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| Jeanette White (left), who coordinates SCC’s Civil Engineering Technology program, shows graduate David Ivey some of the college’s latest surveying equipment. |
Being a math genius is not a requirement for succeeding in Southwestern Community College’s Civil Engineering Technology program.
Hard work and determination, however, are vital.
That’s what instructor and program coordinator Jeanette White, P.E., regularly reminds her current and prospective students.
David Ivey, P.L.S., a 2013 alumnus, is living proof that White knows what she’s talking about. Since graduating, he’s passed both the Fundamentals of Surveying test and the famously difficult Professional Land Surveyor exam. Test-takers nationwide have a 42 percent success rate on that latter one.
“You have to work at the math in this program because it is so tedious,” Ivey said. “But the whole time I was going through the program, Jeanette was always there. I was able to pester her anytime I would get frustrated, and she was able to help me work through it.”
White welcomed Ivey’s frequent requests for assistance because he was so eager to learn.
“Because the math is so rigorous, you really just have to work at it to be successful,” she said. “You don’t have to be the smartest cookie; you just have to be willing to put the effort into it, and you’ll be successful.”
Ivey is now co-owner of Cullowhee-based Davenport, Ivey and Associates. He also gives back to SCC by teaching a class each summer.
As a recent graduate, Ivey identifies with students’ struggles and enjoys the rewards of helping them work through some of the concepts that challenged him a few years ago.
“I enjoy the wide range of students,” he said. “Coming full circle like this, it means a lot when I’m able to help give someone else the knowledge this program provided for me. I know that if they go through this program, apply themselves and pay attention, they can pass the same two tests I have. This program will prepare you for that. Without these classes, there would be no way to pass the exams.”
Both the Civil Engineering Technology and Geomatics (formerly known as “Surveying”) programs continue to enjoy a 100 percent post-graduation employment rate, and both are accepting students for the fall semester that starts Aug. 15.
For more information about SCC’s Civil Engineering Technology program, contact White at 828.339.4427 or j_white@southwesterncc.edu.
