Ferrum College’s Scholarship Day is an exclusive, invite-only event for admitted students with strong academic achievement. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the Boone Honors Program, connect with faculty and current students, explore educational opportunities, and much more. For details, please get in touch with the Office of Admissions at admissions@ferrum.edu.

Discover what Ferrum College has to offer at our Black & Gold Open House! Explore campus on a guided tour, connect with faculty, staff, and students, and enjoy a meal in Franklin Hall. Plus, stick around for some Homecoming game day excitement as the Panthers take on Barton College at 2:00 PM in Adams Stadium!

Click here to register for our Black & Gold Open House.

We’re thrilled to invite you to Ferrum College for our Black & Gold Open House — a special event designed just for prospective students! Spend the day exploring campus, sitting in on a class, taking a guided tour, and learning what life at Ferrum is all about. You’ll even have the opportunity to apply and receive an admission decision on the spot. Plus, enjoy a complimentary lunch in our award-winning dining hall.

Click here to register for our Black & Gold Open House.

We’re excited to invite you to campus for our Open House, a special event for admitted and prospective students. This day is a great way to learn more about Ferrum  College, apply on-site and receive an admission decision, attend a class and so much more!

Click here to register for our Open House.

Inside Rockefeller Center, David Garten looks outside his office window at the bustling city streets of Manhattan. Despite working in one of the most iconic areas of New York City, Garten reminisces of the beauty seen in the night sky above Ferrum College. “At night you see more stars than you ever could possibly believe,” recalls Garten.

Born and raised in Orlando, FL with strong family roots in West Virginia, Garten ’98, was recruited by Coach Dave Davis to play football at the College. He describes his first visit to campus as arriving in an oasis within a beautiful landscape of mountains. It was different than anything he had seen in Florida, but he immediately felt at home with the coaches and his teammates.

Garten credits the College for instilling in him a certain amount of resiliency and grit. Having played football the entire four years he attended, Garten says, “We practiced on a field covered with rocks everywhere, and we did that every single day, all through the fall.” He adds that, “You grow really close to one another. You’re doing it day-in and day-out, in the mud on the rocky field.”

The resiliency and discipline he learned on the football field spilled over to his other pursuits as well. After graduating from Ferrum College with a B.S. in Social Work, Garten worked in the juvenile justice and specialized foster care system before attending graduate school at Columbia University. At Columbia, he earned dual master’s degrees in social policy and public administration and quickly found himself working on Capitol Hill for former U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey and former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton of New York.

Garten’s time in D.C. and New York politics prepared him for his current gig: New York real estate. He is currently employed by RXR, a real estate and infrastructure development company in New York City, as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs.

Garten draws a straight line from his time at Ferrum to his professional success, stating, “It has been instrumental in helping me navigate from the worlds of bareknuckle D.C. and New York politics to [the world of] New York real estate.” At RXR, David works with a dynamic team advancing one of the largest and greenest office buildings in New York City history, a new terminal at JFK International Airport, the redevelopment of a city’s downtown, and much more. “I’ve been really fortunate to work with some amazing and dedicated people throughout my career. And it has been incredibly rewarding to work alongside so many individuals on the RXR team who embody what Ferrum is all about.”

Now with his own family, Garten looks forward to visiting the College with his wife, Melanie, and their son, Rohan. From nights spent beneath starry skies, to his time on the football field, to hanging out with friends on the ground floor of Bassett Hall, Garten wants them to see what makes Ferrum so special.

“You are not only getting a unique college experience, but you also get an education that is as applicable to the classroom as it is to life,” he adds. “You’re in close proximity at a small school [and must] figure out how to get along with others who might be different than you. That’s what life is about, and that experience is something that is unique to Ferrum.”

Article written and submitted by freelance writer Amy Shelor Dye with contributions by David Garten ’98.

“Real dear to me,” is the way Gary Ingram describes how he feels about Ferrum College. Ingram graduated with an associate degree in Chemistry from Ferrum College in 1977 when it was still a junior college. A Franklin County and a Ferrum community native, Ingram says that the College was a big influence in his life before he ever became a student. Growing up, he spent many hours on the Ferrum campus with friends whose parents worked at the College and has fond memories of playing basketball in the gym with those friends. The Ferrum College influence extended even to his extracurricular activities as his Boy Scout leader was a math and physics professor at the College.

After becoming a student at Ferrum, Ingram says that he enjoyed his math classes and even received a mathematics award during his time at the College. He also played tennis under legendary tennis coach Bud Skeens.

