Christine J. Sobek, Ed.D. President, Waubonsee Community College

The answer to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?,” depends greatly on the age and experiences of the person being asked. A young child’s mind may head to adventurous professions such as firefighter, pilot or professional athlete.  This child may also look to his or her parents’ professions for an answer.  With time, as that same child learns more about the world and the hundreds, if not thousands of careers that exist, the answer may change again.  More often than not, the answer becomes, “I don’t know.”

Education opens the door to nearly unlimited career possibilities.  For many, it is education that not only helps answer the question but also provides the plan of action to make career dreams a reality.  The sooner our children learn all that is open to them, the sooner they can begin to shape their future.  For this reason, Waubonsee Community College is constantly developing and strengthening ties with the school districts in our college district.

Waubonsee and East Aurora High School recently celebrated their numerous successful and innovative collaborations.  While many of the partnerships also take place at other area high schools, the sheer number and quality of the programs at East Aurora deserved special recognition.  Two of these initiatives, in particular, are serving as models for other schools looking to enable student success.  The Dunham Early College Academy and the Upward Bound program were both started this academic year; and the goal of both is to ensure that under-served high school students go to college.

The Dunham Early College Academy, funded by a $1.1 million grant from the Dunham Fund, allows 50 students from East and West Aurora high schools to attend college-level courses at Waubonsee’s Aurora Campus every afternoon and to graduate from high school with a year’s worth of transferable college credit.  In addition to studying college-level curriculum, students in the program also receive college admissions and financial aid counseling, as well as the support they need to make the leap to a college education.

Upward Bound, a federally funded program, provides core academic assistance, college preparation, mentoring and guidance regarding college admission and financial aid to low-income students who would be the first in their family to attend college.  Waubonsee Upward Bound staff members are based on-site at East Aurora High School, which makes all the difference for the students in this program.

In addition to these powerful programs, high school students from throughout the area learn more about college and various professions through the numerous competitions and events hosted by Waubonsee.

Business Competition Day, which takes place this month, allows high school students to compete for scholarships in 12 business majors.  The Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) Competition is another scholarship competition for area high school students.  In October, seniors from the Fox Valley Career Center participated in “College Student for a Day,” learning about college and shadowing current Waubonsee students.

Dual credit classes, where students earn both college and high school credit, also continue to flourish at many local high schools, as well as at Waubonsee’s campuses.  These programs allow students to get a jump-start on their college career and illustrate the commitment to student success found at both Waubonsee and area high schools.

Many opportunities are available for students to start their journey toward higher education and future career success.  If your child is in high school or approaching that age, look for ways to help him or her make the connection that college is key. Fortunately, with the many high school and college partnerships in place, higher education is closer than you realize.

You can obtain information on any of these programs by calling Waubonsee’s Counseling and Advising Center at (630) 466-2361.