Adult learners get help they need to advance to college and earn degrees
After a difficult childhood, Bradley Bullard of Riverside found himself living on the street as a teenager. But a few years ago, he enrolled at the Riverside Adult School, determined to earn his GED.
Through community partnerships, each adult school houses an educational advisor from Riverside Community College District who focuses exclusively on providing transitional assistance to adult learners. Through this partnership, Bullard met with Riverside City College educational advisor Kristopher Acevedo, as he was completing his coursework at Riverside Adult School.
“He got me plugged in and got me into the program,” says Bullard, now 38. “He helped me fill out the applications. Then even after I finished the program, he stayed in contact with me.”
“Our advisors help students make that transition. We offer specific assistance from beginning to end.”
Paula Barrera Partida, Office of Adult Education and Community Initiatives, Riverside Community College District
“Transitioning to college for any student is difficult,” says Paula Barrera Partida, Administrative Assistant for the Office of Adult Education and Community Initiatives at the Riverside Community College District.
“In our area, among the students we attract, (attending college is) a big step,” Partida says. “There are so many challenges that they face, balancing their personal life along with their academic life. So, our advisors help students make that transition. We offer specific assistance from beginning to end.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, advisors traveled to the adult schools to meet with students, says Linda Ju-Ong, Interim Executive Director of Adult Education and Community Initiatives. Now they connect online. “We want to be there to provide the supportive services for the adult school students and to assist them in transitioning to college,” Ju-Ong says.
Each college’s educational advisors help students navigate the complex aspects of the college admissions process such as university and federal student aid applications as well as applying for other resources such as Veteran’s education benefits.
After completing RCC’s Extended Learning Business Skills Boot Camp certificate in 2019, Bullard met with his RCC educational advisor to enroll in a credit program to complete an associate degree. This Spring, he plans to graduate from RCC with an associate’s degree in Social and Behavioral Science as well as language and communications. He dreams of enrolling in a four-year university and getting a degree to work with troubled teens.
Bullard says he credits his advisor to encourage him to take that first step towards his academic future and enroll in a community college. “It was very important,” he says. “Without him, I probably wouldn’t be graduating. So far, I have a 3.8 GPA, so I’m doing pretty good.”
For more information about Riverside Community College District Extended Learning programs and adult education transitional services, visit www.extendedlearning.rccd.edu.
Written by Gail Allyn Short.
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Southern California | Careers in Education |
