By: Megan Wade

When Taylor Lowry, an 18-year-old from Chesapeake, Virginia, leaves her home twice a week to make the two-hour-and-forty-five-minute drive to Lenoir Community College’s Greene County Center, it’s not just for any welding course. Lowry is pursuing her goal of one day becoming a welding inspector, and the self-paced Mixed Welding course taught by Justin Harvell is her first step on that journey.

Lowry, who graduated from high school in May, works part-time at Hickory Ridge Farm in Chesapeake. She discovered welding as a career path only recently but hasn’t looked back. “I’ve always liked hands-on things and working outside, so this is really nice,” she said. With her sights set on a position at the Norfolk shipyard, Lowry hopes to build her skills through experience and eventually transition to a welding inspector role. “It’s come pretty natural, and I love it,” she added.

Lowry’s dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed. Harvell, a welding instructor at the Greene County Center for over a decade and a recipient of a national Excellence in Welding Award, praises her quick ability to learn. “She’s the type of student you can show something to once, and she’ll immediately pick it up,” he said. Lowry credits Harvell’s teaching style for her progress, noting, “He really explains everything well and is always willing to help.”

The Greene County Center’s welding program also attracts other long-distance students, including brothers Leonardo and Damian Vega from Raleigh, North Carolina. The Vega brothers, full-time commercial and industrial electricians, are in their fourth welding course at LCC. Twice a week, they wrap up their workday and make the more than one-hour drive to Snow Hill, where they continue refining their TIG pipe welding skills.

“Every single time I leave, I’m looking forward to the next class,” said Damian. Leonardo emphasized Harvell’s hands-on teaching approach: “If you have any issues, he’ll have you go through it, weld it again, and then walk you through what to do.” The brothers also use their welding knowledge to modify cars, combining their professional skills with a personal passion.

While students like Lowry and the Vega brothers showcase the program’s ability to draw talent from outside the region, the Greene County Center remains a vital resource for local residents. Most students hail from Lenoir Community College’s service area of Greene, Jones, and Lenoir counties, benefiting from state-of-the-art welding facilities that underwent a full refurbishment this year. The flexibility of the self-paced course allows students to focus on specific areas of interest, from basic welding techniques to advanced TIG welding. Students can even bring their own projects to work on, making the program accessible and personalized for diverse needs.

The Greene County Center itself is a cornerstone of workforce development in the region. Located at 818 Highway 91 in Snow Hill, the 30,000-square-foot facility is home to the NCWorks Career Center, Greene Early College High School, and a variety of short-term workforce development courses. Under the guidance of Associate Dean Jason Miller, the center serves as a hub for education and career preparation.

“The welding program here is a testament to how LCC meets the needs of our community while also attracting students from beyond,” Miller said. “It’s exciting to see how the program not only helps local students build a future but also draws individuals like Taylor and the Vega brothers, who are willing to go the extra mile—literally—to be part of what we offer.”

With top-notch instruction and facilities, the Greene County Center is a vital asset for both local and long-distance students, demonstrating the wide-reaching impact of quality education close to home. For more information about the welding program or other offerings at the Greene County Center, contact Jason Miller at (252) 527-6223, ext. 755, or jrmiller16@lenoircc.edu.