Land that summer job that will get you ahead
“One of the challenges we often hear from students when we talk to them about career and job opportunities is that employers are looking for hires with more experience. This often limits the kind of jobs or positions they qualify for,” says Fortin Jean-Pierre, lead coordinator of Career Services at Broward College.
He recommends that one-way students can build their work experience is to make the most out of the summer and get a seasonal job.
Although some college students opt for odd jobs such as babysitting, dog sitting, camp counselors, retail, and restaurant positions, the Career Center at Broward College can help you by connecting you to local employers that offer opportunities that align with your professional goals and current education path.
Whether you seek employment through the Career Center or you’re searching for that opportunity on your own, the staff offers some to landing that job and taking advantage of the opportunity. We’re sure you’ll find these helpful.
Clean up your resume
Yes, you may be searching for a job so you can boost your resume, but even if you have no previous experience, you can still list the skills you possess. Include clubs and organizations you are a part of and any volunteer experience you have. Show your potential employer that you have the qualities they need. The Career Center offers a free consultation to prepare your resume and cover letter. Visit any of their campus locations for more information.
Practice your interview skills
Interviews can be nerve-racking, especially if you have never done one before. But you can practice and prepare for it. To polish your interview skills, Broward College offers InterviewStream, an online tool that allows you to practice anytime from anywhere. All you need to do is create an account using your Broward College student email, and you’re all set!
Take advantage of your network
If you think you don’t have a network, you’re wrong. Even with minimal professional experience, your network is your family and friends. You never know who may know someone who owns a business or works at a place hiring for the summer. Ask the people you know for job opportunities.
Pay extra attention to internships
“I would recommend students do internships as they are the perfect option to gain experience and build that resume with jobs that match their professional goals while earning some steady extra cash,” explains Jean-Pierre.
Many students find internships that offer credits toward their degree, but regardless of the type of internship, it’s estimated that they increase your chance of being hired by 50 percent, says Jean-Pierre. Many of the companies that work with the Career Center will offer full-time positions to outstanding students that complete internships.
Work on your soft skills
Soft skills are your attributes, which is the reason why they are so valuable to employers. Jean-Pierre explains that this is the biggest requirement for employers. “A recent survey I looked at stated that 77 percent of employers find that their candidates lack soft skills and that 67 percent of hiring managers would rather hire somebody who has soft skills even if their hard skills are weak.”
To address this challenge, the College offers soft skill credentialing that helps students improve on four critical areas: communication, teamwork, professionalism, and critical thinking.
Broward College wants you to succeed and get ahead on your career. Check out the resources and tools available to help you further yourself.
Learn about local job opportunities here.
Good luck!
Where Dreams Come True: Disney Leadership Retreat Sets Students Up for Success
Leaning back into the Daisy Duck-embroidered pillow on her desk chair as she looked out at the Disney posters that adorn her office walls at Broward College, Stephanie Repaci imagined what it would take to create a program in which students could develop the teamwork and leadership skills that employers now demand. It didn’t take very long for the Director of to identify the perfect setting where dreams come true.
For the past five years, Repaci has led a group of students to the “Happiest Place on Earth,” where they apply problem-solving, and decision-making skills learned in the classroom to the behind-the-scenes workings of Disney World. The trip to the Orlando theme park and resort is the final piece of a Student Life development program designed to set participants up for success, whether they are transferring to a four-year university or moving into the workforce immediately after completion of their degrees or certificates at Broward College.
“We’re still hearing from employers across the United States that there’s a significant skills gap with students who are graduating from college,” said Repaci, a self-proclaimed “Disney nut” who grew up watching the films, singing the songs and visiting the parks that spawned the American icon. “Students, in the eyes of employers, are ill-prepared or don’t have the workplace competencies that companies want them to have at the point of graduation.”
Repaci said students were in the past able to develop these “soft skills” on the job, but now companies expect an accelerated workforce-readiness that includes, at the very least, strong communication and time management tools, positive attitudes and robust work ethics before being hired. Using the Walt Disney World Resort as a backdrop, students receive eye-opening insight into how these principles are applied in the operation of the park.
