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Longmire champions dual enrollment 

By Amy Lewis 

 

Joseph Longmire’s rise from student to staff member at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College (LBW) is a story of purpose, perseverance and prayer. His journey was highlighted in a a recent media release from the Alabama Community College Association.

“Choosing to attend LBW was the best college decision,” Longmire said in the release. “The knowledge, guidance and skills that I gained still serve in my advances today. The LBW experience impacted my life in a tremendous way.”

Now serving as the Instructional Services Assistant for the college’s dual enrollment program, Longmire works with high school students across Butler, Crenshaw, Lowndes, Covington, Coffee and Geneva counties. His role includes preparing students for dual enrollment courses, monitoring academic progress, attending school orientations and parent nights and introducing the program at local schools.

Longmire’s journey began as an engaged LBW student, when he participated in organizations like Student Ambassadors and TRIO Student Support Services. His leadership in TRIO led him to Capitol Hill, where he advocated for program funding before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee.

After completing his undergraduate degrees, Longmire remained committed to education and returned to LBW in a professional capacity — motivated by the same mission that shaped his early academic path.

“This wasn’t something that was on my radar, but the opportunity came up and I took it,” Longmire said. “I had been praying all along my journey and this fit into everything I was praying for so I was like, ‘ok, this is God.’”

Longmire is now a husband and father of two, and his work reflects a deep commitment to student success.

“I am elated to invest in the future of our communities, state and nation by advocating and directing students towards successful pathways that will progressively lead to the betterment of our society,” he said.

His wife, Eleyce Longmire, said his faith and personal journey are central to his impact.

“It’s really a blessing because he placed his faith in God to present him with an opportunity,” she said. “He really has that passion to help students. Especially the ones that are taking the same path that he took. He didn’t really have that guidance so to now be able to give that guidance is full circle.”

Several students in the dual enrollment program have already earned associate degrees or technical certificates before completing high school — a milestone that Longmire sees as proof of the program’s value and potential.

Longmire’s story serves as a powerful example of how Alabama’s community colleges are shaping lives — and futures — through education.