TRiO Student Success Story: David Hussey
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Because David Hussey, recent TRIO Program participant and UA-PTC graduate, puts action behind his values, a series of events occurring during his UA-PTC career culminated this spring in his receiving the 2023 UA-PTC Bears Scholarship Award. This scholarship pays for 60-hours of tuition and fees at the University of Central Arkansas. At UCA, he will pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Biology. His goal is to be a bariatric physician.
David engaged with the TRIO Student Success Services office and shared how his motivation to succeed in school led to this fantastic achievement. He gives credit for his accomplishments to the principles by which he lives daily. These values include possessing a professional attitude towards one’s academic career, treating school like a job, always showing up for class, facing challenges head-on, practicing emotional self-control, and having the courage to seize opportunities for success when they appear. His positive attitude and his quest to improve the quality of his life keeps him focused on “the win.”
“I can look back and see how getting this scholarship all hinged on an event that occurred last fall.” He gives the credit to his fall ’22 sociology teacher. Unlike most of his classmates, he demonstrated perfect attendance. His dedication and commitment to his coursework allowed him and his instructor, Mary Kate Terrell, to develop a rapport. The teacher noticed David’s dedication and commitment to his academic success. She suggested him as a candidate for the North Little Rock “Make 48” held in November, 2022 at Arkansas Innovation HUB at Winrock International.
From that event, David had the chance to spend some quality time with the Chancellor of UA-PTC, Dr. Summer DeProw. At that time, she recommended that he apply to the TRIO program. He applied, and here he found additional support for his goals and dreams. He had already decided he wanted to go to UCA and was looking for a full scholarship. Participating in the TRIO scholarship, financial literacy, and student success workshops helped to refine his game. He laments, “I wish I had known about TRIO sooner, rather than later. But it all worked out after all. I am glad the faculty and staff at UA-PTC recognized my strengths and supported my accomplishments. I am thankful to Pulaski Tech for the opportunity to represent the school. I am sincerely grateful.”
