Mikhaela Gene Abarientos has been intrigued by movies and how they are made since she was a child. As a native of the Philippines and now a Gaston graduate, she’s on her way to follow her dreams in her home country. 

“I am passionate about filmmaking and that is the path that I want to take,” Abarientos said. “I want to be a film director somewhere in the future. I want to work at a studio and create my first feature film that would win many awards and inspire other people to pursue their dreams even though it seems impossible.”  

She graduated from Hunter Huss High School in 2024, with plans to pursue her interest in filmmaking, and it all came together when she received a scholarship to �鶹��Ƶ for an audio and video production technology degree.  

“I got some scholarships for different schools, but it was not enough to cover the costs,” she said. “But then I discovered �鶹��Ƶ and got the GC Promise Scholarship. That’s when I knew that this was the place I would go and the place where I would excel.”  

The GC Promise Scholarship helped cover in-state tuition and fees not covered by other aid. With the help of this scholarship, she immersed herself in the school’s audio and video production technology program and quickly connected with the curriculum.  

“I saw how hands-on it was and the skills I would learn and use in the future when I get to be a part of the filmmaking industry, hopefully, or anything related to the entertainment industry,” Abarientos said.  

She recently showcased her talents representing Gaston at SkillsUSA in Greensboro. Abarientos shared that one of her professors, Ms. Kate Carmody, encouraged her to take on this challenge, and she is grateful for the extra push.   

“At first, I was worried about the competition; it seemed terrifying to me. Ms. Carmody encouraged me that I could do it and that our team would do well,” Abarientos said. “With that, our team just did amazingly. We work great as a team, and I am truly grateful for her believing in me.”  

Abarientos and her classmate, Erika Danielle Shelton, placed first in the Video Production category and now have the chance to compete at SkillsUSA Nationals in June.  

“I am so proud to represent �鶹��Ƶ in the SkillsUSA Challenge. It is truly an honor, and I will forever be grateful,” she said. “As a Filipina, I am so proud to represent my country, the Philippines, and our excellence.”  

After the competition concludes, Abarientos plans to travel back to her homeland to further her studies.  

“I am going to the Philippines to study mass communications or filmmaking at a university there,” she said. “I am excited to apply and hopefully get into the universities there.”  

Abarientos reflects on how this career path has motivated her to represent herself, her community, and her heritage.  

“Everything happens for a reason, and the special thing about my journey here at Gaston is the connection that I have created with people here,” she said. “The people around me were truly amazing and I will cherish it forever.”  

“I chose my program because I enjoy working with my hands,” Balbosa said, “and I know this program would give me a way to turn that passion into a career.”

When he graduates in May, he’ll be looking to enter the workforce and use his diploma in welding technology, but he’s got his eye on the future, too.

“My current career goals are to become established with a fabrication company and gain experience and knowledge, then maybe one day open up my own business,” Balbosa said.

Even though his interest in welding technology brought him to Gaston, it was the college’s work-based learning and placement program, which provides opportunities to connect students with local employers, that really helped him ‘own his momentum.’

“I learned a lot during those two months,” Balbosa said, “and it really helped me get a feel for a real work environment.”

The career experience created a real environment for Balbosa to grow in his field and hone his skills, and the encouragement from his instructors and classmates helped him feel comfortable and motivated him to grow his skills.

“I would say the best part of my experience with this school would be the people I’ve met and the instructors that have taught me what I know,” Balbosa said.

As he reflects on his journey and upcoming graduation, Balbosa shared that he is honored to be a Gaston graduate.

“I am definitely grateful to everyone who helped me through this journey, and I’m proud of the choice I made to go to �鶹��Ƶ.”

The new award marks the fourth NSF grant supporting the SPARC initiative at �鶹��Ƶ and launches a collaborative partnership with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Cleveland Community College, South Piedmont Community College, and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. Together, the five institutions will work to increase student success and degree completion in high-demand STEM fields.

The five-year project builds on more than a decade of work at �鶹��Ƶ and focuses on improving retention, transfer, and graduation rates in disciplines including biology, computer science, and data science. The grant will provide scholarships and comprehensive academic support for students across the partner institutions.

