50Th Anniversary Graduating Course Of Report Breaks Records For Virginia’S Community Colleges

Virginia’s Community Colleges are off to a promising begin inward their hollo for to triple the release of credentials students earn annually yesteryear the twelvemonth 2021. As the VCCS celebrates its 50^th anniversary, the 2016 cast was the virtually successful inward history, reaching tape numbers for both private graduates as well as credentials earned. This yesteryear spring’s graduations too represented the goal of the kickoff twelvemonth of the VCCS’s six-year statewide strategic plan, Complete 2021, which established the goal of tripling credentials.

All told, Virginia’s Community Colleges saw a 7.6% increment inward degrees, certificates as well as diplomas earned, from 31,194 to 33,580 – as well as a 5.2% increment inward the release of private graduates, from 25,562 to 26,899. There were pregnant increases inward for sure groups driving those tape numbers including:

·         A 14% increment inward the release of Hispanic/Latino graduates;

·         An 11.4% increment inward the release of so-called traditional-age graduates, those betwixt the ages of eighteen as well as 24; and

·         A 9% increment inward the release of graduates who are the kickoff inward their identify unit of measurement to attend as well as graduate college – inward fact, kickoff generation students earned i out of every 5 awards earned yesteryear the 2016 class.

There was too a smaller, though notable, increment of 6.5% inward the release of men graduating. Traditionally, men pursue as well as consummate postsecondary credentials at rates good below that of women. Today, men brand upward only to a greater extent than than 41% of the full VCCS enrollment.

The graduation numbers inward a higher identify create non include the to a greater extent than than 13,000 industry-certified credentials earned yesteryear VCCS students inward short-term workforce grooming programs terminal year. Those programs operate exterior of a traditional academic calendar as well as are counted separately.

“With a focus on pupil success, nosotros are helping to a greater extent than individuals overcome the barriers that tin foreclose them from earning a postsecondary credential, the passport that is essential today to pursuing the American Dream,” said Glenn DuBois, chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges. “Much hold out remains, however, if nosotros are going to orbit that tripling goal of Complete 2021 as well as genuinely laid upward individuals for the novel Virginia economy.”

No one, perhaps, amend personifies that pursuit of the American Dream amend than Josephine Iwatsubo. Iwatsubo was born inward the Philippines as well as raised inward Richmond, Virginia, graduating from Deep Run High School inward 2012. Iwatsubo attend Reynolds Community College because of the academic flexibility as well as fiscal benefits the schoolhouse provides. Iwatsubo, who has been able to accomplish i of her childhood dreams yesteryear becoming an author alongside the publication of her kickoff mass “The Missing Cookie” graduated from Reynolds alongside a Liberal Arts score inward May 2014.

 She believes that her fourth dimension at Reynolds was a contributing part inward helping her to accomplish her dream of attention the University of Virginia. Iwatsubo says the Reynolds Guaranteed Transfer computer program was instrumental inward the attainment of her academic career goals as well as she credits the computer program alongside helping her financially as well as preparing her for the transition to UVa.

Josephine Iwatsubo

“I was able to attend my dream school, the University of Virginia, then I am extremely thankful for the programs that Reynolds offered,” said Iwatsubo. “Attending Reynolds definitely is the best conclusion I convey e'er made when I decided to pursue college.  I actually had the gamble to explore my interests, encounter all the possibilities, brand lifelong friends as well as encounter what I tin achieve.”