First Lady at GTCC

N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper, left, and First Lady Jill Biden concentrate on comments from Teniola “Teni” Oladunjoye, a student from The Middle College at GTCC. Oladunjoye spoke about her educational plans enhanced by dual enrollment with Guilford Co. Schools and Guilford Technical Community College. Photo by by Ivan Saul Cutler/ Carolina Peacemaker.

Educator and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited Guilford Technical Community College’s (GTCC) Greensboro Campus, where she praised dual enrollment of high school students in college classes and hosted a small forum with state and local leaders, educators, and students to emphasize federal, state, and local efforts to provide career-connected learning to high school students.

Moments after entering GTCC’s Learning Center, Biden said North Carolina is a leader in its Career and College Promise (CCP) program. The program allows high school students to dually enroll in local community colleges and other public universities tuition free. This school year, Guilford County Schools (GCS) reported a 46 percent increase in dual enrollment compared to a 12 percent increase statewide. Nearly 2,000 GCS students are taking advantage of this unique opportunity, earning college credit, certificates, diplomas and valuable skills that set them up for success.

“North Carolina has been a leader in providing those opportunities and is exemplary in transforming high school into a place that prepares students for jobs,” Dr. Biden said. “It’s what we need to do today to open up all the possibilities of tomorrow – for our young people, our communities, and our country. This is going to change lives, lift up families, and grow our economy.”

As a community college classroom teacher, the First Lady has advocated for increased educational opportunities for students, including career-connected learning. During her visit, she met with GCS students, including Giovanni Robinson, a fourth-year student at The Middle College at GTCC-Greensboro, and Teniola Oladunjoye, a fifth-year student at The Middle College at GTCC-Jamestown, who shared their experiences about being dually enrolled in GCS and GTCC. For the discussion, GCS students joined Dr. Biden, N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper, GCS Superintendent Whitney Oakley, Suzanne Rohrbaugh, Randolph Community College; Uwharrie Charter Academy student Isaias Martinez Hernandez, Mt. Airy High student Samuel Poteat and Amy Loyd, asst Sec. in Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education at U.S. Dept. of Education.

Giovanni Robinson serves as president of his school’s student council and plans to complete his Associate of Science degree in May. Oladunjoye will also graduate with her high school diploma and an Associate of Science in May. She has committed to further her studies at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this fall, prompting applause from more than 150 audience members.

“When I first started, I wanted to major in Biology. After taking one biology class, I realized that it wasn’t for me,” she said. “Taking classes at GTCC helped me hone in on what I really want to major in, which is science.”

GCS Superintendent Oakley said, “The Career and College Promise program is preparing students to compete in a global economy, giving GCS students an edge that sets them years ahead of their peers. By working together – educators, businesses and government officials, we can ensure that North Carolina is not just the number one state for business, but also the number one state for education.”

According to GCS, research shows that students in North Carolina’s CCP program were more likely to graduate high school and more likely to enroll in college compared to their peers. This highly successful program helps students learn about and prepare for college or the workforce and by doing so while still in high school, the program creates a significant cost-saving benefit for students and families.

According to GTCC, GCS students who have earned a credential through CCP have saved more than $670 million in the fall of 2022 and more than $630 million in the spring of 2023. Dr. Biden says the Biden Administration seeks to make this a reality for high school students across the country through the Classroom to Career proposal, which partners with states and allows students to take community college courses in high school.

In 2019, the state set a goal of having two million workers hold a post-secondary credential by 2030. GCS reported progress in achieving the goal. The district has increased the number of industry-recognized credentials exponentially over the last three years. Last year, students in the district earned more than 8,000 credentials that helped them compete and succeed in the global marketplace, a 178 percent increase since the 2020-2021 school year, GCS reported.

Ivan Saul Cutler contributed to this report.

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Photos by Ivan Saul Cutler/ Carolina Peacemaker
N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper, left, and First Lady Jill Biden concentrate on comments from Teniola “Teni” Oladunjoye, a student from The Middle College at GTCC. Oladunjoye spoke about her educational plans enhanced by dual enrollment with Guilford Co. Schools and Guilford Technical Community College.

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First Lady Jill Biden visits Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC), Greensboro Campus to talk about classroom to career programs like the partnership between GTCC and Guilford County Schools.