1

The NACEE Educator

T H E N O R T H A L A B A M A C E N T E R F O R E D U C A T I O N A L E X C E L L E N C E

Forty years ago, the

North Alabama Center for Edu-

cational Excellence (NACEE)

opened its doors for the first

time, owing its inception to the

Higher Education Act of 1965.

NACEE has remained commit-

ted to continuing their quest for

providing the best quality of

educational services to clients

in the northern Alabama and

southern Tennessee communi-

ties. NACEE’s original mis-

sion statement was to alert the

general public about the educa-

tional opportunities available,

and to encourage individuals to

aspire to a postsecondary edu-

cation. NACEE, through part-

nership with Alabama A&M

University and University of

Alabama Huntsville Chemistry

Department, became involved

with another non-profit organi-

zation known as NOBCChE,

several years ago.

The National Organiza-

tion for the Professional Ad-

vancement of Black Chemists

and Chemical Engineers (or

NOBCChE [pronounced No-be

-shay]) is a nonprofit, profes-

sional organization. NOB-

CChE's goal is to increase the

number of minorities in sci-

ence, technology, and engineer-

ing fields (STEM). The organi-

zation accomplishes this by

creating bonds with profession-

als working at science-related

companies and faculty at local

school districts in order to get

more minorities to pursue ca-

reers in science and engineer-

ing fields. NOBCChE focuses

on establishing diversity pro-

grams for the professional de-

velopment of young kids and to

spread knowledge in science

and engineering. NOBCChE

chapters can be found nation-

wide.

Continued on pg. 8

NOBCCHe, NACEE, and Parents Celebrate

Triumph In New Orleans

(Front Row) Glen Born, Ola Douglas, Kevin Mai, Kolton McCamy

(Back Row) Amin Nasseri, Leopold Nkengbeza, Magnolia Wilson,

Virginia Riggs (coach), Dipshikha KC, AtchimaKlomkaew,

Michaela Maxton, Illiyha Gopher, Priscilla Omofoma (coach), and

Ishmael Hannah

President’s Remarks 2

Veteran’s Appreciation 3

Operation Stand Down 4

Stallworth Foundation Roundtable 5

Alabama College Week 6

Hudson Alpha 6

Everything ACT 7

Inside this issue:

Volume 1

Issue 1

2

From the President Greetings NACEE Supporters,

First and foremost, I would like to thank each of you for your hard work, dedica-

tion and commitment to the mission of the North Alabama Center For Educational Excel-

lence (NACEE); Without you, it would be impossible to effect such tremendous change in

our community, and in the lives of those people who desire to obtain success through edu-

cation. I applaud you.

It has been an honor and pleasure for me to serve as your President and Director

over the past ten years. From the beginning, my objective, along with the U.S. Department

of Education, has been to grow this organization and the educational services we provide so

that we may continue to assist our community in its educational endeavors. With the help

of our NACEE board members, administration, staff, partnerships throughout the commu-

nity, parents, students, and friends, this dream has taken full fruition.

I look forward to serving you over the years to come. Enjoy the reading and shar-

ing of our student success stories and project accomplishments. Thanks for your support in

making NACEE a great success!

Dr. Earnest L. Davis ED.D.

Executive Director/ President

Dr. Davis & Leo Thorsness

“A POW’s Journey”

Dr. Davis & JOJ High School Band Mem-

bers/ UBMS Program Participants

Veterans Day Parade 2014

Dr. Davis & Will Haygood

“The Butler”

3

NACEE Salutes Our Soldiers!

Veterans Appreciation Month “Called to serve...return to be served”

Each year, thousands of courageous men and women risk their lives in order to carry out, in my opinion,

one of the most difficult jobs--protecting our United States Of America. These men and women, known as Veterans,

are the “backbone” of the democracy that we (civilians) take pleasure in daily. Ultimately, the responsibility of

maintaining our safety and freedom rests upon the shoulders of those who choose to serve our country through the

United States armed forces.

Often times, being a Veteran requires one to commit not only their lives, but also the lives of their families,

to the service of our country. Many Veterans must conform to a life of uncertainty and even separation from the

ones they love. NACEE recognizes the many challenges that Veterans may face and believe that those who are

“called to serve” should “return home to be served”.

