Upon first entering ESCC, I met one of the friendliest counselors ever! That counselor was none other than Mark Flanders. I still recall how Mark welcomed me into his office with a kind smile. Mr. Flanders administered a career assessment test to determine which degree would suit my needs best.

Others that hold a special place in my heart include Brian Smith and Jody Baggett. They also had my best interest at heart and would often talk to me when I was down or stressed at exam time or anytime that personal or family issues arose.

ESCC faculty was second to none! A few of my absolute favorites were Wanda Smith (English), Irvin Jackson (Business), Barry Neville (History) and Bonnie Nordstrom (Career Readiness).

Fast forward to my time since leaving ESCC…I am still benefiting from my education and time spent there! I went on to earn two degrees from Wilmington University (Bachelor’s and Master’s) and I am currently employed with the Federal government as a Loan Analyst.

My name is Teena Haugh and I grew up in Exmore and graduated from Northampton High School ‘83. I am a Financial Manager at Wallops Flight Facility and have just completed 35 years of government service. I started as a student Coop in 1986. Most of my time with NASA has been in the various Resources/Financial organizations as a Resource Analyst and then a Financial Manager. 

I started classes at ESCC in my senior year of high school. I earned an Associate degree in Business Management and then an Associate degree in Secretarial Science. During this time I worked at Wallops. I added the second degree to enable entry into the Coop program with NASA.

My time at ESCC taught me to properly focus on a task, plan my time and figure out what the teacher/work required to succeed at the highest level possible. Showing up and staying present and engaged were a big part of that.

My advice to students would be that education is the foundation for becoming a valued employee. Make the most of it and establish good work ethics. Write things down and plan your days to work independently with minimal oversight. Apply what you learn in one task to the next task. Be looking for ways to improve your work. Ask questions! Always be professional and find ways to help others and go the extra mile to make your work team successful.

My college journey started at ESCC in 1996. I spent two years at ESCC gaining an educational foundation that has served me well over the years. Spending that time locally helped me discover my passion and led me to a degree in Psychology from Concord University.

Later I received my masters degree in Rehabilitative Counseling from VCU and I am currently a PhD student at Walden University.

I credit ESCC with allowing me to gain the skills I needed to become a lifelong learner. It is my goal to give back one day by becoming a psychology professor.

My name is Faith Bridges. I graduated in 2017 from the PN program. I had been a stay at home mom for 20 years. My husband became ill in 2011 and I was faced with a major decision. I needed to work to help provide for my family. Because of my age I was very nervous about going back to school. I questioned my abilities and wondered if I was even capable of learning something new.

After completing pre-requisites, I was accepted into the PN Program in 2016. My younger classmates were so encouraging and nicknamed me “Mama” Faith. Our instructors, Mrs. Bennett & Mrs. Nordstrom were there very step of the way cheering us on!

ESCC is a shining light of hope to so many in our community. I walked the halls in a very hard time in my life & received the tools and confidence to become a nursing professional. I currently work for Riverside Urology as an LPN & have also worked for Eastern Shore Rural Health serving the underinsured. Thank you ESCC for helping me achieve my goals!!! I am forever thankful.

ESCC provided the educational foundation for pursuing my career with the Virginia Division of Rehabilitative Services (DARS). I graduated from ESCC in l991 and transferred to the ODU Teletechnet Program. This program provided me with the opportunity to secure my Bachelor’s Degree on the Eastern Shore.

I was in the first graduating class for that program which included classes at the Melfa and Wallops Island campuses. Eventually I completed my Master’s Degreee at VCU online and secured a Graduate Certificate at The George Washington University. Gene Trent, Mr. Neville and many others contributed to my success in college.

My 43 year career with DARS has allowed me to continue to be a part of ESCC by helping others to learn about and access ESCC’s outstanding programs and services.

Your staff and facility continue to be an amazing asset to our community. Congratulations on 50 years ESCC! Proud to be a part of it all!!!

I graduated from the LPN program in December 2008 and got my certificate in May 2009 from Eastern Shore Community College. It was an amazing journey that I will never forget. It was a challenge but I enjoyed it all. I had some amazing instructors for the general education studies and for the nursing curriculum.

Be sure to use your instructors at ESCC along with all of the resources and you’ll be amazed at how far you can go! I did and I accomplished my goals. I am not finished yet, so I know that when I return to the Eastern Shore Community College I will accomplish even more. I might even earn another gold plated pin. Thanks again to all the instructors & staff!

Hi! I am Carlens Jean, current student at Eastern Shore Community College. After getting my high school diploma in my home country of Haiti, my father applied for me to come to the United States to continue my education. My biggest barrier was English. When I discovered ESCC, I was so happy to start ESL and eventually get my GED.

Alfie Destro took me to student services and told me about helpful tools to get a good score in the placement test. I took my test and placed into Calculus 263!

ESCC offers a lot of scholarships and eligible students can get financial aid. So far, I’ve had no expense! ESCC has a great advising team too, especially Dr. Foxworthy, who is my advisor. He shows me every step to complete my degree on time. I am a Phi Theta Kappa member and I also was accepted into five pre-med programs including VCU, ODU and FIU.

While a student at ESCC, I was blessed with caring, hands-on faculty and small classes that I truly believe contributed greatly to my success. My counselor, the late Mr. Gene Trent, was a wonderful mentor, placing me in the student aid work program at NASA which ultimately led to a position with the Social Security Administration.

I’m blessed to say that I retired from that agency in March, 2021 after a 41 year career that ESCC well prepared me for!