Carmen Williams was on the road to nowhere.

Left at a friend’s home by her mother as a child, Carmen endured myriad foster homes, including a household crawling with 30 unneutered cats. One day, she came home to discover the cats had soiled all of her high school uniforms. When she asked for $5 to get them washed, she said her foster parent refused to help.

So, she dropped out of school—not because she didn’t want to learn—but because she had nothing to wear. That’s how precarious life can be for youth like Carmen.

But today, the 22-year-old student’s uniform of choice belongs to Starbucks, where she works as a barista in the heart of the city’s business district. Her life has been fortified by a student support system that includes Starbucks, Community College of Philadelphia and YouthBuild Philadelphia, an alternative charter school that provides life skills, coping skills and a chance for older students to earn their diplomas and a career skill.

Yesterday, Carmen was a guest speaker at Community College of Philadelphia’s Fall Pathways Magazine Breakfast, which brought Starbucks, YouthBuild and the College together to talk about the universal issue that all big cities face: how to put youth, disconnected from work and school, onto a pathway to employment opportunity.

Carmen’s story put a face on the disconnected youth in America who far too often are invisible in urban centers. Audience members were moved to tears as they watched a video chronicling her amazing life’s journey—one that has taken her from dropout and exotic dancer to her high school’s salutatorian, prom queen and Starbucks barista.

In Philadelphia, one out of four young people between the ages of 18 and 24 are unemployed and out of school. “Opportunity Youth represent a huge, untapped opportunity for an infusion of productivity and creativity in the workforce,” said Starbucks District Manager Michael Scott, who said the company has hired about 50 Opportunity Youth from the Philadelphia region in the past two years. “We cannot drive performance sustainably if this group of young people is not engaged. They represent our future workforce as well as our future customers.”

In Philadelphia, Starbucks is partnering with a number of nonprofits that serve this population, including YouthBuild. “I found YouthBuild when I was 16 years old,” Carmen explained. “I was introduced to the sex industry to support myself... one of my coworkers who was also a dancer told me about this school she went to and how they cared about her so much.”

With the job market tightening and the U.S. unemployment rate recently teetering at just over 5 percent, the value attached to the Opportunity Youth pipeline is increasing as the strategy allows businesses to transform the lives of families and boost their own fortunes by providing opportunity—rather than handouts—to those in need.

In the United States alone, there are 3.5 million unfilled jobs. Jobs that do not require a four-year degree—sometimes called middle-skill jobs—make up the largest part of the labor market. This year, a coalition of business leaders launched the 100,000 Opportunities Initiative, which promotes the gospel of opportunity hiring and is working to create more flexible hiring systems that can overcome unconscious barriers to candidates that might have unusual life circumstances such as homelessness.

Major employers, including Starbucks, Target and CVS, have created the first large-scale employer-based effort to engage disconnected youth in the labor market by making investments in their potential through education, training and work experience in an effort to raise their level of employability. These U.S.-based companies have committed to hire at least 100,000 “Opportunity Youth” by 2018.

The Starbucks regional district, including Philadelphia and portions of the Mid-Atlantic, is a constant hub of activity as district managers form new alliances with nonprofits in an effort to fill the opportunity pipeline. It recently expanded its partnership with YouthBuild Philadelphia to include a program that prepares students for careers in retail and customer service by providing classroom and on-the-job training in a café setting, based on a similar training approach that Starbucks baristas receive in stores around the world.

Carmen, who recently gave birth, has her sights set on earning a degree from Community College of Philadelphia. Already, she has put lessons learned in a Psychology class to use behind the counter as she connects with customers. In just a few years, she replaced hurdles with hope, and found a purpose: sharing her new direction in an effort to prove that in every Philadelphia neighborhood, a better future is within reach.

At work, Carmen has been promoted once already, to barista trainer. She is working with her store manager on a plan for additional professional development.

“Where I see myself in the future?” she said, repeating the question. “I can’t even picture it right now. With the people I have now that love me and support me and care about me and motivate me and push me, when I can’t push myself, I might be the President.”