8th Annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon

On Friday, November 14th 2014, NACEE will host its 8th

annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon, which will take place

at the Redstone Federal Credit Union, at 11:30 a.m.

This year’s theme is “Honoring All Who Served” and

the Lecture series is set to include guest speaker Lt. General

Willie J. Williams (US Marine Corps Ret.).

Veterans Day Breakfast, Program &

PARADE!

On Tuesday, November 11, 2014, representatives from NACEE

participated in the Veterans Day breakfast and program, which took

place at the North Hall of the Von Braun Center (VBC). Breakfast was

served at 8:15 a.m. and the program began at 9:00 a.m. The program

included: the recognition of Gold Star Families, recognition of Blue

Star Families, the recognition of wounded veterans brought to Hunts-

ville by the Semper Fi Community Task Force, The Madison Veteran of

the year Presentation (Rotary Club of Madison, Al).

For the 8th year in a row, NACEE participated in the Veterans

Day Parade, which kicked off at 11:00 a.m. Columbia High School

JROTC accompanied NACEE in the parade by marching and carrying

4

Approximately 1000 peo-

ple are homeless in north Ala-

bama, and of that 1000, thirty

percent are veterans! Operation

Stand Down is an organization

that works year round to actively

reach out and assist those home-

less Veterans in the Huntsville,

AL area.

In addition to providing a

safe and welcoming place for

Veterans to receive assistance

throughout the year, Operation

Stand Down hosts an annual

weekend-long event where Veter-

ans can take advantage of: free

meals, showers, clothing, person-

al hygiene items, medical and

dental attention, as well as spir-

itual advice. At the event, Veter-

ans are also given the opportunity

to learn about other life-

improving services that may be

available through federal, state

and local agencies.

The 8th annual “Operation

Stand Down” was held at True

Light COGIC Church. Several

local professionals, ranging from

doctors to leaders in education,

showed their support by volun-

teering at the weekend-long

event. Dr. Earnest L. Davis

(Executive Director) of the North

Alabama Center for Educational

Excellence (NACEE), along with

Sean Rivers and Angelia Wher-

ry, counselors for the NACEE

Veterans Upward Bound (VUB)

program, were among those vol-

unteers. The NACEE staff con-

ducted a clothes drive and set up

a table to provide information

about the services they offer to

veterans.

The purpose of the VUB

is to provide intensive basic skills

development in those academic

subjects required for successful

completion of a high school

equivalency program and for ad-

mission to postsecondary educa-

tion programs. Additionally, pro-

gram participants are assisted in

securing resources available to

them through the Veterans Ad-

ministration, State Veterans asso-

ciations, and various state and

local agencies serving veterans.

To learn more about

NACEE and the VUB program or

to become a program participant,

please visit www.nacee.net.

NACEE Staff Assist In Making OPERATION STAND DOWN a Success!

Volunteers serving food at “Operation Stand

Down”

Veterans were provided with a place to sleep during the

weekend-long event.

5

For the third year in a

row, The John Stallworth Foun-

dation hosted The Legends

Round Table; a discussion forum

consisting of accomplished ath-

letes who not only strive to make

their mark in sports,

but also to make a

difference in the

lives of others. This

year the event was

held at the Von

Braun Center con-

cert hall, and pro football hall of

famers Steve Largent (Seattle

Seahawks) and Franco Harris

(Pittsburgh Steelers) as well as

Olympic medalist Margaret

Hoelzer accompanied John Stall-

worth to watch film highlights,

reminisce about great

games and great career mo-

ments. Most importantly, the dy-

namic group of athletes provided

insight to our youth about the im-

portance of faith, family, educa-

tion, teamwork, and setting goals

to succeed in life.

One of the biggest topics

of discussion amongst the panel

of athletes was success. Moreo-

ver, each panelist gave the audi-

ence a glimpse inside their world

and how they dealt with obstacles

on their journey to becoming who

they are today. Hoelzer suggested

that in order to be successful, one

must take the necessary steps to-

wards success and continue until

their desired level of success is

reached. According to Hoelzer,

once she realized she wanted to

be a competitive swimmer, she

would get up each morning and

workout, despite the fact that

working out in the mornings was

not something she enjoyed.

