Belk Center Celebrates 2024 College of Education Award Recipients

The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research is pleased to congratulate doctoral students Beth Bockoven and Jennifer Wisely for being recognized as NC State’s College of Education 2024 scholarship award recipients.

Each year, the Thomas R. & Dorothy E. Koballa Scholarship and Edgar J. & Ethel B. Boone Adult & Community College Leadership Award are presented to students pursuing work and education in community colleges, and often in our doctoral program in Community College Leadership, to support their professional and scholarly development. The doctoral program is one of the oldest community college leadership programs in the nation, and the only one supported by a center like the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research.

Meet the 2024 Award Winners:

Jennifer Wisely, 2024 Edgar J. & Ethel B. Boone Adult & Community College Leadership Award Recipient

Jennifer Wisely is the 2024 recipient of the Edgar J. & Ethel B. Boone Adult & Community College Leadership Award, an annual award supporting doctoral students in the NC State College of Education who are seeking a degree in community college leadership.

Wisely is an instructor of accounting, business administration and entrepreneurship at Coastal Carolina Community College, where she has served as a faculty member since 2017. In addition to teaching, Wisely also serves on the Recruitment and Retention and Faculty Evaluation Committees, and is the faculty advisor for the Aspiring Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs club. In spring 2023, she was elected to a second term as the secretary for the Faculty Assembly, and later that year, was honored as one of Coastal Carolina’s Faculty Members of the Year. 

In hopes of becoming a community college president in the future, Wisely enrolled in the Community College Leadership doctoral program in 2022.

“My journey in higher education began at a community college and I am deeply passionate about the pivotal role these institutions play. I love working in a community college environment and believe in its life-changing power,” says Wisely. “I chose to pursue the community college leadership program at NC State because of its strong collaboration with North Carolina community colleges through the Belk Center and the format in which the program is delivered. The blend of online and in-person courses at NC State met all my needs, allowing me to balance my professional and personal commitments while still benefiting from face-to-face interactions.”

Wisely is proud of her personal growth in the doctoral program and is honored to have her accomplishments recognized with the Edgar J. & Ethel B. Boone Adult & Community College Leadership Award.

“Coastal Carolina Community College is committed to providing high-quality, accessible educational programs as well as opportunities, and we are pleased to learn that Jennifer was awarded the Edgar J. and Ethel B. Boone Adult & Community College Leadership Award,” says Matthew Herrmann, vice president for instruction and student services at Coastal Carolina Community College. “We congratulate her on this accomplishment and for her efforts in supporting the college’s mission of fostering an engaging learning environment that promotes teaching excellence and student success.”

Beth Bockoven, 2024 Thomas R. & Dorothy E. Koballa Scholarship Recipient

Beth Bockoven is the recipient of the 2024 Thomas R. & Dorothy E. Koballa Scholarship, an annual award supporting doctoral students in the College of Education who either work at a community college or who seek a community college career. 

At Sandhills Community College, Bockoven has served as adjunct associate professor of biology in the science department since 2016, teaching biology and environmental biology. In addition to delivering curriculum, she created a Super Science Speaker Series to connect students with science professionals, leads the participation of Sandhills Community College students in the annual NC Science Festival, and is currently co-leading a new Conservation and Natural Resource Management club.

She joined the Community College Leadership doctoral program in 2023, following a search for a high-quality program that aligned with her professional development goals. One year in, Bockoven has found it to be deeply impactful – and credits the program with enhancing her skills and leadership capabilities to advance student success.

“So far, the experience has been transformative in how I think about community college’s mission, evolution and future. We have grappled with understanding what student success looks like in the technology revolution, as well as how community college leaders craft best practices for the future,” says Bockoven. “I am delighted to be a part of a strong, supportive, and thought-provoking cohort, and through the program, I have been pushed to examine my ‘why’ and use it to fuel my research work.”

Bockoven is honored to be a recipient of the Thomas R. & Dorothy E. Koballa Scholarship and grateful for the support the scholarship provides for her academic pursuits and career goals. 

“Sandhills Community College is immensely fortunate to have Beth as part of our teaching staff. Her unwavering commitment to excellence and her transformative approach to teaching reflect the college’s core values, reinforcing our mission to deliver a transformative educational experience,” says Dr. Sandy Stewart, president of Sandhills Community College. “We are thrilled to congratulate her on being awarded the Thomas R. & Dorothy E. Koballa Scholarship, further highlighting her remarkable impact and achievements. She spends each day enhancing education in the State of North Carolina.”