Featured below is an interview with another #SoCanU project rockstar, Jan! Jan graduated from Clatsop Community College in 2006 graduated with her bachelor's degree at Pacific University Magna
Cum Laude with a
triple major in art, creative writing, and literature. She is currently a PhD candidate.
Favorite thing to do on the weekends?
I love church with my Welsh friends, Skyping family in the US, and reading or watching episodes of Star Trek!
Favorite food/meal?
Homemade fish and chips... sooooooo incredibly good.
What made you decide to choose community college?
It was the nearest school and as a "more mature" student (I graduated high school in 1965 - seriously!), it just felt like a great place to start.
Were there any obstacles in your life prior to attending community college that you had to overcome?
My father didn't think girls needed further education as he thought educated women took jobs from men, who would ultimately provide for families.
I disagree and feel that an educated populace is the way to peace. All eight of my children have been educated beyond high school and are currently giving back to the world, being part of the solution to today's challenges...and four of them are girls!
What obstacles did you overcome in community college and/or in your transfer university to achieve your degree?
I didn't realize that there can be some prejudice in universities toward transfer students. I became VP and then President of Connections, a program designed to help those in transition. It was great to be part of the solution.
What is one of the most important things that helped you succeed in community college and beyond?
Reaching out and becoming involved, exercising curiosity about others, and a having a desire to learn.
What are you most excited about for your future right now?
I will finish my PhD in Creative Writing in 2015 and graduate in with my cohort in 2016. I've written an historic novel, learned to research, developed a network of friends all over the world and look forward to lecturing, writing, and sharing what I have gained.
What is the best piece of advice you can give our readers who are currently attending community college?
Learn more than is assigned, dream big, and above all, ask questions and discover how to find answers. By doing this you will also become part of the solution to humanity's challenges and make the world a better place.
Featured below is an interview with another #SoCanU project rockstar, Sarah! Sarah graduated from Lake Sumter State College May 2014 and is currently pursuing her bachelor's in global business at the University of South Florida.
Favorite thing to do on the weekends?
Lay out in the sun with some friends or go to the beach and relax.
Favorite food/meal?
Anything Italian... sooo I'd say chicken Alfredo!
What made you decide to choose community college?
So I could stay home, save money, still be with my friends and family while I needed to grow up a little.
What obstacles did you overcome in community college and/or in your transfer university to achieve your degree?
I really struggled in math when I got to college. I didn't like math all my life, until I had an amazing professor. I went from remedial math to calculus! I even tutor math now.
I also have a learning disability called dyslexia. It is a reading learning disability that can hinder a lot. I never let that be an excuse and never will even though I will have this disability my entire life.
What are you most excited about for your future right now?
What is most exciting is that I have so many goals and I'm already fulfilling them. The crazy part is, is that I have no idea where life with take me and I'm okay with that.
What is the best piece of advice you can give our readers who are currently attending community college?
Never give up, don't let others make decisions for you. Don't be a follower, if you have something to say...say it! You can do anything you set your mind to, if you really want it.
Featured below is an interview with another #SoCanU project rockstar, Debbie! Debbie graduated from St. Louis Community College in December 2011 and received a bachelor's in speech communication from Webster University in May 2013. She will graduate with her master's this December!
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends?
It depends on the season. Now that it is summer, I like to take advantage of what St. Louis has to offer. Urban hiking, new foods, concerts in the park, the Muny, zoo, float trips and so much more!
Favorite food/meal?
Mexican food or Panda Express (Whataburger if I'm in the south).
What made you decide to choose community college?
I was not a good high school student. I had attended three high schools in three different states. I felt I needed to start somewhere small to test the waters and see if I was even college material.
What obstacles did you overcome in community college and/or in your transfer university to achieve your degree?
The only obstacles I fought and won were the people around me telling me I was doing too much and why bother with this society called Phi Theta Kappa. At my age I shouldn't bother with it. I should just go to school and be done.
What is one of the most important things that helped you succeed in community college and beyond?
Stay involved!!!!! Phi Theta Kappa, Pi Kappa Delta (debate team) and community service. Learn from the classroom and learn from life. Build your resume and build your character.
What are you most excited about for your future right now?
Now that I have found things I love doing, it's time for someone to pay me for doing them. Searching for the right career with the right pay and the right culture.
What is the best piece of advice you can give our readers who are currently attending community college?
Never give up and use the obstacles and hardships as part of your experience. Fight for your education. Remember it's not just to improve your life but the lives of those around you. If you are setting your goals and driving to achieve them, you are already AWESOME!
Featured below is an interview with another #SoCanU project rockstar, Febin! Febin graduated from SUNY Rockland Community College in May 2014 and will be transferring to Georgetown University to pursue a bachelor's degree in finance this fall.
Favorite thing to do on the weekends?
I love to play basketball, work out, and spend time with friends & family.
Favorite food/meal?
I love Indian food, especially chicken tikka masala with naan bread!
What made you decide to choose community college?
After a period of deep soul searching, I decided that it was best to pursue an Associate’s Degree and transfer into a four year college. That was the first, and by far the best option that was available to me at the time and I am more than happy that I made that decision.