As she stood in front of the audience yesterday, however, her thoughts drifted to the friends she has who have not yet found their path—they want to work, want a better life but have not yet found people to support them, as she has.

“I wish you could meet the people I know,” she said. “As much as you love me and love my story, you can believe in and invest in other people who come from where I come from as well.”

Community College of Philadelphia Selected for New, National Initiative

Colleges participating in a new national initiative called the Pathways Project will implement guided academic and career pathways at scale — for all students. That is the shared commitment of the 30 institutions selected to join the groundbreaking program led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

Following a highly competitive national selection process, Community College of Philadelphia was invited to join in and contribute to the body of important work. This initiative reinforces the College’s ongoing effort to create a holistic educational approach that creates guided pathways from the student’s initial contact with the College through graduation.

AACC is coordinating a national partnership to build capacity for community colleges to implement a pathways approach to student success and college completion. Partners include Achieving the Dream, Inc., the Aspen Institute, the Center for Community College Student Engagement, the Community College Research Center, Jobs for the Future, the National Center for Inquiry and Improvement, and Public Agenda. Partners have participated actively in the college selection process and also are substantively involved in designing a model series of six two-day pathways institutes, each focusing on key elements in a fully-scaled pathway model for community colleges. The project is funded through a $5.2 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Pathways Project is designed to help simplify student decision-making, enable frequent feedback and target support as needed to help students stay the course.

Additionally, it will:

• Clarify paths to students’ end goals by simplifying their choices and establishing pathways to transfer
• Help students choose and enter a pathway by providing accelerated remediation if needed
• Help students stay on path by supporting them through advising and academic and nonacademic supports
• Ensure student learning by establishing learning outcomes; integrating digital and projects, internships and other applied learning experiences to enhance instruction and student success; and ensure incorporation of effective teaching practices

“These very diverse community colleges can feel proud of the strong foundations they have laid for this transformational work,” said AACC president Walter G. Bumphus. “We are pleased with the rigor and integrity that the Pathways partners have ensured in the selection process, and all of the partners look forward to the intensive work ahead.”

The goal is to help more students graduate from College or earn workforce credentials.

“We know from the research amassed by Columbia University’s Community College Research Center, that for students to persist and to achieve academic success, they need clear direction and guidance leading toward a career goal,” said Dr. Donald Guy Generals, president of Community College of Philadelphia. “They need to be assisted in identifying that goal and they need to have structures that provide the necessary guidance to ensure that they are focused and in pursuit of their goal. This is a student-centered approach that requires institutional commitment and organization.”

In a letter informing Dr. Generals of the College’s selection, AACC wrote that it was impressed by the “depth and quality” of institutional efforts to date. The selected colleges will be the first to participate in the Pathways Institute series over the next 2.5 years and will work with expert coaches at those institutes. In addition, the participating colleges will contribute to learning both across the initiative and more broadly, across the community college field.

Ron Davis knows a little about success and failure. He played in the National Football League and he was cut from the National Football League. In business, he’s led companies and has been fired from companies. Now he’s a doting grandfather raising his 11-year-old grandson.

In life, he says, “there’s no straight line.”

So when Davis, director of diversity and community development for Parx Casino, was invited in the spring of 2013 to speak at the Center for Male Engagement (CME) at Community College of Philadelphia, he realized his life lessons, the tough ones especially, might benefit these young men.

“I wanted to give back to young African American men who I did not know,” Davis said. “Parx and Community College of Philadelphia have given me and my colleagues that opportunity.”

Davis and his employer, Parx Casino, will provide CME $7,500 a year over the next three years to fund the Strong Lives, Strong Futures, Strong Men Scholarship, which will go toward tuition, fees, books or other college needs to qualified students enrolled at Community College of Philadelphia. Students must be active participants in Center for Male Engagement and must have attended “Real Talk” sessions, the informal group discussions held bimonthly by the Center.

Davis initially participated in a Real Talk session and was so impressed that he enlisted many of his professional friends to join him on a monthly basis.

