LUMBERTON — Robeson Community College’s reach continues to expand with its online access to many programs, classes, workshops, and more, according to the college.

Some students may come to RCC seeking special credits to meet university entrance requirements, while others enroll to complete classes online for convenience as they seek to complete an associate degree to advance their careers and enhance their skills, according to information from RCC. Robeson Community College offers many degree programs completely online, including Criminal Justice, Business Administration, the EMS Bridge Program, the Associate of Arts, and the Associate of Science degree. Students seeking to fast-track their careers and become job-ready can also add stackable credentials to their resumes through the completion of an array of diplomas, certificates and short-term training courses.

With so many opportunities available, students like Chelsea Banks, Marcus Brown, Kevin Hawkins, Contessa Oxendine, Addison Prevatte and Brianna Seals said they have found a hidden gem through Robeson Community College’s online offerings, which the college said it expects to increase as e-learning continues to grow in popularity and technology becomes more innovative.

Chelsea Banks

In Durham County, online learning made it possible for Chelsea Banks to take the credits she needed to complete her application for admission into nursing school at Forsyth Tech. She says she’s also considering the medical sonography program.

“I graduated from Winston-Salem State University,” Banks said. “I’ve been out of school for 4-years, so this helped to put me back in school mode.”

Banks says her experience at Robeson Community College was “super smooth.”

“RCC is a really good community college,” Banks said. “I didn’t have any issues at all, I sent in my transcripts to advising, met with advisors, and just called admissions and they signed me up for class.”

“I thought, ‘How convenient,” Banks said. “It was a super easy process.”

Banks enrolled in the Statistics and Physics classes at RCC.

“Everything thing was completely online,” Banks said. “I’m not any good at math, but Dr. Chavis and Mr. Gavasci were good instructors, they explained everything and with it being online, it was actually easier because you can reach out to the professors and ask questions if you don’t know something. You don’t have to raise your hand in class or look like you don’t know the material.”

“Online is more personable and more on your time,” Banks said. “If something is stressful, you can take a moment away and come back to it, and both of my professors were super understanding… it was a good experience.”

With online learning, Banks says that it fit her life and prepared her for the future.

“Everyone has a life outside of school, you have work and personal responsibilities,” Banks said. “With online classes, you can further your education and still have a life.”

“Because of my experience at RCC, I’m more motivated now to do the program I’m interested in,” Banks said. “And to have done so well this past summer, it helps me to know that I can do this, and I’m just going to have to keep going now.”

Marcus Brown

Although he’s only in his early 40’s, Marcus Brown is already planning for his retirement. That’s why he decided to come back to school to get his degree in criminal justice, a program he graduated from this past July.

“I have 21 years of service in law enforcement,” Brown said. “I have a plethora of law enforcement certifications. My degree will help me as I prepare for retirement in my current position.”

Brown works as a detective and criminal investigator for the Richmond County Sheriffs Office. With living almost 65 miles away, and working full-time, Brown says that travelling to Robeson County to complete his degree would have been almost impossible.

“As an investigator, I stay busy,” Brown said. “The criminal justice program at RCC is more beneficial to the working adult, everything is online, and there’s nothing that you need to do on campus unless you just want to go. You can do everything online and complete your degree within the confines of your own home.”

Brown says he chose Robeson Community College for a special reason, not because of rankings, and not even because of the convenience of the program.

“I’m from Maxton,” Brown said. “I’m a native of Robeson County and I know a lot of the faculty and staff there and I wanted to get my degree from the place that I came from.”

Going back to school as an adult can be challenging, Brown admits, he says it was a great experience.

“The hardest part was working and trying to complete the degree,” Brown said. “There are a lot of resources available, like tutoring.”

“The way the criminal justice program is designed, any adult can go through it and earn a degree,” Brown said. “RCC makes it really easy, the instructors work with you and get to know you on a personal level, and I think that’s what helped me the most.”

Brown hopes to continue his education by pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

“I want to stay native to my own…” Brown said.

Kevin Hawkins

Upon getting a promotion while working for Onslow County EMS, Kevin Hawkins knew that he would need to complete his degree in EMS in order to stay in his position. One of his co-workers, Amanda Hierl, who we profiled in a story on the EMS Bridge program last month, “had high praise for the program and Mr. Thomas Byrd,” Hawkins said.

“Amanda said he was taking care of stuff for career people, so I figured I would give it a whirl,” Hawkins said. “It has worked out good so far.”

The EMS Bridge program at Robeson Community College is available completely online, allowing Hawkins the flexibility he was seeking in being able to stay home, work full-time, and earn his degree. Hawk is currently working on some general education credits for his degree, taking classes like psychology and art appreciation.

“It’s not bad, it’s kind of interesting,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins started his degree in 1998 while living in Ohio, his home state.

“Life happens, and I put it on the back burner until I got promoted to Captain,” Hawkins said. “In 1998, I started working in firefighting and discovered I liked doing EMS work, I like helping people I was enjoying it, you get to help people on the worst day of their life, and helping them get through it, and that’s the reward and that’s makes it a pretty good career.”

