A-B Tech Student Wins Prestigious Award
Stella Galyean has been named the statewide winner of the Dallas Herring Achievement Award from the North Carolina Community College System for her accomplishments at A-B Tech Community College.
The award was established 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 NCCCS. The award is given annually to a current or former student from one of 58 community colleges who best embodies Dr. Herring’s philosophy.
Galyean is the first person in her family to earn more than a sixth-grade education. She grew up in a home with a mother who had a drug-abuse problem and was married into an abusive relationship at 13. When she first earned her GED at A-B Tech, she herself was a sixth-grade dropout.
“If someone had told me five years ago that I would be a college student and would soon be starting on a bachelor’s degree, I would have thought they were out of their mind,” said Galyean. “I never thought I would go anywhere.”
After earning her GED, she took a College Bridge Class where she learned more about what A-B Tech had to offer. She has since earned a certificate in Substance Abuse Studies and an Associate’s degree in General Occupational Technology; she will graduate in May with honors with an Associate in Arts degree to use to transfer to East Tennessee State University.
“Stella has risen above the challenges of her past to excel as a student and as a leader on our campus. One of her greatest strengths is her ability to lead others with a quiet grace that both inspires and provides the means for others to grow their own leadership skills,” said A-B Tech President Dennis King.
She is the president of the college’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges. In 2013, she was vice president of the Phi Theta Kappa Carolinas Region, and in 2014, she was an international officer candidate.
After years of hearing that I was stupid and that I would never amount to anything, it was time for a change. A-B Tech has given me the tools I need to be a successful student,” said Stella.
About A-B Tech Community College
One of 58 colleges in the North Carolina Community College System, A-B Tech offers associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in more 50 curriculum programs through its five academic divisions: Allied Health and Public Service Education, Arts and Sciences, Business and Hospitality Education, Emergency Services and Engineering and Applied Technology.
The Division of Economic and Workforce Development/Continuing Education offers opportunities for workforce partnerships, specific job training and retraining, as well as personal enrichment classes. A-B Tech enrolls more than 25,000 curriculum and continuing education students in programs at its Asheville, Enka, Madison, South, Woodfin and Goodwill locations.
