The Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO), along with their Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative (IEPI) department, invited Chad Thompson, Interim Director of SparkPoint and Career Services at Skyline College, and Adolfo Leiva, Director of SparkPoint at Cañada College, to speak at a launch event for their new Financial Wellness Initiative entitled: The Role of Financial Well-Being in Student Success.
Two all-day workshops, one in Southern California and one in Northern California, took place on April 24, 2017 and April 26, 2017, respectively, bringing together community college staff and faculty such as directors of financial aid, deans, counselors, student services vice presidents, program leads, admissions and records representatives, and student equity representatives, to learn new insights on how increased financial stability contributes to student success, program completion, employability, and well-paying jobs.
The SparkPoint presentations showcased the history and successes of both SparkPoint at Skyline College and SparkPoint at Cañada College, including practical takeaways for attendees wanting to implement financial wellness programs at their own colleges. Strong partnerships with both the local college community and internal college services, such as Career Services, Counseling, EOPS/CARE, Guardian Scholars, and TRiO were highlighted as well.
SparkPoint staff members were excited to be able to invite Alex Kennedy, a current SparkPoint client, to share her success story in person. Alex is a Skyline College student and student assistant in the SparkPoint Public Benefits Office. She is the embodiment of how using SparkPoint services can change lives, and support students in their efforts to reach their academic, financial and life goals.
Article by Rhonda Kaufman | Photo by Noelle Blanco
