Craig Smith: 1985 grad’s interest in science piqued at Laurel Ridge
It’s been 35 years since Craig Smith graduated from Laurel Ridge, and yet he works just a couple miles away from the campus where he earned his associate degree in…
Luis Camacho-Bruno: Left engineering degree to pursue passion for construction trades with Workforce Solutions
Luis Camacho-Bruno is so much happier pursuing his trades education than he was while working towards his engineering degree. The 2018 Clarke County High School graduate spent two years studying…
Andy Bacik: From Truck Driver to Nursing Student
Since losing his older brother to cancer, Andy Bacik has wanted to help other children facing the dreaded disease. Laurel Ridge is helping him reach that goal. Bacik, who lives…
Kathy Alsberry Temple: 1972 alumna loved Laurel Ridge so much, she returned 40 years later for a second degree
Kathy Temple is a trailblazer – her life is made up of many firsts, including being the very first person to graduate from Laurel Ridge. Her maiden name is Alsberry…
Judy Rinker: Laurel Ridge’s first Outstanding Graduate recipient, longtime employee and volunteer
When Laurel Ridge’s first president, Dr. William H. McCoy, pointed to Judy Neff Rinker and said, “That redheaded girl is going to attend Laurel Ridge Community College” during a visit…
JoAnn Leight: Very first student to enroll at Laurel Ridge
The decision to go back to school as an adult student led to a long career as a kindergarten teacher for JoAnn Leight. With all four of her children finally…
Pandemic job loss opens door to exciting new career
Like many people around the U.S., Angel Ortiz, of Remington, lost his job at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Luckily for Ortiz, he was able to turn this setback…
Age is just a number to 77-year-old Laurel Ridge student
At 77, Rosemarie “Rodie” Zubrack isn’t your typical college student. But, she takes pursuing her education at Laurel Ridge very seriously. This semester, she is taking American literature and biology….
Sherando grad thrives in human services program
Lidiya Bryant brought what she has learned while studying for her human services degree to her sexual and domestic violence prevention internship at the Laurel Center in Winchester this summer….
2017 grad reflects on TRIO and academic experiences at Laurel Ridge
“It felt like a nurturing hub.” That’s how 2017 grad Tiffany Matthews described the TRIO lounge on the Middletown Campus. The TRIO program provides specialized services, including academic advising, transfer…