Under the agreement, students can complete general education courses at ECC before applying to Martin Community College’s two-year Physical Therapist Assistant program. Martin will accept two qualified ECC students each year. Graduates will receive an Associate in Applied Science degree in Physical Therapist Assistant from Martin Community College.

“This partnership adds to the many exciting career pathways we offer our students and also helps us meet the growing need for physical therapy care here in Edgecombe County and across our region,” stated Dr. Greg McLeod, ECC president. “Our high-quality general education courses combined with Martin Community College’s strong PTA curriculum and specialized equipment will help ensure that our students will thrive in this field.”

Upon graduation, students may be eligible to take the licensure examination administered by the NC Board of Physical Therapy Examiners. Employment is available in general hospitals, rehabilitation centers, extended care facilities, specialty hospitals, home health agencies, private clinics and public-school systems.

The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Martin Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPE), 3030 Potomac Ave., Suite 100, Alexandria, Virginia 22305-3085. For specific admission requirements, students should contact an ECC counselor at (252) 823-5166.

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91ӣ����Ƶ has joined other NC community colleges in an exciting new transfer opportunity with NC State University called Wolfpack Connect. The Guaranteed Admissions Agreement will ensure that students who complete an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree at ECC will be admitted to NC State University.

At the start of their participation, ECC students should have at least one year of coursework remaining, comparable to 30 transferable college credits or less. Prospective transfers may also choose from more than 100 majors and concentrations offered through Wolfpack Connect.

Once accepted into the Wolfpack Connect program, students must complete their associate degree, maintaining a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Transfer admission deadlines and requirements as outlined by NC State must also be met.

“This collaborative agreement provides our students with an affordable and accessible pathway to earn a four-year degree from a premier university that is close to home,” said Dr. Greg McLeod, president of ECC. “We always strive to ensure that our college transfer students are presented with strong, seamless options as they continue their educational journey.”

Wolfpack Connect is one of several pathways ECC has secured to help students transfer from a community college to a four-year institution. Key transfer and guaranteed admission partnerships continue to offer benefits for ECC students through agreements with East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, NC Wesleyan University and UNC Wilmington.

For more information on Wolfpack Connect, visit edgecombe.edu/transfer.

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Christine Nicodemus, dean of Arts and Sciences at 91ӣ����Ƶ, recently attended and presented at the Capture the Journey First-Year Experience Conference hosted by Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and Western Piedmont Community College.

The purpose of the conference, held on the campus of Rowan-Cabarrus, was to share ideas focused on strengthening the first-year student experience. The revised ACA 122 College, Transfer, & Career Success course was also a focus.

According to a description provided by Rowan-Cabarrus, upon completion of the ACA course, “students will be able to identify the community college program that matches their transfer and career goals, navigate transfer policies and processes, use transfer guides, develop an academic plan for future success, and create professional application materials.”

At ECC, Dr. Tracy Hayes, English/Humanities instructor, will serve as one of the leads for the ACA 122 redesign, working with faculty and staff to ensure proper implementation.

The conference also included collaboration among faculty and staff from NC community colleges on best practices for supporting first year-students. Additionally, the conference underscored the significance of student engagement, retention strategies, and innovative teaching approaches through workshops.

Nicodemus had the opportunity to present her own unique approach at the conference with Chuck Bowling, dean of Arts and Sciences at McDowell Technical Community College. Nicodemus and Bowling’s topic was Using Self-Service for academic planning to promote FYE success.

Nicodemus’ biggest takeaway from the conference was that simply distributing information to students is not enough. “Rather, important information should be shared in ways that invite students to reflect, process and apply it,” she explains. “When faculty and staff do this in a way that fosters a sense of community, that is tailored to each student’s unique needs, and that creates opportunities for active learning and meaningful reflection, it can have an even more powerful effect on our first-year and continuing students.”

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SmartAsset, the online site for financial information and advice, evaluated 585 two-year schools offering associate’s degrees with at least 500 full-time students. Ranking criteria aimed to capture a variety of important components for students, including tuition and fees, student-to-faculty ratio and retention rates of full-time students.

Smartasset.com highlights that in-state tuition and fees for two semesters at ECC is only $2,640. The college’s student retention rate of 84 percent is the highest mark among all of the NC colleges, and ranks in the top 1 percent for all colleges in the study. ECC’s low student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1 also contributed to its lofty ranking.

