Student Finds His Way to UNC Through WPCC
Griffin McKesson has a plan. This fall, he heads east to fulfill his goal of earning a bachelor’s degree in Communication. But his future was not always so clear. In fact, it was only a few years ago that he graduated from high school unsure of his next steps.
Growing up, his parents stressed to him the importance of education. McKesson attended Freedom High School and assumed that he would go on to a four year university after graduation; however, by the time graduation came around, his original goal had derailed. “In high school, I didn’t take my classes seriously until my senior year,” he admitted. “By then it was too late.”
McKesson was determined to reach his ultimate goal of attending UNC-Chapel Hill so he decided to start his college education at Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC). He enrolled in the associate in arts transfer program.
He was pretty apprehensive before starting at Western Piedmont and he worried that attending a community college was not consistent with his aspirations to attend a four-year university. However, he was surprised to discover otherwise.
“I wound up spending less on tuition but I also found the instructors at WPCC helped me develop a solid base which will help me get off to a good start at UNC,” he said. He attributes his new comfort level to his instructors who challenged him with coursework in classes such as expository writing, biology and math.
“By coming to WPCC, I learned how to work,” he stated.
He also appreciated that his instructors helped guide him through the process of transferring to UNC-Chapel Hill where he is interested in studying sports journalism.
In thinking back about his experience at WPCC he offered advice to students thinking about enrolling at Western Piedmont.
“Come with a clear goal in mind or else you’ll be wasting your time. You need to discover yourself and push yourself – otherwise you will not get to your fullest potential. It’s never too late to make your goals happen.”
Credits earned through WPCC’s associate in arts (AA) and associate in science (AS) degree programs will transfer to any the University of North Carolina (UNC) colleges, in addition to a large number of in-state independent schools. The degrees are designed in compliance with a Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) between the North Carolina Community College System and the constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina. For more information about WPCC’s transfer degree programs, call Amanda Rhea, admission and transfer counselor, at (828) 448-3159 or by email at arhea@wpcc.edu.