The first cohort of students in the Southeastern Education and Economic Development (SEED) initiative’s summer pre-apprenticeship academy have completed the program.
The students, who attended the seven-week program at either Wayne Community College or Lenoir Community College (LCC), were honored at a ceremony where they were presented with certificates of completion.
SEED was created by the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) and sponsored by Smithfield Foods. It offered participants a paid education and career exploration in engineering, maintenance, machining, industrial systems, and mechatronics. The students gained hands-on experience and received college credit through classroom instruction.
Students also took weekly field trips to local businesses including Franklin Baking Company, West Pharmaceutical Services, Prolec GE Waukesha, Asterra Labs, Mount Olive Pickle Company, and Smithfield Foods.
“I think it’s been a great experience,” said WCC Executive Director of Apprenticeships and Career Development Kristie Sauls. “We’ve tried to open their eyes to the great things going on right here in eastern North Carolina.”
More than 200 individuals initially showed interest in joining the program, and 35 were accepted. All 35 students in the cohort successfully completed the program.
“For many of you students, you may see this as a summer experience,” said LCC Senior Vice President of Student Services and Workforce Development John Paul Black. “But for many of us, we see it as the future. It inspires us, and we look forward to the best for your future and wish you a lot of success.”
The following students, listed by city of residence, completed the SEED program:
WCC’s SEED Participants
Dudley
Orlin Argueta, Southern Wayne High School
Erick Lizama Alvarez, Wayne School of Engineering
Joshua Melendez, Southern Wayne High School
Alan Rangel Vargas, Spring Creek High School
Goldsboro
KeNygel Bynum, Wayne Preparatory Academy
Jesse Fitzsimmons, Charles B. Aycock High School
Isaiah Jenkins, Rosewood High School
Tristin Tyler, Charles B. Aycock High School
Daniel Williams, Goldsboro High School
Jasaan Williams, Charles B. Aycock High School
Mount Olive
Leighton Brown, BLEN Academy (Homeschool)
Francisco Gomez, North Duplin Jr./Sr. High School
Daniel Herring, North Duplin Jr./Sr. High School
Gerardo Maldonadu-Panchame, Southern Wayne High School
Genaro Pacheco, North Duplin Jr./Sr. High School
Pikeville
Natalia Estrada, Charles B. Aycock High School
Davynn Godshall, Charles B. Aycock High School
Christian Jimenez, Rosewood High School
Caleb Martin, Wayne Early Middle College High School
Seth Thibodeaux, Eternal Faith Academy
Princeton
Josiah Huckaby, Wayne Community College
Seven Springs
Kevin Cabrera-DeLeon, Wayne Early Middle College High School
LCC’s SEED Participants
Clinton
Camden Matthews, Clinton High School
Greenville
Christopher Ellison, South Central High School
Matthew Perkins, South Central High School
Kinston
Cenque Jones, Kinston High School
Billy Merrill, Bethel Christian Academy
Claire Mitchell, North Lenoir High School
Dorian Sutton, Kinston High School
Snow Hill
Derek Carrilo, Greene Central High School
Sebastian Gualito, Greene Central High School
Jacquez Johnson, Greene Early College High School
Yahir Morales-Guzman, Greene Central High School
Fernando Nunez-Mancilla, Greene Early College High School
Luis Trejo-Acevedo, Greene Central High School
Smithfield Foods Talent Development Manager Clarence Scott applauded the collaboration between the two community colleges and the educators involved with SEED. He also thanked the students for spending their summer in the program.
“Any program or employer would be extremely lucky to have you working with and for them,” Scott said. “I’m excited to see what lies in your future, and I’m excited to see what lies in the future of the SEED program.”
Davynn Godshall, a rising senior at Charles B. Aycock High School, is happy to have gotten the chance to explore skills she wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance to pursue.
“It’s been very interesting,” Godshall said. “Everything I’ve learned this summer has been totally new to me. I’ve enjoyed it a lot.”
Erick Lizama Alvarez, a rising senior at Wayne School of Engineering, was drawn to the chance to earn college credit while learning more about his intended career field, mechanical engineering. He said he enjoyed the weekly field trips the most. “We’ve gone to a variety of different places,” he said. “It was fun. My biggest takeaway is that there are a bunch of opportunities out there.”