Geared towards African-American males, the Center for Male Engagement provides its members with targeted academic and non-academic supports designed to broaden their skill sets, and build resolve as they pursue a degree at Community College of Philadelphia and continue beyond. Support coaches help students adapt to a collegiate environment, offer social and academic tools to reduce completion barriers and encourage them to connect with and engage in activities and service learning opportunities.

Davis sees his charge a little differently. Many CME students do not have father figures or any steady male presence in their lives to help them navigate everyday challenges. Davis and his colleagues talk about whatever students want to discuss, he said. Topics range widely. For instance, a student once asked Davis why he wore a suit because the student had never seen anyone in his neighborhood wearing one.

Getting the conversation started wasn’t easy at first. “You would think that being African American males, they would be comfortable with people who looked like them,” Davis said. “The distrust for us as older folks came across clearly.”

But once Davis began to share honestly about his successes and failures — “my warts” as he described them — the students warmed up.

“It was an organic experience in terms of who Ron is and the students gravitated to that. His openness and different experiences allowed him to be vulnerable,” said Derrick Perkins, CME’s project director.

Parx Casino continues to find ways to create stronger alliances with the community as a way to deepen learning in ways students care about, and Davis is one of the centerpieces of that effort. With nearly 1,000 casinos in 39 states (12 of which are in Pennsylvania), Parx has earned a reputation as one of the region’s most generous donors, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all charitable donations by Pennsylvania casinos, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Parx Casino’s commitment will help more students complete their degrees,” said an appreciative Gregory Murphy, the College’s vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the College Foundation.

Sometimes, all that is required to make a difference is being able to answer a question about a suit.

“We value the relationships and value Community College of Philadelphia,” Davis said “We see what we do as a value to the community. We want to make sure everybody is engaged.”

########################################################################################

Ron Davis and Parx Casino are part of Community College of Philadelphia's Learning Without Limits campaign. As the College celebrates 50 years, Learning Without Limits will share stories of businesses, nonprofits and leaders that help students achieve their academic goals and make it to the finish line.

By any standard, going from community college student to White House social secretary in just six years is the stuff of which dreams are made. And Deesha Dyer would probably be pinching herself, if she had the time.

Dyer, however, is too busy doing her job, which could arguably be described as the political arena’s most important events planner. Just last week, she and her team arranged for President Obama to welcome Pope Francis on the South Lawn; planned for him to host President Xi Jinpig of China; and then organized a state dinner for the Chinese president and hundreds of other VIPs.

No worries, though. Judging from the hug she received from First Lady Michelle Obama afterward, everything went off without a hitch.

Dyer, 37, who graduated from Community College of Philadelphia with an associate's degree in Women’s Studies, is only the second African American woman to hold the position of White House social secretary. The first was the glamorous Desiree Rogers, a Harvard MBA whose sparkling resume and rarefied circle of friends made her just as likely to attend a White House event than to coordinate one. That’s so different than Dyer, who likes to refer to herself as a "regular" person from West Philadelphia.

“I want people to see that they, too, can be here,” she said, in an exclusive interview with a video crew from Community College of Philadelphia, her alma mater. “They see people like me, regular people, working here, and that means a lot.”

After attending the Milton Hershey School in rural Hershey, PA, a boarding school for low-income students, Dyer began her college career at the University of Cincinnati, but dropped out during her freshman year. “College is expensive,” she explained. “At the time, I just couldn’t afford it.”

Over the next 10 years, she worked in Philadelphia as an assistant at a real estate firm and as a freelance hip hop journalist writing for an alternative weekly. She traveled the world. However,  she realized she wanted more education, and figured age 29 was as good a time as ever to go back to school.

At Community College of Philadelphia, Dyer finally found the financial resources she needed to keep going and Women’s Studies,  a program of study that whetted her passion to learn about the impact of changing gender roles on personal identity, families, educational institutions, the workplace, and the civic and political world.

“The surprising thing about community college is that you have the same great community, the same student life center, the same challenges and successes as another college,” Dyer said. “It was a good decision for me to go back.”