Award-Winning Presentation
Broward College was one of the first higher education institutions to take advantage of the College-edition of Disney’s Youth Education Series, said Repaci, who received the 2019 Student Development Commission Exemplary Practice Award from the Association of Florida Colleges for her presentation on the annual “Student Life Leadership Retreat” at the AFC Student Development Commission Spring Conference, in Ocala. The AFC also awarded $500 toward the Broward College Foundation’s first-generation scholarship program, which the State of Florida matched with another $1,000.
“The Student Life Leadership Retreat” is structured similar to a 6-8-week college course. Before leaving for Disney World, approximately 20 students complete individual and group assignments that include textbook readings, essays, and presentations. The curriculum is based on “Creating Magic” by Lee Cockerell, a former executive vice president of Walt Disney World Operations who, Repaci says, has greatly influenced her leadership style. The six-day experience in Orlando also involves a community service module, where Broward College participants volunteer at Give Kids the World Village, an 84-acre resort in Central Florida that caters to children with critical illnesses and their families.
The remaining four days are spent inside the theme park. A Disney cast member facilitates each training session in key areas of the park where students translate concepts of leadership, teamwork and creating a culture of excellence that can be applied to their academic goals as well as their on-campus leadership role.
Building Relationships
Once training ends in the early afternoon, students get the rest of the day to spend in the park. Repaci said this time helps reinforce a stronger connection to the campuses, Student Life and Broward College, as a whole.
“This is critical because what we are trying to do is build relationships,” said Repaci. “We recognize from a nationwide perspective that students who are engaged or active in their college campuses have a much higher likelihood to complete their coursework and succeed.”
For participating in the program, students receive a letter grade and three elective credits, in addition to the soft skills they develop during the experience. To her credit, Repaci continues to receive accolades from student affairs professionals across the nation who want to adopt her program to their campuses.
“Student development is our bread and butter,” said Repaci. “So, this program fits in perfectly with Student Life’s mission, while simultaneously, driving a sense of belonging to Broward College.”
Watch a recap of the Student Life Retreat here -
If you are excited about growing as an individual and enhancing your overall perspective of the world, Student Life can elevate your Broward College experience beyond studying or listening to lectures.
Year-Round Pell Grants Make Summer School More Accessible
Time is of the essence for Gregory Higgins. At 68-years-young, the Broward College student isn’t fooling around. Higgins is attending summer classes, with an eye toward graduating after the fall semester.
“It would have been easier just to chug along and graduate in four years,” said Higgins, who is on course to complete his undergraduate degree in Supervision and Management at Broward College in three years. “At my age, I’m looking to get through school as fast as I can.”
Higgins is one of 1,1938 Broward College students who is taking advantage of year-round Pell Grants this summer semester. The financial aid is perfect for students like Higgins, who are on a fast track to graduate and either enter the workforce or transfer to a four-year university soon after, or in his case, enroll in law school by 2020.
College students who need additional financial resources to complete their education sooner and more cost-effectively received good news last year when Congress approved restoration of year-round Pell Grants in its spending bill. Reinstatement of the year-round money allows students to receive up to 150 percent of a regular grant award over the course of the academic year, which makes summer classes more accessible and completing their degrees faster than they would otherwise more likely.
Up until last year, students attending summer classes could only use whatever grant aid they had not used in the fall and spring semesters. As a result, some students had to choose between taking the summer semester off or paying for tuition out-of-pocket.
Fast Track to Graduation
The additional grant aid is not only making that decision easier; research indicates it’s also helping students sustain momentum toward their degrees. That’s particularly important for students, who, due to work or family responsibilities, often can’t maintain 12 credit hours in a given semester. Making up classes in the summer makes graduation on time for these students that much more realistic.
Theresa Cowan, associate vice president for Financial Aid, said Broward College students who were enrolled for both fall and spring semesters must be taking a least six credits in the summer to receive their Pell award. Students who enroll in less than six credits may be still eligible for a limited grant.
She said all students must have their summer schedules finalized by June 6, 2019. Any changes after that date will not be included in the student’s financial aid award. However, the deadline does not apply to Broward College students who apply for Summer 3 only. All students receiving financial aid should check myBC frequently to review award amounts.
