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MARRIED DCC STUDENTS COMPLETE COLLEGE TOGETHER

DANVILLE, VA, May 31, 2007 -- When Sarah and Brian Cosner met two years ago at a church function,

Married Couple, Brian and Sarah Cosner at DCC's 2007 Commencement.

they realized they had a lot more in common than they thought – they were both students at Danville Community College. Now, almost 10 months later the now-married couple headed down the aisle again -- this time to pick up their degrees at DCC’s 2007 Commencement.

“For both of us to graduate together is unique. It’s not often that a married couple gets to do that,” explains Brian, 26. “It’s also great to be finished with college and accomplish what I started.”

Brian first enrolled at DCC in 1998—just after graduating from Westover Christian Academy. He was soon employed by Verizon as a Cable Splicing Technician; however, he found it difficult to continue his college studies and work a full-time job. Since then, he says he has “made attempts” to return to DCC by taking one or two classes.

Finally, in 2006, he enrolled full-time at DCC, majoring in the Information Systems Technology – Microcomputer Specialist program. He recently graduated with an Associate of Applied Science Degree.

“I can’t stress how important it is for me to finish what I started,” reiterates Brian. “There’s a saying that once you get a full-time job, it’s hard to go back to school. I didn’t want to give up. I wanted to have a degree to advance my knowledge of computers. With Sarah by my side, I was motivated and encouraged to continue my education.”

Likewise, Sarah, 20, stayed in college because of her husband’s support. She is completing her studies this semester to earn a Certificate in Child Care.

“The Fall 2006 semester was a busy time for me because we just got married and were overwhelmed with all kinds of things,” she adds. “Brian encouraged me not to quit what I started, and I’m glad he did because I got all A’s that semester. We needed each other to keep ourselves in college.”

Sarah now plans a career working in a child care center and is considering continuing her education to become a teacher. She currently volunteers at River of Life Church’s nursery and previously worked in the pediatric rehabilitation department at Danville Regional Medical Center. At DCC, she participated in activities celebrating the Week of the Young Child and helped plan the St. Jude’s Trike-a-thon event at the Families First Child Development Center on DCC’s campus.

“I definitely wanted to go to DCC—right from the start!” Sarah says. “My sister, Erin, went here and had all good things to say about it. I saw it for myself and have thoroughly enjoyed the child care program and all of my professors.

“I’ve been home schooled my whole life,” she continues. “For me to go to college helped me break out of my shell and feel comfortable associating with people. At first, I was really shy, but I found DCC to be a new and exciting experience for me. I definitely recommend it to others.”

Both Brian and Sarah have been on the President’s Honors List and say that DCC is affordable, close-to-home, and has faculty, staff and administrators who are “extremely helpful and knowledgeable.”

While the two have enjoyed their experiences at DCC, and look forward to accomplishing more goals together, Brian admits returning to school wasn’t always easy for them.

“In a typical day, I had to work eight hours and then go to classes until 9:00 at night,” says Brian. “Our biggest challenge was planning our wedding while going to DCC, but we came through that. It’s nice to accomplish our college education and graduate together.”