Dyer epitomizes the power of community colleges to transform destinies, something her boss, President Obama, has made as one of the mainstays of his administration. Since taking office, the President has been on a mission to make community colleges stronger and more accessible, ensuring that they deliver educational opportunities for millions of Americans each year.

It was at Community College of Philadelphia where Dyer applied for the White House internship that would change her professional life. She’s enjoyed a steady ascent since arriving as an intern at the White House in 2009 at the age of 31, working in the scheduling office before being named deputy social secretary in 2013. She was promoted to social secretary in May 2015.

“From the day Deesha started in the Social Office, she impressed me with her passion, creativity, public-mindedness and relentless competence , “ said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Deesha has worked tirelessly to truly make the White House the ‘People’s House.’”

When she is outside of the White House, Dyer works just as hard, mentoring young girls and boys, and volunteering in Washington and Philadelphia. Her message typically focuses on the importance of giving back.

“You never know who you’re going to inspire or how you’re going to it. You do it by just spending the time,” Dyer said. “Community involvement and mentoring is at the core of who I am.”

In September 2015, Community College of Philadelphia added Dyer’s profile to its ongoing series of celebrated alumni that includes Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer; noted Philadelphia urologist Dr. Joseph Williams and his wife, Dr. Gwendolyn Williams, an educational consultant; and Haywood Bell, the Chief Diversity Officer for Raytheon Company.

In the coming years, jobs requiring at least an associate’s degree are projected to grow twice as fast as those requiring no college experience. “We will not fill those jobs – or keep those jobs on our shores – without the training offered by community colleges,” President Obama has said.

Deesha Dyer's story demonstrates that community colleges have talent well worth America's investment. 

President Donald Guy Generals kicked off the College’s 50th year by posing a question to the faculty and staff assembled in the Winnet Student Life Building for Fall Professional Development Opening Session August 31.

“Do we want to be good?” Dr. Generals asked, “Or do we want to be great?”

The question is drawn from his listening tour, as he has tuned in on the conversations that will shape the direction of the College over the next 50 years.

His takeaways? The College is widely viewed as part of a vibrant and historical fabric of the city, and cited as one of the most important institutions in Philadelphia.

However, there are some who believe the College should stay the course and continue along the current lines of progress. Others believe the headwinds of change will batter higher education institutions, which will face an ambiguous future unless they change course.

“Over the course of the year, I am hoping we can address this and see what degree we need to change, if at all. Or whether or not we need to double down on the effort we are currently doing," Dr. Generals said.

What’s clear is the College needs to be more prominent in workforce and career development. “We need to be the go to institution,” he said. My vision is that it is more than workforce development. It really is about having an economic impact in this great city of ours and being at the table.“

At the end of his first year, Dr. Generals reorganized the College in an effort to blend academics with tools for student success. “I did not submerge academic affairs under student affairs,” he said, adding that student success and academic affairs have taken on added importance as they are creating stronger alliances and an environment that is beneficial to student learning.”

"It's not enough for students to know things. They have to apply it in purposeful ways to issues they care about,” said Carol Geary Schneider, president of the Association of American College and Universities who spoke at in-service.

For the coming academic year, the College will move into a new phase of collaboration as efforts get underway to hold an organized conversation regarding guided pathways and new ways to deepen student learning. Dr. Generals plans to establish a President’s Council to create a vehicle for organized conversation. Volunteers are being sought to help with this initiative.

“We shuffled the deck a little bit,” Dr. Generals said. “Do we aspire to be the best? And if we want to be the best, does that assume we continue to do what we’ve been doing?”

Dr. Generals emphasized that hat the College must continue to strengthen assessment of student learning outcomes and use data to reflect, make changes and improve the curriculum.

By Dec. 1, 2015 the College must report on its progress in meeting Standard 14 to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

“My appeal to everyone is to make sure we do whatever we can do to assess student learning outcomes,” Generals said. "The assessment process requires that we identify the type of assessment you want to do and, in a very direct way, determine if what you are teaching is benefiting the students acquiring that knowledge."

