Thursday morning was a lucrative day for Lamar State College Orange (LSCO). Texas Workforce Commissioner Aaron Demerson visited the Orange campus and presented two large checks to LSCO president Dr. Tom Johnson for two grants.
The first check totaled $467,816 for a skills development grant in conjunction with Arlanxeo the synthetic rubber plant in Orange on Chemical Row. It will be used for safety training with the company’s employees.
The second check was a JET grant to be used for Jobs Education Training for $184,908. This grant will be effectively used for the college’s industrial technology programs.
Johnson praised the work done by Thera Celestine and Denisha Kesceg in authoring the grant requests. “We’re very fortunate to have Thera and Denisha, they’re always looking for ways to try to bring in funding to ensure that we have the best equipment at our school so people train on it that way when they go to work it’s state of the art training,” Johnson praised.
Commissioner Demerson expressed the respect the Texas Workforce Commission has for the training be done by Lamar State College Orange to get students ready to be part of the workforce. He also expressed appreciate to State Representative Dade Phelan who attended the ceremony for his efforts in promoting the business climate in Texas which is one of the best in the nation.
The spring semester at Lamar State College Orange began on Tuesday. Johnson also reminds that although classes have begun, prospective students can still register for classes this semester at the LSCO offices through Friday.
The enrollment numbers at the college are up. Johnson indicated student enrollment is up two percent while the class hours are up six percent. He attributes both increases to the state legislation last year that allowed all the Lamar campuses to reduce tuition fees by 25 percent.
The ten year master plan for LSCO’s kicked off on January 21. It will take through November to fully implement the plan. Johnson explained, “Let’s look at Lamar State College Orange now it is absolutely beautiful, but we want to see what it’s going to be like in the next ten years as we grow that beautiful college so that we’re able to add so many more programs, courses, and skills.
With the growth expected at LSCO, President Johnson reported the college has bought some property that will expand the footprint of the school to meet the needs of the community. The former bank building on Green Avenue between Fifth and Fourth Streets is one of the properties LSCO hopes to convert into classrooms.
Johnson said the college has purchased a square block behind the nursing building which has an old warehouse on it that will be turned into the school’s new logistics area where truck driving, forklift driving, and crane operation can be conducted. Behind the Shahan Event Center is another piece of property that has been purchased that will be used for industrial trade courses.
On a lighter and more entertaining note was the unveiling of the new uniforms for the school’s Bass Club at the Shahan Center earlier in January. A number of local corporate sponsors helped fund the jerseys for the fishing team. The LSCO Gators are competing in their first fishing tournament in Many, Louisiana on Toledo Bend which started January 23.
The Bass Club is another way for Lamar State College Orange to promote itself with other colleges, but especially with local high school fishing teams and students. “That was a great segue for us to get into something an activity or sporting event. I’m so proud that Lamar State College Orange has that, but what really excited me was seeing all the sponsors who came together. It was a good day,” Johnson concluded.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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