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Community College of Philadelphia is pleased to announce that Rabia has received the Dr. Edward Anderson scholarship and the Ed Hermance Scholarship.
Rabia is now in her second year at the College studying for a degree in Business.
Rabia currently works in health care and would like to continue to do so while progressing into data analytics or product development.
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| It can be difficult to explain the significance of receiving scholarships. I believe that financial aid & scholarships can be life changing. One of the best ways to consider the value of these resources is to consider the challenge of being a sole provider. Being a sole provider means placing your needs and desires on hold and constantly sacrificing. Personal development, dreams, aspirations become an afterthought. Pursuing higher education can seem impossible when every resource is stretched thin. You feel that there is not enough for you. However, receiving a scholarship or financial aid provides breathing room. They allow you to consider yourself. Scholarships are a reminder that you’re not alone. Even if you don’t have the resources, others are willing to help invest in your future. |
My path to college was non-conventional. I graduated high school in 1993 and I was pregnant. I spent 3 decades being a mother and a wife while working full time and I just didn't feel that I could manage college on top of all of that. In 2023, I was attempting to find a job in the field that I had been in for years. However, I could not validate my skills because I did not have any formal education. So I went to CCP to start my higher education and I decided on CCP because of its affordability.
Before CCP my goal for the future was to continue working and raise my family. To be honest, I had not given my future much thought past that. It requires so much to manage everything yourself that you spend a lot of time managing things, not necessarily planning for the future.
That has changed. I have learned to be more strategic and set goals more effectively since starting CCP.
What I love and appreciate about CCP is the support system. I will admit that I struggled to find the support when I initially started. When I made it clear to my professors that I was struggling, I was directed towards all of the different resources available and it was extremely helpful.
I've had two types of relationships with fellow students. For the students that are close in age or non-conventional students, we've been each other's help. There would be things that I knew from my work experience that I could share with them. Some of them were further along in school than I was, so they would assist me with the things I was not familiar with.
Then you have the younger students and, surprisingly, I was like a big sister or a cheerleader for them, offering guidance and insight. Remembering how it was when you were 20 and you felt a hiccup or a difficulty in life and it was the end of everything. So, it felt good to be helpful and to offer encouragement and wisdom. To the younger students.
All my professors have changed my world for the better. They were all very understanding and they made it clear that they were eager to help us succeed. Both of my English professors were patient and engaging. I never felt less because I didn't know something or understand something that could be considered basic. My math teacher was willing to tutor me and other non-conventional students after class for as long as we needed it.
It can be difficult to explain the significance of receiving scholarships. I believe that financial aid & scholarships can be life changing. One of the best ways to consider the value of these resources is to consider the challenge of being a sole provider. Being a sole provider means placing your needs and desires on hold and constantly sacrificing. Personal development, dreams, aspirations become an afterthought. Pursuing higher education can seem impossible when every resource is stretched thin. You feel that there is not enough for you. However, receiving a scholarship or financial aid provides breathing room. They allow you to consider yourself. Scholarships are a reminder that you’re not alone. Even if you don’t have the resources, others are willing to help invest in your future.
Where am I five years from now? Five years from now, I will have finished CCP, and have multiple certifications. I am working on growing my own business. I am learning to enjoy this phase of my life.
CCP helped me get there by first teaching me how to be strategic. How to clearly set goals and pursue them for myself. How to apply myself, how to study, what to do with knowledge, how to network: CCP helps you learn how to utilize the resources available to you to make a way for yourself.
When I think of the doors being opened by CCP, I think of the doors of my mind. I know that sounds cliche, but that is a true statement. I knew that I could achieve difficult tasks, but I’ve been reminded how much I love to learn.
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