Dr. Patricia Williams, the grant’s principal investigator, shared, “I am excited about the opportunities this award creates for our students and faculty. This funding will help us implement innovative, evidence-based strategies that support retention, academic achievement, and transfer success. It is especially meaningful because it reflects a shared commitment to expanding access and excellence in STEM.”

Students selected as SPARC Scholars will complete associate degrees at the participating community colleges and will have the opportunity to transfer directly to UNC Charlotte to pursue bachelor’s degrees. Each community college partner will award five to ten scholarships annually, creating supportive cohorts of STEM students. The first group of scholars will begin the program in fall 2026, and at least 120 students are expected to receive scholarship support during the five-year project.

In addition to financial assistance, students will benefit from proactive advising, faculty and peer mentoring, undergraduate research opportunities, and cohort coursework designed to support persistence.

The project also includes a research component that will examine factors influencing successful transitions from community colleges to four-year universities. Researchers will explore the roles of mentoring relationships, social and cultural capital, academic integration, and professional skill development in supporting transfer student success. Findings from the project will help inform national best practices for strengthening STEM transfer pathways.

The new grant builds on the strong outcomes of �鶹��Ƶ’s previous SPARC programs. Among earlier SPARC cohorts at �鶹��Ƶ, 83 percent of students completed their associate degrees and 87 percent successfully transferred to a university, with many going on to complete bachelor’s degrees or higher.

Dr. Heather Woodson, Vice President for Academic Affairs, who has been directly involved with SPARC since its inception, shared that “The strong outcomes of our earlier SPARC cohorts provide evidence that financial support, mentorship, and holistic support for students leads to exceptional academic success. Past participants have successfully completed their education to become doctors, attorneys, engineers, teachers, and more. These graduates are fulfilling vital roles in our community, and we are proud to continue to support additional students through this new award.”

�鶹��Ƶ graduate Jesus Vina Moreno is now in his second year at UNC Chapel Hill Medical School. A participant in the SPARC initiative at �鶹��Ƶ, Moreno credits the program for helping shape his path, “SPARC was more than just a program; it was a launchpad. By providing the mentorship and tools I needed to thrive, it allowed me to dedicate myself fully to my studies without distraction. Looking back at my journey, I know that my current success is a direct result of the opportunities SPARC opened for me.”

Through the expanded SPARC consortium, partner institutions will collaborate on joint programming, including regional undergraduate research symposia, faculty development workshops, field trips, and a shared orientation for participating students. Faculty will also work together to develop research-based courses aligned with statewide articulation agreements, helping ensure smoother credit transfer and stronger pathways from community colleges to four-year universities.

When Brooklyn Thompson started at �鶹��Ƶ, she had big dreams and was excited to be attending school alongside her mother.

Thompson has excelled as a student and is now being recognized by the North Carolina Community College System as �鶹��Ƶ’s Academic Excellence Award winner. The award, given by the NCCCS after a committee reviews nominations, recognizes students in the North Carolina Community College System who show outstanding academic achievement. 

A 2024 graduate of Gastonia Highland Tech High School, Thompson was first drawn to �鶹��Ƶ when her mother, Melissa Poindexter, joined the nursing program. 

 “She would take me with her sometimes to run errands, and I thought it would be fun to go to college with my mama,” Thompson said. 

Thompson found a home in Engineering as her goal is to become an industrial designer of children’s toys. Her interest in this field grew from her hobbies and personal projects. 

“I’ve always loved crafting and building stuff,” Thompson said. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, when I was in eighth grade, I would create replica props from my favorite movies and games. That’s when I realized that I could turn it into a career. I love building and blueprinting, but I also love being creative and making things fun, and I thought creating toys was a nice blend of both.” 

Thompson’s award makes her one of 58 honorees statewide who will be highlighted on the NCCCS website. She will also be recognized at �鶹��Ƶ’s commencement. 

Thompson is looking forward to her next step. “After graduating from Gaston with my associate degree, I’ll be attending N.C. State University for my bachelor’s degree in engineering,” she said. “I plan to major in either mechanical engineering or industrial engineering.” 

