More than six million students across the nation are enrolled in community colleges, which are the entryway for many citizens to attend universities or join the workforce.  In fact, the community college is often the only access point to higher education for many low-income, first-generation, minority and other underserved students.  El Paso Community College (EPCC), located on the border of Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico, is defying the odds with almost 75,000 graduates to date.  More than three-quarters of them are Hispanic.
Community colleges play a key role in helping students increase their employability, economic mobility and achieve their individual potential.  A prime example of that impact is EPCC graduate Emmanuel Rubio, a first-generation American who dreamed of being an architect since he was a child.  He thought his dream was over when he graduated from high school and learned he was soon to be a father.  Because of EPCC, he received his associate degree in Architecture, then went on to get his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He is now working for a prominent architecture firm in El Paso and is supporting his family.  “As a non-traditional student, my path has been different than most,” Rubio said. “Among all my accomplishments, the one I am proudest of is that my three sons have now seen both their parents walk across a stage and receive collegiate diplomas. These are memories, which I know will be forever embedded in their minds. Statistically, they now have a 95 percent likelihood of one day graduating from college themselves.”
This is where EPCC’s mission to provide accessible, quality and affordable education becomes crucial. Rubio’s story exemplifies how obtaining a college degree helps students enter the workforce and achieve economic mobility.  Graduating is becoming more and more important because, by 2020, 65 percent of all jobs will require a degree or certificate.   As a result, Texas and El Paso have embarked on 60x30TX and 60x30EP where the goal is for at least 60 percent of Texans ages 25-34 to have a certificate or degree by 2030. EPCC intends to be a driving force in reaching that goal.  “The more you learn, the more you earn,” EPCC President Dr. William Serrata said.  “All students need to go to college because it is the only pathway to the middle class.”
That is why EPCC is taking innovative steps to get kids to realize higher education is within reach at a young age through its “College Begins in Kindergarten” program.  With partnerships with school districts city-wide, the program builds strong elementary school and college connections through campus tours, workshops, presentations, outreach programs and parental involvement. The college aggressively works with education partners to reach high school students through FAFSA Nights and College Bound initiatives.   In addition, EPCC is providing an accelerated path to college with nationally recognized Dual Credit and Early College High School programs. Data shows that students who took even just one college course in high school have a 90 percent success rate in completing college and more than 74 percent of EPCC Early College High School students complete an associate degree before graduating from high school, which is significantly higher than the national average.
Another example of success is Candace Juarez who is a mother of three who went back to school while holding a full-time job.  She is now an EPCC graduate with an associate degree in psychology.  “I hope to serve as a great role model for my sons,” Juarez said.  “EPCC was the best choice I could have ever made.”
From creating a college-going culture by engaging youth in elementary schools to finding ways to get students on a clear path to graduation, EPCC has been a model of success for increasing educational attainment, especially among Hispanic students.  EPCC’s president and the board of trustees have set a laser focus on four areas made memorable by an acronym for EPCC: Engaging students, developing Partnerships and pathways, Creating a college-going culture and Completion.  “You don’t reap the benefits of higher education unless you complete,” Serrata said.  •

Source El Paso Community College