This year, Dave Hansen will graduate from Community College of Philadelphia with an associate degree in Business–General, with Highest Honor, and move forward debt-free into a bachelor’s program to study either Finance or Economics. This is possible because of a Federal Pell Grant and additional support from CCP’s Octavius Catto Scholarship initiative. This scholarship is the result of a partnership between CCP and the City of Philadelphia.

Started in 2021, the Catto Scholarship is an important anti-poverty initiative designed to help more Philadelphians reach success by attending college free of charge. Catto does this by combining last-dollar funding with special wrap-around support services. Not only does the initiative cover tuition and fees, but it also addresses burdens that hit many Philadelphians—especially those living in poverty—particularly hard, including costs associated with food, transportation and books.

“Thankfully because of my Pell Grant I am debt-free regardless,” Dave said. “But with Catto I was able to buy books and get a stipend to pay for food.”

In addition to financial support, Catto Scholars also have access to career coaches and advisors to help them stay on track. “My coach is an amazing person,” Dave said. "She's always checking up on me.”

When it came time for Dave to figure out next steps after graduation, his Catto Coach was the one who suggested he apply to several schools and then see which one gave him the best financial aid package. “Catto's just been a blessing. I wish they were able to reach out to more students,” Dave said.

The Catto Scholarship initiative at CCP is one of many ways that students are able to attend college for free. Initiatives like this help so many students launch into additional degree programs and jobs with little to no student debt. CCP is proud to be able to offer this scholarship as an option for the students who need it most.

Brian Flores started at Community College of Philadelphia in 2019 as a Photography major. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, things shifted for Brian, and he was no longer interested in studying Photography. He took some time off and then returned as a Health Care Studies student. He is now on track to graduate with an associate degree in Health Care Studies and a Medical Assistant proficiency certificate.

When Brian first graduated from high school, he was interested in attending Temple University to study Nursing. When he found out that he didn't get accepted, he wasn’t exactly sure what to do next. So, he decided to join the military. Then, Brian learned that he could go to college for free at CCP through the G.I. Bill and a Pell Grant.

In the time Brian took off between studying Photography and Health Care Studies, he re-discovered his interest in the medical field. “I took a year off and I was just like let me try to reevaluate what I want to do,” Brian said. “So, I enlisted in an EMT program, and I was an EMT for a little bit.” After working as an EMT, he decided to come back to CCP to study in the medical field. “I got into medical assisting, just to get my foot in the door,” Brian said. “Maybe I’ll pursue Nursing in the future, but I'm not sure yet.”

In that time and throughout all his years at CCP, Brian has maintained his role with the military and has also worked, at different times, as both an EMT and a pharmaceutical tech. All these jobs gave him a sense of where he wanted to focus his energy. After he graduates, Brian plans on getting his phlebotomy certification and working as a phlebotomist while he looks for a more long-term position as a medical assistant. After that, he says, “I’ll look for a job at a clinic or maybe a hospital setting to get my hours for medical assisting.”

Brian is excited to work as a medical assistant so he can see multiple aspects of the medical field. “I think it's a good place to start and if you want to go further than that you can,” Brian said. “You can see how people do x-rays and be like, ‘oh maybe I want to do this instead.’”

Though Brian is excited to graduate and earn his degree, he said he’s enjoyed his time at CCP. “I think a lot of the professors are great. You can tell they really care.” To Brian, that’s one of the most important elements of education. “I think that’s important because you can go to class, but if you don't feel like that teacher cares, I don't think you're learning. “Or I think it’s harder to learn.”

Idris Caldwell is graduating this year with an associate degree in Nursing. He is an Achieving the Dream scholar and also the recipient of several other scholarships at Community College of Philadelphia. Though his academic journey hasn’t exactly been linear, he is proud and excited to become a nurse and to continue his education at West Chester University.