SUNY Rockland offered an outstanding education at an affordable price as well as a strong, diverse community in which I could thrive both academically and socially. The endless opportunities that SUNY Rockland provides over other local community colleges were more than enough reasons to enroll.
Were there any obstacles in your life prior to attending community college that you had to overcome?
When I was 12 years old, I moved to Monroe NY and carried a lot of bad habits throughout my middle school and high school years. It really shaped who I was as a student. I was really unmotivated as far as what I wanted to do with my life, and I graduated high school at the bottom 10% of my class, with a 1.2 GPA.
Although the transition from high school to college was arduous, I quickly found myself surrounded by mentors who took me under their wing despite my regretful high school record.
With their guidance, I earned a 3.5GPA and enrolled in the nationally recognized Mentor/Talented Student Honors Program. I made a decision to change my life around and not only prove to myself that I can succeed, but to prove to all of the naysayers who tried to put me down.
This served as my motivation to excel in my schoolwork and get on the path to a bright future, and is precisely what keeps me going through the long nights of studying hard and pushing myself.
What obstacles did you overcome in community college and/or in your transfer university to achieve your degree?
Throughout the fall 2013 semester, my father was hospitalized after suffering a stroke. During that semester, seconds felt like hours, days felt like months, and months felt like years.
Over those months, I transformed into a surrogate father figure from cooking meals for my family, to working endless hours at a retail store to help my mother pay the bills. This experience forced me to quickly snap out of my “high school mind-set”, be mature, and step up to the plate to become the man of the family and care for my mother.
I came to the realization that there were lessons to be learned from his absence, as I was able to experience a role few could share or understand. I belonged to a different world now, a world of leadership and responsibility and was able to overcome this obstacle that could’ve negatively affected my academics.
What is one of the most important things that helped you succeed in community college and beyond?
Throughout my time in SUNY Rockland Community College’s M/TS Honors Program, I’ve learned how to multi-task and balance a rigorous honors program cirriculum and volunteering/working outside of school, while concurrently serving as the President of Alpha Beta Gamma International Business Honor Society, President of the Economics Club, Vice President of Leadership at Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, Vice President of Just Save One RCC, as well as being a peer mentor and a tutor on campus.
I’ve learned how to balance everything out and it sharpened my time-management skills significantly. This has been one of the most important things that I’ve learned at SUNY Rockland Community College.
What are you most excited about for your future right now?
I am really excited to spend the next few years of my life at the nation’s capital. I feel as if I am on a mountain overlooking my future. Georgetown is going to allow me to reach my full potential and grow as a person. It has been my dream school since I joined the Honors program at SUNY Rockland Community College.
What is the best piece of advice you can give our readers who are currently attending community college?
Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t achieve anything that you put your mind to. You are in control of your own future, and the key to succeeding in your endeavors is to stay motivated and balance out work and fun. Work hard, play hard, and keep your “eyes on the prize.”
Featured below is an interview with another #SoCanU project rockstar. Be inspired. :)
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends? I love taking my dog out whenever it's a nice day out. I often put in my headphones, crank up some good tunes, and let my dog lead the way. Then I relax from there depends on where my dog "takes" me.
Favorite food/meal? Indian curry and sushi is always a favorite. I remember when I was younger back when I lived in California that nothing hits the spot like a good carne asada burrito.
What made you decide to choose community college? I chose community college because I felt I wasn't quite ready to tackle a four year university. When I was in high school I had a heart attack and was brain dead for a time; I had to deal with a lot of memory loss, and not as bright as I once was, I didn't want to waste my time or money at a four year institution if I didn't know if I had the capacity yet to put forth my best effort.
Were there any obstacles in your life prior to attending community college that you had to overcome? One of my most difficult obstacles to overcome was my arrogance from high school. I assumed since I was smart, if you weren't as smart as me, you weren't worth my time. I missed out on lots of great friendships due to this.
I was also too proud to ask for help in subjects I struggled in, and instead of getting the help I needed in topics I had issues with, I’d often just struggle through it.
Another obstacle that I live with every day is my speech impediment. I stutter, and have my whole life, because of this, I’m usually the last to speak. This has improved some over the years, and it gives me the time to think through what I say before I vocalize whatever it is that I’m thinking.
What obstacles did you overcome in community college and/or in your transfer university to achieve your degree? My memory is still, by far my largest obstacle I face on a daily basis. I used to be able to read a chapter of a textbook, pull out all of the important tidbits, and remember them. Now, I have to be a bit more creative to help my memory. Flashcards and rewriting my notes helps a lot.
What is one of the most important things that helped you succeed in community college and beyond? I’d have to say that the most important thing that has helped me in community college is the support networks I’ve found myself becoming a part of.
My family is first and foremost my greatest stream of support. After them comes my Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) brothers. These are a bunch of guys who inspire me to do better. They’re also like a second family to me.
I’m honored that for my final semester at TCC, I get to be the president of the Virginia Beach chapter. I also would be remiss if I didn’t mention all of the great instructors and mentors I got a chance to take classes with, work with, and interact with at the various campuses of Tidewater Community College.
