VGCC student receives top academic honor

Vance-Granville Community College student Jacob A. Comer of Rougemont was recently named the recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2020. One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year. 

Comer, a home-schooled high school student, has taken college transfer classes at VGCC through the “Career & College Promise” program since 2018. He took classes not only in the fall and spring semesters but also in the summer, thus reducing the time it would take him to complete an Associate in Arts degree. Twice, he has made the VGCC President’s List, which recognizes students who achieved a perfect 4.0 grade-point average (GPA) while carrying a least 12 curriculum credit hours per semester.

Recently, Comer completed his VGCC classes, meaning that he is now a high school graduate and a graduate of the community college. During his last semester, he continued to excel even while taking on extra responsibilities at home to help his family as his mother recovered from a major medical operation.

While at VGCC, Comer was not only focused and determined to reach his own academic goals, but he also helped other students with science, math and writing, as a peer tutor for the college’s Academic Success Center.

Soon, with the college transfer credits and enhanced confidence he gained at VGCC, Comer will continue his education at Concordia University Wisconsin. He intends to complete a bachelor’s degree, double-majoring in Applied Theology and Theological Languages.

“We are proud that Jacob has been recognized among North Carolina’s outstanding community college students, and we congratulate him on his success,” said Dr. Rachel Desmarais, the president of VGCC. “At a young age, Jacob is off to a strong start in his educational journey, and with his perseverance and dedication to academics, we are sure he will continue to excel.”