Brian Williams- C3 student
Brian Williams started his educational journey at Fayetteville Technical Community College a year ago in the Engineering program; now he has a paid summer internship and guaranteed enrollment into NC State.
“It really is the guarantee part for me. Not having to worry about my school work and trying to get into a four-year Engineering program is the best part of the C3 program,” Williams said.
NC State C3 is a dual-admission program between the University and a group of community colleges. It is intended for high-achieving students from low-to moderate-income backgrounds who plan to transfer to NC State after completing an associate degree in arts or science.
“Not only do you get advising from the FTCC side, but there is a rep at NC State who I speak with consistently to make sure I am on the right track and see all my opportunities,” Williams said.
Williams is a non-traditional community college student. He recently retired from the military and was looking for his next step when he enrolled in online courses at FTCC. The Engineering program was the perfect fit and the C3 program is a dream come true because getting a degree from NC State is his end goal. Williams is currently in the Associates of Science and Engineering programs at FTCC.
“I try to be as hands-on as possible. Me and a group of other military students in the program put together a study group and have been recruiting students for certain classes to make sure they meet enrollment standards,” Williams said. “I am making sure I have everything I need when I transfer to State and I feel like the Engineering program here at FTCC has prepared me really well.”
William’s summer internship is with General Dynamics-Electric Boat Groton Shipyard in Groton, CT. He will be a Design and Engineering intern for construction and test support.
“It was really hard for me to get a summer internship,” he said. “Most companies are looking for young freshman students, so I was starting to lose hope and kind of gave up on the idea. I randomly received a call in December after applying to so many places and I immediately accepted. It is rare to get a paid internship that includes housing and benefits.”
Williams will finish up his associate degree in the fall and then transfer to NC State for the spring semester. Williams said he particularly appreciated the support he received from FTCC engineering instructor Jaime Villamil. “It was great to be able to learn from someone with actual hands-on experience,” he said. “Mr. Villamil has made the program what it is at FTCC and there are incredible things to come for the Engineering program.”
To learn more about the C3 program contact Loutricia Nelson, University Outreach Coordinator/Counselor at nelsonl@faytechcc.edu.