Part of Idris’ story is his struggle with substance use disorder. It's part of the reason he started and stopped pursuing higher education so many times. But it’s also part of how he came to view nursing as his life’s purpose. “I'd always respected the medical community and the nursing occupation and nurses in general,” Idris said. “But I just wasn’t a science or math guy, so I let that stop me. Eventually, I realized that those subjects just required a different kind of effort. I had to work a little harder and get tutoring along the way, but I grew to genuinely enjoy and appreciate them.”

Throughout his life, Idris has interacted with nurses of all kinds during hospital visits. “I've had some bad experiences in hospitals, but that's kind of balanced with the good experiences I had as well,” Idris said. “I want to be a great nurse so I can help others and give back, especially to underserved and overlooked populations.”

This year, Idris received the Achieving the Dream scholarship and attended the 2025 Achieving the Dream Conference. “Two-year colleges from all over the country came together and presented different ideas and different topics,” Idris said. “Ultimately, [it was] about improving quality of life for students, with the emphasis of passing it on to others.”

His experience at the conference also opened his eyes to the fact that though people across our country are so different, they all want the same things. “Ultimately, we’re all the same,” Idris said. "Just trying to do better and be better and better our lives and better the lives of people around us.”

And that’s exactly what Idris hopes to do as a nurse. He said that in addition to being excited to use his education to help people, he feels prepared to do so. “I definitely feel prepared going into the health care field,” Idris said. “However, I still remain teachable, because I know there is so much for me to learn.”

On May 3, Celina Brooks will be graduating from Community College of Philadelphia prior to receiving her High School Diploma in June, thanks to CCP’s dual enrollment program with the Parkway Center City Middle College. At 17 years old, Celina will begin her bachelor’s degree journey at West Chester University with years of college experience and an associate degree in Liberal Arts.

When Celina was applying to high schools in Philadelphia, she didn’t realize that the one she chose required her to attend CCP as a dual enrollment student. “Once I was accepted, they told us what we would be doing,” Celina said. “It was pretty stressful to adapt because I was coming right out of COVID. In middle school, we were all online.”

But Celina felt comforted by her peers at Parkway Center, and her teachers there and at CCP. The first two years of high school included a mix of high school classes and classes at CCP, which helped ease her into taking college courses. By 11^th grade, Celina was taking all her classes at CCP. “I've taken prerequisite courses and I've taken Psych 101, Abnormal Psych and I'm now taking Child Psych,” Celina said.

After graduating, Celina will start a bachelor’s degree program in Psychology at West Chester University. Her main goal is to work in the clinical psychology field. But Celina is also interested in Business as a minor, since she currently owns and runs her own skin care business called SkinSheational, which she created during the COVID-19 pandemic. “During COVID, I was honestly really bored, and I needed some entertainment,” Celina said. “So, I found different people making shea butter, and I tested different things. I eventually started doing pop-up shops and networking with people.” Now, Celina makes and sells shea butter skin care products, and she plans to continue her business next year at West Chester, as time allows.

Balancing school and her own business means Celina has to have great time management skills. She said she really learned how to balance her priorities by attending CCP. “Going here and having to take college [classes] has definitely taught me time management,” Celina said. “It has taught me how important it is to be on time, punctual and prepared.”

Celina thinks having this experience will set her up for success at West Chester. “I definitely feel like I have a jump start or just have more of a sense of what I'm entering and what I'll be dealing with,” she said. But it’s also helped her realize her own potential.

Though Celina thinks of herself as a shy person, that certainly doesn’t stop her from getting involved. During her 11^th grade school year, Celina was assigned an Acting class at CCP, which she found to be very nerve-wracking. But, she said, “I found a group of people that kind of helped me get through the class and tell me I'm doing it right. It’s just a group of encouraging people. A connection of positivity.” Celina has a group chat with her Acting class friends and hopes to stay in touch with them after graduation.

Now that she’s graduating, she’s finally starting to see her own strengths. “Everyone tells me I have a bright future ahead of me and sometimes I fail to see that,” Celina said. “But I feel like now that I’m realizing that I'm about to graduate college at 17, I do have a bright future ahead of me.”

