Erie Co. Community College growing enrollment and programing, and changing lives

Just over two years ago, on Sept. 1, 2021, Erie County Community College (EC3) opened its doors to Erie County, pledging to serve all and to create classes and programs based on student and community need. It was a broad mandate years in the making, but we were committed to doing this and doing it well.

Since our first students crossed the threshold to enter our classrooms that opening day, EC3 is now serving more than 470 students. For that, we have you, the folks of Erie County, to thank. What started as the dream of a few that all residents of Erie County should have access to affordable and accessible higher education evolved into a movement that led to the Pennsylvania Board of Education approving Pennsylvania's 15th community college in 2020 — yes, that happened during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once we realized that EC3 was about to become a reality, we had to engage in some guesswork as to demand.  After all, there were no data comparables available, so we tried to make our best estimate along with good old-fashioned hope (and maybe some luck?). We were conservative in our initial estimates, actually, and enrollment has outpaced expectations. What a delightful surprise that was.

Enrollment surpasses expectations

Not only has enrollment exceeded our initial prognostications, but our programs have grown also. We began modestly with two, and we are offering training in business, manufacturing, health care, IT, and public service.  And we have more on the way. We remain committed to continuing to grow to create family-sustaining jobs for graduates who will stay right here and make Erie County a better place to live and work. We are committed to serving our students and our community in our growth.

Our students are diverse, and they reflect the diversity that makes Erie County such a wonderful place to call home. This is a place for everyone, as it was intended to be.

What the college has meant to its students

Our students' successes speak for themselves. DeAzhane Rosendary shared the way EC3 has changed her entire life: "The free tuition has given me an education without any debt and also a better educational experience. Not many can say that they have a degree and are debt free." She felt valued as a student, and she felt like her professors were committed to her success. She continues, "What I appreciate the most about my experience at EC3 would be that my professors over these two years worked with me and understood that I had to bring my child(ren) to class. Most women in my situation would have given up on their education, but I knew I had a support system in EC3 to accomplish my goal of receiving my associate of applied science degree in criminal justice. I am blessed to be a part of this wonderful opportunity." We are so proud to have been part of DeAzhane's story.

Teressa Wildzynski shared a similar success story:  "When I made the decision to attend EC3, I was so nervous. It has been so many years since I had graduated, and the thought of being in school again terrified me. This fear quickly disappeared when I was greeted by friendly faces who willingly answered all my questions and concerns. Then to make it even better, I was able to get the education I desired for FREE!! EC3 gave me the freedom to not feel stressed about the price of the education I knew I deserved. This school is such an asset to our community, especially for people who are struggling to survive financially, let alone pursue an education. EC3 has been the best choice I've made for my life, and I'm proud to tell people I attend this wonderful institution!" Teressa's success belongs to her, obviously, but it also belongs to all of us. We all win when Erie County residents win.

Future plans

As we enter into our third academic year, we're busy planting deep roots in Erie County. EC3 is committed to continuing to serve all residents of Erie County with four campuses: Erie-East, Erie-West, Summit, and Corry.  We serve traditional-aged students, high school students who are earning a college degree while they finish their junior and senior years at Erie public schools, returning adults coming back to college to update their skills in the workforce and fill open and emerging technical roles, and more. We are committed to serving all, and we are doing this work together.

As we are soon to enter into the holiday season, a time in which we stop to focus a bit more intentionally on gratitude, we all have so much to be proud of. EC3 employs a great staff who tirelessly put students first and are committed to eliminating barriers to college success. We have graduated students who are now enrolled at Penn West and Penn State; we graduated nine welders, all of whom had jobs lined up even before they even completed their training; we helped many other students change their lives. It was and is such an honor to be part of these individual journeys and to see how our students' successes have profound ripple effects on our community, on our home.

Milestone: Erie County Community College graduates its first class

Two years feels like a long time, and yet, it also feels like yesterday. Perhaps this is because we've only just begun, and every day, we enter anew into the most exciting part of this journey together. Our community: your college.

Chris Gray, Ph.D., is the founding president of the Erie County Community College. 

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Programs, enrollment grow at Erie County Community College