Jason Stover

Growing up in Huntington, West Virginia, I was never expected to go to college, nor did anyone in my life ever attempt to prepare me for it. I always wanted to earn a degree, even though I attended Marshall University for only a short time after high school before joining the workforce.Today, I am a 44-year-old single father, a full-time employee, a volunteer softball coach, and a Rowan-Cabarrus Community College student with a 4.0 grade point average. Although I have to squeeze more into each 24-hour day than sometimes seems possible, I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s never too late to start again. It had been quite a long time since I had sat in a classroom, but I am a person who perseveres and always keeps going. The most important job I have, or ever will have, is being a father to my 16-year-old daughter, and going back to school helps me to set a good example for her to never give up on her goals.

I will graduate from Rowan-Cabarrus in fall 2019 with a degree in construction management technology, and I would like to continue on to a four-year university. Already, going back to school has helped me secure two promotions at PSNC Energy, where I have worked for nearly 15 years. I am now one of only four transmission operations supervisors in the state. I also have been the chairperson of the Utilities Coordinating Committee for Cabarrus, Rowan and Stanly counties for many years. I hold an officer position at the state level, as secretary of the N.C. Utilities Coordinating Committee. During this three-year commitment, I will serve as co-chair and then chairperson before my term expires. In the free time I have, I run a travel fast-pitch softball organization with the help of a very good friend. Our goal is to provide opportunities for girls who may not otherwise have the means to play softball at an extremely competitive level. We donate our time, money and resources to make the experience much more affordable and often free for families. I feel this is my way to give back to the youth in our community, and the bonus is spending even more time with my daughter, who is one of our athletes.

My life is busy and has its share of challenges, but going back to earn my degree has always been important to me. I am proud of my accomplishments and work hard to maintain my 4.0 average. Now that my daughter is considering her own college options, I hope that my hard work will be an inspiration to her as she pursues her own dreams.