Twenty-two-year-old Joey Kilgore will soon earn his bachelor of science in computer science and engineering from The University of Toledo through the Lorain County Community College (LCCC) University Partnership program that allows students to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees from local colleges and universities through LCCC.

“This University Partnership program set me up with real world experience, and at an affordable price. I actually got a full scholarship to make this program,” Kilgore said. And he got to stay close to home.

For Kilgore, the LCCC University Partnership program is a family tradition. He has a sister and brother who have completed their degrees through the University Partnership program and has another sister who is currently in the program, he said.

If Kilgore had to describe his educational experience at LCCC in one word, he’d call it “fulfilling,” he said.

“It's not about what college you go to, but what you do with the time there,” he added.

 

 

The 2017 Avon Lake High School graduate completed courses for college credit during high school at LCCC through College Credit Plus, as well as Advanced Placement classes, both of which helped him get a head start toward his in-demand career path.

Today, Kilgore works as a research technician at Case Western Reserve University. “My research focuses on simulating electrical nerve stimulation for use in electrical nerve block,” Kilgore said. “I also work as a peer mentor for The University of Toledo, helping new students learning how to code and make their way through college.”

Kilgore says LCCC helped him complete the first step in his educational goals. “I have a sufficient groundwork of foundational courses and completed real world experience to help me understand the field before getting into it as a career,” he said.

“My supportive family, scholarship availability and hard work,” helped him find success in his educational path, Kilgore said. “During my last semesters I have been working two jobs while taking classes. It's a lot of hard work, but I love what I do."

Kilgore appreciates the effort of LCCC staff who helped him throughout his journey, he said. “Adrienne Aguilar, our program associate director, always helped schedule classes and help students balance course loads,” he said.

Kilgore has been accepted to The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. and will begin his Ph.D. in computer engineering this fall.