Hitting The Ground Running
By John Rountree, Photography Instructor
The famous Asheville writer, Thomas Wolfe observed, “you can’t go home again.” That may have been true for Wolfe, but don’t tell Heather Hoyle. “I am so happy to be here. I feel like I have come home,” she said recently.
Ms. Hoyle has taken the role of Dean of Academic Programs, since the retirement of Sandra Ayers this past summer. She grew up in McDowell County and attended high school here. But, it was a class at MTCC when she was in the first group of Huskins Billstudents that opened the path she would follow for her professional life.
Under the state-sponsored Huskins Bill program,as well as the concurrent enrollment program, motivated high school students are allowed to enroll in college classes while still in high school. “Both programs can provide financial relief for local parents who are supporting their children’s decisions to attend college,” said Hoyle. High school students in the Huskins Bill program, for example, get free college tuition and books, as well as high school credit, for the classes they take at McDowell Tech.
“For me, it was also an opportunity to get an early jump on completing university requirements, while developing college-level study skills. I would love to see more students take advantage of the opportunities these programs afford,” she stated.
The class that changed Hoyle’s life was Public Speaking, taught by Freddie Bradburn. Heather recalls that she was a “kid falling through the cracks.” Like many, she was smart, with lots of potential, but she was lost in high school. It was a college environment that encouraged free thinking and challenging ideas that made her realize her own potential. “Freddie gave us space and creative freedom. It was just a great experience. When you get to take control of your own learning and determine the direction it is going in… when you have those opportunities, I think the rest kind of takes care of itself.”
In her case, “the rest” meant graduating from the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a Bachelor’s degree in Literature. She followed up on her first degree with a Master’s degree from Western Carolina University in Community College Education.
Her first years of working in education were spent teaching in Granite Falls. But, because of the initial class in Public Speaking, Ms. Hoyle knew that she wanted to be a part of the Community College System, so she soon sought employment at Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton. She worked at Western Piedmont until she accepted her current position at MTCC just a few months ago. Her most recent responsibilities at Western Piedmont revolved around strengthening the Developmental Education programs offered there. She attended the Kellog Institute at Appalachian State University where she became one of only about 1.000 educators worldwide with a certification in Developmental Education.
For Hoyle, Developmental Education is the key to fulfilling the promise that community colleges, with their open door policy, can allow anyone to get relevant education after high school. It is Developmental Education that prepares students with substandard skills to be successful through completion of remedial classes and reinforcing effective study skills and learning strategies.
Though the number of certified educators in this field is very, very small, she is quick to point out the need for quality programs. “Right now, on a nationwide basis, 70 percent of high school graduates need remediation before they’re ready for college level work.” Asked why the vast majority of high school students enrolling in college are so unprepared, she replied, “It says to me that there is a misalignment between the outcome expectations of the NC Public Schools’ Standard Course of Study and our incoming expectations, as measured by our placement tests. I’m not saying that they’re not doing what they’re supposed to be doing. But I think they may be targeting goals that are different from the entrance level criteria that we have at the community college and university levels. I look forward to being a part of larger discussions that help bridge the curriculum differences between the department of public education and the community college system.”
Hoyle points out that McDowell Tech has been doing a good job with developmental courses for several years. The school already has strong testing program and, most importantly, Developmental Education is treated as a separate department, rather than as an orphan of the Math or English Departments.
Though her heart is truly tied to Developmental Education, now she is responsible for the entire curriculum of the college. “My primary goal (at McDowell Tech) is to have more people in our community take advantage of this tremendous opportunity that we have right here in our own county.” To emphasize the contribution of community colleges, she cites research which shows that students who enter a university system after completing their studies at a community college outperform students who go to university directly from high school.
In addition, Hoyle sees McDowell Tech as a major player in workforce development in McDowell County and throughout the region. “We are here to help students acquire knowledge and skills that will make them more employable in today’s work force,” she said. During the last couple of decades, the College’s vocational and technical programs have played a significant role in training and retraining workers during economic downturns when hundreds of jobs in the furniture and textile industries were lost to China and Mexico. “When it comes to workforce development,” she continued, “we are in the ‘solutions’ business. We are a necessary solution to local economic problems.”
Off-campus, Heather demonstrates the same determination and dedication in her personal endeavors that she brings to professional education. Heather is a long distance runner, having completed 17 marathons (26.2 miles) and one 32-mile ultra-marathon.
It was while she was attending WCU that she began, in earnest, her quest to run a marathon, even though her endurance level was only two or three miles at the time. After overhearing a conversation with a classmate, she was introduced to Paul Wardzinski who served as her coach and mentor. That was in July of one year. By working hard to steadily increase her distance, she was ready for her first marathon in February of the next year.
The road has not always been easy. Because of overtraining, she has endured three stress fractures and a tear in her Achilles tendon. But, as she recovered from her various injuries, her resolve strengthened to compete in the Holy Grail of running, the Boston Marathon. The Boston Marathon is the only marathon in America (other than Olympic qualifications) that requires a verified minimum time to enter the race. Currently, the cutoff time is 3 hours and 40 minutes. In February of this Hitting The Ground Running year, Heather competed in a marathon at Myrtle Beach, finishing with a time of 3 hours and 38 minutes. She will run in Boston in April of 2008!
With the Boston Marathon as her primary personal goal, she continues her rigorous training schedule. Her next challenge will be the JFK 50 mile ultra-marathon, held in Maryland in November. But far from resting, she also plans to run in the Charlotte Marathon in December and again in the Myrtle Beach Marathon, held in February
of ’08.
This woman has a true wanderlust. This past spring she was part of an exchange program, sponsored through Rotary International, that sent her to Australia for eight weeks, where she lived with host families. After the Rotary trip ended, she spent the next two weeks roaming through Oz before moving on to New Zealand. Heather has also taken many trips to the Caribbean to relax and enjoy the island life. A true “Parrotthead,” the soundtrack to her island adventures is provided by Jimmy Buffet.
With dedication, determination, and a lot of talent, Heather Hoyle fills some very important shoes at McDowell Tech. She is enthusiastically committed to seeing the college grow in both importance and relevance to the community it serves.
“I want people to experience the McDowell Tech I returned to a few months ago. The faculty, staff and administration have made my transition such an easy one. I have been greeted by a campus that is willing to help me learn local policies and procedures, and that has been most gracious and kind. That is the McDowell Tech I want others to experience. I want the citizens of our county to take advantage of our resources in order to improve the quality of their life and the lives of their children,” she concluded.
