Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute was well represented Thursday at a statewide event highlighting the accomplishments within North Carolina’s community college system. The second annual “Great Within The 58” North Carolina Community Colleges Excellence Event took place on April 19 at the Raleigh Convention Center. CCC&TI and Caldwell Early College High School student Amelia Hawkins, who will graduate in May with an Associate in Arts and an Associate in Science, was among the 58 students honored with the Academic Excellence Award. One student from each of North Carolina’s 58 community colleges was honored at the event. In the fall, the Lenoir resident will attend Princeton on a full academic scholarship, thanks to her 4.0 GPA and high test scores. She plans to study Molecular Biology and attend medical school. Also honored at Thursday’s ceremony was CCC&TI student John Thomas Whitfield of Boone, who placed third in the NC Community Colleges Art Excellence Awards. The mixed media piece, entitled Post Horizon #1, is now on display at the NCCCS Office in Raleigh. The piece was chosen, based on artistic excellence, level of craftsmanship and conceptual innovation, from more than 200 submissions from 56 of North Carolina’s 58 community colleges. Whitfield is originally from Mississippi, but moved to the Boone area in 2004 to be closer to his brother, a local sculptor. He says he has always been an aspiring artist and plans to finish his degree in the fall at Appalachian State University.  In addition to Whitfield’s award-winning piece, three other CCC&TI students were included. Work by Timothy Ross Beler, Zachary Hypes and Samantha Kempf also are chosen for the exhibit. Student artwork will be on display through December 2012 at the Caswell Building at 200 W. Jones St., in Raleigh, which is the home of the NC Community Colleges home office. A virtual tour of the art exhibition is available at www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/pr/artexhibit