When someone does a good job, you want everyone to know about it. That is one reason a reporter for The Hechinger Report was on campus this week speaking with College and Career Readiness (CCR) students from Sampson Community College.
Meredith Kolodner, a staff reporter for The Hechinger Report, was in town working on a story about what it takes, specifically for Latino and Latina youth and adults to earn a high school diploma or equivalent. The piece will cover what schools, students and parents are doing to get as many residents as possible to and through high school, or high school equivalency programs.
“This is obviously something very important to us,” said LaVoice Faison-Stevens, Director of Basic Skills at the college. “We always want to make sure we are able to remove obstacles for anyone who wants to gain access to higher education so needless to say, we welcomed Meredith to the campus in hopes of getting the word out to future students that they can be successful.”
The Hechinger Report is a nonprofit news organization designed to cover innovation and inequality in education, including early childhood education, k-12 and college. The goal is to provide in-depth articles that use research, data, and stories from classrooms and campuses to show the public how education can be improved and why it matters.
“I came to Sampson County to learn more from educators, parents and students about the public colleges and k-12 schools in the county,” said Kolodner, who traveled from New York to interview students for the story. “I really enjoyed visiting the county. I learned so much and really appreciate how generous people were with their time and their willingness to share their stories.” Kolodner continues to gather information for her report.
Spotlighting the CCR program was the latest among several recognitions SCC has enjoyed over the past few weeks. Recently, the North Carolina Community College System named SCC’s Truck Driver Training program first in the state. Shortly after, RegisteredNursing.org listed SCC as fourth in the nation for its LPN to RN (Licensed Practical Nursing to Registered Nursing) program option. Just after that news, the college’s Medical Assisting program received national accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Dates for High School Equivalency (HSE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) orientations are August 6th through August 8th. There are two sessions which the HSE students can choose, morning 8:30am or the evening 5:00pm. HSE must attend all three days. ESL has one timed session that begins at 5:00pm. They can choose the single evening that is most convenient. For more information about SCC’s Basic Skills department, contact Faison-Stevens at lstevens@sampsoncc.edu.
About Sampson Community College: Sampson Community College is a member of the North Carolina Community College System, located in Clinton, NC in Sampson County. The college offers many programs to include two-year degrees, college transfer, continuing education and workforce development options and early college education. SCC is committed to the principles of equal educational and employment opportunities for all.
