With an academic background in sociology and criminal justice, Judy Cruz-Ransom has been helping survivors of trauma for more than 28 years. Starting as an adjunct instructor in 2009 and now serving as a visiting lecturer at the College, Judy teaches her Criminal Justice students about trauma and its effects, and what resources are available for assistance, to best prepare them for successful careers.

This fall, all Criminal Justice students will be required to take a new course she has created, Victimology and Trauma. Cruz-Ransom credits the College’s Diversity Fellowship program with helping her develop the new offering and look more broadly at enhancing learning for better student outcomes. She brings the insight gained from years of experience in various criminal justice entities, where she directly advocated for victims of crime, and from her full-time job—the assistant director of the Office for Child and Youth Protection at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia—into the classroom and to the College community.

“Trauma serves as a roadblock to learning. Some individuals don’t even recognize they are traumatized or are victims,” said Cruz-Ransom.

She emphasized that with the prevalence of trauma, faculty and staff could be suffering as well.

“We all could be dealing with trauma. I educate students and others about resources, and you have to be sensitive with class assignments. You have to understand how this impacts everyone,” she said.

During the College’s Law and Society Week, Cruz-Ransom will facilitate two sessions on Feb. 24: one on Victimization and Trauma, with co-presenter and adjunct faculty member Leslie Davila, about the different types of victimization and best practices for trauma-informed classrooms; and Policing the Streets and Building Trust in Our Communities, which will feature Philadelphia’s Police Commissioner, Danielle Outlaw, and other high-ranking members of the force for a productive dialogue between attendees and law enforcement officials.

“I will ask hard questions, such as how do we get corrupt officers off the streets, and how do we—the faculty, staff and students—get a seat at this table to enact change?” said Cruz-Ransom.

Along with the lessons she teaches in her classes, Cruz-Ransom wants these critical conversations to educate the next generation of individuals working in law enforcement.

“Part of my career has been to bridge the gap between students and the police—that is my mission,” she said.

As the United States struggles to redefine its history through activism and the Black Lives Matter movement, CCP alumnus Pedro Regalado is both an attentive observer and a scholar.

Regalado, who received his Ph.D. in American Studies from Yale University and is currently a Junior Fellow of the Society of Fellows at Harvard University, went from a life as a community college graduate to the halls of some of the nation’s most famous universities. 

He belongs everywhere—a fact he discovered one day while living in Philadelphia.

“I remember I had finished CCP. I was working at Au Bon Pain, but I was still pretty confident in myself. I had worked hard at my classes,” Regalado said in a recent interview. “I had to make a delivery to the University of Pennsylvania one day. I went to UPenn and it was my first time on the campus. I saw people who were my age, who were not in Au Bon Pain shirts! I thought, 'You know what? I could be here.'"

Academia, indeed, would be an environment where he could thrive. He went on to receive his B.A. from Loyola University in Chicago and his Ph.D. from Yale University. Along the way, his research and interest in understanding cities have brought distinction. History isn’t just about understanding the past, but also about understanding the present.

“In studying our past, we're often trying to figure out how we arrived at where we are today. Why do I live in this neighborhood? Why am I impoverished? History is essential to answering these questions,” Regalado explained. “It also helps you to figure out your role in the arc of this country, and what you can do to make it a better place. What kind of legacies should we build upon? And what are some of the things that we owe to certain communities?”

Regalado’s dissertation reconstructed how poor Latinx immigrants lived through the evolving, racialized political economy of New York since World War II. It argued that, at each turn of the city’s economic life, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Colombians, Mexicans and Central Americans found themselves at the center of urban change, impacting the policies and racial configurations that local and federal governments promoted. In 2019, that dissertation was a finalist for the American Studies Association’s Ralph Gabriel Henry Prize.

Now at Harvard, Regalado is working on a book project, Latinx Gotham: Work and the Origins of Modern New York, which examines the history of 20th century New York City through the lens of Latinx workers in the city’s rapidly-evolving industries, recuperating Latinx residents as active agents in the remaking of the city’s economy and landscape.

New York’s Latinx population grew from roughly 134,000 in 1940 to over 2 million by 2000, accounting for roughly a third of the city’s residents. Regalado and his family are in that group. Along with his parents and two brothers, Regalado came to New York City from the Dominican Republic when he was five. 

