AMBITIOUS APPRENTICE

Owens earns Dallas Herring Award

By Megan Crotty

Devin Owens’ beginnings are humble, but his ambitions are not.

After being in foster care for three years, Owens’ desire to overcome his rough start has driven him to not only become an apprentice in the Apprenticeship Randolph (AR) program, but also pursue two majors at Randolph Community College.

Owens learned about AR his sophomore year of high school thanks to his Randleman High School metals teacher, who not only told him about the program, but also allowed Owens to meet apprentices already participating in the program. AR allows current juniors and seniors living and learning in Randolph County to get paid on-the-job training and earn an Associate of Applied Science degree from Randolph Community College at no cost. Owens was intrigued.

“I didn’t have a plan for after high school,” he said. “I figured I had two more years to figure it out. I like the free college — that was even before I knew about financial aid. That, and the opportunity to make money and move out of my parents' house.”

Unfortunately, when Owens decided to enter the program, the Information Technology (IT) pathway — his biggest area of interest — had not been added. Still, he began the sixweek, pre-apprenticeship summer program that summer, taking RCC classes and receiving on-the-job training.

In August 2019, Owens signed with Energizer and became its newest apprentice, a cohort that boasted 22 apprentices. Not wanting to give up on IT, in the summer of 2021, he asked for permission and applied for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to secure funding for the additional hours for a double major. Owens looks to graduate with an associate degree in both departments this summer.

“It’s a hassle sometimes, juggling all three,” he said. “It’s a big-time commitment.”

The apprentice also had to juggle the COVID pandemic, but said his experience was mostly positive.

“It kept me employed, so it kept a paycheck coming and I was able to provide for my family,” Owens said. “Having classes online enabled me to get ahead in my classes and really make sure I was up to date on everything. And I didn’t have to commute.”

Owens does wish he had more time to devote to IT — and to his friends and his orange tabby cat, Felix, but he is committed to finishing all three, even staying on at Energizer after he graduates.

“I enjoy learning new things every day, especially gaining experience with tools” he said. “When I started, I didn’t even know how to use a wrench. I’m the head of some group projects [in AR], and that’s enabled me to gain some leadership skills.

“I’ve been with Energizer for the last four years, and I want to see how it plays out.”

All of Owens’ efforts didn’t go unnoticed as he was honored with the 2022 Dallas Herring Achievement Award, established by the North Carolina Community College System to honor the late Dr. Dallas Herring, whose philosophy of “taking people where they are and carrying them as far as they can go” is the guiding principle of the System. The award is given annually to a current or former community college student who best embodies Dr. Herring’s philosophy.

“He is able to do this through hard work, determination and long hours completing online assignments,” one of his instructors said in a recommendation. “Devin gets rave reviews from his mentor at Energizer who says his work ethic is second to none. He is a leader among his apprentice peer group — always jumping in to help others in need.”

Apprenticeship Randolph began in June 2016 as a collaboration among Randolph Community College, the Randolph County School System, Asheboro City Schools, the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce, and local manufacturers. The goal was to bridge both the interest and skill gaps in modern manufacturing and provide a vehicle for expanding the workforce pool for advanced manufacturing in the county. With tuition funded through Career and College Promise and the N.C. Youth Apprenticeship Tuition Waiver Program and books paid for by the school systems and the participating companies, Apprenticeship Randolph produces an educated, skilled, debt-free workforce.

The program, which is for high school juniors and seniors, begins with a six-week, pre-apprenticeship summer program that consists of RCC classes and 40 hours per week of on-the-job training. Once a business selects its apprentice after this trial period, the program is spread over four years with students receiving paid, on-the-job training while earning an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Manufacturing Technology or Information Technology through RCC and a Journeyworker Certificate from the N.C. Community College System and U.S. Department of Labor.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

The ever-present question follows students from kindergarten to high school — and often changes several times even after graduation.

Unless you're 2022 Randolph Community College graduate and Academic Excellence Award winner

Shawn Barr

“As a kid, I would spend hours upon hours drawing, usually indistinguishable nonsense, but attempting to create,” he said.

By the time Barr was in eighth grade, he had already mastered a free illustration program on his science teacher’s laptop and started making designs for friends, family, and anyone else who needed graphics. Through these experiences, he developed a profound interest in graphic arts.

While learning the Adobe suite in high school at Uwharrie Ridge Six-Twelve, Barr dual-enrolled at RCC his junior year, pursuing his Associate in Arts while finishing high school. He planned to graduate with an associate degree and then enter the workforce.