Originally from Albania and growing up in Greece, Denisa Bozhiqi aspired to attend college in the United States. Working in sales and store management after graduating high school, she saved money for her education, as did her parents, to ensure this academic goal was accomplished. Graduating with a Business – General degree with High Honor May 3, Denisa will transfer to Temple University in the fall to pursue a Marketing degree. Her journey as an international student involves adjusting to a new culture and reuniting with family.

Prior to arriving at CCP in August 2022, Denisa had not seen her aunt in person in 15 years. Through their conversations, her relative was always talking about Philadelphia and CCP.

“My aunt always talked about how affordable and supportive CCP was—it made me feel confident about starting my journey there,” she said.

“My aunt said the College was affordable, and she praised CCP,” said Denisa.

Arriving at CCP in August 2022, she faced some cultural and language barriers but soon met other international students.

“Meeting other students who shared similar stories made me feel less alone. Starting at CCP was the best way for me to understand America and adjust at my own pace,” said Denisa.

Faculty and staff around the College helped Denisa navigate her higher education experience.

“When I first arrived, I was scared—wondering if I’d be good enough or get good grades. But CCP values effort and creativity. That helped boost my confidence. The International Student Services team has been incredible—they’ve supported me every step of the way. My professors truly understood me and believed in me. Their support and personal stories helped me grow in ways I never expected,” she said.

Starting at CCP allowed her to save money toward her bachelor’s degree, and Denisa took advantage of the dual admission program, which enabled her to plan her transfer to Temple, as well as receive an annual $10,000 scholarship for three years.

Being in Philadelphia has helped Denisa reconnect with her aunt and develop a great relationship with her cousins, an added benefit to pursing her education at CCP. She credits the College with enabling her to decide on a career path and next steps.

“Your first year here is a time to discover who you are. With discipline and consistency, anything is possible. No matter where you are in life, CCP is the place where you can begin again and shape your future,” she said.

In her two years at Community College of Philadelphia, Angie Orozco-Rasique has a list of accomplishments that could fill a book. To name a few: She is student trustee and president of the Student Government Association, she founded the Period Poverty Project to promote menstrual and reproductive wellness by establishing four 'menstruation stations' on campus, and she is vice president of the WEALTH•NESS financial literacy club.

As she turns the page on her time at CCP, Angie says she is “ready for a new chapter.”

She will be graduating in May with a Business-General major, having maintained a strong 4.0 GPA throughout all of college. Although she isn’t ready to announce where she plans to continue her learning, she is interested in pursuing an education in fields that center advocacy. So much of her extracurricular work—both on campus and off—focuses on supporting others and uplifting communities.

At CCP, she is secretary for the Latin American Student Organization, and she is an anti-violence peer leader with the It’s On Us initiative—that’s in addition to her leadership roles in student government, the Period Poverty Project, and WEALTH•NESS.

Off campus, Angie is a fellow with the gender-equity nonprofit Women’s Way (where she is also associate producer on the organization’s podcast), an intern at the Steven Center of Innovation and Finance at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, an intern at the nonprofit Campaign for Working Families, a research assistant at Penn’s Graduate School of Education, and a co-lead at the local arm of Students Against Period Poverty. She also finds time to volunteer on the side.

“I really enjoy the work I do,” Angie says. “I feel privileged to do these things. I know that people can inspire me, but also, I’ve learned that I can inspire other people.”

Many of the best advocates can point to people who advocated for them along the way. One of the biggest supports she had at the College was the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center. She says Kelly Lake and Melissa Fogg, who are in charge of the center, “have always been there for me.”

“They always just propelled me to keep moving forward despite anything going on,” she says. “Whether it was in negative time in my life, a neutral time, or a great time. I really appreciate the people there. They’re the best.”

