Shaping and molding a college student is an invaluable opportunity that instructors at Sampson Community College are afforded each day. In some rare cases, an instructor is lucky enough to begin that process even before college.

For Darren Branch and Justin Sessoms, it will be somewhat just like the old days when they enter SCC’s Industrial Systems Technology program this week. Branch and Sessoms, both of whom graduated from high school early, were both on campus this week meeting with David Locklear, SCC instructor and their former teacher at Lakewood High School.

“It’s always great to be able to influence young people in a positive way, to help them achieve their goals,” says Locklear, who helped escort the new students through the registration process last week. “I know these kids. They are good people. They want to do well. It was a pleasure teaching them then and I will most certainly be looking forward to teaching them here at the college.”

Locklear (L) and Career Specialist Toledo Kemmer (C) help finalize registration for Branch (R) and Sessoms.

It was last October when Locklear and Barney Grady, Coordinator of Building and Construction programs, spoke at a college fair at Lakewood High School and encouraged them to use the extra time from early graduation to enroll. Sessoms was familiar with SCC because he has already taken a welding course at the college while he was in high school. His father, Thomas, is also a student at SCC as well.

Industrial Systems Technology  is designed to prepare students to safely service, maintain, repair, or install equipment. Instruction includes training needed for inspecting, testing, troubleshooting, and diagnosing industrial systems. Students learn skills in print reading, mechanical systems maintenance, electricity, hydraulics/pneumatics, welding, machining, fabrication, and includes various diagnostic and repair procedures.

For more information about the program, contact Barney Grady at bgrady@sampsoncc.edu or at 910.900.4118.