Adelante Completion Celebration at PCC on Friday

December 7, 2011

Tucson, AZ – Watching his newborn child grow up, Steven Mejia knew he had to further his education to provide a better life for his family. Pima Community College and Adelante have helped fulfill his dream.

On Friday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. at PCC, Steven will join more than 70 PCC students at a Completion Celebration for participants in Adelante, a nationwide study examining if performance-based scholarships provided in addition to federal needs-based funding can improve the academic achievement of college students.

The celebration will take place at West Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road. 

Steven is a 42-year-old Tucson native who worked several jobs after graduating from Amphi High School. When his child was born three years ago, Steven and his wife agreed that one parent should stay home and be a care-giver. As his wife’s job paid more and had better benefits, the couple agreed Steven would stay home. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world . . . but I knew I had to go back to school to have a better life for my family,” he says.

So he enrolled at PCC and connected with Adelante. “I had been out of school for 25 years, so I wasn’t sure how it was going to work out . . . Adelante has opened up so many doors to me,” Steven says. Adelante requires participants to take part in existing PCC advising and counseling services. Steven said that made a big difference. “Seeing the same advisor, you build a personal relationship. They know what you need, and you know what their expectations are.”

On Friday, Steven will tell his story of academic achievement: He is scheduled to graduate in Spring 2012 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Systems Administration/Networking. Other students also will relate how Adelante helped make the goal of postsecondary education a reality. They include:

• Ramón De León, 22, who will receive an Associate of Art degree in Paralegal Studies later this month. Ramón appreciated Adelante workshops in subjects such as time management, as well as Adelante’s mandatory tutoring and Pláticas, group discussions about a range of issues. “It definitely allows us to develop social skills and also to express ourselves. It is a place where you can feel comfortable with who you are.”
• Eric Asturias, 28, who returned to PCC in Fall 2010 after starting and stopping at Pima and other community colleges following graduating from high school in Virginia. The constant communication and encouragement from advisors was invaluable, he says. “It’s easy to slack off if it’s just you, but if there is someone holding you accountable, you won’t want to let them down,” says Eric, who hopes to graduate in 2013 with an Associate of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in music.

Frank Velásquez Jr., the program coordinator of Adelante, says, “When students believe in their abilities, their confidence increases. It’s (Adelante’s) responsibility to foster that belief.” 

Nationwide, students in the Adelante study come from varied backgrounds at six educational institutions across the U.S. They range from parents in Ohio to adult learners in New York. At Pima, low-income Hispanic males are being studied. Low-income Hispanic males enroll and graduate from higher-education institutions less often than other groups, research has shown.

Like numerous existing academic-aid programs, Adelante rewards performance and is back-loaded. Students must complete classes, achieve C’s or better, and take part in orientation, academic advising, student success workshops, tutoring and student-driven discussion groups.

Part-time students can earn up to $700 a semester for up to three semesters; full-time students can earn $1,500 a semester for up to three semesters. Currently, 1,029 PCC students are taking part in the study, ranging in age from 18 to older than 60.

Adelante is funded by private foundations; no taxpayer dollars from residents of Pima County or Arizona have been allotted. The study is being conducted by MDRC, a non-partisan, non-profit research organization whose findings have been used by policymakers across the political spectrum.

“The real reward of the study is not the cash payment but in the student’s increased self-efficacy. Students whose self-confidence grows because of success in the classroom will strive for and achieve more academically. The result will be a better-educated citizenry that will benefit everyone,” says PCC Chancellor Dr. Roy Flores.

CONTACT:
C.J. Karamargin
Vice Chancellor for Public Information and Government Relations
(520) 206-4850
ckaramargin@pima.edu