True to his roots, Regalado explores the history of Latinx New York through oral histories and how their role in the economy affected both the city as well as the home countries where many still support family members.

“Scholars have long worked to show how Latinx migration changed the social landscape of New York City. Yet in most historical accounts, I’d say that the dominant narrative of the city is one that focuses on its post-industrial transition. Latinx people have mostly figured into that conversation as bystanders and victims. So, what I hope to do in my work is to broadly chart how a multi-national and multi-racial community understood itself throughout the century and, on the other hand, how they shaped urban policy,” Regalado said.

It was at CCP that Regalado wrote his first research paper, which covered Victorian Era marriages and spatial gender norms. It was there that he honed his research skills while also taking a class in demography, which is the study of human populations and of the process through which populations change. Regalado also was co-captain of the school’s baseball team.

With millions of Americans out of work because of COVID-19, Regalado feels community colleges have an essential role in moving the economy forward. “I've been lucky enough to study at some prestigious institutions,” he said. “And a lot of the education that I received at CCP during my two years there, it was generally on par with them. Many of my professors at CCP were incredibly dedicated teachers who were invested in their students’ success. Overall, I think that if the country is going to make a more concerted effort to develop an equitable economy, they must invest in the future of community colleges.”

At Community College of Philadelphia, Regalado found a higher purpose, and a calling that has placed him at the center of today's conversations about redefining history. 

“I knew that history was what I wanted to dedicate myself to,” Regalado said. “Understanding the Latinx community, I believed, could offer some foundational insights into how today’s cities work.” 

As a pandemic strikes, CCP Nursing grads share tales of resilience

In the year that novel coronavirus changed life as we know it in this city, Community College of Philadelphia graduated 96 Nursing students, many of whom overcame unthinkable odds while still in school.

The Nursing Class of 2020 faced heartbreak, job loss, the loss of siblings and/or parents, COVID-19 and other monumental challenges. Three members of the class, many of whom were working jobs as licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or aides in nursing homes or health facilities, tested positive for COVID-19 and completed classwork online while in quarantine.

During spring break, tragedy stuck. Janette Reyes, a popular classmate, was killed in a car accident, leaving her family and her peers heartbroken. With the help of a supportive faculty, every student who was in the class this spring completed the Nursing program.

There are 96 graduates in all, and, like past graduates, most are likely to end up with jobs in the city. Since opening its doors to students in 1965, CCP has produced more than 5,000 Nursing graduates.

The Nursing faculty, led by Dr. Tamika Curry, an assistant professor of Nursing, and Laureen Tavolaro-Ryley, the Independence Foundation Chair in Nursing, helped to organize an online celebration so the close community of learners could gather a final time to say their goodbyes.

Due to social distancing guidelines, CCP was unable to host its traditional nurses pinning ceremony, planned for May 1, 2020. That night, graduates partied apart, though together in spirit, with each contributing a favorite song, as they shared photos and poignant memories of the journey.

“We just wanted them to be connected,” Tavolaro-Ryley said. During the celebration, a number of people, including Mayor Jim Kenney; CCP President Donald Guy Generals; Phil Okala, Chief Operating Officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System; the Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake, president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation; and surprise guest, James Poyser of Legendary Roots Crew, offered congratulations.

Here are a few of the graduates stories of resilience:

Natalya Zuyevych lost a job, had a baby and grieved the loss of a close relative while in the Nursing program. “I received my first degree at La Salle University, but I always dreamed of being a nurse, so I decided to go back to school. There have been so many ups and downs these last two years, the last six weeks have been especially difficult. When I started NursingSchool, I had a one year old and I was pregnant. I had a C-section and a week later had to be back in school because we had a written exam. Just the support of the teachers, my clinical instructors... everyone was so supportive in all of my difficult times, accommodating me so that I can nurse or pump during clinicals and other things. Just whoa, it was just such a journey.”

Lucas Torres was in the military while taking his classes, and his dad and his brother passed away within months of each other. “I started my nursing journey probably five years ago. I'm in the military, I mean, the front line of the military as well. When I'm in my first semester, I was in a motorcycle accident so I had to pause my whole schooling, which took some time. It took about a year to get back to health.