Addition-

ally, Hoelzer

acknowledged

that it wasn’t until

she won a medal

that she realized

her ability and

level of success (simply being

invited to compete was not

enough). Her story suggested that

had she realized her ability earlier

on, she might have won a medal

sooner in her career; this encour-

ages youth to believe in them-

selves and their ability to be suc-

cessful.

Continued on pg. 9

The John Stallworth Foundation Hosts Its 3rd Annual

Legends Roundtable

Hoelzer suggested, to the crowd of eager listeners, that it

was her “team” who was there to pick up the pieces

while she dealt with the after effects of the sexual abuse.

(From Left to Right) John Stallworth (Host), Margaret

Hoelzer (Olympic Medalist), Steve Largent (Seattle Sea-

hawks), Franco Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers)

The Valley Weekly is Huntsville’s Weekly Source for Educational and Cultur-

al Information.

Follow us on-line @ www.valleyweeklyllc.com.

info@valleyweekyllc.com.

Telephone: 256-651-9028

6

NACEE Staff Takes a Leading Role in the Alabama College

Application Week

Applying to college can

be daunting and intimidating

for many high school seniors,

causing some students to give

up before they even start. Un-

fortunately, many students lack

the appropriate resources and

guidance to complete this task.

The Alabama Department of

Education is hoping to increase

the number of college appli-

cants by encouraging high

schools across the state to par-

ticipate in the Alabama College

Application Campaign

(ALCAC) week. This event

is sponsored by the Alabama

State Department of Education

and will take place on Novem-

ber 3-7, 2014.

As a part of the ALCAC

initiative, The North Alabama

Center For Educational Excel-

lence (NACEE) will work with

Huntsville school officials to

implement the ALCAC week-

long campaign in both city and

county high schools. The goal

of the campaign, according to

Alabama State Department of

Education, is to increase the

number of first-generation and

low-income students who pur-

sue a postsecondary education.

Although this is the first

year the campaign has been ex-

tended to the Huntsville area,

NACEE has decided to take a

leading role by ensuring that

area high schools have the re-

sources to properly carry out

this event. NACEE will assist

by allocating its employees to

each participating high school,

where they will provide hands-

on assistance and advice re-

garding the college application

process.

At each high school,

there will be a table set up with

various hand-outs providing

information for applying to col-

lege and securing financial aid.

Additionally, NACEE staff will

provide applications to various

higher education institutions in

the area. Seniors will be en-

couraged to complete at least

one college application during

the campaign week.

NACEE Students, HudsonAlpha experiment with new after-

school program

Students are

some of the newest

test subjects in-

volved in an experi-

ment at the Hudson-

Alpha Institute for

Biotechnology.

HudsonAl-

pha's educational

outreach team and

the North Alabama

Center for Educa-

tional Excellence

have joined forces

to spearhead a pilot

program called

Launching Aspiring

Biotechnology Sci-

entists or L.A.B.S.

Thirteen stu-

dents from

NACEE's Upward

Bound Math and

Science Program

are participating in

a three-week long

after-school pro-

gram that allows

them to put what

they learn in the

classroom to the

test by working in-

dependently in a

laboratory setting

with guidance from

educational out-

reach team mem-

bers.

Continued

on pg. 7 NACEE/HudsonAlpha Program

Participants

7

Annual Standardized test-

ing season is here! As a part of a

sweeping change to the way the

Alabama State Department of

Education (ALSDE) measures

student learning, every high

school student will now have ex-

posure to the ACT, regardless of

whether they are considering go-

ing to college.

The ACT, which is now

used as a college entrance exam

in all 50 states, is replacing the

Alabama High School Gradua-

tion Exam, but doesn’t place the

same pressures on students or

teachers. As a result to this new

implementation, on April 23 of

this year, every high school jun-

ior in the state of Alabama took

the ACT free of charge.

Although The ACT costs

$52.50 per student, students who

qualify for free or reduced lunch

are given two waivers to take the

test for free. The most recent

state-required test will not affect

those waivers, and students who

qualify can still take the test two

more times without being

charged.

This could be a tremen-

dous advantage for those stu-

dents who are considering apply-

ing to college; studies show that

standardized test scores typically

increase after one’s initial expo-

sure to that test. Having the op-

portunity to take the test several

times (for free) not only benefits

those students who must re-take

the test to meet college entrance

requirements, but it can benefit

high-achieving test-takers as

well.

