SANFORD - G. William Powell has graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science degree, double majoring in Information Science and History.

Prior to matriculation at UNC, Powell completed an Associate in Science Degree at Central Carolina Community College as part of the Career and College Promise program. He graduated from CCCC in May 2019 with a 4.0 GPA and as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa national honor society.

Powell, of Chatham County, recalls his CCCC experience. "I really liked my classes in Pittsboro (CCCC Chatham Main Campus), it was close by, it was not very expensive and, most of all, the math was understandable and not with a class of 200 other kids," he said. "My older sister had taken community college classes instead of high school and since I had family members who knew CCCC it was nothing new to me."

Powell notes that he is lucky in that his parents had college degrees, but they talked about how expensive it was today at a four-year school and just how high the stakes were. "My older sister told me about a class at UNC that had 400 people in it and I can't learn in a class that size, so I found out that if you needed to actually learn something like calculus or chemistry it was better to take it at CCCC where the class only had about 20 people and you could have access to the instructor," said Powell.

Powell graduates from UNC with Highest Distinction with a cumulative grade point average over 3.8. He is a member of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society and a member of the Tau Sigma National Honor Society. He has been a member of the UNC History Department's Undergraduate Studies Committee.

Powell has accepted the Asheim Fellowship for graduate study in the School of Information Sciences at UNC.

"Understanding history is key to understanding the world today. A lot of people don't know why things are the way they are, but if you go back in time and study you usually find an answer," said Powell in explaining his majors at UNC. "Info sciences is tied into everything today, so unless your research is purely experimental you have to know what has been studied before and how to get that information into a form you can use today."

CCCC President Dr. Lisa M. Chapman noted: "We are very proud of G. William and his success during his time with us, as well as during his time as a UNC undergrad. Facilitating transfer success for our students is a critical component of our mission and we are pleased to have a strong partnership with UNC-Chapel Hill as well as other senior institutions."

Powell's parents are Todd and Leisa Powell and his grandparents are L.W. (Bobby) and Linda Powell of Sanford and the late Wade and Lorraine Ham of Jefferson. His sister, Sydney, is a graduate student at Wake Forest University.

What advice does he have for someone who may be considering CCCC?

"People should take as many classes as they can at CCCC because they cost just a fraction of the cost at a four-year school ... The advising and administrative people in Pittsboro were very helpful," said Powell.

For more information on Central Carolina Community College - which is dedicated to providing pathways to achievable dreams, visit www.cccc.edu.