At the beginning of this semester, my father passed and my brother committed suicide, which kind of gave me more of a focus on the mental health, especially in the city and where I live. My brother was a police officer, so police officers and the military have high suicide rates. It kind of made me want to get into the psychiatric side of nursing, to really focus, help out and give back as much as I possibly can. The faculty took the time to assure me that I'm not alone, especially going through all the deaths in my family, and I really appreciate that.”

Lashaya Edgefield, a single mom with a daughter,  didn’t have a car so she juggled child care arrangements and classes, all  while relying on public transportation. Some days, she had to get her daughter to relatives, and then travel by public transportation to work..

“I started my journey in nursing some nine years ago as a certified nursing assistant,” she said. “At the time, I was a new mom. I was living in poverty, didn't have a job and didn't know what I wanted to do. I stumbled on the NewCourtland education center's CNA (certified nursing assistant) program, which was seven weeks long. So, I want to say thank you to CareerLink because they paid for that and now I'm here. I'm going to be a registered nurse. Raising a little girl while in Nursing school, that was tough. I didn't have a car. I don't know how I did it, but it got done. I also had to take the bus to my clinical sites and they were very strict.  So, I was in the dark, on my way to clinical, at 5:30 am in the morning.”

Jessica Dorsey called the Nursing program “the hardest thing in my life so far.  It was tough. I had to work. Well, this week it's over 40 hours, so I'm trying to take all my exams and go to work, too. That was a little rough to do. I mean, right now, I'm struggling, trying to get my kid his education because he's home. I have to be his teacher and also be a student myself. I had to put everything aside for the most part, do whatever I can, and just try and keep my head in the game. But we’re done. I'm excited. I don't know, I guess I'm ready to finally be a mother again, finally be the wife that I was, focus on me and then move on to my bachelor's in the fall. I'll be going to the University of Ohio for my bachelor's degree.”

“From a really young age I loved food,” recalls Liam Spady, a recent graduate of Community College of Philadelphia who received his associate degree in Culinary Arts. “I loved cooking, which is what I did because in school, I got kind of bullied. I was always into books... I didn't do what the other guys did. So, I went into the kitchen.”

Although Liam found respite in cooking at a young age, his passion for food eventually led him to discover some troubling inequities in food access throughout our city. He explained, “I had the privilege of going to a school in South Philly. So, I would leave West Philly and go all the way down there each morning and just go into some of the stores around there. The options were different. I kind of got used to eating that way. When I would come home, I was like, ‘Oh, where's everything at?’”

Although he didn’t know it at the time, Liam would eventually learn that what he was experiencing was a food desert. This motivated Liam to approach his career in food from a different point of view.

Liam plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the fall, majoring in Public Health at Temple University. “I want to study the education side of things, like how people get educated about what foods are healthy”, he said. “But also, I want to be in a management/administration role, setting what those guidelines are and working with nutritionists on mandating what is served in schools and in different places around the city.”

Liam is no stranger to policy creation in Philadelphia. After entering the city’s foster care system at 16 and experiencing further housing instability after he aged out of the system, Liam wanted to know how he could help improve the institutions that help support housing and food insecure youth. Since 2016 Liam has been a member of the Youth Action Board for Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services.

“It was some time ago I was a client at CBH (Community Behavioral Health) because I experienced a couple different things while I was in foster care,” said Liam. “So, I started looking for ways to try to improve the system because my experience was so bad.” The group started meeting as a temporary initiative called the Hundred Day Challenge and transformed into the Youth Action Board at the Office of Homeless Services over a three-year period.

“Doing work around youth homelessness, mental health and resource access and a little bit of national work with youth Collaboratory on the same topics,” Liam has chaired the Youth Action Board for the last two years. The purpose of the Youth Action Board is to connect with housing and food insecure youth around the city and convey their issues to city departments that can enact the change that those groups need.

Liam has been able to advocate for the needs of housing and food insecure students at Community College of Philadelphia as well by working with the Institute for Community Engagement and Civic Leadership.  “Michelle [Lopez] and David [Ascencio] came to me and a couple of other young people and got a small group together. We sat in her office for hours and just planned and planned and talk about our needs,” said Liam. Out of these conversations came multiple educational events aimed at teaching College staff and faculty how to better serve students who have been in or are in foster care. The advocacy of Liam and his peers that led to these events has helped to inform future initiatives and improvements in the College’s Fostering Caring Connections program as well.

