{"id":54,"date":"2023-10-12T23:09:35","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T23:09:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/winter-2023-volume-6-issue-2\/student-center-hub-of-the-campus\/"},"modified":"2023-11-15T18:56:10","modified_gmt":"2023-11-15T18:56:10","slug":"discover-connect-succeed-unleash-your-potential-at-dvc-student-centers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dvc.mycareerfocus.org\/winter-2023-volume-6-issue-2\/discover-connect-succeed-unleash-your-potential-at-dvc-student-centers\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover, Connect, Succeed: Unleash Your Potential at DVC Student Centers"},"content":{"rendered":"

In March 2023, Jose Gonzalez was let go from his job because he needed shoulder surgery. After the surgery, he knew there would be a long road to recovery. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI felt stagnant, impatient, and sad at not being able to do everyday things that I could do before. I went back to college to learn, grow and shake those feelings,\u201d said Gonzalez.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gonzalez is majoring in business at DVC and hopes to develop the skills needed to run his own business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up, my family was not financially educated. My mother and father were immigrants. They raised us with love and kindness, but they were not financially literate other than \u2018work hard, live small, and save money.\u2019 I want to go so far into my learning that I can manage my own business and teach others,\u201d said Gonzalez.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gonzalez spends a lot of time in the Business, Computer Science and Culinary Student Center. He says it was the free snacks that attracted him, but the opportunities available within the center kept him coming back.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe center has become a home to me and my classmates, where we can finish a tough assignment or just sit and talk,\u201d said Gonzalez.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The student centers also offer workshops and guest speakers. Gonzalez has attended a number of these events.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve attended workshops about financial literacy, as well as presentations from groups such as the Future Business Leaders of America. The events are all beneficial to college students, focusing on networking, career planning, and transfer,\u201d said Gonzalez.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Support and services that lead to success<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
\"Ngan

Ngan Pham (right) tutors a student in the Academic Support Center (ASC).<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019m an international student from Vietnam, and I would like to teach English to young kids. I came to the U.S about a year ago so that I could study in an English-speaking country,\u201d said Ngan Pham, an elementary education major at DVC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pham chose DVC not only due to its affordability, but also because she discovered that DVC students have a high rate of transfer success. Pham currently attends classes at DVC San Ramon and plans to transfer to San Jose State University to earn her bachelor\u2019s degree and teaching credential. She also works at the academic support center (ASC) and library on the San Ramon campus.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe student centers offer tutoring on many subjects, including math, English, computer science, chemistry, and more. You can get help with homework, lecture materials, and research from peers who are qualified to tutor other students. They are incredibly helpful, and some classes even offer extra credit for getting tutored,\u201d said Pham.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Ebube Jideonwo was born and raised in Nigeria and came to the United States to study chemical engineering. During his time at DVC, Jideonwo visited several different student centers, but spent the most time in the Science and Health Student Center and the Math and Engineering Student Center.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI met with professors for office hours in the centers, and have also received tutoring and advice,\u201d said Jideonwo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jideonwo plans to transfer to obtain a bachelor\u2019s degree. Like Gonzalez, he has attended several workshops in the center, primarily focusing on preparing for transfer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe student centers are very accessible and really help give the students everything they need to be successful at DVC. They are a great place to learn, socialize, and improve yourself,\u201d said Jideonwo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding her path<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Sydney<\/p>\n

Sydney Alexander came to DVC as a first-generation college student. She had hoped to go directly to a four-year university after high school but realized that DVC offered a more affordable start.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile at DVC, I changed my major five times, something I wouldn\u2019t have felt free to do if I were at a four-year university,\u201d said Alexander.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander eventually chose to major in communications and was a member of the DVC speech and debate team. She also worked as a tutor, supporting other students enrolled in communications classes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThrough my experience as a tutor, I found not only my love for communications as a subject, but also discovered my love for helping people work through different challenges,\u201d said Alexander.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After graduating from DVC with her associate in arts in communications, Alexander transferred to California State University, East Bay to obtain her bachelor of arts. She continued supporting DVC students through online tutoring, and then became a program assistant in the ASC. She also earned a master of science in digital audience strategy from Arizona State University. This led Alexander to take on an exciting new role at DVC \u2013 as a member of the communications faculty.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause it wasn\u2019t all that long ago that I was a DVC student, I understand many of the struggles that students have gone through,\u201d said Alexander.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alexander encourages students to access tutoring and other services available through the student centers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEach student center is like a mini hub for resources. You can ask any question about anything on campus and someone in the center will help you find the resources or answer the question,\u201d said Alexander.<\/span><\/p>\n

Student centers focused on career interests<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

California Community Colleges developed a common system that helps students find their academic path during their time in college \u2013 this system is called Guided Pathways.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs part of the transition to Guided Pathways, DVC reorganized into Interest Areas, which allows students to more easily determine their college and career goals,\u201d said Katy Agnost, English professor and guided pathways faculty lead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the success of the DVC Pleasant Hill and DVC San Ramon Academic Support Centers (ASC), as well as the PUMA Center and Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC), DVC developed five additional student centers that are organized around DVC\u2019s five career interest areas:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n