August 2, 2018 Robin Witte
Adult Students Find Help, Support at WCC.
WCC Dean of Support Services Liz Orbits, understands that adults might be hesitant to come back to school.
Her advice to them is to start slow and gather some information before making a decision.
“I would encourage anyone who is thinking of coming back to school to take the first step,” said Orbits. “Come talk to us. Follow the process and see where it leads. It might be a lot easier than you think.”
The place where adult students can access support services at WCC is the Student Resource Center, located on the second floor of the Student Center.
WCC opened the Student Resource Center more than 40 years ago to address the unique needs of non-traditional students, including single parents, people unemployed outside of the home, and others that were economically disadvantaged.
The center uses a model in which advisers work directly with students, assess their needs and help them find resources to address those needs.
“Changing technology is one of the most significant challenges facing adult students,” said Orbits. “Some careers available today didn’t exist 10 years ago. Through career assessments, we can help students identify their strengths and find a career that they might not have pictured for themselves.”
In addition to helping students get comfortable with new technology, the center also helps connect economically disadvantaged students with community resources to meet the basic needs of food, shelter and transportation.
“If the basic needs aren’t addressed, nothing is going to happen,” said Orbits. “You have to feel safe and secure to be able to study.”