Jessica Smith – Transportation Engineer
“I am so excited to be working in this industry, but I could not have succeeded without that initial shout of ‘you can do it’ from the faculty and staff at CCC&TI. Thank you!”
Jessica Smith was not your typical community college student. After enrolling as a home-schooled high school student to get a jumpstart on her college education, she went on to earn not one, not two, but three degrees at CCC&TI!
Smith, who was home-schooled through all of her K-12 education, says “obviously, I couldn’t make up my mind.” Smith earned her Associate in Arts for college transfer courses, her Associates in Fine Arts, Music Specialist and an Associates in Science, Pre-Engineering. “CCC&TI offered a great program for exploration in core college courses overall, yet I wanted to get more involved with the applied math and science as well,” she says.
Smith says one of the best things she learned as a student at CCC&TI was how to ask questions. “This may seem simple,” she says, “but asking the right question can help with a course assignment or it can land you a job during an interview. The good questions can make you stand out as a student or make you a successful businessperson.” After earning her three degrees at CCC&TI, Smith went on to earn yet another degree, her Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Today, Smith is working for The Louis Berger Group, Inc., a private engineering company with offices all over the world, as a Transportation Engineer. “I am so excited to be working in this industry,” says the 23 year old, “but I could not have succeeded without that initial shout of ‘you can do it’ from the faculty and staff at CCC&TI.
Thank you!” Smith says she hopes to continue her education and add even more degrees to her already impressive list of credentials. “I can’t wait to go back to school for my graduate and post-graduate degrees,” she says. Smith says she even hopes to one day give back to the community college system for all that its helped her accomplish- as either an instructor or through educational policy research. “Whether one is looking for an academic education, vocational training or simply to fulfill a personal interest, community colleges are affordable and inviting institutions for all,” she says. “I would strongly encourage everyone to explore the opportunities that their local community college has to offer.”
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