RCC’s A.S. Thomas Center in downtown Pembroke now open

By Staff Report, posted Sep 3, 2024 on BizFayetteville.com

The A.S. Thomas Center Director Patricia Locklear (right) stands by the center's assistant Kaitlyn Collins waiting to greet students as they come into RCC's newest location in downtown Pembroke. Photos provided by RCC.

Robeson Community College’s new A.S. Thomas Center in downtown Pembroke is now open.

“Downtown Pembroke is a thriving place, more and more people are moving to the area and as it continues to grow, it was only fitting that Robeson Community College grow with it,” stated Patricia Locklear, the director of the center, in a press release.

Earlier this summer, RCC opened the new facility, located at 62 Union Chapel Road, right beside Just Love Coffee Shop and just a few stores down from The Wing Company, two extremely popular restaurants among students, business executives and community members.

This center came about as part of a community collaboration effort for Robeson Community College to increase its footprint in Robeson County. RCC also hopes to assist students at UNCP with resources and needs.

“We are located very close to UNCP at 62 Union Chapel Road in Pembroke,” added Locklear in a press release. “We also want to be able to give back to our community through workshops, and information sessions, and be a good neighbor to those on the west side of the county and increase access to education for everyone.”

Whether it’s registering for continuing education classes, signing up for degree programs or receiving assistance with financial aid and completing the residency determination service for the RCC application, Locklear says they can assist individuals with all their needs from start to finish. The center provides career counseling too.

“If you are not sure of what direction you want to go in, we provide career exploration services,” stated Locklear in a press release. “If you’re looking for a job and you need someone to look over your resume and provide some helpful tips, we can do that as well. We will offer workshops on resume writing, job search strategies and interview skills.”

The center will also become a hub for offering computer skills workshops, Adult High School information and orientation sessions and ESL workshops to help reach more adult learners and working adults in the area.

In addition to services, the Thomas Center also has a conference room available for the community to use. It’s a beautiful addition to the center, with wood from an old tobacco barn serving as a backdrop. The center hopes the conference room becomes a local favorite for meetings in the area, a place to brainstorm ideas and a place that fuels innovation.

“There is no cost to use the conference room,” Locklear said in a press release. “It’s a beautiful space with audiovisual capabilities, we hope to offer information sessions there from time to time, as well as small business workshops...it is open to the public and we invite the community to call us if they have a small group that would like to meet at the center, and while you’re here, let us give you a one-on-one tour and let us tell you how you can create your success story at Robeson Community College.”

Due to construction on Union Chapel Road, the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony had to be delayed, but once construction has ended, RCC plans to host a big celebration for the community to take part in.

Visit https://www.robeson.edu/a-s-thomas-center/ to learn more and view photos of the facilities.

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