N.C. A&T Salutes Aggie Heroes for Homecoming
For the 95th celebration of the Greatest Homecoming on Earth, the Office of Alumni Relations wants to show appreciation to the Aggie Heroes who continue to serve on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. We salute our healthcare professionals, educators, law enforcement, and facilities personnel.
Aggies, we ask that you take a moment this week to thank an Aggie Hero.
Dr. Padonda Webb ‘03
Executive Director, Student Health Center
Excerpt from N.C. A&T Alumna Webb Leads Student Health Center During COVID-19 Pandemic
In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit our nation, doctors and nurses stood on the frontlines to answer the call. With resilient and grace, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been fortunate to have under its leadership, Dr. Padonda Webb ’03, the executive director of the Student Health Center. She is responsible for the public health safety of nearly 13,000 students and close to 2,000 faculty and staff members.
In August 2020, Webb stepped into the role as interim executive director, when the previous director retired — during the peak of the pandemic and the re-entry of students coming back to campus.
“It was very critical for me to make sure we re-opened the campus safely, and I honestly didn’t have time to be scared or nervous – I just knew how to do my job,” said Webb. “When the pandemic started, I was previously serving as the assistant director at the center, so I had a good rapport with the team and I believed we were all capable of implementing best practices for safety.”
LaToya Lucas, MSN, APRN, NP-C ‘95
Nurse Practitioner
How did the pandemic impact you in your professional life?
I had never in my career seen so many patients pass away. I lost over half of my clientele due to death, with COVID as the cause of death. Over a two-week time period, I signed over 50 death certificates. That in itself is very stressful.
I work with a geriatric population. Most of my population has some form of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. The amounts of depression and failure to thrive seen in that patient population were stressful because their families were not allowed to visit.
Also, during the pandemic, a lot of patients were unable to be seen by medical specialists, receive surgeries, or receive primary care due to COVID-19 and provider offices being closed.
How did you remain resilient throughout the process?
I prayed a lot, and I remembered my WHY! I asked the Lord to help me find a way to close the care gap seen in our community. Through this process, Lucas Exceptional Healthcare and Consultation, PLLC was birthed.
What advice or wisdom would you give to people during these trying times?
Pray, meditate, keep in close communication with loved ones and family. Try to have some form of stimulation and avoid isolation as much as possible. Make sure that your elderly loved ones have access to technology so that they can FaceTime/video chat as a way to help prevent isolation.
Shannon McPhail
University Police Department
Police Officer/Supervisor
U.S. Army Veteran
How did the pandemic impact you in your professional life?
The pandemic impacted me as it related to safety and continuing to provide service to the Aggie community and surrounding neighborhoods despite COVID. This was because we did have to come in close contact with those that may have been a victim of a crime or may have been ill. I had no true impact except working extra shifts and was unable to visit family under the circumstances.
How did you remain resilient throughout the process?
I remained resilient by keeping a clear mind, exercising, and staying positive for the officers that I supervised during the pandemic. I strived to keep my squad motivated and healthy.
What advice or wisdom would you give to people during these trying times?
I would tell others to keep the faith, work on being the best ‘them’ and take precautionary measures for themselves and their family as the world begins to open back up from the lockdowns and removal of mandatory protocols for COVID-19.
Porsha Parker-Partee ‘02
Marketing Career and Technical Education Teacher
MBA Candidate, May 2022
How did the pandemic impact you in your professional life?
As a Career and Technical Education Teacher, I was afforded the opportunity to teach using technology prior to the pandemic. All of my students used laptops daily in class. So that transition wasn’t as difficult for me as it was for other teachers. The challenge that I had to figure out was how to support my students when they weren’t comfortable sharing their conditions and situations. I had to learn to read emotions from a camera and then find solutions that really worked and could be implemented in a COVID-19 climate.
How did you remain resilient throughout the process?
I constantly reminded myself that a lot of people needed me so I had to stay strong and positive. I also made sure that I found a balance between work, family and personal time.
What advice or wisdom would you give to people during these trying times?
Stay connected! There are so many that have lost loved ones. The least we can do is reach out and check on each other.
Albert Holness
Facilities Maintenance Supervisor
N.C. A&T
How did the pandemic impact you in your professional life?
I am the electrical shop supervisor, and it was mandatory for me to be at work during the pandemic.
How did you remain resilient throughout the process?
I was optimistic. I believe this pandemic will be over soon.
What advice or wisdom would you give to people during these trying times?
Tell people to stop listening to conspiracy theories just rely on the advice of the doctors and take the vaccine.
Katherine Copeland, Class of 2022
Senior, Nursing Student
How did the pandemic impact you in your professional life?
The pandemic completely changed how schools and clinicals were traditionally set up. For most, classes transitioned to online only. Luckily, as a nursing student we had in-person options because our cohort is small. On the other hand, clinicals in the hospital were not guaranteed like previous years. Every week there was a possibility that they would be canceled by the hospital due to COVID-19 numbers. Thankfully we were able to receive all of the hours required.
How did you remain resilient throughout the process?
I remained resilient by making the active decision to contribute to the fight against COVID-19. The Student Health Center allowed the School of Nursing to offer students the opportunity to volunteer and help with administering vaccines. Many students did not attend but I took a leap of faith and attended one clinic. Ever since that day, I have loved helping with COVID testing and vaccine administration. I was able to become close to Dr. Webb, Ms. Carmen, and Ms. Alisha while volunteering. Through this opportunity I have administered over 200 vaccinations and volunteered over 50 hours during the Spring 2021 semester. It was truly an amazing learning opportunity.
What advice or wisdom would you give to people during these trying times?
Some advice that I would give during these trying times is to stay educated, stay healthy, and stay safe. A lot of misinformation can easily be spread through social media due to fear or misunderstanding. Make sure to do your own research so that you can have multiple reliable resources to receive information from. During this time, it’s also important to stay healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually. The continuous talk about COVID-19 whenever watching TV or on social media can cause stress, so make sure to find a stress reliever that works for you. Finally, stay safe.
Please wear your mask and get tested. We must do our part to its fullest extent and that includes continuing to follow the 3 W’s (wear, wait, and wash).
Derrick Partee ‘01
Physical Education Teacher/Athletics Coach
How did the pandemic impact you in your professional life?
As a teacher, the pandemic rocked our whole professional life. Students had to learn how to learn online and teachers learning how to teach online was the most challenging thing in my career thus far. The uncertainty of not knowing when it will end or what will come next was/is very challenging for students and teachers. And not being able to form teacher/student relationships really hurts the learning process.
How did you remain resilient throughout the process?
Faith. Religious faith. Having faith in our leaders that they were and are making the best decisions for us to be safe.
What advice or wisdom would you give to people during these trying times?
Try to follow the best practice to keep yourself, your family and others safe. Also, remember to stay mentally and emotionally strong, tough times like this won’t last forever.
