Let’s be honest……. As
much as we might encourage our students to have a clear sense of purpose and
direction as they try and navigate their educational pathway – and
we SHOULD encourage this! – we all know that their reality can quite frequently
be a meandering route to destinations not yet fully known. This “wandering” describes two recent community
college graduates, and two of my best friends……
Chris, and Chris.
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Chris #1 is a graduate of Clatsop Community College; AAS in
Historic Preservation and Restoration.
But that’s not where he started.
Chris’ pathway includes a year at Central Oregon Community College with
no specific degree in mind, two separate stints at OSU in pursuit of a Forestry
degree, and then finally a completion at Clatsop. Post-graduation, Chris has frequently availed
himself to the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) services here at LBCC
and he now owns his own historic window restoration company here in
Albany. Chris also works as a part-time
faculty for the program at Clatsop from which he graduated.
Chris #2 is a graduate
of Central Oregon Community College; AGS.
But he started at Clatsop Community College, pursuing a degree in
Criminal Justice. While attending there,
Chris was working as a volunteer fireman and so, when the Criminal Justice path
didn’t seem to be working out, he changed directions to focus on an Emergency
Medical Technician (EMT) certificate and a degree in Fire Science. He completed the EMT and then transferred to
Central to pursue his Fire Science degree.
Close to what would have been the final term of his program Chris again
changed direction, gathering what he had already completed into an Associates
of General Studies and then transferring to an on-line Bible College, from
which he will receive his Bachelor’s degree in just a few months. Chris now works as an Assistant Pastor for a
church in Bend.
Last weekend, these two young men joined me at my place
outside Randle, Washington to help me take down a large maple tree that was diseased
and dying. As I spent this time with
them, grateful for their help AND for the tree felling skills they have acquired
through their firefighting and forestry backgrounds, I became deeply mindful of
the powerful bond that has developed between them and me over the past
decade. And I saw in these bonds the
role that my life has played in their successful, albeit circuitous,
educational journey.
While Student Success and Completion will and must most certainly
involve well-designed pathways, quality instruction and effective guidance
& services, all organized around clear and compelling goals, at
the core of our students’ success will be the relationships we are willing to
share with them. In our
classrooms, in our offices, in the LBCC Courtyard and in the Communities around
us, our personal involvement in their lives plays a critical role in their
journey, and in their arrival at a destination that makes the difference in
their lives that they seek, and we seek for them.
