A note from us
Welcome to Awake58 — a weekly newsletter where you’ll find the latest updates on community college related news and events around the state. Plus, a look at what’s trending nationally in higher education.
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Lessons from Robeson Community College President Melissa Singler… A recap and data from this year’s Financial Aid Summit… Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina discusses emergency funding at McDowell Tech… Lt. Gov Hunt visits Pitt Community College… Wayne County graduates North Carolina’s first K-12 teacher apprentice… Register for the 2025 Dallas Herring Lecture… Plus, an update on Awake58 for the summer…
Hi all — Emily Thomas with this week’s Awake58.
There are a lot things I enjoy about the work we do, our team, and how EdNC shows up in communities. Some of the most significant moments — for me — are when we bear witness to the work happening all across the state. But there are also times when sitting down and listening to someone’s personal journey is equally as powerful.
EdNC’s Rakyah Jacobs and I recently visited Robeson Community College (RCC). We had the opportunity to chat with the college’s leadership team to learn how with every big decision the college makes, leadership wants to know how it will benefit those they serve. RCC President Melissa Singler said everything the college does is through the lens of helping the greater community. Singler also shared about her own educational journey and how those early experiences shaped her as a person and leader. I hope you’ll take a few moments to read the story.
We have more EdNC Reads for you below, including a recap from this year’s Financial Aid Summit that took place last week. EdNC’s Alli Lindenberg covered the event, highlighting the latest information to understand upcoming changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), North Carolina’s FAFSA completion rates, and how school districts are putting strategic practices in place to drive FAFSA completion rates. FAFSA is one of the most critical and common routes for postsecondary financial aid. High school seniors who complete the FAFSA are more likely to enroll in postsecondary education immediately following graduation.
Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt visited Pitt Community College last week, touring the Biotechnology Department and the preschool lab classroom. Hunt highlighted the programs’ links to jobs in high-demand fields like early care and education and STEM. Hunt’s community college tour started in February and her child care tour in March. Both of these tours are tied to her Future-Ready North Carolina policy package that focuses on workforce development across the education continuum.
The Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) also made a visit to McDowell Technical Community College last week, discussing state-funded emergency tuition grants and scholarships for students after Hurricane Helene. You can read a recap from EdNC’s Derick Lee here. GROW NC serves to “facilitate collaboration, streamline communication, and accelerate recovery from Hurricane Helene.”
Lastly, a quick update about Awake58. EdNC is operating on a modified summer schedule in July, so Awake58 will be back in your inboxes in August.
As always, thank you for your readership, allowing us onto your campuses and into your communities, and for the work you do day in and day out for the people of North Carolina.
See you in August,
Emily Thomas
Regional Director of Western North Carolina — EdNC.org
EdNC reads
How a rocky educational start shaped the president of Robeson Community College as a person and leader
The trajectory of Melissa Singler’s life changed the day her father got in a car accident. As a self-employed carpenter, Singler’s dad was unable to work for some time, leaving the family with little income. At 17, Singler, who is now the president of Robeson Community College, left high school to work and help support her family financially.
For the last six years at RCC, Singler has led with a community-first approach, asking how decisions made at the college will impact the broader community.
Third annual Financial Aid Summit brings together hundreds of North Carolina leaders
The summit featured a FAFSA data walk, which has been used at several FAFSA-related events in North Carolina. Designed with community engagement in mind, the walk encouraged participants to discuss the implications of the data and potential changes they would like to see.
“It’s one thing to have somebody tell you a piece of data or tell you a story, but it’s another thing to actually engage with it,” said Kathy Hastings, the director of outreach and communications at the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority. “It allows folks to begin to own what they’re seeing and what they might want to change about the data.”
Emergency funding after Helene helps McDowell Tech students ‘push to the finish line’
Approximately eight months into the recovery amid the aftermath of Helene, Andrew Turnbull adamantly expressed, “we can rebuild and we will.” Turnbull wants to play an active role in helping both the farm and his community.
