Don’t overlook the valuable things growing in your backyard.
That’s the advice longtime educator and entrepreneur Malinda Lowery offers about Gaston College, the institution she credits with helping launch her career.
“Gaston College gave me an opportunity to lay a strong foundation,” Lowery said. “It was a way to prepare for everything that followed after that.”
She has earned three degrees, including a Ph.D in education from UNC-Greensboro, and co-founded two businesses. The 1972 Gaston College gradsaid she’ll remain an advocate for the institution that offered her a start. On her list of do’s:
1. See the end game.
Take time to consider what you hope to accomplish with your career, Lowery said. Then create the educational plan that will get you there.
“Hold that vision in your mind and work backwards,” Lowery said. “Figure out the plan that you’ll need to reach that vision. I’ve adapted that over time, but it was always there, pulling me forward.”
2. Don’t be afraid to reroute.
Lowery began her studies at Gaston College hoping to become a computer programmer.
“Jobs were plentiful, and it was a specialty I knew I could make a living in,” Lowery said.
She quickly realized programming wasn’t for her and made the decision to work in education instead. That was the first time Lowery had to adjust her vision, and the experience taught her a change in course was nothing to fear.
She’s since worked in high school and elementary school counseling and co-founded a business that provided SAT preparation services.
“There is always an element of risk involved in everything you’ll ever do,” Lowery said.
Just make sure those are calculated risks, she cautions.
3. Recognize value when you see it
Having something is nearby doesn’t reduce its value, Lowery said.
“Sometimes the things right down the road get overlooked,” Lowery said. “With Gaston College, I think because it’s so close, people sometimes underestimate the valuable education you can get there. Don’t overlook what’s right in front of you.”
4. Ask for help
In nearly every field, someone has accomplished what you hope to. Ask those people for help.
“You’ll need to stand on someone’s shoulders sometime,” Lowery said. “Education is a lifelong process. You’ll never really be finished, and you’ll need someone’s help to get where you’re going.”
Have the confidence in yourself to ask for help when you need it.
5. Offer someone else a hand
“I’m a firm believer that none of us do things alone,” Lowery said. “Sometimes we stand on shoulders for a while, and sometimes we’re the shoulders.”
Be approachable and give others help and guidance when you can, Lowery said. In the past year she and her husband, John, have created a Gaston College scholarship they hope will award more than $10,000 annually to Gaston College students.
“Paying it forward is so important,” Lowery said. “It’s offering a hand up when someone needs it. We’re looking for someone that is determined to make it whether they have help or not and hoping this can offer them a stepping stone.”
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