Work4College students Revan Travis and Miah Covey work on repotting plants as part of their work on the
college farm this past summer.
By Landri Wilton
Currently in its 11th year, the NTCC Work4College scholarship program continues to provide an opportunity for college students and high school juniors and seniors to work toward earning tuition as well as spending money. This unique scholarship is made possible by donor sponsors from the local community. The program follows the four tenants of work, earn, serve and learn. Students who participate in the program are also required to fulfill 20 community service hours and attend class once a week.
When Work4College started in 2014, students participated from the beginning of June until mid-August. The program has now expanded to allow some students to work on campus during the normal academic school year. Work4College employed nine students for the Fall 24 and Spring 25 semesters. Work4College Director Mason May said those students were hired to work in the tutoring center, the athletic department and directly with him on various projects. Those students also had the opportunity to take part in a fire safety course and a culinary class.
The Work4College program has also been implemented at several high school campuses since 2019 and has been expanded to Mount Pleasant, Chapel Hill, Harts Bluff, Como-Pickton and Daingerfield school districts.
“At the beginning, we wanted them all on our campus,” said May. “We quickly realized there’s not always enough work, and the schools benefit greatly from them just doing everyday tasks.”
Students must apply to the program through an application that requires both a recommendation letter and a personal essay. Applicants also fill out interest forms for their top three jobs on campus. If accepted, the program assigns them to one of those top three departments which could include student services, maintenance, the NTCC farm, the campus bookstore and learning commons, among others.
Many of the students gain experience for their future careers or discern what they are passionate about through their work assignments. Jimmy Smith, director of Continuing Education and Corporate Training, who supervises student participants, said Work4College is beneficial for both students and college employees. “I think it’s always a good opportunity for both parties, not just for the students, but us as well,” Smith said. “Students that are younger than eighteen come to us with different levels of expertise in different areas. We get an opportunity to share with them, and they get the chance to share with us. We learn from them about what the students are wanting.”
Taking advantage of that opportunity to help gain new experiences, Camerion Mosley has worked on the NTCC farm for two years.
“I kind of grew up in the country, but never around animals,” Mosely said. “I was just like, ‘you know what, let’s give it a try.’ When you’re out here in the country, you get a lot more experience than you would by going to college in the city.”
Learn more about the Work4College program and how to apply at https://ntcc.edu/about-us/ntcc-foundation/scholarship-information/work4college/work4college.