Nicholas Kemp, seen here in the Radiography lab on VGCC’s South Campus (VGCC photo)
Nicholas L. Kemp of Franklinton, a Radiography student at Vance-Granville Community College, is among 90 radiologic science students from around the country who were recently chosen to participate in the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) 2015 Student Leadership Development Program.
Kemp is one of two North Carolina students who were accepted into the program, and the only one from a North Carolina community college. He is also the first student ever selected from VGCC.
The program offers students a chance to get to know the ASRT, attend educational sessions, and network with medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals. Kemp will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the ASRT Educational Symposium and Annual Governance and House of Delegates Meeting, June 25-28, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. While there, he will attend courses specifically designed for students, attend the opening of the ASRT Museum and Archives and be assigned a professional mentor during the House of Delegates meeting.
“It is my fervent hope that this experience will mark the beginning of a long and productive relationship with the students’ national professional organization, the ASRT,” said ASRT President William J. Brennan Jr., M.A., R.T.(R)(CT), CIIP.
“I applied to this program because it was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” Kemp said. “Having the chance to meet with leaders in my future field seemed invaluable.” As part of the process of applying through the North Carolina Society of Radiologic Technologists, students were required to write an essay on how they expect to grow professionally by participating. “I wrote about how great it would be to meet with the leaders and innovators in my field, how exciting an opportunity the mentor program is, and my plan to absorb and learn as much as I can while in Albuquerque,” Kemp said. He is also looking forward to being one of the first people to visit the new ASRT Museum.
The ASRT represents more than 152,000 members who perform medical imaging procedures or plan and deliver radiation therapy treatments. The Society also provides radiologic technology students with the tools, services and support they need to prepare for careers in medical imaging and radiation therapy.
“We are extremely proud that Nick was chosen to participate in the Student Leadership Development Program,” said Bobby Austin, who heads the VGCC Radiography program. “This honor reflects well on our program and on the college as a whole. Nick will have unique opportunities to learn and grow as a professional, and he will be able to bring information back to his fellow Radiography students.”
Kemp enrolled in the VGCC Radiography program because he wanted to make a career change after earning a bachelor’s degree and working for several years. Knowing that he wanted to go into health care, Kemp has already started to gain experience. He currently works full-time in the intensive care unit at Duke Raleigh Hospital as a Nursing Assistant on the night shift while attending school during the day. Kemp is scheduled to graduate in May 2016 and would like to eventually continue his education through MRI, CT or Ultrasound training. Earlier this year, Kemp received an endowed academic achievement scholarship from VGCC.
The Radiography program is based at VGCC’s South Campus, located between Creedmoor and Butner. The college’s two-year curriculum, which is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology, prepares graduates to be radiographers, skilled health care professionals who use radiation to produce images of the human body. For more information on Radiography at VGCC, contact Bobby Austin at (252) 738-3517.
For more information about the ASRT and opportunities for radiologic science students, visit www.asrt.org/students.