UPDATED: Ribbon-cutting welcomes Young Memorial to community college system

In a parish that has taken economic hits for nearly four years, Friday was a day for optimism at Young Memorial — the new South Louisiana Community College Young Memorial Campus on Youngs Road.
After school and local dignitaries cut a ribbon to mark the long-time technical school’s transition to the SLCC system, Associate Vice President Jermaine Ford could do a bit of bragging
He said the Young Memorial Marine and Safety Training Program, which took an enrollment dip recently, has doubled in size recently, according to Maritime and Continuing Education Dean Anthony L. Baham.
“I’ll predict it will be the No. 1 maritime program in the world,” Ford said.
A lot of things are happening at Young Memorial, which officially became part of SLCC July 1. One of the biggest is the addition of transferable academic credits that will make the school a true community college. The school’ technical course offerings remain.
Young Memorial will also have access to resources though the SLCC system. On Friday, some resources came the college’s way, too.
Brenda Ayo of the H&B Young Foundation, named for the family that donated the land on which the campus sits, gave SLCC Chancellor Natalie Harder a symbolic check for $60,000, an endowment for a professorship in technical studies.
Young Memorials training programs put the school in contact with people from all all over, Ayo said.
“You’d be surprised at how many parts of the world this school touches on a daily basis,” Ayo said.
Harder posed with another check, this one for $10,500, presented by Samuel Cannata, who represented the Morgan City Fishing Rodeo.
At the lectern, Harder talked about the connection between the needs of local businesses and operations like the Marine and Safety Training Program.
“It’s exactly that we can figure out what the community needs and find out how we can meet those needs together,” Harder said.
A school for big-rig drivers and an aluminum shop is under consideration for the Franklin area near Metal Shark and Gulf Craft, officials said.
And Harder hinted about an announcement, coming in October, that involves Nicholls State University.
Other comments by speakers Friday:
—Samantha Rushlow said she’s a nontraditional student, a single mother of two who lost her job. Now Rushlow is a member of the Student Government Association at Young Memorial.
“I planned to go in, do it and leave,” she said. “That was the wrong mindset.”
—Vincent St. Blanc III , longtime member of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System board, stressed the importance of technical education. And St. Blanc painted a picture of a two-year college system in which good things are happening.
“We’re always going someplace,” St. Blanc said. “We’re always cutting ribbons.”
—Morgan City Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi talked about the contributions Young Memorial makes.
“More important is it gives us some stability,” Grizzaffi said.
—Parish President David Hanagriff talked about an economic uptick and the improving fortunes of his own business, the Hanagriff Machine Shop in Centerville.
“Our business is strong right now through diversity, which is what we need in St. Mary Parish,” Hanagriff said.
—State Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, talked about the legislative struggles involved in realigning the community college system and in successfully funding the TOPS scholarship program and the Minimum Foundation Program that funds Louisiana public schools. He agreed with Hanagriff about the need for economic divesity.
“Although we are driven by the oil industry,” Jones said, “the world is diversifying, and if we don’t, we’re going to get run over.”
—State Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Gray, said Young Memorial “opens more doors for those who want to succeed, who want to excel.”