SANFORD, N.C. - Krystal Welch, of Sanford, N.C., is Central Carolina Community College's nominee for the Dallas Herring Achievement Award.

The award is established by the North Carolina Community College System to honor the late Dr. Dallas Herring, whose philosophy of "taking people where they are and carrying them as far as they can go" is the guiding principle of the system. The award is given annually to a current or former community college student who best embodies Dr. Herring's philosophy.

Krystal began her career pathway by completing an Associate in Science at CCCC in 2014, with the primary goal of becoming a dental hygienist. Following year after year of not making the top 18 applicants for the Dental Hygiene program, Krystal decided to pursue the CCCC Dental Assisting program in 2017, serving as the class vice president and earning excellent grades despite experiencing personal challenges. Determined to succeed, Krystal sought guidance from faculty and completed the Dental Assisting program.

Krystal began her dental assisting career while also working part-time at a local coffee shop, where she has been employed for over 14 years. She diligently repeated classes to increase her chances of gaining admission to the Dental Hygiene program, which she finally entered in the fall of 2022. Right away, the faculty could see the amazing growth and maturity that Krystal developed over her years of work and academic strengthening. Her peers quickly identified that Krystal would be an ideal class president.

As class president, Krystal organized a station at the annual CCCC Trunk or Treat, worked with others to develop fundraising activities to help finance the 2024 pinning ceremony, collaborated with Dental Assisting and first-year Dental Hygiene students to oversee a CCCC information table at the annual Lee Regional Fair, and secured donations for the CCCC Angel Tree to benefit CCCC students' children. She also shined during the Dental Hygiene community course, helping her peers with fundraising activities, and she encouraged and organized participation of her peers at the annual board review to prepare for national boards.

As she is studying Dental Hygiene, Krystal works at Fort Liberty as a dental assistant and has trained many dental assistants on the job. She has also trained individuals to become dental assistants through the American Red Cross. Through her years on the job and as a student, she has inspired others to continue fighting for their career goals.

"This is a huge deal to be recognized for all the hard work I've put into my career and educational experience," said Welch. "This college has done more for my career goals than I could have ever imagined."

For information about Central Carolina Community College and its programs, visit its website, www.cccc.edu or call the college at 919-775-5401.