My time here at Central Carolina Community College has been nothing short of life changing. Like many adults or returning students, obtaining a college degree has been a lifelong desire of mine.

In March of 2013, Zachary Rhyner was a soldier in the military.   In this month things for Rhyner changed after being struck by an enemy bullet during an assault against enemy combatants in Afghanistan.  The wound left by the bullet was extensive, leaving a femur to be repaired, a severed sciatic

Aaron Humphrey thought that completing college was something that was impossible for him to achieve.  Struggling in areas such as math in high school Humphrey did not receive very high grades.  Instead of college Humphrey started working in fast food restaurants and worked himself up to managemen

Nichole Medlin graduated from high school in 1991.  After 20 years away from school to be a devoted stay-at-home mom and wife Medlin decided it was time to pursue her future.  With her daughter now gone from home to pursue her own career, Medlin knew that she needed the right tools to compete in

I had a young child that my family cared for during the time I was incarcerated.  Upon my release, I was determined to make a good life for myself and my son and felt the first step towards reaching this goal would be to go back to school.

Working with a computer system that controls two manufacturing plants was giving Anthony Kennedy the influence to return to school back in 2015.  Gaining roles that included IT management, he knew that he would have to improve his skills to be successful at the task his job required.  He was able

I walked into Blue Ridge Community College with a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve. What I didn’t expect was the level of encouragement and assistance I’d receive from the faculty.

A small vignette on the front of Piedmont Community College's student planners describing the Student Government Association caught the eye and interest of Cristian McLaughlin.  After e-mailing the advisor of the SGA and conversing back and forth McLaughlin jumped in the "deep end" and ran for SG

Before I was a student at Wake Tech, I was unable and unqualified to work in jobs that gave me the satisfaction of being a valuable team member to create something amazing.

A mother who raised her son alone, 2014 was going to be a challenging year for Debra Jean Cumbie.  In May of that year she lost her husband to cancer, and two weeks after his death she lost her job.  She realized that it was time for a change and she needed to chase her dreams of becoming a nurse

 I began to work at a minimum wage job straight out of high school, without any plans to continue my education, because that just wasn’t what people in my family did. The fact that I had even graduated High School was a bit of a miracle for us.

For Tammy Small Cox her biggest regret was not going to college.  She didn't think that it was possible to pursue her degree until she received a little encouragement.  That encouragement came from her daughter, and with a little research, Cox realized that her regret could finally become a reali

My experience with Rockingham Community College has helped me to be successful. I am a firm believer that if students feel comfortable in an institution, they are more likely to succeed. In my case, I feel a sense of “belonging” because the staff cares about me.

My name is Najma Hasan and I am proud to be a student in the prestigious nursing program at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. It is a challenging program, but I am working very hard. Today, I know my future is bright. But it didn't always look so bright.

In during her senior year in high school, Sarah Elizabeth Shepherd made the decision to become dually enrolled in the RIBN Program through Wilkes Community College and Lenoir-Rhyne University.  Taking several WCC classes during high school did not prepare Shepherd for how involved she could becom

One of the pioneers of the Community College movement in North Carolina, Dr. Jeff Hockaday was instrumental in laying the foundation for the North Carolina Community College System that we have today.   Dr.

Afraid of failing is what bother Christiana L.

Brittany Whitaker is an Associate in Science student planning to graduate in spring 2017. She aims to transfer to UNC-Charlotte or University of South Carolina to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biology or exercise science.

Not having taken classes for the past 15 years made going back to school very scary for Kimberly Sheppard.  Entering Richmond Community College at the age of thirty-three was a decision that would change Sheppard's life and also her perspective on life itself.  The reason for the delay in getting

Charles White is Cleveland Community College’s 2017 Academic Excellence Award winner.

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska Emily West-Furey at the age of 19 moved to Jacksonville, North Carolina in 2010 with her husband.  For the next 5 years, she devoted her time to building and focusing on a family and raising her daughter while her husband was deployed.  In 2015 Fuery-West decide

Being diagnosed with asthma and anxiety disorder cut short the military career of Marian Corp Veteran Joshua G.

In August of 1998, I enrolled into my first year of college. This was exciting to me because I became the first of my mother's children to enroll into college. Unfortunately, I decided to discontinue my pursuit of a degree when I became pregnant.

Making the decision to attend early college program at Southeastern Community College gave Austin Todd the best opportunity to achieve the long-term goals he had set for himself.  Transferring to the main campus while still a junior in high school he began working on a two-year associates degree

As the first college graduate in his family, Marco Leonardo Chumbimuni knows the importance of his accomplishment. Not just for himself, but also for his younger brother and his relatives in his parents’ native country.

It is an honor to be Montgomery Community College's nominee for the NCCCS Academic Excellence award. I owe a lot of my success to MCC, so it is great to represent my school.

Native Filipino, a British citizen, and a U.S. permanent resident Irene Bantigue moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina in October of 2014.  The relocation with her family was not easy as they faced heavy relocation expenses and were surviving on one income.  Irene did not think she would be able to afford a college education until she called Forsyth Technical Community College.

I knew it was time for a new chapter in the story of my life.  A position became available at Sampson Community College in the Continuing Education Division and after much prayer and seeking direction and guidance, I knew that’s where God was leading me.  I am a true believer that actions speak l

Failure was never an option for Raydeijah Morning.  Struggling to select whether to go to a university or a community college Morning decided to enroll at Pamlico Community College.  Morning states that attending Pamlico CC has left her with no regrets and the staff is amazing.  Working two part-