News

In September and October, we celebrate national Hispanic Heritage Month. We are proud of the many Latinx students who have attended Waubonsee to become leaders in their field and in their community. I am pleased to share a few of their stories.

Political scientists study and explain government and legislative processes so that people can be better informed about policies that impact their communities, states, and the country. Since elections happen at least every two years and are increasingly significant in today’s political environment, the need for information about these government and legislative processes has never been greater.

People who want to attend college start their academic journey at many different places. Not all students are prepared for the rigor of college mathematics courses. The state of Illinois and colleges across the state are working to help those students get ready for college so that they can be more successful there. Waubonsee Community College is contributing to this effort of preparing students by offering a Math Bridge Program.

There is no doubt that having a college degree or certificate can increase your salary. Many people, though, may not understand that these increased salaries do not necessarily require a 4-year degree. There are many jobs and careers that have increased wages with a 2-year degree or a certificate that takes even less time.

My initial purpose of going to Waubonsee was completely financial. Although I had saved birthday and Christmas money since I was old enough to know what college was, it wasn’t going to be enough. It was my responsibility to pay for college--and college was expensive.

Those once ideals and beliefs now disturb me, because I was blinded by the reality.

According to a report from the Wisconsin Hope Lab in April 2018, 46 percent of students at community colleges are affected by housing insecurity and 12 percent identify as being homeless. Initial studies indicate that insecurity affecting a student’s basic needs also affects their likelihood of completion. Waubonsee Community College alumna, Moji Ayorinde, persevered to ensure that she and her children would not become defeated by this statistic.

When Cynthia Garcia of Oswego graduated from high school, she wasn’t thinking about going to college. As a home-schooled student—and with no one in her family before her having attended college—it was not at the top of her mind.

However, she saw an announcement about Waubonsee’s Dunham Fund QuickPath Degree Program and was intrigued. She looked into it, applied, was accepted and is now the first person in her family to graduate from college; and she did so with a 4.0 GPA.

Across the country this month, the sounds of Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance” will be followed by the cheers and throwing of caps as millions of new college graduates celebrate the achievement of a higher education degree. And while obtaining a degree has its many challenges, the new graduate now faces an even bigger hurdle: Competing for jobs in what remains to be a tight job market. But a prepared few will have a leg up on their peers – those who have completed internships are more likely to get hired.

At Waubonsee Community College, our vision statement says that our success is defined by the dreams we help shape, the opportunities we help design and the futures we help create. This year, that vision is carried out in the form of a class tailored to give new students the tools they need to succeed on campus and beyond.

Waubonsee seeks to meet the educational needs of district residents of all ages. In 2013, the college created its Center for High School Partnerships to better meet the needs of local high school districts and their students. Two of the center’s biggest programs are the High School Summer Program and the Dual Credit Program, which allow students to earn high school and/or college credit.