Northern Virginia Community College Career Coach, Louise B. Robinson, has written a handbook Career Coaching for Parents: How to Help Your Teen Discover and Research Potential Career Pathways. Ms. Robinson did extensive research prior to writing the book, and includes excerpts from the VCCS Career Coaches Handbook. NVCC has printed the book, which is available upon request to VCCS career coaches.
In addition to producing a parent guide to career coaching, Louise has developed a two-hour workshop for parents interested in learning more about how to assist their teens in career and college searches, decision making, and action planning. Her Parent-Teen workshops have been sponsored by Loudoun and Fairfax County School Divisions, and by the Mentoring Partnership of Alexandria (an organization that trains mentors to work with young adults who are referred by the court system). Ms. Robinson has also been invited to present her material at a parent workshop on career exploration and college planning to be held May 3 at the Arlington Career Center. Can an appearance on the Today Show be far behind?
Finally, in a highly creative internal partnership with NVCC’s Workforce Development Services, Louise is teaching three sections of a Parent-Teen workshop in non-credit weekend classes open to the public.
Congratulations to Louise and her support team at NVCC! The VCCS looks forward to offering the Parent-Teen workshop model to coaches at the 2008 Career Coaches Academy.
Daniel Matison is one busy, resourceful, responsible, and energetic young man. After graduating high school, the New Kent County resident took a year off to work in the restaurant industry. Now, as a student at Thomas Nelson Community College he is bartending to finance his education. “It’s a tough schedule,” Daniel admits, “but I’m determined to do well.”
Daniel says TNCC was the right choice for him. The oldest of six siblings, he wanted to stay close to home and help his mother with his younger siblings, especially after she had to return to work. Before that she home schooled the oldest kids for their three years of middle school. “She really put me through the paces in math,” says Daniel. I guess that’s what you get when your mom is an electrical engineer, but I’m really good at math–it prepared me well.”
Daniel doesn’t hesitate to tell his personal story with legislators. He explains how important community college has been for him. “With a large family money is tight, so if it wasn’t for TNCC I probably wouldn’t be in college.” He also says his TNCC experience has helped him to grow by leaps and bounds, giving him time to become more directed.
Working toward a degree in business administration at TNCC, Daniel’s goal is to pursue a degree in international relations at William and Mary. In preparation, he is taking a course this semester in political science. “The class and the professor are so interesting and completely engaging,” he exclaims.
One goal Daniel has is to join the Peace Corps and travel around the world sharing his skills and knowledge. He loves to meet people from different countries. A serving job at a resort in the Williamsburg area gave him a glimpse of that with exposure to international tourists and foreign student who are employed through work-study programs. “I love talking to people–asking them about their life and culture.” he says. “That’s where and how I met my wife. She was a work-study student from Thailand.” Daniel further explains how they carried on a long distance relationship for awhile, It was a great experience to be able to visit her and travel to Thailand. “I had $350 for the month, but through the generosity of her family and friends, it was enough. They are wonderful people.”
Another international experience Daniel had was during a missionary trip to the Ukraine when he was 15, serving at an orphanage. He says it was a memorable and moving experience for his group. “It was something to know we were giving the kids only the second shirt they had ever had in their lives. You walk away realizing and telling yourself, “I have a really nice life.”
Well, maybe I exaggerated. We shouldn’t forget Facebook, especially since the latest survey by Youth Trends indicated Facebook is the number one website for both males and females between the ages of 18 and 24. Read the full article on eMarketer.com.
But, what is Communiversity? Released this week, Communiversity is a website designed for,
“REAL students to share their college experience so that others can EXPLORE what post high school is really like.”
Communiversity is geared specifically towards high school students to learn “what college life is really about.” Apparently, every school’s page is managed entirely by students. Students are allowed to upload pictures, so visitors might see locations on campus not normally advertised.
Oh, and by the way, all of Virginia’s Community Colleges are already in the database with tuition and enrollment information. See for yourself!
While this new site is still small, news is spreading fast!!
Diane Belcher is one of many New River Community College students who will graduate this May and transfer to Virginia Tech.
Except Diane built a house, married, raised a family and served 10 years on the Floyd County Board of Supervisors before she finally got her chance to go back to school.
