With support from the Women’s Outreach and Advocacy Center, Kasara was able to obtain her degree despite additional hurdles she encountered during the COVD-19 pandemic.

The way Kasara Pompey was introduced to the Women’s Outreach and Advocacy Center (Women’s Center) was truly a matter of being in the right place at the right time, and trying one’s luck.

Today, Kasara, a Health Care Studies student, is on track to completing her final year at the College and looking forward to graduation in May. But even a year ago, her vision of graduation didn’t look so clear.

In January 2020, Kasara was drawn to a flyer on campus that read, “Do you need help with child care?” She knew she did, but wondered if it was legitimate. At the time, Kasara was juggling school and work, and would soon struggle to keep up with child care during the COVID-19 pandemic. So, she took a chance and reached out to the contact on the flyer. She couldn’t believe the great attentiveness and assistance she received from Dr. Claudia Curry, the director of the Women’s Center, and its supporting staff.

“The Women’s Outreach and Advocacy Center offers a safe space and a focal point where diverse students can convene as a community for advocacy, collaboration and education,” Dr. Curry says. “The Center complements the mission of the College by creating an environment that promotes caring and provides students the resources and support needed to achieve their goals.

The Women’s Center was able to assist Kasara in receiving funds through Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS), the College’s child care grant program that helps low-income student-parents pay for child care. And when Kasara was notified of the loss of her financial aid for spring 2021, Dr. Curry and the Women’s Center assisted in helping her find and apply to receive scholarship funds that helped Kasara pay for the remainder of the courses she needed to graduate.

“I was worried, financially, because I do not have a lot of support, especially when it comes to my son. Mentally, it was a lot of stress to deal with,” she said. “As women, it’s important to have a supportive village to help you. Dr. Curry was that support for me, and what they did for me, I would have never expected.”

Kasara was introduced to many of the College’s other student support services through her experience with the Women’s Center. She would receive regular emails with links and readings for various resources that led to her getting help with books and groceries through the CARES Act and borrowing a laptop through the College’s Student Device Loaner Program. But Kasara says she believes many students don’t take advantage of what the College has to offer, and it’s unfortunate.

“As a mom without the resources and support others have access to, I think the College has excellent resources, and I am so happy I found them,” Kasara said.

Kasara credits the Women’s Center and Dr. Curry for helping her get to graduation and hopes other students will take the time to utilize the resources available to them.

Juggling school and personal life in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic was a tough hit for many. Unprecedented. It flipped the lives of many students upside down with no notice, including Tiasia Howard, a Criminal Justice major at the College.

She had just begun her studies when, in March 2020, the College’s transition to online learning meant Tiasia needed to manage her personal and academic responsibilities while taking classes at home.

"I guess it's my love for learning and furthering my education to provide the best future I can for my kids that keeps me going and earning A’s," Tiasia said. “It was more difficult for my son, because he’s so active.”

When classes first transitioned online, Tiasia knew she needed to make some changes for herself in order to get her work done and still have time for her family. At times, she found herself getting up at 4 a.m. to complete school work before her children woke up for the day. However, she began reaching out to faculty to get ahead of her work, and made a plan early on. Since her classes and assignments were all online and accessible at any time, scheduling time at the beginning of the week allowed her to complete assignments. By midweek, she was able to focus on the required class discussions.

Eventually, Tiasia and her family adjusted to being home together full time. To help her son, who was five years old and starting kindergarten virtually in fall 2020, Tiasia would sit next to him so they could both do their work on their computers together.

Tiasia said there’s no doubt that a difference exists between in-person and online learning. While her course load hasn’t changed much, participation, she said, feels different, and more independent.

"Online learning isn't hard. You just have to motivate yourself and want to do [well] in order to obtain success,” she said.

Tiasia said ultimately, she likes online learning because she can get her work done on her own time and move on to the other things she has going on. She added that not having to travel to school and instead being able to wake up and just get on the computer has made the transition even easier and that much better.

Though it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, Tiasia said she’s proud of how much she’s accomplished over the past year. “I don’t even know how I am doing it.”

