NEWBERRY COUNTY — It happens more often than one might think, but it never ceases to impress when young high school students practically earn their higher education certificates and associate degrees before their diplomas.
Twenty-three of these young people did just that recently during Piedmont Technical College’s Spring Commencement Exercises. T’Laysha Creswell, a student soon to graduate from McCormick High School’s Middle College, is one of those young people, and just to raise the bar a bit, she also served as a commencement speaker.
In all, more than 375 students graduated May 2 from PTC. Accordingly, high school students comprised some six percent of PTC’s latest graduating class.
“It was during my seventh and eighth grade years at McCormick Middle School that I became aware of the Middle College program through Piedmont Tech,” Creswell said.
Her brother had been a dual enrollment student accepted to Lander University in 2015.
“They accepted all of his transfer hours from Piedmont Tech. This is when I realized that I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” she said.
While excited at the prospect of being both a high school junior and college freshman at the same time, Creswell admitted to feeling overwhelmed when she and her Middle College classmates realized the personal responsibility each carried.
“It was now our responsibility to keep up with all of the different assignments and deadlines,” she said.
It was not easy juggling high school and college assignments, but Creswell managed to graduate with a 4.0 grade point average.
“I will forever remember my great journey here at Piedmont Tech,” she said. “You will forever have a special place in my heart because you have given us the tools we need to further our education and careers.”
“Managing a full-time college schedule while still in high school requires extreme discipline and a strong work ethic,” said Kris Burris, PTC’s director of dual enrollment. “Students must rise to an increased level of responsibility and learn to balance all aspects of life. It is our hope that students not only gain a quality education while in Dual Enrollment; but, that they also learn skills such as time management, study habits and critical thinking that will allow for a smoother transition to the challenges beyond high school.”
This spring commencement marked the historic launch of PTC’s Job-Ready Guarantee, and each graduate crossing the stage received a card outlining the college’s quality promise.
“Starting today, we become the first college in the state to make a commitment to our technical program graduates,” PTC President Dr. Ray Brooks said. “Our Job-Ready Guarantee is our promise that, as a Piedmont Tech graduate, you can be confident you are entering the workforce with the right skill set to succeed on the job. And if you find you don’t have the necessary training to perform the job tasks you learned with us, we will retrain you at no cost to you or your employer. We feel that strongly about the quality of our programs. And we hope this new initiative serves to strengthen your pride in today’s accomplishment.”
Other commencement speakers were: Aime Lorick, an associate degree nursing student from Saluda; Fonda Martin, an associate degree computer technology student from Iva; and Jeff Crisp, an associate degree criminal justice student from Ninety Six.
“I have come to realize the blessing that Piedmont Technical College has been for me,” Lorick said. “I have made many new friends, I’ve had the pleasure of serving as a presidential ambassador, and I will receive this degree with no school debt. Most importantly, I have been shaped, with every passing semester, into the nurse I aspire to be.”
Before the graduation, Lorick was offered and accepted a position as a labor-and-delivery nurse at Self Regional Healthcare.
Martin described her most difficult challenge on the way to her degree was fear.
“I am here as a witness to tell you that challenges will come, but don’t let challenges place fear in your heart and mind,” she said. “And always remember, if you take one step, God will take two if you let him.”
Affordability was Crisp’s primary concern when considering college. At 35, he already had a full-time job and was taking care of a growing family. Eventually, he learned about various forms of financial aid available, and he took the plunge into higher education.
“In 2016, I realized that I could afford to further my education at Piedmont Tech. However, it was still very much a challenge ― to be a full time student, employee, a husband, a father, and manage to be a volunteer as well,” he said. “Without the tuition assistance programs and the support of my family, it would not have been possible for me to be standing on this stage today. I would encourage every graduate here to go after your dreams, no matter how distant they may seem. There is no substitute for hard work. Never give up.”
