“The best entrepreneurs and most successful people I’ve ever encountered view change as opportunities. Every time an industry is adjusted and the terrain shifts, they don’t get on a soapbox and start complaining. Instead, they analyze the situation and determine how they can adapt, and act, in a way that leaves them better than they would have been if they kept trying to do the same thing.”
One good thing about this pandemic: we have more time to read. This is a silver lining, and let me tell you all about a book that you MUST read: This Faithful Book: A Diary from World War Two in the Netherlands, by Madzy Brender à Brandis, translated and edited by an author we just love: her daughter, Marianne Brandis.
One of our very favorite people in the world (not to mention one of our very favorite artists: read our profile with her here!), Lara Smith, has a new book that, honestly, is a must for any parent or educator to share with their kids.
Shifting times: when we chose the name for this series, four years ago now, we did not know quite how many areas of life would be shifitng, and how continually and at what depths. There were already many important issues needing attention then. Now, there have been so many deep calls for attention in just the last four months at this writing, not to mention the last four years. Making one's way through all this with courage, grace, and impact requires focused intention. How to focus intention, and on what, will vary.
My name is Tartela Tabassum and I am an international student from Bangladesh. After high school, I had to sacrifice my education and get married so that I could remove some financial burden from my family. After marriage, I moved to the USA and started over. After a year, I was able to begin my college education, but I had to battle stereotypes, for many people thought that a community college is not a good school to get into and it is not possible to be a success by going to the community college.
Sara Hnatiw majored in both Early Education Child Development and Children with Special Needs. She graduated from the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC)—South Campus with her Children with Special Needs certificate in Spring 2018 and Early Education Child Development Associate’s Degree in Spring 2020. She has intentions to transfer to Carlow University or LaRoche College in Fall 2021 to begin her Bachelor’s Degree. Once she earns her Bachelor’s Degree, she would like to become a disability services director or a student success coach.
It is estimated that 250,000 native English speakers teach English overseas. Teaching and travel are an appealing match, but while the majority of teachers working abroad elect to teach English, many people would prefer to remain focused on their area of expertise. One subject that this can pose a challenge in is law, given that every country has its own legal system and legal practice varies between countries.
'No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion...And if they can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love' - Nelson Mandela
My name is Eric Leif Peters (which is an anagram of "fertile recipes" and "fierce reptiles", so my friends know me as the “Culinary Herpetologist”). I attended CCAC at the Dawn of Time, when dinosaurs walked the Earth (Fall 1977-May 1979). I may have earned an Associate Degree, but I honestly don't remember. I DO know that my credits (at least for the courses I passed) all successfully transferred to the University of Pittsburgh (from which I earned my B.S. in Biology in the Fall 1982 semester). I then went on to earn a M.S.
Natalie Hoover started attending the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC)—North Campus, in the fall of 2014 as a dual enrollment student since she was still in high school at the time. She studied nursing while she was at CCAC North Campus, and then transferred to CCAC Boyce Campus, which is where she finished her nursing degree and graduated in December 2017. While she was at CCAC, she was an Honor’s student and Honor’s Ambassador for North campus.