Bobcat Stories | Demetrius Young
Meet Demetrius Young ’21
Graduation Year: 2021Hometown: McColl, South Carolina
Academic Program: Online Criminal Justice
After Graduation: Corrections officer with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety

Demetrius was pursuing an associate degree at Gaston Community College when representatives from Lees-91探花 presented in one of his classes. He liked what the college had to offer, and was excited to learn that an instructor he liked, Calvin Shaw, taught at Lees-91探花 as well. After earning his associate degree, Demetrius transferred to Lees-91探花 to earn a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
"I'd heard great things from other students that had attended Gaston College and then went to Lees-91探花," he said.
Demetrius was motivated to pursue higher education to further his goal of working as a public servant. He has worked as a corrections officer in the NCDPS prison system for the last seven years, and by earning a degree, he will be eligible for more opportunities in the future.
By choosing to take classes through the online Criminal Justice program, Demetrius was able to obtain his degree while working. The coursework built on the skills he had already developed and allowed him to build a broader understanding of his career field.
Now that he has his bachelor's degree, Demetrius is a candidate to receive his advanced North Carolina detentions officer certificate. He also has an advantage should he pursue a promotion or want to move into a supervisory role.
What is his advice?
"Never give up on a college education. I'm going on 38 years old, so I would say just go for it, work hard, do the best you can, and don't give up. I know in today's world there's a lot of stuff going on, but I would encourage anyone to continue to further their education."