Students say “RCC’s Worth the Drive!”

Students across the region are choosing Robeson Community College as their source for higher education, many driving great lengths to attend class on campus daily.   

That is the case for Chloe Chavis, Travon King, Chadon Locklear, Angelique Morales, and LeJasmine Singletary, whose stories are below. These students were seeking training that, in some cases, was not available anywhere else. They decided to persevere, not allowing gas prices, distance, or any other ‘roadblock’ to get in their way of achieving their dreams and receiving a quality education, proving Robeson Community College is definitely “worth the drive” no matter where you are located.

And, in the Fall of 2025, RCC is projected to have students attend from Raleigh, Clayton, Oak Ridge, Archdale, West End, Gray’s Creek, and even as far away as Temple (Texas) who have committed to the inaugural baseball team. 

  

Chloe Chavis  

Chloe Chavis always knew she wanted to work in healthcare, and after discovering the medical sonography program at Robeson Community College, she realized she had found her purpose. 

“I always wanted to work with babies,” Chavis said.  “This program was a better fit for me than nursing… with this, I could see them from the inside and help care for babies, and their moms, before birth.” 

Chavis lives in Rockingham, which is 59 miles east of the main campus in Lumberton.  

“I felt like it was worth the drive,” Chavis said. “If you are going after something, you’ll pursue it, no matter what the sacrifice may be.” 

And, it looks like the hour commute is paying off for Chavis. She was just recently hired as a student tech at Scotland Health in Laurinburg. 

“It is getting me ready for a job, I’m learning as I’m working,” Chavis said.  

As a student tech, she is getting all kinds of experience.   

“I’ve helped with paracentesis, where they drain fluid from the abdomen, and thoracentesis where the fluid gets drained from the chest,” Chavis stated. “I take pre-and post-pictures of the area with the ultrasound, and the physician’s assistant actually drains the fluid.”  

“We also do fine need biopsies of the thyroid and I’ve actually been able to help guide the needle with the PA standing by… sometimes they do it, it just depends on the doctor,” Chavis said. 

Chavis is set to graduate this May and could not be happier about her decision to attend RCC.  

“My teachers are awesome, and they help you every step of the way, they are always willing to help one-on-one if you need extra help,” Chavis said. “RCC has small class sizes too and everything is very hands-on, they teach you everything you need to know to be successful.” 
   

Travon King 

Travon King lives in Riegelwood, in Brunswick County near Leland. He was looking to build his resume with stackable credentials when he stumbled upon the CDL program at Robeson Community College.  

“Riegelwood is about an hour away,” King said. “I saw an ad on Facebook for the truck driving program and thought I would give it a try.”   

“Myself and another guy did it together, we split the driving,” King said. “The truck driving academy had a good classroom atmosphere…I really liked it.”    

King completed the program in 2023, earning his commercial driver’s license.  

“It was a good opportunity and experience,” he said.   

The program, King says, was challenging and required critical thinking both in the classroom and on the road.  

“You have to apply yourself while you’re in there,” King said. “You have to have some kind of drive to make it through.”  

Now with his CDL’s, King says he believes the credentials will help open new doors of opportunity. So, whether that is driving a truck or owning his own business, King says he is better prepared now for future endeavors.   

“There are many jobs, like working at the nuclear plants, that say you need CDLs, and now I already have them,” King said, putting him a step ahead and helping set him apart from the competition.  

“Even though it was an hour drive, attending Robeson Community College was worth it,” King says.  

King loved the experience at RCC so much; that he is thinking about taking more classes in the future.   

“I thought about re-enrolling and doing something else,” King said. “RCC has a lot of offer.”  

 

Chadon Locklear 

Chadon Locklear at just 19 years old, has a lot to celebrate.  

He just graduated from the Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy at Robeson Community College in December 2024 and is working towards taking the North Carolina State Examination to become a sworn law enforcement officer.  

And, he has already found employment. 

“I got a job with the Lumberton Police Department,” Locklear said. “I am a patrolman.”   

Locklear chose to pursue a career in law enforcement because he simply wanted to do as officers are trained, protect, and serve.   

“I want to make an impact in the community,” Locklear said. 

The BLET program, which is 16-weeks at RCC, helped Locklear develop valuable skills that will help him as he progresses through his career. 

“Through the BLET program, I learned how to communicate with people and how communication should always be the first option, to de-escalate the situation, if possible,” Locklear said. “It was a good program; it was structured well, and the instructors were good.” 

Locklear adds, “Robeson Community College has the best BLET program around.”  

