Automotive Systems Technology Department Head Don Ashley speaks to visiting seniors from local high schools Tuesday, March 8, in the Richard Petty Education Center on the Asheboro Campus as part of the inaugural Randolph NEXT event — a job fair and Randolph Community College information tour wrapped into one.
Spring Break officially started Tuesday, March 8, at Randolph Community College, but you could have fooled visitors to the Asheboro Campus. Classrooms and labs bustled with activity and students, faculty, and staff filled the hallways. The College, in partnership with Asheboro City Schools, Randolph County School System, Uwharrie Charter Academy, NCWorks, and the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber, hosted the inaugural Randolph NEXT — a job fair featuring more than 40 local businesses and the career and educational opportunities at RCC.
The fair featured two daytime sessions for local high school seniors who wanted to explore their post-graduation options and an evening session from 4-6 p.m. that was open to the public.
Criminal Justice Technology Department Head Neil Weatherly (far right) tells students about his program in the Administration/Education Center, while Criminal Justice Instructor Dr. Marlana Hancock looks on (sitting to his right).
After working with their Career Development Coordinators at their respective schools, the seniors took a field trip to RCC and attended information sessions based on their interests as every program was represented from Accounting to Zoological Horticulture. Information on college admissions, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), NCWorks, and Apprenticeship Randolph were on hand, along with military recruiters.
Haley Peak, who rode the bus from Providence Grove High School, said she wanted to see what her options were after high school. She started her visit with the Criminal Justice program.
“In all honesty, I have no clue what I want to do when I get out of high school,” Peak said, adding that she liked the fact that RCC is just 10 minutes down the road from her house. “I want to be a tattoo artist, but there are other options I could do. I figured coming here would give me more information.
“Ever since I was younger, maybe 8, I have been wanting to go to school for forensic anthropology. This is my kind of area. I love ‘CSI’ and ‘Criminal Minds.’ ”
A few doors down the Administration/Education Center hallway, Eastern Randolph’s Savannah Faulkner heard about RCC’s Early Childhood Education program from Department Head Angela Cox.
“I want to go to RCC; it’s a good school,” Faulkner said. Early Childhood “is my first choice. Ever since I was probably 9 years old, I’ve loved watching other people learn. I’ve always had little siblings and little cousins. I really think it will be a good pathway for me. And I’m very interested in children’s development.”
Fire Protection Technology Department Head Robert King (right) speaks to students about his department in the parking lot of the Dr. Robert S. Shackleford Jr. Allied Health Center.
Sprinkled in with each department were local businesses, hoping to pique the students’ interest. Representatives from J.P. Thomas & Co. Inc. and Mid-State Forklift greeted visitors to the Richard Petty Education Center, which houses RCC’s Collision Repair & Refinishing and Automotive Systems Technology programs.
Inside, students saw diesel engine demonstrations, not to mention a Tesla and a Ferrari. Asheboro High School senior Aldrich Hernandez said he had been seriously thinking about his future for the past couple of months. He started his visit marveling at the Petty Education Center’s offerings.
“I really haven’t known what to do,” he said. “I’m really interested in cars and how the engine works.”
Uwharrie Charter senior Doug Bowles was in his element around all the motors, plus his brother attended the College and his sister patrols RCC as a School Resource Officer.
“My dad works on cars,” he said. “I went to fix my truck one day and thought, ‘This is fun; I want to have a job I like and have fun doing.’ ”
Next door to the Petty Center students learned about the College’s healthcare and human services programs inside the Dr. Robert B. Shackleford Jr. Allied Health Center — the newest building on the Asheboro Campus. Outside, three fire trucks flanked the information tent for the Fire Protection Technology program.
Randleman High School senior Galilea Fernandez said she’s undecided about what she wants to do after she graduates. She was leaning towards a business degree, but spent a long time at the fire tent.
“I felt like this was a good opportunity just to see other stuff that I could be interested in,” she said. “When I was little, I wanted to do a lot of things and fire protection was one. I’m going to look at Human Services and Cosmetology, too. My siblings went [to RCC] and my mom works next door at Elastic Therapy, so I’ve grown up around RCC.”
Photography Programs Department Head Kevin Eames and a local high school senior discuss the opportunities at RCC and beyond Tuesday in the Photography Imaging Center.
Later, during the evening session, most of the activity was inside the JB & Claire Davis Corporate Training Center where 20-plus companies and recruiters were ready to hand out applications.
