PEMBROKE — Robeson Community College has opened a branch — the A.S. Thomas Center in downtown Pembroke.

“Downtown Pembroke is a thriving place, more and more people are moving to the area and as it continues to grow, it was only fitting that Robeson Community College grow with it,” said Patricia Locklear, the director of the center.

Earlier this summer, RCC opened the new facility, at 62 Union Chapel Road, right beside Just Love Coffee Shop and just a few stores down from the Wing Company, two extremely popular restaurants among students, business executives and community members.

“We have a beautiful storefront with eye-catching graphics, so you can’t miss us if you walk by,” Locklear said. “There is construction currently taking place on Union Chapel Road, so you will need to park in the back and walk to the front to gain access to the center. We hope the construction will be completed soon so that we can be more accessible.”

This center came about as part of a community collaboration effort for Robeson Community College to increase its footprint in Robeson County. RCC also hopes to assist students at UNCP with resources and needs.

“We are located very close to UNCP at 62 Union Chapel Road in Pembroke,” Locklear said. “We also want to be able to give back to our community through workshops, and information sessions, and be a good neighbor to those on the west side of the county and increase access to education for everyone.”

The Thomas Center offers a variety of services to the community.

“We’re here to serve you and would love to assist you,” Locklear said. “We are an extension of the main campus in Lumberton and everything that you can do there, we can now do here in Pembroke at the Thomas Center.”

Whether it’s registering for continuing education classes, signing up for degree programs, or receiving assistance with financial aid and completing the residency determination service for the RCC application, Locklear says they can assist you with all your needs from start to finish.

And, if you need career counseling, the center provides that too.

“If you are not sure of what direction you want to go in, we provide career exploration services,” stated Locklear. “If you’re looking for a job and you need someone to look over your resume and provide some helpful tips, we can do that as well. We will offer workshops on resume writing, job search strategies, and interview skills.”

The center will also become a hub for offering computer skills workshops, Adult High School information and orientation sessions, and ESL workshops to help reach more adult learners and working adults in the area.

“As we grow with the community, we will offer more services as the need becomes evident,” stated Locklear. “If there is something that you would like to see offered, please let us know.”

In addition to services, the Thomas Center also has a conference room available for the community to use. It’s a beautiful addition to the center, with wood from an old tobacco barn serving as a backdrop. The center hopes the conference room becomes a local favorite for meetings in the area, a place to brainstorm ideas and a place that fuels innovation.

“There is no cost to use the conference room,” Locklear said. “It’s a beautiful space with audiovisual capabilities, we hope to offer information sessions there from time to time, as well as small business workshops…. it is open to the public and we invite the community to call us if they have a small group that would like to meet at the center, and while you’re here, let us give you a one-on-one tour and let us tell you how you can create your success story at Robeson Community College.”

RCC hopes to invite the community to a grand opening celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony upon the completion of the road construction on Union Chapel Road.