Program and Services Specialist Talia Guiragossian explained in an interview that the Center has a lot of events to help students understand priority registration and tuition benefits. “I love the kind of atmosphere that we have here at the VSC, where we are constantly taking on new projects and just going with the flow of everything,” Guiragossian said.
The office helps with the retention aspects, conducting check-ins to make sure that students are doing well in their classes, and reminding students of registration deadlines. The students can also attend resume workshops, where they are required to complete and submit a resume and the center cooperates with the career center to put those workshops on.
Throughout the months of March and April, the Center organizes early college acceptance program field trips, where high schoolers come to campus to get acquainted with GCC and learn about different programs. They learn about the Promise Plus+ program that helps them get set up for the fall semester early on in the year. The success center also assists the rising scholars program, teaching them how to navigate GCC. The VSC also sets up different events, whether professional or social events for students or first time college takers. There are a lot of benefits that come with participating. For instance, there is the VSC Resource Fair in March, a great opportunity for students to get connected to campus programs and learn more about all available services. In April the center holds the Donations + Doughnuts event, where the students bring new or lightly used clothing items and get a free doughnut. In May, the students can take part in celebratory events ahead of graduation. The resources are all specifically catered to students to create community and help students feel connected.
One of the most useful resources of the center is the Job Fair. The next one will be held on April 10th and then May 15th, which is an ongoing event that the center has. The event is aimed to make different programs and services on campus more visible to the students and provide more information on how it can help students if they join the programs or use it as a resource. The center provides great food at the event with a good vendor that offers loaded and carne asada fries, which the students love according to organizers.
Another great event that the center organizes is the open house, a collaborative event held on May 3rd. It is open to the public and has different activities for all tastes from campus tours, music program performances, student services, food, games, to giveaways and many more.
The center hosts financial aid workshops almost every day, which is very helpful for students, according to Anoush Sargsyan, one of the student ambassadors of the VSC.
“We provide the students with the most resources possible, trying to give them the most information so they are successful. We call students with reminders for registration dates, application dates, financial aid workshops, any information that will help them succeed. Other things include adding or dropping classes, navigating Canvas, navigating their way around the school, we have maps, we can also take them to specific locations if they need it, and anything in general. If they have questions, they come to us,” Sargsyan mentioned. The success center also has panels for high school students in March and April. High schools from the nearby districts come and the success center provides them with all the necessary information about GCC, holds presentations, and the student ambassadors host panels explaining their experience and answering any questions they have.
Aileen Samuelian, another student ambassador of the VSC, shared information about the Cash for College event in January. Around a hundred students participated in the event. The ambassadors helped students with questions they had with financial aid and there was also a raffle and free food. The success center’s goal is to make every student feel welcomed and up-to-date. “This is my second year here at GCC as a student and working at the VSC. I just really get excited whenever students come in and I am able to help them, whether it is adding classes, applying to GCC or just any question overall. They always come in and I get happy whenever I get to help them. If there is an issue going on, I always do my best to calm the student down and accommodate their needs. Overall, I just get really excited seeing students with a smile on their face and just happy with the service,” Samuelian said.
“I love student ambassadors of the success center. It is probably one of my favorite parts helping them grow personally and professionally,” Guiragossian concluded. “I learn from them as much as they learn from us, so I think it is the best way I could describe my experience here. It is a huge thank you, not only about the resources that you are helping students with. You make them feel like home.”
Zhanna Kazazyan can be reached at [email protected].