“Dear Student, take advantage of your local community college” emphasizes Denise Rackley, Sampson Community College former student and retiree, “Get your first two years of education here as it is much cheaper than beginning at a four-year school and this time can help you narrow down what program you’d like to enter when you transfer. If you’re not interested in going to the university system, take advantage of the associate degree programs offered at the College. Learn a trade…. something that can help you in gaining employment. No matter what you’d like to do after high school graduation, begin at the community college. You’ll be glad you did.”

Denise Rackley’s first visit to SCC was in 1978 to take the placement test, little did she know that she would spend the next 35 years here as either a student or an employee. “Sampson Community College has been my life” reflects Rackley. “Many of my co-workers have been, and are still, like a part of my family, I could not imagine working anywhere else. I worked in the Student Services Division the entire time I was at SCC and in that division, we worked so well together as a team to help our students. We truly were “student services”.

“One memory that always makes me laugh from Sampson Community College was when the Student Services Division performed a song and dance to the song “Mr. Postman”” smiled Denise Rackley, SCC former student and retiree. Rackley continues, “There were about eleven women (dancers, backup singers, and our lead singer, Susan Sautter) and our postman, Carl Peay (our supervisor).  The women practiced and practiced for the big day which was performed at Field Day.  Mind you, Carl Peay did not practice once!  When the song started, he comes out dressed as a postman carrying big plastic letters to give to the audience.  He stole the show when he pretended to play the saxophone and had to be helped up!  The audience loved it and he had not practiced one single time!”

Again, congratulations Denise on being the second 50^th Anniversary highlight and thank you for sharing your story. For more information about Sampson Community College, visit http://www.sampsoncc.edu or call 910-592-8081, Sampson Community College, “Begin Here, Go Anywhere”.