Wallace State holding PULSE 2021 for all students Oct. 5-6

Brittany Wagner from "Last Chance U" to kick off event

HANCEVILLE, Ala. — Wallace State Community College is making plans for PULSE: Pathways United for Learning, Service and Excellence, a two-day, conference-style event for all Wallace State students at both the main Hanceville campus and the Oneonta campus centers, as well as for distance learners. 

PULSE 2021 will kick off on Tuesday, Oct. 5, with an address from Brittany Wagner of the Netflix series “Last Chance U” at 8 a.m. in Traditions Bank Arena at Tom Drake Coliseum. Her address will be live streamed via the Wallace State Community College YouTube channel for any students who cannot attend the event in person. 

Workshops, activities, volunteer opportunities, and other events will be offered to students on Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 5 and 6 at both the Hanceville and Oneonta campuses. Each division will host a keynote speaker as workshops, with each to be live streamed. The Academic Division will present a workshop featuring Theresa Helms of Alabama Power. Applied Technologies will present a workshop featuring Cullman Economic Development Agency Director Dale Greer. The Health Science Division will host a workshop featuring Dr. Evan Cohn. 

Overall, there are more than 250 separate workshops planned over the two days, with subjects ranging from how to ease test anxiety and write a resume, to self-defense techniques. Students can receive a health screening, learn how to make a rain barrel, temper chocolate, remove the cloudy film on a car’s headlights, and much more.

“The goal of PULSE is to give students the opportunity to step out of their normal routine while learning new things that will benefit them either personally or professionally,” said Dr. Kathy Buckelew, chair of the PULSE committee. “Students will get the chance to network with other students, faculty, staff, or industry professionals they may not normally get to interact with and have the opportunity to give back through volunteer efforts.” 

Along with the kick-off speaker and workshops, there will be volunteer opportunities via Serve projects in which students can participate. Some projects may be specific to a certain program, but others will welcome students from all majors. Some Serve projects planned include Read with SKD!, where students will volunteer to read to students in grades PK-2 at area schools. The Physical Therapist Assistant program will build mobility carts with Mobility Worldwide. Occupational Therapy Assistant students will assist in a beautification project at LEAD Equine Assisted Therapy Services. Students can view all the Serve projects in the PULSE Blackboard shell.

The format of PULSE allows students to customize their experience. Along with the kickoff speaker and divisional keynote speaker workshops, other workshops will be videotaped, allowing students who cannot attend the live events to access those within the two weeks after the live events. 

Lunch and live musical entertainment will be provided each day during the lunch hour. On Tuesday, the U.S Band will entertain from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Tom Drake Coliseum. On Wednesday, the Wallace State Fine and Performing Arts will perform from 12 to 1 p.m. at the Burrow Center for the Fine and Performing Arts. Other activities will be available for students to participate in throughout the day. 

Students will be asked to complete a reflection assignment and/or separate assignments associated with their classes and may earn extra points if instructors offer that as part of their curriculum. 

For more information about PULSE, visit www.wallacestate.edu/PULSE or call 256.352.8000.