My education at Haywood Community College started on a whim. I just transitioned out of the Marine Corps after 9 years of service and I received a flyer in the mail from HCC about upcoming registration for the 2012 fall semester. I was not working at the time and knowing that I had the GI Bill to pay for school, I decided to take advantage of it. Little did I know that my experience at HCC would go on to pay dividends for me in both knowledge and experience in the long run.

I was never an academic success in high school and enlisting in the military when I was 17 years old kept me preoccupied until I decided to return to school a decade later. Thanks to the insightfulness of the teachers and staff, I have been able to stay focused and informed. HCC helped me understand that teaching criminal justice is something that I would enjoy doing for the rest of my life.

Two years later, I can now say that I am an academic success. I have graduated with my associate’s degree in criminal justice, I maintained a 4.0 GPA while going to school full-time and working the night shift full-time, I have graduated from HCC’s Honors College, I have been able to balance school, work, and my family life, and I have a clear vision of where I am headed. I know that all my success from here on out was because of how it was fostered here at Haywood Community College.