Dante Collier’s days start at 2:30 a.m. when he wakes up to deliver the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper. The early start means less sleep, however it leaves his days open for a full course-load at Community College of Philadelphia, where he is a starting guard and co-captain of the men’s basketball team.

During the week, Collier’s day usually ends with either practice or a game. It’s more than a hobby for the 5’10” point guard for the Colonials. “Basketball is my way of getting away from the world. It’s like a stress reliever. When I’m on the court and playing, I get to have as much fun as I want,” said Collier, a Business major. Other members of the team work as well to support themselves and family members, and pay for school. They make time for the basketball team because they share Collier’s passion.

Lately, the team has been making an indelible impression on sports enthusiasts across the nation. The Colonials, with a 12-1 record, are ranked third nationally in the National Junior Collegiate Athletics Association’s (NJCAA), an honor that has made the scrappy team a target as of late for its opponents.

“The guys are playing hard and working well together. Really, it’s those two things which are why we are where we are right now,” said Joe Rome, the men’s basketball coach. “We’ve got half a season to go. We’ll see what happens in the second half. As long as we stay together as a team we should be okay.”

Collier credits the bond that he and other veteran players have formed with newer players this year for the success. “We’re able to talk to the freshmen about how to keep things together. The main thing is sticking together and not quitting,” Collier said. “When you play on a team, it’s more like a brotherhood. When one person goes down or one person isn’t feeling good or is upset, you lend him a helping hand and keep him motivated. Keep everybody together on a nice, calm level and they’ll feed off that energy.”

The regular season has 27 games, 13 of which were completed by December 16. If the team maintains its winning streak it would compete for the conference, region and ultimately national championship.

As the team heads into winter break it needs to play well, Collier said. “You have to expect people are going to play their hearts out against us,” he said. “People know that we’re ranked now and these other teams want to be the one to beat us.”

The men’s basketball roster includes: Dante Collier, Basir Fulmore, Marcus Smith, Eric Massenburg, Jr., Jeff Giddings, Nigel Caldwell, Lennon Winebrenner, Devin Bowsky, Rafiq Johnson, Ron Rollins, Jaleel Williams, Jeff Williford, Mikal Mumin and Zachary Stone.

Smith and Caldwell currently are the team’s highest scorers. Smith is averaging 10.2 points per game and 3.8 rebounds, while Caldwell averages 10.2 points per game and 4.2 rebounds.

Dr. Donald Guy Generals, seated in an armchair, read from a passage as the smell of marshmallows and hot chocolate hung in the air.

He shared “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Diaz, a Dominican-American author who grew up in Dr. Generals’ hometown of Paterson, N.J.

With rapt attention, approximately 40 students, faculty and staff seated around the College’s president listened as some sipped a warm drink.

For the hour during Dr. Generals’ Fireside Chat in the Winnet Student Life Building Coffeehouse on November 18, titles and position were put aside and those who braved the freezing outdoor temperature were engaged, as a community, in a dialogue on a literary work.

Since his arrival, Dr. Generals has said, on many occasions, that his role is to support a good college that is working to become a great institution, and to engage all in the learning process — students, staff and faculty. "We have to continue to keep current with where the world is and what our role is, and how we can affect changes in the world,” he said. “We must become a community of learners."

The new Fireside Chats, launched this fall, provide an opportunity for the College community to learn from and with each other. “My hope is that you will freely share reflections on your favorite book, poem, song or any artistic expression of Hispanic culture,” Dr. Generals wrote in the invitation to the first chat.

The atmosphere was cozy. A dessert buffet in the back of the room included graham crackers, chocolate and an open flame for toasting marshmallows, which added to the ambiance. Dr. Generals ate his first s’more (and loved it). At this forum, all opinions could be voiced, and students could step up to quiz the president.

Those in the audience who had read the book Dr. Generals shared had a lively discussion, as a video of a burning fireplace played on a flat-screen TV near his armchair.

Dr. Generals called on Lynette Brown-Sow, vice president of Marketing and Government Relations, who shared her thoughts about a book called “The House on Mango Street,” by Sandra Cisneros. He then called on Dr. Judith Gay, vice president of Academic Affairs, who read two poems, one which sparked a discussion about the justice system and how difficult it can be for people to improve their lives.

Dr. Generals said he plans to hold several Fireside Chats with different themes and looks forward to more people sharing at the gathering. “This is the first shot at this. We’ll do many more,” he said. “Ultimately this is about reading. We want to encourage you to read as much as possible.”

