RCC stands ready to help you find your path to success

Column by RCC President Melissa Singler as published in the July 31st edition of the Robesonian

The global pandemic has taught us many lessons in life.

It has taught us that strength doesn’t come from what you can do, it comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t achieve.

It has taught us that life is fragile, that every moment counts, and that everything can change in an instance.

It has taught us how to be resilient and resourceful, to do more with less. It has taught us how to just be.

I know that many of our recent high school graduates have had many traditional opportunities taken from them due to the pandemic. Last year, our 2020 graduates had their senior year cut short, and our 2021 graduates have had to endure almost two years of facing “unknowns.”

I’m sure that many of our high school graduates feel unprepared for college and unsure of what the future holds, however please make the decision to not let your life be defined by the pandemic, and today I’m asking you to make the choice to be resilient.

Resiliency means that you have the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. It shows that you are able to bounce back, higher, stronger than you were before.

The resiliency you have developed builds character and it has built an inner strength within you that will only help you as you move towards your goals. The adversity that you have had to endure has helped you be more prepared for whatever life may throw at you. Life can be hard at times, but it is your attitude that will help get you from one valley to another.

To the class of 2020 and 2021 — you are strong and you are more capable than you realize.

As the president of Robeson Community College, I can assure you that every student at our institution has access to a multitude of resources and support to ensure their success, no matter what their program of study is.

RCC is a beacon of hope, and we will guide and assist any student that gives us the opportunity, whether they are recent high school graduate, a high school dropout, or someone that has a PhD and wants to change careers and go in a completely different direction.

There are so many opportunities for everyone, from all walks of life, at Robeson Community College.

If you are a 2021 North Carolina high school graduate, you could receive up to $2,800 per year, for two years, thanks to the Longleaf Grant. Please don’t miss this unique opportunity provided to you, and parents, I hope that you won’t let this opportunity pass your child by. Whether your child wants to be a dentist or a welder, there’s a program at RCC just for them.

And if you didn’t graduate in 2021, you might be surprised at what funding options are available. There are many other opportunities to receive financial assistance such as through federal financial aid, scholarships, grants, the workforce innovation and opportunities act, and more. If you think you don’t qualify for financial aid, please know the guidelines for financial aid have changed due to the pandemic and you may qualify for more than you realize.

Robeson Community College offers many support services such as tutoring, mentoring programs, and more. We want to see you cross the finish line. If as a student, you ever feel that you cannot do something, please come see me and we will figure it out together.

Also, at RCC, we understand that attending college full-time and taking liberal arts classes may not be for everyone. That’s why we offer multiple pathways to help you achieve your dreams and your goals.

In addition to associates degrees, we offer many diploma and certificate programs that will give you hands-on training, such as our Simulation and Game Development certificate.

In this certificate, you take four classes in this subject to gain a fundamental understanding of the technology sector as a designer, tester, support technician, system administrator, developer or programmer for the gaming industry. So, if you love Nintendo or Xbox, this might be a program that will allow you to thrive and provide a living wage for you and your family.

That’s not the only program with a certificate program available, you can earn a certificate in Bookkeeping, Business Foundations, Cyber Security, medical office administration, Nurse Aide I, HVAC, mechatronics, networking, cosmetology, electrical systems, welding, culinary arts, basic law enforcement, and more. Please check out our programs of study by visiting catalog.robeson.edu.

We also understand that maybe you don’t have time to complete a certificate, maybe you need training more quickly. RCC offers a wide variety of short-term training programs that can be completed within days to nine months that prepare you for the workforce. These programs give you hands-on training and many of them lead to industry recognized credentials in healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, public safety, emergency medical science, law enforcement, and more.

If you have never completed your high school diploma, Robeson Community College offers many free programs through our Career and College Readiness division to help you change the trajectory of your life. You can earn your high school diploma or GED and be on the road to success in no time. Also available through CCR is our Adult Basic Education classes for those who completed their high school diploma but need a refresher to brush up on their skills, as well as English for Speakers of Other Languages, and Compensatory Education. These programs provide you with resources, class instruction, and more which can help you to get you college-bound and job-ready.

I want to share a story with you.

There once was a man who had worked in construction his whole life. He had his high school diploma and had made a very good life for himself. He had moved up to management positions and really knew his trade, after all, he had over 20 years of experience. But then the unexpected happened, he was laid off. He thought, no big deal, I’ll just go find another job. He applied to many construction companies and finally found the job he had been waiting for. He thought, this is the job I’ve wanted my whole life. He went through the interview process, and was even offered the job making more than he ever had.

He was so excited, but the day before he was to start, he got a phone call. It was his soon-to-be supervisor and he had one question.

He said, “Please tell me that you have a degree in something, it doesn’t matter what it is, it can be an associate’s degree, you just need to have a degree.”

The man told his would-be-supervisor that no he did not have a degree, he had never gone to college.

After a long pause, the supervisor said, “I’m sorry, we won’t be able to give you this job. You have to have a college degree.”

As devastating as this phone call was, and after being laid off, this man had to make a decision. He could get mad, he could become bitter, or he could do something to change his situation and ultimately the outcome of his life. He chose the latter. The next day he showed up at his local community college and told counselors what had happened and that he wanted to get his college degree. He never wanted to be in a position where he was denied a job because he did not have a degree. Two years later, he walked across the stage with his degree in his hand and a job offer the next day. It was a better job than the one he lost because he did not have a degree.

This man chose to be resilient and he chose a path of change, rather than a path of destruction or despair.

Someone close to me recently completed the pharmacy technician training at her local community college. Her life has been transformed. Where she was once underemployed and at times, unemployed, she is now prospering in ways she never dreamed. She is going off to training in various states, meeting new people, and just living and loving life. She is no longer worried about her job status. She has been given job opportunities that were once unattainable because she did not have the credentials necessary.

What happened? She got out of her comfort zone, she made the decision to move forward, to try something different, and she chose to be resilient. She believed in herself and her abilities, and that’s when her life changed.

Your life can be changed too. Education comes in a variety of forms whether it is earning a degree or a credential in a specialized area.

There has never been a better time to attend community college. There has never been a better time to retool and to retrain. There has never been a better time to change careers. There has never been a better time to do what you’ve always wanted to do.

This is your time and the time is now.

Forget what was and focus on what can be.

Today, I’m letting you know that there’s so much in front of you. There are so many opportunities. There are many opportunities at Robeson Community College whether you are 18 or 81. Please do not let them pass you by.

Today is the day that you can choose to change your life just like the man in the construction industry did and just like the woman who took a chance in learning a new trade in the pharmacy technician program.

Today is the day you can choose to be resilient, to believe in yourself, because once you do, that’s when the miracles you hope to see will begin to happen in your life.

– Melissa Singler
President, Robeson Community College