Helping students transition to college-level courses

By Stefanie Menard

How could Yakima Valley College (YVC) make the transition from College and Career Readiness (CCR) courses to college-level classes smoother for its students? That’s the question the CCR Division recently tackled with the launch of a new program in partnership with the YVC Foundation.

“Our division was seeking ways to increase the number of students matriculating from CCR to college-level classes,” says Marc Coomer, former CCR dean and current interim dean of arts and sciences.

“Over the past few years less than 1% of our participants have transitioned to college-level courses,” he noted, “and while CCR transitions have never been very high, these numbers were discouraging and a concern of the college for some time.”

Several other community and technical colleges in Washington were seeing positive results by waiving tuition fees or providing scholarships to adult basic education students wanting to transfer to college-level courses and YVC saw a way to help boost the number of CCR students who continue their education to gain even more career opportunities.

Coomer put together a proposal to the Foundation board to initially fund 10 CCR student scholarships in the amount of $1,666 each. The scholarships help cover the first quarter tuition and fees of students who earn a GED or high school diploma through the college’s CCR programs and complete their WASFA or FAFSA.

“By investing in these students, we’re not just providing financial assistance, we’re investing in the future of our community,” said Stacey Kautz, executive director of the YVC Foundation. “These scholarships are a tangible way to support our students’ dreams and help them reach their full potential.”

Ana Diaz Alvarez has found the new scholarship support essential on the path toward her goal of becoming an elementary school teacher.

“This extra funding was really important,” said Diaz Alvarez, who began taking college-level courses this fall after earning her GED. “My family is on one income, with only my husband working, and we are barely making it. Now I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to pay for gas, food and school. I don’t think I would’ve been able to take these courses without the extra support.”

Cristina Heredia, who earned her GED, also credits the extra funding with her continuing on the path to her dream of becoming an entrepreneur.

“Without this help my college journey would have had to be postponed due to economic hardship,” said Heredia. “The Foundation opened up opportunities that I did not know existed. My mindset completely changed when I found out I was not alone in this journey.”

Now Heredia has her sights set on finishing a degree in accounting and becoming an entrepreneur.

“I would love to have a business of my own, which I would be able to manage myself with the knowledge I have acquired from my degree.”

Abigail Lopez Ayala, who completed her high school diploma, is using the funding to support her goal of earning a bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences.

“Obtaining funding from the YVC Foundation has been one of the only reasons why I have been able to pursue a higher education,” said Lopez Ayala. “Without the funding, I wouldn’t have been able to take as many classes or be able to focus on my studies as much as I would want to.”

The extra support also relieved some of her stress and inspired her to push harder.

“The thought of going to college was a bit scary to me. However, thanks to the CCR program, I was able to get a really good idea of what to expect in college and how to be successful,” she said.

This article appears in the latest issue of YVC Voice Magazine.

Stefanie Menard

is a communications consultant for Yakima Valley College in Washington.