Student Profiles

Tidewater Community College Interior Design student Colleen Garrettson recently placed in the top five in a student competition sponsored by Delos Custom Carpets and Rugs. Students from colleges including UCLA, Canada College and the Art Institute of Atlanta submitted designs that ranged from whimsical to structured. Garrettson’s design, “Poolside,” is a multi-hued blue, gray and […]

With just one semester at Tidewater Community College behind her, Nia Vargas, 21, is on her way to launching her very own business. Rollin Juices, a mobile juice bar, will offer plant based milk and cold pressed juices via a non-emissions food truck that runs on solar energy and electric power. Through her business classes, […]

Brandon Umberger enrolled at Tidewater Community College to get a handful of basic college credits out of the way.  Then his art teacher recommended he check out the Visual Arts Center.  “Amazing,” is how Umberger describes the Olde Towne, Portsmouth space renowned for its faculty of working professionals and dynamic, innovative curriculum.  “I liked it so much I […]

“Can I borrow your camera?” eighth-grader Aninah McKenzie asked her mother one day. Who could have predicted where that would lead? @aminah_mck boasts more than 14,000 followers on Twitter. McKenzie, now 22, is an Instagram darling, too, who’s been featured in Buzzfeed. Once upon a time, she took photos; now she schedules photo shoots far […]

All Kellie Burchfield needed to do was enroll in one more class to complete her certificate in Geographic Information Systems. Instead, information about Tidewater Community College’s STEM Promise Program caught her eye. The Women’s Center scholarship awards tuition and fees for four semesters to 20 students annually who choose degree paths in STEM fields. It’s […]

At 10 years old, Jena Essary taught herself coding. No surprise then that at 19, she’s one of Tidewater Community College’s STEM Promise scholars. Essary is completing her Associate of Science in Computer Science. The scholarship covers the cost of tuition and fees for four semesters. By taking textbook-free classes, she spent zero on textbooks, […]

As much as Olivia Hudson enjoys drawing and painting, she rarely shares her work. “Everything I do is for me to put on a shelf and really never look at again,” says the Virginia Beach 20-year-old, who will graduate from Tidewater Community College in December with an Associate of Science in General Studies. Drive by […]

Nigerian Emeakama Favour came to Tidewater Community College to study cyber security and get a head start on her future. Two scholarships from the college helped pave her way. This summer, Favour is a camp host for the STEM, Robotics, Mechatronics and Maker camps, sharing knowledge and encouraging youngsters to follow their dreams. “I came […]

When Marine veteran Christian Martinez graduates from Tidewater Community College this fall, he plans to transfer to Princeton University though he hasn’t ruled out MIT and Cornell. It’s a road Martinez never thought possible until he completed the Warrior-Scholar Project last month. The mentoring program transitions service members to the academic world through a series […]

Many of Tidewater Community College’s certificate programs and associate degrees lead to immediate employment or, in some cases, employment while you’re still in college. We feature these on an occasional basis in our series “From here, go to work.” Here’s a look at one option. From grocer to IMS Gear After high school, Cory Blume […]