In other business, the president also provided additional updates:
The state budget still has not been passed, leaving the College and other nonprofits in limbo. The College must identify bold ways to sustain itself for the next 50 years and beyond, he said. The College intends to enrich civic engagement, which integrates community-based learning and reinforces the skills and knowledge acquired in the classrooms.

For the first time, Community College of Philadelphia has created a course that allows students to use one of the world’s finest collections of Post-Impressionist and Early Modern paintings as their textbooks.

Art 101 will be offered at the Barnes Foundation during an accelerated 10-week term, with the first class beginning Tuesday, October 6. Subsequent classes will run Mondays through December 19, 2015.

Each Monday, students will have access to the Renoirs, Cézannes and Picassos of the renowned collection. The class runs from 4:10 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Barnes, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, with class time equally divided between the classroom and the galleries. The course will offer a primer on how to enter into a discourse about art and realize its cultural value.

Course instructor Brian Seymour, associate professor of Art History at Community College of Philadelphia, has examined Dr. Albert C. Barnes, founder of the Barnes Foundation, as part of his doctoral research on art collectors at the turn of the 20th century. Seymour says the class is designed for and open to all art lovers, not just students from the College, and it builds upon Dr. Barnes' desire to make his impressive collection accessible to all. Seymour said the close proximity of the Barnes gives Community College of Philadelphia students and guest students an opportunity to engage with a renowned art collection just blocks away from the College’s Main Campus.

Dr. Sarah Iepson, Art department chair at Community College of Philadelphia, shares Seymour’s excitement. “We have had partnerships with other museums but up to this point we hadn't figured out how to engage with the Barnes Collection. It’s a fantastic opportunity for the College,” she said.

“Dr. Barnes’ philosophy was that the collection be an educational institution – he wanted his art to educate people,” Seymour added. “Community College of Philadelphia is for the people. It’s the perfect location to host this course.”

The three-credit course fulfills a Humanities elective and is transferable to most four-year institutions. Tuition for the class varies by residency; Philadelphia residents pay $153 per credit hour or $459; other Pennsylvanians pay more.

Shawn Jorden faced daunting roadblocks and abrupt detours on the road to earning a college degree. He dealt with a lack of housing and health care, as well as the financial struggles that often accompany unemployment.

At Community College of Philadelphia, Jorden discovered two places that were set up to help him and his peers be more successful in college and in life:  The Center for Male Engagement and Single Stop USA, a national, one-stop resource that partners with the College to connect students with additional financial resources and social services.

Jorden first connected with  the Center for Male Engagement, a program  created to assist African-American males and other underserved populations with skills to help them succeed inside and outside of class. The center provides academic support, leadership development and life skills training. In addition, he met people who treated him like family: Kevin Convington who would later become his mentor, as well as Derrick Perkins, the director of the program.

"The first semester was kind of rocky and then my second semester I kind of started to pull things together," Jorden said. "I started to have a clear mind when talking to Derrick and Kevin, who were motivating me."

The Center for Male Engagement then referred him to Single Stop, where Jorden found information on addressing life challenges and how and where to get a job. Single Stop also helped him develop a plan for financial success and apply for benefits. “We empower students to develop a plan for their lives based on their needs and take the lead on following through with their goals,” said Paula Umaña, Single Stop’s Project Director at the College.

Single Stop helped Shawn with his resume, which helped him in secure a paid work-study job. It also provided credit counseling, helped him craft a long-term financial plan, and provided experts to help with his tax returns. After many attempts and denials, Shawn was finally approved for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and later for Medicaid, after its partial expansion.

When Shawn walked across the stage on May 2 to pick up his degrees in Psychology and Liberal Arts, he had secured much more than a plan for the next stage of life. He gained new life skills and the confidence to fulfill his educational goals.

"I would like to see myself walking across that stage again, and I am capable of that," said Jorden who now plans to pursue a bachelor's degree.

It’s not every day you get a national shout-out from the President of the United States, especially when you’re just an ordinary guy from Philly who’s had some run-ins with the law.

But, as President Obama noted in a revelatory speech to the NAACP on criminal justice reform last week, Jeff Copeland’s determination helps him to stand apart. A formerly incarcerated Philadelphian, he received his associate’s degree, earning high honors, and is now working to complete his bachelor’s degree at Temple University.

