“For some of my classmates, the program was
life changing. They went from having just a job to
having a career.”
Stone worked as a bank teller, at the Walmart home office, and as
an assistant to a high school principal before she joined the human
resources department at NWACC. Soon, she worked herself out of
a job after streamlining many of the department’s processes. That’s
when she got her first taste of construction.
“A position opened up in NWACC’s construction office, and I
started learning the job and how to work with architects, contractors
and sub-contractors,” she said.
Stone knew she was in the right place. “I absolutely love it! No two
days are alike. It’s always something new, and at the end of the day,
you can see what you achieved.”
When NWACC started its construction management program in
2016, Stone was one of the first to enroll. “I saw an opportunity to
grow my knowledge and expertise. I was fortunate to already have
a job in the field, but for some of my classmates the program was life
changing. They went from having just a job to having a career.”
The construction management and building sciences program takes
two years to complete with classes two to three nights a week.
After just two years, nearly 100 students are enrolled. More than
200 students are also enrolled in apprenticeship courses for skilled
careers in electrical work, plumbing and HVAC. You can explore
careers in construction by visiting NWACC’s mobile construction
lab, which visits schools and other locations.
The college also hopes to get more women interested in these
careers with its Women in Construction event, which helps young
women learn more about jobs in construction and skilled trades.
Leo Martin credits NWACC’s nursing program with helping launch
his career. He first attended NWACC before transferring to the
University of Arkansas to earn a degree in kinesiology. “I thought
I wanted to do physical therapy, but as I got into it, I realized there
was not a lot of variety in the work I’d be doing,” he said. “I was
attracted to the different specialties in nursing.”
He returned to NWACC and enrolled in the nursing program. The
program offers three tracks: a traditional track that takes two years
to complete, an accelerated course that lasts 16 months, and an
online-based LPN to RN program.
Martin says the knowledge he’s gained has prepared him for a
successful career. “Every minute is spent learning bedside nursing.
Nurses are the front line of any type of healthcare, and you have the
opportunity to change lives. A nurse is usually the first face a patient
sees and the last face they see when they leave.”
Once he graduates, Martin looks forward to a career at the VA
hospital in Fayetteville. “I’ve always wanted to give back to our
veterans, and I feel fortunate this program helped me find my dream
job,” he added.
To learn more about programs at NWACC, how to enroll, and how
to qualify for financial aid, visit http://nwacc.edu or scan the code.
SCAN TO APPLY
FAYETTEVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
| 49