Newspapers / The North Carolina Community … / Sept. 1, 1992, edition 1 / Page 6
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FROM TUGBOAT TO WHEELCHAIR For fifteen years, I made my living on the water. I was captain of a tugboat that traveled up and down the coast. Enjoying the outdoor life, I saw no reason for an education. Suddenly on May 29,1982, life changed for me. When I was on my way home one night, a tragic accident occurred. The brakes on my Jeep failed as I approached an intersection. I ran into a ditch, and because I was not wearing a seat belt, I was thrown from the vehicle. When the rescue squad found me, my back was broken and my spinal cord was severed. I had no feeling from my shoulders down. Now I am permanently confined to a wheelchair. Many years of hospitalization and therapy have followed. I now live in a nursing home because of my severe physical limitations. I could have remained there for the rest of my life, but education opened doors of opportunity. Because I dropped out of school at 17,1 enrolled in a class at Cape Fear Community College to prepare for the General Educa tion Devebpment Examination to get my high school diploma. Since my arm and hand movements were so limited, I operated a computer with the help of braces on each hand. At first this was tiring, but I continued. After months of instruction, I was encouraged by my teacher to take the GED exam. To my great surprise, I made 299 points on the exam. Getting my GED made me feel good about myself again. Soon I was encouraged to enroll in the Business Administration curriculum at Cape Fear Community College. Me, going to college; I could not believe it. So I began working toward my degree in business administration. Five days a week, a special bus transported me to the campus. There, with the help of many teachers, counselors, and adminis trators, I have reached my goal. Many accommodations, such as special desks, tables, and other aids, have been provided by the community college. In 1989,1 was recognized by the New Hanover Human Rela tions Commission as Disabled Citizen of the Year. If Cape Fear Community College had not been the caring community that it is, I would have spent the rest of my life in a nursing home. I hope to be employed, living more independently, and become self-supporting. Education has provided me with many new opportunities. I received my associate degree in business administration with an emphasis in computers on May 28,1992. Yes, I am physically disabled, and there are many things that I can't do, but the opportunity given to me through the GED and the Cape Fear Community College will enable me to have a more productive, meaningful life. Nathan Hewitt Cape Fear CC ❖ ❖ ❖ Durham Tech and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have established a successful partnership in providing on-site basic skills training for university employees. Project Literacy, a volunteer student organization at UNC, provides tutorial assis tance to the 80 participants In the program. This year's enrollment represents a substantial increase over previous years' participa tion, primarily as a result of new university policy which mandates three hours per week of paid release time for all eligible employ ees. Gloria Horne Durham Technical CC BEGINNING AGAIN When Joyce first began to work on her GED diploma, she was a client at New Hanover Workshop, a rehabilitation center for handicapped persons. Joyce came to the Center with serious emotional problems. Most of her life she had been abused. As a result of this abuse, she had developed emotional problems. Although Joyce was unaware of it, she also had a serbus learning disability, dyslexia. From the very beginning, Joyce was highly self-motivated. She was told in public school that she was dumb and db not try, but Joyce knew that she was trying. The reason for Joyce's difficult time in school was her dyslexia. This learning disability was not diagnosed until Joyce came into Cape Fear Community College's Basic Skills program at New Hanover Workshop. After Joyce accepted that she was learriing disabled, she devebped amazing coping skills. Joyce completed her GED and enrolled in Cape Fear Commu nity College's transfer program. She worked very hard. Now she is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Joyce plans to become a special educatbn teacher. Because of her problems in the public school, Joyce wants to be sure that other children do not experience what she felt. Ann Lanier Cape Fear CC ❖ ❖ ❖ SOFTWARE TECHNICAL WRITING DURHAM TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE Seven years ago, Durham Tech met with technical writing managers from major firms in the Research Triangle Park to design an intensive program that provbes training in technical writing, computer programming, word processing, and manage ment skills. The objectives of the program are to give the students the credibility, the knowledge, and the contact they need to make a career change or to compete successfully for technbal writing and editing positions. Students in this demanding seven-month-bng program gain a broad base of training in operating systems, main frame and microcomputer programming languages, data communbatbns, and data base operations. While developing their technical writing skills, they also develop a portfolb of writing samples that includes at least one major user reference document. The program is exceptbnal in the extent to whbh several software-user companies are involved in program promotion, the selectbn of partbipants, the ongoing modificatbn of the currbu- lum, and the placement of graduates, among other areas of active involvement. The program represents an excellent example of a joint venture In high-tech job training between the community college and its corporate partners. Gbria Horne Durham Technical CC
The North Carolina Community College Adult Educators Association Newsletter (Graham, N.C.)
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Sept. 1, 1992, edition 1
6
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