![Five students in chef clothing in a kitchen](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2020-05/news-img-0855.jpeg.webp?itok=L9VZECPy)
![Five students in chef clothing in a kitchen](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2020-05/news-img-0855.jpeg.webp?itok=L9VZECPy)
![Portrait of Amanda Palacios](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2020-05/news-amanda-palacios.jpg.webp?itok=Norob6-J)
Student Turns Instructor with Satisfying Results
January 10th 2019 Amanda Palacios has always had the passion to be a cosmetologist. She grew up watching her mother do hair. “I had a child when I was a teenager,” she said. “I never had the courage to come back to school.”![Chef Vince Donatelli with a box of cookies shaped like pine trees](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2020-05/news-chef-vince-donatelli.jpg.webp?itok=UEuYaWwk)
Baking Cookies for the Governor's Residence
January 9th 2019 Baking and Pastry Arts Instructor Chef Vince Donatelli baked Christmas cookies for a gathering at the Governor’s Western Residence on December 7 after he received a request from former A-B Tech Trustee Kaye Myers. He baked and decorated cookies in various designs and flavors for 75 guests.![Lisa Johnson and Dennis King standing together](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2020-05/news-lisa-dennis.jpg.webp?itok=lYByYC2J)
Writing Center Dedicated to Johnson
January 9th 2019 A-B Tech dedicated its Writing Center in Locke Library in honor of Lisa Johnson, the first director of the center, who retired in 2018. Johnson is shown with English Chair Heather Vaughn.![Tech Talk text](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2022-06/tech-talk-tile.jpg.webp?itok=i8deyLYb)
Small Business Incubator Client Asheville Ice Finds Support at A-B Tech
January 9th 2019 Mark Sundara founded Asheville Ice shortly before he enrolled at A-B Tech in the Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Technology program. His business is a local ice machine sales, rental and repair company located at the Small Business Incubator at A-B Tech Enka.![Gentry Heating President and three Gentry Heating Scholarship recipients standing in front of a wall](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2020-05/news-gentry-heating-scholarship-recipients.jpg.webp?itok=jem27ObZ)
Scholarships Gifted by Gentry Heating
January 9th 2019 Gentry Heating, Inc. provided two scholarship gifts in honor of Jim Nash, retired Gentry employee, to students in the HVAC program. Pictured are, from left, Jim Nash student Veniamin Sydorskyy, student Michael Ponder and Duane Gentry, Gentry Heating President.![Shelter constructed outside of the Hemlock building](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2020-05/news-shelter-1.jpg.webp?itok=sRMQ7nG4)
Construction Management Students Build Shelter at Hemlock
January 9th 2019 Construction Management students built a shelter behind the Hemlock Building for Transitional Studies students to keep them from being exposed to the elements while waiting for their transportation.![Andy McNeal and his portable debulking machine](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2020-05/news-andy-mcneal.jpg.webp?itok=ycDiGh89)
McNeal Continues Support of GE Aviation Through New Process
January 9th 2019 Andy McNeal was hired as the lead instructor for the Composites Training Center opening in 2014 to assist in training GE Aviation employees for the company’s Asheville expansion.![Full auditorium with speaker](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2020-05/news-hospice-tree.jpg.webp?itok=ikiYK7gb)
Hospice Tree Ceremony at A-B Tech Madison
January 9th 2019 A-B Tech Madison hosted a full house for the Madison Home Care and Hospice 2018 Tree of Life Ceremony in November. “It was a touching and wonderful ceremony to honor and remember our loved ones we have lost,” said Site Director Sherri Davis.![Portrait of Adam Burkins](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2020-05/news-adam-burkins.jpg.webp?itok=bLsjX3x2)
Students Achieve NASA and NC Space Grant Honors
January 8th 2019 Students at A-B Tech have received NC Space Grant Scholarships, been accepted into the NASA L’SPACE Virtual Academy, and were invited to Wallops Flight Facility as a NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars.![Dennis King (center) with Chef John Hofland and Tom Sharar](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2020-05/news-dennis-king-prof-emeriti.jpg.webp?itok=TPCMeNx3)
Professors Emeriti Named
January 8th 2019 Retiring Instructors Russ Palmeri, Tom Sharar, and Chef John Hofland were each given the title of Professor Emeritus by the college’s Board of Trustees and honored at the annual employee holiday lunch. The program was started in 2017 to award instructors who have provided exemplary service.![Boxes and cans of food on a table](/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/2020-05/news-food-pantry.jpg.webp?itok=dzyMX0N4)