April 26, 2007
From Dropout to Ph.D: Technical College Alumni will tell her Success Story at NETC Graduation on May 18

Northeastern Technical College will hold its 2007 Commencement Exercises at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 19, on the college’s campus in Cheraw.  The public is invited to attend.

Dr. Valerie Ramsey, chief business officer of the College of Health, Education and Human Development (HEHD) at Clemson University, will be the guest speaker.  Ramsey, who dropped out of high school in tenth grade, eventually returned to technical college, where she received her associate degree, and obtained employment at Clemson University. 

She went on to earn her bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees and has received numerous professional recognitions, which include becoming the first black female executive officer at Clemson University.  She is also the first woman to serve on Tri-County Technical College’s board of commissioners, having been nominated by local legislative delegates and appointed by the Governor of South Carolina. 

“Our graduates and their families will enjoy hearing from Dr. Ramsey because she is a great example of how someone facing challenging circumstances can use the technical college system to start their pathway to a future,” said Dr. Jimmie Williamson of Northeastern Technical College.  “The motivational message and personal experiences she will share are something all current and potential college students should hear, and we look forward to giving our students, their families, and the citizens of Marlboro, Chesterfield and Dillon counties this opportunity to be inspired.”

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