Tiasia maintains a 3.5 GPA and is on the path to graduate in May 2021. She plans to return to the College for additional courses before pursuing her career as a detective.

In January 2021, Community College of Philadelphia’s Nursing program was recognized with the Innovations in Social Mobility: Workforce Development award powered by the Social Innovations Journal for its work to provide health care in the community. Laureen Tavolaro-Ryley, associate professor of Nursing and the Independence Foundation chair in Community Nursing at the College, accepted the award.

Days after COVID-19 shut down Philadelphia in March 2020, many higher education nursing programs and medical institutions sent students home and transitioned to virtual learning, but Tavolaro-Ryley went another route. She began advocating to get funding for a summer internship for students that would provide care to the homeless, food insecure and other susceptible groups making up some of the most vulnerable communities in Philadelphia.

“We knew how to engage in the community and a had a trusting funder [in the Independence Foundation],” Tavolaro-Ryley said. “It’s all about relationships and credibility in the community. Our students are from the community and they go back into those communities to work. They are good ambassadors.”

Tavolaro-Ryley was able to secure funding and supplies, and the Independence Foundation funded 12 nursing interns, including past and current CCP students. They moved to the front lines during a critical time of need for the city. Through the program, the interns worked to educate, screen and test more than 5,000 people in Philadelphia for COVID-19. The group also partnered with Philly FIGHT, Project Home, Broad Street Ministry and the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, and additional funding allows this work to continue.

Though they were making a difference each day, Tavolaro-Ryley said she and the interns did not realize the extent of their impact until they looked back on the year. “I was honored the internship was recognized and was among the [award] winners considering how difficult the summer was for everyone,” said Tavolaro-Ryley. “It was a labor of love.”

While unfortunately Nursing students were not able to complete their clinicals in-person due to COVID-19 (instead they were completed virtually), Tavolaro-Ryley feels the internship provided students an important opportunity to serve the needs of their own neighborhoods. Later, when in-person learning resumes, students will be able to apply the learned skills to clinical experiences.

She also believes the namesake of the internship, Dr. Andrea Mengel, would be proud of the interns’ work.

“Dr. Mengel would have loved it! She loved helping vulnerable populations. I think she would have been very happy,” Tavolaro-Ryley said

Hello, everyone. We just got back from spring break and we are at mid-semester. I really enjoyed the time off and was excited to be taking my first mid-term test! Yay! I met with my success coach just before break and I really liked how structured she was with our meeting. I was able to address the most important topics that I needed to discuss. It is so nice having someone there who is resourceful and knows where to direct you to obtain extra support. I also joined a conference this month about stress management. That was very beneficial to me. I was able to remember some tools that I have used in the past and learn about apps to help with meditation.

I was so grateful that the Catto Scholarship will be covering all my book expenses as well! This allows me to get more money back from the school to help with my living expenses. The monthly stipend has already been helpful with my bills and for food. I LOVE that the Catto Scholarship helps support me so that I can spend more time focusing on my studies instead of worrying about how much is in my bank account! I really want to again thank Mayor Jim Kenney and Community College of Philadelphia for this amazing scholarship. I can only imagine how hard they have worked for us to be able to have this opportunity. I hope that everyone knows how much this scholarship is helping us students.

Now that I have finished half a semester, I was thinking that I only have a little less than two months left until the summer begins. After that I should only a year and a half left! I know that I can do it and I know that the Catto team is always there to encourage me during the times I need it.

Thank you everyone for reading! Enjoy the rest of the semester! 

With a passion for grassroots organizing and connecting underserved communities to valuable resources, Benjamin Nixon, ’20, is using his voice and providing College students across the country with a platform to make a difference. 

On Feb. 8, he helped launch the Student Voting Network (SVN) Podcast: a nonpartisan platform for and by students to express their views, share insight, organize for a better future and learn efficient methods of reaching student voters in meaningful ways. The podcast is a Campus Vote Project initiative he worked to launch as a Democracy Fellow.

