ACCE Program Outcome, Gratitude

Giles County, VA- Preparations are well underway for the 2021 Muddy ACCE Race and those beneficiaries of the event, the ACCE Students, wanted to introduce themselves to you. Over the next few weeks, we will highlight a few of these ACCE students. ACCE stands for Access to Community College Education and is a program designed to provide tuition scholarships to New River Community College to Giles County graduates. The Muddy ACCE Race is a primary fundraiser to support the program. Here we have Laney Heath, a recent graduate and current volunteer with the Tourism Marketing Office of Giles County. All ACCE students have volunteer hour requirements as part of their successful enrollment in the program. In her volunteer time with Giles County Laney has been helping to support tourism businesses in the county and prepare for the Muddy ACCE Race event!

Q: Please tell us a little bit about yourself. A: My name is Laney Heath, I recently turned 18 and I plan to attend New River this coming year through the general studies program.

Q: How did you participate in the ACCE Program? A: I am a student.

Q: Why did you get involved with the Access to Community College Education program? A: I didn’t have a set program in mind to study in college and I decided that the ACCE program would be a good way to either set foot down before transferring to a bigger college or it could give me a bit more schooling to help me find a job.

Q: What is the one thing you’ll take away from the ACCE program or MAR event? A: I think I will take away gratitude, this is a really good opportunity for me to be able to continue my education, regardless of if I transfer after or not, and if it weren’t for this program I don’t know if I would be going to college.

Q: If you could share a sentiment to those considering the program, perhaps as a student- what would you tell them? A: If I had to say something to a student I would tell them to go for it, this isn’t a program that is typically offered to students and it could be a great way to not only get a feel for how college will be while knocking out some of their first year classes but will also allow students able to stay close to home a bit longer if that’s something that they are worried about.

If you are interested in learning more about the NRCC ACCE program in Giles, please visit www.gilescounty.org. For more information on the 2021 Muddy ACCE Race, www.gilesacceallin.com.