Going To Work: Stories From Today’s College Students

Once considered a stepping-stone into four-year institutions, community colleges are now also serving a very different role – to prepare people for the workforce, and prepare them fast.

Study time takes a backseat to the immediate need for income. Many students juggle both their work and college schedules; more families consider affordable local educational options; and too many sacrifice their education to make ends meet. As we respond to these types of needs as a community college, we also seek to understand and support the changing lives of today’s college student.

What used to be institutions mainly comprised of full-time students has now evolved to include fast-track job training grounds preparing the nation’s workforce within a few short semesters, a few months, and even a few weeks. Here are some stories from today’s community college students.

James Smith of Katy
"There are a lot more requirements for the job market these days. People need to be prepared."

Thirty-six-year-old James Smith of Katy knew he had to move his family out of Naples, Fla., after noticing neighborhoods full of empty buildings and experiencing mass layoffs at three electrical companies.

"When a coworker told me not to bother hooking up another building, I knew the market had crashed," said Smith. "It was very creepy. My wife had just had our baby, and I needed to be there for her but was basically told that if I leave for a few days, I wouldn't have a job."

With some savings and church donations, Smith, his wife, and their newborn, headed to Houston in search of a new life. However, without any previous post-secondary education, Smith said it was tough finding jobs, even in a city like Houston, which held some of the lowest unemployment rates throughout the recession.

"I had always worked throughout my life," said Smith, who held jobs throughout high school to support his mother. He also served three years in the military and earned a living as a security guard before working as an electrician. "After living in Houston for a year working odd jobs, I knew I had to do something different.”

With a small amount of automotive experience in his past, Smith decided on a career change and enrolled in the GM Automotive Service Educational Program (ASEP) at San Jacinto College last year. He already has a job lined up with a local dealership upon completion of the program.

"My first time in college feels great; I'm doing something I wasn't able to do before," said Smith. "Otherwise, I'd probably still be working in odd jobs or leaving my wife and son to work overseas for months at a time. I found out through this experience that there are a lot more requirements for the job market. People need to be prepared."

Clarissa Gonzalez of South Houston

"Community college has always been the family's first choice in preparation for a university."

Like so many high school students, Clarissa Gonzalez said she really didn't know what to pursue after graduation. She also found herself very discouraged by the lack of support she received in regards to her educational goals.

"I used to think of what I'd like to do as a career, but many people would just discourage me from specific professions because of my spina bifida," said Gonzalez, 22, who has endured 18 surgeries throughout her life. "But I always had an interest in culinary. My family is Mexican American; we know how to cook, and I'd love to share this with others."

Gonzalez enrolled in San Jacinto College in 2009 to pursue a degree in the culinary arts program. She said she chose community college over university so that she could pay her own way through classes and take advantage of the smaller atmosphere, which has allowed her to ask instructors one very important favor.

"I ask them to please not cut me any slack," said Gonzalez. "I said, 'if you see me being lazy, just push me harder'. I want to serve as an example to others, that no matter what struggles you have in life, you can take on the culinary business."

About San Jacinto College
Surrounded by monuments of history, industries and maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has been serving the citizens of East Harris County, Texas, for nearly 50 years. We are committed to the goals and aspirations of a diverse population of more than 29,000 students in over 140 degree and certificate options, including university transfer and career-track choices. Students also benefit from the College’s job training programs, renowned for meeting the needs of ever-changing industry in the region. San Jacinto College.

Your Goals. Your College.

For more information about San Jacinto College, please call 281-998-6150, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Also visit www.sanjac.edu

San Jacinto Community College - North Campus
5800 Uvalde Rd.
Houston, TX 77049
281-458-4050

This release was published on openPR.