One day, Jessica Hines asked her son, Rowdy, a student at Schley County High School, if there was some project or hobby he might be interested in pursuing. Rowdy had spent his ninth-grade year learning at home due to the COVID pandemic, and his mother was eager for him to find an outside activity after so much isolation.
“There was an old Volkswagen that I have that was my grandfather’s,” Rowdy said during a recent interview, “and I was, like, well, I’d kinda like to get that fixed up.”
Jessica, a two-time graduate of South Georgia Technical College in Medical Assisting and Practical Nursing, researched dual-enrollment opportunities, and found that, as a rising sophomore in high school, Rowdy could enroll at SGTC and take courses in the Auto Collision Repair Technology program.
For Rowdy, the hands-on work and the guidance from instructor Starlyn Sampson opened up an untapped aspect of his personality. “For me, it was like, I never wanted to get dirty before this.”
“Marching band, concert band, jazz band – he’s always been that kind of kid,” Jessica said. “So, when he came home in coveralls, covered in smudge, face just as dirty as could be, and loving every minute of it? It’s really opened up a different side of him.”
Jessica credited instructor Starlyn Sampson for his work with her son. “Mister Sampson really took an interest with Rowdy,” she said. “I love that. I appreciate that man. He knew that Rowdy wanted to learn but didn’t know where to jump in.”
Rowdy has completed his coursework and will graduate this December from South Georgia Technical College even before he finishes high school. While he intends to pursue an education in exercise physiology and attend medical school to study radiology, he sees real value in his experience in the dual enrollment program. “It helps you develop more roundedness in life,” he said.
“From fixing cars to fixing bodies,” his mother added with a smile.
Students interested in the Dual Enrollment Program must first contact their high school counselor to participate in the program. The dual enrollment team at SGTC can also provide any information needed to enroll. Learn more about SGTC’s Dual Enrollment Program at www.southgatech.edu.
South Georgia Technical College offers over 200 degree, diploma, and technical certificate of credit programs in a variety of fields. Spring semester classes begin January 11.