The North Alabama Cen-

ter for Educational Excellence

(NACEE), through its continued

efforts to assist students with

their educational endeavors, will

be offering (free) ACT prep clas-

ses, and any person interested in

these classes should contact

NACEE to register. The classes

will be offered on the following

dates:

Everything ACT

3rd Session—November 13, 18, 20, 25, December 2, 4, 6, 9, 11

4th Session— January 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29, 31, February 3, and 5th

5th Session— March 24, 26, 31, April 2, 7, 9, 11, 14, and 16

Tuesday and Thursday Classes will be from 6:00 p.m.— 8:00 p.m.

All classes will be held on the campus of UAH, Morton Hall

HudsonAlpha continued

from pg. 4

Neil Lamb, HudsonAlpha

vice president for educational

outreach, said after evaluating

curriculum and response, the

goal is to build a larger program

in hopes of giving students inter-

ested in STEM subjects a signifi-

cant jumpstart as they begin their

college and work careers. He

said being able to experiment in

a safe environment without judg-

ment or penalty provides high

schoolers a "sandbox where they

can build their skillset."

"They're doing exactly

what every scientist around the

world does when they set up an

experiment," Lamb said. "We

wanted an experience that gave

students the chance to strengthen

their skill set. They gain comfort

with the stuff, they gain comfort

with each other and with our ed-

ucators and they really begin to

pull all those pieces together."

Students are making aga-

rose gels that they'll use in genet-

ic tests that will identify trans-

posable elements on chromo-

some 16 and later analyze their

own DNA.

Educational outreach

team member Madelene Loftin

says although students are get-

ting basic lab skills and conduct-

ing simple experiments, the pro-

gram challenges them to use

their critical thinking skills and

gives them a chance to practice

operating like professional re-

searchers.

8

This year NOBCChE’s

Annual Conference was held in

New Orleans, LA at the Marriott

New Orleans Hotel. The event

started on September 26, 2014

and concluded on September 28,

2014. This was a national compe-

tition, including students from

Ohio, Michigan, Tex-

as, Pennsylvania, Mar-

yland, Georgia, Illi-

nois, California, South

Carolina, New York,

Indiana, Louisiana, and

Alabama. NACEE

sponsored two teams

of highly qualified stu-

dents to compete in

this National Science

Bowl. The members of

this year’s teams in-

cluded students from

several schools in the

Northeast Alabama re-

gion. These included

Atchima Klomkaew, Ola Doug-

las, Illiyha Gopher, Dipshikha

KC, Kevin Mai, Michaela Max-

ton, and Leopold Nkengbeza,

from New Century Technology

High School, Magnolia Wilson

and Kolton McCamy from Pisgah

High School, Ishmael Hannah

who is currently home-schooled,

Amin Nasseri from Bob Jones

High School, and Glen Born from

J.O. Johnson High School. Chap-

erones who coached and encour-

aged these team members were

Ms. Priscilla Omofoma, Mr. Alan

Malone, and Mrs.Virginia Riggs.

The competition was di-

vided into two separate catego-

ries: middle school and high

school Science Bowl teams. The

student members engaged in an

academic science bowl, answer-

ing rapid fire science, math and

technology questions. NOBCChE

judges, comprised of members

from the American Chemical So-

ciety, Dow Chemicals, Proctor

and Gamble, Department of De-

fense including the Research and

Engineering divisions, and nu-

merous staff members from the

national scientific community of

colleges and businesses oversaw

all parts of the competition.

Dr. Earnest L. Davis,

president of NACEE, would like

to thank numerous members of

the North Alabama community

for providing support to allow

this event to become a reality for

our students. Stu-

dents ranked first

and fifth out of 15

teams overall in the

competition. What

a fantastic job this

group of students

did! The team is

looking forward to

future competi-

tions, with next

year’s competition

being held in Or-

lando, Florida. A

victory celebration

honoring students

and their parents

was held Thursday,

October 9, 2014, at Ryan’s Steak-

house here in Huntsville.

NOBCCHE continued from pg. 1

Alpha Team: (Left to Right) Leopold Nkengbeza, Ishmael Hannah,

Atchima Klomkaew, Magnolia Wilson

9

Steve Largent also talked

about his career and what moti-

vated him to achieve success.

