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Tuesday, 24 June 2025
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Written by Loutricia J. Nelson
Thinking About Transferring? We’re Here to Help!
For many students, the process of transferring to a four-year institution can seem overwhelming. That’s where the Office of University Outreach at Fayetteville Technical Community College comes in. We provide the guidance, support, and resources you need to make your transfer journey as smooth as possible.
Whether you're completing an Associate of Applied Science degree or exploring options for further education, our office maintains articulation agreements designed to help you transition into an advanced degree program efficiently.
We also offer Guaranteed Acceptance Programs with several partner universities, giving you the peace of mind that comes with knowing you have a clear path forward. These programs offer direct admittance to participating schools, provided certain criteria are met.
FTCC GAP Program Partners include:
• UNC-Chapel Hill – C-STEP
• NC State University – C-3
• East Carolina University – Pirate Promise
• UNC-Wilmington – Pathways
• North Carolina A&T State University – Aggie Plus
• Methodist University – A to B
Student Success
FTCC student Jeff-Michael Fowe’s journey has taken him from his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, to his ancestral home of Cameroon and back stateside to Fayetteville.
While living in Cameroon, Jeff-Michael’s father fell ill and needed emergency care. He was airlifted to a French-run hospital where he received the critical care he needed.
That event sparked Jeff-Michael’s interest in aviation, which he eventually broadened into an education path set on aerospace engineering.
Now, the 19-year-old is Raleigh-bound. He’ll leave FTCC with two associate degrees and begin his journey at N.C. State this fall as a member of the Goodnight Transfer Scholars Program Class of 2028.
The prestigious Goodnight Scholarships, established by N.C. State alumni Jim and Ann Goodnight, provide full-tuition scholarships and comprehensive student development programs designed to develop scholars into leaders within the STEM and STEM-education fields.
Jeff-Michael will pursue a degree in aerospace engineering, an interest he developed following a harrowing childhood incident.
He credits FTCC’s University Outreach coordinator Loutricia Nelson with providing key guidance as he navigated the first stage of his undergraduate journey.
“Ms. Nelson has been a tremendous help to me ever since I met her,” Jeff-Michael said. “When I met her, I was still searching for my pathway. She helped guide me, and she helped me pick my courses to make sure I was on track.”
Jeff-Michael was also a member of FTCC’s on-campus mentoring program, the YES Initiative, and utilized resources provided by his designated Success Coach, Tim Scott.
https://www.faytechcc.edu/blog/ftcc-student-is-nc-state-bound-with-prestigious-goodnight-scholarship/
Are you ready to learn more?
Visit the Outreach office at Horace Sisk Building, Room 610H, 2204 Hull Road, Fayetteville, or call 910-678-8205. Office hours are Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Or, reach out to the University Outreach Coordinator Loutricia J. Nelson at nelsonl@faytechcc.edu
(Photo: Jeff-Michael Fowe is a success story from FTCC. Photo courtesy of FTCC)
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Tuesday, 24 June 2025
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Written by Anna White
A former police officer and military veteran who loves crafting has created a colorful oasis for others to join in the fun. Stacy Anderson’s “Skoolie Xpress” is a remodeled school bus, packed with crafting supplies, decorated with Bible verses and rainbow colors, and complemented by Anderson’s expansive arts and crafts expertise.
As a child, she learned needlepoint and cross stitching from her grandmother and painting and coloring from her mother. But when she joined the U.S. Army, she took a break from the creative outlets she loved. Especially while deployed, she didn’t have access to supplies, and pursuing higher education kept her too busy.
Eventually, Anderson transitioned from the Army to the police force, a change that gave her more time to pursue the hobbies she loved. During that time, she became a consultant with Creative Memories, and even found that creative outlets helped her and others cope with job stress. She and several female officers would go to crafting events together, events that Stacy said, “took your mind off of what police officers call the normal day, which can be anything, every day is different.”
Nearing the end of a 22-year career in the police force in the early 2000s, Anderson found her home overflowing with craft supplies.
“I just kept dibbling and dabbling in the arts. I just couldn't get enough, I enjoyed it so much,” she shared. She had two full art studios in the house and the rest was spilling into her garage.
“I just started looking around and praying, saying ‘alright Lord, what do you have for me next?’” she shared.
She and her husband discussed moving to the D.C. area so she could be closer to the arts scene there, but decided against it due to the cost of living. Instead, she decided to pursue a storefront.
“I said, ‘I want people to be able to come in and finish their projects.’ You know, if they were stuck on a scrapbook, just bring it on in and we’ll sit down and figure it out.”
They started looking at storefronts around Fayetteville, but the COVID-19 pandemic quickly waylaid their plans. Anderson prayed, asking, “What’s the next step?”
The amount of mobile services surfacing during the pandemic caught her attention. She started researching and dreaming.
“The Lord speaks to me in dreams a lot,” she said. “So I just kept seeing this mobile operation of a mobile art studio.”
Through research, she found others with similar ideas, but on a small scale - mobile art buses that accommodated 2-3 people.
“I wanted something bigger than that, something to service 10-12 people, and that’s when I said, ‘What about a school bus?’”
The next step was getting her husband on board.
“Everything went so smooth,” she explained. “That’s how I knew it was from God.” She told her husband she wanted to go look at some school buses in a nearby county.
“He was like, ‘Okay, let’s go!’ and I was like, ‘Oh, wow!”
The trip was a success. With one look, her husband knew immediately which bus was for her. “He said, ‘this is the one, Stacy,’ and I said, ‘What?’ and he said, ‘I want you to get this one.’”
Anderson said the clarity shocked her, but it was an answered prayer.
From there, renovations began. Electric, plumbing, woodwork, barn doors, a bathroom install, benches, cubby holes - her husband, a retired helicopter mechanic with no experience as a handyman, did it all, calling in professionals only at the end to double-check things like plumbing and electric.
“It was just amazing,” said Anderson.
The process took four years from start to finish.
Now, Anderson’s weeks are fuller than she ever imagined. After a 3-day long grand-opening at the Dogwood Festival, she thought that one or two events a week would fit her retirement lifestyle, but the community thought differently.
“It's actually turned into three or four events a week,” she explained, “so it’s really picking up.”
Her events include a range of environments, from bringing crafting experiences to recreation centers and events like the Family Fun Day with the Kiwanis Club, to festivals, to hosting private events.
One thing is the same everywhere she goes. Adults and children who enter the bus are thrilled, sharing responses like, “Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen anything like this, especially here in Fayetteville!” according to Anderson. She chose the eye-catching rainbow theme as a reminder of “God’s covenant,” making sure the colors are front and center.
While crafting, she loves finding opportunities to share about her faith. At faith-based children’s programs, when children become discouraged by their mistakes, she reminds them that mistakes are just proof that they’re trying.
“I say, ‘you know, there was only one perfect human being that I’ve ever known in the whole wide world, who could that be?’ and they’re like ‘Oh, that’s Jesus.’”
Anderson’s goal is making arts and crafts accessible for all, and does her best to fit Skoolie Xpress experiences into each client’s budget.
“We can make it happen,” she said of individuals who want to book the Skoolie Xpress, but might feel cost is a deterrent.
Reach Stacy Anderson via her website at SkoolieXpress.com
(Photo courtesy of Stacy Anderson)
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