From the Lion’s Mouth: Daniel Emden on Finding His Path at CCP
Daniel Emden is a second-year chemistry major, student body president, and president of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society at the Community College of Philadelphia. This is his story, in his own words.
I am proud to be a CCP Lion, and I am grateful for every person — every professor, every classmate, every scholarship donor — who has played a role in helping me get here.
Daniel is in the final year of the Chemistry program.
What Brought Me Here
I didn’t really think I would be able to go to higher education. I thought I would just go straight to the workforce after high school. But my mom and my family instilled within me the importance of education and the power that it can bring to a person — both academically and personally.
I actually learned about CCP from my older brother. He was a 2024 graduate, and he always talked about how CCP changed his character. My family and I could see the changes with our own eyes. So I became curious: what does CCP have to offer to make a person go through such a character development? I matriculated, and I’ve been here ever since. Now I really understand everything he’d been telling me, and I’m just grateful to be here.
The Support I Found
CCP has been a main hub for many resources and opportunities. For me, utilizing the academic support system and getting to know my faculty has been everything. I made a point to use office hours — not just for academic help, but to build a personal relationship with my professors.
Single Stop has also been an incredible resource — especially on a personal level. They’ve really helped me a lot, and I appreciate each and every staff member who has been involved there.
One thing I didn’t expect was how much I’d grow from my relationships with my classmates. As a traditional student, I’ve spent most of my time here surrounded by students from a nontraditional setting — much older, from different points in life. Hearing their stories, learning how they got to CCP and what they’ve been through — it made me take my own future more seriously. They’ve continued to persevere and be resilient, still coming to get an education no matter what life has put in front of them. That’s been extremely inspirational, and it’s made me more authentic and true to my own character.
What Scholarships Mean to Me
Financial aid is pretty significant to me. I’m a first-generation, low-income student, and part of the reason I didn’t believe in higher education was how costly it is.
In my time at CCP, I’ve been fortunate to receive a number of scholarships, and each one tells me that there are people who see potential in me. They see the work I do both inside and outside of the classroom, and they’re willing to invest in what they see. That serves as another pillar — fuel to my fire to just keep going, each and every step of the way.
It feels good to have a support system. It feels good to know that there are people who are always going to be cheering for me. I’ve always been appreciative of that.
Servant Leadership and Civic Identity
I believe the best thing for a person’s character is if they actually do things and experience things themselves. So I got myself out there. I got involved — on campus and off. Through the Institute for Civic Engagement, I’ve had the chance to do direct community service work outside of CCP. I check my email every week, and they always have an opportunity to volunteer in the community. I’ve logged over 100 hours of volunteer service through them. I could see my actions helping the people around me — both on campus and in the community — and I wanted to keep building that servant leadership and community service work.
From there, I started to venture into leadership positions. Serving as student body president, as president of Phi Theta Kappa, creating clubs — I started to see myself advocating for people, working with my team to create initiatives and events for the student body and for Philadelphia. I didn’t know how much I’d love it. Leading a team and doing something for others is an incredibly rewarding experience, and I definitely want to explore it more.
My team on the Student Government Association side, on the Phi Theta Kappa side — they are some of the most driven, passionate student leaders I’ve ever seen. They’re the reason I keep showing up and doing the work.
I also want to highlight the Center for Male Engagement. As a male of color, I think it’s important to have spaces where other men of color can come together, build camaraderie, and share experiences. CME does a phenomenal job at that. I’ve been able to meet my fellow brothers, bond with them, and share resources — and help them out as well. That mutualistic relationship has been very, very helpful to me.
Where I’m Going
Before I came to CCP, my goal was straightforward: I love chemistry, so maybe getting into research would be nice. But from being involved in these leadership positions — serving as student body president, advocating for students, implementing things that benefit the campus and the Philadelphia community — I started to see myself differently.
I love chemistry and science so much. But leading a team and actually doing something for others? That is also a very rewarding experience. CCP didn’t just support my path — it gave me a new one.
Five years from now, I see myself still in school, continuing my education and continuing to be a servant leader — whether at a four-year institution or a post-doctoral program. Because I really value education, but I also love getting out into my community.
My end goal is to be a physician-policymaker. I am proud to be a CCP Lion, and I am grateful for every person — every professor, every classmate, every scholarship donor — who has played a role in helping me get here.