Tackling issues at a city-wide level, Liam has been able to help enact significant changes through the Youth Action Board. Liam and his peers on the board identified that there was a lack of attention toward specialized resources for young adults ages 18-24 who are at risk of homelessness. Previously, when homeless youth were evaluated by the city to receive housing, they were prioritized based on how long they had been homeless and were often placed at the very end of a long list. “You would be last on that list because you've been homeless X amount of days compared to [adults] who might be chronically homeless. We just found that to be unfair because you would never get housing.” By connecting with Councilwoman Helen Gym, the Youth Action Board was able to secure additional funds to be allocated specifically for youth housing. They were also able to change the cutoff age for youth housing from 21 to 24.

But like most systemic issues, the work of providing resources for housing insecure youth is nowhere near done. “There's no youth-specific shelter for young people,” said Liam, “so young people don't feel safe going into the shelter system. And because of that, they don't get services and it causes them to leave school or drop out. A lot of members on our Youth Action Board actually were college students who couldn't attain housing and they dropped out.” Compounding this issue, many housing insecure youths have a difficult time supporting themselves because there are very few opportunities for them to get paid a living wage without a degree.

Although Liam was able to overcome nearly insurmountable challenges to complete his associate degree, he has far too many peers who, not for lack of trying, were unable to have that same opportunity. Balancing his studies with a full-time work schedule and housing insecurity, those peers are what kept him going. “To see so many other young people not achieve [their degree] because of these stupid barriers that I felt were so easy to fix, but no one was doing it, that was the initial drive,” said Liam. “And then the second thing is just [my] love for learning and education. I just love to know more to be more and to do more”. Having lived in west Philadelphia most of his life, Liam looks forward to using his education to help create prosperity within the community in which he grew up. “I would go into nice buildings [around other parts of the city] and I'm like, wow, this is great...to transform west Philly into that [is] another big push,” he said. “I think those things kind of got me through it.”

Decades ago, Tria Jones had a calling to be a nurse but life kept getting in the way.

Her best friend was murdered. Then her husband, Michael Williams, passed away, leaving her with four children to raise. The seesaw economy made it difficult to support her family on her salary as a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Moreover, after starting her Nursing classes, she found herself unemployed and combating housing security.

Yet, on April 30, 2020, her 40th birthday, Tria took her final exam in Community College of Philadelphia’s Nursing program. She passed and earned her associate degree. She and her 95 classmates now are studying for the NCLEX, the Nursing licensure exam for registered nurses.

During Tria’s educational journey, a brigade of faculty and staff helped find scholarship money when she fell behind on tuition; provided a stipend for the Nursing textbooks; provided a bus pass so she did not have to miss classes; lifted her spirits when anxiety set in and provided emergency funds at the point college seemed to have become an insurmountable challenge.

“When you have that little doubt on your shoulder, your village, well, they see you, they see all the talent you have, and they say, ‘What are you talking about? I know you. You can do this.’” Tria said. “They lifted the weight off my shoulders. When the stress is off, you can concentrate on doing well in your classes. I could never have done this without them.”

The financial hurdles were higher for Tria who had used up her financial aid during previous stints to become an accountant, a nurse’s aide and a LPN. So the scholarships provided through CCP’s Office of Institutional Advancement proved critical, especially the final one, the Scholarship to the Finish Line, which paid for her last semester.

Tria assembled her village as she met new faculty and reached out for resources. Each new person contributed, even the now retired security guard in the Mint Building whose smile Tria looked forward to seeing each day.

“Tria Jones was one of the most resilient students I have ever had,” says Julie Odell, an associate professor of English said. “Her plate was already full when she started class, but she knew where she was going and how to use every resource CCP offered her to make it happen. She asked for help when she needed it, and she got it. Her belief in herself, her love for her children, and her fierce desire for a better life drove her to success.”

