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Student Profiles

Katherine Martinez
Student veteran honored by national magazine

Tidewater Community College student Katherine Martinez is one of 48 veterans nationwide  selected to receive the inaugural 2020 Student Veteran Leadership Award presented by G.I. Jobs magazine. This list, which honors student veterans who are making a positive impact at their school and in their communities, will be published in the August issue. “It’s really […]

skilled trades academy
Inside the Skilled Trades Academy: Sheet Metal

Tidewater Community College’s Skilled Trades Academy offers hands-on, short-term instruction for in-demand trade jobs. This is the first part in a series. Kyle Cooke is ready to build a future. Navy wife Marcy Camacho wants to prepare for a leadership position. Devin Wilson needed a new career after more than a decade as a trucker. […]

Colleen Garretson
Interior Design student places in national carpet design competition

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 […]

Nia Vargas
From here to business owner in one semester

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
Best in Show winner from Stockley Gardens graduating with two degrees from TCC

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 […]

Aminah McKenzie studio arts
We’re picturing a brilliant future for this TCC artist

“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 […]

Kellie Burchfield STEM scholar
It’s never too late to be a STEM scholar

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 […]

TCC 71 Fall Commencement
From TCC to cyber crime fighter

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, […]

Olivia Hudson
Mural at Oceanfront designed by TCC student

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 […]

Emeakama Favour in the Chesapeake Academic Building
TCC scholarships help international student stay in school

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 […]