Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute recently announced that Lenoir resident and current student Gina Treadwell has received CCC&TI’s 2024 Academic Excellence Award.
Treadwell was recognized as the recipient of the prestigious annual award at the April 16 Board of Trustees meeting on the Caldwell Campus in Hudson. CCC&TI President Dr. Mark Poarch presented her with an award plaque and a letter of congratulations from NC Community College System President Dr. Jeff Cox. Treadwell is one of 58 students statewide to receive the award from each of North Carolina’s community colleges.
For Treadwell, CCC&TI has been a place of new beginnings and setting and reaching goals. It began in 2021, when Treadwell, a high school dropout and single mother who was cleaning vacation homes to make ends meet, decided it was time for a change. Not yet sure about her career goals, Treadwell took the first step and enrolled in CCC&TI’s high school equivalency courses. From there, she found both a clear path to her initial goal and inspiration for her next one.
Through her studies, Treadwell was introduced to CCC&TI’s CAFÉ program which assists special needs adult students with basic life skills and entry-level employment skills. She volunteered in the classroom and once she earned her high school credential, was hired as a part-time assistant. This experience helped her find her passion and a new goal for the future – becoming a certified Special Education Teacher.
Treadwell is currently enrolled in CCC&TI’s Associate in Arts degree program and has excelled as a student, maintaining a 3.79 grade point average in her college courses while also balancing her work and family commitments. In addition, she still makes time to give back to the community, volunteering at a local recreation center for autistic children, and a local community crisis agency. When asked about what motivates her to strive for excellence she says simply, “Setting an example for my daughter has been my biggest motivation. I want to prove to her that it doesn’t matter what life throws at you, as long as you stay determined, you can accomplish anything.”
CCC&TI’s 2024 Academic Excellence Award Winner, Ms. Gina Treadwell with President Dr. Mark Poarch.
Upon graduation from CCC&TI, Treadwell plans to transfer to Appalachian State University to pursue her Special Education Degree and teacher certification.
CCC&TI congratulates Ms. Gina Treadwell on earning the 2024 Academic Excellence Award.
CCC&TI’s 2024 Academic Excellence Award Winner, Ms. Gina Treadwell, right, with one of her students, Joseph Griffin.