Vincient Bohannon jokingly refers to himself as a “unicorn” when reflecting on his pursuit of an Early Childhood Education degree at Isothermal Community College. As both a non-traditional student in his 40s — and a man working in a field typically dominated by women — Bohannon is excited to apply his growing skillset and build momentum in his career in childcare, supporting families in his Rutherford County hometown.
“I’ve always loved helping children,” Bohannon recalled. “Growing up, I wanted to be a teacher. I guess everything comes full circle because here I am.”
Alice McCluney, an early childhood education instructor at Isothermal, is delighted with Bohannon’s interest in advancing in the industry, especially as Western North Carolina grapples with a growing shortage of childcare professionals.
“Our state has a lot of childcare deserts. We’re seeing more centers close regionally and a reduction in facilities,” McCluney explained. “The few that are open are handling an overflow of children. It’s a new challenge in our area to fulfill those needs.”
Childcare challenges are well documented across the country, and North Carolina is no exception. One survey shows that 60% of parents with young children have missed work because of childcare issues, while 37% have turned down job opportunities. Another report estimates they cost the state more than $5.65 billion in economic activity each year.
“Families who can’t find or afford childcare simply aren’t able to work,” McCluney said, noting that Isothermal Community College’s training programs aim to address that shortage by preparing new professionals and supporting students as they complete their degrees.
Back to School
Making time for Bohannon to return to school wasn’t quite as simple as it might sound. Already working full-time, adding the responsibilities of being a student initially felt impractical and out of reach. But ECE instructors at Isothermal who knew Bohannon from the community recognized his potential and coaxed him to take the first step.
“It took a year of encouragement before we were able to get him to enroll in his first class,” McCluney recalled. “Eventually we convinced him to enroll in enough courses to qualify for the Dogwood Health Trust Scholarship Program.”
The Dogwood Health Trust Scholarship Program was funded by an initial $255,000 grant in 2023 and recently expanded with an additional $281,350 award. Qualifying ECE students, like Bohannon, can receive up to $5,000 annually in flexible aid designed to help remove barriers that might otherwise prevent them from finishing school.
McCluney explained that for many aspiring ECE professionals the flexibility of the Dogwood scholarships is as significant as the funding itself.
“Most of our students are adults and have kids of their own. Many are single parents, and barriers often come up that could cause them to think about dropping out,” she said. “They might need that money to help pay their car payment or mortgage, or for childcare. The Dogwood scholarships help reduce barriers — they are truly to help keep them enrolled in school.”
“Taking that first step was scary, and I had some doubts. I’d been out of school for a while,” Bohannon admitted. “But once you take that first step, you can do it. Especially when you’ve got good people around you. It’s probably the best decision I’ve made in a long, long time.”
Lessons on the Road
Beyond scholarships, grant funding also supports field experiences that expose students to early childhood settings outside of their own backyards. Students visit universities, childcare centers, lab schools and national conferences to see different childcare and education models in action.
“We are a rural community,” McCluney said. “Many of our students have a limited range of travel outside of Rutherford County. We want them to see things they can incorporate and bring back home. We want to give them a vision of what they can do with their degree.”
The results from Isothermal’s efforts in early childhood education are compelling. Since launching in 2023, the program has achieved a 96% retention rate among scholarship recipients.
With additional support from Dogwood, ICC is adding trauma-informed training to its offerings and has launched a fast-track Child Care Academy, a model also being implemented at McDowell Technical Community College, that prepares students for immediate employment while earning college credit, helping more students complete credentials and enter a high-demand workforce.
But perhaps the greatest return on investment in this work is the students themselves. In a recent college assignment, Bohannon wrote and shared an “I Am” poem that offered a powerful account of who he is, where he comes from and where he hopes to go as a professional — and a person.
“I am Mr. V. I show up, I reward, I give tough love,” Bohannon wrote. “Sometimes, I fuss, but it’s followed by a hug. I am a safe place where youth can speak freely. Even kids need to be heard, understood and able to breathe easy. They deserve calm and comfort and consistency, and that’s why I’m there any time they mention me.”
To McCluney, this says it all. The future for early childhood education looks bright in Western North Carolina, thanks to students like Vincient Bohannon.
“There are those people that just do the work, lead by example and never take any glory for themselves. Vincient is practicing what he preaches. Vincient is going to get it done.”