“Ferrum College is helpful,” Ingram says, “Like a family.” He refers to the College’s motto of “Not Self, But Others” stating that, “If you get that one principle, you will go far in life.” Ingram continues to give back to the College and urges other alumni to do the same: “Ferrum College is so important to the community. It offers students a diverse range of academics and gives so many students the opportunity to attend college that might not be able to attend otherwise.” One other attraction, he adds, is that most of the professors live and serve in the communities around Ferrum College.

Since graduating, Ingram has enjoyed a successful career in the glass and mirror industry. He has been part-owner in Finch Industries for 20 years. The company is a leading supplier in North America of decorative glass and mirror products that are used in the furniture, medicine cabinet, manufactured housing, RV, and decorative wall industries. He also helped build the Rocky Mount Bowling Center located about 12 miles north of the Ferrum College campus. He sold the business to its current owners after running it for a few years. Ingram currently lives in North Carolina near the Greensboro area with his wife of 33 years, Georgeanne. He’s also the proud dad of daughters Laura, Meg and Marci, and granddaughters Emma, Natalie, and Abigail.

Although a lot has changed since his days running around campus as a kid, he still finds time to visit. His last time on campus? The Folklife Festival in 2019. With each visit, Ingram reflects on how much Ferrum has meant to him and how much he owes to his hometown college.

Article written and submitted by freelance writer Amy Shelor Dye.

Ms. Loretta McGhee, Dining Services Cashier

Loretta McGhee is best known to the Ferrum College community as “Ms. Loretta.” She was hired in the College’s salad room in the cafeteria in 1986. An injury forced her to begin working at the front door as the dining services cashier. Ms. Loretta remained at Ferrum College for 32 years and retired in May 2019 at the age of 87. She still resides in the area with her son.

“Every day at Ferrum was my favorite memory,” said Ms. Loretta. “I counted every day as a blessing to be there. I didn’t go in complaining because I got to see all those students and teachers, and they were all so sweet. Everyone in the cafeteria was. Every now and then a student would come in and not be so nice. But I kept speaking to them and hugging them and they got out of acting like that!”

She specifically remembers working with Jeff Gring and Mike Ferguson: “Mike is one of the nicest people in the world. He and Jeff always helped me when I didn’t understand something. I don’t know what I would’ve done without the two of them.”

Ferrum College is a special place, made even more special because of people like Ms. Loretta.

Dave Newcombe, Director of Student Leadership & Engagement

Dave Newcombe arrived at Ferrum College in 1986 as the director of Residence Life. In June 1989, he was asked to serve as the dean of Student Affairs. “This was my ‘dream job’ when I was in college and grad school,” said Dave. “I wanted to be a dean of students at a small college.” In 2007, Dave became director of Student Leadership and Engagement, a position he held until his retirement in August 2015 after 29 years of service.

“At Ferrum, we had faculty and staff teams in softball and basketball. We played in the student intramural program until we were too old to compete. What a great way to get to know students, and they really enjoyed our participation and the bond that the games created,” remembered Dave. “I also became a great fan of Panther athletics, theatrical plays, musical events, and the fun programs provided for students, the College, and the local community. I tried to attend as many of these events as possible. It was fun for me, but more importantly, I supported our students.”

“My ‘dream job’ was a joy. The relationships I made with students, alumni, staff, and faculty are truly a blessing and continue into my retirement,” said Dave. He and his wife Patricia remain in the Ferrum area. “We love Ferrum College so much we decided to pay off our home here and stay!”

Ferrum College is a special place, made even more special because of people like Dave.

The fourth annual Moonshine Heritage Car Show will take place at Ferrum College on Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.  This unique car show will showcase vehicles that were actual transporters of moonshine or the type of vehicle that was used for the hauling of illegal spirits. Admission is free so bring the family for a day of fun!

There will be plenty of storytelling and bragging about the exploits and history of these special cars and trucks from the actual drivers.  After the show, participants will cruise down to Twin Creeks Distillery in Rocky Mount for a moonshine tasting. Also visit the special moonshine souvenir tent with models of stills, mash sticks, and Virginia is for Moonshine Lovers hats, t-shirts, and bumper stickers.

Food will be available onsite from the legendary Bowling’s Hotdogs of Waidsboro.

This event is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum of Ferrum College with the assistance of the Outlaw Cruisers Car Club of Franklin County, VA.

For more information, call the Blue Ridge Institute at 540-365-4416 or email bri@ferrum.edu. To register a car for the car show, please complete a registration form here: https://ferrumcollege.wufoo.com/forms/m17zr5tu1d37fh6/.

To learn more about the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, visit: http://www.ferrum.edu/blueridgeinstitute/.