RCC student Anniatha McMillan, 72, works towards degree At 72 years young, Anniatha “吀栀ere was an explosion, and I had to come out of the building,’ and every McMillan isn’t going to let anything be pulled out of the car. 吀栀ey cut the Sunday, we were faithful to the Lord.” get her down. 吀栀roughout her life, top o昀昀, somehow, I made it out alive,” she has had to overcome adversity, Anniatha said. 吀栀at’s partly how she met a farmer but she says the key to from Robeson County, “a nice success is living a life It was one of the scariest, deacon man” as she says, whom she that is well lived, no saddest experiences of her would eventually marry. matter what obstacles life, but she says her faith may lay before you. in God got her through “吀栀e Bible says a good man 昀椀ndeth the ordeal, and she along a good wife,” Anniatha said with a “Never give up, just with her sister, started laugh. “But I asked him to marry me.” pursue,” Anniatha says what she called a Teaching with a smile. “吀栀ey will and Deliverance Ministry, 吀栀e couple built a new house on the look at you like you where people could attend farmland her husband owned and lost your mind.” church on the phone and she moved to Lumberton, where she In 2005, Anniatha lost hear God’s word. says she found more peace than she her husband in a terrible horri昀椀c ever had before. accident in Onslow County that “People criticized it,” Anniatha said. almost claimed her life as well. “But when COVID broke out, God “I stay busy working in my 昀氀ower began to say ‘I’m changing things, garden,” Anniatha said. “I used to go Robeson community college Student Success Stories Prior learn credit put mclaughlin on fast-track to earning degree 吀栀roughout the day, you might 昀椀nd more and to complete the necessary those courses, saving her time and Ashley McLaughlin training new steps needed to fast-track her degree. money. tellers and customer service “She aggressively started working representatives at one of the Suddenly, towards her degree,” Martin said. 14 branches with Lumbee becoming a college “She followed through to get all the Guaranty Bank, but for the graduate didn’t documentation completed and she last year, she’s been hard at seem as far away stayed on top to pursue her career and work a昀琀er hours studying as she had always complete her degree.” to complete her degree in thought. Business Administration Diligent and determined, McLaughlin at Robeson Community “吀栀e process completed her program of study in College. was very easy,” just a year and a half, beginning in the McLaughlin said, Summer of 2022. Last year she attended “I remembered seeing her who thought she her sister’s graduation, but this year, her at graduation last year,” said would have to sister will be attending hers, becoming Sherry Martin, the Registrar start over from the the second person from her family to for RCC. “She was excited to beginning. graduate. see her sister graduate.” “I prepared a portfolio and presented “My sister has two small kids and she Martin knew McLaughlin from when it to Mr. George Pate. It included my works full-time,” McLaughlin said. “I she had previously been a student. resume and a few other pieces to show thought if she can do it, I can do it too.” McLaughlin had stopped attending to my work experience.” focus more on her career in banking. McLaughlin says that online learning Martin told her about how she might 吀栀e portfolio she presented was made it possible for her to achieve her be eligible to earn credit for prior approved, and McLaughlin received dream of becoming a college graduate. learning thanks to her work experience. credit for two classes – Principles of Without it, she would not have been McLaughlin was intrigued by this and Management and Customer Service able to attend saying, “I wouldn’t have immediately went to work to 昀椀nd out – meaning she would not have to take had time go.”