Chris Yockey didn’t arrive at Mitchell Community College with a perfect plan. She wasn’t chasing a long-held dream or striving for recognition. She was a mother looking for something that worked. Mitchell was local. It fit into her life while her kids were at school. It was a practical choice, and for a while, that was enough. What she didn’t expect was how deeply that choice would change her.
“When I started, I didn’t think I belonged in college,” Chris admits. “I thought everyone else knew more than me. It took time to realize I deserved to be there just as much as anyone else.”
She began taking classes part-time in 1996, gradually moving to full-time as her schedule allowed. She earned an Associate in Applied Science in Accounting and an Associate of Arts degree. She thought her path was set, but one class nudged her in an entirely different direction.
In an American Literature course with Bim Staton, Chris was assigned to create a character scrapbook. It was a creative, personal project that stirred something inside her. For the first time, she felt the pull of storytelling, of interpretation, of literature itself. That single class project became a turning point.
“I was an accounting major, but that assignment made me want to keep going. It opened my mind to studying English, to really diving into something I had never seen as an option before.”
After graduating from Mitchell, Chris enrolled at Lenoir-Rhyne University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English. She then continued her education at UNC Charlotte, completing a master’s in literature. The practical path had shifted into something more personal and meaningful.
During her time at Mitchell, she became involved with Phi Theta Kappa, serving first as treasurer and then as president. She began tutoring as soon as she was eligible, helping students with subjects ranging from math and accounting to English and history. She never stopped tutoring, continuing right up until she was hired full-time.
She also found mentors and encouragement along the way. Don Moore, her art appreciation instructor, made a lasting impact. Dean Blackwelder, who oversaw the tutoring center, provided training and created an environment where work felt rewarding. Rob Walsh guided her through communication courses. Each professor helped shape the confidence and voice she carries into the classroom today.
In 2004, Chris returned to Mitchell as an adjunct instructor. Two years later, she joined the full-time faculty. She has been teaching here ever since and plans to stay until retirement. When asked what the future might look like, Chris says she would like to teach part-time after she retires, as teaching has become part of her identity.
Chris’s connection to Mitchell goes beyond her own story. She has five children and stepchildren who have all attended the college. Four of the five have already graduated, and one is currently enrolled. Chris’s granddaughter is now attending Mitchell as a Career and College Promise (CCP) student, continuing a family tradition of learning, growth, and transformation at a place that feels like home.
To new students, Chris offers heartfelt advice. She encourages them to take that first step, even if it is just one or two classes. She reminds them that time will pass regardless, and that every small effort builds something meaningful. She also urges students to stay open to new possibilities.
“You may start in one direction and discover something completely unexpected,” she says. “That’s what happened to me.”
Chris Yockey came to Mitchell looking for a way to fit college into her life without realizing that college would become her life. Mitchell was a place that helped her grow into the person she never knew she could become and a place where her family’s story continues to unfold.