A remarkable mentorship and wraparound services program at a New Jersey community college has allowed Black male student outcomes to catch up to those of the general student population by one measure. Lagging Black male achievement at higher education institutions is a common problem nationally, but UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ has largely eliminated […]
Completion Articles
Commentary: A gift that keeps giving
Sometimes, the greatest gifts arrive in the most unexpected ways. Recently, I received a message from a former participant of Waubonsee Works, a program funded through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The news brought more joy than the most expensive present. “I got the job,” the email exclaimed. While it is exciting news […]
From San Jac to CERN
Raul Diaz and Estevan Salinas pinched themselves. One moment, they had been sitting in a physics classroom. The next, unpacking luggage in a Saint-Genis-Pouilly apartment on the France/Switzerland border, with the Jura Mountains spanning the horizon. Neither had expected to globetrot, much less join research at CERN, the European Council for Nuclear Research in Geneva. […]
Michigan program helps student reconnect with college
Andrew Denton is on a new path to a rewarding career in the advanced manufacturing industry, and the Michigan Reconnect Scholarship, coupled with some hard work, is to thank. “It’s literally changed my life in the course of a few months,” says the 32-year-old from Ypsilanti of his scholarship. “I don’t know what I’d be […]
Program changes — even saves — lives
By all accounts, Eddie Knox shouldn’t be alive. A few years ago, he tried to defuse a potentially volatile family situation at his Milwaukee home. A relative didn’t appreciate Knox trying to peacefully resolve the situation. So six months later – on January 4, 2022 – the relative returned to the house and shot Knox […]
Viewpoint: Fueling the biotech boom and bridging educational gaps
Biotechnology is not just another industry; it’s a transformative force that has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, agriculture and even our approach to combating climate change. In recent years, North San Diego County has emerged as a rapidly expanding bioscience hub, attracting some of the most innovative firms in the biotech sector. However, this industry’s […]
Student story: Shedding new light on term ‘mani-pedi’
Shannon Bullard-Dorsey recently graduated from the nail technician program at San Jacinto College’s South Campus, but her specialty isn’t the bling. The Army veteran has been doing nails since she was a teenager. “My mom ended up in a nursing home when I was a teen, and I would visit her and do her manicures […]
Community college students win U.S. Department of State Fellowship
While completing their associate degree, two community college students were selected for the high-profile U.S. Department of State diversity recruitment program – the Foreign Affairs Information Technology (FAIT) Fellowship. Now they are pursuing their bachelor’s degree with academic funding while preparing for a Foreign Service career. They are amongst the 15 individuals selected for the […]
Promising practices in outreach, recruitment for STEM
Ask any 12-year-old girl what she wants to be when she grows up and she most likely will say a doctor, teacher or veterinarian. “They want to help people,” explained Pamela Silvers, a co-principal investigator of Mentor-Connect. But most colleges promote their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs to prospective students with the promise […]
Panther Partners participants share insights for First Gen College Day
The Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) Panther Partners program provides a welcoming cohort experience for students who come from families where neither parents nor guardians hold a college degree from an institution in the United States. The college is celebrating the program and participants on First Gen College Day on Nov. 8, a commemorative […]