Published by The Voice (cccvoice.wordpress.com)
Completing college is a very challenging but rewarding experience.
According to collegeatlas.org, about 30 percent of students in colleges and universities aren’t up for that challenge in the first year. That’s why there is the C4 Initiative: Community College Completion Challenge.
“In essence, we are committed to helping all of our students to complete their college education,” stated Professor Karrol Jordan, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Anthropology and a Phi Theta Kappa advisor. “Of course, at the two year level, that means acquiring an associate’s degree. We encourage students to go on to a four year school and even beyond.”
College plays an essential part in every students’ future. It determines a student’s future lifestyle, life choices, and opportunities in both their personal and professional life.
According to the C4 Initiative web page Why Complete? on cccompletioncorps.org, most employers hire college graduates over people who didn’t attend or graduate college. Being a college graduate demonstrates to the employer that he or she has the discipline to finish what he or she started.
In an interview on college completion, Sarah Galzerano, the president of Cumberland County College’s Phi Theta Kappa Rho Gamma Chapter and a communications major, stated, “Some people say that college only gets worse, but I say that it only gets better. To those students who want to drop out of college because it’s too hard, they are too busy, or it’s not for them, I would tell them to stay strong. I have been that student who has had panic attacks because my full class load, my job, and my extracurricular activities were too much to handle, but I stayed strong and pulled through because these challenges only make you a stronger person and they help you find your way in life.”
Not only is college completion highly important for yourself, but for the economy. According to Why Complete?, the amount of qualified workers in the U.S. is shrinking rapidly due to the increasing percentage of retirees, which means the number of tax payers who pay for public education, social programs, and national defense are decreasing.
In reference to Why Complete?, some states in the U.S. have high school dropout rates that exceed fifty percent. As a result, many high school dropouts will no longer qualify for minimum wage jobs because many jobs in the market are now requiring employees to have a high school diploma. Within the next five years, it is likely that 65% of all new jobs will require postsecondary credentials.
On Thursday, October 22, 2015, Cumberland County College’s Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society hosted the C4 Initiative event in the University Center lobby. Students signed a petition and pledged to motivate themselves and encourage others to complete their college education.
The choice is yours to make: commit and complete college or become a statistic. I commit! Do you?
Georgia Iris Salvaryn 