Furlough Selected for ECU Honors College

WINTERVILLE—Pitt Community College student Joshua Furlough will be among the first North Carolina community college transfers admitted to East Carolina University’s Honors College this fall.

A Greenville resident, Furlough was announced this month as one of 10 Centennial Fellows and, as a result, will receive a scholarship valued at $1,250 per semester for five semesters at ECU. He will also enjoy the benefits of Honors College participation, which was previously reserved for select first-year students at East Carolina who applied immediately after high school graduation.

“I was overwhelmed with joy when I saw the email from the Honors College and even more excited and thankful when I learned that they were only selecting 10 transfer students from North Carolina community colleges,” Furlough said. “This is most definitely a distinguished honor.”

Since enrolling in PCC’s University Transfer program upon graduation from Christ Covenant School in 2019, Furlough has excelled in the classroom while preparing for a career as a lawyer. He was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society in his first year at the college and the National Society of Leadership and Success in 2020.

“The past two years at Pitt Community College have been filled with memories I will always cherish,” Furlough said. “I know that with help from instructors, advisors and many more people, PCC has helped me prepare for the next chapter in my life and will always have a special place in my heart.”

In addition to recording a 3.8 GPA, Furlough has made the most of opportunities for growth outside of the classroom as an intern with Irons & Irons, P.A., and with the Upward Basketball program at Jarvis United Methodist Church. He has also been a PCC Student Ambassador in each of the two academic years he’s been at Pitt, serving as the group’s secretary his first year and currently as its vice president.

“Being an ambassador and a student at Pitt Community College has changed my life,” Furlough said. “I have loved every second of it and love how all the faculty at Pitt are always doing all they can to make sure I am doing well in classes and in life.”

PCC Annual Fund/Alumni Director John Bacon says Furlough’s ambassador participation has given him opportunities to develop social, organizational and leadership skills through community service projects and assistance with college and PCC Foundation events.

“ECU’s Honors College is getting an outstanding student and individual of the highest character in Josh Furlough,” said Bacon, who serves as an ambassadors program advisor. “As a PCC Student Ambassador, he has proven himself to be dependable, likeable and hardworking. In short, he’s done everything we’ve asked of him and then some.”

Furlough is on track to complete an associate in arts degree this spring. After that, he’ll move on to ECU for a bachelor’s degree in business.

As an Honors College participant, Furlough will be part of a community of high-ability students with similar academic goals. The program is designed to help make a large university feel smaller and more comfortable while providing access to special benefits that include extracurricular academic, networking and research opportunities, priority class registration and financial support.

“I think this will be a great opportunity for me to learn, grow and develop more interpersonal relationships with faculty and students,” he said. “I think the program offers great opportunities, such as various internships, communication and leadership opportunities, and many more exciting things. I am excited to be able to be part of the Honors College in the fall.”

Honors College officials decided in September to begin admitting students transferring to ECU from North Carolina community colleges. In a news release announcing the policy change, Margaret Turner, Honors College director of admissions and recruitment, said the program wanted to reward the hard work and academic achievements of “many great students” who chose to attend community colleges before coming to East Carolina.

02/22/2021