Former LCC Student Continues to Reach New Heights Post-Graduation
Pictured is LCC graduate Chelsea West with her son, Liam Williams
Advancing her skills and efficiency is something Kinston native Chelsea West prioritizes for herself.
Currently majoring in Management at East Carolina University, West is on track to completing her Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees, hoping to pursue her Master’s in Business Administration one day. Before attending ECU, West was a student at LCC where she obtained an Associate in Arts in Business Administration, and a Notary Public Certification. "Anyone could complete the degree I chose with an adequate amount of diligence, punctuality, and balance. In other words, anyone can do it as long as they put in the work," says West.
"My favorite part about attending LCC was honestly my advisor, Kristy Grady. She believed in me and pushed me to be the best student possible. Like management and employees, advisors like Mrs. Grady help solidify a student's success,” she said. “While the work is up to the student, the baseline, encouragement, transparency, and stimulation an advisor provides throughout a degree highly strengthens a student's durability. Students need adequate guidance and motivation to push through a degree. Luckily for me, I had one of the best."
Grady, West’s former advisor, is also the chair of the Business Administration Program. "Chelsea graduated with an associate in arts in Business Administration degree. This is our transfer degree for students planning to transfer to a university after graduating from LCC. She is now a student at ECU. Chelsea was an extraordinary student. She was so thorough and worked extremely hard. She was really a perfectionist, but as one of her instructors, I loved that about her. She came back to college after a few years away with so much determination and grit. I am so proud of her and wish her all the best."
While working to complete her degree, West is working at State Employees' Credit Union. Since starting her job there in 2015, she has consistently shown progress, initially beginning as a teller before becoming a loan/mortgage officer and eventually taking on her current role as a consumer collateral support specialist/production supervisor for consumer lending.
While at LCC, West was a board member of the CSS Neuse Interpretive Center Gunboat Association. She was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
"I loved my time at LCC. Many nights, I cried amidst juggling my duties as a full-time mom, student, and employee. However, my success manifested my capabilities. If I could go back, I'd do it all the same."
Getting to where she is today was a challenging journey for West. "While my parents’ love was never a question, I grew up with unideal circumstances and experienced severe emotional turmoil throughout their divorce that resulted in neglect of fulfilling my full potential in high school, she said. “The fact that I conquered 54 credit hours in one year almost a decade later, while being a full-time mom and employee speaks measures to what others can achieve as well. I hope and pray my story can motivate others to push themselves, maximize their capabilities, and set a new standard. The sky is the limit!"
One piece of advice West would extend to students looking to enter the Business Administration Program is "Be sure to push yourself and set goals. A task that helped me stay motivated was writing each remaining class on a small, separate sticky note and placing them on my mirror. Every time I finished a course, I removed the sticky note – This helped me visualize my progress and end in sight. I would also remind them that nobody can strip their degree from them, and you never know when it could benefit your career. Don't finish your degree for someone else; finish your degree for you."
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