With the year winding down, it is a good time to take a moment and reflect on the past year and to look ahead at what is to come.

The past year has been a flurry of activity and has made for some exciting times. It seems like we have been discussing the merger of South Central Louisiana Technical College and River Parishes Community College for such a long time.

As we come to the end of 2018, we celebrate the completion of that process.

The River Parishes now has a full-fledged Community College to call its own.

Transfer degrees to all public Louisiana Universities can begin here at home.

All of the work force programs and training programs remain the same and are readily available.

Diploma programs in the crafts of HVAC, Welding, Industrial Maintenance and now Electrical are growing ever larger with the influx of new students.

Construction of a new parking lot and the addition of trees and shrubs have given the final look for the new building on campus.

Signage has been designed and is in production. The new signage is expected to be completed by early spring.

As we look forward to the new year and what that will bring to further enhance the education of our residents, we are excited by the possibilities.

New Industry partnerships and extended partnerships with current partners will be the catalyst for even more employment opportunities.

Our Welding students will have more opportunities with 30 new positions coming to the local area, building a direct training to hiring program in conjunction with their new facility.

Apprenticeships and Internships are increasing each year. Giving students even more opportunity for high paying jobs while they remain in our local community.

More and more industries are looking toward River Parishes Community College to train their employment forces of the future.

With additional expansions and new plants being built, the future is bright for our residents and their children.

It is a great time to get the extra training and to take advantage of that bright future. From all of the Faculty and Staff at the Reserve Campus, we wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season.

Penelope Shumaker is Campus Director for the Reserve Campus of River Parishes Community College. Email pshumaker@rpcc.edu or call 985-536-4418, ext. 203.