Enrolling in Durham Tech Courses Was the Turning Point for Student
At age 29, Solomon Burnette can look back on a young life full of challenges and triumphs. He is grateful that his path led to Durham Tech and to people who helped him along the way.
Burnette, who grew up in Durham, was always bright. He had many “smart nerd friends,” he says. But he also had friends who stayed in trouble. Eventually Burnette stopped caring about school.
“I failed my freshman year three times,” he recalls. Instead of studying, he hung out in the streets of Walltown. At 17, still classified as a high school freshman, he dropped out of school.
“My mother did everything she could, but I wouldn’t listen,” Burnette said. He began dealing drugs, which led him into a lifestyle of crime. Eventually he was sentenced to serve time at Sandhills Youth Center. One highlight there, however, was completing his GED through Sandhills Community College. He was later transferred to a correctional facility in Caswell County. In addition to his prison duties, he had time to read and study. He studied Arabic and history and spent time writing music. All told, he was in the corrections system for a year and a half. His first job after being released was laying carpet, a job he was happy to have.
In 2003, Burnette enrolled at Durham Tech. That’s when mentors began to appear in his life. One such person was Dr. Phail Wynn, Jr., former president of Durham Tech. Dorothy Brower and Tracy Mancini were also instrumental. Burnette thrived in the college’s small classes and discovered that he was a very good student. “I was very focused. I wanted to succeed. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew I did not want to be a career criminal,” he said.
Burnette completed his studies at Durham Tech and enrolled in N.C. Central University, where he recently earned a bachelor’s degree in history. He is currently working as a community organizer in Durham. His plans include traveling to the Middle East to study Arabic and enrolling in law school to study international criminal law.
At age 29, Solomon Burnette can look back on a young life full of challenges and triumphs. He is grateful that his path led to Durham Tech and to people who helped him along the way. Burnette, who grew up in Durham, was always bright. He had many “smart nerd friends,” he says. But he also had friends who stayed in trouble. Eventually Burnette stopped caring about school.
“I failed my freshman year three times,” he recalls. Instead of studying, he hung out in the streets of Walltown. At 17, still classified as a high school freshman, he dropped out of school.
“My mother did everything she could, but I wouldn’t listen,” Burnette said. He began dealing drugs, which led him into a lifestyle of crime. Eventually he was sentenced to serve time at Sandhills Youth Center. One highlight there, however, was completing his GED through Sandhills Community College. He was later transferred to a correctional facility in Caswell County. In addition to his prison duties, he had time to read and study. He studied Arabic and history and spent time writing music. All told, he was in the corrections system for a year and a half. His first job after being released was laying carpet, a job he was happy to have.
In 2003, Burnette enrolled at Durham Tech. That’s when mentors began to appear in his life. One such person was Dr. Phail Wynn, Jr., former president of Durham Tech. Dorothy Brower and Tracy Mancini were also instrumental. Burnette thrived in the college’s small classes and discovered that he was a very good student. “I was very focused. I wanted to succeed. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew I did not want to be a career criminal,” he said.
Burnette completed his studies at Durham Tech and enrolled in N.C. Central University, where he recently earned a bachelor’s degree in history. He is currently working as a community organizer in Durham. His plans include traveling to the Middle East to study Arabic and enrolling in law school to study international criminal law.
