Our featured nontraditional student is working towards an Associates Degree in Occupational Technology with a certificate in Architectural Design Graphics, and is also an active member of Phi Theta Kappa.   We proudly spotlight Joan Simonds, our featured nontraditional student!

What factors contributed to your decision to choose a nontraditional career?

The facts are that I have always loved being creative and working with my hand.  I have worked in the building industry before, mostly doing remodels, painting and trim work.  Architectural Design Graphics is just a natural progression of that passion for me.  Now as I get older, I will be more on the planning end of things.  As a single parent, I need to take charge of my life and provide for my son.  I realize that I would need to go back to school and get a degree in order to compete in today's competitive job market.  Computer skills are necessary in any job and I had been "offline" for many years.

What is exciting about your career choice?

What's not to love?  I get to design beautiful homes and make people happy.  But seriously, the industry is just booming with opportunities.  The Charleston area is exploding with new growth, especially Berkeley County.  Also, Berkeley County is talking about adopting national standards for building codes.  That would require that any plans, even a simple deck addition, must have the approval of an architect or engineer., and I hope to work for either an architect or an engineer.  I look forward to working with other creative people in the industry and to making the future of Charleston blend with the old world charm.

What do you find challenging about your program of study?

Scheduling- Most of the courses I need are progressive and have prerequisites involved.  This causes me to take whatever is available for me at the time.  I am also learning to use three different types of software at the same time and while some of the commands are similar, you do different things on different systems.  Learning to navigate my way around each system can be very time consuming and confusing.  Also, in my ACAD classes, I learned that everything is precise, calculated and measured right down to four or more decimals.  Objects are drawn, line by line and piece by piece.  In my 3-D Modeling class, I am learning to draw objects from the inside core outward as a whole unit, unmeasured, by eye, and distort and shape afterwards.  The visualization is totally different.  I now truly understand why designers and engineers don't always see eye-to-eye.

What has your experience at Trident Technical College been like?

Wonderful, although I sometimes feel old among the other students.  I thoroughly enjoy learning new things and talking with the knowledgeable staff about real world issues.  They have each given me another perspective of life.  I like meeting new people and have made new friends.  Everyone is very helpful and wants me to succeed.  No one has been more helpful than Ms. Claire O'Neill.  She has been there for me through thick and thin.  She has helped me stay focused and to balance my home and school life.  She encourages me to go forward and learn from my experiences, good or bad.  She makes you want to be a better person and I want to make her proud.  She had faith in me when I wasn't sure I had it in myself.  Thanks Claire!