New job awaits former paper plant employee | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    Just days after he graduated from Beaufort County Community College, William Wallace started a new job as an electrical and instrumentation technician with DuPont's manufacturing plant in Kinston.

    On May 16, Wallace, of Pinetown, was awarded an associate's degree in electronics engineering technology from BCCC. He now hopes to return to the college in the fall to work towards an electrical engineering technology degree.

    Wallace said he was looking forward to his new job and has BCCC to thank for his promising future.

    "I will always be grateful to Beaufort County Community College for helping me prepare for a new career," he said. I owe my future to Beaufort County Community College."

    Two years ago, Wallace's future wasn't as bright as it is today. After an 11 1/2-year career with the pulp and paper manufacturing industry, he lost his job in December 2010.

    Although he began looking for another job immediately after receiving the news of a pending lay-off, he quickly learned that many area employers were looking for workers with electronics training.

    So, he returned to school and chose BCCC because of its "good reputation. It's renowned in the area for the quality of students it turns out," he said. "And it's 10 minutes from home."

    A 1995 graduate of Northside High School, Wallace said the thought of returning to the classroom after a 15-year absence "was scary. I did all right in high school but I didn't do my best."

    But as a ham radio operator, he always had an interest in electronics, so he decided to try for a college degree.

    "Developing good study habits was hard," he said. "I found that I had got to look at it like a job. Some days, I worked eight hours, some days I worked 16 hours. It's the same with going to school."

    As his school work progressed, Wallace discovered that he enjoyed being a student at BCCC. He joined Gamma Beta Phi and served as a college Ambassador, representing BCCC at events throughout the year.

    "It's been exciting. I have enjoyed everything - being able to connect with the staff, talking to professors and getting to know everyone," he said. "BCCC has almost become like a family to me."


    Beaufort County Community College is a public comprehensive community college committed to accessible and affordable quality education, effective teaching, relevant training, and lifelong learning opportunities for the people served by the College.