It's a record year for Golden Isles College & Career Academy (GICCA)! Enrollment has hit an all-time high with approximately 700 on campus, 100 in the work-based learning program, and more than 100 in their dual enrollment program with Coastal Pines, for more than 900 students (team members) associated with GICCA. EIL checked in with GICCA’s CEO, Dr. Rick Townsend, to find out more about their progress and an upcoming fundraiser, and also talked to some GICCA graduates about their experiences.
Perhaps the most noticeable change at the Career Academy is its new name. After input from the Golden Isles community this past year, the Golden Isles Career Academy changed its name to Golden Isles College & Career Academy. Rick Townsend explains, “We added the word ‘college’ to our name to better represent some of our programs we have at GICCA. Many of our programs require some post-secondary, but may not require a four-year degree, such as automotive, to obtain ASE certification, welding, machining, or carpentry. However, programs for other career paths do require a minimum four-year degree or an advanced degree, such as an engineer, registered nurse, landscape architect or graphic designer. We want students to find their passion at the Career Academy whether it will lead to finding a job out of high school, a two-year degree, or career that requires a four-year degree.”
GICCA students are helping in the community as well. This past spring, students assisted the Jekyll Island Lions Club with a service project at the Lions Camp for the Blind in Waycross, a state camp for youth and adults who are visually impaired. GICCA students built the base for a handicap ramp in one of their main buildings, repaired an outdoor deck that was built around a tree as a “tree house,” painted trim and railings on building exteriors, and cleaned and landscaped some of the areas at the camp.
In the past year, the Career Academy awarded $6,500 in scholarships to its students and contributed over $5,000 to support students in service projects and academic competitions. Over the past seven years, the Career Academy Foundation has awarded more than $35,000 in scholarships, contributed over $30,000 to support academic competitions in areas such as robotics, automotive, broadcast video, and many more, and recently expanded the school’s service learning program to participate in projects in our community to support our nonprofit partners. During this time, the Career Academy has maintained a graduation rate over 90%. What an outstanding accomplishment!
Ryan Blount is currently self-employed as a freelance filmmaker. He films weddings,
commercials, promotional videos, training sessions, and music videos, and also produces short films. Ryan first learned of the Career Academy as he was entering his sophomore year at Brunswick High School and enrolled at that time. He was a student in the first Video Broadcasting class at GICCA. Ryan says GICAA provided him with many hands-on opportunities, such as filming live televised Board of Education meetings, commercials, and promotional videos, and as well as allowing him to work on his own passion projects. As a GICCA he and his class members participated in the SkillsUsa competition and won 1st place in the broadcast commercial piece. Ryan also stresses the importance of instructor Kevin Pullen as part of his GICCA experience, saying, “He was more than my teacher—he became my mentor. He not only taught me the mechanics of video and broadcasting but he believed in my abilities and supported my passion projects. He never spoke from the place of my potential but from a place of existence—that gave me a new perspective on how I saw myself.”
Ryan says, “I would recommend GICCA because it offers an alternative to traditional education. GICCA programs allow teenagers to discover their passion and explore the numerous opportunities in the world of trade—cosmetology, auto mechanic, video broadcasting, etc. It opens a door and better prepares students for the workplace or continued education.” He tells students considering enrolling, “Don’t be afraid to invest in the program because the return is worth the investment.”
Ryan says GICCA was invaluable to him because, “[it] provided an extra needed outlet for my passion in film that hasn’t left me to this day.”
Bryce Highsmith is currently employed at Unique Building Supplies as a CNC computer
programmer. He first heard about GICCA from older family and friends who had attended classes there. “They always told me how much they enjoyed this school and how much knowledge they were obtaining. I knew that when I had the opportunity to attend this school I was going to go there.” He started classes his sophomore year of high school and attended through his senior year. “GICCA helped me get a job like this by putting my feet and mind in the right direction.” It helped him by first offering a construction class that taught the basics of construction and then by providing a work program where he received real job experience and worked alongside people in the industry. He says that every day at the Career Academy included hands-on work.
As a GICCA student, Bryce entered a carpentry competition his junior year, winning first place in the region, and proceeding to state competition. He did even better his senior year when he participated in a cabinet making competition, winning first place in region and in state, which got him to the national competition in Louisville, Kentucky, where he competed against the best of the best. Bryce says of the experience, “My national competition is still to this day is one of the toughest builds I have ever had to do. The competitions you compete in through SkillsUSA tested you on several things; work ethic, etiquette, personal skills, blueprint reading and comprehending, and then finally your skill set.” Bryce quite impressively placed 14th in the nation.
