The last time Darren Lockett of Raleigh set foot in a classroom was 1979. Now almost 40 years later, he’s going back to Wake Technical Community College to get his construction management degree.
“Construction is a field I knew something about,” Lockett said. “I wanted to break the hiring ceiling and become a foreman. I knew I needed to go back to school to do that.”
Lockett said it hasn’t been easy, since so much has changed since he was in school.
“It’s been challenging, but rewarding” Lockett said. “To see how much I’ve accomplished, that means something.”
Money raised by the lottery helped make college more affordable for Lockett.
“I felt like I won the lottery when I found out I got a scholarship,” Lockett described. “School is so expensive. It’s really helped. Now I’m able to cover the cost of my books.”
Lockett is an Army veteran and hopes to one day employ other veterans.
“Veterans are the hardest workers around,” Lockett said. “My dream is to offer them opportunities to work. It feels amazing to know that someday, hopefully soon, I’ll be able to do that.”
Lockett is one of thousands of students who received financial aid from lottery funds this year.
If you want to see how many students in your county received lottery scholarships last year, head on over to https://www.nclottery.com/Education and select your county.
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