Students from Wayne Community College and Lenior Community College recently participated in the SEED Pre-Apprenticeship Program. (WCC photo)
GOLDSBORO — The first cohort of students in the Southeastern Education and Economic Development (SEED) initiative’s summer pre-apprenticeship academy have completed the program.
The students, who attended the seven-week program at either Wayne Community College or Lenoir Community College (LCC), were honored at a ceremony where they were presented with certificates of completion.
SEED was created by the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) and sponsored by Smithfield Foods. It offered participants a paid education and career exploration in engineering, maintenance, machining, industrial systems, and mechatronics. The students gained hands-on experience and received college credit through classroom instruction.
Students also took weekly field trips to local businesses including Franklin Baking Company, West Pharmaceutical Services, Prolec GE Waukesha, Asterra Labs, Mount Olive Pickle Company, and Smithfield Foods.
“I think it’s been a great experience,” said WCC Executive Director of Apprenticeships and Career Development Kristie Sauls. “We’ve tried to open their eyes to the great things going on right here in eastern North Carolina.”
More than 200 individuals initially showed interest in joining the program, and 35 were accepted. All 35 students in the cohort successfully completed the program.
“For many of you students, you may see this as a summer experience. But for many of us, we see it as the future,” said LCC Senior Vice President of Student Services and Workforce Development John Paul Black. “It inspires us, and we look forward to the best for your futures and wish you a lot of success.”
The following students, listed by city of residence, completed the SEED program:
Dudley — Orlin Argueta, Southern Wayne High School; Erick Lizama Alvarez, Wayne School of Engineering; Joshua Melendez, Southern Wayne High School ; and Alan Rangel Vargas, Spring Creek High School
Goldsboro — KeNygel Bynum, Wayne Preparatory Academy; Jesse Fitzsimmons, Charles B. Aycock High School; Isaiah Jenkins, Rosewood High School; Tristin Tyler, Charles B. Aycock High School; Daniel Williams, Goldsboro High School; and Jasaan Williams, Charles B. Aycock High School
Mount Olive — Leighton Brown, BLEN Academy (Homeschool); Francisco Gomez, North Duplin Jr./Sr. High School; Daniel Herring, North Duplin Jr./Sr. High School; Gerardo Maldonadu-Panchame, Southern Wayne High School; and Genaro Pacheco, North Duplin Jr./Sr. High School
Pikeville — Natalia Estrada, Charles B. Aycock High School; Davynn Godshall, Charles B. Aycock High School; Christian Jimenez, Rosewood High School; Caleb Martin, Wayne Early Middle College High School; and Seth Thibodeaux, Eternal Faith Academy
Princeton — Josiah Huckaby, Wayne Community College
Seven Springs — Kevin Cabrera-DeLeon, Wayne Early Middle College High School
Smithfield Foods Talent Development Manager Clarence Scott applauded the collaboration between the two community colleges and the educators involved with SEED. He also thanked the students for spending their summer in the program. “Any program or employer would be extremely lucky to have you working with and for them,” Scott said. “I’m excited to see what lies in your future, and I’m excited to see what lies in the future of the SEED program.”
Davynn Godshall, a rising senior at Charles B. Aycock High School, is happy to have gotten the chance to explore skills she wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to pursue. “It’s been very interesting. Everything I’ve learned this summer has been totally new to me,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed it a lot.”
Erick Lizama Alvarez, a rising senior at Wayne School of Engineering, was drawn to the chance to earn college credit while learning more about his intended career field, mechanical engineering. He said he enjoyed the weekly field trips the most. “We’ve gone to a variety of different places,” he said. “It was fun. My biggest takeaway is that there are a bunch of opportunities out there.”
