Barriers Experienced by 23-29 Year Old Students (Associated with College Policies &/or Resources) Lack of Available Classes/Schedule Conflicts Students in the 23-29 year old focus group indicated that the lack of available classes impedes their ability to stay on track for graduation. They noted that many classes do not have enough sections, which prevent them from accessing required classes in their program. They also indicated that a number of courses are only offered once a year or even once every two years. The knowledge and action strategies students employ in overcoming their barriers include: (a) getting online to schedule classes at 5am (before the system crashes), (b) knowing which courses are required and in what sequence, (c) knowing when they are offered, and (d) making your class schedule early. The attitudes students possess in coping with the lack of available classes include being (a) optimistic and (b) persistent. The recommendations students offered to help them overcome this barrier included: (a) hiring more full –time faculty from the region, (b) offering more classes throughout the year, and (c) having more sections of required classes.
The Communications Team hosted a luncheon following the C.A.R.E. Forum on October 26th for members of the community who have a stake hold in the College. These members were asked to be a part of the NC State College Stakeholders Advisory Council for Achieving the Dream. During the luncheon, the stakeholders provided us with valuable “outside” insight as to why some of our students struggle more than others and also gave several suggestions for ways to make college more accessible and not so “scary” for our first time students.
Achiever Story - Eric Winbigler
The “Comfort Zone”. We all have one and we all know that it is hard to leave it. Eric Winbigler took a chance, left his “zone” and found a great opportunity by doing so.
“The hardest part of going back to school was getting the mindset to do it. Sometimes a person gets comfortable where they are at in life, and they do not want to take the challenge of something new,” Winbigler said.
Eric Winbigler felt it was time to advance his career and that wasn’t going to happen without a degree. He chose NC State because it was local, friendly and reasonably priced. He stayed at NC State because of the support that he received throughout his stay on Campus. “I received a tremendous amount of help from Kay Leitenberger and all of the staff in the success center. I would not have gotten my degree without them,” he said of his experience.
How do we get in those comfort zones that we don’t want to leave? For Eric, he got there with the help of his peers and teachers at an early age. “At one point in my life I was told by a teacher and students that I would never complete a higher level of learning. In short, I was told I was not smart enough for college” Winbigler said. These words rang in his head for years before he decided to prove those people wrong. For him, getting a degree was, “a very personal thing”.
Since graduation from NC State, Winbigler has made it a personal quest to be sure that kids don’t get into the same “comfort zone” that he did. He has been hired as the Criminal Justice Instructor at Pioneer Career and Technical Center and he makes sure his students know that they can do anything they put their mind too. “Now, as a teacher, I tell my students that they can overcome any obstacle they set their minds to, and I push them to do just that,” he said.
His advice for current students at NC State is this, “Never give up on yourself, and never settle for anything less than your personal best. You will never know what a higher level of education will bring you until you have achieved it. Getting my degree put away a lifetime of personal struggle with being able to complete college. It was a great experience.”
Eric is also a Sergeant at the Bellville Police Department. Here, he is pictured with his Pioneer Students during class.