Michael Sykes started his NWTC journey while serving a 14-year prison sentence. While incarcerated, Sykes was encouraged by a friend working in horticulture to pursue his education and learn more about the opportunities that waited for him once he was released. He started to investigate his options and came across NWTC’s offerings.
“At that time Facebook was just starting to get popular and the internet was taking off,” recalled Sykes. “I had to take print-based classes, and NWTC offered something called ‘college through the air,’ which was one of the only options. My goal was just to get my general studies knocked out.”
After his release, Sykes graduated from NWTC’s horticulture program and started working toward his associate degree in architectural technology. Now, he’s nearing graduation and eagerly looking forward to finding a fulfilling career path.
“I want to give myself as many options as possible and keep moving forward,” said Sykes. “I’m grateful to NWTC and my amazing instructors who believed in me and helped me reach these goals.”
