While the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports so many young adults changing jobs, what keeps Kelsey Wolf, 2018 Lakeshore College Nursing-Associate Degree graduate, working at the same place she’s been since shortly after graduating?

Fulfilling work. Opportunities. Flexibility. Working at the hospital recognized as the best in North Carolina by U.S. News & World Report for 2024-25 – Duke University Hospital – can’t hurt either.

To help address a local shortage of skilled educators, Lakeshore College launched a new training program in the fall of 2024. Foundations of Teacher Education provides a solid foundation so graduates will be prepared to succeed as a well-trained teaching assistant/paraprofessional and pursue a bachelor’s degree. More than 100 of these jobs are open annually in Lakeshore’s district.

Learn from four determined students how they’ve overcome challenges as first generation college students on their paths to successful futures. Being the first for anything can be overwhelming and exciting at the same time. Taking charge of your future career – and  livelihood – by being the first in your family to go to college is no exception. Students who do take that step are known as “first generation students,” or “first gen.” At Lakeshore College, we welcome first generation students and admire their determination to succeed for themselves and their families.

This self-contained training space is a powerhouse on wheels. The recent unveiling of Lakeshore College’s new mobile manufacturing lab could have a direct impact on thousands of people in our community now and in the future. How can that be, you ask?