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STUDENT SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT - December 2006

Nathaniel Wimbush

Electrical/Electronics

            “Mature and driven” are two words Associate Professor of Electrical/Electronics Kevin Davis uses to describe his student, Nathaniel Wimbush.

            “We try to teach our students how to better themselves and to decide what is their next step,” Davis explains. “Nathaniel has clear goals and drive.”

            Wimbush is a second-year student in the Electrical/Electronics program. He is taking advantage of educational benefits through the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002 (Trade Act) after his job at Dan River, Inc., was eliminated in October 2004. Following the layoff, Wimbush began taking DCC classes in January 2005 and he says he has been “soaring” ever since.

            “When you learn more, you make yourself a better person,” says Wimbush, a 40-year-old father of two. “I know that we all have opportunities to better ourselves through education. Some people do not get a second chance for an education. I am thankful for this opportunity to better myself.”

            At one time, Wimbush was the lead operator at Dan River’s # 5 Mill.

“I worked in a job that I did not like for over 10-15 years until I later got a supervisor’s job at Dan River,” Wimbush explains. After his textile department closed, he decided it was time to pursue his long-time passion - an electronics career.

            “I felt a trade would help me to reestablish myself in the workforce. I have always had an interest in electronics,” Wimbush says. “I had even worked as a general mechanic in the military. When the opportunity presented itself, I decided to come back to school.

            “You need to love your work,” adds Wimbush. “I have also learned that the more education you have, the more you are worth to a company.”

Wimbush explains that he has learned there is a big difference between being an 18-year-old student and being a 40-year-old student.

“I can concentrate more now than when I was a teenager because there were so many extracurricular activities that distracted me years ago,” he says. “Once I got older, I realized how hard I have to work to make an honest living. That, alone, gives me the incentive to do my best.”

Wimbush’s current grades reflect his hard work. In addition, he serves as president of the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS), a position in which his peers elected him.

“He excels in many ways!” Davis says. “That in itself is a huge honor. I see a very good future for Nathaniel. He is a good student and will be a good employee.”

Wimbush says that the honor of being NTHS president helps him to reflect on both his past and future.

“It is rewarding to be acknowledged by my peers and to have a grade point average of 3.85, especially since I have been out of school for 20 years,” says Wimbush. “It shows that if I focus, I can achieve anything. When I was in high school, I was not a member of the National Honor Society. This achievement shows me that I could have been in the National Honor Society years ago if I had only applied myself.”

Wimbush also says that his professors and the staff at DCC are very supportive and encouraging.

            “The teachers talk about how procedures apply to life situations; they want us to excel in our field,” says Wimbush. “They do all they can to help us!”

            Davis agrees that the program helps second-year students prepare for job placement by teaching such skills as how to complete employment applications, prepare resumes, and enhance interviewing skills.

“Nathaniel has a good head on his shoulders and a positive outlook on life,” says Davis. “He is a very well-rounded student.”

For more information about DCC’s Electrical/Electronic program, contact the department at 434.797.8456, or click here.

For more information, contact: aburney@dcc.vccs.edu

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