Preserving a Legacy

Families are so important. At TCL our family roots go back to our Matriarch, Rachel Crane Mather. We credit Mrs. Mather as our founder dating back to 1868. Each February, we celebrate Founder’s Day, a day when we remember the legacy of a woman with a vision who inspired others by giving them hope and by making a difference in their lives through education.

I’m reading a book by Barbara Mackoff and Gary Wenet called the Inner work of Leaders: Leadership as a Habit of Mind. In it, the authors mention how psychologist James Hillman describes the “net of nurturance” that shapes our lives. Clearly, Mrs. Mather is part of a net that binds us together. The authors also talk about the importance of mentors. They claim the action of leaders is shaped by mentors, and we need to remain open to opportunities for mentoring relationships.

I have many treasured mentors. Most of them are educators, some are community leaders. Some of my special mentors helped shape my faith. Take a moment and think about your mentors. Who are they? How did they impact you life? Some may have had a dramatic impact on your life, so much so that you place them in a unique category. These individuals, like super mentors, are termed exemplars, or people along your path of leadership who served as true role models -- who inspired in you the leadership concept as a habit of mind. An exemplar is a person who serves as a model of behavior, guiding the growth of inner resources in leaders-to-be.

Frankly, I like the term and the meaning of exemplar. Rachael Crane Mather was an exemplar, a woman with a deeper passion who made a difference in countless lives. Mrs. Mather’s passion for education led her to reach out to daughters of freed slaves and encouraged them to begin a regimented program of studies, eventually leading some of them to become teachers. Is there any higher calling?

We are fortunate at TCL to celebrate the Mather legacy during Founders Day (February 26) and every day. May her legacy continue to live through the lives of our current and future students.

Energized.

TCL is energized and positioned to advance the latest technology in alternative energy. Truly, with the help of key partners, the College will champion causes that put our region in a position to embrace future job creation with smart decisions that are good for the environment and economically viable for consumers. The best part is the jobs that result from innovative solutions.

It is truly exciting to see community members and partnerships working to solve energy-related issues. It makes sense to examine problems, but it is far more exciting to be leading the discussion and helping create the responsive solution. There are many examples, but for one, consider the work occurring in TCL’s Industrial and Engineering Technology Division. Grant funds help us reach new levels and challenge our students to think differently about the energy-related conditions we face. The future demands creativity. New LEED-certified options stressing solar, wind and tidal power generation has gained substantial momentum of late. I invite you to watch what happens when creative minds get involved.

The dedication of the new “solar array” at TCL’s New River Campus gives us a claim that we mean business in the arena of smart energy decisions. On behalf of our students and the broader community, I offer by sincere thanks to Santee Cooper and Palmetto Electric for working with TCL. We pledge our continued support to advancing technology and creating jobs with a green tint.

(To watch the real time generation of power at TCL’s New River Campus, click on http://siteapp.fatspaniel.net/siteapp/simpleView.jsf?eid=422219)