For more information on Smart Asset’s Best Community Colleges-2025 study, visit https://smartasset.com/data-studies/best-community-colleges-2025

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Contributed by Loretta Langley

On Monday, February 10, the 91ӣ����Ƶ Senior Registered Nursing (RN) programs hosted their annual career fair at Keihin Auditorium. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) representatives from multiple universities were also invited to this event, providing students with information about academic advancement opportunities after graduation. There were about 20 hospitals, health agencies, and universities represented at the fair, which also allowed ECC’s upcoming 2025 nursing graduates the chance to explore a variety of nursing careers and RN-to-BSN programs from across America. In the RN-to-BSN program, licensed registered nurses can earn a BSN.

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ECC and ECU officials sign a bilateral agreement. Pictured l-r are ECC President, Dr. Greg McLeod; Dr. Allison Danell, professor of chemistry and dean of the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences at ECU; and Dr. Jeff Popke, chair for ECU’s Department of Geography, Planning, and Environment

91ӣ����Ƶ signed a bilateral agreement with East Carolina University Monday, February 17 on the ECC campus. The agreement will enable ECC students to finish their Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Geospatial Technology-Geographic Information Science, and complete their BS in either Geographic Information Science and Technology or in Geography at ECU.

“Anytime you can come together and either establish or grow a relationship with great partners like ECU, that’s a wonderful thing to do,” said Dr. Greg McLeod, ECC president.

Geospatial Technology encompasses technology such as digital maps, Geographic Information Systems, satellite imagery and more. According to Trey Cherry, department chair for Information Technology Studies at ECC, there are several options in the program, including attaining a college certificate, diploma or a two-year degree. Certificates are also offered to high school students who are dually enrolled in the program.

“The program is unique in that it is the only two-year geospatial technology program in the state of North Carolina,” stated Cherry. Additionally, Cherry noted that the program is offered 100 percent online.

Dr. Jeff Popke, chair for the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, acknowledged that students who hone their abilities in a particular field of GIS will be equipped with the knowledge for a beneficial career.

“Skills in geospatial analysis and the ability to use and apply geospatial technology are in high demand across a high range of careers,” said Popke. “So, we know that the knowledge and skills students are acquiring in the program here are setting them up for long-term career success.”

McLeod stated that this is not the first partnership with ECU. The Pirate Promise Program provides a seamless transition for ECC students who complete an associate degree to transfer to ECU. The Information Technology Studies Department also has an existing agreement that allows graduates with an AAS in Information Technology-Networking & Security to transfer to ECU as well.

For more information about Geospatial Technology-Geographic Information Science at ECC, visit edgecombe.edu.

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Courtney Baggett and Shaquana Deans-Thorne preparing for CCACRAO

Representatives from more than 40 colleges and universities gathered in the Mobley Atrium on Friday, Oct. 18. It was all a part of the Carolinas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers’ (CACRAO) College Fair tour.

Students learned about the various programs offered at NC colleges and universities.

91ӣ����Ƶ was the site where students from Tarboro High, Southwest Edgecombe, North Edgecombe, North East Carolina Prep, Rocky Mount Prep and the ECC Early College learned more about their options for post-secondary education.

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ECC Manufacturing Technology Instructor, Merdikae Williams

“Preparing Manufacturing Technicians for the Challenges of Industry 4.0” was the topic of Manufacturing Technology Instructor, Merdikae Williams’ presentation during a recent workshop at Pitt Community College.

Community college stakeholders, including Williams and Dr. Bruce Panneton, vice president of instruction and chief academic officer at ECC, convened on Oct. 4 to discuss the NSF ATE grant program.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program’s goal is to hone the education of science and engineering technicians by focusing on partnerships between industry, two-year colleges and other institutions of higher education.

“A big component of this workshop was to discuss mentoring programs to community colleges in order to help them land the NSF ATE grants,” said Panneton. “We talked about how the process works, some of the things we went through to get the grant, and how to use the grant to help underserved students get access to training with the newest trends and technologies.”

ECC’s grant focused on Industry 4.0, also called the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It highlights more efficient manufacturing through the integration of digital technologies. Some Industry 4.0 technologies include robotics, automation and artificial intelligence.

