Release

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Staff Contact:

Andrea J. Burney, APR

Director of Public Relations

Chad E. Adams

Public Relations & Marketing Specialist

STUDENT SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT - March 2007

Patricia Trimyer

Accounting

For Danville Community College student Patricia Trimyer of Danville, returning to school was an opportunity for her to “spread her wings” and enhance her chances of being employed. She lost her job at Dan River, Inc. and decided to return to college after 40 years to earn her Associate of Applied Science Degree. She plans to graduate in December 2007.

“To be honest, after I lost my job when Dan River (Inc.) closed, I was torn,” says Trimyer. “I debated if I should immediately look for a job or take the opportunity to go back to college and earn a degree. After talking with my two sons, they said, ‘Mom, You’ve got the best of both worlds. You have two choices, and you won’t lose a thing by going to college. Give it a try.’”

She did just that in January of 2006 and enrolled in the Accounting program. Although she says the curriculum is tedious at times, she doesn’t mind because it requires in-depth studying habits to help her learn. Despite the long hours, she has maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.40.

“I have found DCC to be a great place for me to learn,” Trimyer says. “After working most of my life in the public sector, becoming a full-time student after 40 years was difficult. I found DCC to be encouraging and open to teaching students of any age.”

Trimyer is not the only non-traditional student to be enrolled at DCC. She, like many others who were displaced when their company closed, took advantage of the benefits from the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002 (Trade Act) to help her pay for school. She chose DCC because of its close proximity to her home and says that the College has provided her with the knowledge she needs to acquire a job in the accounting field. However, returning to college hasn’t been easy.

“I feared not being able to complete assignments and failing. I feared being 60 years old and trying to start college over alone. I feared not being able to make it on my own and having to jump through hoops that other people place in my life,” says Trimyer. “I overcame these fears because the student body has been so helpful. I am not the only 60-year-old on campus without a job, and the younger students have easily accepted me as a fellow classmate.”

Going back to college has been an exciting experience for Trimyer because she has made new friends and is part of the DCC community. Previously she attended Bluefield Junior College in the mid 1960s.

Trimyer serves as President of the DCC chapter of Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, and she is a member of the Upsilon Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the International honor society for two-year college students. In the community, she is a member of the Red Hat Society (The Red Hat YaYa’s chapter), and The National Quilting Association (White Oak Mountain Quilters chapter). For the past 14 years, she also has been working part-time for Liberty Tax Service.

“When I graduate from DCC, I plan to find a job in the accounting field,” says Trimyer. “I hope to get a job that will utilize the skills I possess to develop myself even more. I have worked at a bank for years, as well as tax service, and I know that working with numbers strongly suits me.”

The Associate of Applied Science Degree program in Accounting is designed for persons who seek employment in the accounting field immediately upon completion of the program. The following occupational titles represent examples of possible employment opportunities: Accounting Technician, Accounting Trainee, Junior Accountant, and many more. To receive the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Accounting, students must complete a minimum of 69 credits with a grade point average of 2.00 or better.

Larry Heldreth, Associate Professor of Accounting, says that the program is also great for students who want jobs in the tax service field. He adds that he has known Trimyer for about a year and is impressed by her academic achievements.

“Patricia is currently taking second year advanced accounting classes. She is very studious and does very well in her classes,” says Heldreth. “She is a leader in class and her fellow students look up to her.”

For more information on the Accounting - Associate of Applied Science Degree Program, please contact Larry Heldreth at 434.797.8527, Lester Hall, Assistant Professor of Accounting, 434.797.8483, or click here.