With that spirit, and through the support of the state’s emergency grants and scholarship programs, 54-year-old Turnbull has enrolled at McDowell Technical Community College, pursuing an education in construction and heavy equipment. “That need is going to be ever present as we continue to rebuild and also for future disasters,” he said.
Wayne County graduates North Carolina’s first K-12 teacher apprentice
Wayne County Public Schools and Wayne Community College recently honored the first graduate of their teacher apprenticeship program — who is also the first K-12 apprentice in North Carolina, according to the college. Angela Lamb, a recent East Carolina University graduate, completed the Educator Registered Apprenticeship, which was piloted by Apprenticeship Wayne to address the need for qualified teachers.
Lt. Gov. Hunt visits Pitt Community College, highlighting STEM and child care preparation programs
Maria Pharr, president of Pitt Community College, welcomed Hunt and touted the policy package.
“At Pitt Community College, we are deeply committed to building a future-ready workforce — one that is prepared, adaptable, and rooted in real opportunity,” Pharr said.
The package advocates for policies and programs that aim to prepare students for high-demand fields in K-12 and community colleges and provide families with affordable, high-quality child care so they can work.
Around NC
Dallas Herring Lecture | Registration for the 11th annual Dallas Herring Lecture is now open. The virtual event, presented by the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research (Belk Center), is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. EST. Dr. Jason Wood, president of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College (Southwest Tech), will deliver the 2025 lecture, titled, “We Don’t Graduate People Into Poverty: Designing the College Experience Around Student Success.”
CTE teacher award | The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching (NCCAT) has announced the finalists for their 2026 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Career and Technical Teacher of the Year Award. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on Dec. 4, 2025 in Greensboro.
Reading clinic | The University of Mount Olive (UMO) and Duplin County Schools partnered to start an afterschool reading clinic. The clinic acts as an intervention, serving local elementary school students to help increase reading proficiency while also working as a lab for UMO education majors.
Student story | Jack Ploof, 2025 graduate of Yadkin Early College High School and Surry Community College, is Harvard-bound this fall. Ploof was a pre-apprentice for SCC’s science department for two semesters. He plans to major in physics at Harvard.
Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship | Five leaders from North Carolina’s community colleges were selected for Aspen’s 2025-26 Rising Presidents Fellowship. The fellowship is a year-long executive leadership experience that “brings together a reform-minded group of up to 40 aspiring community college president,” according to a recent press release.
Partnerships | Guilford Technical Community College is partnering with JetZero to train students for specific job requirements that the company needs. JetZero announced that it will invest $4.7 billion at the Greensboro site and will eventually employ over 14,000 workers.
Campus projects | Beaufort County Community College recently broke ground on its new workforce training center. “The 5,000 square-foot facility was funded in part by a $2.5 million State Capital and Infrastructure Fund (SCIF) Directed Grant from the North Carolina General Assembly,” according to a recent release.
Forsyth Technical Community College held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its Transportation Technology Center (TTC) on June 14. “The project adds approximately 30,000 square feet to the existing facility, allowing Forsyth Tech to grow the programs at the TTC,” a college press release says.
Recognitions | Faculty members from Western Piedmont Community College received the Mark Ivester Innovation Award at the 2025 Community Colleges of Appalachia (CCA) Annual Conference. According to a college press release, WPCC earned the award for merging innovation and collaboration through a set of programs that deliver high-impact, problem-based instruction using cutting-edge technology.
Upcoming events | The Latine Education Summit is scheduled for Oct. 15-17 in Greensboro. Additional details and information about registering can be found here.
Registration is open for the 38th annual NCWorks Partnership Conference, which is also scheduled for Oct. 15-17, at the Koury Convention Center/Sheraton Four Seasons in Greensboro. This year’s theme is “Stronger Together. Unlimited Possibilities.” You can read the draft agenda and more information here.
To register, visit www.train.ncworks.gov. If you don’t have a TRAIN account, click on “Create an Account” or contact the NCWorks Training Center at [email protected] for assistance.
Other higher education reads
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