FTCC student Jeff-Michael Fowe is a recipient of the Goodnight Scholarship.
FTCC student Jeff-Michael Fowe’s journey has taken him from his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, to his ancestral home of Cameroon and back stateside to Fayetteville.
Now, the 19-year-old is Raleigh-bound. He’ll leave FTCC with two associate degrees and begin his journey at N.C. State this fall as a member of the Goodnight Transfer Scholars Program Class of 2028.
The prestigious Goodnight Scholarships, established by N.C. State alumni Jim and Ann Goodnight, provide full-tuition scholarships and comprehensive student development programs designed to develop scholars into leaders within the STEM and STEM-education fields.
Jeff-Michael will pursue a degree in aerospace engineering, an interest he developed following a harrowing childhood incident.
While living in Cameroon, Jeff-Michael’s father fell ill and needed emergency care beyond what was available close to the family. He was airlifted to a French-run hospital where he received the critical care he needed.
One might think the experience would spur an interest in the medical field for Jeff-Michael, but it was actually the connectedness made possible through flight that captivated him.
“I was more amazed by the fact that different nations and different resources could be connected by aerial means,” he said. “If not for those French doctors, I don’t know if I would be an orphan now.”
That event sparked Jeff-Michael’s interest in aviation, which he eventually broadened into an education path set on aerospace engineering.
Jeff-Michael arrived in Fayetteville two years ago, following his older brother who was already a college student living in town.
Jeff-Michael enrolled at FTCC and soon joined N.C. State’s Community College Connection (C3) program, which provides a pathway for students to transfer seamlessly to N.C. State after completing their initial credits at a partner community college.
He credits FTCC’s University Outreach coordinator Loutricia Nelson with providing key guidance as he navigated the first stage of his undergraduate journey.
“Ms. Nelson has been a tremendous help to me ever since I met her,” Jeff-Michael said. “When I met her, I was still searching for my pathway. She helped guide me, and she helped me pick my courses to make sure I was on track.”
Jeff-Michael was also a member of FTCC’s on-campus mentoring program, the YES Initiative, and utilized resources provided by his designated Success Coach, Tim Scott.
Jeff-Michael will graduate from FTCC with two degrees — an Associate in Science and an Associate in Engineering. He’ll enter N.C. State’s aerospace engineering program this fall.
Fellow FTCC student Meg Cruz has also been accepted into the Goodnight Transfer Scholarship Program Class of 2028. Read her story here.
