Albany Area Education Notebook: July 16, 2017

Carvajal chairs rural talent panel

Members of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Rural Prosperity Council recently gathered at the Center for Rural Prosperity in Tifton to discuss the unique challenges and priorities of rural communities across the Peach State. They focused on four key areas — rural incentives, defense communities, talent and education, and homegrown entrepreneurship.

Richard Carvajal, president of Valdosta State University, serves as chairman of the Rural Prosperity Council’s Talent and Leadership Development Subcommittee. He has been charged with helping the Georgia Chamber of Commerce develop an action plan designed to attract and retain the best and brightest citizens with the talent and leadership potential necessary to help the state’s rural communities stay economically competitive on a national — and even international — level.

Carvajal previous served as interim president of Darton State College and president of Bainbridge College.

Cuffie earns DVM at UGA

Antwan Cuffie, a 2007 Monroe High School valedictorian, has received his received his doctorate in veterinarian medicine from UGA.

After graduating from Monroe, Cuffie pursued his bachelor of science in veterinarian Science at Fort Valley State University and performed his senior internship at the University of Georgia. After applying to the school of Veterinarian Medicine, he was accepted at a “White Coat Ceremony” in 2013.

He was awarded his DVM earlier this year. Cuffie will be entering a one-year post-graduate internship at UGA later this year.

Cuffie is the son of Jacquelyn and Roosevelt Cuffie of Albany and is the grandson of Janie Traylor

School bells set to ring

Here are the dates of 2017-18 school year openings in the Albany metro area:

July 31

Mitchell County;

Sumter County;

Worth County;

Aug. 1

Baker County;

Calhoun County;

Dougherty County;

Pelham City Schools;

Tift County Schools;

Aug. 4

Lee County;

Terrell County;

Aug. 10

Westwood Schools;

Aug. 11

Deerfield-Windsor School;

Sherwood Christian Aademy.