To be eligible for a Pell award, a Broward College student must demonstrate exceptional financial need on the FAFSA, be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen and have not yet received a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree.
Eligible students who need help with college costs including tuition, fees and other educational expenses can inquire about Pell Grants, a form of federal financial aid that typically does not have to be repaid, at the Financial Aid Office.
Check out Tigertail Lake Recreational Center this summer
Are you staying in South Florida this summer and looking for new, affordable adventures within a 50-mile radius? Tigertail Lake Recreational Center is the place to visit. Bring your friends and family along for a day of endless fun. Whether you’re into water sports or just chilling by the lake, at Tigertail, you are guaranteed to have a blast. Located at 580 Gulf Stream Way in Dania Beach, Tigertail Lake is the hub for outdoor activities and water sports at Broward College and an affordable local spot for summer fun all year round.
For the next few months, they will welcome summer camps, the general public, and Boward College students and staff seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The facilities are big enough to accommodate up to 300 people participating in different activities.
Vacation mode on!
“Summertime is our busiest time of the year,” says Peggy Howse, district director of Auxiliary Services. “We are almost completely booked for this season Monday through Friday, and we recommend people to come early in the morning on the weekends because it gets very crowded during the rest of the day.”
During weekdays in the summer, Tigertail staff welcomes different summer and day camps from throughout the county. On the third weekend of August, the facilities will close for a BC staff day, when all activities, excluding the Aquaglide course, will be free.
Given the packed schedule, Peggy encourages guests to reserve their spot online to assure there will be space during the time of their visit.
Summer fun all year round
All year round, Tigertail offers a variety of water activities including scuba diving, paddle boarding, and kayaking; team building opportunities, and other recreational adventures that include ropes courses, field trips, and the . The facilities also offer spaces for private parties, company retreats, and such.
The fantastic Aqua Challenge features eight different entertaining elements, from a climbing wall to a gigantic bouncing dome. For the summer, there is a new feature to the course, and a small kids section is in the works to accommodate children six years and younger. There will be more changes coming in the next year to keep the course fresh for returning participants. Sessions on the course are open every hour, and up to 50 people are allowed to participate.
In addition to all the fun activities, Tigertail is also a place to learn and build new skills set that come in handy, especially if you live in Florida. Summer may be a great time to try out the SCUBA program, which will grant you certification after completing the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) courses, or the American Red Cross certified lifeguard program. Additional courses include First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), and Automated External Defibrillators (AED).
Broward College students get free entry
Rental rates vary for the general public and Broward College students with a valid ID; rentals are free. The Aquaglide course hour session has a cost for all guests.
The costs of certification courses also vary.
Are you a college student looking for a summer job? Tigertail Lake is now hiring. More info here.
For more information on rental rates, activities available, and more, please visit Tigertaillake.com.
Spatial Computing Arrives – Broward College and Magic Leap Partner for New Program
In the constant search to bring innovation and new technologies to the classroom, Broward College is partnering with Magic Leap, the leader in spatial computing, to launch one of the first spatial computing degree programs in the country. Courses will start during the 2019-2020 academic year.
“This is an incredible opportunity for our students and our community,” says Broward College President Gregory Adam Haile, Esq. “It’s not only an exciting career path, but it will allow us to build on our innovative approach to education as our faculty take immersive learning to new heights.”
The Exciting Era of Spatial Computing
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a dinosaur in your living room? With Magic Leap One, you can now live the experience. Spatial computing combines virtual and augmented reality using the space we are in, relying on the software rather than the hardware.
Magic Leap, has developed Magic Leap One – a personal device that includes a pair of glasses, a small wireless engine, and a mission control that work together to bring the digital world to our physical space. With this technology, anything in the digital world is adapted to the physical space, and the user will believe that everything they are seeing and hearing is real.
Bringing Spatial Computing to the Classroom
Spatial computing is used in a variety of fields. It can be applied to create digital worlds and adventures for Virtual Reality (VR) experiences such as Pokemon GO!, or allow creators and programmers to develop applications and software using the space around them.