Jeremiah White, Jr., chairman of the CCP Board of Trustees, says formal support networks are needed to increase college completion rates. The College recently established CCP Cares, where students can connect to resources by emailing the College confidentially and asking for help.

“Students need an ecosystem that supports them through daily life challenges by providing food, transportation, textbook stipends, child care and academic intervention that begins the moment that they fall behind in class,” White said during his recent testimony before City Council.

The Octavius Catto Scholarship proposed by the Kenney Administration and the College is designed to expand and deepen the ecosystem of support for CCP's students.

It is difficult, though necessary, for college students to serve as advocates for themselves, Tria says. When Tria was unable to afford her first-year textbooks for the Nursing Program, she walked into the office of the president, Dr Donald Guy Generals, to seek advice.

That is how she learned about KEYS (Keystone Education Yields Success), an initiative that provides men and women receiving public assistance with opportunities that can change their trajectory in life. The program exclusively serves Philadelphians who are receiving either Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

In the KEYS program, Tria found a ready-made network that was highly skilled at addressing classroom success as well as quality of life issues such as employment, housing insecurity, financial literacy and life skills.

“Oh my gosh. KEYS, they have just been a support in so many ways,” Tria said. “Whether it is receiving a book allowance for textbooks or helping with transportation to school, or just talking when doubts set in. The ladies in that office have really been there for me. Every student should be entitled to these supports. ‘’

KEYS also introduced students to academic mentors, who update them on academic resources and provided a quiet room with WIFI and computers where Tria could do homework and study.

Twenty students in the KEYS program graduated in May 2020; three of them, like Tria, completed the Nursing program. KEYS has had more than 250 of its students graduate; 56 of whom completed the CCP Nursing program, where entry-level salaries start at $59,000 a year.

One of the newest participants in KEYS was Tria’s daughter, Jannat Williams, who enrolled in College full time last fall, after participating in its Gateway to College, an alternative program for local high school students.

“As a nation, we often say we value higher education but we don’t always put the supports in for students to reach the goal line,” Tria said. “KEYS is doing that for me. It makes the college experience complete. Sometimes students like myself feel they can't join or participate because they don’t have the fees. KEYS removes those and so many other barriers.”

Now that she has graduated, Tria plans to continue her education at West Chester University, in the RN-BSN program. She has already started making phone calls, and creating her new village.

When first he enrolled at Community College of Philadelphia in 2017, Andreas Copes believed he wanted to pursue a degree in Liberal Arts and eventually end up in the field of public relations. Now, as he finishes up his associate degree at Community College of Philadelphia, Copes will move on to the next stage of his academic career having discovered a new career trajectory in journalism and media, and having earned multiple awards and scholarships, work experience and professional connections. An enthusiastic member of the College’s campus community, Copes embraced every opportunity to get involved on campus, proving that higher education can illuminate parts of ourselves we didn’t know existed, and lead us down new pathways.

Immigrating from Germany to Philadelphia in 2017, Andreas considered returning home to pursue his education. He only decided to stay in the United States when he met the man who would later become his husband. Copes chose to attend the College due to both its affordability as well as its diverse student body. “I know I don't look like it, but I'm 29...One thing that I was worried about was that I would only be around people that are 18 or 19,” said Copes. “If you come from another country into the school system or higher education system in America, it's easier to start at a community college...Not that [the classes] are easier, but it's a benefit that a community college in general has a more diverse student body.”

The College’s student body was one of the first things to influence Copes to begin inching away from PR. “I got to know so many people... I heard about their stories, that is actually also a reason why I want to go into journalism,” he said. “I want to tell the story of all people, to empower others to know that the struggle that they're going through isn't unique for that person.”

His approach to empowering his community has to do with both telling their stories and advocating for causes that inspire positive change. After joining the College’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter and becoming the Public Relations officer in 2019, he participated in the Honors in Action program with his fellow officers, researching and implementing methods to help inform and register voters, as well as encourage them to make it to the polls on voting day. Identifying as a feminist, Copes chose to focus on reproductive rights for his individual Honors in Action project. Working with Planned Parenthood, he organized an event at the College to spread awareness on the barriers that stand between women and their right to choose.

