Lenoir Community College graduate Dominic English has been named LCC’s Dallas Herring Award recipient for 2023. She is one of the Great 58 in the North Carolina Community College System. The Dallas Herring Award was established to honor the late Dr. Dallas herring, one of the state’s earliest advocates of community colleges. The award is bestowed annually upon a student who best embodies Dr. Herring’s philosophy of “taking people where they are and carrying them as far as they can go.

English is a great example of Dr. Herring’s philosophy as noted by determination to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, and to dream of a better future.

Moving her family from Maryland to North Carolina nine years ago, English was unsure of what was ahead. “Dominic came to the Medical Office Administration with little to no self-confidence,” said her instructors Carla Jones and Christy Culbreth. “We assured her that we would help her every step of the way and very soon, her phone number became recognizable,” Jones said.

Fast forward to graduation in May. She has accomplished so much starting with earning her GED, completing two degrees, Medical Office Administration and Office Administration – Legal Assistant and securing full time employment in her field. But it was not smooth sailing.

In the fall of 2022, she began having some medial issues and later found out she had a brain aneurysm, which was causing migraine headaches and other issues with fatigue and exhaustion. Facing brain surgery, she was determined to complete her education. Her surgery in December caused her to take an incomplete in all her classes except for one. In January, she called her instructors to assure them she would be enrolled in spring semester, an ambitious goal, but one she achieved.

“As overwhelming as it was for her at times, she still kept persevering in her schoolwork while working, and she graduated in May with her degrees,” said Dr. John Paul Black, Vice President of Student Services and Workforce Development.

“I was determined to finish, English said. “I participated in work-based learning through an internship at Kinston Vocational Rehabilitation as a receptionist. From there I was hired in a full-time role. I even recruited my daughter to enroll in the Office Administration program and I also convinced my son to further his education.”