It’s easy to think that this technology is mostly for entertainment purposes, but the use of the application in education is promising. By partnering with schools and higher education institutions, the use of this technology will break barriers for students and faculty. Rather than reading and looking at pictures on a book, they can now interact and experiment with the objects and transform their classroom into an interactive lab.
Cutting-edge Technology at Broward College
The partnership will provide many benefits to students, faculty, and staff. Broward College will have access to Magic Leap’s spatial computing platform and its pool of highly skilled professionals. Additionally, the College will create s spatial computing lab on the A. Hugh Adams Central campus in Davie.
Through the partnership the College has the opportunity to provide its personnel with industry experience and, with help from the Magic Leap Education Team, they will engage Broward UP™ communities and local high schools throughout the year to provide demonstrations, support hackathons, and highlight the opportunities for cutting-edge education at Broward College.
The initial participating technician training programs are Computer Science, Aviation Maintenance, Dental Hygiene, and Marine Mechanics. Spatial computing will also be available for Workforce & Continuing Education, Supply Chain Management, and Nursing.
Learn more about career opportunities in STEM at Broward College.
When BC Employee Hits Ground Running, No Telling How Far He’ll Go
Most mornings, Curt Liner likes to hit the ground running. For the landscape specialist at Broward College, that means a two-hour jaunt from his home in Davie through the streets that loop in and around A. Hugh Adams Central Campus before he heads to work.
“It’s a form of relaxation,” said Liner. “It’s nice and quiet. I can listen to the birds, see the sun come up.”
Liner figures his 5’oclock in the morning therapy involves running more than 2,000 miles a year, and at least 16 million steps in the past decade. The regiment has made him one of the top distance runners at his age in South Florida. In August, Liner will turn 60, and his colleagues at Broward College who are accustomed to honking their horns and waving when they see him running along College Avenue or Nova Drive, don’t believe he’s about to slow down anytime soon.
He has no reason to. Consider that Liner consistently posts times below most any runner his age. In March, as a member of the Broward College team, he finished 44th overall out of more than 26,000 competitors and first in the 55-59 age group at the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Run through the streets of Fort Lauderdale. With just enough time to catch his breath, he finished first overall out of all 300 participants two days later at the Healthy Broward Run, in Delevoe Park.
“I always want to be the fastest, oldest guy out there,” said Liner with a grin. “I’m at a special time in my life because I can’t lose. Who is going to say they beat a 60-year-old. They’d get laughed at.”
Liner wasn’t kidding around either, when he took up running almost 20 years ago after a co-worker at Broward College dared him to participate in a local 5K at Nova Southeastern University. Right out of the gate, Liner did well enough to want to run more. He also started asking questions of other runners and read whatever he could about training. In less than three years after his first race, he had knocked six minutes off his time in the 5K.
Down to a Science
These days, training has grown into a science of sorts for him. Liner can predict within seconds the time he will finish in any given race. His numbers have added up to a spot on the Runners Depot racing team.
“I’m a numbers guy, and I like to see my results from training,” said Liner, who graduated from Broward College in 1981 with an associate degree in landscape technology. “If I wanted to become a good runner, I had to become a student of the game.”
Like a student studying to pass an exam, Liner says if he puts in the work, there is hardly a reason he should not run the race he expects. And that’s somewhere near 18 minutes and a few seconds for 3.11 miles, or 12 ½ laps around a track.
Community Connections
Liner said he has won four races outright and the firsts and seconds in his age group are too many to count. He does fondly remember handily defeating a group of Broward College Physical Education students, who challenged him one day while he was working out at one of the fitness centers on campus.
Beyond the competition, Liner enjoys the camaraderie that comes with physical exercise. Prior to his running exploits, Liner kept active, connecting to both students and employees as a participant in the “flag football” and “ultimate frisbee” intramural programs offered on campus. Now, he’s still running around, but with a purpose.
“All these races I run in are for charities – for zero prostate, for cancer,” he said. “And most people who run in these races care. They are good people in the community.”