“For some time, we were looking for ways to be more engaging outside of social media. That’s where the idea for the podcast came from,” said Nixon. “We wanted to create a space where students from across the country could start a conversation about the issues that matter most to them. On the podcast so far, we cover everything from the Jan. 6 insurrection at our nation’s Capitol, to combating white supremacy in American culture and educational spaces, and even how students and interns can properly prepare to enter the workforce.”

Nixon has previously worked on a few Democratic campaigns, most recently in Maryland. After both campaigns he worked on in 2014 lost by a small margin, he felt disillusioned with the process for a while. However, instead of giving up, his passion for community and civic engagement pushed him to do something more organic.

In 2019, he volunteered with the College’s Institute for Community Engagement and Civic Leadership to register students on campus to vote. That’s where he learned about Campus Voting Project’s fellowship program.

“After volunteering on campus with Michelle Lopez, who manages the Institute, I wanted to find ways to stay involved civically. I learned about the Democracy Fellowship program and was accepted shortly after applying. After participating in the fellowship for a year, I then applied to serve on the Student Advisory Board, where I currently work to get college students across the country more democratically engaged. As of now, I’m the only student to represent the Pennsylvania and New Jersey areas,” he said.

After graduating last May with an associate degree in psychology, Nixon now works here at the College in academic advising for the Division of Educational Support Services. He currently attends Rutgers University – Camden pursuing a bachelor’s in psychology and is double minoring in criminal justice and national security studies.

In his free time, he still works with Michelle Lopez to organize voter registration drives and find ways to keep students informed and civically engaged. You can learn more and subscribe to the Student Voting Network Podcast through their Spotify channel or by emailing svncast [at] campusvoteproject.org (svncast[at]campusvoteproject[dot]org). 

Community College of Philadelphia would like to congratulate its president, Dr. Donald Guy Generals, for being named the 2021 National Pacesetter of the Year by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR).

The Pacesetter of the Year Award recognizes a community college president or CEO who has demonstrated special leadership and support in college communications and marketing. Dr. Generals received the award for his exceptional work to successfully leverage marketing and public relations strategies to advance the College and its mission.

He has presided over the College since 2014, and has introduced and enhanced many initiatives and efforts to increase student success, including additional student support services and Guided Pathways, a nationally recognized degree completion strategy. Much of Dr. Generals’ work also focuses on expanding access to a quality, affordable education for all students; empowering faculty and staff to be leaders; and celebrating the diversity of the College community.

Dr. Generals has served as an expert panelist for discussions on a range of issues, including poverty in Philadelphia, and innovation and inequality in education. He often speaks to groups about the advantages of community colleges and the impact they have on students and their communities. He also keeps faculty, staff and students informed about College news and information through town hall meetings, casual Fireside Chats, and Pizza with the President, where students can connect to discuss current events and ideas. In June 2020, with the help of College staff, he began hosting teach-in sessions through the Enough Is Enough series, featuring conversations around timely, relevant topics tied to social justice.

Involvement in local and regional community organizations allows Dr. Generals to stay updated on the pulse of the city and the individuals looking to further their education, or change or advance their careers. Dr. Generals serves on the board of directors of the Economy League of Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on boards of several other organizations, where he uses his platform to share information about the College and learn more about workforce opportunities for our students.

Dr. Generals’ support of college communications and marketing has truly placed the College and its students, faculty and staff in a position to excel.

To learn more, visit NCMPR’s webpage celebrating Dr. Generals’ achievement

The Start of Something New

Hello. My name is Idris Washington and I am 19 years old. When I am asked to talk about my story there is one thing that I always have to talk about, and that’s my education and why I’m on this path. The thing that makes my story different is that I didn’t go to middle school or high school. When I graduated from the third grade I went overseas to Egypt to live there and study my religion, Islam. I believe the issue was that I spent so much time working on my religious studies that I couldn’t focus on my traditional studies like English and math. When I got the chance to come back and finish my studies and get my diploma, I didn’t really care about it. I didn’t want to go to college. I didn’t really even care about my education. That all changed when I joined Gateway to College  They not only helped me to finish my education but their support also led me to pursue a higher education. I want to become a writer and also want to become a pro soccer player if I get the chance. That is what leads me to my time as a college student. This is not my first semester here at CCP; it is actually my third year here since I was a part of the Gateway to College program. With this in mind I kind of have a head start with the college scene and being able to handle all the things that are being thrown at me. I am having a good time with my classes and they are going really well. I love learning and the Catto Scholarship team is helping me along the way and I am very grateful. I won’t let this opportunity go to waste. I might have started slow in the classes, but it always takes time to get accustomed to them. I think I have gotten a grasp on them now and it’s a lot of fun. This semester I am taking a math class and while it’s definitely my worst subject, the way it’s being taught makes it so enjoyable and easy. To sum my first month up, I would say the best is yet to come and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I have a passion and drive for learning and hopefully that benefits me in the future.

