Hands-On Training for Eastern North Carolina

Nash Community College serves rural eastern North Carolina from its campus in Rocky Mount. Dr. Kenyon "KJ" Askew, Director of Marketing and Strategic Engagement, sums up its mission simply: to "meet students where they are and prepare them for a rewarding and successful career wherever they may go."

Students can earn college credit toward a degree, diploma, or certificate, from university transfer to career and technical fields. They can also build job-ready skills quickly through continuing education programs designed around regional workforce needs.

Hands-on, award-winning programs set Nash apart. Its electric line program ranks among the best in the region and draws students from across North Carolina and as far away as Ohio.

One Student, Six Disconnected Systems

Before Element451, Nash had no CRM. When a prospective student asked for information on the college website, the request landed in a spreadsheet that notified the staff contact for that program. That setup left three gaps:

• No shared follow-up history. Staff couldn't see who had responded to an inquiry, what information went out, or which conversations had already happened.
• Student details spread across systems. Checking whether a prospective student had applied or met with an advisor meant opening another platform.
• Answers tied to office hours. Staff replied within a day, but prospective students with a quick question at night, on the weekend or over a holiday break waited for a reply.

"What we were looking forward to in a CRM was something that can bring five or six systems down to about one or two," Askew said.

Element451 gave Nash one place to see, reach, and support every student.

Enrollment Gains Every Fall and Spring

Since Nash began implementing Element451, enrollment has grown every fall and every spring, with the strongest gains among adult learners and Nash County residents.

Fall Enrollment Up 23.3%, Spring Up 14.2%

Compared with pre-implementation baselines, fall enrollment has grown 23.3%, and spring enrollment has grown 14.2%. The gains built steadily, with fall enrollment rising each year since implementation began. Spring applications grew 18.3% over the same period, widening the pool of prospective students each term.

Growth was strongest in two groups Nash prioritized:

• Adult learners ages 25 to 44 grew 45.2% in the fall and 24.3% in the spring. Bringing these students back has been a central enrollment goal since the pandemic.
• Nash County residents, the college's home service area, grew 21.9% in the fall.

Hope Turns a 24-Hour Wait Into a Two-Second Answer

Nash runs Bolt AI agents built on Element451: 'Hope', a recruiter agent for admissions; 'Scott', an advising agent; and 'Ask Newton', the general inquiry responder on the college website. Hope runs proactive outreach sequences that drive event attendance and application starts, and it follows up with prospective students who haven't yet taken their next step.

Nash staff set each agent's instructions and the knowledge base it draws from, so answers stay accurate and specific to the college. Quick questions get resolved immediately, and advisors and admissions staff can focus on the in-depth conversations each student's situation calls for.

"Prospective students just had to wait until we were able to get back to them," Askew said. "But now instead of 24 hours, it can be two seconds."

That speed and consistent follow-up help turn more inquiries into applications and, ultimately, enrolled students.

Every Interaction in One Student Record

Element451 shows Nash staff each student's full history in one place, from the first program inquiry through applications, appointments, and advisor notes. Before reaching out, a recruiter or advisor can see what a student has already heard and who they've met with, so each conversation picks up where the last one ended.

"Element451 has definitely provided us the opportunity to see the student in their full life cycle, from when they first indicated that they have interest in one of our programs all the way through to what advisors have been saying to them," Askew said. "We're able to see all that in one place."

That shared record also lets departments support each student together rather than working in silos.

More Ways for Students to Take the Next Step

Element451 gives prospective and current students several ways to connect with Nash on their own schedule:

• Self-service appointment booking, with no email or phone call needed to schedule
• Event pages where students can find details and register directly
• Email and text campaigns that keep students informed
• Bolt AI agents and the website messenger feature for instant answers

Each option removes a wait between a student's interest and their next action, which keeps more prospective students moving toward enrollment.

"There are so many access points now available through Element451 that weren't before," Askew said. "If our job is to meet the students where they are, wherever they are, then Element451 has definitely helped us do that."

Campus-Wide Adoption, Led by a Core Team

Nash has 10 mature Element451 features in active use. Student services, advising, and admissions adopted the platform early and now work in it daily with students. A core team of six staff members leads that adoption, building and improving Nash's Element451 instance every week.

Askew's advice to peers starts with that team. "You very quickly need to define who is really all in for the system, because those individuals are going to be your champions and your leaders," he said.

A Connected Platform for Every Stage of the Student Journey

Nash replaced a spreadsheet and a patchwork of separate systems with one platform built for higher education. Prospective students now get answers in seconds at any hour, staff sees each student's full story before they reach out, and enrollment has grown every fall and spring since implementation began. Adult learners and Nash County residents, two groups central to the college's mission, are leading that growth.

Bringing Student Success Into the Same Platform

Nash is now extending Element451 beyond recruitment with Student Hub. Case management and early alerts will bring the college's retention work into the same platform as admissions and advising. The rollout coincides with an advising redesign at Nash, and Element451's advising tools support the new model.

Askew's goal is for Element451 to serve as the central home for student information and shared accountability across departments. A dedicated Element451 implementation team is building alongside Nash, with weekly check-ins to keep the rollout on track, and faculty training is underway.

The platform keeps growing with the college, too. "Every other month there's something new and there's some kind of improvement that is ultimately going to allow us as an educational institution to provide a better educational environment and experience for our students," Askew said.