Already this year, Liner has run in 16 races. His next stop may be in a 10K in June in Ashville, N.C. He will be on vacation, then.
“You have to be a little obsessive-compulsive,” he said. “I’ll either run in a race or train. Wind, rain, I don’t stop. I still feel young for my age.”
If you are looking to build up a sweat, Broward College is the Color Run -- often referred to as the “Happiest 5K on the Planet” -- Saturday, May 18, beginning at 7:30 a.m., in Huizenga Park at 32 E. Las Olas Boulevard, in Fort Lauderdale. For more information on this unique paint race that celebrates healthiness, happiness and individuality, contact [email protected]
If you’re interested in a fitness career, check out Physical Education courses at Broward College.
Broward College Offers Continued Education Training for Faculty and Staff
“Professor Silva is endlessly passionate about her job. She inspires me to be the best teacher I can be to my students through her kindness, dedication, and determination,” says Caroline Ortiz-Melo, while she and her classmates celebrate Dr. Isis Silva. “She is always searching for ways to keep our class meaningful and entertained.”
Dr. Silva is the recipient of the 2019 International Education Endowed Teaching Chair (ETC), is an associate professor of education. Her students showered her with flowers, a card, and cake during the surprise ETC announcements to recognize her for her excellence in the classroom. The feedback received from students is typical of how many of the 63,000 students at Broward College view the faculty and staff who support their academic journey.
Broward College is consistently ranked for its outstanding performance when it comes to student success. To provide such high-quality education, the College needs faculty and administrators who are not only passionate and dedicated but also up to date with current trends and technologies.
The Center for Teaching Excellence & Learning
CTEL is an institutional branch of Broward College that offers professional development to employees, that includes but is not limited to, enhanced classroom techniques, innovation, and technology.
Throughout the year, CTEL offers several training opportunities that include book clubs, workshops, nationally recognized guest speakers, and more. Participation counts towards the 36 hours of professional development that faculty must complete every three years.
For administrators, the College provides courses in leadership, management, and supervisory development. “These courses are collaborative spaces where the participants are allowed to pick the topics they want to discuss and create an atmosphere of community practice so that they can learn from each other,” explains Julia Philyaw, associate vice president for CTEL.
Continuously Finding New Initiatives for Professional Development
In addition to the year-round opportunities provided by the College, CTEL has developed special initiatives that seek to strengthen the training provided.
Every February, Broward College hosts Professional Development Day. Faculty and staff are encouraged to attend the workshops, led by both guest speakers and internal staff. This year, the initiative saw the highest engagement numbers, with over 1100 participants.
Another initiative recently implemented is the New Faculty Institute, which provides training to newly employed full-time faculty during their first semester. The training includes information sessions on policies, procedures, and resources on campus in addition to classroom techniques, technologies, and teaching strategies. It also serves as an opportunity for networking.
The internal professional development provided by CTEL complements other nationally recognized training also offered by CTEL. One such program is offered by the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE).
ACUE Partnership
On Friday, April 26, 2019, Broward College hosted a pinning ceremony for 68 part-time and full-time faculty and administrators who completed the Effective Teaching Practices course from the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE).
After a successful pilot partnership in 2017 when 39 faculty completed the course, the College entered a five-year partnership with ACUE to license 500 faculty as part of efforts to improve classroom teaching and student success. The fully-online, nationally accredited program is offered over two semesters.
“With only two cohorts that have completed it, we can already see the impact this course has,” says Wendy Varela, coordinator of Faculty Professional Development at CTEL. “Seven out of nine nominees this year for Professor of the Year had completed the course, and during their presentations, they talked about ACUE and having completed the course myself, I knew they were applying techniques they had learned there.”
The College stands above the national average of ACUE completion, which stands at 81 percent, with an outstanding 91 percent completion rate.
Broward UP™ Capitalizes on Free Comic Book Day to Change Reading Literacy Narrative
Shortly before the event she had scheduled at the Martin Luther King Community Center in Hollywood, Fla., was about to begin, Eileen Santiago wanted to make sure she left no stone unturned. The Broward College professor grabbed one of her undergraduate students by the arm and hurriedly set out to promote for one last time the virtues of Free Comic Book Day, a national event she planned to piggyback on to get local kids excited about reading.