By embracing one on-campus opportunity after another, Andreas happened upon his first experience with journalism when he took a voice and articulation course with Professor Mary Conway in Spring 2019. “At that time they were looking for a new host for Focal Point. They were targeting students who had taken this class because we were trained in voice and articulation. And so I auditioned for the show, and got into it right away,” said Copes. Focal Point is a magazine show on the College’s TV channel, CCP-TV, that explores timely topics and campus happenings. Copes also runs the station’s media accounts.

The following summer, Copes used his experience to land a highly competitive internship at WHYY. He recalled, “I thought I had to have low expectations because I knew that there were students from Temple and Drexel applying for the internship…but I thought, ‘I'm a host of a TV show already. It's only the College's TV station, but I'm doing something in this direction.’ At that time, I was also producing my own podcast so I could show that as well. I just gave it a try and then I eventually made it to the internship.”

Taking on another season as a host of Focal Point, Copes brought to the table new knowledge and experience gained from his internship in order to take on a more significant role in the show’s production. “I got in touch with Alan Kobernick, who is the head of CCPTV, and told him that for the next season, I would like to be much more involved in production. So, we developed a plan on what kind of topics we wanted to touch on in this season, and I knew that I wanted to write the script—and that's how we started.”

Even after the campus has moved to remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Copes and his peers have found creative ways to keep both the show and their connection with the CCP community alive. “Ever since coronavirus and the lockdown, students in the digital video production curriculum produce their own segments with the material that they have, whether that's a semiprofessional camera or their cell phone camera. Then when we meet on Saturdays, they show me what they've prepared in regard to segments, so I have an idea of what it is about, and I write my script on that Saturday.”

In light of all his hard work Andreas received multiple scholarships this year. He was given an outstanding community college transfer scholarship from the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges (PACCC) as well as a scholarship from the Point Foundation, which is a national scholarship for LGBTQ students. This the Point scholarship also came with a trip to Los Angeles, where Copes and other recipients attended a symposium and workshop for college applications, as well as other educational events.

Copes will continue his education at Temple University in the fall in the Communication Studies major of distinction, which is “an academically rigorous program for students who wish to construct an interdisciplinary curriculum that meets their individual interests across the Klein [College of Media and Communication] departments.”

Andreas has learned a lot in his time at the College. One lesson he wants to share with the CCP community reflects the magnitude of all he was able to achieve in just a few short years. “Don't ever think that you're worth less just because you're going to a community college. It is as important as any other college and we should never forget that some of our professors are working at other colleges, whether that's Jefferson or Temple as well. And for the graduates. I just hope that pathway to success, the motto of CCP, will be a great one as well.”

Seven years ago, Brittany Halbsgut was a hairstylist on welfare, having to take shifts at the salon’s front desk just to make ends meet.

Her career was not where she expected it to be, prompting her to enroll at Community College of Philadelphia. “I Initially felt like college was not for me. But as I was thinking about where I was in life and what I wanted for myself, I decided it was time to go to college," she said. "I couldn’t move on with my life, couldn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve. I was exhausted and I was drained. I will always be passionate about cutting hair but it was not an industry where I could truly thrive and be my best self. ”

After refreshing her skills by taking remedial math, Brittany discovered⁠—much to her surprise⁠—that she, in fact, was college material. Enrolling at CCP “is absolutely the best decision I made for my education, my career and my life,” said Brittany, who graduated with an associate degree in Communication Studies from CCP in 2017 and was accepted at the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy  League school. “If anyone, or even your children, would like to talk more about how to get started at #communitycollege from nothing, please reach out,” she recently wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

With so many college plans turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brittany, who is an HR Manager for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, decided to share her CCP experience with others on LinkedIn who might⁠—for the first time⁠—be facing life-changing decisions, as she did, and looking at community college as an option.

Brittany said she selected CCP largely due to its affordability, and its evening and weekend classes. 

After taking a few courses on campus, she discovered the convenience of online learning. "That made a huge difference," she said. "I felt less stress. I was able to balance my life. The online classes really changed my perspective. I felt CCP was giving me options that worked for my life.”

Her CCP course credits transferred over to the University of Pennsylvania, even though they were about a third of the cost of credits there, Brittany said, “As the future of traditional universities is changing, I encourage high school students to consider attending their community college at least for the first year, 

Brittany, like many others, is facing uncertainty in her life right now. That is why she recently took time to reflect upon her transformation, and why she feels that experience will continue to guide her. 

