Brunswick Community College focuses on student success beyond the classroom

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — Brunswick Community College says student success is about more than earning a degree.

School leaders say the college combines affordable education, hands-on training, and personalized support to help students succeed both inside and outside the classroom.

That approach is especially visible inside the Dan and Linda Lynes Health Sciences Center, where Nursing Program Director Shaylene Ball says every interaction with students is intentional.

“Success is not accidental; you know, every interaction that the faculty have with these students is to help them succeed,” said Ball.

Ball says that support extends beyond academics.

“We literally want to support students every possible way that we can, whether it’s through academics, maybe it’s financial,” she said.

That support helped Brunswick Community College alumni Will Wasik and Sheila Bryant launch careers as registered nurses with Novant Health.

“I loved the entire preface of a community college because it is a community; it’s like a big family, you get to know one another. You don’t just get to know your classmates, but you get to know your instructors as well. Any interaction that I ever had, they knew me, they were supportive, they were encouraging,” said Wasik.

Bryant said the nursing program’s realistic simulations challenged students while preparing them for the workforce.

“They were very, very hard, and they were rigorous, but that’s what led us to be the best RN’s that we can be,” said Bryant.

She said instructors focused on preparing students for their careers, not just helping them pass exams.

“These instructors here don’t just want you to pass an exam and just go out there on the floors, you know; they want you to be absolutely perfect,” said Bryant.

Dean of Health Sciences Robert Robinson said that commitment to student success extends across the college.

“We have a foundation that helps support you monetarily if needed, we have scholarships, we have amazing access to anything you need to help get you through these semesters and get your degree,” Robinson said.

School leaders say the combination of affordability, hands-on learning and a close-knit campus community continues to set Brunswick Community College apart, with a focus on helping students succeed from their first day of class to their first day on the job.