Mitchell honors employee, community member
Mitchell Community College honored employee Corinne Meader and community member Dr. Douglas O. Eason with the Viola Kimbrough Parker Diversity Awards at the College’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration on Thursday, January 14.
Meader, a Personal Development Counselor and Admissions Specialist at Mitchell, is an active member of the College’s Diversity Enrichment Committee, College Council and many other College initiatives. Her work continually builds relationships through total acceptance of each student and College employee as being a separate and unique person. President emeritus Dr. Douglas O. Eason enacted many initiatives during his tenure at Mitchell including the Minority Male Mentoring program and the development of a Diversity Task Force. Mitchell Community College was the first community college in the state to have a diversity plan as part of its planning process, the first to develop a diversity definition and mission statement, and the first to develop an annual diversity award to be awarded to a student, a college employee, and a person from the community. This model of Diversity Celebration has been reviewed and adopted by other colleges in the system and across the country.
Established in 1997, the Viola Kimbrough Parker Diversity Awards honor the memory of a beloved Mitchell employee who died in 1996 after years of faithful service to the College and the community. Viola Kimbrough Parker was an early champion of diversity efforts at Mitchell. She truly believed that people could learn to love and respect one another despite their differences. She taught the lessons of diversity daily by living a life of understanding and love for all people. Ms. Parker believed deeply in the mission of the College and endeavored to assist any enterprise that “lifted up” people. Her commitment to service and diversity extended to the larger community and included serving as a volunteer for the United Way, Appropriate Punishment Options, Shiloh AME Zion Church, among others. Where there was a need, Ms. Parker always found a way to serve, generously giving her heart and energy to help others. Because she exemplified the principles of diversity and the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mitchell Community College is proud to present the annual diversity awards in honor of Viola Kimbrough Parker.
Learn more about how you can become a part of the diverse culture of excellence at Mitchell! Discover degrees and programs Mitchell offers then find out how to apply. For additional support, speak to a counselor at (704) 878-3242 or counseling@mitchellcc.edu.