Meridian Community College: MCC Student-Athletes Offer A Helping Hand To Campus Organization

Press release from Meridian Community College:

December 14, 2021

Students at Meridian Community College gain a myriad of experiences in and out of
the classroom. A specific lesson some recently garnered: giving of their time to another
is priceless.

For the last five years, members of MCC’s chapter of Phi Beta Lambda campus organization,
Business and Office Technology division, have supported Eagle athletics by manning
the concession stand as a fundraiser. The organization used the profits from the concession
sales to augment and enhance class projects and trips.

Tanya Ocampo, an advisor with PBL, spearheaded, lead, and worked the group’s concession
sales effort for those five years until her passing in November. “In the day or two
after getting the news about Tanya, I realized we would need someone to open the concession
stand for the next basketball game and possibly the remainder of the season,” said
Sander Atkinson, MCC athletic director and associate dean of student services.

After talking with Eagle coaches, Atkinson said they agreed to have their student-athletes
help man the concession stand and give the profits to PBL for the remainder of the
season – some 14 games in all. “The coaches were all immediately supportive,” Atkinson
said.

When Ocampo’s colleague and co-sponsor of PBL, Flora Sumrall, was told about the plan,
she was somewhat baffled. “I misunderstood because I thought they would just work
it, and we’d move our stuff out. When Sander explained it to me and said, ‘No. They’re
going to work it and they’re going to give all of the money to you guys.’  I had to
ask him a few times,” she said.

“I know everybody at MCC is great. But this goes to show you how wonderful they are,”
Sumrall said. Missy Roberts, accounting instructor, who also teaches PBL students,
said of the gift, “It is a very thoughtful gesture in Tanya’s honor.”

Atkinson added, "I am very thankful to work with a bunch of coaches that recognized
this as an opportunity to support a former colleague and her program.”

“MCC is a family, and when a part of the family is hurting, somebody needs to step
in and help. Hopefully, in a small way, that is what we are doing,” he said.

Student-athletes Cameron Garrett and Isabel Sanders were two among the many who have
worked the stand. “We appreciate the opportunity to help our school and our community,”
said Garrett, and Sanders agreed. “I think it was really great that we got to help
out,” she said.

This press release was produced by Meridian Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.