This content was published: June 23, 2011. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Program completion ceremonies underscore the excitement of ‘graduation season’ at Sylvania Campus
Photos and story by Kate Chester
Leading up to PCC’s graduation on June 10 were a plethora of program completion ceremonies at the Sylvania Campus.
The events celebrated accomplishments of students who participated in a variety of projects and roles with student service centers throughout the academic year. Each ceremony also served as an opportunity to honor the commitment of faculty and staff who regularly give support to these centers and the services they provide to Sylvania students.
Following are some of this year’s highlights:
Illumination Project – The Illumination Project is an innovative student leadership and education program designed to foster a climate of equality, compassion, justice, and respect for all people in the PCC academic community and the community-at-large. The program uses interactive social justice theater as a venue for student educators and audience members to join together and rehearse ways of solving such problems as racism, sexism, heterosexism and other forms of oppression. During performances audience members enter a scene and dynamically change its outcome. In this way, the Illumination Project challenges viewpoints of both the audience and the actors/student educators in a performance.
This year’s IP student educator completion ceremony took place June 6. Michele Wilson, an instructor in Women’s Studies, was honored with the 2011 Outstanding Staff Activist Award.
Transitions Program – The Transitions Program is a strength-based supportive learning community dedicated to easing the transitions to college, career, and life changing possibilities for single parents, displaced homemakers, and other students in transition. Its goal is to remove obstacles from the path to college success for participating students. Geared to the needs of students with families, jobs, and other responsibilities, the Transitions Program offers a variety of classes (Career Planning, College Success, Life Transitions – Assertiveness/Values, and Fitness for Life). Other services include mentoring, academic advising, counseling, resource referrals, scholarship guidance, and leadership opportunities, such as work and volunteer jobs that help students develop communication and leadership skills.
(From left to right) Sylvania Transitions Program Coordinator Ginny Christian and Sylvania Campus President Linda Gerber share a laugh at the spring term completion ceremony on June 8.
ROOTS Program – The ROOTS Program is a federally-funded TRiO program dedicated to helping low income, first generation students and students with disabilities achieve their educational goals by staying in school and graduating from PCC or transferring to four-year colleges and universities. Services include individualized academic advising, free classes and tuition waivers, personal financial aid assistance, assistance with career planning, scholarship searches and applications, and peer mentoring, among many others.
Sylvania’s ROOTS students pose for a photo at the conclusion of this year’s completion ceremony on June 8.
Multicultural Center – Sylvania’s Multicultural Center addresses institutional racism with programs and services to support the academic achievement, leadership development, and advancement of students of color. The center serves as a “safe space” that nurtures learning and the achievement of personal and educational goals through cultural enrichment, peer tutoring, mentoring, and leadership activities on campus.
Sam Lumsey, a student coordinator with Sylvania’s Multicultural Center, gives closing remarks at this year’s student leadership completion ceremony held on June 8.
Women’s Resource Center – Sylvania’s Women’s Resource Center provides a central location for services that support the academic achievement of women while working to increase access to education, improve retention, and encourage women’s leadership development.
At this year’s leadership program completion ceremony on June 9, Sylvania WRC alumna Talia Potter shared her personal journey with attendees – which included support and guidance from the center’s founder, Deborah Evind, who died on May 3 after a long battle with cancer.