Honoring Black History throughout the month of February, the College organized a wide array of events that highlight the rich heritage and unique cultures of the African Diaspora. From Africa Repatriation to discussions on the difficulties faced by Black Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, students, faculty and staff spent the month discovering the diverse history that informs the lives of our Black colleagues, classmates and fellow citizens of the world.  

On Feb. 1, the College kicked off its celebration with an Enough Is Enough teach-in series session, Enough Is Enough: COVID-19 Vaccinations, Myths vs. Facts. With Dr. Tamika Curry serving as moderator, Dr. Ala Stanford of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium led a discussion covering topics like the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine, distrust of the vaccine within the Black community and distribution issues within Black communities in Philadelphia. 
  
The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium first started as a response to the overwhelming lack of access to testing in the Philadelphia area, first covering the cost of testing for uninsured persons, and later helping to distribute vaccines. Now, Stanford says, they are fighting to keep testing accessible in Philadelphia's Black and brown communities, who have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 virus. “We're staying in the community of the people most impacted so that they can walk from their house, so they can get a bus to the church, so they can get an Uber to the Liacouras, not so they have to try travel eight miles [to get tested] somewhere else that's not in their community.” 

On Feb. 17, Dr. Generals hosted a fireside chat where he utilized Isabel Wilkerson's Caste: The Origins of our Discontents as a launching pad from which to frame a discussion about race in America. The book, Dr. Generals explained, dissects the experience of Black Americans as being contained within a caste system rather than a socially mobile class system like we are taught to believe. The book details the eight pillars of caste, and discusses how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s revolutionary practices were partially inspired by the way that southeast Asians in India and Pakistan were able to gain independence from Great Britain in 1947. When Dr. King visited India in 1959, he was regarded by members of the Dalit (lowest) caste as one of their own.  

Other events this month include Black Girl Magic: Philadelphia, set to take place on Wednesday, Feb. 24, and Making Our Voices Heard: Students of Color in Academia, which will take place on Thursday, Feb. 25. The former is a drag show showcasing Black excellence and celebrating Black History Month, sponsored by the MarcDavid LGBTQ Center, and the latter will give students of color the chance to speak on their experiences, and express challenges that affect their level of success.  

Events that are taking place throughout the entire month include a virtual reading room, Food for the Soul - Spotlight on African Businesses in Philadelphia, and virtual tours of Africa. 

View the complete list of Black History Month Events taking place at the College. 

Hello, everyone. My name is Chelsea and I am 30 years old. I am enrolled in the Paralegal Studies associate degree program here at Community College of Philadelphia.  I am currently in my first semester and this is the first time I have ever attended college EVER. I never thought that I would actually attend college and I absolutely love it. CCP has given me a lot of support and great opportunities, especially Mayor Jim Kenney's new anti-poverty Octavius Catto Scholarship.

I was raised by my grandparents from birth until I was 18 years old. When I was a child, my mother was a drug addict/alcoholic, and my father was not in my life. By the time I was a teenager, both my parents were in my life but they never raised me. I dealt with a lot of emotional problems as a child, which I ended up trying to drown out with drugs myself. I ended up graduating from an online charter school. When I turned 18, I moved out of the house. I struggled to support myself. Eventually by the time I was 24 years old, I was homeless on the streets of Kensington in Philadelphia. I knew that it was not the life that I wanted to live. I made a promise to myself that I would do whatever it took to get myself clean. 

