Last Updated on June 5, 2025 2:19 pm
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute recently announced that Watauga County resident and current student Thomas Manning has received CCC&TI’s 2025 Academic Excellence Award.
Manning was recognized as the recipient of the prestigious annual award at the May 21 Board of Trustees meeting on the College’s Watauga Campus in Boone. CCC&TI President Dr. Mark Poarch and Chairman of the College’s Board of Trustees, Mr. Jerry Church, presented Manning with an award plaque and a letter of congratulations from NC Community College System President Dr. Jeff Cox. Manning is one of 58 students statewide to receive the award from each of North Carolina’s community colleges.
Manning is a 2014 Julius H. Rose High School graduate originally from Greenville, NC who relocated to Watauga County in recent years and now resides in Zionville.
For Manning, who is enrolled in CCC&TI’s Electrical Engineering Technologies program, the award is not only a reminder that he’s on the right track, but also a great motivator for him to keep working toward his goal of earning a college degree, which he readily admits seemed out of reach to him for many years.
With limited work experience and some past legal issues, Manning knew he needed to make a change in order to reach his goals. “I was fully aware of where I was in life and where I didn’t want to end up,” he said. “Continuing my education seemed like the best plan to move forward.”
That decision led him to CCC&TI’s Watauga Campus where he began taking general education courses and exploring available program options. The first obstacle, said Manning, was making it through his first semester math class. “I wasn’t doing well and I was discouraged so I stopped in the Academic Support Center one day and just asked for help,” he said. “I connected with an excellent tutor who helped me get on the right track.”
Manning says getting past those initial challenges gave him the confidence and drive he needed to not only find a program of study that he was passionate about, but also the motivation to do his best. From there, Manning connected with Electronics Engineering Technology Program Director Lucas McGuire and instructors Denise Williams and Mandy Williams and continued to find his footing as a student. Manning says making those connections with faculty members who helped him define his goals and a pathway to reach them was a game-changer.
Manning is in the second year of his studies and has maintained a 3.9 grade point average across more than 50 credit hours in both general education and in his electrical engineering courses.
In addition to excelling in the classroom, Manning is also emerging as a leader among his peers in a variety of other ways, as well. He is currently part of CCC&TI’s Skills USA Robotics Competition Team that took first place in the 2024 contest and is already working on the design and plans for the next round of competition.
Manning is also a member of CCC&TI’s Science Club and the Team Captain for the college’s High Altitude Balloon Team which competes in an annual competition requiring students to design, build and launch a payload equipped with sensors and cameras, carried by a helium balloon, to the edge of space (20 miles up) and then, ideally, to recover it and the images captured by the balloon. The team took the top prize in this year’s competition.
Program Director Lucas McGuire says Manning has been a vital part of both teams and that his leadership and hard work have been key to the team’s successes. “Tommy has been an integral part of the CCC&TI community through his active participation in the high-altitude balloon team, Science Club, Skills USA, and student research,” said McGuire. “As the current Captain of the HAB team, his leadership has been instrumental in guiding the team’s progress and ultimately leading the team to win the statewide competition.”
Manning has also demonstrated his care and concern for others and is invested in his community of Zionville. Following the devastation and damage of Hurricane Helene in September 2024, Manning volunteered with relief efforts, helping local families during the clean-up and recovery efforts. “His involvement in those efforts show his willingness to support his community during times of crisis and highlights his dedication to making a positive impact beyond the classroom,” said McGuire. “Tommy is an exemplary student who found his true passion in Electronics Engineering Technology. With strong technical skills and an enthusiasm for learning, he is an outstanding reflection on CCC&TI as demonstrated by his leadership, college and community service, and technical expertise.”
Congratulations to Thomas Manning on earning the Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s 2025 Academic Excellence Award.
CCC&TI has announced that Thomas Manning is the college’s 2025 Academic Excellence Award Winner. Manning was recognized at the College’s May Board of Trustees Meeting and is pictured, second from left, with Lt. Governor Rachel Hunt who was a special guest at the meeting, along with CCC&TI President, Dr. Mark Poarch and Chairman of the College’s Board of Trustees, Mr. Jerry Church.
