VGCC Student Geoffrey Arnott recognized for Academic Excellence


Geoffrey Arnott of Oxford, seen here in the library on Main Campus, is VGCC’s recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2015. (VGCC Photo)

Geoffrey Arnott of Oxford, seen here in the library on Main Campus, is VGCC’s recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2015. (VGCC Photo)

Vance-Granville Community College has named student Geoffrey Arnott of Oxford as its recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award for 2015. One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year. Arnott will be officially recognized at Commencement in May, when he is also scheduled to graduate with an Associate in Science degree.

Arnott was home-schooled by his parents through high school. “I was given an excellent education by my parents, but I had never attended a class with more than a few students,” he recalled. “I had no idea what to expect from college.” He was “both thrilled and terrified” by the possibilities and challenges that would await him in the future.

As Arnott entered his sophomore year of high school, he registered for a single class at VGCC to see what college would be like. “I held my breath and was captivated,” Arnott said. “That class challenged me, but at the same time motivated me to offer my best work. Every class I have taken at VGCC since has had the same ability to stimulate me and make me grow in ways I never anticipated.”

Arnott enrolled full-time at VGCC after high school and continued to excel. He was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, served as a tutor through the Academic Skills Center and made the Dean’s List. During the 2014-2015 year, he has also served as a VGCC ambassador. 

“Each of these opportunities has given me the skills and tools I will need as a leader, but more importantly, they have taught me to treasure and honor the community with which I am blessed,” Arnott said. “That is a lesson I plan to carry with me always.”

After graduating from VGCC, Arnott plans to transfer to a four-year university to study public health and minor in sociology.

Arnott has worked at Oxford Veterinary Hospital throughout his time as a student. He was also an assistant instructor at the former Cornerstone Martial Arts School until 2014 and is working to start a Jiu-Jitsu club at VGCC.

“Geoffrey has been an outstanding student and leader on campus, and we are proud to recognize him among the top students in North Carolina,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC. “He is an excellent representative of Vance-Granville, and with the education, inspiration and support he has received here, we know he’s on his way to success at the university level and in his future career.”