According to Panneton, he and Williams shared their experiences to a group of about 30 regional community college representatives interested in growing NSF/ATE participation.

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Six area community colleges joined forces to hold a Regional Career Fair on July 13 on the Tarboro campus of 91ӣ����Ƶ. Edgecombe, Roanoke-Chowan, Halifax, Martin, Nash, and College of The Albemarle community colleges participated in the fair. Jessica Balazsi (left), human resources director at ECC, was among the community college officials who met with job seekers.

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Krystal Christopher and Oscar Lin, recent graduates of 91ӣ����Ƶ and Edgecombe Early College High School, will head to universities soon. Christopher will attend UNC-Chapel Hill on a prestigious Morehead-Cain scholarship, and Lin will attend Yale University.

Lessons learned at 91ӣ����Ƶ and Edgecombe Early College High School are helping two exceptional student leaders pursue a glowing future on a foundation built at home in Edgecombe County.

Krystal Christopher and Zhi “Oscar” Lin received associate in science degrees from ECC on May 10 and graduated from the Early College on May 23.

Christopher, 19, will attend UNC-Chapel Hill this fall on a Morehead-Cain scholarship, majoring in health care administration with a minor in accounting. She was one of only 75 recipients this year of the prestigious Morehead-Cain scholarship, out of 2,000 applicants, and is the first from Edgecombe County Public Schools in a quarter century. She’s also only the second female recipient from Edgecombe.

Lin, 19, of Macclesfield, will attend Yale University. He’ll major jointly in computer science and mathematics at the Ivy League bastion in New Haven, Conn. He carried the divisional flag during the ECC graduate march in May, representing the Division of Arts and Sciences. The honor goes to the graduate with the highest grade-point average from each of the program’s three academic divisions: Arts and Sciences; Health Sciences; and Business, Industry, and Technologies.

The Edgecombe Early College High School is a comprehensive five-year public high school located on ECC’s Tarboro campus. The school enrolls about 200 students, beginning in 9th grade and extending through a “super-senior” 13th grade.

The Early College is part of Edgecombe County Public Schools and accepts about 40 9th-grade applicants per year. It aims to improve the college attendance rate in the community by exposing students to a rigorous curriculum, including honors courses and college courses. Students graduate with a high school diploma and a two-year ECC degree simultaneously.

An Early College called EDGE Academy of Health Sciences is located on ECC’s Rocky Mount campus. The EDGE Academy of Health Sciences combines academics and health sciences related fields to provide students opportunities to acquire credentials and certifications in pursuit of an associate in applied science degree from ECC.

Lin noted how college classes at ECC boosted his academic development. “Attending ECC allowed me to branch out and explore subjects of interest, while providing me with rigorous academic opportunities to prepare me for the next adventure after graduation,” he says. “The Early College program provided me with the necessary tools and support that will continue to be invaluable to me in the future. It is forever a home where amazing faculty members and peers can be found.”

Looking back warmly, and whimsically, on his time at the Early College, Lin recalls “the simple moments at school: hanging out with friends, chatting with teachers, preaching the greatness of pancakes, and learning how to bowl at the cost of injuring my kneecap.”

“I had a fulfilling high school life,” Lin assures. “I have no regrets.”

He said he hasn’t solidified his career goals yet but looks forward to exploring Yale’s “serendipitous opportunities that will make me reflect on my future plans.”

Christopher, 19, a California native who lived in Tarboro before a recent move to Wilson, recounts what ECC and the Early College did for her. “Attending college classes at ECC helped me develop as a student because I had to learn how to manage my time well, set priorities, and learn how to communicate properly with my instructors. These are skills that I will take with me to college and beyond.”

Post-graduation from UNC, she plans to pursue a master’s degree, and perhaps medical school after that. She said she hopes one day to become an administrator for a women’s hospital and to “further advocate for women who experience misogyny within our healthcare system.”

“Krystal Christopher and Oscar Lin are exceptional in their drive and commitment to academic achievement,” says ECC President Dr. Greg McLeod. “They represent the finest qualities that we seek to nurture in all of our students. I know they will continue to excel in their studies and in college life at UNC and Yale. We look forward to hearing more great things from these bright young stars.”

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