Community College Experience

1. In a brief paragraph or two, share why you are particularly interested in this position and how your experiences have prepared you for this opportunity.
My interested in the Vice President for Student Affairs position at Tallahassee Community College comes from my experience as a community college student. My family was not able to finance my education after I completed high school. This led me to look into attending my local community college because the tuition was affordable. Without the community college system, it would have been difficult for me to achieve my academic goals. This is one of the reasons I am passionate about community colleges and their mission. This experience also led me to begin seeking opportunities to work for higher education institutions with two and four year academic programs.
Community colleges provide opportunities for students to obtain an academic credential or accomplish the first stage of their college education at a cost that is usually far less than many other higher education institutions. My community college experience is the force that drives me to implement initiatives designed to promote student success and improve graduation rates. I have been a part of 1) managing early alert systems to identify students struggling in their courses, 2) implementing embedded tutoring and the use of eTutoring services, 3) redesigning courses with high failure rates, 4) using various types of coaching and mentoring models and 5) other student services programs designed to promote student success. This process also included program assessments for accreditation purposes, new course developments, and professional development programs for