�鶹��Ƶ faculty and staff will be on hand to talk about admissions, financial aid, scholarships, transfer options, work-based learning, and the many programs that can inspire and motivate students to own their momentum and set success into motion.

Seniors should register in advance at gaston.edu/senior-night.

When Chris’s 15-year information technology career came to a sudden halt in 2020, he saw an opportunity to pursue his dream of starting a business.

That’s when he turned to �鶹��Ƶ’s Small Business Center and signed up for an online class.

“It was a 12-week, 1-hour per week online course,” said Forbis, a Burlington native who now lives in nearby Lake Wylie, S.C. “I had taken classes previous courses at another community college, so I was familiar with and really appreciated the opportunities it provides working adults. When I was planning to start up my own business, I looked for any resources that would help.”

Chris joined a group of about 12 aspiring entrepreneurs, all eager to build momentum for their business ideas. He received instruction from teachers, local business owners, marketing experts, and even a certified public accountant, gaining real-world advice on how to get started the right way.

“It was very rewarding,” Forbis said. “Not only from the information that was passed along, but also the networking that we did. I have since followed up with several of the people in my class. They asked how my truck was doing, and they came out to see me. I went to see how their events were doing.

“For the cost and simplicity of the course, you can’t beat it. It gave me a lot of tools that I wouldn’t have had when I opened up my business. I truly believe that I avoided a lot of mistakes that other food truck owners encounter because of that class.”

With his new skills and support, Chris prepped for his launch in fall 2020, and Nacho Business officially opened in January 2021.

“I do a lot of work in Rock Hill and Gastonia and everything in between,” Forbis said.

He even brings his food truck to �鶹��Ƶ’s Dallas campus about twice a month, sharing his success with our community.

“I’m very thankful for what this place did for me,” Forbis said. “There are a lot of things I know that I avoided because of getting the knowledge about what to do – and what not to do.”

If you have a business idea and would like support to build your own business momentum, visit gaston.edu/sbc/.

Instead, a shocking diagnosis of acute Lymphocytic leukemia altered his path. It was a moment that not only redirected his future but also tested his inner strength.

With support from his family, friends, and local communities, Brindle was recently declared cancer-free. Now, he is looking ahead and thinking about how �鶹��Ƶ has influenced his future.

“This whole process has been so good to me,” said Brindle, who was medically cleared by his team at Charlotte’s Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital on Nov. 7. “I was at rock bottom at first. And I never, ever want to be in that position again in my life. So Gaston has been really good for me.”

Brindle, a 6-foot-3, 285-pound offensive line prospect at Belmont’s Stuart Cramer High School, saw his life change as he got ready for his senior football season in 2023.

It started with headaches that wouldn’t go away for weeks. Then, after an episode at home, his family took him to the Mount Holly Emergency Room. He was there only briefly before doctors sent him to Gaston Memorial Hospital for several days of tests.

Brindle passed most of the tests, but during the last one, he remembers, “they found something they didn’t like.” After that, he was sent to Levine Children’s Hospital. It was there, after more tests, doctors gave him the difficult news.

And while a team of doctors whom Brindle says have become “like family” started him on a path to recovery, the then 17-year-old high school senior says the impact of the diagnosis was devastating.

“I lost my senior year of high school,” said Brindle, who was basically quarantined due to the vulnerability of having leukemia. “I didn’t play football. I didn’t wrestle. I didn’t go to senior prom. I actually returned to school for the last month and was able to walk for graduation. But it was all very hard for me. Being isolated from the world was a weird experience.”

He got support from the community, including fundraisers organized by friends and the Cramer student government. This support also led him to �鶹��Ƶ.

Brindle decided that if he couldn’t play sports, he would report on them through the school’s Sports Media Technology program. This gave him a way to stay connected to what he loved.

“When I came to Gaston, I didn’t want anybody to know what I was going through,” Brindle said. “But over time, I’ve learned to just embrace it as a part of the adversity I’ve faced.”

Brindle has worked on �鶹��Ƶ’s student-run broadcasts, doing on-air broadcasting, filming, and producing for the Rhinos’ basketball, baseball, and softball games.