I was in and out of rehab many times until eventually, I was able to stay clean. I had to rebuild my life completely all over again. I started out living in a halfway house and working part time at a chain retail store where I made less than $9 an hour. After many years of hard work, I finally was able to afford my own apartment. I had worked at a handful of places over the years and found sales rewarding. The downside was that I could not find anywhere willing to pay me more than $12 an hour, which barely covered my bills. I knew that if I went back to school, I could do something that I really loved, make more money, and find a job that was more reliable.

After first applying to CCP, I was notified that I was eligible for the Catto Scholarship. I was very grateful to the Mayor and the CCP team for the opportunity to get extra support. At first, I knew that I would be getting extra financial assistance, but I did not know much more about all the opportunities that I would soon be presented. I was honored to be able to meet the Mayor on Zoom during a virtual Board of Trustees meeting, and I also did a news interview to share more information with the community. The scholarship would have covered any left-over tuition expenses, and it did cover the ENTIRE cost of my books! Within my first few weeks at CCP, I was able to receive my monthly stipend and extra support services.

I was introduced to all the CCP faculty involved with the Catto Scholarship, and I met all scholarship recipients through Zoom. Everyone that I have met has been extremely friendly and helpful.  I met with my success coach, who set me up with services based on my needs, both personal and education related. It is nice having someone in your corner to turn to when you are just starting school, especially when we are completely virtual at this time. I was able to choose from a number of Zoom meetings and workshops that were based on different topics. I attended one about financial planning, which provided helpful information. I also received my monthly stipend, which helped pay for my food for almost an entire month.

I love this scholarship and I am so thankful that I was qualified to receive it. It makes my college experience so much easier by helping me financially (which allows for more study time) and providing any extra services that I may need. Thank you, Mayor Kenney and CCP team, for this awesome opportunity!

Reconnecting with her former professor through a meeting at a College alumni event in 2019 has led Malika Rahman to a different career trajectory.

“I didn’t know I wanted to teach in that moment. I knew I wanted to give back, perhaps through my nonprofit, Be A Great You, Inc. Once the opportunity presented itself to guest lecture, it all made perfect sense. I got to come back to the place where it started for me. I started teaching one class, and it has transcended into so much more. The opportunities at the College kept expanding and growing. I can bring my life, career and field experience to the next generation of law enforcement professionals. I had finally arrived at a place where perseverance aligned with purpose,” she said.

Rahman has years of experience in the field, where she has served as a correctional officer, a Deputy Sheriff’s officer and Community Relations officer. She was the first and youngest African-American female in Philadelphia to run for sheriff in 2018 when she announced her candidacy. Rahman is now a visiting lecturer in Criminal Justice and a participant in the Diversity Fellowship program, an initiative that she credits for helping her acclimate to her current role.

“I absolutely love the Fellowship program. They have workshops on interview preparation, course development, essential lessons, and what faculty and students need to know. It prepares you for a career in academia,” said Rahman.

A new course she developed, Race and Justice, is close to approval as a requirement for all Criminal Justice majors, beginning this fall. In addition to teaching students to become better officers and professionals, she also works to educate the College community and the public. Her upcoming Feb. 23 Law and Society Week presentation, Gender Inequality in Law Enforcement: Beyond the Badge, addresses another mission: uplifting women, and expanding and increasing their role in the field.

“Women were thought of as a nuisance in law enforcement—it was said women were emotional, lacked physical strength, needed to be protected, fragile. Women bring a different strength to the job—we bring a different context to de-escalate situations,” she said.

Rahman points out that there are only six African-American female sheriffs in the country. Similarly, Philadelphia has not yet had a female mayor.

“Overall, the law enforcement community has made pivotal steps, but there is still more work to be done. Are we grooming women for leadership positions in the community in which they work? We don’t need to be in a few rooms, we need to be in all rooms,” she said.

She reminds all of her students that combining their efforts and talents with team members yields the best results.

“I bring all of my resources to add to yours. That’s how we become effective,” said Rahman.

In teaching students how to bring more equity and diversity into law enforcement, she is hopeful for continued progress.

“Perhaps we can encourage our students to be the change,” said Rahman.