Up and down N. 24th Avenue they drove, pulling down the car window to tell residents about a chance to take home a free comic book, watch a Spiderman movie and munch on some cookies and snacks. Standing outside her home a block away from the community center, Patricia Travis was thrilled when the silver Toyota scion pulled up to her yard.
“We hardly ever get to go to the movies,” said Travis, who was doing what she normally does on a Saturday afternoon, watching her eight grandchildren. “This was perfect. We would have been just sitting home. I can’t afford to take my grandchildren to the movies, not this many of them.”
This type of out-out-side of the box programming designed to break down barriers to education in communities with limited incomes is what Broward College President Gregory Haile envisioned when he established Broward UP™. The UP meaning “unlimited potential” -- is for Broward College ambassadors to go directly into neglected neighborhoods to develop grass-roots partnerships that, in the end, improve the quality of life for residents in zip codes where little exposure to postsecondary opportunities has existed. For Santiago and her student teachers, their strategy centered around comic books.
“We had to bring something different to the table to promote literacy,” said Santiago. “Something like a comic book is fun. It’s the best feeling in the world to know at least when they leave this event, these kids are going to go home with a book to read.”
Agents for Change
And her undergrads in the Teacher Education pathway at Broward College who served as ambassadors as well, learned of both the personal and professional rewards from developing “fun things” to engage and identify kids struggling with reading comprehension while, at the same time, energizing the community to assist children who most need their support.
Alyssa Fino was happy to be an agent for change. As a student teacher, she had spent the past few years fine-tuning her skills at Nova Eisenhower Elementary in Davie and McArthur High School in Hollywood. The 26-year-old would be graduating in a few days from Broward College with a bachelor’s degree in exceptional student education. But instead of getting her nails done for the commencement ceremony, she was giving kids at comic book day the one-on-one help with reading that they are often not afforded in regular classroom settings.
“As I enter education, I recognize that it’s so important to get students more interested in reading,” said Fino. “Some students can’t get the help they need. They may have a cognitive disability that prevents them from keeping up, or teachers may be too busy in a classroom of 25-30 students to determine who needs help.”
‘Something Called College’
Professor Santiago is devoted to changing that narrative and wants her students to follow her lead. She grew up in a poor neighborhood in Miami and was unaware of college until her second year in high school. From her initial exposure, she went on to earn a degree in teacher education at Broward College and a master’s from Nova Southeastern University.
“All along I never knew about college,” she said. “My goal is to teach my students to teach their students that, no matter where they are, there’s something called college to continue your education.”
For Santiago and her Broward College students, that outreach began by connecting with students like Latoya, a 12-year-old at Attucks Middle School student who found herself reading comic books instead of shooting baskets at the community center.
“I liked the comic books,” said Latoya, who hopes to be a teacher herself someday. “They had more action and drama than the regular books I’m used to and a lot of different words that I could learn.”
If you are dedicated to promoting opportunity and pushing residents of Broward County to achieve their highest potential, Broward UP™ is a county-wide movement for you to get behind. Here’s how you can partner.
English Language Courses Speak Volumes About Student’s Determination
For more than a year, Ana Caro immersed herself in English courses to prepare for this very day. And now, as her eyes circled the room on her first day of classes for her associate degree, she was at a loss for words.
“There were all kinds of young people, all ages,” said Caro, who had successfully completed English for Academic Purposes, at Broward College, a program that helps prepare non-native speakers, like her, to eventually take degree-level courses. “I was nervous. Not only did I struggle with pronunciations, but I could be a mom to all of my classmates.”
But, she wasn’t. Caro instead was a 50-year-old mother of three and a wife of 28 years to their father, Oscar. Prior to embarking on her second career, Caro worked as an assembly line supervisor at New Wave Surgical, a medical device manufacturer in Pompano Beach. But the company was sold and relocated to Puerto Rico. All employees, including Caro, were let go.
Confused, and unable to find a good-paying job because of her English deficiencies, she cared for her boys during the day and bounced around at night cleaning houses and babysitting while her husband continued working at a pharmaceutical company.
