Wayne Community College was recently awarded $11,535 from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund.

Funds will be used to provide suicide prevention training for both students and employees.

“Unfortunately, we are living in a challenging time,” stated Joanna Morrisette, Associate Vice President of Academic & Student Services. “We continue to see increases in anxiety, depression, and isolation. We hope this psychoeducational opportunity will help to normalize discussion around the difficult topic of suicide. It could save the life of a classmate, a family member, or a friend. This will be a great addition to our Wellness Initiative from our Counseling & Clinical Services Department.”

Melanie Jenkins, Director of Counseling & Clinical Services, said, “We’re excited to collaborate with the Community College System and UNC System in offering a suicide awareness program to our campus in hopes of educating our students, faculty, and staff with suicide prevention tips and techniques.”

Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C.

As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves more than 10,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 240 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.