Since attending CCP, Brittany has changed careers, bought a house, traveled to Europe and received promotions at work. She credits CCP for everything she has. “I would not be where I am today if CCP hadn’t given me the opportunity to prove what I can do. It was exactly what I needed to build the life I wanted.”

Come December, she hopes to add one more credential to her resume: bachelor's degree in Organizational Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Every year the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges (PACCC) recognizes students across the state who display academic excellence and are active in their own campus community. Two of the 47 outstanding community college transfer scholarships were awarded to Community College of Philadelphia sophomores Andreas Copes and Kendall Stephens, with Copes being named to the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team and Stephens to the All-USA Community College Academic Team. Stephens was also distinguished as a Coca-Cola New Century Transfer Scholar, which is awarded to students who receive the highest All-USA Community College Team application scores in each state. Both All-Pennsylvania and All-USA Academic Team members receive a two-year tuition waiver for any school in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PSSHE).  

Dan Greenstein, the State System Chancellor, commented on the need for scholarships that encourage community college students to  achieve a bachelor's degree, saying “Workforce needs in Pennsylvania remain high and will likely be even higher in the months and years ahead. These students with their knowledge, skills, diligence, and humanity can help propel Pennsylvania toward a brighter future, and we’re grateful they chose the State System to be such a critical part of their journey.” 

Andreas Copes was born in Germany and immigrated to the US in 2017. On top of a 4.0 GPA, he is an active and engaged member of the campus community. As the Public Relations officer of the College’s Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society chapter, he organized an initiative to register Philadelphians to vote while providing them with information about candidates to enable informed decisions on election day. He has also collaborated with Planned Parenthood, throwing an event to raise money to protect a woman’s right to choose. Andreas is the host and writer of the CCP TV show "Focal Point" and he is also the station's social media manager. He is a member of the CCP Street Team, a group of students who regularly contribute to the College’s social media channels, and he will be attending Temple University in the fall to study Mass Media and Broadcast Journalism. 

For Kendall Stephens, 2020 has been a year full accolades, awards and recognition. Majoring in Behavioral Health/Human Services, Stephens is renowned for her community service, academic excellence, and the vision of inclusion and tolerance which she fights tirelessly to make reality. A transgender woman herself, Stephens has pushed past many of her own adversities and become an advocate for her peers in the LGBTQ+ community. An intern at Morris Home, a recovery center for trans and gender-nonconforming folks with addictions, she facilitates support groups and assists with yoga classes. She also works with William Way Community Center to co-facilitate a weekly support group for trans and gender-non-conforming people and was given the New Emerging Leader Award for her services last October. She serves on advisory boards for the Marc David LGBTQ Center at CCP, William Way Community Center and Mazzoni Center.  

 “Having that firsthand connection, it kind of gives me a unique perspective on how to combat some of the issues and challenges happening in the community,” she explained in a recent interview with the Philadelphia Sunday Sun. “Somebody right next to a problem may be the one that is able to find the solution.”  

Receiving the prestigious Coca-Cola New Century Transfer Scholarship from the PACCC, she will receive a $2,250 scholarship from the Coca-Cola Educational Foundation in addition to a two-year tuition waiver for the PSSHE school of her choosing. She has also received a full scholarship to Temple University, was recently named the 2020 Person of the Year by Philadelphia Gay News and was named one of eight 2020 DREAM Scholars by Achieving the Dream.  

By combining their own passions with the goal of improving their communities, Kendall Stephens and Andreas Copes are helping to make both the College and Philadelphia a better place to be. The College is honored to have two such driven and talented students in its student body, and believes them to be a perfect representation of how diversity can and should be a force which strengthens us as a whole. Just by lifting up their peers and fellow Philadelphians, Kendall and Andreas have garnered recognition on a national and state-wide level. These two CCP Lions show us that by practicing focus, compassion and dedication, individuals can always make a difference.   

Three health care programs at Community College of Philadelphia have donated life-saving equipment to local hospitals to support health care facilities and their colleagues working on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Respiratory Care Technology program, the Biomedical Equipment Technology (BMET)  program and the Nursing program at CCP have donated either ventilators or personal protective gear, both of which are in short supply and used to treat patients with the novel coronavirus.