“This is something I’ve always wanted to do. I can’t tell you what it’s meant to me,” she says of her experience at New River, where she will earn a human services degree that allows her to achieve her dream of helping others.
Without New River, she’d still be wishing she had received a college degree. Without New River’s internship program, she wouldn’t be working at Virginia Tech in the intergenerational lab that combines elder care with child care in a mutually beneficial relationship.
Diane started college at a business college in the 1980s after high school, but left to concentrate on her job helping run a bed-and-breakfast. Now, she brings so much more experience with her when she sits in a class. “I’m here because I want to be,” she says. “I soak it all in.”
Her 4.0 grade-point-average sets an example for her children in 7th and 8th grade — and they will be there to see Mom get her diploma. “It’s hard to ask your kids to get good grades if you don’t do it yourself,” she says.
At 42, she’s amazed at the diversity of students community colleges serve. In Richmond this week visiting the General Assembly, she tells legislators she sits in class with ”students 20 years older than me — and students 20 years younger than me.”
She gestures to her fellow students as examples of the latter. Also visiting with New River’s delegation are two homeschooled students attending college for the first time — and loving it — and a recent high school graduate who could have picked a prestigious four year school, but didn’t want to be “just a number.”
Visiting from Germanna Community College is a naturalized citizen from Haiti studying to be a male nurse. “Without community college, I could not be a success,” says Robinson Exume.
Diane Belcher enjoys her position as an older adviser and motivator for the younger students. There’s a place for all of us, she says. To change the world, she says, “it takes us all.”
If you’re anything like me you grew up getting prescient financial advice from your parents like:
“Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know?”
and…
“You weren’t born in a barn. Close the front door, for Pete’s sake.” (This applied equally to heating in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. There’s a related directive that applies to standing before the refrigerator.)
In a Potomac News opinion piece, former college professor Gary Jacobson offers some advice to parents everywhere on how to save thousands and thousands of dollars while sending a child to college: Take advantage of the transfer agreements at Virginia’s Community Colleges!
A few months ago, Jose and Maria received Bachelor of Science degrees from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. They completed similar courses and participated in similar on-campus activities. The only difference was cost. Jose’s four years of college cost about $32,946, or an average of $8,236 annually. Maria, on the other hand, paid $55,440 or about $13,860 annually for her four-year college experience. Why the big difference?
The answer is that Jose took courses at the Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) for two full years before heading off to George Mason’s main campus.
Virginia’s Community Colleges have guaranteed transfer agreements with two-dozen public and private four-year institutions across Virginia. That means you can begin a four-year degree at the college or university of your choice at the nearest community college. Jacobson goes on to say that doing so may also lead to a better education in addition to saving you money.
Gigi Dosamantes is a trailblazer. The first in her family to graduate from high school and pursue a college education, she understands the impact her decisions will have on future generations. Moving to the United States from Mexico at age 2, Gigi has grown up in an environment where higher education was not well understood.
“When I graduated from high school my dad said to me ‘I have done my job. You have done better than me’. But I knew that I wanted to do more than graduate high school. I had a 3.7 GPA and teachers at school pushed me to do more with my education.”
So, Gigi entered a four year university, like many of her friends from high school, but soon felt the financial burden. She returned home and enrolled at Paul D. Camp Community College where she is pursuing an associate’s degree in business administration.
“It’s funny because my parents didn’t really understand why I would go to college and my friends didn’t really understand why I transferred to a community college. There is a lot that is not known about community colleges and that’s what I want to do – educate people about the opportunities.”
Raising awareness about opportunities at community colleges has brought Gigi to the General Assembly with a student delegation from PDCCC. She hopes that her delegates and senators will continue to fund programs such as the transfer grant, which she will use to enroll at Christopher Newport University next year.
Back in her community, Gigi wants to promote awareness of community college education at high schools by being a student ambassador and sharing her experiences and success. And at home, she involves her parents in her academic life, taking her dad to open houses and introducing him to teachers.
“I show him that as much as I care about my studies, my school cares about me.”
Already exceeding her parents’ expectations, Gigi continues to blaze a trail for future generations in her family. She hopes to one day be an educator herself and encourages others to find success on the road less traveled.
VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 5- Career Coaches Guide ‘Realistic Dreams.’ Jeff Kraus talks to Charles McLeod, a career coach for J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. He works at Highland Springs High School to encourage students to plan for the future. Students, he says, need to believe in themselves - and their parents have to believe in themselves, as well. Career coaches can help.
Tune in for the fifth in a series of podcasts featuring Voices from Virginia’s Community Colleges. Click on the audio icon at the top to hear the podcast. Or, click on the podcast title to download and listen on your own computer.
Deborah Barnes loves Tidewater Community College. So much, in fact, that she intends to run for student government president in their May election. Her first action as president will be to implement a “Love Rally” which will inform and raise awareness about multicultural differences on the TCC Norfolk Campus.
“I attended the National Black Student Leadership Development Conference in Washington D.C. and was empowered to step up and make a difference in my school. I want to start a Love Rally because I think it’s important that everybody appreciates diversity,” says Deborah.
Visiting the General Assembly with the student delegation from TCC’s Norfolk campus, Deborah is stepping up to her role as a student leader, advocating for continued funding for community colleges.
Deborah says that the resources available to her at TCC, such as financial aid, computer labs, tutoring, online help, professor’s office hours and counseling at the Women’s Center, have made the difference in her education. Additionally, the encouragement she received from faculty and staff has pushed her to continue her studies even when the balance between raising a family, work and school became difficult.
“The staff is very talkative and they want to get to know you. The more you talk to one another, the more you learn. I know that I can make an appointment with any of the deans and they will take time to speak to me. That is one of this school’s best qualities.”
Meeting with Senator Yvonne Miller in the morning, Deborah shares her love for TCC. Applauding Deborah’s commitment to education and her plans for continuing her education at Norfolk State University, Sen. Miller sees a need for strong female leaders in the world.
“We stand on the shoulders of those before us. I was the first female Senate committee chair and now there are seven women serving as committee chairs in the Senate. One of my platforms is to encourage women to take a leadership role in their community.”
Deborah Barnes is taking Senator Miller’s message to heart and plans to share her love of community college with others.
“TCC’s Norfolk campus is like a family – I just love it.”
Two instructors from Virginia’s Community Colleges are being honored by Governor Tim Kaine and the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia.
Dr. Brent Kendrick, a professor of English at Lord Fairfax Community College and an active researcher on the works of New England writer Mary Wilkins Freeman and Dr. Walerian Majewski, a Professor of Physics at Northern Virginia Community College who has devoted years of research to theoretical elementary particle physics were named as recipients of the 2008 Outstanding Faculty Award.
“These faculty members were selected by their peers as elite educators who have helped make the Commonwealth’s higher education system one of the finest in the nation,” said Governor Tim Kaine. “Their commitment to excellence both in and out of the classroom can be seen not only in their diverse research endeavors, but also in their public volunteerism and advocacy of service learning opportunities. They truly represent the best Virginia has to offer its students and citizens.”
VaHigherEd Podcast Episode 4 - Jeff Kraus talks to Middle College students from J. Sargeant Reynolds and Germanna community colleges at the General Assembly Building, where three students shared the successes the Middle College program has brought to their lives. Listen to them talk about their Middle College experience. Pictured left to right, Erick Jones; Ebony Jackson; and Pablo Abana.
Tune in for the fourth in a series of podcasts featuring Voices from Virginia’s Community Colleges. Click on the audio icon at the top to hear the podcast. Or, click on the podcast title to download and listen on your own computer.
Daniel Matison is one busy, resourceful, responsible, and energetic young man. After graduating high school, the New Kent County resident took a year off to work in the restaurant industry. Now, as a student at 
Diane Belcher is one of many 
Visiting from Germanna Community College is a naturalized citizen from Haiti studying to be a male nurse. “Without community college, I could not be a success,” says Robinson Exume. 
Gigi Dosamantes is a trailblazer. The first in her family to graduate from high school and pursue a college education, she understands the impact her decisions will have on future generations. Moving to the United States from Mexico at age 2, Gigi has grown up in an environment where higher education was not well understood.
Deborah Barnes loves 
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