What is the best piece of advice you can give our readers who are currently attending community college? Plan and know where you want to be in life. Community college served as an inexpensive means to learn loads of useful information and prepare myself for my next step in my life plan.
Also, surround yourself with those who have the same or similar goals to your own, who will push you to excel in all it is that you do. This was something that I got out of SAAB, I had brothers with similar education goals, who would push me to do better. We even had a mini competition going at one point to see who could get the best grades for a semester.
If I was struggling in math, there was someone there to offer assistance who I could relate to. If the person who helped me in math needed help with any of his computer classes, I was there to return the favor. This is part of the things that we’re taught in SAAB is part of our affirmation, “I am my Brother’s Keeper and Together We Will Rise!”
Dexter Givens II will graduate from Tidewater Community College in Fall 2014 and is currently an Education Support Specialist I at Tidewater Community College's Virginia Beach Campus student center. After graduating TCC he plans on completing his bachelor's degree in computer science at Old Dominion University.
Inspired by the interest in the #SoCanU project I'll be periodically sharing interviews with some of the contributors so you can be further inspired by where community college can take you.
In these stories you'll find some great advice, obstacles you might be able to relate to, and successes to remind you what is possible.
First up, Don, currently a Programs & Events Coordinator with Maricopa Community Colleges and a graduate of Phoenix College, South Mountain Community College, Ottawa University, and Northern Arizona University. He now has an M.Ed.
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends?
Spend time at home with family and friends.
Favorite food/meal?
Chocolate!!! LOTS of chocolate (LOL) And, Mexican food, especially cheese enchiladas and chile rellenos.
What made you decide to choose community college?
Costs, smaller class sizes (compared to universities) and more one-on-one with instructors.
Were there any obstacles in your life prior to attending community college that you had to overcome?
Financial hardship, but was hired as a temporary employee at Phoenix College in my second year attending there and it led to being employed into a full-time position shortly after graduating.
What obstacles did you overcome in community college and/or in your transfer university to achieve your degree?
Being a first-generation college student, and my parents and familia, not familiar with college/university lingo, requirements, etc.
I had to do the whole process on my own and had to "learn the ropes" of how to navigate enrollment, registration, financial aid, etc.
What is one of the most important things that helped you succeed in community college and beyond?
Having one-on-one time with community college faculty that really helped me with my questions with subject materials and college processes.
What are you most excited about for your future right now?
Hopefully get a job promotion into middle management and pondering a doctorate degree.
What is the best piece of advice you can give our readers who are currently attending community college?
Utilize all the resources available to you to make you become a successful student and graduate. Connect with your instructors and student support services available. And, find mentors to guide and counsel with you.
The first time I shared my story was in an essay to apply for the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship.
I had to put on paper who I was, how I'd gotten to where I was, and who I wanted to be.
A few years after I won the scholarship and returned to that very community college to work in the Student Life office, the president of the college asked me to be the speaker at the college's annual fundraising gala.
I would have to put on a fancy dress and share my story in a microphone for the first time - in front of a bunch of rich people I didn't know.
I was terrified.
I sat down and wrote out the points of my story - the points that changed me or affected where I am today. Then I went over them with a close friend and mentor who helped me rearrange the points for optimal impact, and practice, practice, practice.
That first speech ended with a standing ovation. And I was in shock. How did this happen? How did my story - my little, story - help me win a $110,000 scholarship and win the applause of an audience? (and eventually turn into a full time business?!)
I promise you it's not because I'm just the greatest. And it's certainly not because I have an amazing story.
It's simply because I shared my story in a vulnerable way.
I went to the depths of what I felt when I lost hope in that community college advising office. I re-lived the moment when I broke down on my knees after winning the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship, thinking "people like me don't get Master's degrees."
I dug into my family history. I considered the barriers that came from being from a low-income Latino family, the first in my family to pursue a bachelor's degree.
But I also considered all the privileges I had; when I speak to community college staff I always emphasize that if I needed such support to succeed, how much more do those who don't have the privileges of a safe home, loving parents, a roof over their head, or full scholarships need in order to make it?
[Answer: a lot more.]
The more I've met community college students around the country and learned more about poverty the more privileged I've felt. I tell my story not because it's the best or most inspiring, but because it's the only one I have to tell.
You have a story too. And it can inspire people more than you know. Seriously.
And I know that little voice in your head says the same things it says to me: "Who are you to think your story matters? People have had it way worse than you so don't talk about your little struggles. No one wants to hear about your life. Your story doesn't matter."
But your story does matter. There is tremendous power in it if you're brave enough to share.
A few weeks ago I watched an HBO documentary called Paycheck to Paycheck that features just one woman's story - a single mom of three named Katrina, trying to make it on minimum wage and get into college.
That one story highlighted the plight of so many.
That's what stories do.
They illustrate the everyday happenings of our lives. They give life to big concepts. They help people who can't relate understand. And they help people who can relate feel less alone.
I believe in stories. And I believe in your story.
That is why I started the #SoCanU project. I want to celebrate your story so that other people can see what is possible through what you have accomplished.
Please check out the project and click Join the Movement to share your story with the world. It matters. And it can inspire others more than you know.
