After 30 years, Beth McQueen has retired from her position as director of financial aid at Richmond Community College.

She said around 400 students received financial assistance when she arrived in 1980.

Today, more than 65 percent of the student body of over 2,000 receive some form of financial assistance. The majority of those students receive Pell grants and scholarships, which are processed through the Financial Aid Office.

McQueen graduated from RCC’s Office Systems Technology program and joined RCC as the financial aid secretary in 1980. She continued her education at Gardner Webb University and earned a bachelor’s degree in business management. She moved up through the ranks of her department and served as financial aid technician, assistant director, and director.

“Things have changed so much over the years. When I first joined the staff, I was impressed because all of the secretaries had selectric typewriters. I knew this place was really high tech. Technology certainly changed while I was here,” she said.

The campus has changed as well.

“There were just three buildings here when I enrolled and was first employed. The number of buildings has increased, the landscaping is beautiful, and we’re getting ready to open the Diane Honeycutt Center in Laurinburg. And, you cannot talk about RCC without mentioning the wonderful Cole Auditorium. It has brought so much to the communities in Richmond and Scotland counties,” she said.

“RCC has been a great place to work. I’ve enjoyed helping students. It is always wonderful to see students graduate when you know how much they struggled. Seeing them achieve their goals after overcoming so much means a great deal to me,” she said.