“It was hard,” she said. “We said, ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ and that’s it.”
The couple knew something had to give. If she didn’t learn to speak English, Caro questioned whether she might ever find a good-paying, stable job again. College had always been a goal of hers and with a push from her husband, Caro decided to make the leap. Pushing aside her fears, she visited the admissions office at Broward College and made higher education a priority.
Pushing against the odds
Although a full-time schedule of EAP classes during the day and work at night would not be easy, Caro was accustomed to hard times since immigrating from her native Colombia to the United States with her parents when she was 13 years old.
“We had our dreams,” she said. “But we all struggled with a lot of things because we knew nothing about English.”
Things began to change somewhat when Caro enrolled in the EAP courses at Broward College, but still she had her doubts. Perhaps, her time for an education had passed her by, she thought. After all, she couldn’t keep a conversation in English and struggled to grasp sentence structure.
“I tried to quit,” she said. “I felt I was too old and didn’t want to participate in class because I was afraid people wouldn’t understand me. But my husband was always there to encourage me. He said, “No, no, no. You finish what you started.’”
Caro is determined to see her education through. And her 3.92-grade-point average speaks volumes about her purpose and dedication. After she completes two courses in the summer, she will have earned an associated degree with a concentration in workforce education.
But that’s not all. Caro also plans to pursue at bachelor’s degree at Broward College. Her conviction has inspired her oldest son to return to Broward College and finish the degree work he started, as well.
If you have a basic understanding of English, but struggle with academic-level proficiency, Broward College’s English for Academic Purposes program can prepare for coursework required of a degree. Here’s how.
Taking Matters in His Own Hands, Entrepreneurial Student Proves to Have DNA for Success
After his parents divorced when he was 10, Brandon Gibson lived first with his mother, then his grandmother and aunt, then his father and now his uncle in Lauderhill. At each stop he was grateful to have a roof over his head and food on the table, but all the bouncing around from one household to the next could sometimes deflate his spirits.
“I cried a lot of nights in high school,” said Gibson, who was educated in North Carolina, Virginia and Florida. “My family was always there, but I felt I would have to make it on my own.”
And that meant he might have to take some risks, which he proved willing to do. As a teen-ager, he took the food stamps his grandmother gave him and sold candy in the neighborhood to make a profit that he put into a savings account. He purchased clothes online from overseas and imported them to sell in the United States. And, at 15, he started a pressure cleaning business to revitalize outdoor patio decks. Mature beyond his age and with some life lessons already under his belt, Gibson set out to find an investor for his brightest idea, yet.
Education -- Brightest Idea, Yet
The Get Real program at Broward College offered him the financial backing to go about the business of obtaining a college degree and solidify his destiny even more. Never one to run from responsibility, Gibson sprinted to the scholarship offer and enrolled in an associate degree program in computer science.
Once in the classroom, Gibson began to apply the same passion he had for building a service toward acquiring more knowledge. By interning, first, in the computer science and engineering department, and, later, in President Haile’s office, he put himself in situations where he could develop healthy relationships and learn firsthand from others who were willing to share their expertise. That insight came in handy when he served as president of Greatness in the Making, an initiative a Broward College that helps student assimilate to the workforce in a fun and interacting setting.
“Entrepreneurship is in my blood,” said Gibson. “It’s always been in me.”
His DNA was on display when he was selected to be a speaker at a TEDx Talk held on campus, where he showcased his business acumen during a 15-minute live performance before the campus community, which included his mother who proudly refers to her son as “her billion-dollar baby.”
Entrepreneurship in His Blood
Despite his humble upbringing, Gibson doesn’t believe in measuring his success strictly in dollars and cents. It’s his ways of giving back and “making a difference in the lives of others” that he finds the most satisfying. For the time being, that means as a licensed public adjuster, in which he finds intrinsic value by representing the rights of the insured during the claims process as he makes plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree at Broward College.
Have health, economic or social circumstances forced you to put your academic goals on hold? You may be eligible for scholarships that can reopen doors to higher education. Here’s how.