1991

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EC Adult Student Excels On Stage & In Classroom

experience soenjoyable. Rehearsals are underway in prepa– ration for the spring campus concert and other performances scheduled throughout the semester. As in the fall concert, she said the group will perfonn a wide variety of music, including rock 'n' roll, heavy m~tal, country and easy listening. With rehearsals scheduled on Wednesday nights, Dawn said she has plenty of time to study, as evidenced by the fact she has a 3.75 cumulative grade point average and has made the Dean's List each semester. She has also been inducted into Theta Xi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, a national honorary scholas– tic society for community and junior college students, and was named to Who's Who Among American Junior College Students. She plans to graduate in may 1991 and continue her nursing education at University Medical Center in Jackson where she will enrolJ in June. Even though she is a few years older than most students, Dawn, who commutes daily to the Decatur cam– pus, said she always felt like one of the traditional students and with her still youthful appearance instructors also consider her as one of the teenagers. ''I will always remember the ftrst day in Mr. (Ovtd) Vickers' (English) class when he asked students what they had made on the ACT (Ameri– can College Test). When he asked me what I made I told him I didn't have to take the ACT because it is not required for students over 23. He was just stunned and said, 'My gosh, gir~ you look lilce a kid!' That really made me feel great and I have felt like one of th< other students ever since," Dawn said.

Just like an increasing number of 1on-traditional students enrolled at East Central Community College, Decatur, Dawn Bradford, a 25-year old pre-nursing major from Forest, is discovering a college education is within reach of anyone who has the desire to succeed. But unlike many adult students, she not only is successful balancing her time between her studies and homelife responsibilities with hus– band, Joe Bradford, she has also been able to participate in traditional student activities and mainly concen– trate on her favorite hobby: singing. Dawn is one of three female sin– gers in The Collegians, a vocal– instrumental pop group led by EC band director Tom Carson who is also a member and plays guitar. Last Nov. Dawn made her first campus concert appearance and despite being "a little nervous," she and her fellow singers and musicians were a tremendous htt, as evidenced by reactions from an overflowing crowd in HuffAutidotium. "I've been singing since I was three years old and remember the first song 1 ever learned, which was 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' by Frankie Valli. A lot of my entertain– ing at an e<.rly age was done at fami– ly gatherings," she said. The New York native would later win various high school talent shows while a student at St. Raymond's Academy for Girls from where she graduated in June 1983. When she ftrst enrolled at EC in the fall of 1989, she had planned to tryout for The Collegians but she missed the audition date. Dawn said being a member ofThe Collegians has been a major high– light of her two years at ECC and she crcdtts Tom Carson in making the

As a singer with The Colle– gians, East Central's vocal– Instrumental pop gorup, Dawn Is an enthusiastic as well as talented performer. She Is plcutred during the group's fall semester concert held In Huff Auditorium. (EC Photo)

ECCC A ULT STUDENT EXCELLS • During the week, Dawn , shown above In biology class, commutes dally to the Decatur campus. The pre– nursing major has maintained a 3.75 grade point average and will graduate In May. She plans to continue her education at University Medical Center In Jackson. (EC Photo)

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