Brandi Dunn, BSN, RN Registered Nurse As a graduate of NCTC’s Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program, I am so grateful to all of the staff who went above and beyond to instill the nursing knowledge that I use every day. My first “real nursing job” was in dialysis, which was perfect since I had done a dialysis clinical at NCTC. In no time, I advanced to a Clinic Coordinator position and...

Ashley Stratton Firefighter/Paramedic, City of Lewisville It took me two years to decide to enroll at NCTC. I lacked confidence, and I didn’t know if I would be able to get a job because of my “colorful” past. I started in the EMT/Paramedic program but experienced the fire service during our ride outs. My heart led me straight into NCTC’s Fire Academy after the paramedic program. As a...

Mitch Dieter Production Forman In my senior year of high school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but an NCTC Career Day led me to the Petroleum Technology program. I completed an Associate of Science degree that included a one year Oil and Gas Technology Level 1 Certificate. I was lucky to be selected for a summer internship with Chevron that turned into six years and three...

Mason Ramon, RT(R)(CT)(ARRT) Radiologic Technologist Before I joined the Radiology program at NCTC, I felt like I had no direction. I got little to no satisfaction working a dead end job and living paycheck to paycheck. Now three years into my career in radiology, I work in the Computed Tomography (CT) Department at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. I am able to provide for my growing...

Rufino Mendez Pressure Vessel Welder I completed a Level 1 Workforce Certificate in Welding Technology in August 2017 at NCTC. My instructor saw that I was a talented welder with a good work ethic, so he recommended me for a position at Trident Process Systems. At Trident, I’ve worked my way up to a pressure vessel welder position, where I weld vessels to meet very strict standards. My...

For Shannon Campbell, time is precious. As a single mom of a 10-year-old son, she also works full time at the Richeson Group, a Dairy Queen franchisee. So, for Campbell, the opportunity to take advantage of the NCTC Fast Start IV Grant and expedite the completion of her degree made perfect sense. Funded by the Texas Workforce Commission, the Fast Start IV Grant offers an expedited...

CNA to LVN If there’s one thing many NCTC students can agree on, it’s the unwavering support and encouragement they receive from their instructors. And, for Kristy Hughes, that is equally true. “My instructor, Margrette Thygesen, is amazing, down to earth and has many years of experience,” said Hughes. “I feel she gave me everything I needed to be successful in my career. Even after...

If there’s anyone who understands what it really means to overcome adversity, it’s Marnee Smith. As a young, single mother, Smith struggled to survive and take care of her family. “I recognized that education was crucial to providing a stable life for my children and me,” stated Smith, “so I earned a certificate as an administrative assistant and began working in an office.” Not...

“Cosmetology is a really fun, amazing field to work in where there’s always opportunity to expand and grow.  You never have to feel stagnant in this profession unless you just plain give up,” says Cassie Lewis, a current Esthetics student. Cassie always wanted to get her Cosmetology license but found other schools too expensive. She studied Cosmetology on the NCTC Gainesville Campus...

Studying Agriculture at NCTC provides students with an opportunity to branch into many diverse areas of employment and/or provides a pathway to purse a baccalaureate degree, and that’s exactly what Laney Burnett chose to do after studying Agriculture for two years at NCTC. While at NCTC she completed both university transfer and technical Agriculture courses each semester to better prepare...