Over the next few weeks, Gates County Community Partnership will highlight some of its scholarship recipients, emphasizing their college journey and experiences since receiving one of our scholarships. Our objectives are to keep our local community engaged in the success of our youth and to help improve our students’ understanding of college. We recognize how these stories can inspire others and deliver a positive impact on young lives.

Today’s spotlight is on Victor Rountree, a 2022 graduate of Gates County High School. He was a recipient of Gates County Community Partnership’s “NC Promise Tuition Scholarship.” This scholarship funds a full year of tuition at one of the four North Carolina Promise institutions: Elizabeth City State University, University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Fayetteville State University, and Western Carolina University.

1. What major or area of study did you choose?

I am a music major, with a concentration in Commercial Music and Audio Production at Western Carolina University.

2. What are you up to now?

I am a junior and I am planning to graduate in May of 2026.

3. How did the “GCCP NC Promise Tuition Scholarship” help ease your transition into college?

Moving away to be on your own, surrounded by strangers in a foreign environment, is stressful in and of itself. Scholarships like this one help to ease the transition from high school life to college life by giving you one less thing to worry about.

4. Can you share your experience transitioning from high school to college?

College is very different from high school; you have far more freedom and you have far more responsibility. Your schedule is not the same every day and every professor has different expectations and requirements for their courses. It falls on you to take the initiative and be flexible. It is a steep learning curve, having to adapt to no longer having someone pull you along. However, there is no greater instruction for the real world than increased responsibility.

5. What have been some of your most rewarding experiences during college?

The most rewarding experiences I have had in college have been acting on my existing passions, as well as discovering completely new ones. The music program here put me into an environment where I am exposed to something new everyday. I may not be passionate about everything I have to do but a lot of it has made me find out more about myself and what I want to do with my life. To me, that is by far the most rewarding part about higher education.

6. In what ways have you been able to engage with the community since high school?

Gates County is where I go back to when the future and the world close in on me. It is where I can reconnect with friends and family and remember why I am working towards my career. When I go back, I play music for my local church and connect with the musicians there because it reminds me of my passion for creating something that people enjoy.

7. What are your life goals/aspirations?

As of right now, I am split between music theory and audio production/studio recording. I feel both of these paths would be fulfilling for me. I suppose my true life goal is simply to have a part in creating things that have the power to make people happy.

8. What advice would you offer to future college students on making the most of their college experience and giving back to their community?

My advice to future college students on making the most of their college experience is simply to not be afraid to try new things and to not be afraid to fail. Failure is the world’s greatest teacher because we can never improve if we always succeed.

Also, it is important to remember to set reasonable and reachable goals. You want to strive for something challenging but it should be neither infeasible or impossible.

And finally, it is essential to remember where you came from. College is full of new places, people, and ideas; however, where you come from is the place that built you and put you where you are today. Thinking back on how it all started can give you inspiration to keep moving forward and it gives you something to show to others from your community to give THEM the inspiration to strive for success.

9. Are there any significant accomplishments or experiences you would like to share?

My most significant and formative experiences have been performing in the ensembles here at WCU. There is something magical about working hard to create music with others who are just as passionate and determined as you are. When you get on stage in an environment like this for the first time it changes your life.

10. Is there anything else you would like to share with the Gates County community?

I would like to end with a simple statement: don’t be afraid to try, don’t be afraid to fail, and don’t be afraid to get back up and try again. Trial and error are your greatest tools and you can learn the most from simply going for it.