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Achiever and Dreamers

Five Graduations - So Far!

Leticia Jones has graduated from high school in Alabama, Veterinary Technician training in the Army, T.H.E. Barber School in Columbus, North Central State College with an Associate Degree in Paralegal, and most recently, Mount Vernon Nazarene University with her Bachelor of Business Administration.

When talking about her decision to return to college, Leticia cited some health problems, “I was out of the Army, and had become a barber when I found out I needed knee surgery. That kind of put an end to being a barber.” Luckily, her time in the military provided funding for college. “The V.A. helped pay for my classes at NCSC. Once I got there, I loved it and wanted to keep going.”

“NC State provided a quality education and was definitely a good value”. Though hesitant at first because she was an older student, Leticia was able to make friends, fit in and thrive. She joined Phi Theta Kappa, was named to both the All-Ohio and All-U.S.A. Academic Teams and was named Paralegal Student of the Year at North Central. “ I remember how Judith ‘Judge Judy’ Sturgill and Diane Hipsher always pushed me to do more -- in class, in PTK -- everywhere.”

With her Paralegal Associate Degree, she transferred to Mount Vernon Nazarene University to complete her bachelor degree and found she had more credits than she needed. “I ended up transferring the maximum credits and still had a few left over. The transfer process was easy – and wonderful.”

Now that she has her Bachelor degree, she’s begun working toward her Master of Business Administration from MVNU. And her new job as the Receptionist/Secretary of MVNU’s facility in Mansfield allows her to stay close to where she attends classes, as well as her home in Mansfield.

She has two children, ages six years and sixteen months, and they continue to inspire her to further her education. “I’m thinking of going all the way for a doctorate degree, so I can work as a consultant or in research. My kids keep me going, especially my daughter. At first, getting a degree was just a personal goal, but then I wanted to do it for her. I wanted to set an example for her.”

Leticia Jones has celebrated five graduations so far, and is working on her sixth. Along the way, she’s met a lot of great people, and learned a lot of interesting things. “There are a lot of people who don’t feel real secure right now about their jobs, and they want to have a backup plan. They should consider going back to school. There are a lot of careers to explore.”

“Obstacles only make you stronger, and I had a lot of them. Whatever you choose to do, if you set your mind to it, you can do it.”

Wise words from a woman making her dreams come true one step, and one degree, at a time. That’s Smart.
 

Step by Step

As a single mother of a two year old boy named Jordan, Mary looked around her and decided she wanted a better life for herself and her young son.

Mary had been receiving state support and knew that she was better and could do better than her current state. This is when she decided to take a big, deep breath and venture through the doors of North Central State College.

Mary found that she was eligible for grants through the Financial Aid office. She was also able to use the Child Development Center to enroll her son in a great, day care program - right here on campus. Mary also took advantage of the opportunity to become an NC State work study in our Student Success Center, which she said "opened so many doors" for her.

Mary completed her degree in Office Administration within two years and hit the pavement running. She started with a few of the local temp agencies and then found a full-time home at the Mansfield Area Y. She was then drawn back to North Central State College to help others who started out a lot like herself in the Student Success Center.

After two years at North Central State College, Mary felt the need to be closer to her family in Sioux City, Iowa where she works today at another community college.

Mary says, "I love NC State and loved my experience so much that I wouldn't be surprised if I end up back there someday."

We are saying all of this to tell you one thing. You have a story too! You can start here, change your life, and succeed - so take that deep breath and walk through our doors.

Let us help!!!

 

Out of the Comfort Zone

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.

Student Success Story Submission

If you know someone who has overcome difficulty to enroll at NC State please submit their story so that it may inspire others.