With a passion for grassroots organizing and connecting underserved communities to valuable resources, Benjamin Nixon, ’20, is using his voice and providing College students across the country with a platform to make a difference. 

On Feb. 8, he helped launch the Student Voting Network (SVN) Podcast: a nonpartisan platform for and by students to express their views, share insight, organize for a better future and learn efficient methods of reaching student voters in meaningful ways. The podcast is a Campus Vote Project initiative he worked to launch as a Democracy Fellow.

“For some time, we were looking for ways to be more engaging outside of social media. That’s where the idea for the podcast came from,” said Nixon. “We wanted to create a space where students from across the country could start a conversation about the issues that matter most to them. On the podcast so far, we cover everything from the Jan. 6 insurrection at our nation’s Capitol, to combating white supremacy in American culture and educational spaces, and even how students and interns can properly prepare to enter the workforce.”

Nixon has previously worked on a few Democratic campaigns, most recently in Maryland. After both campaigns he worked on in 2014 lost by a small margin, he felt disillusioned with the process for a while. However, instead of giving up, his passion for community and civic engagement pushed him to do something more organic.

In 2019, he volunteered with the College’s Institute for Community Engagement and Civic Leadership to register students on campus to vote. That’s where he learned about Campus Voting Project’s fellowship program.

“After volunteering on campus with Michelle Lopez, who manages the Institute, I wanted to find ways to stay involved civically. I learned about the Democracy Fellowship program and was accepted shortly after applying. After participating in the fellowship for a year, I then applied to serve on the Student Advisory Board, where I currently work to get college students across the country more democratically engaged. As of now, I’m the only student to represent the Pennsylvania and New Jersey areas,” he said.

After graduating last May with an associate degree in psychology, Nixon now works here at the College in academic advising for the Division of Educational Support Services. He currently attends Rutgers University – Camden pursuing a bachelor’s in psychology and is double minoring in criminal justice and national security studies.

In his free time, he still works with Michelle Lopez to organize voter registration drives and find ways to keep students informed and civically engaged. You can learn more and subscribe to the Student Voting Network Podcast through their Spotify channel or by emailing svncast [at] campusvoteproject.org (svncast[at]campusvoteproject[dot]org). 

Community College of Philadelphia would like to congratulate its president, Dr. Donald Guy Generals, for being named the 2021 National Pacesetter of the Year by the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR).

The Pacesetter of the Year Award recognizes a community college president or CEO who has demonstrated special leadership and support in college communications and marketing. Dr. Generals received the award for his exceptional work to successfully leverage marketing and public relations strategies to advance the College and its mission.

He has presided over the College since 2014, and has introduced and enhanced many initiatives and efforts to increase student success, including additional student support services and Guided Pathways, a nationally recognized degree completion strategy. Much of Dr. Generals’ work also focuses on expanding access to a quality, affordable education for all students; empowering faculty and staff to be leaders; and celebrating the diversity of the College community.

Dr. Generals has served as an expert panelist for discussions on a range of issues, including poverty in Philadelphia, and innovation and inequality in education. He often speaks to groups about the advantages of community colleges and the impact they have on students and their communities. He also keeps faculty, staff and students informed about College news and information through town hall meetings, casual Fireside Chats, and Pizza with the President, where students can connect to discuss current events and ideas. In June 2020, with the help of College staff, he began hosting teach-in sessions through the Enough Is Enough series, featuring conversations around timely, relevant topics tied to social justice.

Involvement in local and regional community organizations allows Dr. Generals to stay updated on the pulse of the city and the individuals looking to further their education, or change or advance their careers. Dr. Generals serves on the board of directors of the Economy League of Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on boards of several other organizations, where he uses his platform to share information about the College and learn more about workforce opportunities for our students.

Dr. Generals’ support of college communications and marketing has truly placed the College and its students, faculty and staff in a position to excel.

To learn more, visit NCMPR’s webpage celebrating Dr. Generals’ achievement

The Start of Something New

Hello. My name is Idris Washington and I am 19 years old. When I am asked to talk about my story there is one thing that I always have to talk about, and that’s my education and why I’m on this path. The thing that makes my story different is that I didn’t go to middle school or high school. When I graduated from the third grade I went overseas to Egypt to live there and study my religion, Islam. I believe the issue was that I spent so much time working on my religious studies that I couldn’t focus on my traditional studies like English and math. When I got the chance to come back and finish my studies and get my diploma, I didn’t really care about it. I didn’t want to go to college. I didn’t really even care about my education. That all changed when I joined Gateway to College  They not only helped me to finish my education but their support also led me to pursue a higher education. I want to become a writer and also want to become a pro soccer player if I get the chance. That is what leads me to my time as a college student. This is not my first semester here at CCP; it is actually my third year here since I was a part of the Gateway to College program. With this in mind I kind of have a head start with the college scene and being able to handle all the things that are being thrown at me. I am having a good time with my classes and they are going really well. I love learning and the Catto Scholarship team is helping me along the way and I am very grateful. I won’t let this opportunity go to waste. I might have started slow in the classes, but it always takes time to get accustomed to them. I think I have gotten a grasp on them now and it’s a lot of fun. This semester I am taking a math class and while it’s definitely my worst subject, the way it’s being taught makes it so enjoyable and easy. To sum my first month up, I would say the best is yet to come and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. I have a passion and drive for learning and hopefully that benefits me in the future.

