Building a ‘homegrown talent pipeline’ through RISE Caldwell-Watauga
A note from us
Welcome to Awake58 — a weekly newsletter with the latest updates on community college news and events. If you were forwarded this email, you can sign up for the Awake58 newsletter here, and you can find last week’s edition on our website.
This week’s edition is by Mebane Rash, EdNC’s CEO and editor-in-chief.
Take a look inside RISE Caldwell-Watauga, an initiative that’s bringing together schools, colleges, employers, and community partners to build a homegrown talent pipeline… Following state investment, Advise NC is charting the future of near-peer advising in North Carolina… Plus, catch up on highlights from last week’s State Board of Community Colleges meeting, including Dr. Monty Sullivan’s first report as interim president…
Good morning and welcome to Awake58. Mebane, here.
Last spring, 18-year-old Solomon Triplett, then a senior at Watauga High School, donned scrubs and worked from 2:30-6 p.m. each weekday in the ICU of the Watauga Medical Center.
That experience, provided through RISE Caldwell-Watauga, changed the way Triplett looked at healthcare and nursing. Now a first-year student at UNC-Chapel Hill, he hopes to return to Boone to live and work as a nurse one day.
RISE Caldwell-Watauga is one of a handful of new efforts across the state that are bringing together school districts, community colleges, employers, and community partners to build homegrown talent pipelines. Through RISE, high school students explore careers in internships, pre-apprenticeship, or apprenticeships, receiving paid, real-world experience, mentorship, and a monthly stipend to help cover the costs of participating.
“It’s really made a difference” for students, Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute President Mark Poarch said. “But maybe more than that is the value-add that employers are seeing already.”
You can read all about RISE — and watch a short video on the effort — here.
It is a privilege to spend time on community college campuses across the state and uplift stories of efforts like RISE. In September alone, our team visited six community colleges, interviewing students, faculty, and staff about local efforts to connect students to opportunity.
As this school year unfolds, our team will be on your campuses, at the General Assembly, and at the State Board of Community Colleges, bringing you updates on the issues you care most about.
When you support EdNC, you make it possible for us to fuel up our gas tanks, visit campuses across the state, and write the stories that matter to you. Will you consider making a donation today to help us continue our coverage of issues that matter to our students, community colleges, and communities?
Thank you for being a part of us and for your leadership. Here’s to a great school year ahead!
Mebane Rash
CEO and Editor-in-Chief, EdNC
EdNC reads
Around NC
Additional programs approved for Workforce Pell | Last week, the NCWorks Commission approved 11 additional programs for Workforce Pell, bringing the total to 54 programs across 21 community colleges approved on the state level. Now, these programs must seek federal approval from the U.S. Department of Education in order to actively participate in Workforce Pell. You can see the full list of approved programs here.
Gov. Josh Stein appoints Mark Merritt to State Board of Community Colleges | According to a press release, Merritt is an attorney with experience in higher education law who previously served as vice chancellor and general counsel at UNC-Chapel Hill. He previously served on the Board.
SBCN Startup Showdown winners announced | After a months-long training and pitch competition, the North Carolina Small Business Center Network announced Rinse-A-Poo, Victorious Wellness, and The Gilded Lantern as the first-, second- and third-place winners, respectively, of the state’s inaugural SBCN Startup Showdown.
UNC System enrolls more students than ever | Enrollment was up 1.4% from fall of 2025, a slower rate of growth but still reaching a historic high of 260,199 students, according to preliminary figures.
How community colleges are making durable skills visible | Through the Education Design Lab’s human-centered design process, N.C. community colleges worked with advanced manufacturing employers to turn critical thinking and initiative from vague hiring demands into more visible durable skills that can be taught, assessed, and recognized in technical programs.
Forsyth Tech student returns to school with support from Boost | After facing a health crisis, Billy Jo Hodges returned to Forsyth Tech thanks to the support provided through Boost. Read her story.
Isothermal builds early childhood workforce | In this EdNC perspective, learn how Isothermal Community College is working to strengthen the early childhood workforce by helping students “stay the course.”
This week is the inaugural Credit for Prior Learning Awareness Week | Learn more about the events and trainings available on Credit for Prior Learning, and read EdNC’s preview of the week here.
Join a webinar tomorrow on adult learners | NC Reconnect and Reengage Nebraska will offer insights into how colleges can identify, support, and reengage stopped‑out adult learners. Register here.
Register now for your virtual seat at the Dallas Herring Lecture | This year’s featured speaker is Dr. Vicki Karolewics, president of Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama. Her lecture, titled “The Value Agenda: A Systems Approach to Student Success,” calls on institutions to redesign systems around the full student lifecycle, where every structure, every process, and every employee is aligned around helping students complete credentials of value and achieve long-term success. The lecture will take place virtually on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. EST. Register here.
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