Commencement Profiles
Cardiac Sonographer Jeremy Woody: How Far Does That Rabbit Hole Go?
May 7th 2024 After nearly a decade working in the food industry, Jeremy Woody, 34, was hungry for a job with regular hours and better benefits.
Sophia deCordova: A-B Tech's Sticky Note Fairy Awarded for Legacy of Kindness
May 7th 2024 When Sophia deCordova, 20, was a little girl, her mom slipped sticky notes in her school lunches that bore messages like “You’re amazing” and “I love you”.
For Early Childhood Center Director Leondra McDay, Success Meant Taking It Slow
May 7th 2024 Like many early childhood education teachers, Leondra McDay, 34, came to A-B Tech to take a basic education class required for her teaching position; state-licensed centers receive extra points for having credentialed teachers.
Counselor Amanda Killian Reignites Self Worth by Serving Others
May 7th 2024 For Amanda Killian, 42, education has extended far beyond the classroom’s four walls, deep into her own life experience.
Naidelyn Aguilar-Martin Empowers Immigrant Families
May 7th 2024 As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, Buncombe County Early College senior Naidelyn Aguilar-Martin, 18, saw from a young age the struggles her parents faced in the United States.
Tiffany Dill: From Artist to Cardiac Sonographer
May 7th 2024 After twelve years of working as a professional artist, Tiffany Dill, 58, was craving a change. With two degrees (art and business) and three children under her belt, the encaustic artist had been exhibiting her paintings in galleries in Charleston and Asheville for years, but wanted a more dependable income that didn’t involve sitting at a desk.
A Life Rewired: Electrical Engineer Lily Dunham's Impressive Comeback
May 6th 2024 Watching Lily Dunham solder electrical wires recently at a maker fair, someone passing by likely would not have noticed the two fingers missing from the 29-year-old student’s left hand.
Liberal Arts Student Wei Chen Never Gives Up
May 6th 2024 Wei Chen, 37, is especially proud to be graduating this May. Women in her home country of China, including her mother, have often been denied access to education, and when she was 12, she herself had to drop out because her family couldn’t afford the cost of school.