Copeland used the Reentry Support Project (RSP) of the Fox Rothschild Center for Law & Society to guide him toward his path. Since 2010, the Reentry project has served over 500 students with criminal records seeking services to help them achieve their academic goals. In 2011, RSP established the REACH College Program to provide a select group of currently and formerly incarcerated men and women with wrap-around support services during their first academic semester. In 2014-2015, REACH enrolled 121 students, and 98 percent of those completed the semester and remained eligible for continuing enrollment. As of summer 2015, REACH has served 180 students.

Admittedly, Copeland would not have the confidence to stay the academic course if not for Tara Timberman, founder and coordinator of the Reentry Support Project. Timberman recruited Copeland to the College while he was still incarcerated. With her support, he was able to alleviate the fears he had about returning to school.

“She held my hand,” Copeland said. “At no point did she say ‘This is too much’ or ‘I’m too busy.’ The Reentry Project enabled me to stand up for myself.”

When President Obama addressed the NAACP in Philadelphia on July 14, he mentioned the College’s Reentry project and shared Copeland’s recent achievements. It was a meaningful moment for Copeland and Timberman, both of whom were seated near the front of the stage.

In addition, Copeland, who had served time for DUI, was invited to meet Obama privately before his speech, along with three other local ex-offenders.

As Vinny Vella, a reporter for the Daily News aptly summed it up: “The discussion was equal parts serious and silly, with thoughtful debates about prison policy interspersed with banter about basketball: Copeland, noting that five men were sitting together, offered to take Obama down to a court in South Philly, where he "was sure we could find five guys to take us on.”

And to think Copeland was once nicknamed “Running Man” after the popular '80's dance because he was running in place and going nowhere fast. Now he’s taking pictures with President Obama and feeling comfortable enough to joke around with him. It’s heady stuff.

"It feels like I’m intoxicated,” he said, “without taking a drink.”

When Kathleen Hetherington first mentioned that she might enroll at Community College of Philadelphia, a teacher at West Philadelphia Catholic Girls High School tried to discourage her.

Back then, community colleges were not always on the radar.

Yet, somehow they still have managed to attract top talent like creative genius Walt Disney,  movie star Tom Hanks, American journalist Jim Lehr, and a girl from Southwest Philly, Kathleen Hetherington, who went on to become president of Howard Community College in Columbia, MD, and her alma mater’s 2015 commencement speaker.

“To paraphrase the famous actor Tom Hanks, also a community college graduate, ‘Community college made me what I am today,’” said Dr. Hetherington during Community College of Philadelphia’s May 2 commencement at Temple University’s Liacouras Center. “If it were not for the excellent education that I received and the experience I had as an employee of the College, I would not be standing before you today. So I am very grateful to the community college system, but my enthusiasm is more about what I’ve seen community colleges do for others. I have seen lives transformed. All of you who are graduating today have experienced that transformation.”

In Philadelphia, the Community College of Philadelphia Class of 2015 had 2,081 candidates for graduation. Four College employees, 25 international students, and 40 veterans were among this year’s class. Times are so different now, Dr. Hetherington told them.

Community colleges are a first option for a growing number of students seeking a path to the Ivy League or to top colleges and universities such as Temple, La Salle and Drexel. Four students in the College’s Class of 2015 already have been accepted to the University of Pennsylvania.

“For many students, community colleges are their first choice.  But they are also the place where people get a ‘second chance.’ Perhaps life intervened, or another college wasn’t a good fit, or maybe it wasn’t their time, but community colleges are the place where people get that rarest of things—a second chance—and it happens each and every day.”

Dr. Hetherington, who received an honorary degree during the ceremony from Community College of Philadelphia's president, Dr. Donald Guy Generals, then shared some advice to the graduates who will scatter as some enter new careers and others transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

Her personal rules for success?  Always dream big. Never underestimate the value of hard work. Face your fears. And stop worrying about what people think about you; most of the time they are thinking about themselves.