Chris Wilson, a Justice major, retired from the U.S. Army in 2009 and hadn’t had much occasion to wear his brown military fatigues until Nov. 11.

He had received an email requesting that he show military pride by wearing the battledress to the College’s Veterans Day ceremony. “I wasn’t sure they would still fit,” Wilson said. He was glad they did and glad to have attended.

During a packed ceremony outside the Veterans Resource Center in the Bonnell Lobby, Wilson and other veterans received applause, appreciative handshakes, and words of gratitude from College officials and honored guests. “It’s like a celebration. I get to see who else is a veteran. This pumps me up for Veterans Day,” Wilson said.

Across the city, ceremonies marked the day the nation shows its appreciation for those who serve and have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The College currently serves more than 500 veterans. Moreover, in the Class of 2014, 81 of the graduates had military backgrounds.

The Veterans Resource Center serves as both a guiding light and a beacon of hope for retired and active duty military. One such student is Moustapha Toure, a Senior Airman in the U.S. Air Force. Now 21-years-old, Toure said he has been trying to finish an undergraduate degree since the age of 17 but his coursework has been interrupted repeatedly by deployments.

After he returned to Philadelphia from Afghanistan in mid-September, he chose Community College of Philadelphia because of the support services and resources. “I was looking in the area for a military-friendly college. I came here, and it’s been amazing,” Toure said. After getting advice from the Veterans Resource Center, he’s taking 18 credits and is on track to earn an associate’s degree in Liberal Arts. He is dually admitted to Temple University, where he plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Disruptions like those Toure encountered are a small measure of the personal sacrifices military men and women make. During the ceremony, Philadelphia Police Inspector Verdell Johnson, an alumnus; Dr. Donald Guy Generals, the College’s president; Steve Bachovin, coordinator for the Veterans Resource; and Jason Mays, president of the Student Government Association, spoke of other burdens that military men and women or they themselves have carried for the sake of their country.

Philadelphia District Attorney R. Seth Williams, a Major in the Judge Advocate General Corps of the United States Army Reserve, was also a guest speaker. He praised veterans as heroes for their commitment to duty, honor and country. Then he asked civilians in the audience also to make a commitment to serve. “You don’t have to go out on the battlefield. There’s a battle going on right here,” Williams said.

People can serve their communities by helping their neighbors and encouraging high school students to stay in school and graduate, the DA said. Moreover, fighting truancy helps reduce crime because students who drop-out are more likely to go to prison or become the victims of homicide, he added. “I would ask all of you today to commit yourselves to duty, honor and country. Commit to serving one another,” he said.

Attracted by the nexus of military and college experience in the room, officers from the Philadelphia Police Department manned a recruiting table before and after the ceremony. The department is looking for candidates to replace officers they are losing through retirements. Employment eligibility requirements include either 60 credits of college or a minimum of six months of active duty military experience with an honorable discharge.

“Anytime we have attrition from police officers retiring, we try to replace those ranks,” said Edward Savage the Philadelphia Police recruitment officer who manned the table. “We’re looking to fill those jobs.”

Michael Ferguson graduated with highest honors in May, and then came back to the College this summer to help other students.

Serving as a peer mentor in a program called Raising Interest in STEM Education (RISE), Ferguson made phone calls and met face-to-face with students to help them through precalculus, biology and Math 118, an intermediate algebra course that some

find challenging. “It’s a class you have to get past if you want to major in science. Math is an important structure of science,” said Ferguson, who is now enrolled at Temple University.

More than 50 students aspiring for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics received extra support this summer when RISE launched. The Biology department received $216,149 in initial funding for the program through a U.S. Department of Education Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) grant in 2013. “This grant provides more opportunity for minority students who are underrepresented in the sciences,” said Linda Powell, M.D., a professor who serves as the Biology department chair. “It provides those students with increased opportunity to stay in the sciences and persist to transfer.”

In addition, the College also unveiled its state-of-the-art professional research laboratory this fall, which provides equipment for academic research in cell and molecular physiology, and bacterial protein physiology. A $230,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense provided the funding.

Dr. Powell, who has nurtured and supported legions of students who are now standouts in their fields, wrote and submitted both grants. Only two of the 12 colleges and universities receiving RISE grants were two-year institutions, Dr. Powell said. The funding pays for books, speakers, STEM workshops and stipends for academic peer mentors.

