2 minute read
Putting Students on a Path to Success
Jordan Esparza
PUTTING
STUDENTS ON A PATH TO SUCCESS
From lifeguard, to cook, to bank teller, Jordan Esparza felt like he worked every kind of job after graduating high school. He pursued his creative interests in photography and videography, and even did social media work to help small businesses with marketing strategies.
Despite all these different experiences, when looking for a career, Esparza struggled to get even an entry-level position because he lacked official credentials. It was then he decided it was time to return to school.
Back to school for Esparza meant back to CLC. Though he didn’t stay long, Esparza initially enrolled at CLC after high school in 2015. At the time, school just wasn’t for him, and he decided that working was a better route.
Coming back posed a different challenge for him this time: reacclimating to being a student.
Fortunately, CLC has a plan for that. CLC puts students on a path to success through a College Success Seminar, or CLC 120, an introductory course required for all students pursuing degrees and certificates. CLC 120 helps students learn the necessary skills for succeeding in college. “For a person like me who never had studious habits, it was an introductory class about how to build my student philosophy and help me become a better student,” Esparza said.
At CLC, Esparza is pursuing a degree in business and one day hopes to earn a master’s degree in education. Thanks to CLC 120, a two-credit course he took last fall, he’s ready to achieve his educational goals. Esparza is not alone. Over 1,500 CLC students also took one of 75 CLC 120 classes offered during that semester.
“I’m mentally prepared now for school,” he said.
Some of the main lessons Esparza learned from his instructor Teresa Filicette included the usefulness of good notetaking, the importance of self-advocacy and where to look for financial aid and scholarships.
“Jordan brought so much to our class as he was passionate about the topics discussed,” Filicette said. “He shared his life experiences and related them to our course so all his classmates could learn from them. Jordan was eager to learn about all the CLC resources we explored, and he immediately started accessing them and benefiting from their services. He soaked up all the techniques, skills and strategies taught and saw how applying them would aid in his success.”
