Gadsden State 2022 Annual Report

Valerie Roberts, an Office Administration instructor, has taken advantage of the many personal and professional growth opportunities available to employees at Gadsden State Community College. 

“I am grateful that Gadsden State employees are given the tools and resources they need to become great leaders,” she said. “I always want to find ways I can be a good influence to others.” 

Roberts was selected during the 2021-22 academic year to participate in the Gadsden State Leadership Academy with eight of her co-workers, graduating in June 2022. From January to December 2022, she was one of 10 members of the Leadership Etowah program spearheaded by The Chamber of Gadsden/Etowah. 

“It has been very eye-opening to see parts of our community that I’ve never seen or experienced before,” she said. “It was my goal to learn everything I could about Etowah County so that I can pour back that knowledge into my students.” 

Through the Gadsden State Leadership Academy, which is led by Associate Dean of Student Services Kelley Pearce, Roberts learned more about leadership styles and best practices; professional appearances and presentation; strategic planning; teambuilding; collaboration and motivation; conflict resolution and administrative processes. 

“We traveled to our different campuses and learned more about the various parts of the College that we don’t typically see on a daily basis,” she said. “I was thrilled to learn more about our FAME program on the Ayers Campus. I immediately suggested the program to a student who ended up applying to the program. He was accepted and is now a part of FAME, an apprenticeship-style program that allows them to earn money and hands-on training at a leading manufacturer while also receiving classroom and lab instruction.” 

Leadership Etowah covered many other topics including education, local and state government, arts and culture, tourism, economic development, healthcare, workforce development, non-profit organizations and public safety. Roberts said that a day that profoundly affected her was Non-profit Day. 

“That day led us to many resources in town that I know many of my students need to be connected to,” she said. “Oftentimes, my students are not struggling with an academic need, but instead they have a true personal or family need that hinders their ability for success. I always want to find ways to help them in those moments of need.” 

Visiting the Barrie Center really hit home for Roberts. The Barrie Center provides a child-friendly facility for forensic interviews, trauma-focused therapy and support and advocacy for children under 18 who have been victims of sexual abuse, severe physical abuse or are witnesses to violent crimes. 

“I had hardships as a child and I definitely shed some tears that day,” she said. 

Roberts grew up with parents struggling with drug addiction. Her father was in-and-out of jail and her mother abused drugs to the point of becoming disabled. 

“It was not uncommon to have no power or not know where my brother, sister and I would sleep at night,” she said. “I lived in over 20 different houses before I finally moved out on my own at 19 years old.” 

Thanks to a caring, insightful and supportive counselor at Etowah High School, Roberts enrolled at Snead State Community College to continue her education in an effort to break the cycle of poverty and dysfunction for her family. 

“That extra push from Sharon Bowman, my counselor, was huge for me,” she said. “This is the type of person I strive to be and who I ask God to help me be in every situation. Who can I be in this moment that the people around me need? We never know what is going on in the depths of someone’s life and how you can influence them. I want to go the extra step for my students because who knows how big that will be for them?” 

After visiting the Barrie Center with Leadership Etowah, she organized a drive to collect and purchase Easter baskets at her church, Summit Church in Rainbow City. The drive provided baskets to the 57 children and teens receiving regular counseling at the Barrie Center. 

“We were intentional with what we put in the baskets,” Roberts said. “We made sure each child had a word of encouragement and other goodies.” 

She also led the charge in raising $1,300 to purchase fast food gift cards for social workers working in the Department of Human Resources in Etowah County. They could use the card to purchase meals for children when they picked them up from volatile situations. Furthermore, Roberts spearheads Operation Christmas Hero, a program that provides gifts for children in DHR care. 

“I was a struggling child and teenager,” she said. “I know how they feel. As an adult, I go into every situation and new opportunity trying to determine how I can learn and use it to help others. How can I take what I’ve learned back to my circles of influence whether it be my students, my family, my friends or my church? How can I push others to do the same?” 

The Gadsden State Leadership Academy requires a project at the end of the program. Roberts decided to take what she learned through Leadership Etowah and put together a presentation of community resources available to students, including information about United Way agencies, shelters and children’s services. She also provided the class with a folder full of resources they could use and duplicate within their classrooms or programs. 

“I shared with my fellow leaders not only what resources are available but how they can get connected to community organizations as well,” she said. “Many of those leaders have reached out since I provided them with the resources to share with me ways they have spread the knowledge in their own departments, with their students, with their families and with their churches.” 

Roberts has come a long way since the days of bouncing from place-to-place as an impoverished, scared child. After she graduated from Snead State, she landed a full scholarship to transfer to Jacksonville State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. She also received a master’s degree in Business Administration from Southeastern University. Now an instructor, she previously worked as the tutoring coordinator for Student Support Services since 2018. 

Roberts and her husband of over 12 years, Kyle (also a Gadsden State employee), have three children: Melody, 10; Summer, 6; and Lucy, 3. Daily she reads a plaque hanging in her office that reads “I still remember the days I prayed for the things I have now.” 

“I love my life and the people I have in my life,” she said. “I am blessed.” 

Roberts said she will continue to spread the word about the amazing resources available in Etowah County. She is grateful for having learned so much through the Leadership Academy and Leadership Etowah. 

“I’m going to use the knowledge I have gained to build up my students, build up other leaders and continue to push others forward in the community around us,” she said. “You never know the impact you will make by just being intentional daily in your words, your thoughts and your actions. You never know what part of someone else’s story you are writing. I want to know that I did all I can in this life to encourage, to build others up and to create opportunities for others to do the same.”