By Angela Rossi | Observer Reporter
With the constant hustle and bustle of the average college student’s life, many are in need of a support system to keep them on track. Here at MWCC, the visions program provides many resources to help guide students to success.
The Visions Program is a part of TRIO which is a Federally funded government grant given to accepted schools for this mission. Upon receiving the money, schools follow the guideline of the grant and utilize it to achieve this purpose in an individual way but following certain guidelines.
For instance, the program is allowed to host 200 students at a time. Among the members, students must meet at least 1 of 3 guidelines: they must be a first generation student, meaning that neither of their parents received a four-year college degree, they are “low income” as determined by the federal government, or they have a medically diagnosed disability.
According to program director Gaurav Khanna, as long as students utilize the resources that it offers, they are welcome to remain a part of the program for all the years they attend MWCC.
Khanna also explained that along with guiding students through their college experience, it also helps students to earn their Associate’s degree and on to their Bachelor’s degree if they choose to do so.
Being part of this program brings along a large amount of benefits. To name a few, members receive tutoring, personalized guidance, in some cases financial aid, and constant support. “We are like a small college with in a college,” said Khanna. He explained that in many cases, these students are in greater need for guidance when it comes to college, especially regarding the first generation students as neither of their parents attended a college.
Because of the fact that the program only holds 200 students, it is a more personalized experience. The Visions program has six staff members in which the students are divided. This gives much more of a personalized relationship with their supporting councilor.
The program also does what is called a “Four-week check in” in which they take it upon themselves to get a progress report on each student to ensure that they start the semester off well. If the student is struggling in a certain subject, they are immediately connected to a tutor. The club is completely oriented around the success of each individual student. The program has also recently expanded into an Rx program which is another offshoot of TRIO involving only heath and science majors.
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