Student Stories

People who have received scholarships while attending Houston Community College know firsthand how much a scholarship can help students complete their higher education.

Here are just a few of their stories:

"People don't realize the benefits you get from helping people and giving of yourself. This is the hardest job I've ever done, but it's very rewarding."

Charles Wellington, Cardiovascular Nurse
HCC Scholarship Recipient
Home: Houston

Charles Wellington was working in real estate when he began to yearn for more of a sense of mission in his work. Motivated by a strong desire to help people, he decided to go back to school to become a nurse.

He chose Houston Community College's Associate Degree Nursing Program, a two-year program that teaches future nurses the skills and knowledge necessary for working with patients and their families in a variety of healthcare settings.

Along the way, Charles received several scholarships, which helped offset some of the many extra costs associated with nursing school, including parking costs, uniforms, textbooks, and expensive resource materials. "Without the scholarships, I would have had to work more hours to support myself," says Charles. "Completing my nursing program would have been a lot more difficult."

Today he is a successful cardiovascular nurse working for a major hospital in Houston's Texas Medical Center. He continues his nursing education, and plans to specialize in oncology one day.

"People don't realize the benefits you get from helping people and giving of yourself," he says. "This is the hardest job I've ever done, but it's very rewarding."

Return to Student Stories

© 2011 HCC Foundation

3100 Main, Suite 12B12, MC 1148, Houston, Texas 77002
Phone: 713-718-8595 | Fax: 713-718-8631