Nicholas Sutton, 20, came to A-B Tech two years ago with the long-term vision of pursuing a career in a STEM field. Skilled at math, the Canton native enrolled in the university transfer program, knowing that he wanted to go on for his bachelor’s degree. Sutton quickly connected with his professors in the arts and sciences program who he says were “exceedingly kind”.
“I want to specially highlight the work of the math department as they’ve had the strongest impact on my trajectory,” he says, adding. “Especially the chair of the department Tammy Sullivan.”
During his second year at A-B Tech, Sutton learned from his advisor about North Carolina State University’s (NCSU) Goodnight Transfer Scholars Program, which awards scholarships to North Carolina residents at community colleges who want to pursue STEM-focused bachelor’s degrees.
Sutton applied and he learned recently that he has been awarded $23,000 to pursue his degree at NCSU in Computer Science. The award, Sutton says, came at a challenging time for his family when expenses have been tight because of medical bills.
“I cannot thank the facility and the staff of A-B Tech enough for their support,” Sutton says. “This is an incredible opportunity because I want to attend graduate school. Getting into a good program requires undergraduate research and the additional funding… will be invaluable in [helping with research].”