Graduation: Finishing up your dreams | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Graduating high school is often a huge relief for students. Years of studying, waking up early, staying late for band or sport practice are finally behind them and they look forward to the freedom of adulthood. For those continuing on to college, this freedom quickly fades as they are confronted again with studying and waking up early for classes, this time without a parent pushing them out the door.

    As a result, many students fail classes, change majors, and drop out altogether because they are not prepared to make the big commitments needed to get through college quickly and strongly. The decisions students make at 18 impact their lives decades later, but these choices do not have to be final. Community college offers a way for adults to redirect their career if the path they chose at 18 are no longer works for them. A new program called "Yes! You Can" now helps students return to college to finish their degree.

    Christine LeCompte just graduated from Beaufort County Community College at 47, receiving both an Associate in Arts and an Associate in General Education, finishing a journey she first began at 18. Planning to enroll at East Carolina University, she will continue her education while starting a new position as assistant to admissions and recruitment at BCCC.

    "I had a full ride scholarship [to Mt. Olive University], but I passed it up because I was scared and shy," LeCompte reflects on her 18-year-old self. She took two semesters of classes at BCCC instead. During that time she met her first husband, a business owner. Not being very career-oriented at the time, she was happy to leave college and become a stay-at-home mother. She had two sons, Wayne II and Cole Woolard, with her husband. Wayne is now 25 and Cole is 20 years old.

    Her life changed when she married her current husband, Roland LeCompte. She obtained a number of certifications from BCCC, including nurse aide I and II in 2011, and even emergency medical technician in 2013. She worked as a phlebotomist, drawing blood at Vidant, but the late shifts were not conducive to raising small children. She transferred to a position in human resources that worked better for her family.



    Inspired by her grandmother, who got a college degree at 42, LeCompte decided to start the long road to getting a four-year degree at 46. She thought it was important for herself and her family that she get a degree, not just a certification. "I wanted a better life for my family," she said.

    Taking mostly online classes, LeCompte pieced together the schedule and the funding required for her to return to college. She still had to help sustain her family's income while attending college. At first, she worked full-time, with her classes often running until 9:30 at night. Having online classes meant that she could be employed and work around her family's schedule.

    She was nominated to be an ambassador for BCCC, an honor granted only to a handful of students. Ambassadors speak about their experience at the College at functions and help recruit new students in return for a year of tuition reimbursement. LeCompte also participated in work-study in the registrar's office during her final semester. Work-study allows students to earn income on campus while gaining work experience. The experience from the work-study position helped her gain the experience needed for her new position at BCCC.

    In addition to this, she received a number of scholarships through the BCCC Foundation. Throughout her attendance, she garnered the Louise and Dorsey Welch Scholarship, the Jarl and Grey Bowers Endowment Scholarship and the Archbell/Wilkinson Endowment Scholarship. "The donors of this scholarship fund pulled me though. Without them, none of this would have been possible." In the end, she pieced enough funding together so her tuition and most of her cost of living were covered. She hopes that one day she can start a scholarship fund to return the opportunity she was given to another student in need.

    Attending BCCC has been a family affair for LeCompte. Her son Cole took classes at BCCC before transferring to UNC-Wilmington. The two had a public speaking class together. About Cole attending BCCC, she said, "A community college, smaller, would help him adapt to a university." Her family is proud that she returned to college.

    Her step-daughter Laura LeCompte started at the Early College High School at BCCC in ninth grade. Last month, Christine and Laura walked together during their graduation ceremony. "Not many people get to walk across the stage with their child."

    Going back later in life was a different experience than when she first attended. The face-to-face classes were somewhat awkward as she was much older than many of the students. Since she took many classes online, this was not a major issue. Her instructors often helped ease the awkwardness for her. A number of instructors would take the time to reach out to her and tell her she was doing a good job. "They are interested in the success and the lives of the students," she said. With all the distractions and obligations that come with being a working mother, LeCompte needed to be disciplined to succeed with online classes.

    "You're at a different stage and put more into it than when you're younger," she said. Her reasoning, too, is different. A large part of why she returned to college was to make her family proud and to set a good example for her children. She thinks anyone going back to school needs to have a strong foundation, including support from friends and family. "You have to work for it and apply yourself," she said.

    Her friends tell her, "I don't know how you do it at your age!" LeCompte often stayed up until 1:00 a.m. to make straight A's. She did this while homeschooling her youngest daughter, Madison.

    Now, for people in LeCompte's position, returning to college will be easier due to a new program at BCCC called "Yes! You Can." The program awards credit for prior learning to students who are returning to college or starting after spending time in the workforce. Previous training, certificates and veteran experience can count toward a degree. This means students can earn a degree faster and with less cost than before.

    LeCompte reports to BCCC for work now, not class. Along the way, she made friends with many of the faculty and completed her work-study in the office next door, making the transition easy. "It feels like home," she says. With just a few night classes a semester, it will be a while before she gets her bachelor's degree, but she is not deterred. "Get your education and go as far as you can. Never give up on your dreams."

    The deadline for applying for scholarships through the BCCC Foundation is June 17. For more information about work-study, contact Carol Willard, financial aid technician, at carol.willard@beaufortccc.edu or (252) 940-6291. For information on scholarships contact Serena Sullivan, executive director of the BCCC Foundation, at serena.sullivan@beaufortccc.edu (252) 940-6326.

• Contact: Attila Nemecz
•     (252)-940-6387