About National

Success Stories

A Return on Investment

"I just turned 41 and finally know what I want to do in life, thanks to my employer and National College!

I started working as a janitor 17 years ago at BWX Technologies, a Navy contractor. Today I'm in a manufacturing position, and computers were recently installed. I discovered I liked using a computer, and my supervisor said I had a talent in that area and encouraged me to pursue it by taking classes. I had tried the community college once before but didn't like having to take a lot of unnecessary classes that I wasn't interested in. I found National College because it was nearby, the classes were relevant, and class sizes were small.

BWXT believes in offering their employees a chance to grow. Everyone, from my supervisor to other managers and engineers, encouraged me to enroll. I've invested 17 years with them and now they're investing in me, with their tuition assistance program. National College's Business Partnership Grant has added to that, and I also earned a scholarship for having good grades.

My goal is to become part of the office staff, and maybe help teach other employees how to use computers. There's lots of room for growth.

At first I was scared about returning to school since I had been out of school for so long. I had a fear of failing, and didn't know if I'd relate to younger students. But there are people here of all ages and they're all like family, and I love the small classes. It's opened up a brand new world for me, with all the new friends I've made and the teachers who live and work in the real world. Coming to National College was the best move I've ever made!" --Vicky Hutcherson