Hawkins says he got to North Carolina just by a “fluke chance.”

“I was vacationing in Charlotte and just happened to be talking to someone that said there was a job available here,” Hawkins said. “I have been here since 2010.”

For anyone seeking a degree as an adult, Hawkins says, “… don’t give up, if you want a degree, go for it.”

Contessa Oxendine

At 41 years old, Contessa Oxendine wanted to do something she’d always dreamed of, and that was to pursue her dreams of working in the criminal justice field.

“I always wanted to go into forensics, that’s always been my passion,” Oxendine said. “I have a hectic life and taking the classes online was more convenient for me.”

Oxendine says she watches a lot of crime shows to learn more about law enforcement, criminal justice, and forensics.

“I watch CSI, “The Black List”,” Oxendine said. “What they do on TV is different, there’s a lot more to it than what you see them do on TV, in real life it is much more hands-on, but at times it can be very realistic.”

“The Black List” is a crime thriller television series where the FBI tracks down some of the most wanted fugitives.

“I could see myself doing something like that,” Oxendine said.

One local story that garnered national attention, continues to be on Oxendine’s heart each day.

“Hannah, the little girl that was killed in Robeson County, that really broke my heart,” Oxendine said. “No child should have to go through that… that’s what inspired me to want to be an advocate for the dead because the dead need an advocate to find out what happened to them.”

As she works on her degree, Oxendine says she enjoys being able to go at her own pace, just taking two classes at a time.

“Online is good, I can stay at home and do the research that I need for class,” Oxendine said. “Reaching out to instructors is easy, it’s more convenient for me.”

When Oxendine completes her degree, she plans on enrolling in the Basic Law Enforcement Training program at RCC to give her more experience in law enforcement and help train her for additional opportunities that exist in law enforcement, adding a stackable credential to her resume.

“BLET is very intense,” Oxendine said. “It’s a good program, but it’s intense.”

Oxendine hopes to find employment in one of the crime labs located in Raleigh or Charlotte, saying, “I want to be somewhere where I can make a difference.”

The criminal justice technology program at Robeson Community College is available completely online. It was ranked in the Top 20 as one of best online criminal justice programs in the country and in the top 50 online public safety programs offered in the United States.

Addison Prevatte

Seeking admission into the School of Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Addison Prevatte needed to take a course in microbiology. It was the one class she did not have but was required to be accepted into the program.

“Robeson Community College gave me the option to take it online and I did not have to drive to take the course,” Prevatte said.”I found out a couple of weeks before school started that I needed the class…Robeson was the only college that would help me get into the class.”

Prevatte, a resident of Brunswick County, enrolled as a special credit student, as she was not seeking a degree. “I really liked the college,” Prevatte said. “They were really good with getting back in contact with me when I emailed about the class.”

Prevatte, who is just 20 years old, started nursing school at UNCW this past August.

Brianna Seals

After working as a paramedic for several years, Brianna Seals felt it was time to move in a new direction.

“I worked on an ambulance for four years and wanted a change,” Seals said. “I stopped when I became pregnant. I needed to figure out what I wanted to do.”

Seals thought maybe she should go into criminal justice, so she enrolled at another community college.

“I was trying to start back, and I was leaning towards specializing in forensics, doing fingerprinting and that kind of thing,” Seals said. “But the program I was in required you to go to campus, and I had started working full-time and there was no way that I could do that, and so that’s how I got to Robeson Community College’s Business Administration program.”

“It’s completely online,” Seals said. “I have kids and I work an office job, and everything is a lot better now… It’s hard working 40 hours a week, and being able to do class online is easier on me and suits my life better.”

Living in Laurinburg, Seals says she is about 50 miles away from RCC’s main campus in Lumberton.

“I was able to do everything online for Robeson Community College,” Seals said. “I just called the teacher, and I was able to get my transcript and do everything over the phone, and I didn’t have to come to campus… the process was very smooth, very flexible.”

“The teachers, even though you are online, they are really encouraging, I feel like I know them,” Seals said. “They go the extra mile to make sure you are comprehending the material… Mr. Scotty Locklear, I like taking his classes, he’s very laid back and a very good teacher.”

“And even though I’m not on campus, I read all the emails about events, scholarships,” Seals said. “It helps me stay connected.”

As Seals progresses through the Business Administration program, she says she hopes to use what she is learning to progress in her current role at the Department of Social Services, and even help her with future goals.

“I hope to move to HR,” Seals says. “I can even keep my benefits and move to the tax office.”

Seals says she hopes that her story will help encourage others to go back to school, saying, “It can be done, it’s never too late, it’s never too late to change. Just stay determined… I know it’s hard to cook, clean, take care of your family, and go to school, but somehow it always gets done, just keep pushing… I would recommend Robeson Community College, the advisors are helpful, they respond fast, and they will get you on the path you need to be to graduate on time.”

Planning ahead, Seals says she should be completed with her degree in May of 2025 and looks forward to transferring to UNCP to complete a bachelor’s degree.