Ruben O’Neal, a Collision Repair and Refinishing student at Edgecombe Community College, is taking advantage of every opportunity to learn. In addition to his course work at Edgecombe, he works as an intern at Doug Henry Ford, an auto dealer in Tarboro, N.C.

Ruben is known for being a student who has high expectations for himself, and he focuses all his energy and drive into his studies.

He credits EMPAC, the college’s Minority Male Mentoring (3M) program, with helping him stay focused on academics and for reinforcing the principles and values that guide him both in the classroom and in his personal life.

“The guidance that the 3M program provides can help other minority male students be successful as well,” he said.