When I graduated from Ayden-Grifton High School, I was excited to be college bound but apprehensive about the transition. After a very rewarding senior year as President of the Senior Class, Governor at Tar Heel Boy's State, and more, I had no idea what to expect at college.

The decision to attend Martin Community College came very naturally to me. I knew MCC would be the best option for me, because it was close to home and was a smaller institution.

Murphy-Brown LLC. was instrumental in James Sprunt’s decision to implement a diesel mechanics program. Meetings were held to discuss the educational needs of our community and how best to position the institution to ensure that those needs were met.

Learning is an essential part of life. According to the Digest of Education Statistics at ed.gov, approximately 7.3 million people attended a two-year college in 2014. I am one of those people. I began pursuing my Associate in Applied Science Degree in Architectural Technology in August 2013.

In 2005, at the age of sixteen, I became husband and a father. To this day, these are still my two greatest accomplishments. With that being said, my early start on adulthood did not leave me much time to think about my education.

Craven has proved to be an incredible stepping stone. When I began my time at Craven I was unsure of myself. I knew that I wanted to study English, but I lacked direction. Craven has provided me with priceless opportunities that I would not have been afforded otherwise.

A bag packed with books, pens and pencils ‐ an epitome of normalcy for an average college student.

In high school, I had a hard time understanding not only what the point of learning was, but what the point of life was. I felt like I was playing a game where everyone understood the rules except for me. I dropped out and fell into a deep depression.

When I started my college career I was excited for what my future as a student held. I was already working two part-time jobs and then I just added the task of going to school full-time. In the fall semester of my first year was when I decided to join the fire department.

After graduating high school, I moved in with my sister in North Carolina. I began a gap year working retail and volunteering at a local nursing home. Though I was busy working, traveling and volunteering, I knew I wanted more – to continue learning.

When I was in the eighth grade, I made the decision to apply to Stanly Early College High School.  Never before did I understand how big of a decision it was nor how greatly it would impact me down the road until now. 

It has been times in my life that victory and self-esteem eluded me. Nothing I tried worked. I was starting to think happiness and success wasn’t meant for me. All of my peers had moved on in life and started careers and families, living their life to the fullest.

Almost three years ago to the day, I was sitting in the same spot on the couch that I’m sitting in now typing this essay. It is only by reflecting back on that painful night three years ago that I’m able to put into words my “success story” involving my NC Community College experience.

I have always had a lifelong love of learning and upon graduating from high school in 1981, my intention was to complete a college degree, but life intervened and I found myself divorced, raising two children alone.

Tri-County Community College has been a positive, life-changing experience, but the journey hasn’t been easy. Being an only child and homeschooled, I had never been in a public classroom until my first day at Tri-County.

In early 1990, I completed a year of Auburn's architectural program, but took a leave due to financial issues. Years passed. I worked, bought a car, got married, and bought a home. Life happened and my plan to return to Auburn faded. By 2012, I was at a crossroads: divorced and frustrated.

I was homeschooled for grades 1-12.  I was given an excellent education by my parents, but I had never attended a class with more than a few students.  I had no idea what to expect from college.

When moving to Gastonia four years ago, I did not know what to do with my life other than what my family has set out for me - nail business. I wanted something more to satisfy my hunger for knowledge, so I took the first step by getting my GED at Gaston College.

I am a thirty-year-old, married, mother of two who is actively engaged within the community.

Thus, while researching options of where to attend college, I knew I needed a flexible and transitional environment. Therefore, attending Wake Technical Community College was my only option.

GTCC helped save my life. At 18, I joined the military, and as a result, suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Left untreated, it contributed to a tumultuous twenty years. On August 7, 2013, I woke up in a hospital, suffering a traumatic brain injury from a car accident.

Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted to be a nurse.  However, it took many years for me to finally work towards my dream.

Something in me changed once I entered the doors of a community college. All of my teachers were very encouraging. Upon becoming a Dental Hygiene student at Halifax Community College, I truly started to focus on my grades. I have pushed myself to make the best grades I could.

I am the type of person who is driven to succeed. Many people throughout my life told me I would never make it. In June 2011, I graduated from Richmond Senior High School with a GPA of 3.75.

My journey through the Carteret Community College has been a very rewarding experience.  Through the Radiography program, I have found a love and passion for a career and I have gained experience from opportunities I never knew I would be a part of.

I arrived at Roanoke-Chowan Community College in 2011 at the age of fourteen as a college student and a full-time high school student. I quickly discovered a few challenges; such as the class sizes were different and I had to interact with more adults than teenagers.

When I graduated from high school in 1989, going to college was not an option because I was pregnant with my son. I had to put my educational dreams on hold and go to work so that I could take care of him. The majority of the jobs I have had were factory jobs.

Being born and raised in the state of Maryland for 12 years, moving to Lumberton, North Carolina was a difficult transition. I overcame my culture shock and learned to adapt to my new environment by keeping an open mind and building relationships with my new teachers and people in the community.

At the age of 31, I decided to become a civilian and leave my Army life behind. Unfortunately, my skills at firing missiles were not in demand outside of the military. I needed more education and training to achieve my goal of becoming a biomedical engineer.

At first, I was drawn to Rockingham Community College to be a part of the baseball team, but I realized shortly after I started in the fall of 2013 that school was my priority.

Growing up in Kenya, education was a privilege and not a right.

I always wanted to do something with my life, but didn’t exactly make the best plan of action to make that possible. I am twenty-nine years old, I worked in collections a few years but for the most part, I’ve been in the restaurant industry all my life.

Erin Pruitt of Lawndale is the 2015 Academic Excellence Award winner at Cleveland Community College. Pruitt is graduating with an Associate of Applied Science in Radiography and holds a 3.85 grade point average.