Welcome to Waubonsee Community College’s new monthly column in the Kane County Chronicle. Each month, a member of our faculty, staff or student body will author a column highlighting the work of the college and its affect on our community.
Since the 1960s, Waubonsee has provided life-changing educational opportunities for local residents. Our graduates are in successful careers in all types of industries, many taking leadership positions in their chosen professions. Waubonsee alumni are our first responders, our health care professionals, our business executives and our social service leaders. Many hold elected positions throughout the Fox Valley. Students and alumni tell us that Waubonsee’s faculty and staff help them achieve more than they thought possible.
While Waubonsee’s values and emphasis on student success have their roots in the college’s founding, this is an exceptionally exciting time at the college. Echoing state and national goals, Waubonsee has devoted itself to helping more of our students earn a degree or certificate, which are valuable credentials in the workplace. We’re seeing the results with record numbers of graduates in recent years.
Rapidly evolving technology continues to be integrated throughout the college’s curriculum, especially in our science, technology, engineering and mathematics – or STEM – programs. Waubonsee is the recipient of a National Science Foundation grant to fund scholarships for students interested in STEM programs. Many other grants help fund new programs that benefit local students.
Waubonsee’s Brighter Futures initiative is another way the college is working to make lives better for area residents. Started in 2009 as a response to the recession, this initiative has included job and resource fairs, partnerships with social service agencies and the launch of a special scholarship for those who lost their jobs because of the economic downturn. Brighter Futures also helps by packaging other career-oriented services that the college has always offered to students and the community. We’re committed to continuing this effort for as long as it is needed. In 2013, look for three job fairs throughout Waubonsee’s service area and the availability of $500 Brighter Futures scholarships for unemployed area residents. Learn more by visiting www.waubonsee.edu/brighterfutures.
Becauase Waubonsee is your community college, I encourage you to share ideas on how we can collaborate to make an even greater difference locally. Please share your ideas with me at collaborate@waubonsee.edu.
• Dr. Christine Sobek is president of Waubonsee Community College. The Waubonsee column will run the third Wednesday of each month in the Kane County Chronicle.
