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Cheryl Hill

Biography

In December 1999, Cheryl Hill's life changed when the factory where she worked as a sewing machine operator closed its doors. After 25 years in the industry, she was out of a job with a skill that was no longer marketable. Under the Federal Trade Readjustment Act, Cheryl received tuition assistance to begin her studies at Danville (Virginia) Community College (DCC) for an associate's degree in medical administrative support.

"The thought of two years of classes and studying was like Mt. Everest looming in front of me," says Cheryl, who is married and has a 13-year-old son. But once she started her studies, she realized that she wanted more education. She completed the extra coursework required to transfer to a four-year college, maintaining a perfect grade point average while working 30 to 35 hours a week in the school's financial aid office and attending class three nights a week.

Cheryl began her studies at Bluefield College in the fall of 2002 and will no doubt continue her record as a campus leader and active volunteer. As president of the DCC chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, Cheryl spearheaded an effort to generate funds for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation after September 11, generating more than $17,600 in one weekend. She tutored fellow students in difficult subjects, volunteered with a local homeless shelter, a battered woman's shelter, and with her son's Boy Scout troop.

DCC's President B. Carlyle Ramsey says, "Cheryl is clearly a model for other citizens who may be reluctant to change careers or pursue additional education. She is one of our ambassadors who works with adults who have lost their jobs and are facing major transitions in life."

"I am glad I had to put off college," Cheryl says. "I know that I would not have appreciated it as much at seventeen as I do now at forty-four."

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