RCC holds graduation for 35 CCR students

A standing-room-only crowd packed into Randolph Community College’s R. Alton Cox Learning Resources Center on Thursday, May 11, as 35 College and Career Readiness students earned their Adult High School and High School Equivalency diplomas.

RCC Interim President Elbert Lassiter opened the graduation ceremony, introducing members of the Board of Trustees and Senior Leadership Team in attendance.

“Family and friends, it’s good to see so many of you here,” he said. “The support that you’ve obviously given your family members here is a crucial part of them reaching this significant milestone, and we thank you for that.

“I’m going to use the word ‘uncommon.’ You [graduates] took a non-traditional route to get your high school diploma. You’ve proven that you can do and get to this point. Some of the greatest leaders and people that have made the most significant impact on our world took an uncommon step to get where they are. They didn’t take that traditional route. I want you to remember that.”

Lassiter then introduced the guest speaker, President of Randolph County Economic Development Corporation Kevin Franklin, who opened with the story of his grandmother who earned her high school diploma in her 70s.

“What you all have accomplished tonight is really near and dear to me because I know what my grandmother went through,” he said. “I know the obstacles that she faced. I know the desire and the drive that she had to complete that high school diploma. And I know just how proud she was when she completed that task and got that piece of paper. And it's just a piece of paper, right? Wrong. That is a piece of paper that signifies hours of time and effort and accomplishment, and that was super important to her.

“I don't know what your stories are. Some of you, like my grandmother, may have just had that passion. You just wanted to complete that task and reach that goal. ... Some of you may have struggled in that traditional school setting for whatever reason. Some of you are looking at job opportunities that aren't available to you until you have that high school diploma, but whatever the reason you did not get to this point by accident. You made a conscious decision that this was something that you wanted to do and that you were going to make happen. That's a really important step, but that's not all it takes to get where you’ve gotten here this evening.”

Adult High School graduate Kendra Mebane and High School Equivalency graduate Shannon Ross were the student speakers.

Mebane, who completed the program in three days, opened by thanking the CCR team and her family.

“I was supposed to graduate in 2006,” she said, noting several circumstances that prevented her from completing high school. “Sometimes you deal with depression. Sometimes you deal with doors you’re running into. Sometimes you hit a wall. But then you make the best of every day.”

Mebane enrolled in December but battled COVID, pneumonia, and flu and couldn’t start classes until April.

“I had three days to get these classes done,” she said. “I said, ‘What can I do?’ [Lab Instructor] Mr. Richard [Hall] said, ‘I’m going to be here with you all day.’ He got me some snacks, and within those three days I was able to meet some amazing classmates. I’m grateful to stand up here in front of all of you tonight because no matter what life throws us, no matter how hard it got, we are all here tonight.”

Ross quit high school at 16 and worked a factory job.

“All of my adulthood was spent working hard, physically,” she said. “My dream was to have a career, something I could be passionate about. At the time, that’s all it was — a dream. Why? Because I didn’t complete high school. Personally, I was stagnant. I was bored. I was unfulfilled. Not only that, but I was being told that I couldn’t — that the only thing I could do was grind in a physical job.”

Ross said taking care of her mom through Alzheimer’s, breast cancer, and a brain disease that led to her death in 2016 changed her.

“Being her caretaker was the hardest task I had ever known,” she said. “But taking care of her changed me. I got closer to my Lord and Savior. At the same time, I was given the gift of confidence in myself.”

In 2020, Ross was living on her own for the first time in her life and met her current partner, but the next year, she was diagnosed with throat cancer and needed surgery.

“I spent the next year relearning how to eat, talk, and swallow again,” she said. “Six months after my cancer diagnosis, my employer terminated my employment because I was unable to work just yet. I came to the stark realization that I wouldn’t be able to continue to work physically as hard as I had for my whole life.”

So, Ross decided it was time to graduate high school — at age 52. She is taking computer classes over the summer and will be working toward a degree in the fall.

“That dream of a career I love is in reach,” she said. “If I could give you a bit of advice, it would be this: Love yourselves. Never give up on yourselves. Never let anyone convince you that your goals are unreachable. If someone tells you that you cannot do it, they are not your people. Pay attention to the people who encourage your growth.”

Emma Lambirth presented the candidates for graduation, and each student crossed the stage to receive their diploma from RCC Board of Trustees Chair F. Mac Sherrill, who then declared the candidates for graduation.

Shaneka Jones, Assistant to the Vice President for Workforce Development and Continuing Education, closed the ceremony, noting she has family members who have walked across the same stage.

“We are proud of all of you and your dedication, your achievements, and your accomplishments,” she said. “We understand the tremendous amount of work and dedication it takes to get here to walk across the stage. This is such a unique group. You’re focus driven, and you’re focused on what’s next for you.

“Tonight is another starting point for you. You have reached the next level, and it’s game time again. The truth is — there's no roadmap. I encourage you tonight to keep going. Don't stop here. We've provided you with the tools and resources here at RCC, and we believe in you. Do not let fear rob you of what you dream for. You can do it. You've already proven that you can.”