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Centura College Graduate Spotlight: Rachel Handley
Posted by Centura College on May 6, 2019 in Adult Education, Campus Connections, Career Change, Centura College, Centura Virginia Beach, Health, Lifestyle, Massage Therapy, Spotlight Feature
Rachel Handley is a graduate from the Massage Therapy program at Centura College's Virginia Beach campus. Although Rachel faced an array of obstacles while completing her training, she was determined to persevere and finish, despite her circumstances.
Rachel expressed that during her time at Centura she learned the lesson of listening to her needs. "My time at Centura College taught me a lot," Handley stated. "However, the most important lesson I learned was to simply slow down, listen, enjoy, and be patient. Slow down and listen to my body, listen to my mind, listen to my emotions, and listen to my spirit. Slow down and enjoy the moment, enjoy my family, and enjoy my food. Slow down and be patient for the right moment to come and let what I desire to be drawn to me."
Rachel has now successfully completed her massage therapy program and launched her own business, Knots Untwisted. With her experiences at Centura College to guide her, she is now capable of withstanding the unexpected difficulties one can have in owning their own business. "I am living my dream right now and enjoying every second of it," stated Handley.
We are so proud of Rachel's success and wish her all the best in her massage therapy career!
Film on Centura College Grad and His Service Dogs Premieres at Regent University
Posted by Centura College on Jan 26, 2019 in Campus Connections, Centura Chesapeake, Centura College, Community Connections, Lifestyle, Military Friendly School, Press Release, Scholarships, Spotlight Feature, Veterans
A small team of local filmmakers have completed work on a documentary of an Army veteran, Toby Yarbrough, and his service dogs Duke and Sasha. The film gets its origin from the novel The Quiet Healing, which was authored by Yarbrough and published in 2017. The film premiered at a special screening at Regent University on Saturday, January 19th.
Toby Yarbrough (second from right) and his service dog Sasha pose for a photo with the filmmakers of The Quiet Healing at the premier event held at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA.
A Story of Perseverance and Healing
The film tells the story of Yarbrough, the traumatic injury he suffered during his time in the Army, his struggles with PTSD upon the end of his service, and how his service dogs saved his life in more ways than one.
"The most important thing people should take away from this film is that this is just one man's story, but so many others suffer from similar situations that Toby does," says Andrew Lauto, director of the film. "It's a story about struggles, hurt, pain, perseverance, love, and companionship. If you like dogs, support the military, or just want to listen to a feel-good story, this film is for you."
From the Classroom to the Big Screen
The Quiet Healing project was partially funded by a collaboration of a trio of local educational institutions, Centura College, Aviation Institute of Maintenance, and Tidewater Tech. Yarbrough is a graduate of Centura College's Chesapeake campus.
"We are so proud to be able to support a student who has given so much to serve his country. Toby was a tremendous student and a true inspiration to everyone around our campus," says Ashley Oden, Campus Executive Director at Centura College Chesapeake. "When he told us he was writing a book and that it was going to be made into a film, we knew we wanted to be a part of helping him tell his story."
Proceeds from ticket sales to the premiere, totaling $5,400, were donated to Heal The Warriors.
All proceeds from ticket sales for the premiere were to be donated to Heal the Warriors and prior to the showing, a check for $5,400 was presented to Heal the Warriors. Heal the Warriors provides access to much-needed services to our veterans and first responders who suffer from traumatic service-related brain injuries.
Also as part of the premiere ceremony, Dr. Joel English, Vice President of Centura College, announced the creation of a scholarship program called the Yarbrough Scholarship for Disabled Veterans. This scholarship will be awarded to one disabled veteran each year.
Centura College Graduate Spotlight: Mary Majette
Posted by Centura College on Nov 16, 2018 in Centura College, Centura Newport News, Health Information Technology, Spotlight Feature
Centura College Newport News graduate Mary Majette.
Prior to her time at Centura College, Mary Majette had over 20 years of experience in the Human Services field. In 2010, Mary decided to move to the Hampton Roads area. Upon continuing her career path in Human Services, Majette quickly realized that she needed to go back to school if she was to improve her career prospects and earning potential.
With that realization in mind, Mary began to look into potential educational options. She chose Centura College because she could obtain her diploma in Health Information Technology in less than a year. On top of that, the Newport News campus was conveniently located near her home.
Mary completed her program in eight months. During her time at Centura College, she became a Centurian Ambassador and participated in several community volunteer opportunities. Majette maintained and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. She is now a member of Centura College's Program Advisory Committee (PAC).
Centura College grad Mary Majette poses for photo op infront of Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute.
We are proud to announce that Mary is currently working full-time in her field at the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute. Way to go Mary!
Centura College has been part of an organization dedicated to helping men and women develop careers since 1969. By training working adults in healthcare, technology, business, and trades, they connect communities with some of the fastest growing career fields in today's marketplace. The school offers professional facilities, knowledgeable instructors, day or evening classes, job placement assistance and is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). To learn more, visit www.CenturaCollege.edu or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/centura.edu