“Originally, I was going to study sports medicine and play football at Elon,” Brindle said. “But I had to stay home and get treatment. So, I looked at �鶹��Ƶ, and as a sports fan, I wanted to do the Sports Media Program. [Instructors] Caleb Stalcup, Kate Carmody, Nick Cable, and Ronald Key have helped build my love for the entire audio and video program – and not just the sports part of it.

“It helped me so much when I was going through my treatment. Not only did it take away thinking about all of the chemotherapy, but it was also building me as a student and a man, and helped me realize so many things beyond the classroom. Working with Gaston on all of these projects has helped me mentally and physically because I was a part of a team.”

Following his last medical check-up, Brindle got to ring the bell at the Levine Children’s Hospital to indicate he was cancer-free.

“I’m officially cleared,” Brindle said. “There’s no more chemo, no more treatment. I now join a survivor program, and I’ll meet with them once a year and then three times a year after that.”

Brindle is set to graduate from �鶹��Ƶ in May 2026, and now that his medical treatments are over, he hopes to return to football at a four-year school.

“When I graduate from �鶹��Ƶ, I’m looking at restarting my football career at a four-year university,” said Brindle, who considers Appalachian State and Elon as possible options. “I want to study broadcast communications and, hopefully, go into a job in journalism or at a college or university on their media production team.”

Our Stuff-A-Bus Toy Drive for Toys for Tots is back, and the College invites the community to join in collecting new, unwrapped toys for kids ages 0-12. 

The College will collect toys from Dec. 2-4 at the following locations:

Tuesday, Dec. 2

• Gaston’s Lincolnton Campus
• 511 S. Aspen Street, Lincolnton, NC 28092 (

Wednesday, Dec. 3 and Thursday, Dec. 4 

• Gaston’s Dallas Campus (near the Clock Tower on Tower Blvd)
• 201 Highway 321 South, Dallas, NC 28034 (Dallas Campus Map)

If you would like to drop off toys early, Toys for Tots collection boxes will be at �鶹��Ƶ’s WSGE Radio Station (located in the Craig Building).

Questions about the toy drive should be directed to publicrelations@gaston.edu.

Since enrolling, Hipkins has been diligently working through the courses needed for an associate in arts degree, which he aims to complete next month. He plans to further his education through one of Gaston’s guaranteed transfer agreements for the C3 Program at N.C. State.

“It appealed to me because of its hands-on support system and objective of granting second chances,” he explained. Hipkins aims to graduate from N.C. State in 2027 or 2028 with a degree in English, focusing on film studies. “By allowing me to study my true passions, �鶹��Ƶ and C3 have forever changed my life.”

Hipkins describes his time at �鶹��Ƶ as supportive and fulfilling. “It’s hard to directly point to one overall good experience,” he said. “My time here has been filled with growth and the building of friendships. �鶹��Ƶ has an environment that is supporting and non-judgmental. I will attest that at �鶹��Ƶ you are able to ‘Own Your Momentum,’ if you choose to allow yourself to be open to the opportunity.”

“It’s amazing what has happened in 10 years,” said Joy Morrow, �鶹��Ƶ’s Director of Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning. “When this first started, it was just five employers. Now we have 25 different employers and 27 different pathways.”

The program has successfully produced 325 completed apprentices and 71 pre-apprentices, with 116 individuals currently enrolled. This growth reflects the increasing demand for skilled workers in our local advanced manufacturing and healthcare industries.

Dr. George Hendricks applied for the National Science Foundation grant that initiated the program. After two years, he and the faculty transitioned leadership to the Economic and Workforce Development department, which has propelled the program’s growth.

“I’ve seen the program grow from an idea that Dean Virgil Cox (now retired) and I had in his office to the comprehensive program it is today,” Hendricks stated. “We began with five manufacturing companies, and the program has grown to over twenty companies in both manufacturing and healthcare. The positive impacts on our students, our companies, the college, and the community are amazing.”

Morrow emphasizes the importance of partnerships with local businesses. She notes how the program creates connections that benefit both students and employers. “There are industries that need employees and apprenticeships are a great way to build that talent pipeline for local industry,” Morrow said. “Our message to the employer is, let us help you grow your own employees, and you can train them like you want them to be trained.”