Finding a New Direction
Sydnye Lawson’s journey hasn’t followed a straight path—but it’s one defined by resilience, determination, and a drive to do more with her life. Raised in Davie County in a family rooted in community service—her dad, Andy Lawson, is a firefighter in Farmington and her mom, Sharon Myers, a school nurse—Lawson is now preparing to graduate from Davidson-Davie Community College with a degree in Diesel and Heavy Equipment Technology and her Class A Commercial Driver’s License. And she says none of it would have been possible without IGNITE DAVIE.
Choosing the Hard Way First
After dropping out of Davie High at age 18, Lawson admitted, “I guess I wanted to do life the hard way.” She worked full-time for three years but soon realized that there had to be more to life than clocking in and out.
That realization brought her back to school. In November 2022, she enrolled at Davidson-Davie Community College (DDCC) and completed her adult high school diploma in just 30 days. Motivated and determined, she quickly transitioned into a degree program—but paying for college would be a challenge.
A Life-Changing Conversation at Restaurant 101
While working as a waitress at Restaurant 101, Lawson had a conversation that would change everything. She met Carolyn McManamy, director of Davie Connect and IGNITE DAVIE partner, at an IGNITE Your Appetite fundraiser hosted by the restaurant, where she learned about the IGNITE DAVIE College Promise program and the opportunities it offered. She spoke with her advisor at DDCC, Sandra Porter, and initiated the application process, including completing an eligibility exception form to be considered for the program.
“Sydnye was the first applicant who earned a GED/high school equivalency diploma rather than graduating from a traditional high school,” explained McManamy. “Since its launch, IGNITE DAVIE has supported students who graduated from a Davie County public school, a registered home school, or a private school located in the county. When Sydnye applied, the IGNITE DAVIE partners met to consider her exception request and unanimously approved it, thereby expanding the program to include future students who follow an unconventional path to college.”
“IGNITE DAVIE was created to give our students the opportunity to continue their education beyond high school without incurring substantial student loan debt,” McManamy added. “We had not initially considered a pathway like Sydnye’s, but it was an easy decision to include students like her. Our goal is to give ALL Davie County students the chance to further their education and better prepare them for successful careers.”
What is IGNITE DAVIE?
IGNITE DAVIE is a place-based last-dollar scholarship program for students who live and attend school in Davie County. It covers tuition and fees for full-time students at Davidson-Davie Community College and even provides up to $250 per semester for books. The program is not based on academic performance or financial need—it is available to all eligible students pursuing a certificate, diploma, certain short-term training programs, or an associate or transfer degree at DDCC. Students may also attend Forsyth Tech for specific programs not offered by DDCC.
Students have three years from high school graduation to take advantage of the Promise. “This is an important feature because we understand that not every student is ready to go straight into college. We encourage these students to take time to figure out their next steps so that when they choose to continue their education, they are ready to succeed.”
Turning Passion Into a Profession
Lawson’s interest in mechanics goes way back. As a child, she was fascinated by the black smoke belching from diesel trucks and loved spending time with her dad doing anything he was doing, including fixing cars, trucks, and four-wheelers. “I’ve always been that technical person, so I decided to pursue a career in it,” she said.
At Davie High, she took Auto Tech and loved it. Now, thanks to IGNITE DAVIE, she’s about to graduate with an Associate’s Degree in Diesel and Heavy Equipment Technology and her Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). She’ll walk across the stage on May 9th, then start full-time at Thompson Arthur Paving and Construction in Greensboro on May 19th—where she already interns.
Learning By Doing
The Diesel and Heavy Equipment Technology program is designed to be a hands-on experience. After completing five general education classes, the remainder of the coursework takes place in the shop.
“Everything from oil changes to replacing airbags to pulling axles, I’ve learned by doing,” Lawson said.
Her CDL course, meanwhile, was an intensive 8-week program mixing classroom instruction with real-world driving experience. “It’s humbling to realize you’re driving something 70 feet long and 80,000 pounds. One wrong move could end your life—or someone else’s.”
Why She Chose to Earn Her CDLs
Lawson decided to earn her Class A CDL for two reasons: as a career backup in case another pandemic disrupted the job market, and because she believes that anyone who works on trucks should know how to drive them.
“I knew it would be challenging at first since I wasn’t experienced at driving a manual transmission—but I turned out to be good at it,” she said.
A Hard-Won Perspective
Balancing an internship, CDL training, and college coursework wasn’t easy. For the last few months, Lawson spent weekdays behind the wheel, Saturdays at her internship, and Sundays working on her Applied Physics class.
“Some people have to learn everything the hard way, and I guess I’m one of those people,” she said. “At 18, I wasn’t mature enough to take getting a degree seriously. Now I’ve experienced both work life and school life, and I’ve got a different perspective.”
Despite her heavy schedule, Lawson maintained a 4.0 GPA. “IGNITE DAVIE made this possible. I wouldn’t be here without the program covering the cost of my education. Working in a restaurant and taking time off to attend school wouldn’t have left me with much income. I would not have been able to afford to earn a degree without IGNITE DAVIE.”
Now, I am launching a career in an in-demand field with a great future.”
A Message to Students
Now that she knows firsthand how transformative education can be, Sydnye urges students not to give up.
“Stay in school,” she says. “You never know what’s possible until you commit to it—and thanks to programs like IGNITE DAVIE, you don’t have to go it alone.”
APPLY NOW!
The Fall 2025 IGNITE DAVIE deadline is June 1st. Complete eligibility information and the application form can be found at https://ignitedavie.com/apply/#application.
