Groups connect with students at Day for Dalton at Dalton State College

Published 5:00 pm Monday, April 18, 2022

Local organizations shared information on everything from volunteer, internship and job opportunities to services with Dalton State College students recently, while students made valuable community connections during the Day for Dalton on campus.

“It’s amazing, and really convenient,” said sophomore Jamie Walker. “In between classes you can just stop by for a bit.”

As a senior, “I’m on the job hunt,” said Gracie Nixon, a social work major who spotted multiple local organizations she’d like to work with during the Day for Dalton on April 6. “I’d love to work with the GreenHouse” Child Advocacy and Sexual Assault Center — which serves Whitfield and Murray counties and assists and advocates for children who have experienced trauma, as well as survivors of sexual assault — “and I’m also considering health services like Highland Rivers Health.”

“I’m most interested in Highland Rivers” — a recovery and wellness center/crisis stabilization unit — of the entities represented at the Day for Dalton, said Walker, also a social work major. “I want to focus on mental health.”

“I personally struggled with my mental health, and it was a social worker who helped me get back on my feet,” Walker said. “I want to do that for other people.”

Nixon also wants “to be ‘that person’ for someone else — be their voice — (particularly for) children,” she said. “I was a (biology) major, at first, but I didn’t really know why I was doing it, and I knew I wanted to help people.”

Dalton State helped set her up with an internship with Dalton Public Schools, which “I really appreciate,” she said. “I’m putting into practice what I’ve learned in the classroom.”

Carla Maton from American Red Cross Georgia told students about internship and volunteer opportunities.

Volunteers are responsible for 90% of Red Cross humanitarian work, which leads to “a great atmosphere,” said Maton, executive director for Northwest Georgia. “The culture keeps me coming to the Red Cross every day.”

“The first thing a lot of (students) think of with us is our blood drives, but we offer disaster relief and (numerous) other services,” said Maton. Due to climate change, “large-scale disasters are becoming more chronic,” so disaster relief is a constant need, but “while people think about big tornadoes, the number one disaster in Dalton we respond to is house fires.”

Volunteering led Silvia Borja to major in nursing, as she’s volunteered three years at Hamilton Medical Center and “loved it,” she said. “I saw some volunteer opportunities today that look pretty interesting, and it’s totally a good thing to have this here.”

The Day for Dalton was planned by the college’s Campus Activities Board, which is “in charge of having fun, free events for students,” said freshman Isaac Rubio, a member of the organization. “These things are really important for people to know.”

Representatives from the Georgia Ports Authority spoke with logistics and supply chain management students, said Meagan Standridge, manager of communications for Dalton State.

“The group presented on the status of the port and discussed job opportunities.”

Maton was thrilled to be on campus for the Day for Dalton, as she credits Dalton State with helping her ascend into a management role.

Her degree in business leadership through Dalton State “uplifted me, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it,” she said. “I was able to look at more executive-type roles.”

“They offered online (coursework), which was so beneficial to me, emphasized public service, and (the content) was so relevant,” she added. “It was exactly what I needed.”