Mourning the Passing of a Colleague and Friend

McDowell Technical Community College is among 19 North Carolina community colleges recently selected to receive funding from the Duke Energy Foundation as part of a $500,000 statewide workforce development initiative. The college was awarded $25,000 to support its innovative HVAC training program focused on A2L refrigerant technology—an environmentally friendly alternative that represents the future of the heating and cooling industry.

The McDowell Tech commencement ceremonies are more than formal traditions—they’re powerful celebrations of dreams realized. As I handed Emilee Brooks her diploma this spring, a young man rushed the stage, knelt down, and proposed marriage. In that moment, two dreams came true—one academic, one personal—and the crowd erupted in celebration.