Blue Ridge Community College & Wingate University Expanding Pharmacy Career Pathway to Local Public High Schools

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (April 17, 2019) – Education leaders from Henderson County Public Schools (HCPS), Blue Ridge Community College (Blue Ridge), and Wingate University will meet Tuesday, April 22, to formalize a partnership that will establish a career-ready academic pathway for high school students that will guarantee them an interview with Wingate’s School of Pharmacy.

Tuesday’s signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding will mark the expansion of the existing partnership between Wingate and Blue Ridge into local public high schools. The preexisting agreement outlined a specific pathway for BRCC students to obtain an Associate in Science Degree that also meets the prerequisite coursework requirements for application to the Wingate University School of Pharmacy.

The expansion of this partnership, formalized at Tuesday’s ceremony, will allow high school students in Henderson County Public Schools to begin this coursework while still in high school through the Career and College Promise Program.

Successful completion of the Associate in Science Pathway to Wingate University School of Pharmacy degree program at Blue Ridge Community College, with a minimum GPA of 3.0, guarantees students an interview for admission with the Wingate University School of Pharmacy.

“Blue Ridge Community College is pleased to partner with Wingate and Henderson County Public Schools to outline a clear career pathway for those interested in being a Pharmacist,” said Dr. Laura Leatherwood, BRCC president. “This partnership is meant to remove barriers and assure that students in Henderson County can pursue their career goals right here at home.”

“This partnership creates an amazing opportunity for our high school students interested in health sciences, preparing them for the expectations and rigor of a quality degree program right here in Henderson County,” said Bo Caldwell, HCPS superintendent. “This is just one more example of the collaborative effort among our local K-12 and higher education institutions to grow college- and career-ready young adults.”

“Through this agreement, we can guarantee students of Henderson County a pathway into the Wingate University School of Pharmacy such that, upon graduation from high school, they can earn their Doctor of Pharmacy degree in only six years,” said Dr. Kurt Wargo, Wingate University regional dean. “We look forward to a continued partnership that enhances the personal and professional growth of students in Henderson County.”

Wingate University School of Pharmacy has instruction sites at its main campus in Wingate, North Carolina as well as at the Health Sciences Center in Hendersonville. Blue Ridge Community College’s Associate in Science Pathway to Wingate University is offered at the Henderson County Campus with many requirements offered online. High school students enrolled in the Career and College Promise may enroll in eligible courses at their high school or at the College.

Dr. Leatherwood, Caldwell, and Dr. Wargo will participate in the signing ceremony at the Health Sciences Center in Hendersonville on Tuesday, April 22, at 2 p.m.

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