One day before Brittany Martin was scheduled to start classes at Southwestern Community College in 2021, her grandfather William “Billy” Jordan passed away.
“It was the most devastating loss I’ve experienced,” Martin recalled last month. “He was extremely special to me; I miss him every day.”
Knowing her grandfather would not have wanted her to delay pursuit of a college degree, Martin showed up on her first day in SCC’s Human Services Technology (HST) program. Along with her classmates, she persevered through two challenging years of classroom learning and clinical training.
And on May 9, Martin was the featured student speaker at the program’s pinning ceremony in the Burrell Conference Center on SCC’s Jackson Campus. The Sylva resident earned an associate degree and certificate.
“I’m extremely proud of Brittany and all our graduates for working hard and enduring the rigors and challenges of our program,” said Crystal Rhynes, SCC’s HST Program Coordinator. “Our career field has a tremendous need for compassionate, dedicated professionals willing to help address the mental health crisis in our country – and all of these graduates are well-equipped to do just that.”
Also honored in the pinning ceremony were Heather Mallard of Franklin and Jordan Shuler of Whittier, who each earned an associate degree in HST; Danielle Hutchinson of Sylva, who earned an associate degree in HST and a certificate in Addiction & Recovery Studies; and Kayla Loftis of Sylva, Amanda Holmes of Cullowhee and Sky Ward of Cullowhee - who each earned an associate degree in both HST and Addiction & Recovery Studies.
Graduates of HST and Addiction & Recovery Studies have the option of entering the workforce or continuing their studies at a four-year college or university.
For more information about SCC’s Human Services Technology program, contact Rhynes (828.339.4397 or c_rhynes@SouthwesternCC.edu) or Pamela Judson (828.339.4198 or pjudson@SouthwesternCC.edu).
