SECU Foundation awards scholarships to Davidson-Davie students as part of Bridge to Career Program
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You might find Kyle Speelman near water someday…oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, ponds…any water. That’s because he wants to dive right into an underwater welding career – and the State Employees’ Credit Union is getting him one step closer to that goal.
Speelman, of Thomasville, is one of 10 students at Davidson-Davie Community College who were recently awarded $500 scholarships from the SECU Foundation as part of the Bridge to Career Program. The program, which awards scholarships annually, aims at removing financial barriers for students who seek to obtain credentials through the Workforce Continuing Education Division of their local community college that lead to successful careers in their communities.
Laura Goins, vice president for the State Employees’ Credit Union Lexington branch, explains that $18,000 is awarded annually to students in the North Carolina Community College System. Specifically, they focus on students working toward careers in trades.
Speelman, who is enrolled in his second welding class at the college and recently secured a job in the trade, has plans to enroll in more coursework because he has bigger dreams. “I want to be able to support my future family and sustain myself and also show others how to weld,” Speelman says. “But the end goal is underwater welding. I’ll go wherever that work takes me.”
The scholarship, he explains, gives him a leg up in helping him continue his courses and helps financially. “My family has struggled for a long time, so this scholarship helps to make sure I can get somewhere.”
His time at Davidson-Davie has been well spent, and he notes that he’s learned a great deal in his courses. “Everyone has been really great and helpful,” Speelman adds. “The teachers check in on us a lot to make sure we are OK. It’s very hands-on.” And that’s why he’s interested in enrolling in more courses to help lead the path to underwater welding. He wants to study aquatics and zoology to learn about marine life – knowledge that would serve him well in the water.
Fellow recipient Damien Adams of Lexington, who is studying HVAC, has similar goals of being able to support himself and a future family. “I’m looking forward to continuing my courses to become successful in my career,” says Adams, who is enrolled in HVAC Level 1. “The scholarship gives me encouragement and initiative to go out and be successful. It feels good knowing that I’m able to help people.”
Like Speelman and Adams, students selected for the scholarship are all enrolled in skilled trade programs at Davidson-Davie, explains Jennifer Corbett, coordinator of Business and Workforce Training at the college. A team of five employees at the college select the recipients based on details provided by the students, including an application and an essay that details how they are able to help their community, as well as what the scholarship means to them.
“A portion of the $500 scholarship pays for tuition, and the remaining goes directly to the students,” Corbett says. “Typically, they use the remaining money to buy supplies, such as welding helmets, gloves and books.”
The SECU Bridge to Career Program, which began in 2018, is aligned with the state’s postsecondary education attainment goal to have 2 million working-age North Carolinians possess a high-quality postsecondary credential of labor market value by 2030. In order to be considered for funding through the program, prospective students must be a U.S. citizen and resident of North Carolina and be enrolled in a course leading to an NC Workforce Credential at the Essential or Career Level. Students also must be unemployed, underemployed, a member of the NC National Guard, military veterans and spouses, or underserved populations in a specific workforce are or sector.
The 10 students who were awarded scholarships include:
Grayson Jordan, of Thomasville – Electrical
Nathaniel Alexander, of Lexington – HVAC
Jonathan Adams, of Asheboro – HVAC
Damien Adams, of Lexington – HVAC
William Apple, of Brown Summit – Welding: TIG
Kyle Speelman, of Thomasville – Welding: TIG
Michael Leonard, of Lexington – Welding: MIG/Stick
Robert Wall, of Welcome – Welding: MIG/Stick
Mark Sanger, of Winston-Salem – Welding: MIG/Stick
Jah’maury Lom, of Lexington – Welding: MIG/Stick
The SECU Foundation recently awarded two other scholarships as part of the People Helping People Scholarship program. Recipients were John Patterson and MacKenzie Potter, who each received $5,000.
The SECU People Helping People Scholarship program was established in 2005 and supports North Carolina students in achieving their educational goals. The program awards two scholarships annually at each of the 58 community colleges and provides an annual investment of $580,000 statewide.
Patterson, of Lexington, is taking prerequisites with the goal of entering the associate degree of nursing program. Patterson has taken a lead role in his family, inspiring his brother and sister to pursue their GEDs and college – after he did the same himself. “We are now working on higher education together,” Patterson says. “My goals include building self-confidence, learning to collaborate with others and becoming a stronger leader through new experiences.”
Potter, from Winston-Salem, is enrolled in the associate of applied science degree in the zoo and aquarium science program. Potter recently attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy where she learned about community services and developed leadership skills that she now uses daily. “My goals are to build lifelong friendships, strengthen collaboration and gain confidence in my decisions.”
For more information about scholarships provided by the SECU Foundation, visit ncsecufoundation.org/Projects/Scholarships.html.