Mentorship is a key element of the program. “I witness students dealing with many things that interfere with their progression,” said Ferguson, who is pursuing a molecular biology career. “If you can get past those things, let school be the center of where your future is.”

Students enter RISE with varying levels of academic attainment. Some are taking entry level science courses, while others are further along. For example, six in the program worked on summer research projects through a partnership with Drexel University’s College of Engineering, she said.

RISE dovetails with a 20-year National Science Foundation (NSF) program called the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP), which Dr. Powell has directed since it began at the College. Supported by the NSF, the AMP program provides mentorship, coaching and advising for students preparing to pursue baccalaureate and graduate degrees in STEM fields.

Dr. Powell regularly sees her former students working in the industry across the region.

“I see former AMP students at pharmacies throughout the city,” she said. “I see our students at hospitals—they tend to stay local.”

Students, faculty and staff members gathered for an Ebola information session October 28 on the Main Campus, which was designed to foster a better understanding of how the virus works and to share safety recommendations from leading health organizations.

Dr. Linda Powell, the Biology Department chair, and the Biology department assumed the leadership in putting together the panel which included Dr. Mary Ann Wagner-Graham, assistant professor of Biology; Dr. John-Paul Vermitsky, assistant professor of Biology; Lisa Johnson, assistant professor of Nursing, Tamika Curry, assistant professor of Nursing, and Petrina McFarlane, assistant professor of Nursing.

The mission, in Dr. Powell’s words, was to begin a conversation about “what Ebola is and what Ebola is not.” NBC 10 covered the session on the evening and nightly news, and touted the College’s forum, which put the current Ebola outbreak into context by providing a history of the virus and dispelling misconceptions.

Among the interesting facts shared:

• Ebola is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection of the Ebola virus. It is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of an infected person, contact with infected wildlife or instruments containing infectious bodily fluids.
• Health care providers caring for Ebola patients and the family and friends in close contact with these patients are at the highest risk of getting sick.
• Members of the College family are far more likely to catch the flu, which also can be deadly. NPR recently assembled a chart showing that the American public’s chances of dying from Ebola were 1 in 13.3 million, while the risk of dying from a lightning strike are 1 in 9.6 million and the risk of being killed by a shark is 1 in 3.7 million.
• There have been previous Ebola outbreaks. The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history and is affecting multiple countries in West Africa.
• The City of Philadelphia has a plan in place to care for Ebola patients, should the need arise. The University of Pennsylvania Health System and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia are the region’s designated care centers.
• The College’s Nursing program is incorporating lessons learned from the current outbreak into the curriculum to keep Nursing students abreast of changing safety protocols, tests of Ebola vaccines and more.
• Individuals can take the following precautions:
  • Wash hands frequently or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid contact with blood and body fluids of any person, particularly someone who is sick.
  • Do not handle items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids.
  • Do not touch the body of someone who has died from Ebola.

Hayward L. Bell is a corporate executive who works in Waltham, Mass., but his heart has never let go of his South Philadelphia roots or Community College of Philadelphia, the place that set him on a path to success.

 Bell, who earned an Associate in Applied Science in Accounting from the College in 1973, is Chief Diversity Officer for Raytheon, a global technology and defense company with 63,000 employees.

 After making an initial $125,000 gift last year, he endowed an annual scholarship at the College that provides one student each year with up to $5,000 for tuition and fees. In addition, he personally mentors each of the recipients. According to the National Mentoring Partnership, mentoring can positively impact academic achievement, workforce development and juvenile justice outcomes.

“Community College of Philadelphia at the time was the place that gave me the foundation for my success, so I consider Community College part of my roots,” said Bell, whose donation is among the largest the College has received from an alumnus. “Community College of Philadelphia has always been a great institution and it has continued to progress and continued to support a critical need in our community.”

Students’ needs often extend beyond tuition dollars. Bell believes the time he invests mentoring scholars is equally important. “I had multiple people who mentored me throughout my career, in different stages of my career,” he said. “And I learned different things from different mentors. One of the things I learned from mentoring is how important it is to share what you know with other people.”

Bell’s generosity has made life a bit easier for Dante Mullings, a Nursing student who won the first Bell Scholarship in 2013 and works while taking classes. Mullings is the youngest of five siblings and one of the first in his family to graduate high school and enter college. “It’s been a big deal for me,” Mullings said. “He (Mr. Bell) sat down and talked with me. He’s given me feedback. He’s written letters of recommendation for me. This has definitely had an impact on me.”