 

Honoring Black History throughout the month of February, the College organized a wide array of events that highlight the rich heritage and unique cultures of the African Diaspora. From Africa Repatriation to discussions on the difficulties faced by Black Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, students, faculty and staff spent the month discovering the diverse history that informs the lives of our Black colleagues, classmates and fellow citizens of the world.  

On Feb. 1, the College kicked off its celebration with an Enough Is Enough teach-in series session, Enough Is Enough: COVID-19 Vaccinations, Myths vs. Facts. With Dr. Tamika Curry serving as moderator, Dr. Ala Stanford of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium led a discussion covering topics like the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine, distrust of the vaccine within the Black community and distribution issues within Black communities in Philadelphia. 
  
The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium first started as a response to the overwhelming lack of access to testing in the Philadelphia area, first covering the cost of testing for uninsured persons, and later helping to distribute vaccines. Now, Stanford says, they are fighting to keep testing accessible in Philadelphia's Black and brown communities, who have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 virus. “We're staying in the community of the people most impacted so that they can walk from their house, so they can get a bus to the church, so they can get an Uber to the Liacouras, not so they have to try travel eight miles [to get tested] somewhere else that's not in their community.” 

On Feb. 17, Dr. Generals hosted a fireside chat where he utilized Isabel Wilkerson's Caste: The Origins of our Discontents as a launching pad from which to frame a discussion about race in America. The book, Dr. Generals explained, dissects the experience of Black Americans as being contained within a caste system rather than a socially mobile class system like we are taught to believe. The book details the eight pillars of caste, and discusses how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s revolutionary practices were partially inspired by the way that southeast Asians in India and Pakistan were able to gain independence from Great Britain in 1947. When Dr. King visited India in 1959, he was regarded by members of the Dalit (lowest) caste as one of their own.  

Other events this month include Black Girl Magic: Philadelphia, set to take place on Wednesday, Feb. 24, and Making Our Voices Heard: Students of Color in Academia, which will take place on Thursday, Feb. 25. The former is a drag show showcasing Black excellence and celebrating Black History Month, sponsored by the MarcDavid LGBTQ Center, and the latter will give students of color the chance to speak on their experiences, and express challenges that affect their level of success.  

Events that are taking place throughout the entire month include a virtual reading room, Food for the Soul - Spotlight on African Businesses in Philadelphia, and virtual tours of Africa. 

View the complete list of Black History Month Events taking place at the College. 

Hello, everyone. My name is Chelsea and I am 30 years old. I am enrolled in the Paralegal Studies associate degree program here at Community College of Philadelphia.  I am currently in my first semester and this is the first time I have ever attended college EVER. I never thought that I would actually attend college and I absolutely love it. CCP has given me a lot of support and great opportunities, especially Mayor Jim Kenney's new anti-poverty Octavius Catto Scholarship.

I was raised by my grandparents from birth until I was 18 years old. When I was a child, my mother was a drug addict/alcoholic, and my father was not in my life. By the time I was a teenager, both my parents were in my life but they never raised me. I dealt with a lot of emotional problems as a child, which I ended up trying to drown out with drugs myself. I ended up graduating from an online charter school. When I turned 18, I moved out of the house. I struggled to support myself. Eventually by the time I was 24 years old, I was homeless on the streets of Kensington in Philadelphia. I knew that it was not the life that I wanted to live. I made a promise to myself that I would do whatever it took to get myself clean. 

I was in and out of rehab many times until eventually, I was able to stay clean. I had to rebuild my life completely all over again. I started out living in a halfway house and working part time at a chain retail store where I made less than $9 an hour. After many years of hard work, I finally was able to afford my own apartment. I had worked at a handful of places over the years and found sales rewarding. The downside was that I could not find anywhere willing to pay me more than $12 an hour, which barely covered my bills. I knew that if I went back to school, I could do something that I really loved, make more money, and find a job that was more reliable.

