ECC Celebrates New Students on Signing Day

Twelve seniors at North Edgecombe High School participated in ECC Signing Day on Tuesday and confirmed their commitment to attend Edgecombe Community College in the fall.

Eighty-one high school seniors declared their intention to attend Edgecombe Community College this fall at ECC Signing Day held in Edgecombe high schools Tuesday and Wednesday.

Signing Day is a national initiative to celebrate students for making a commitment to higher education.

Students, parents, and college and high school officials attended ECC Signing Day events at North Edgecombe, SouthWest Edgecombe, and Tarboro high schools, and North East Carolina Prep School.

Samantha Wainright, a senior at SouthWest Edgecombe High School, plans to study Nursing at ECC. She chose the community college because “it’s close to home, and I will have an opportunity to study what I want to do as a career,” she says. With her are Tony Rook, dean of enrollment management, and ECC President Dr. Deborah Lamm.

Twelve seniors at North Edgecombe, 26 seniors at SouthWest Edgecombe, 21 seniors at Tarboro High School, and 22 seniors at North East Carolina Prep officially joined the student body of Edgecombe Community College.

“We are so excited that you are joining our college family,” said ECC President Dr. Deborah Lamm in her welcome remarks to students. “This is a celebration of your commitment for choosing Edgecombe Community College. We put students first, and we will be working side by side with you to ensure your success.”

“The most important thing to us is your completion of your credential,” she said.

North East Carolina Prep School senior Jerome Staton will be in the College Transfer program at ECC. He says attending the college is a “great opportunity. I like the programs, and the college has a relationship with the university I want to attend, which is Elizabeth City State.” Shown with him is his biggest fan, proud mom Linda Staton. With them are ECC President Dr. Deborah Lamm and Sherlock McDougald, director of financial aid.

Tiffani Burnette, a senior at North Edgecombe, plans to study Early Childhood Education. She has taken classes at ECC through the Career and College Promise program, so she already understands the rigor and requirements of college-level courses.

Burnette plans to earn an associate degree at ECC then transfer to Charleston Southern University to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

This spring, Tarboro High School seniors Megan Way, Elizabeth Moreno, and Lindsay Rowe completed the Nursing Assistant program at the high school, which is a partnership between the school and Edgecombe Community College. All three will pursue careers in health care.

Way will study Nursing at ECC and ultimately plans to attend medical school. Rowe also will study Nursing at the community college with the goal of obtaining a master’s degree in the field. Moreno will pursue a degree in Medical Assisting at ECC.

From left, Tarboro High School seniors Megan Way, Elizabeth Moreno, and Lindsay Rowe completed ECC’s Nursing Assistant program at the high school this spring. They all plan to pursue careers in health care.

Edgecombe Community College officials also awarded scholarships to the high school seniors. Twenty-six seniors received the EDGE Scholarship, eight seniors received a $750 academic scholarship, and three seniors received $500 scholarships.

Created as part of Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative, Signing Day is way for educators, counselors, and parents to encourage students heading to college.

College graduates have more opportunities than those who choose not to pursue their education past high school. According to Georgetown’s Center on Education and Workforce, college graduates may earn 84 percent more over their lifetimes than high school graduates.