Lauren Strickland

My experience with college was unconventional from registration for my first semester. For one thing, that registration period happened during the summer before my junior year of high school. Being able to make use of the Career and College Promise program as well as scholarships provided by Sampson Community College allowed me to finish my degree a year early and without any student loan debt. Starting college early forced me to be more proactive, organized, and communicative. The last one has been the most important for me. I was diagnosed at 14 with clinical depression and major social anxiety that regularly worked together to make it difficult to get out of bed and go about my day. Just over five years later, I’ve gotten to a point where group projects and talking about what’s on my mind have gotten much easier. In fact, I decided to make a career out of it by pursuing human resources. Going to a community college helped me immeasurably with making connections and moving forward with my goals.