Bryce says, “I would recommend anyone who is not sure what pathway they would like to follow in life, or even if they do and the Career Academy offers that program, I strongly recommend going to GICCA. The Career Academy offers so much, more than people realize. I believe all students should have to take a semester out at GICCA. The Career Academy may not teach open heart surgery, but I do know it sure will help you get into the hospital, and get you where you want to be. Taking a construction class, even if you have no desire to build, will give you the knowledge to fix up your own house, fix a leak or an electrical problem, and safe ways to use equipment. There is so much you can learn just by taking one class at GICCA.”
He cannot praise GICCA enough for its role in his life, “The path it put me down, the knowledge it has taught me, the mentors and business connections it has provided, the jobs and job offers that GICCA has led me to are incredible! Everything the Career Academy does is for your own good. The instructors want nothing more than to see you succeed in the career that you enjoy doing.”
James Miller is an aircraft Airframe and Power Plant Mechanic (A&P), or Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT). He says, “GICCA helped me secure this position by providing him with an internship with Gulfstream that gave me insight into the industry. Without the internship, I had planned to be a welder and was taking classes to pursue a welding career at GICCA.” James says he heard about GICCA through his family and friends in school with him and only regrets not hearing about it sooner. He is pleased to see the policies that kept him from starting classes until his sophomore year have been changed to allow high school freshmen to now take GICCA classes.
James explains that in addition to the job-related skills training including, he learned invaluable life skills like strong work ethic, how to build a resume, and simply how to associate and talk with people in a business setting. He continues, “I consistently recommend GICCA to anyone and everyone, and tell them “There is no reason not to try something new at GICCA if you’re even remotely interested, because its free, gets you out of a text book class, and you will definitely learn something new. The resources GICCA have put together within the Brunswick community are astounding and have the potential to get students pointed in almost any direction if they are willing to take advantage of the opportunities available to them. It has always been my experience that if a student truly needs or wants help with something, the faculty at GICCA is more than willing to assist.”
In addition to providing students with foundational life skills and fantastic job training, GICCA is also tailoring programs to fit the needs of the Golden Isles community. GICCA’s Culinary Arts program has more than 100 students enrolled in the program this fall and expects an additional 100 students in the spring. This is a partner program with Coastal Pines Technical College, giving students the opportunity to earn college credit. All culinary students take a soft skills class to make sure they’re ready for the workplace and all will be involved in either food preparation or learning how to serve dinner in a resort environment. Lee Cranz, the executive chef for the Career Academy, has a rich background with vast experience. He attended culinary school at Johnson & Wells, was a chef at Sea Island, and also worked at Halyards. His colleague at GICCA is Christine Williamson who has more than 20 years of teaching experience and a background in nutrition. GICCA is also working with the College of Coastal Georgia and Coastal Pines on a special hospitality initiative for Glynn County. Students at all academic levels will have the opportunity to pursue a career in hospitality and will have various paths from which to choose. They are currently working with hospitality leaders to develop that program.
On Wednesday, November 8, Sea Island Resort and GICCA will be hosting “Cooking with the Stars,” a fundraiser at The Retreat at Sea Island, and Elegant Island Living is proud to be a sponsor of this event. The Career Academy’s advanced culinary students will work side-by-side with Sea Island chefs to prepare a delicious dinner and present an exciting program. In addition to the enticing edibles and elixirs, there will be a silent auction to support the Career Academy Foundation and GICCA students. Individual tickets, reserved tables, and sponsorship opportunities ranging from $300-$5,000 including tickets and a separate sponsors-only party are available. **UPDATE - THIS EVENT IS BEING RESCHEDULED FOR SPRING 2018 - WE WILL ADVISE OF THE NEW DATE ONCE IT'S CONFIRMED** All proceeds support initiatives such as student scholarships, service learning projects, and academic competitions. Help the Career Academy in its mission to build a 21st century workforce for Glynn County. Contact Rick Townsend at rick.townsend@gica.us or 912.506.5347 for additional details and sponsorship information. To buy tickets and table sponsorship or to donate silent auction items, visit the Career Academy’s website at gica.us.
