Sherry Franklin, associate vice president for Career and Technical Education and Rankin Campus Career and Technical dean, received «Ӱҵ’s highest award in an Aug. 24 ceremony.
Franklin, a Brandon resident, has worked at «Ӱҵ since 2004. She received the 3E Award, Emphasis on Excellence and Enrichment, at the annual Employee Appreciation event. The award is always kept as a closely guarded secret until it is announced at the event.
Franklin had been asked to sing and was last on the program after the 3E announcement. As she sat in the audience at Cain-Cochran Hall on the Raymond Campus, she was searching on her phone for the music to “I Believe I Can Fly.”
She originally planned to sing it cappella but decided, as she waited for her turn, to sing it with music.
But then she heard Jackie Granberry, executive director of the «Ӱҵ Foundation, mention Pearl and Rankin County as part of the biography of the person named the 3E Award recipient. Franklin’s attention jerked up from the phone to the stage as she realized Granberry was talking about her.
“Winning 3E brought with it an overwhelming experience of emotions,” Franklin said. “I felt surprised, elated, honored and truly blessed. Today, I feel empowered to spread my wings even more to help others achieve their goals. I truly believe WE can fly!”
Granberry said Franklin embodies what the award stands for.
As the 3E Award recipient at «Ӱҵ, Sherry Franklin received a custom-made rocking chair created by the Career-Technical Education Department. With her are, from left, «Ӱҵ Foundation Executive Director Jackie Granberry, «Ӱҵ President Dr. Clyde Muse, Rankin Campus Vice President Dr. Norman Session and Dr. Chad Stocks, vice president for Workforce and Economic Development and district coordinator of Career and Technical Education.
“She has excelled in every position she’s held at «Ӱҵ — five to be exact – during her almost 18-year tenure at «Ӱҵ. Each new position has given her increased responsibilities and, through those positions, she has enriched the lives of everyone in her path,” Granberry said.
“She is a hard worker, a problem-solver, a person you can depend on to get things done. She has never backed down from a challenge. She accomplishes what seems as insurmountable goals with her always positive outlook, her knowledge of all things career-tech and workforce, and her desire to make «Ӱҵ the best institution possible,” she said.
Franklin has been with «Ӱҵ since 2004. She was formerly the tech prep coordinator and joined the Rankin Campus staff as director of the Pearl-Rankin Career Center. Her stint at «Ӱҵ includes dean of students from 2011 to 2013. In 2015, Franklin was named associate vice president for Career and Technical Education and district director of Career and Technical Education. She is also Rankin Campus Career and Technical dean.
“I enjoy working at «Ӱҵ and put my heart into everything that I do. At «Ӱҵ, I focus on what is best for our students and the communities that we serve,” she said.
Franklin holds her undergraduate and graduate degrees in business education from Jackson State University. Before coming to «Ӱҵ she taught business and computer technology at the Jackson Career Development Center and then worked with the State Department of Education as program coordinator for business and computer technology.
Franklin said she chose the song “I Believe I Can Fly,” which she never got to sing at the award ceremony, “to congratulate the award recipients and give words of encouragement to others that we can achieve whatever we put our minds to. However, I believe that there must be a fundamental shift within ourselves to believe that we can do it.”
As Mississippi’s largest community college, «Ӱҵ is a comprehensive institution offering quality, affordable educational opportunities with academic programs of study leading to seamless university transfer and career and technical programs teaching job-ready skills. With six locations in central Mississippi, «Ӱҵ enrolls about 12,000 students each fall semester. To learn more, visit www.hindscc.edu or call 1.800.«ӰҵCC.