WCC students earn continuing education scholarship
By Staff Reports
Published in News on February 25, 2017 11:53 PM
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Three Wayne Community College students were recently awarded State Employees' Credit Union continuing education scholarships. From left, Dr. Gene Smith, SECU local advisory board member and WCC vice president, SECU vice president Sheree Millard and recipients Heather Finch and Deontre Gray, WCC SECU program coordinator Maxine Cooper and WCC associate vice president Renita Dawson. Absent was the third recipient, Brittany Morgan.
Three Wayne Community College students were awarded State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) Continuing Education Scholarships for the fall 2016 semester.
Recipients and their courses of study are Brittany Dawn Morgan of Selma and Deontre Jymel Gray of Goldsboro, both in the Emergency Medical Technician-Basic program, and Heather Elizabeth Ann Finch of Fremont, Nurse Aide I.
All three have completed their programs, passed the corresponding state certification exams, and intend to go to the next level in their fields.
"You are examples of what we hope all Wayne Community College continuing education students will be," Renita Dawson, associate vice president for continuing education services, told the students and their guests at a reception in their honor.
Ms. Finch has already found employment as a certified nursing assistant at Willow Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Her ultimate goal is to become an oncology nurse.
"My children drive me to get up every morning to do what I do," she said.
Gray said that he isn't stopping, either.
"I learned a lot of skills from that course," he said. "I'm ready to take the anatomy and physiology class so I can come back and do the paramedic certificate."
He had already been taking college-credit courses at WCC but took the fall semester off from those studies to earn his EMT certificate.
He said he is the first person in his immediate family to attend college. Setting a good example for his four siblings was a priority, he said.
Ms. Morgan said she was motivated by both her drive to help people and the experience of "witnessing my young niece nearly drown in a pool."
She plans to return to earn her paramedic certificate, too.
Each was awarded $750 for tuition and other expenses associated with their programs of study.
The scholarships were provided by the member-funded SECU Foundation.
The program gives 10 $750 scholarships annually to each of North Carolina's 58 community colleges to pay for short-term training that leads to state-recognized or industry-supported credentials.
Launched in 2013, the scholarship program focuses on assisting the needs of North Carolina's unemployed and underemployed residents, military veterans, and members of the National Guard who are seeking short-term job training for new careers or retraining to advance current job skills.