The Gender and Sexuality Resource center helped set Angie up with a grant through Parx Casino to start the Period Poverty Project, which now provides students with free pads and tampons as well as support groups and a safe place for community.

Angie recently appeared in a CBS News story with Kelly and Melissa to show off the College’s Health Jawn, a free reproductive health vending machine at CCP. The Period Poverty Project helps keep the vending machine supplied with menstrual health items.

Another major resource for Angie, and part of the reason she enrolled at CCP in the first place, is the Octavius Catto Scholarship. While a student at Central High School, she saw a poster for the Catto Scholarship.

“I always walked past it,” she says, “but then one day I was like, ‘oh my gosh, I have to actually commit to a college.’ I had a few options around the city, but I didn’t really want to pay that much, so I took a good look at that poster.”

She went to her counselor and asked what she needed to do. From there, she attended an express enrollment event “and then it was just history from there.”

“I need to give a shoutout to Catto,” she says. “I have a Catto coach. His name is Greg Nelson. Catto is always there for me. I recently got a Catto award, which was so awesome. If they ever need a guest speaker—either Catto or the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center—I’m always on call.”

Angie credits CCP with giving her the freedom and support to take on so many projects while keeping up with her studies.

“It was inspiring in some ways because it did teach me I can step into these leadership roles and thrive,” she says. “I think it taught me a lot about how to navigate the real world because I met and learned to appreciate a diverse set of people.”

Earlier this year, Angie was named a semifinalist for the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, a highly selective, national program for community college students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degrees at four-year colleges or universities. She was one of five CCP students selected as a semifinalist and one of 467 semifinalists in the nation.

Dave Hansen is a natural connector. He always seems to be able to link those he encounters with other people and resources to help them achieve their goals. Dave said his connecting skills are really just about efficiency. “I think what irks me the most is when things are inefficient,” Dave said. “I think we could get a lot of stuff done if we just connected certain people to the right people.”

This skill has helped Dave tremendously since he started at the College in 2023 as a Business–General major. After his first year, Dave got involved in several groups and activities around campus. In fact, he’s so involved that his friends often joke that he lives on campus.

In addition to working as a peer leader in the Academic Advising office, Dave is also a founding member of the student group WEALTH•NESS. He has also served as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society, the Student Government Association, and CCP’s student chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants. The recipient of three prestigious scholarships, including the Octavius Catto Scholarship Dave was awarded the PepsiCo Scholarship this year and has received a PTK scholarship from Drexel, one of the colleges he is considering transferring to.

After graduation, Dave plans to transfer to a four-year university where he wants to study Finance or Economics. Eventually, he hopes to use his education and natural skills to reform systems in the United States, like the health care system. “There’s a huge flaw within the health care system. Insurance is at an all-time high,” Dave said. “I understand we live in a capitalist society and that we pay for expedited services and quality of care,” he continued. “But I feel like a lot of insurance companies can still make a profit without sacrificing the quality of care.”

When considering how his skills can help reform different systems in our society, Dave said his mind usually jumps to health care because of his initial interest in studying pre-med. But Dave doesn’t want to get pigeon-holed into just one industry. “There’s just so much potential when it comes to economics that I don’t want to limit myself,” he said. “I do think that being able to be a jack of all trades is nice.”

Though Dave is excited to move on to the next phase of his educational journey, he said he will miss CCP, primarily the people and connections he’s made here. “I just enjoy the culture [here],” Dave said. "I enjoy the people that I’ve surrounded myself with, I enjoy the community that I have here.”

Dave is hopeful that he’ll stay connected to the relationships he’s built at CCP—especially to his mentor, Economics professor, Chris Popescu, and his Catto success coach, Lacresha Allen. Dave applied to universities in Philadelphia like Drexel and University of Pennsylvania, so it’s likely that he’ll stay in the area. But regardless of where he ends up, Dave is ready for the next step. He said, “I am excited about graduating, I am excited about going to the next university. ... I'm always excited about new things.”