Humans of SLCC (#2)

What is big on my mind right now?  Me being a gay Mormon.  On National Coming Out Day [2016] I posted this thing on Facebook about my coming out and the process.  So that’s been on my mind.  Also, I’m an activist.  What is my story?  I don’t know.  I love the college community.  I love the vibes of the school.  That students are learning, they’re growing, they’re challenging their thoughts, their way of life, and they are being vulnerable and especially in the Student Life and Leadership office, people are looking for opportunities to improve themselves.  And just to think that I can have a part or be a part of this monumental moment in people’s lives is fun and it’s cool.  So that’s the biggest reason why I came back.  I’ve been here and I’ve left and  I’ve come back and I’ve left and now I’m back again.  Yeah, I think that that’s the biggest thing is that college life is a time of change.  Being an activist I’m all about moving forward and progressive change, whether it’s policy or individual lives, it’s awesome to be a part of that.

Peter began his college studies at SLCC then transferred to Weber State University to complete his Bachelor's degree.  We met a few months ago to discuss some ideas for a Masters program that would incorporate activism, gender studies, and staying employed in higher education.  Although SLCC does not offer anything above an Associate's degree and does not normally advise for graduate programs, it's always great to see our students move beyond the college into higher level programs. If you are still wondering what program of study you should be focusing on, please meet with an Academic & Career Advisor today!  http://www.slcc.edu/academicadvising/index.aspx

 

Humans of SLCC (#1)

I was born in South Korea and emigrated to the United States at the age of six.  My sister came here first to learn English.  She came here when she was eight or nine and she came by herself.  Me, my brother, and my mom came to follow my sister.  My dad stayed in Korea to work and he was going back and forth.  He had his own business, he was an optician in South Korea so he had his own eye glass shop in my home town.  He gave that up, sold everything, and came here for the American dream, you know?  South Korea is a motherland, it's your roots, you know, like a tree.  You have your base then you have all these leaves that represent who you are but in order to be at the core of it, sometimes people don't see that, but the root keeps everything grounded, you know, stable.  All my family members and relatives are in South Korea, my grandma and we have a house there.  Whenever we want to go to South Korea we can just go.  All my mother's side is there, my dad's side is all there.  We try to keep close ties but it's hard, you know, especially when the economy goes bad, plane tickets are expensive so trying to go back and forth is hard.  We try to keep true to our roots.  I feel like you should keep the good in the culture and throw away the bad.  I try to keep the good aspects, the positive aspects.

He is currently undecided on a major but has the resources that can assist him with his major and career exploration journey.

(Re)Introducing Chico the Cheeky Monkey

With the fall semester comes a whole new troop of students, especially fresh out of high school graduates, anxious to begin the next phase in their lives.  When I first introduced Chico, it was in January near the time the new Lunar New Year was beginning.  But I forgot to reintroduce him in August since many students have not had the privilege of getting to know this amazing little monkey.  So here he is:

This is Chico.  The cheeky monkey.  He is our current mascot for the 100 Days of Career Exploration Campaign.  At least until December.  In January we switch over to the Rooster as next year is the Year of the Rooster.  By the way, the Rooster doesn't have a name, yet, so if you have some ideas, please post them here!  Back to Chico, he's been highlighting different programs and resources we offer at Salt Lake Community College.  Which is what the #100daysSLCC Campaign is all about.  Follow along with our social media sites and you'll see some great information regarding major and career exploration (we still have a few free MBTI's left), programs offered at SLCC (last semester Chico hung out with the Coding Club), and resources that can help you be a successful student (Chico loves the excitement of the Boosters Workshop series).  Whether you're undecided on a major or you know what you want to do with your life, it's always fun to find out what Chico is up to and read about your personality and careers that match.  Browse through our tabs and see what's happening on campus this week.  We have some heavy hitting speakers during the week of October 17th so stay tuned.  Spring registration will be here before you know it.  What can you do to choose a major and career path as well as stay informed with important information?  Read this blog.  Visit our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.  You don't even have to have those pages to see the content.  We look forward to seeing you on social media!

Blog:           100daysslcc.blogspot.com

Twitter:       @slccadvising

Instagram:  100daysslcc

Facebook:   100daysslcc

Who are the people at SLCC?

http://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/151124043696/i-went-to-community-college-when-i-was

The story above comes from the "Humans of New York" blog series and as I started browsing through personal stories from all walks of life, I found one about attending community college.  This human from New York chose to attend college to prove people wrong.  At first.  Then, at some point, she started going for herself.  Looking back on who she was before and the way she acted, she could see herself in others and wondered if they realized they were wasting their lives away.  Like she was doing before she discovered college...

Are you attending college because someone told you to, like a parent or guardian or significant other?  It's August 1st, hurry up and apply to the college.  You're not sitting around this house all day!  Is it because someone dared you to go to college?  I double dog dare you to enroll at SLCC!  HAHAHAHAHA!  Is it because you don't know what else to do and don't really want to get a "serious" job right now?  I want time to ski and I can work at the resorts while attending school for fun.  No one will question me if I tell them I'm a college student.

Now that you're at the college and taking classes, what makes you stay?  Is it the atmosphere?  The smaller class sizes?  The beautiful campuses?  The courses you're taking?  The major you've chosen? Studies have shown students with an idea of a major and career path tend to complete their degree quicker than someone who is undecided on a major.  We've seen this with students in academic probation.  They had no direction, therefore, no motivation.  We've seen this with students of color.  Their priorities are different and sometimes, even with a chosen major, other obligations come first.  We've seen this across the college and we're concerned.

Who are the humans of SLCC?  And what motivates them to attend the college?  What motivates them to stay and complete a degree?  What help have they received along the way?  We will begin our own "Human of SLCC" and highlighting people from across campuses to share their stories.  Of course, I'll tie them back to major and career exploration.  But wouldn't it be amazing to see the faces of SLCC and experience the wonderfully diverse landscape that makes up our students, staff, and faculty?

Are YOU interested in sharing your story (and picture) as a Human of SLCC?  If so, email michelle.tuitupou@slcc.edu.  We look forward to hearing from you!