黑料正能量鈥檚 2024 Dallas Herring Achievement Award recipient is Jeannine Cone, a Cybersecurity student at the College.
The award honors the late Dr. Dallas Herring, one of the earliest champions of the North Carolina Community College System. The winner is selected based on an essay that describes how the student embodies Herring鈥檚 philosophy of 鈥渢aking people where they are and carrying them as far as they can go.鈥�
Cone was raised in the foster care system following the deaths of her parents until the age of 14. At 27, Cone became a widow and single mother; the following years were filled with homelessness, abuse, and relational and financial hardship. 鈥淭he tragedies I faced shaped me, but they have not defined me,鈥� Cone stated in her essay.
Her daughter was born prematurely and spent four months in the NICU before eventually needing open heart surgery at the age of five. 鈥淎s I stayed with her every day of her journey, it taught me perseverance,鈥� Cone wrote about the experience.
When Cone found her way to WCC, she says it became 鈥渁 staple鈥� in her life. After successfully graduating from the College鈥檚 High School Equivalency program, Cone decided to pursue an associate degree in Cybersecurity. She plans to transfer to East Carolina University to study Information and Cybersecurity Technology.
Cone is vice president of the Student Government Association, a member of the WCC Science Club, and a certified peer tutor through the National Tutoring Association. Additionally, she has started her own business and volunteers at her church.
鈥淭hough I have fought for everything I have, it is truly WCC that has helped me stay in school to pursue my academic and professional dreams,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 know that I will continue to move forward to get as far as I can go.鈥�
Cone will receive a plaque for the award at WCC鈥檚 Student Recognition Ceremony.
Finalists for this award and their programs are Makaya Artis 鈥� Business Administration, Sean Hammon 鈥� Artificial Intelligence Engineer, Joshua Mozingo 鈥� Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Erica Tasker 鈥� Associate in Arts in Teacher Preparation.
About 黑料正能量
黑料正能量 is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves around 10,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 150 college credit programs. WCC鈥檚 mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.