The Respiratory Care Technology program has donated four ventilators and one BiPAP, which is a less invasive type of ventilator that helps patients keep breathing. The program uses the equipment to help students prepare for their upcoming respiratory therapy clinicals in hospitals. The BMET program donated its ventilator as well. Students in that program learn how to test and repair the medical equipment used in hospitals. The technicians  play a vital role by taking care of the medical devices that nurses, doctors and respiratory therapists use in caring for patients.

All five ventilators and the BiPaP are currently on loan to the Temple University Health System. Respiratory Care Program Director Lisa Fielding said that CCP respiratory care graduate Hernan Alvarado Jr. , currently an administrative director of respiratory care at Temple, contacted the College to see if it had equipment it could spare. Dr. Catherine Blaine, CCP’s director of clinical education, played a pivotal role in the donation. 

The Nursing program donated personal protective equipment packets, each including a hospital mask, gown and gloves to Jeanes Hospital and Fox Chase Cancer Center. 

"I was clearing out the lab and I said, “Hey, we could donate this,” said Michelle Nixon-Alicea, a Nursing instructor at CCP  who also teaches clinicals at Jeanes Hospital. A conversation led to the decision to donate 75 personal protective equipment packets each to Jeanes and Fox Chase. Nursing faculty use the protective gear to show students how to properly use and remove the garments, Nixon-Alicea said. 

Both Fielding and Nixon-Alicea said their programs enjoy close relationships with staff at area hospitals who help prepare students for the workplace by providing hands-on experience.

“We have a lot of friends out there on the frontlines,” Nixon-Alicea said. 

Fielding added, “Everything is on the line right now. The machines would be sitting there, not being used, so why not use them to help?”

Community College of Philadelphia 's Class of 2020 includes approximately 96 nursing students, 21 students in respiratory therapy and 15 students in the BMET program. 

Graduates strengthen Philadelphia's local economy and workforce—89 percent of recent graduates who were working at a job eight months after graduating from the College were employed in the Philadelphia metro area.

Over the years, Nursing has graduated more than 5,000 Nurses and Respiratory Care, formerly the Respiratory Technician and Therapist program, has graduated more than 1,000 students. 

In February, Kendall Stephens was one of eight community college students from Achieving the Dream (ATD) Network colleges chosen as 2020 DREAM Scholars, giving her and seven others the opportunity to participate in ATD’s 2020 DREAM Scholars program to enhance their leadership, critical thinking and networking skills. 

Each participating community college nominates a DREAM scholar. Nominees submit applications that ask them to reflect on their college journeys, and from there a rigorous selection process begins. It is no surprise that Community College of Philadelphia nominated Kendall, and that she was selected as one of eight 2020 DREAM Scholars in the entire nation. After all, the program is all about student leaders looking to make a difference on their campus and in their communities.

During DREAM, the students meet with community college leaders, share their educational experiences, and attend sessions on improving student success, institutional governance, teaching and learning, administration and more. The program culminated in a presentation by the DREAM Scholars to more than 2,000 community college leaders at ATD’s annual conference, DREAM, in National Harbor, Maryland from February 18-21, 2020. 

Early in March, Kendall was honored yet again when she was selected as a member of the 2020 All-USA Academic Team. Recognized as the top-scoring student from Pennsylvania in the program, she was also selected as New Century Transfer Pathway Scholar for Pennsylvania. Only 20 students from more than 2,000 nominations are named to the prestigious All-USA Academic Team. The Team is sponsored by Follett Higher Education Group, with additional support provided by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. 

Kendall embodies excellence as both an academic and a community advocate. She serves on several advisory boards, including the College’s LGBTQ Center, the Mazzoni LGBTQ Health Center and the William Way LGBTQ Recreational Center. Recently, Kendall was given William Way’s New Emerging Leader Award and she was named Person of the Year by Philadelphia Gay News. Her goal is to drive social justice and cultural awareness in the College community by spreading the message of inclusivity to students, faculty, board members and beyond. One day she hopes to become a social worker to help increase the visibility, inclusivity and acceptance of the trans community in mainstream society.