Future Nurse Finds Better Start to Her Education at RichmondCC

February 22, 2021 - College can be expensive when you don’t make the right choices. This is what April Xiong of Maxton learned when she began working on her goal to become a nurse practitioner.

Xiong started college at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. However, she soon learned that she could take many of the prerequisite courses for a bachelor’s degree at Richmond Community College for a fraction of the cost.

“I went to a four-year university first, rather than a two-year college, which I regretted a bit because of how expensive it was, especially if you don’t know what career you want,” Xiong said. “But I don’t regret meeting the friends I made there.”

Xiong graduated in December 2020 from RichmondCC with an Associate in Arts. She is now back at UNCP, reunited with those friends and working on a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

“I want to become a nurse practitioner because I like to help others, learn new things that I have never learned before and make a difference in people’s life daily,” Xiong said.

Xiong comes from a big, fun-loving family who enjoys a night of singing Karaoke or a day spent hiking. She has nine siblings, and two of them have graduated from college with bachelor degrees.

“My two older siblings with the bachelor degrees and my parents have inspired me to get my associate degree and eventually my BSN,” Xiong said. “They are very supportive of me and my decisions, and I don’t want to let them down.”

Xiong also received a great deal of support from her instructors at RichmondCC.

“RichmondCC has some really kind, caring and intelligent professors,” she said. “It also has challenging courses, which contributed to my growth and academic success. I would definitely recommend RichmondCC to others, including my family members, because it is a good school and is cost-effective.”

To learn more about RichmondCC and university transfer opportunities, visit the Career & Transfer Center in the Lee Building on the Hamlet Campus or the Honeycutt Center at the Scotland County Campus. There are several transferable classes, including English, psychology, history and humanities, starting on March 25. Call (910) 410-1700 or visit Admissions for more information.