Mark Shell – Graduate Student
“Whether I knew it or not, CCC&TI’s rigorous program prepared me for further education and enabled me to be a successful graduate student and developing professional…CCC&TI helped me take that first step. They can help you, too!”Mark Shell says he always knew that his journey to higher education would begin at Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. But, the South Caldwell High School graduate says he never imagined that the journey would lead to a Master’s Degree and a career path that wouldallow him to help other students find their own success.
Shell, who came to CCC&TI in 2003, just after his high school graduation, says he chose the community college for several reasons not the least of which were the convenience and affordability. “CCC&TI was just a 5 minute commute from my home. I could study and live in a place where I had grown up all my life. I was familiar with the institution, and didn't have to worry about adjusting to a strange new town,” he says. “Plus, it was affordable. With tuition at a fraction of the cost compared to a four-year institution, I knew I could receive credit towards my Bachelors Degree at an incredible value,”
he added.After two years of hard work,
Shell earned his Associate’s Degree from CCC&TI and transferred to the University of North Carolina at Asheville where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Drama. “I thought that was where I would stop,” he says. “But, I was wrong.” Today, Shell is a graduate student at Old Dominion University if Norfolk, Virginia working on his Master of Science in Education degree. After graduation, slated for May 2010, Shell hopes to work with students like him who are pursuing higher education, helping them to develop skills to be successful students and community members. “If someone would have told me years earlier that I would be working on a Masters Degree, I would have laughed in their face,” says Shell. “
"Whether I knew it or not, CCC&TI’s rigorous program prepared me for further education and enabled me to be a successful graduate student and developing professional. I owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to the faculty and staff at CCC&TI. CCC&TI helped me take that first step. They can help you, too!”|
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