Okima, the first graduate of the Stay the Course program offered by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte, in partnership with Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, is pictured with her son at her graduation last spring. (Photo provided by Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte)WINSTON-SALEM — It's graduation season, and many young adults are donning caps and gowns at commencements across the diocese, with plans to head to college in the fall.
But for graduates who face unplanned pregnancies, financial hardships and other challenges in their young lives, a college diploma seems unattainable. And statistics show they're right: Nationally, more than 60 percent of community college students drop out before graduation because of challenges they face outside the classroom.
Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte has set out to change that reality for young adults in the Triad. Partnering with Forsyth Technical Community College's Mazie Woodruff Center, Catholic Charities has set up a program to help young adults continue their education past high school – especially in situations where a student has economic challenges, is pregnant or a first-time parent in need.
Called "Stay the Course," this joint effort has already seen some success stories, in less than a year and with limited funding. Last year, thanks to resources from Catholic Charities' Teen Parenting program, 12 students came through Stay the Course with help from Catholic Charities staff.
Stay the Course is the brainchild of researchers from the School of Economics at the University of Notre Dame, in collaboration with Catholic Charities Fort Worth, Texas. This free, confidential program provides a team of professionals who work with students to keep them on the path to graduation.
Stay the Course staff (called "navigators") particularly focus on helping students deal with severe roadblocks in life: homelessness, loss of income, or family emergencies. These navigators help students get familiar with the college system, then help them manage through situations that could prompt them to drop out.
"I wasn't going to school because I was pregnant. I wasn't too sure if I wanted to even keep my child," explains Okima, the first Stay the Course program participant and graduate who is parenting her now 1-year-old son.
"I don't know what I would have done without the help that I received. Catholic Charities offered so many different things. I am so glad this agency is here for people like me," she said.
Now, with a grant of $120,000 per year for three years from the United Way of Forsyth County – and with a three-year plan – Stay the Course has the potential to serve dozens more college students.
Catholic Charities plans to hire one or two staff members to help identify students who could benefit from the program at Forsyth Tech.
"This program came to be because when we brought it to our advisory board, one of our advisory board members was able to arrange the meeting with Forsyth Technical Community College and bring the initial proposal to the college. It was very helpful," says Diane Bullard, Catholic Charities' regional office director. That board member is a parishioner at St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem.
"Our hope is to expand the program so that we can include any college that people are going to, and be able to connect them to a caseworker," Bullard says.
Becky DuBois, assistant office director with Catholic Charities of the Triad, says program participants are "juggling parenthood at a young age, working part-time and have family issues that are a challenge for them."
"Most of the students we helped in the first year of the program are the first to graduate from college in their families," Bullard adds.
"Some of our students face a non-traditional homelessness. They are living on someone's couch. It's very challenging for them not only to parent, but to stay in school. If they're worrying about a place to live and then their studies, that's challenging."
Reliable transportation and child care can also be factors for these at-risk students.
"These non-academic issues, which would normally put off the education, are addressed by the navigator – who serves as a cheerleader and helps to remove these barriers and find success for them in school. They find they can face these challenges and get over these hurdles, and they will be better off because they have that college diploma," Bullard says.
Okima, who graduated from Forsyth Tech's two-year program, is now majoring in early childhood development and hopes to be a teacher. That had never occurred to her before she participated in Stay the Course.
"I never thought I was going to do it (go to college)," she says. "It made me feel good when somebody was on my side the whole time, so I have to be there for my son."
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Details
Stay the Course is a voluntary program offered by Catholic Charities, in partnership with Forsyth Technical Community College, to help students who are facing economic or challenging life situations stay in school and persevere toward earning a degree while gaining life or parenting skills. The goal of the program is to provide non-academic support to help students or young parents work toward a college degree, and provide skill-building support to promote a bright future and healthy parenting.
Who is eligible? Forsyth Tech students who are under the age of 27, enrolled for at least one non-distance learning class, who may be pregnant or parenting for the first time, and those who would benefit from non-academic support to persevere in school are eligible.
Do students pay for services? All services are free and confidential. Stay the Course is a voluntary program designed to offer support to young parents working towards a college degree.
More information is at www.ccdoc.org/services/stay-the-course.