News

November 2, 2006
BUTTERFLIE Takes Flight

From left, Shelia Shaw, an ECC basic skills instructor at Fountain Correctional Center for Women, and ECC business student Yvonne Brown were among the approximately 50 women who gathered at the college recently for the BUTTERFLIE kickoff. “I hope to help these students succeed by building self-esteem and providing guidance and leadership,” says Shaw, a BUTTERFLIE mentor.

A new minority female mentoring program at Edgecombe Community College hopes to help students stay in school.

BUTTERFLIE - Building Unity Through Teamwork, Empowerment, Respect, Friendship, and Leadership to Inspire Excellence - held its kickoff event on the Rocky Mount campus on October 24.

The program was created after identifying a need to motivate the college’s female students. “Numerous women in our academic programs fail to complete their educational goals,” explains Lori Winstead, program coordinator. “Through this program we hope to improve retention and graduation rates among minority females."

BUTTERFLIE will sponsor workshops, discussion panels, and other training events to help women develop good decision-making skills. The organization also hopes to promote community service among its members.

This initiative is part of a larger effort to strengthen the college’s support services for minority students. EMPAC, a mentoring program for minority males at ECC, is in its second year.

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