Panola College News: SFA Partnership, Carnegie Honor, Summer Camps, Grants Boost Nursing & Tech, and Emergency Aid Support

Good morning, Panola College! It's Monday, July 14, 2025, and here's what's happening on campus. First up, we're excited to announce a new partnership between Panola College and Stephen F. Austin State University. This agreement emphasizes the importance of earning an associate degree before transferring to a four-year university. Students who complete their associate degree at Panola will qualify for an additional scholarship when transferring to SFA. The partnership also offers guaranteed admission, up to 90 transferable credit hours, personalized academic advising, and special recruitment events to ease the transition. This collaboration is a significant investment in our students' futures. In other news, Panola College has been recognized as an Opportunity College in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications. This prestigious designation places us among just 60 community colleges nationwide celebrated for advancing student opportunity and achievement. It reflects our commitment to student success and preparing our students for meaningful careers. Looking ahead, our summer camps for kids are in full swing. This week, from July 15 to 17, we have the Robotics camp, followed by Computer Programming on July 22 and 23, Glam Camp on July 24, and Bakeology from July 29 to 31. These camps offer a perfect mix of learning and fun for children ages five and up. For more information and to register, visit panola.edu/community and click on the "Summer Camps for Kids" tab. On the construction front, work continues on our new technology building. The $14.9 million project includes 32,000 square feet of indoor space and a 25,000 square foot working yard, housing a welding lab, engines and compression lab, shops, and classrooms for many of our technical and trades programs. Despite some weather delays, crews are working diligently to complete the project. In our nursing program, we've received a $255,633 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Nursing Shortage Reduction Program. This funding will allow us to provide a second spring entry for students applying for the LVN-RN one-year transition track, offering more students the chance to advance their nursing education and address the nursing shortage in Texas. Additionally, we've been awarded a $279,280 Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) grant to advance four key health science programs. This funding will help us offer specialized training and develop Occupational Skills Awards in remote patient monitoring, benefiting both our students and the East Texas community. Finally, a big thank you to H-E-B Grocery Company for their generous donation of $6,000 to our emergency aid program. This support will help students experiencing unexpected emergencies that could prevent them from completing their education. That's all for today's update. Stay tuned for more news and events happening at Panola College.