Since its founding in 1964 and its opening on September 23, 1965, Community College of Philadelphia has served more than 685,000 individuals. Graduates have risen to leadership ranks in business, government and education, with some serving on the College’s faculty today.

Over the next 12 months, the College will profile a number of distinguished alumni who are Moving Philadelphia Forward, and making a difference through their careers, community service or philanthropic efforts. Richard S. Downs, a member of the first graduating class in 1967 and a retired business executive, and Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer; are among those whose stories will be shared.

“Mr. Bell is a businessman who understands that education is a passport to the region’s smart, well-educated and growing workforce,” said Dr. Donald Generals, college president, who announced this month that Bell has committed to give the College an additional $60,000 for scholarships, bringing his total donation to nearly $200,000. “The College is uniquely positioned to advance the social and economic interests of this great city—and nation. It is a source of tremendous pride that Mr. Bell and so many other alumni are working to move this city, and its creative and talented people, forward.”

After earning his associate degree, Bell received a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and an MBA from Lehigh University. To learn more about Bell’s remarkable journey, visit the College’s 50th Anniversary website.

Thirty-two entrepreneurs, the largest class ever for 10,000 Small Businesses—Greater Philadelphia, celebrated the completion of the program August 22 at a graduation ceremony in the Center for Business and Industry.

In alphabetical order, the graduates are:

Cassandra Bailey, president and CEO of Slice Communications; Donahue Bailey, president and CEO of Atrium International, Inc.; Liz Bello, manager and co-owner of Mercer Café; Luis Berrios, president of Locating Utility Infrastructure Services, LLC; William Capers, president and CEO of Pitter Patter Learning Center, LLC; Ken Carter, president and chief operating officer of Supra Office Solutions, Inc.; Bob Christian, president of University City Review, Inc.; Anita Conner, owner of Anita T. Conner & Associates, PC; Daniel Culp, chief operating officer of Pride Klean; C. Katherine DeStefano, CEO of New Horizons Counseling Services, Inc.; John Fleming, managing member of Fleming Consulting, LLC; Jossi Fritz-Mauer, co-executive director of the Energy Co-Op; Kevin Gatto, president of Verde Salon Inc.; Farelen Gonzalez, facility director of Casa de Consejeria y Salud Integral Inc.; Raymond Jones, CEO of We See You, LLC; Patrick Kelly, owner and president of Stein Your Florist, Co.; Srini Lokula, president of Ram Tech Systems, Inc.; Andrew Magnus, president of BTC Envelopes and Printing, LLC; Kariema Milligan, president of Milligan Group LLC; Chris Molieri, co-owner of Greenstreet Coffee Roasters; Colin O’Neil, vice president of Bookbinder Specialties, LLC; Katie O’Neill, co-owner and creative director of Mushmina; David Rose, president of Brio Solutions; Scott Seltzer, president of ConnectMe; April Slobodrian, president of Northeast Construction, Inc.; Michael Smith, president of Round 2 Lighting, LLC; Blane Stoddart, president and CEO of BFW Group, LLC; Zach Stone, chief strategy officer of Red Kite Consulting, Inc.; Andy Truong, president and CEO of Greendog Recycling Inc.; Jean Wang, president of Quantum, Inc.; Yvette Watts, general manager of Watts Window Cleaning & Janitorial Co., Inc.; Theresa Williams, administrator of Around the Clock Home Health Care Services.

 Firefighters risk their lives to save life and property, and prevent tragedies from striking families in Philadelphia, which has the fifth largest fire and emergency services department in the country.

That responsibility rests with Derrick Sawyer, a 2004 graduate of the Fire Science program who stepped into the job of Philadelphia Fire Commissioner on June 14.

“Community College of Philadelphia helped me to re-engage in higher education after being out of school for 20 years. The Fire Science program helped me sharpen my firefighting skills while improving my study habits, which helped me with promotional exams,” Sawyer said.

His preparation for the job was 29 years in the making. Since entering the 2,300-member fire department in 1985, Sawyer, of Northeast Philadelphia, has acquired experience as a first-responder in an urban environment where safety planning requires critical training and analytical decision making. He credits the College with providing him essential skills along the way.

