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.
About a year ago I wrote and released a free ebook called How to Get a Job Without a Resume, inspired by some community college graduates who were looking to build their personal brand, as well as the many e-mails I got asking how I got my book published and how I was able to work from home.
Hope you enjoy the goofball video below, and hope the ebook can be a good summer read to help you start thinking about your online personal brand - you can never start too early!
Featured below is an interview with another #SoCanU project rockstar. Be inspired. :)
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends? Spend time with my kids and husband, read, sing, nap!
Favorite food/meal? Like a true California girl, In-N-Out
What made you decide to choose community college? It was affordable, nearby, and was recommended by several people.
Were there any obstacles in your life prior to attending community college that you had to overcome? I was born to a single mother with a disability, and I too suffer from social and generalized anxiety disorder. I also became a mother of three living under the poverty line.
I lacked confidence so I never really thought I was smart enough to be successful in college.
However through my own experience with social and generalized anxiety I was able to connect to other people with similar issues. I think it has made me more aware of the importance of respect for all types of people. I am still below the poverty line, but now I see a light at the end of the tunnel -- and I have found happiness where I am in life.
What obstacles did you overcome in community college and/or in your transfer university to achieve your degree?
I lacked confidence and feared failure when at my community college. However, it was through failure that I grew and gained confidence with the help of my mentor.
When I transferred, the transition was a bit difficult because I was a junior and yet I was brand new. I soon realized that being outside my comfort zone was exactly where I needed to be and made friends with other students like myself as well as traditional students.
What is one of the most important things that helped you succeed in community college and beyond? My mentor, Dr. McCormick. Without her I wouldn't be where I am today both academically and personally.
What are you most excited about for your future right now? Graduating next spring! But before that, writing my book College Success for Moms and being able to reach out and help moms who want to succeed in college.
What is the best piece of advice you can give our readers who are currently attending community college? Don't give up, don't back down in the face of failure and adversity, rise above your circumstances and beat the odds set against you!
Dianna graduated from Mt. San Antonio College in 2013 and currently attends Cal State Fullerton where she'll graduate with a bachelor's in English. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Pearson Students blog and the founder and writer of CollegeSuccessforMoms.com.
Recently I've been spending some time with younger children and teens in a low-income area of my community, and there is a question that's been plaguing me.
How do you help students catch up when they've received a poor K-12 education?
When you're young you don't control where you're born or what school you attend. What happens if you happen to go through life in a school that simply doesn't prepare you for what you hope to accomplish in your future?
Or what if other stressful things occur in your life that make it impossible to focus, study, or develop the habits necessary to learn what you need to learn when you're young?
What happens when you get to community college and test into remedial courses. Is there hope?
That's one of the many questions that's been plaguing me lately, and it's one of the reasons I'll be attending Harvard's Institute on Closing the Achievement Gap next week.
So when I read this quote today by Jeff Nelson, the CEO of OneGoal (an organization that works with students from high school through their freshman year to ensure they graduate college) in How Children Succeed by Paul Tough, I was intrigued:
See what stands out to you here as Nelson expresses why his program extends into the freshman year of college:
"'Freshman year is this unique moment in time. Kids who have not had to persevere as much walk into college and they coast, for the most part. Or they're partying too hard. And in that moment, if our kids are working diligently and building relationships with professors and studying and using all of the skills that we've trained them to use, they can close the gap.'" (as cited in Tough, 2013, p. 172).
(Did you see that "building relationships with professors" part?! If you've read my book, you know I loved that.)
What really intrigued me about this is the idea that even if you don't grow up with a lot of money or in an area with a stellar public school system, maybe, just maybe, you can still compete - you can still catch up. You can still succeed.
Regardless of whether your school failed you or you failed yourself, that doesn't matter as much as what you're going to do about it now.
I've always believed that there's still hope.
If Nelson is right, your freshman year can be an opportunity for you to get ahead and compete on the same level as your more affluent peers.
But here's the thing - you can't coast.
It may seem unfair. And you know, it is.
But complaining about the inequality at this point won't do you any good. Focus now on catching up, fighting for the education you want, and then as you build your career maybe you can help fix some of these inequalities that make you have to work so much harder.
The cool thing, though, is that having to work harder and overcome adversity is said to develop some pretty great character traits that can help you succeed in life. Adversity, as Darren Hardy has said, can be an advantage.
So with that in mind, realize that community college can be your opportunity to catch up, to get better, to get smarter, to compete, and to get the education you need to get where you want to go - wherever that may be.
You still have a chance at the ivy leagues if that's what you want. Or you can be the absolute best paramedic, police officer, dental hygienist, nurse, or any other of the amazing career programs CC's offer.
And here's the secret to making that happen, one I break down in my book:
You can't do it alone.
You must build a community who can support and advise you. And you'll have to work harder than everyone else around you. You'll have to focus. You'll have to invest hours and hours outside the classroom. You'll have to spend tons of time in the tutoring center. You'll have to rewrite and rewrite your essays. You'll have to study like you've never studied before.
You can do it.
You can not only catch up, but you can even get ahead. You have life experience and insight that no one else has. And if you can couple that with a solid education and develop grit in the process - well then watch out world, because you're going to do big things.
This isn't easy. If it was, we wouldn't have so many college dropouts. And while I care about the statistics and want things to be better for everyone, my main focus has always been you - the student in community college right now. I'm concerned with making sure you have what you need to beat the odds and get where you want to go.
And it starts your freshman year.
To get started right now, read at least three books this summer on college success to learn strategies that can help you prepare to rock your freshman year and develop a lasting edge.
Tough, P. (2013). How children succeed: grit, curiosity, and the hidden power of character. New York: Mariner Books.
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.
