It wasn’t long ago that my husband and I were struggling financially and unsure what our next steps should be after he lost his job in New Orleans.

Coming home to North Carolina and enrolling at ACC was a major turning point for both of us. My husband earnedhis GED and a new trade in machining. Culinary Arts was the path for me, allowing me to transition into the industry with confidence.

My all-inclusive ACC education provided me with the skills necessary to transform from a cook to an entry-level pastry chef at Delancy’s in Burlington. Since earning my degree in July 2014, I’m running the bakery department at Delancy’s. ACC has definitely been a stepping stone for me and my growing family.

Rafe Martin is an 1995 ACC Alumnus in the computer systems technology curriculum. While at ACC, Rafe was instrumental with helping the ACC Foundation transition to computerized record keeping and helped establish systems to facilitate the process.

In 2002, Rafe co-founded Appian Digital, rated as one of the Triad’s Top Web Development Firms, for its work in delivering web and e-business solutions to a diverse range of North Carolina businesses. Rafe served as President and Director of Business Development until 2007.

Rafe was honored by The Triad Business Journal in 2007 as one of the Triad’s Top 40 Business Leaders Under Forty for his efforts in business development and community involvement. Also in 2007, Rafe was nominated for Alamance Community College’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Rafe was among a handful of nominees honored by the College at the 2007 Celebrating Excellence Awards, hosted by the ACC Board of Trustees and the ACC Foundation Board of Directors.

In 2005, the distinction of Business Advocate of the Year was awarded to Rafe Martin by the Alamance County Chamber of Commerce for supporting the development of area businesses.

Rafe is a published author of a self-help book titled, Your Life is Waiting. Rafe’s passion is helping people overcome life disrupting stress and anxiety.

Rafe was selected as the August 2007 Cook of the Month by The Times News, an accolade that seems to have gained him more notoriety than all of the above combined. Rafe is currently the Business Development Manager for Infinite Group (IGI), a systems integrator based in Pittsford, NY. Rafe’s focus is developing IGI’s Microsoft Gold Partner practice to serve state and local government in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Rafe lives in Burlington with his wife Sherry and their children Lucy, age 5 and Max, age 3.

Bryan Denham, a 2006 graduate of ACC’s Culinary Technology program, probably never imagined when he began that curriculum two years earlier that he would be making his living as a cook on the earth’s most remote continent where six below zero is considered a warm day. But that’s exactly what he has been doing for the past two years. Denham told about his fascinating experiences as the first speaker in the College’s 50th Anniversary Great Speaker Series.

A 1996 graduate of Western Alamance High School, Denham initially enrolled in ACC’s Criminal Justice program (and was a classmate of ACC’s Security Supervisor, Joyce Barba). Still unsure about what he wanted to do a few years later, Denham returned to the College and fell in love with the Culinary Technology program. Denham and classmate Jake Cerese, a New York native with an English degree, hit it off and became fast friends.

“This Carolina farm boy Bryan took New Yorker Jake on his first fishing trip and had us all laughing in class about the process,” recalled Culinary Instructor Doris Schomberg. Both students worked at restaurants during their tenure in the culinary program. Co-op students are required to find the “perfect” job via the Internet and do an appropriate resume and cover letter, said Schomberg. Not long before earning their associate degrees in 2006, Cerese found the “perfect” job working as a baker in Antarctica. Surprising everyone, both students applied and were accepted. Soon they were headed as far south as anyone can go.

“It takes about 36 hours altogether to get to Antarctica,” Denham told the ACC audience. “We had training first in Denver, then on to New Zealand where you’re given cold weather clothing. Finally on to McMurdo Station in Antarctica on a military C-17 plane.” McMurdo Station is a research center in Antarctica, 2,200 miles due south of New Zealand. It is operated by the National Science Foundation and is the largest community in Antarctica, supporting 1,200 residents. It is here in this self-contained community that Denham has worked for months on end since 2006, cooking meals for the scientists and other personnel employed there.

Denham’s work days at McMurdo Station, he says, are kept busy as one of the cooks for more than a thousand people each day. That’s a good thing; the only recreation is the Internet, movies on a big screen TV, and an occasional game of ping-pong.

Model citizen. Community leader. Excelled to the highest professional level. All these superlatives describe William M. Griffith Jr., former President and CEO of Alamance Bank in Graham. Griffith is now Market President for Reidsville Community Bank and Director for First Carolina State Bank in Rocky Mount, NC. Griffith graduated from Graham High School in 1967. He took advantage of local education, attending and graduating from Alamance Community College (at that time known as Technical Institute of Alamance) with an associate degree in Business Administration in 1969.

“Attending ACC was an affordable way for me to start my post high school education,” said Griffith in 2007. “At the same time, it impacted my entire life path.” He said the College’s business courses gave insight into the world of finance, providing the foundation for a in banking lasting more than 35 years. Griffith was nominated for ACC’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007. Following a stint at Elon College, Griffith began his banking career in 1973, hired as Vice President and Director of First Savings and Loan in Mebane. Five years later, he was Vice President/ Comptroller at Mutual Savings & Loan in Reidsville.

Griffith’s longest tenure in the banking industry was when he worked as Senior Vice President of Community Savings Bank SSB in Burlington. His job responsibilities grew and included the duties of Chief Administrative Officer, Compliance Officer, Security Officer, and Senior Loan Officer.

As Chief Administrative Officer, Griffith developed and marketed new products during the 1980s, including Visa Check Cards, ATM Cards, ATM Machines, and Merchant Terminals. In the role of Senior Loan Officer, he supervised all loan transactions, including a mortgage loan portfolio in excess of $60 million in the late 1980s.

Griffith has also shared his time in the community. He served 1982-86 on the Board of Directors, Alamance County Home Builders; named Associate of the Year, Alamance County Home Builders, 1986; elected President of the Burlington Rotary Club, 1995; and received the Paul Harris Fellow from the Burlington Rotary, 1997. In addition to his professional volunteer work, Griffith spent more than 30 years volunteering in his church and with many little league sports with his three children.

Sam Hargrave is well–known for his work as a stuntman and stunt coordinator on some of Hollywood’s biggest films such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Pirates of the Caribbean II and III. Most recently Sam can be seen as Chris Evan’s stunt double in The Avengers.

“I am happy to say that I am living my dream,” said Hargrave. “I’ve always wanted to do stunts for films and television, and I’m doing exactly that. I’m glad it is my job, but I’ve said it before that I’d probably do it for free.”

Before making it to California, Sam was an ACC University Transfer student and ACC Ambassador. After completing his requirements at ACC, Sam transferred to UNC– Chapel Hill, graduating in 2004 with a degree in Communication Studies – Media Production.

Sam still keeps in touch with ACC and supports the ACC Foundation. Sam and his sister, Jesse Hargrave, who also served as an ACC Ambassador and both graduated from UNG-Chapel Hill.