Sawyer earned an Associate in Applied Science after completing the Fire Science program. The curriculum includes courses on fire prevention strategy and tactics, pre-fire planning and code enforcement, risk management, and other standard protocols and skills for fire and public safety professionals. After graduating with honor, Sawyer transferred to Holy Family University where he received a bachelor's degree in Public Safety Administration. He also graduated from the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program and The Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute. He holds certifications as a fire officer, fire instructor and fire inspector, and is pursuing a graduate degree in homeland security from the Naval Postgraduate School.

n taking the Fire Department’s top post, Sawyer said he would continue fire prevention efforts aimed to keep residents safe.

“My unique experiences and skill set will allow me to help develop strong partnerships which will help spread the fire and life safety message. I believe that fire is everyone’s fight and with the whole community working together, we will reach our goal of zero fire fatalities,” Sawyer said.

Alongside Sawyer’s appointment, which Mayor Michael Nutter announced June 4, were promotions that included the first female deputy commissioner and the first Latino executive chief. “Going forward, I think it is important to leaders to give them an opportunity to grow and I think that diversity helps us reach new heights,” Sawyer said.

Seated around a table with Mayor Michael Nutter and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan listening intently, Community College of Philadelphia students spoke from the heart.

They, along with a number of other Philadelphia students, shared stories of their struggles and victories with the men and offered recommendations on ways to empower their peers.

On July 11, the College hosted Secretary Duncan’s roundtable convened by President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative, a new effort to help young men of color reach their potential and address persistent opportunity gaps.

Jason Mays, 30, president of the Student Government Association and the 2014 Student Leader of the Year, shared that he dropped out of high school as a youth because he didn’t like the school. Later, after he enlisted in the U.S. Army, Mays found several mentors who persuaded him to focus on getting an education. "They had expectations for me," said Mays, who graduated from the College in May with an associate’s degree in Business Administration.

The event was attended by more than 60 observers, including the College’s president, Dr. Generals; Philadelphia School District superintendent, Dr. Hite; Director of the College’s Center for Male Engagement, Derrick Coleman; and former Commonwealth Judge Doris Smith-Ribner, an advisory board member of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

The young men at the table represented neighborhoods from across the city. In addition to Mays, Quaris Carter, another May graduate; Jose Quintero, Aneury Rodriguez and Nicholas Gross, participated from the College.

Discussion topics included:

• The importance of mentorship.
• The need for mentors to affirm positive behaviors during difficult transitions.
• The relationship between academic achievement, workforce preparedness and trauma.
• Greater financial support for institutions that support young people.
• The need to promote the practical importance of a post-secondary degree, credential or certificate.
• The need for out-of-school activities and opportunities to learn and develop.

Secretary Duncan highlighted the need for the U.S. Department of Education to do a better job of disseminating information about federal and other resources to help with college costs.

The My Brother’s Keeper Initiative will hold another discussion during the fourth 2014 Summit on Educational Excellence for African Americans at the University of Pennsylvania, October 17 and 18.

Dr. Donald Generals, the sixth president of Community College of Philadelphia, began his tenure on July 1.

"These are challenging yet exciting times for the community colleges of America,” Dr. Generals said in a message to the College family. "As such, we are uniquely positioned to advance the social and economic interests of this great city — and nation. I look forward to working with you as we build on the rich tradition of the Community College of Philadelphia.”

Dr. Generals, 58, formerly served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, N.J. An educator and seasoned researcher, he is an expert on the roots of the progressive education movement in America. This concept is advanced by leading educators who believe schools must be effective agencies of a democratic society. In 2013, he authored a book titled, Booker T. Washington: The Architect of Progressive Education.

Over the years, Dr. Generals has been drawn to the democratic mission of community colleges. He noted that the College’s approaching 50th Anniversary celebration comes on the heels of the recent commemoration of the Civil Rights Act. The College was created May 14, 1964 and opened its doors to 1,200 students in September 1965.

"It reminds us all of the close relationship between access, educational achievement and the pursuit of the American dream," Dr. Generals said. "The community college concept is unique to the world. It has the potential for expanding educational and workforce access while simultaneously bolstering our national economy."

Dr. Generals has been active in numerous professional and service organizations, including: the New Jersey Academic Affairs Affinity Group, as chair; the National Alliance of Community and Technical Colleges, as a Board member since 2010; the College Board, Middle States Regional Council; and the Paterson Board of Education as a former Commissioner.