The Promise, which allocated more than $400,000 during the
2015-2016 academic year, is available to all Erie County residents
enrolled full or part time in a Porreco College associate degree
program.
Janet Bowker, director of the college, said that the campus’
location close to the region’s population center in Erie makes it
convenient for students who would find it difficult to travel to
Edinboro. She noted that the small class sizes are less daunting
as well.
Students at Porreco receive the same education and services that
a student on the main campus receives, including an individual
assessment from the start of the admissions and
financial aid process, new student orientation and
academic advising throughout the program.
Tutors who specialize in English, writing and
mathematics are available on the Porreco campus,
and students also have access to all of the tutoring
resources provided at the campus in Edinboro. In
Wendy Zimmer addition to these services, collaborative learning
is encouraged through peer-led study groups.
The facilities include well-equipped computer
labs with evening and Saturday hours, and a café
that makes hot, fresh foods available on
the campus.
Through the Campus Activities Board
(CAB), students are given the opportunity
to become involved and develop leadership skills. During the
fall 2015 semester, members organized a blood drive, collected
nonperishable foods, raised money for the Erie City Mission
through a penny drive and hosted representatives from the
Multicultural Resource Center.
Baldwin said instructors were eager to help and very
understanding of her needs as a non-traditional student, and her
fellow students were helpful as well.
“The staff at Porreco was absolutely wonderful,” she said. “My
last semester I had a scheduling conflict, but they worked with the
math and business departments to offer me an independent study
that allowed me to graduate on time.”
They also offered her assistance with her resume and helped her
prep for interviews in her new field.
“My degree has opened up so many new doors and given me
opportunities that I would not have had before,” said Baldwin, who
currently works for Erie Insurance through a staffing agency and
hopes to eventually be hired there permanently.
Like Baldwin, Zimmer stated that her degree has made her
a more competitive candidate in the workforce. She has been
promoted to retail supervisor and is now responsible for training
and managing retail merchandising and sales activities within her
territory.
“Through providing individualized attention and other support
services, we continue to help students build confidence in their
abilities and turn their dreams into realities,” Bowker said. n
Nancy Baldwin
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