2012

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(' ~ '"""""' Fortenberry named Career-Technical Instructor of theYear at EC .-!. fi'om school reports u C Thoma." Fortenberry of ~ Union was recently so– form, none of us would have any success." For tenberry, who ings for being obedil'nt to Him." Seeing his students thill h.; a c•aJ'eCI' highlight for 111~. 'I' hat is why God plaeed ml: here."

istry. I said that J ne,·cr thought about being an in– slruetor. I certainly never ever thought about being a pa8tor. Yet today, I am doing two thing'S that I never thought J 'would or rould do. but I have mor·e pca<'C and blessing~ in m~ life than I have ever had oc.~ fore." In addition to his a:-;s<>– t•jate's degrees from East Central and Meridian Com– munity eolleges. Forten– berry holds a bachelor's degrct' in Technical O

' Fot'tcnbcrry ~id he en– jots , the intoraclion with sl!1dcnts the most r·eglu·d– inl!' his day-to-day work "I truly enjoy·th<.• inler·- ac~ion \\ith the studcntK eJ ·h day. Wutt·hing them' ll' rn and gt'O\\ Seeing th ·m take one step after at other on their way to th ·ir goal. Knowing that c;f• I allowed me to be a s1 !til part of that proc-ess is w at l like most about be ng in the field of edtl<.'tt– tic ." Outside of the rlass- 11Im, Fortenbcr1-y can be Co nd behind a pulpit at N v freland Uaplist C urch a.-; pa.~tor. "God dircds OUI' steps n~· t we h1~vc the must p1 lC'.C and fulfillment in our H •s \\hen '".·c ~Ul'J'\. '11(1(•1' to h1 lt!Hdcl~hip. A (l(ltl(ll~· of y1 trs ago I felt lht> Lord k ding me into hi.. rr=n- c w - C)

teaches cour~es such as Network Design and Network Operating Systems, said he origi– nally never thought about a career in edu– cation. , ~I first came to EC t.o be over the Data Man– agement Department (currently known as In– formation Manage– ment)," Fortenberry said. "I was able to get o.longwith everyone in the department most days, since I was the only one in the depart– ment." "J left EC after seven years to dosome consulting · work.'l\vo years later, 1 re– turned to EC as an instruc– tor· for the new Computer Network Technology pro– gram," he said "It really felt like I was coming home. I had never

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~ leeted Career·Technical In– ; structor of the Year for • 2011-12 at East Central Community College, where he has been employed as a Computer Network Tech– nology instructor sinee 1998. Upon his selection, Fortcnbcn-y said, "J tUTI ex– tremely humbled by being selected as one of EC's In– structors of the Year. I•'irst, the rocognilion is duo to the success and hard work of my students." "When my students succeed, sodo I.Y ct the Oip side of that is when they fall short of the mark, so do I. Secondly, the rocognition is due to the support and friendship or each person employed with EC. Without each of us performing the role that we agreed to per-

Thomas Fortenberry

thought about a (~ar·ccr as an instructor, however, God ctb·<..>ets our steps and we have the most peace and fulJUiment in our Jh·cs when we surrender lo Ilis leadership.'' he said. "Any Sll('(.'CSS m· HC<'O– lades that we may r<..'<.'eive alongth~ way arc thebless-

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