And, that is one of the reasons he decided to attend RCC.  

Locklear lives in Scotland County, driving 45 minutes to class one-way.   

“I had heard good things about RCC compared to other schools,” Locklear said. “I would recommend the program to others. It’s a great career choice and RCC truly has one of the best, supportive programs around.”  

That support, Locklear says, includes instructors that “help out the best they can.”   

The instructors, he says, go out of their way to get cadets prepared for the realities that come with a career in law enforcement.  

“They were very supportive,” Locklear said. “Coming to RCC was a good decision, it was definitely worth the drive.”  

  

Angelique Morales 

Having a passion for cosmetic art, Angelique Morales wanted to become a manicurist. 

“I am 22 years old, a wife, a mom, a worshipper, and an aspiring Nail Technician,” Morales said.  

Morales resides in Dunn, which is about an hour and fifteen-minute drive to Robeson Community College. She had enrolled in a nail technician program close to home, but says, “the spot that they told me was available, was no longer available… they told me I would have to wait for Winter Semester to apply for the manicurist program.”  

Morales was heartbroken but not deterred.  

After doing some research and searching online, Morales discovered RCC’s COMtech Campus in Pembroke. COMtech, located at 124 Livermore Drive, offers short-term training through the continuing education division.   

“I found an ad on Facebook advertising Robeson Community College’s Manicurist program and at an affordable price,” Morales said. “I called the school, and they were so helpful, kind, and informative. I went the same day to pay my tuition and join the program.”   

Morales says she had always hoped of doing nails as a career and was not about to give up on her dream.  

“I had wanted to pursue nails for years and had finally gained the confidence to jump in,” Morales says. “The 1 hour, 15-minute drive is well worth it! I love the program, the school’s environment, and the love that is poured into Robeson’s students!”  

Morales says her faith helped to guide her to Robeson Community College.  

“I’m a worshipper and my God never fails me; He keeps His promises,” Morales stated. “I am proud to be a part of RCC’s manicurist program.”  

The manicurist program at RCC is 360 hours. Students must successfully complete the program with a passing grade to be eligible to take the North Carolina State Board Exam in Manicurist. The class at Robeson Community College is offered twice a year, with options for day and night classes.  

  

LeJasmine Singletary 

LeJasmine Singletary drives an hour to Robeson Community College each day from Florence, South Carolina for classes in surgical technology. She first became interested in the program when she met RCC’s Surgical Technology Program Director Raetta Coleman. 

“I met her at the hospital,” Singletary said. “I work as an EKG Technician at McLeod and that’s how I met her, and that’s when I decided to attend Robeson Community College.”   

Singletary continued, saying, “I had been thinking about a career change, and when I heard about surgical technology and she explained it to me, I knew immediately that I wanted to enroll.”  

Another driving force was her son, Jace. 

“He’s my 4-year-old baby,” Singletary said. “He’s my motivation for going back to school.” 

Despite being an hour away and having to pay out-of-state tuition, Singletary says it has all been well worth it.   

“RCC has been an exceptional school,” Singletary said. “The school is very community-based, there are a lot of events to attend, and the RCC Foundation provided me with assistance to help with the out-of-state tuition.”    

Singletary says her favorite part of coming to class each day is getting to work with classmates and her instructors.   

“It’s a very welcoming environment,” Singletary said. “The instructors are very available, it’s very comfortable and welcoming, I just love getting to work with my professors and my classmates.”   

Her ability to work with classmates, she says, is reflective of what it will be like when she becomes employed full time as a surgical technologist.  

“I have always wanted to work in the operating room and be a part of a surgical team,” Singletary said. “This is what we get to do in class, it’s very hands-on and I enjoy it.”  

With there being so many pathways into healthcare, Singletary says that she has learned so much and that she is thankful to have found this career option.    

“I never wanted to be a nurse, and I thought it was only nurses assisting in the operating room with the surgeons,” Singletary said. “But surgical technologists assist a lot during the time a patient is in the OR… and it’s more than just passing instruments, you assist the surgeon, you have to create and maintain the sterile field, you have a lot of responsibilities.”  

The surgical technology program can be completed in 4 semesters, making it more accelerated than other health sciences programs. However, Singletary says that although the program can be completed in less time, it is not overwhelming.  

“I feel like the professors do a great job of breaking up the material so that you can actually learn how to apply the knowledge you’ve gained,” Singletary said. “So, it doesn’t feel as fast-paced as you’re actually going.”   

Singletary is set to finish the program this December.