Dottie Hunter Earns Her Degree at 85
For Dottie Hunter, earning a college degree was a goal decades in the making.
A mother of two daughters, grandmother of seven, and great-grandmother of five, Hunter spent years taking classes whenever she could while raising her family and building a career in cosmetology. This past August, she finally received her diploma at Cape Fear Community College’s commencement ceremony, earning her Associate in General Education degree.
“I thank my heavenly father, Jehovah God, for giving me the strength and the will to complete what I started.”
A Lifetime of Learning
Hunter, a licensed cosmetologist, began taking classes at CFCC in the 90s. Over the years, she also attended several other community colleges, fitting courses into her life whenever she could.
Her mother always wanted her to earn a college degree, and one of Hunter’s instructors gave her advice that stayed with her.
“One of my college instructors told me never to stop learning. She said, ‘Take something up every year. And next thing you know, you’ll have a degree.’ And that stuck with me.”
Hunter spent years building her career in the beauty industry. She owned Dottie’s Beauty Court and also taught cosmetology at CFCC years ago. Today, she continues to work in the industry as a Dudley Hair Products representative.
Through it all, she kept taking classes.
The Push to Finish
Then, Hunter received a letter informing her that her VA education benefits would expire soon.
“That’s when I restarted myself,” she said. “I’ve been just taking courses here and there because I knew I was gonna finish one day. But that really pushed me to continue it.”
Hunter reached out to Jason Bocchino in CFCC’s Veterans Center, who helped her navigate the process and get her benefits sorted out.
Her classes included both in-person and online courses, and Hunter said she appreciated every instructor she had at CFCC.
“All of the instructors were wonderful,” she said.
She remembers several instructors and courses in particular, including Lesley Richardson’s English class, Josh Miller’s British Literature course, Lettie Gore’s African-American History class, Sandra McClammy’s humanities course and Jennifer Thomas’ biology class.
A Moment Years in the Making
After years of taking classes and working toward her degree, Hunter had finally reached the moment she had been waiting for
When it came time to participate in commencement, however, Hunter wasn’t sure she wanted to walk across the stage. Her family encouraged her to go.
“They kept pushing, ‘Mom, you got it. You’ve got to go. You deserve it.’”
Eventually, she agreed. CFCC staff helped make the experience comfortable for her, and CFCC President Jim Morton spoke with her before the ceremony.
When it was time to present diplomas, Hunter was the first graduate to receive hers.
“I hope that my doing this will encourage somebody else to keep learning and keep going. It doesn’t matter how long it takes. Just keep going and finish what you started.”
And for Hunter, learning isn’t ending with her diploma. She’s already thinking about what classes she might take next.
“I enjoy studying, and it keeps my mind active,” she said. “When you stop learning things, your brain stops. So that’s the key to it, is keep on learning.”
