When Miyah Campbell first came to Community College of Philadelphia, she was not sure what she wanted to study or what she wanted to do, but she knew that she wanted to pursue a career path with greater stability and security. At the time, she was working at a hotel and caring for her daughter as a single mother. Now, she has three college degrees, works as a licensed social worker and is pursuing her doctorate in Social Work.

Miyah first considered attending CCP after her graduation from YouthBuild Charter School in Philadelphia. YouthBuild’s mission is to empower out-of-school youths to develop skills and connect them to opportunities by fostering an environment of love, support, and respect for their whole person. Miyah’s graduation ceremony was held on CCP’s campus, which inspired her to look into enrolling.

“I remember my daughter, at the time, was going to a Montessori school,” Miyah said. “And I was looking at the parents in that community, and they were all working professionals. And I was like, ‘Let me see what schools I might like.’”

Miyah enrolled at CCP and began her higher educational journey with general education courses. “I think that CCP was like a boot camp. I think because I made it there, the other schools, to me, were easier,” Miyah said in hindsight. "I think I definitely learned about the resources that are available at the college level.”

With a few CCP courses under her belt, Miyah realized she wanted to major in the helping field after a friend asked her what she was studying at CCP. “I want to do something like the Dixon House,” Miyah told her friend, and they suggested she take some courses in the Behavioral Health and Human Services department.

The Dixon House, a Diversified Community Services property that serves as a nonprofit, multipurpose social service agency, gives families and children the opportunity to be self-sufficient in their neighborhoods. Miyah saw how impactful the Dixon House was in her own neighborhood and was inspired to attain a similar career.

While she currently works at a dialysis clinic with patients who have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Miyah eventually aims to help young people. In her doctoral program at Widener University, she is planning to focus her research on social media and its effect on young people, specifically relating to gun violence prevention.

“That’s what I would love to do. To work with youth, or work with some type of organization to develop programming around it. Because if I’m engulfed in that literature and research, I will have the tools to address it,” Miyah said.

Throughout Miyah’s academic journey, faculty, staff and mentors have encouraged her to keep going and to lead with her whole self. She said one of the most important things CCP taught her was how to find and utilize student resources. She did that by asking questions and maintaining authenticity. She reflected on this process, saying that not being afraid to ask questions has contributed to much of her success. Miyah said recognizing her own authenticity and carrying it with her all these years has not only kept her pushing forward, but has helped her connect to those that she serves more effectively.

“I find it so important to show up as who you are, because people could take from that and learn,” she said. Miyah hopes to be able to help others by being her authentic self in the same way many of her professors and mentors at CCP, La Salle and Widener have done for her.

After many ups and downs and a lot of hard work, Olivia is now thriving at CCP as a Biology major.

This semester, Olivia also received two prestigious scholarships at CCP. The first is a $1,500 award from the American Association of University Women-Lansdale Branch Scholarship, which is given to women entering their final semester. The second scholarship, the Muriel Shapp Award, is given to students majoring in Biology, and Olivia received $925.

Additionally, Olivia was selected to be part of the Bucknell Community College Scholars Program this past summer and plans to transfer to Bucknell University in the fall of 2025 to pursue a bachelor's degree in Neuroscience, with a minor in Biology.

Though her journey has not been linear, Olivia says, “I’ve learned that that is the beauty of life, and I am excited to see where it takes me.”

David Oliver, ‘13, currently works for the City of Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations as the Northwest Division Human Relations representative, but in his spare time, he also works with the Juvenile Justice Center of Philadelphia, mentors young people who are justice impacted, and even finds time to be part of CCP’s Behavioral Health and Human Services Advisory Committee.

Through all his work, David gives back to his community, both in the City of Philadelphia and here at CCP. “The work that I do is mutually beneficial. Part of it is self-serving because it fulfills my need to give back or repay my debt. And it also helps people,” said David.

When David says he is repaying his debt, he is referring to his younger years and some of the challenges he faced as a teen. “I was one of those people who were kind of marginalized in society and essentially, we were impoverished,” David said about his upbringing in Philadelphia.

“We know now that poverty is tantamount to trauma. I was not the best kid. I sold drugs and got in trouble. And eventually I was judged as an adult in the system,” David said.

After spending seven years in prison from age 17 to 24, David had to build his life back from the ground up. “When I came home, I said, ‘I got to figure my life out.’ And it was not as easy as one might think it is,” David said. “You say, ‘okay, get a job, go to school and figure it out.’ But it was not that cut and dry.”

In 2010, David decided to enroll in classes at CCP, which he describes as “totally transformative.” Over the next eight years, David acquired three higher education degrees, finishing with his master’s in Social Work from Temple University.

Since then, David has worked for the city in a few different roles. Part of his current professional role with the city is to help folks who have been justice impacted understand their rights and options.

“We have this fair chance hiring law. I teach at the Northwest parole office so our justice impacted citizens who are returning home can understand this law,” said David. “That was not available to me. I was not in that situation,” he continued, referring to his own experience returning home after being imprisoned. 
David’s commitment to bettering himself and to helping others do the same is unparalleled. “I'm a staunch advocate for self-growth and improving one’s current condition, whatever the condition is,” David said. “People like me are here to help. Use your resources.”

David began his own journey of self-growth here at CCP, and he said when he came here, he had an “aha!” moment that showed him he could find everything he was looking for here. He said that he was challenged at CCP and that helped him grow into the person he is today.

“As humans, the necessity to be challenged is integral into the fabric of our makeup. We must be challenged in order to grow,” David said. “And that is what CCP does. That is the thing that I got most out of this experience.”

When asked what he tells folks who have found themselves in similar situations to his, David said, “The thing about growth is that it is uncomfortable, and you are going to have adversaries. But none are bigger than yourself.”

He said that once he was able to get out of his own way, his path became much clearer. And that is what David hopes to inspire others to do through his work in all of his roles.