Student speaker Charlene Hoffman, a 57-year old mother of three and honor student who plans to teach theater to children, offered advice as well: Give back to the community. “We have a responsibility to our communities, to the world, no matter our majors or aspirations,” said Hoffman. “We must challenge ourselves to be engaged in our communities by giving back. Each one should teach one. The challenge is to take the connections we made, our unique passions, and take our degrees and do something positive and significant with them.”

Also during the ceremony, Dr. Generals announced that Dr. Sarah Iepson, associate professor of art, was the winner of the 2015 Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award, established by the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation. As the honoree, Iepson will deliver a celebrated lecture during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Nearly 1,000 dignitaries, family, staff and students gathered at Congregation Rodeph Shalom on May 1 to witness the installation of Dr. Donald Guy Generals as the sixth president of Community College of Philadelphia.

The ceremony came weeks after Dr. Generals—a man who stumbled upon his own career path while tutoring at his local community college—announced the creation of the College’s groundbreaking 50th Anniversary Scholars Program. The scholarship, which starts in the fall, will expand access and opportunity by covering the cost of tuition not covered by federal or state financial aid for up to three years for some highly motivated low-income graduates from Philadelphia high schools.

The festivities began in the morning with a colorful cultural procession from the Main Campus. Hundreds of faculty and staff clad in regalia and students walked together. Some held up the 47 flags from the home countries of the College’s international students, who come from around the world to enroll.

Once that group entered Rodelph Shalom, the academic procession began as 39 delegates from regional colleges and universities, about 200 faculty and administrators, and the presidential party opened the investiture service.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and State Rep. James R. Roebuck, Jr., both members of the College’s Board of Trustees, were among the members of the Presidential party. Dr. Ronald J. Temple, the third president of Community College of Philadelphia and its first African American president, also joined the festivities.

The event had a distinctive community feel to it as students sang alongside faculty, staff, and singers from the larger community in The Concert Choir of Community College of Philadelphia. Led by Robert Ross, Director and Chair of the College’s Music Department, the group sang in harmony.  Music was a feature throughout the ceremony, as well as at the Celebration on the Skyline following the event. Dr. Generals, himself a musician, has played the drums at College events and believes that the arts enrich learning and inspire creativity. Thus the soulful sounds of the Jazz Ensemble of Community College of Philadelphia, led by Anthony Ferrara, filled the air before the installation service.

In his inaugural remarks, Dr. Generals spoke of the lasting economic and cultural impact of Community College of Philadelphia, which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary.

Since its founding, the College has served as a pipeline where talent flows freely into industries and city departments, including the Philadelphia Police and Fire departments and health care industries, Dr. Generals noted. For example, Louis Giorla, Commissioner of the Philadelphia Prison System; Captain Verdell Johnson commanding the 39th District; Lancaster, PA Police Chief Keith Sadler; and Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer are all alumni.

Over the last five decades, more than 54,000 students have graduated from Community College of Philadelphia. “Beyond our most celebrated graduates, there are thousands who have learned the lessons of civility, who have studied and embraced the core values of our humanities, and who have used their talents of critical inquiry to examine the problems in our communities, resulting in healthier neighborhoods,” Dr. Generals said. “We have made great citizens. We have made responsible parents. We have made Philadelphia one of the best places in the world to visit and one of the best places to live.”

The city’s renaissance has been fueled, in part, by affordable educational options provided by the College, Dr. Generals said. He cautioned, however, that the poverty rate—as high as 28 percent in some estimates—threatens recent progress. “The renaissance will screech to a halt unless we find ways to include those stuck in the 28 percent who continue to wallow in poverty and despair,” he said.

In closing, Dr. Generals mentioned the recent riots and unrest in impoverished areas of Baltimore, and offered a call to action.

“I am asking that you join me and our community partners to lead the city and pave the way for the 28 percent in our community who continue to live in poverty and seek a way out.  I am asking you to embrace the possibility that what we do is a matter of social justice. I am asking you to join me in making Community College of Philadelphia the number one community college in America,” Dr. Generals said.