of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.

The Class of 2014 was the North Carolina Community College Leadership Program’s 25th graduating class, bringing the total number of graduates to 852. The program was created in 1989, under the auspices of the state chapter of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges, to provide an interdisciplinary approach to leadership training through professional development. Graduates have used the skills and connections gained from the program to be more successful leaders in all areas and at all levels in the North Carolina Community College System.