Abbeville Student Finds Niche at Piedmont Tech

Drew Jefferies followed the same path as many high school graduates. He found a subject he thought he was interested in and enrolled at a large university.

Turns out, that’s not the path he was meant to take.

Jefferies was accepted at Clemson University and enrolled in the engineering program. But, he found himself overwhelmed.

“I realized that engineering wasn’t for me,” he said. “I’ve always loved math, and science fascinates me, but it was never my strong point.”

After a year at Clemson, Jefferies decided it wasn’t for him and, without a scholarship, it was too expensive to stay while he tried to find the path he wanted to take. So, his dad, an automotive instructor at Piedmont Tech, encouraged him to check out the college and he enrolled in the Building Construction Technology program.

“I’ve always liked working outside and the more I thought about a career, I liked the idea of getting to see the finished project and also being able to move around and seeing the scenery change,” said Jefferies.

Jefferies says the knowledge of the instructors and the hands-on focus have been very beneficial to him.

“I’m a visual learner,” he said. “It’s essential that you have the book knowledge, but putting it together in my head and actually going out there and seeing it helps me a lot.”

The change to BCT has been the perfect fit for him.

“I loved Clemson and the campus is great, but as far as school, I like it here because we’re the PTC family,” Jefferies said. “Teachers really care about seeing you succeed here.”

For anyone who’s not sure where they want to go, Jefferies says Piedmont Tech should be their first choice.

“I would definitely recommend that you come to Piedmont Tech for your basic classes,” he said. “Then, if you still haven’t decided what you want to do, explore the choices here. PTC is set up to help you find a path that’s right for you, and it’s a lot more economical to start finding out what career is a good fit here.”