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Nationally, community colleges have a uniquely different mission than other types of institutions of higher learning. By providing an affordable and quality education to community residents, community colleges stimulate local economic growth, close the gaps for low-income individuals and families, contribute directly to individuals’ personal fulfillment, and provide an overall, higher quality of life for community residents.

Waubonsee Community College will host College Night on Tuesday, Oct. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. on its Sugar Grove Campus in the Academic and Professional Center. Waubonsee’s annual College Night is a free event designed for students, parents, and community residents who want to discuss college options. There will be representatives from more than 100 colleges and universities from across the country to answer questions via virtual or in-person sessions. There will also be informational presentations on topics such as choosing a college, choosing a major, and financial aid. 
 

The Waubonsee Community College Foundation recently welcomed three new directors, Jim Eccher of Sugar Grove, Trish Rooney of Plainfield, and Hector Villarreal of Naperville.

According to a 2019 report by Excelencia in Education's Latinos in Higher Education: Compilation of Fast Facts, half of all Latinos in the U.S. (44%) were the first in their family to attend college as compared to any other ethnic group. It is not that Latino culture or Latino families do not value education; the vast majority do. Often, the lack of college-going role models in working Latino families is the first challenge among several multi-layered factors preventing student success, including socio-economic disadvantages, clashes between cultural norms, and familial expectations. This leads to a lack of support for most first-generation Latino students who may enroll in college courses but lack the guidance and resources to finish a degree. 

Alumni, educator, community activist; These are just a few of the words that describe Waubonsee’s Featured Alumnus for September 2021. Simon Rodriguez, Jr., is an Army National Guard veteran and the son of immigrant parents from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. A 2011 graduate and the first in his family to graduate from college, Rodriguez, credits the zeal he has to serve his community today because of the support and the foundation he received as a student at Waubonsee. Rodriguez is a success story for how he actively seeks to connect and serve his community. The college’s board of trustees recognized Rodriguez at their regularly scheduled meeting on September 15, 2021.

Waubonsee Community College will host a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Wednesday, September 22, from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Student Center Café. The clinic will offer participants the option of receiving a single shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the first or second dose of a two Pfizer shot. Participants receiving their second Pfizer dose at this clinic must bring an official COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card. No identification or insurance is required to attend.  

Waubonsee Community College is hosting its annual golf outing on Monday, September 27, from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Aurora Country Club. All proceeds from the event will directly benefit deserving area students through the Waubonsee Community College Foundation Scholarship Program. 

My father took me to "trabajar la piedra" work the stone for the first time under the burning hot, Ecuadorian sun. As the eldest, I felt happy and blessed to help my dad and the other stonecutters with the challenging task of drilling and shaping stones into beautiful figures and columns that adorn the cities' parks, squares, and gardens in Ecuador and abroad. We paved stones from black, volcanic rocks called Andesites, using only a chisel and hammer.                                                               

I shared the importance of embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives on a recent podcast discussing the critical need to develop talent at community colleges. Speaking on this subject reinforced what has been at the heart of my work for so long. Community colleges provide new pathways for an amazingly diverse group of people to come together to realize their dreams and find a place to belong.

It's the first day of class, and the professor is going over the syllabus, expectations, and strategies to pass the course. He asks us to take out our course textbook. I could feel an overwhelming amount of shame set in as I sank into my chair. Even if I tried, I know I wouldn't be able to come up with enough money for it before the semester ends. The assignment is due next week. I look over my shoulder and ask someone if I can make a copy of their book. I'm already falling behind.