The diversity at City College is reflected not only with its growing ethnic minority populations, but also in the various social, financial and academic backgrounds of its students.
For years, community colleges and universities were the domain of the traditional student—a student who lived at home or received financial support from his or her parents or a student who entered college right out of high school.
At one point in time, the nontraditional student—students who work full or part-time, older students returning after a long hiatus, or the single parent—was considered an enigma on the college campus. Now, with 63 percent of City College students considered nontraditional, the diversity across our campus mirrors the demographics of campuses across America.
From a returning student to a community advocate, from a single mother to an artist with physical challenges, the May 5, 2014 print issue of Express highlights City College’s nontraditional students.
Bryan Beaudoin.Growing up in an environment that didn’t prioritize book smarts, Bryan Beaudoin, 28, took a different path for his future. In fact, Beaudoin, who is at City College completing his general education in hopes of an eventual transfer, didn’t even graduate from high school.
“I just didn’t care,” said Beaudoin.
Beaudoin was a young runaway at 13 or 14 years old, he said. He fell into an unstable environment, struggling with addictions, and being out on his own. After several years living in unpredictable environments and working unsatisfying jobs, Beaudoin said he decided he couldn’t continue down that path anymore.
“I wanted to be able to live my life without just getting by. Living a food to mouth life just wasn’t enough anymore.”
Beaudoin made the decision to attend City College in spring of 2011 when he was 26 and now, Beaudoin said, his view on school is different.
He came in with a very positive attitude, Beaudoin said of returning to school.
“I was feeling good about going back but just a little scared,” said Beaudoin.
Now he is less than two semesters away from being able transfer or graduate with an associate’s degree.
“It was the best thing to do for my future,” says Beaudoin.
Marianna Sousa. Dynamic, outspoken and proud are among the many words one could use to describe City College student and communications major Marianna Sousa. With her bright smile and tastefully highlighted blue hair, she exudes confidence as she relates her story.
Sousa is a single mother who works as a natural hair care specialist for African American and ethnic women. She came to City College during a transitional period in her career. After a number of years in professional hair care, she began to experience chronic pain in her hands.
“I have been caring and educating woman on natural hair care for a number of years,” Sousa says, “And it was time to expand on the other things I do well.”
Caring for the hair of young women led her to another calling—mentor and motivational speaker.
Her career in natural hair care led Sousa into the natural role of motivational speaker and community advocate. “Because of the role hair plays with self-identity, I begin to naturally bridge the two together,” Sousa says.
According to Sousa, many young girls have problem with confidence and what beauty is. “I started with a natural hair care workshop, and it has evolved into a series of motivational speaking engagements and community based workshops.”
Sousa, who recently taught a workshop at Sacramento Area Youth Speaks Summit (SAYS), held at the University of California, Davis, is also a spoken word and hip-hop artist. She says she hopes her education at City College will give her the additional tools to educate the community about the often-mixed messages young women in the community receive from the media.
“For me the goal of getting a communications degree here [at City College] is to be limitless on the subjects I speak on.”
Vaneesha King-Jordan. Sometimes, the hardest lesson to learn at community college is how to be a student again, especially when adulthood has added so many layers to life. 29-year-old City College student Vaneesha King-Jordan is a wife, mother of three kids and a full-time student who has had to learn to juggle all of those responsibilities.
It appears to relax muscles and stimulate generic levitra online djpaulkom.tv blood flow in the penile region. Tobacco clogs the arteries and disrupts the flow of blood, cardiovascular levitra online problems, etc. It is taken as single dose individual sachets in the different flavours including banana, pineapple, organ strawberry and vanilla. http://djpaulkom.tv/cooking-waffle-house-style-hash-browns-using-dj-paul-bbq-rub/ buy cheap levitra In some cases, dizziness and viagra in australia blurred vision are the reported side effects for Rogaine (Minoxidil). “The most difficult thing for me is my time management—making sure I give my children the attention they need and giving my husband the attention he needs, taking care of my household as well as getting my schoolwork done,” says Jordan.
“In between all of that, I still have to find time to rest,” she adds with a laugh.
Jordan started City College in the fall of 2011 and said her goal was to earn an associate’s degree in community studies.
Originally, Jordan majored in sociology, but she focused on community studies to pursue her goal of working as a mentor for troubled youth.
“I want to be able to help troubled youth maybe in juvenile centers, foster care, group homes and give them guidance and help them become successful in life,” says Jordan. “I realized community studies was a better fit for me for what I want to do with my profession.”
When Jordan first started attending City College, she says she was intimidated by how many students in her classes were just out of high school.
I felt a little out of place at first [being an older student], but education has no timeframe. I choose to do what I have to do. But it is intimidating at times, because when you’re fresh out of high school everything is still fresh in your mind, and I graduated 10 years ago.”
Jordan says she encourages older college students and parents not to be discouraged but to keep going in their education.
“[If you have kids] don’t overload yourself with too much of a heavy course load. Take what you can handle.”
Jessica Daniel | Staff Writer | [email protected]
Jouanne Roberson. “Come on, Jouanne, come on,” her grandfather called as the 3-year-old girl took her first uneasy steps toward his open arms and a lifetime of independence.
“And away I went,” says City College student and artist Jouanne Roberson 56, with a shy laugh and big smile.
Learning to walk is a difficult task for any toddler. For Roberson, who was born with no arms and one leg shorter than the other is, those first wobbly steps were more than a milestone for childhood development—they were steps of confidence leading to a rich life as a mother and artist.
Like many nontraditional students, Roberson’s path was long and winding. She originally attended City College as an engineering major in the early ’80s and later transferred to California State University, Sacramento.
After a semester and half at CSUS and moving out of her parents’ home, Roberson dropped out of school to live on her own. That’s when she met and fell in love with her husband, Leroy Flowers.
After raising two children with Flowers, Roberson read a story in a local paper about a 30-year-old woman returning to college, which inspired Roberson to do the same and explore her love for the arts.
“My children were grown, and I thought—you know I can do that,” she chuckles. “Why can’t I do that?”
That was always her philosophy. As a child, Roberson naturally adapted using her feet in place of hands. She expressed herself artistically by drawing and making her own paper dolls and dresses.
Today she is fulfilling her dreams to be an artist as the owner of Resident 9 Gallery, an online art gallery featuring her works along with those of her husband and son.
After recently concluding a solo gallery exhibit of her paintings and digital artwork on the third floor of the Learning Resource Center, Roberson is set to receive a degree in another artistic passion, Film and Media Studies at Cosumnes River College and expects to receive her degree in fine arts at City College in 2015.
Bryan Beaudin— April Saephan | Staff Writer | [email protected]
Marianna Sousa, Jouanne Roberson— Will Ownbey | Editor in Chief | [email protected]
Vaneesha King-Jordan— Jessica Daniel | Staff Writer | [email protected]
