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Issue 2: Sept. 14, 2018thePul seMECHIGHLIGHTS SUICIDEPREVENTIONIn observance of World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10,NOVACares Case Manager MaryAnn Raybuck shared vitalinformation to students, faculty and staff onestablishing a worldwide commitment andaction plan to prevent suicides.a ion Campusnews & informationAccording to the Centers for Disease Controland Prevention (CDC), suicide rates haveincreased by 30 percent since 1999. Suicide isthe second leading cause of death among15-29 year olds globally.Raybuck emphasized during her presentation,?Promoting Hope: Suicide Awareness andPrevention,? that untreated, undiagnosed orineffectively treated depression is thenumber one cause of suicide. She alsoshared several myths surrounding suicide,ways to detect warning signs and how tostart a conversation when you are concernedabout someone.?Suicide is an attempt to solve a problem ofintense emotional pain with impairedproblem-solving skills,? said Raybuck. ?Lookfor suicide warning signs by observing theway a person talks, their behavior and overallmood. Always try to have resources on hand and adequate time to spend with the person.Gently note your observations, be compassionate, but direct, listen, express your concern andnever agree to keep it a secret.?A table session was also made available for students to receive informational materials andtake home stress relievers. As part of suicide awareness/prevention week, therapy dogs visitedthe campus to serve as a friendly stress reliever for students and staff.
GETINVOLVED!JOINTHEMECACHIEVINGTHEDREAM (ATD)CAMPUSCOMMITTEENOVA?s other five campuses arewell-represented and are very involvedwith ATD? from having a say incollege-wide student success initiativessuch as ?On-Time Registration?toreceiving funds to accomplish their goals.In earlier years, the MEC was very activewith ATD but, unfortunately has becomeless active in recent years for a variety ofreasons. Now, NOVA is currentlyrevamping ATD through a renewedcommitment to its mission andmembership recruitment.Wh o do w e n eed? More Teaching Facultyand any staff members who deal directlywith students; we currently have one PTAfaculty member, Student Services, LTR,and Simulation representation for a totalof five membersCom m it m en t level? You will need to bean active member, i.e., attend andparticipate in campus meetings (3-4 persemester); you can also attend the coreteam meetings at Brault if your schedulepermits? dates for campus and coremeetings to be determined; help planand participate in ATD events (2-4 eventsper year).For those unfamiliar with ATD, please seethe following from their website.Achieving the Dream focuses on studentgroups who face the most significantbarriers to success. ATD is committed tousing student success data to help makedecisions. For more information aboutthe initiative, visit the national Achievingthe Dream website.NOVA joined ATD in 2007 and assembleda core team and campus teams. ThroughATD, NOVA has been at the forefront ofseveral initiatives, hosted severalprofessional development events andpresented at national conferences. In2010, ATD designated NOVA as a LeaderCollege for having ?shown three years ofsustained student success improvement.?Ach ievin g t h e Dr eam In it iat ives-NSO/SOARDevelopmental EnglishDevelopmental MathFirst Year ExperienceSDV100Learning CommunitiesIf interested in joining ATD, pleasecontact Academic Success CenterCoordinator Kathleen Odigé,703-822-6534 or kodige@nvcc.edu.Wan t a f eat u r e in thePulse?Sim ple. Em ail k ogbu r n @n vcc.eduw it h det ails or t o sch edu le anin t er view session .
DMS GRADS PARTICIPATEINFELLOWSHIPPROGRAMMEC alumnae Marsha Colburn andJasmine Hunter were recentlyselected to participate in the MECAmbassador Fellowship Program,to offer assistance and expandtheir professional developmentopportunities with the diagnosticmedical sonography (DMS)program for the fall and springsemesters.The MEC Ambassador Fellowshipprogram, funded through a grantfrom the NOVA Foundation,provides opportunities for Colburn andHunter to enhancethe effectivenessof the DMS" Work i ng as aprogram,Fel l ow of f ers us th ecampusopportuni ty to gi v eengagementback to th e programth at h el ped usthroughbecome trai nedStudent LifeDM S prof essi onal s"activities and M arsh a & Jasmi neevents as wellas experienceprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities supported by theAmerican Institute of Ultrasound inMedicine (AIUM). In addition to beingmentored by DMS Program DirectorLeigh Giles-Brown, the Fellows will alsoconduct research and implementtutorials to assist students in utilizing theMEC?s ultrasound and simulationequipment.As the first Fellows selected toparticipate in the MEC?s AmbassadorProgram, both Colburn and Hunter wentthrough a rigorous selection process inAugust, which involved an applicationand qualifications review in addition toan interview with a selection panel ofseveral MEC faculty and staff. BothFellows will receive a 1,000 stipend persemester.Upon graduating from NOVA?s DMSprogram in Dec. 2016, Colburn hasworked as pro re nata, (PRN) at MaryWashington Healthcare. As aFredericksburg native, prior to enrollingat the MEC, she was a stay-at-homemom, working part-time jobs to helpprovide for her family. Colburn receivedher bachelor ?s degree in organizationalstudies from Bethel University in St. Paul,Minn., but decided finding a job inhealthcare would be a better economicoption.
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM CONTINUEDAfter conducting research on severalcareers, she discovered the DMS programat the MEC was affordable andaccessible.?The DMS program has made leaps andbounds since I first enrolled as a studentat the MEC,? Colburn said. ?I?m excited tocome back and help it progress somemore. Being a Fellow affords me theopportunity to learn and experience newthings that I may not be exposed to whileworking in the field. It?s a great way tostay connected with professors, learnfrom current students and train with thenew medical equipment housed oncampus.?Born in South Korea, at age nine Huntermigrated to the U.S. to live in New York.After completing her bachelor ?s degree inEnglish Literature from Barnard College,she joined the U.S. Army.?After I completed my militaryassignment, I was looking for a job thatwas peaceful and accessible to workpart-time because I had three smallchildren," Hunter said. ?My experiencevolunteering with the American RedCross helped me to discover my passionfor working in healthcare. Once I foundout about NOVA and their healthcareprogram offerings, my family and Imoved to Springfield just so I could enrollin the DMS program.?After graduating from NOVA in Dec. 2017,Hunter currently works part-time as anultrasound sonographer at the Children?sNational Medical Center.Both Colburn and Hunter said they arelucky to give back to the program andcampus that helped them to becomehighly-trained healthcare professionals.Joi n t h e M EC's Speak er s Bu r eauTh e best m ar k et i n g t ool i s devel opi n g per son alcon n ect i on s an d l ast i n g i m pr essi on s. Sh ar e you rh eal t h car e ex per t i se i n var i ou s capaci t i es; w i t hpr ospect i ve st u den t s, m i ddl e/h i gh sch ool s, ci v i cor gan i zat i on s, h eal t h car e f aci l i t i es or even t h em edi a. Th ose i n t er est ed sh ou l d con t actk ogbu r n @n vcc.edu
program for the fall and spring semesters. The MEC Ambassador Fellowship program, funded through a grant from the NOVA Foundation, provides opportunities for Colburn and Hunter to enhance the effectiveness of the DMS program, campus engagement through Student Life activities and events as well as experience professional development
