Feb. 17—FAIRMONT — Community leaders experienced life as a student for a day, in turn creating ambassadors who will help get the word out about Pierpont Community and Technical College’s value to the community.

“It’s helping our region to understand the value of the community college,” Pierpont President Milan Hayward said. “”Our tagline is education that works.”

Hayward said there are potential students who don’t consider themselves college material. However, there is more to higher education than a four-year degree and associated pomp and circumstance, Hayward said. Individuals need some level of talent development in life, latent potential to fulfill, and Pierpont can provide that outside the traditional four year college environment.

“The community college is all about meeting folks where they are,” Hayward said. “And helping them realize their interests, strengths and develop those talents and come away with skill sets that they can put to work right away and make a difference in their family and their community.”

Participants at Experience Pierpont Day held Friday got to witness the kind of work that lab technicians do, as well as the hydraulic equipment students learn on to master that field. Sherri Craddock, assistant professor at the college and Medical Lab Technician, guided community members through blood cells, blood counts, a urinalyzer, blood typing and bacterial cultures.

“There’s so many opportunities for people in West Virginia,” Craddock said. “So many opportunities for people to learn a skill, to learn a trade, to just be employed, to go out and do something. It changes their lives. It can change their family’s lives and it can change the community.”

In 2008, the state passed a law separating community colleges from their parent state universities. Pierpont has been working hard to establish its own identity since 2019. Hayward said the school was focused on providing its own niche of services, intent on running its own race rather than competing against other higher education entities. The school is focused on a career pathways approach, where all levels of learning are valued.

It’s a mission that hasn’t become widespread knowledge yet. Bri Warner, from the Lewis County Family Resource Network said that there is a disconnect between the college and members of her local community.

“I really wanted to check this out for my Success Closet Program,” Warner said.

Her program provides job seekers with clothes for interviews, as well as coaching during the job search process.

“I have several clients that come in that could really benefit from coming to something like this and with all the options that they have here. And these facilities are great.”

Reach Esteban at efernandez@timeswv.com