FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PERKINS NAMED COUNSELOR AT SVHEC

DANVILLE, VA, April 3, 2007 - Barbara M. Perkins of Alton has been named a Counselor/Financial Aid

Barbara Perkins

Officer at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center (SVHEC) in South Boston. As a nationally-certified counselor with more than 22 years of experience in community college counseling, Perkins has ample experience to assist both Danville Community College (DCC) and Southside Virginia Community College (SVCC) students in reaching their educational goals.

“I applied for this position because I live in the Halifax County community, and I see the advantages of having two community colleges for area citizens,” Perkins says. “The SVHEC is a great facility. It’s an advantage for this area to have two great community colleges housed here.”

Perkins’ responsibilities include counseling and advising staff, students and parents regarding financial aid programs and application procedures; implementing financial aid policies and procedures; monitoring institutional compliance with federal, state, and local regulations; disseminating consumer information regarding available student aid programs; and conducting financial aid seminars and area workshops for students and parents.

Perkins says she is excited about her new challenges and says she hopes to offer even more services to students, such as information sessions, personal development workshops, speakers from the community, student appreciation days and placement testing at the center.

“Even though the community colleges have been here for a number of years, there are still a number of people who are surprised that they can take classes from either or both colleges and work toward a degree or certificate,” Perkins says. “DCC and SVCC complement each other with their programs and coursework.”

Perkins worked at Southside Virginia Community College as a Counselor for 15 years and as Director of Counseling for more than seven years. She earned both her Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and her Master of Science Degree in Counseling Psychology from Radford University. She also earned a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Community and Agency Counseling from Virginia Tech.

“I think my education and experience working with community college students will benefit the colleges,” Perkins says. “I believe strongly in the mission of the community colleges, which is to provide comprehensive higher education and workforce training programs and services that are financially and geographically accessible to all people in the community. 

Earl McDaniel, Director of Community College Programs at the SVHEC, says he is pleased to have Perkins join the staff. He says she will be a “wonderful asset” to students and to the programs at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center.

“My dealings with Barbara (Perkins) over the years have always been positive,” says McDaniel. Her work ethic is second to none and she is very familiar with the community college system because of her many years of service with Southside Virginia Community College.”

Perkins is a lifetime member of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society for Psychology, and she has served on the Halifax County Improvement Council for four years. She notes that her interest in counseling began while she was in college.

“I did not think of a counseling career in a formal sense until my first year of undergraduate school,” Perkins explains. “I was majoring in Nursing and enrolled in a Psychology class, and became fascinated with it. The next quarter, I changed my major from Nursing to Counseling Psychology.

“I have always been a ‘people’ person and enjoy helping people to reach their full potential,” she continues. “I am looking forward to this new role.”

For more information, contact Perkins at the SVHEC, at 434.572. 5456, or click here.