Largent’s biggest source of moti-

vation, according to him, was a

“fear of failure”. Because Largent

was afraid to fail, he continuously

pushed himself to do better and

be greater, despite any adversity

he faced. Largent, along with the

other guest athletes, encouraged

aspiring athletes to not only plan

for a successful athletic career,

but to also

consider life

after pro-

athletics. The

panel unani-

mously agreed

that it is very

important to

plan for life after a career in pro-

fessional athletics, because

“every athlete is one play away

from the end of their athletic ca-

reer”.

In a similar discussion

about teamwork, each panelist

gave their input on what team-

work meant to them, and how

being a part of a good team im-

pacted their careers. In this dia-

logue, Hoelzer spoke about the

sexual abuse she endured as a

child and how instrumental her

“team” was in helping her over-

come the effects of the abuse. In-

terestingly enough, Hoelzer’s def-

inition of “team” went beyond the

people she practiced with from

day to day; her “team” encom-

passed friends, family, mentors

and others who supported her

throughout her life. Hoelzer sug-

gested, to the crowd of eager lis-

teners, that it was her “team” who

was there to “pick up the pieces”

while she faced the after effects

of the abuse.

Last, but certainly not

least, the panel encouraged aspir-

ing athletes to be good role-

models. After showing a com-

mercial clip which featured

Charles Barkley suggesting that

parents, not athletes, should be

role-models, Largent made it

clear to the audience that his

stance on athletes as role-models

was different from Charles Bar-

kley’s; Largent acknowledged

that anytime one is in the public

view, they become a role model

by default. Furthermore, Hoelzer

agreed by saying that all athletes

should act (in public) as if their

younger sibling was present.

While on the topic of role-

models, Stallworth decided to

share an example of a time when

one of his role models publicly

displayed an act of kindness so

great that it impacted his life.

Ironically, the role model Stall-

worth was referring to was none

other than Franco Harris, who

was also his teammate at the

time.

According to Stallworth,

the team had just finished a game

and, as the entire team rushed to-

ward the locker

room to rest, he

watched in ad-

miration as Har-

ris deviated from

the team to greet

a young fan who

was obviously

physically handicapped. Despite

being tired from the game, Harris

took the time to speak with this

fan. Now, many years later, Stall-

worth recollects the impact that

such a selfless, public display of

kindness had on him. In closing,

each panelist established that pro-

fessional athletes should not only

reap the benefits of becoming a

public figure, but they must (by

default) accept the responsibility

of becoming a role model. More-

over, it is up to each individual to

determine whether or not they

will be a good role model.

Stallworth Continued from pg. 5

...professional athletes should not only reap the benefits of

becoming a public figure, but they must (by default) accept

the responsibility of becoming a role-model.

10

Miss Upward Bound & Miss Upward Bound Math and Science Pageant 2014

Congratulations to NACEE’s 2014

SAEOPP Gold Winning Team

Motivational Speaker Keith Brown & The

UB/UBMS Staff and Students

L to R : E. O’Neil, Dr. Walker, S. Hillman, Keith Brown,

D. Smitherman, D. Smith, W. Cooper, Jr.

11

2014 NACEE Veterans Upward Bound Presents

8th Annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon

“Honoring All Who Served”

Guest Speaker: Lt. General Willie J. Williams (Ret.)

12

513 Sparkman Drive

Huntsville, AL 35816

Phone: (256) 372-4600

Fax: (256) 722-9795

Web Address: www.nacee.net

Dr. Earnest L. Davis Ed.D.

Executive Director/ President

Nonprofit Org.

US Postage

PAID

Huntsville, AL 35813

Permit No. 924307

NACEE Mission Statement

NACEE’s mission is to encourage and assist participants in northern Alabama counties and portions of southern Ten-

nessee who are traditionally under-represented in postsecondary education because of income, family educational

background, disability, or other relevant federal, state/provincial, or institutional criteria, in preparing for entry to,

and completion of a postsecondary degree.

NACEE Belief Statement

Through ongoing professional development, the center’s staff creates and implements comprehensive services and

opportunities, which foster student growth through academic endeavors, cultural enrichment, social interaction, and

service to others. NACEE staff is accessible, approachable, and passionate about the successes of every participant so

each may become a productive educated individual.