I am a senior Medical Assisting student at Edgecombe Community College. My program began fall 2014, and I graduate this May 2016. Throughout my program, I have maintained a 4.0 GPA. I have taken away so many experiences that will forever benefit my personal life and career.

My high school experience has been unorthodox. I am an early college student, and I have been enrolled at Vance-Granville Community College since fall of 2012. My experience has been thrilling; I would never change my decision to attend the early college.

In 1999 I left South Africa and came to America to make a better life for myself by driving 18-wheelers country-wide. I knew America was the place I wanted to be. My dream came true when I met the man of my dreams who was serving his country in the US Army 3rd Special Forces Group.

In 2003, I was a traditional student at a four-year university; however, I did not have a very well thought out plan concerning where I was headed in life. I could not afford $16,000 per year tuition as an out-of-state student, so I decided to join the United States Army.

When I was sixteen I dropped out of school due to being pregnant and homeless. I was forced to give my son up for adoption, a decision that would prove to stagnate me for years as well as be that one thing in life that I regret. For years I found myself surviving to live and living to survive.

I was born and raised in Germany, where I survived a battle with cancer but had limited options for furthering my education or career. So in 2011 I moved to the United States with hope and big expectations.

I began my collegiate journey at Gaston College in the fall of 2014. The year prior, I was deployed overseas on my second combat tour when a 200-pound Improvised Explosive Devise struck my vehicle.

It is by no means an overstatement to claim that Wilkes Community College (WCC) has reinvented my world, shaped who I am, and molded my future. At WCC, I have been immersed in a variety of courses that have altered my perspective.

A friend is one that is always accepting and encouraging regardless of how much time has passed. For thirty years Guilford Technical Community College has consistently demonstrated this concept.

In the fall of 2010, I found myself being told that I would be laid off from a job that had

afforded my wife, son, and I, a comfortable living. I now was relying on unemployment

benefits, unable to pay my bills, and competing with many other unemployed people for very

I know from experience the path to a higher education is one that many start, but only a few finish. I am able to count myself among the few who will finish and have Halifax Community College (HCC) to thank for this accomplishment.

Professor Spitler’s “hunger for knowledge and his continued quest for personal excellence and understanding of his academic discipline have translated to a career that has impacted literally thousands of students since the 1990s and kept his program at the forefront of engineering programs at bot

I began classes at Isothermal Community College after being out of school for over 10 years. I knew I wanted to continue my education, but was unsure at the time if I could do it while raising a young child.

Dr. Ben F. Currin served as president of Vance-Granville Community College for nearly 18 years, beginning in 1981.  Current Vance-Granville Community College President Stelfanie Williams states that Dr.

Being a high school senior at Duplin Early College High School, while taking college courses at James Sprunt Community College has not been easy. It has taken plenty of hard work and dedication. I have learned that reaching my goals in life will not be easy, but it will be worth it in the end.

Gary Heisey’s contributions to the missions of Blue Ridge Community College and the NC Community College System, as well as to the business development and economic growth of Henderson and Transylvania Counties, have been profound during his tenure as director of the Blue Ridge Community College

These past two years have been a huge transition for me. Throughout high school I planned to attend a university in Florida, where I had lived all my life. During my senior year my grandfather passed, leaving my grandmother alone in North Carolina.

Dr. Lawrence Rouse is dedicated to engaging community partners in innovative programs to assure student success.

The fall semester after my graduation in 2011, I started attending Salem College as a Music Education major. I soon realized a career in music was not for me. In the 2013 spring semester, I dropped to attending college part time, and after that I dropped out altogether.

I was born in Chicago but I have spent half of my life traveling with my parents due to my father’s job relocation. At a young age, I was introduced to two different languages, Arabic and English.

My experience at Martin Community College has been one-of-a-kind! Ever since I made the decision to go back to school, I knew it was not going to be an easy journey.

Mr. Willie Corbett, a survivor of a motorcycle accident, a victim of quadriplegic paralysis, a conscious and thoughtful parent aiming to teach his children and grandchildren the value of education, is worthy of the Dallas Herring Award for 2016.

Emilee Crowder, who will graduate with her Associate in Arts Degree this May, is a first generation college student who enrolled at Mayland Community College following her high school graduation.

The partnership between Isothermal Community College and the Tryon International Equestrian Center is giving new life to the southwest region of our state – an area which was devastated by the recession – by creating new areas of opportunity for its citizens.

College of The Albemarle has presented me with more opportunities than I could have ever imagined.  I started here in 2014 after being laid off for the first time in my life.  Truthfully, I am not sure how I found the courage to return to school after nearly 18 years, but I was encouraged because

When Stacy, a single mother of three boys, relocated to Columbus County a few years ago, she thought she would easily find work utilizing her bookkeeping and office administration skills gained in her previous employment, but quickly realized her opportunities were limited with only a high school

I started at Craven Community College after I finished serving 12 years of service in the Marine Corps. My time at the college has been very high tempo, but also very rewarding. There have been many things I have done and accomplished, that I never saw coming.

Before I began classes at Southwestern Community College, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

Clenching the straps of my book bag in sheer nervousness, I walked into the doors of Davidson County Community College. In an instant, I was in a class with adults who had full-time jobs, spouses, and children.

Two years ago, I made a decision that would change my life for the best.  I decided to go to Stanly Community College (SCC) to obtain my associate degree in Criminal Justice.  I am now in my last semester at SCC, and I have had a great experience thus far in my college career.  I have come a long

Durham Technical Community College has become the place that I arrive early in the morning with the prospect of having new lessons on my favorite subjects, Chemistry, English, and Psychology.