Human Services Technology Graduates Enter The Workforce

Monica Erwin is part of the first group of students to graduate from Mayland Community College’s Human Services Technology Program. Erwin will walk across the stage at Mayland’s curriculum graduation ceremony on May 11, at the Pinebridge Center in Spruce Pine.

After graduating from Avery High School, Erwin began taking classes in Mayland’s Office Systems Technology Program, and was excited at the chance to further develop her skills in the Human Services field when Mayland began the program in 2005.

“I always wanted to work where I could help children, and this degree taught me different aspects in the Human Services area,” said Erwin. “My classes discussed issues from dealing with the elderly, to those with disabilities, to people who have substance abuse issues, to helping youth.”

Erwin is currently working as a mental health paraprofessional at Advantage Home and Community Care, a job she received from participating in the Human Services required internship.

“I am able to apply what I learned in the classroom everyday in my job,” said Erwin. “The issues I deal with are engrained in me from my studies.”

Internships are required for every student participating in the Human Services major, according to the program’s coordinator and an instructor Misti Silver.

“Internship opportunities are crucial for students because they allow them to put what they have learned in the classroom into practice,” said Silver. “These experiences help students learn what it’s like to be a ‘real world’ human services worker.”

Erwin said that her time at Mayland has been a positive experience. She said at times, it can be overwhelming, but feels that the Human Services Program is one of the best offered at Mayland.