After first applying to CCP, I was notified that I was eligible for the Catto Scholarship. I was very grateful to the Mayor and the CCP team for the opportunity to get extra support. At first, I knew that I would be getting extra financial assistance, but I did not know much more about all the opportunities that I would soon be presented. I was honored to be able to meet the Mayor on Zoom during a virtual Board of Trustees meeting, and I also did a news interview to share more information with the community. The scholarship would have covered any left-over tuition expenses, and it did cover the ENTIRE cost of my books! Within my first few weeks at CCP, I was able to receive my monthly stipend and extra support services.

I was introduced to all the CCP faculty involved with the Catto Scholarship, and I met all scholarship recipients through Zoom. Everyone that I have met has been extremely friendly and helpful.  I met with my success coach, who set me up with services based on my needs, both personal and education related. It is nice having someone in your corner to turn to when you are just starting school, especially when we are completely virtual at this time. I was able to choose from a number of Zoom meetings and workshops that were based on different topics. I attended one about financial planning, which provided helpful information. I also received my monthly stipend, which helped pay for my food for almost an entire month.

I love this scholarship and I am so thankful that I was qualified to receive it. It makes my college experience so much easier by helping me financially (which allows for more study time) and providing any extra services that I may need. Thank you, Mayor Kenney and CCP team, for this awesome opportunity!

Reconnecting with her former professor through a meeting at a College alumni event in 2019 has led Malika Rahman to a different career trajectory.

“I didn’t know I wanted to teach in that moment. I knew I wanted to give back, perhaps through my nonprofit, Be A Great You, Inc. Once the opportunity presented itself to guest lecture, it all made perfect sense. I got to come back to the place where it started for me. I started teaching one class, and it has transcended into so much more. The opportunities at the College kept expanding and growing. I can bring my life, career and field experience to the next generation of law enforcement professionals. I had finally arrived at a place where perseverance aligned with purpose,” she said.

Rahman has years of experience in the field, where she has served as a correctional officer, a Deputy Sheriff’s officer and Community Relations officer. She was the first and youngest African-American female in Philadelphia to run for sheriff in 2018 when she announced her candidacy. Rahman is now a visiting lecturer in Criminal Justice and a participant in the Diversity Fellowship program, an initiative that she credits for helping her acclimate to her current role.

“I absolutely love the Fellowship program. They have workshops on interview preparation, course development, essential lessons, and what faculty and students need to know. It prepares you for a career in academia,” said Rahman.

A new course she developed, Race and Justice, is close to approval as a requirement for all Criminal Justice majors, beginning this fall. In addition to teaching students to become better officers and professionals, she also works to educate the College community and the public. Her upcoming Feb. 23 Law and Society Week presentation, Gender Inequality in Law Enforcement: Beyond the Badge, addresses another mission: uplifting women, and expanding and increasing their role in the field.

“Women were thought of as a nuisance in law enforcement—it was said women were emotional, lacked physical strength, needed to be protected, fragile. Women bring a different strength to the job—we bring a different context to de-escalate situations,” she said.

Rahman points out that there are only six African-American female sheriffs in the country. Similarly, Philadelphia has not yet had a female mayor.

“Overall, the law enforcement community has made pivotal steps, but there is still more work to be done. Are we grooming women for leadership positions in the community in which they work? We don’t need to be in a few rooms, we need to be in all rooms,” she said.

She reminds all of her students that combining their efforts and talents with team members yields the best results.

“I bring all of my resources to add to yours. That’s how we become effective,” said Rahman.

In teaching students how to bring more equity and diversity into law enforcement, she is hopeful for continued progress.

“Perhaps we can encourage our students to be the change,” said Rahman.

With an academic background in sociology and criminal justice, Judy Cruz-Ransom has been helping survivors of trauma for more than 28 years. Starting as an adjunct instructor in 2009 and now serving as a visiting lecturer at the College, Judy teaches her Criminal Justice students about trauma and its effects, and what resources are available for assistance, to best prepare them for successful careers.

This fall, all Criminal Justice students will be required to take a new course she has created, Victimology and Trauma. Cruz-Ransom credits the College’s Diversity Fellowship program with helping her develop the new offering and look more broadly at enhancing learning for better student outcomes. She brings the insight gained from years of experience in various criminal justice entities, where she directly advocated for victims of crime, and from her full-time job—the assistant director of the Office for Child and Youth Protection at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia—into the classroom and to the College community.

“Trauma serves as a roadblock to learning. Some individuals don’t even recognize they are traumatized or are victims,” said Cruz-Ransom.

She emphasized that with the prevalence of trauma, faculty and staff could be suffering as well.

“We all could be dealing with trauma. I educate students and others about resources, and you have to be sensitive with class assignments. You have to understand how this impacts everyone,” she said.

During the College’s Law and Society Week, Cruz-Ransom will facilitate two sessions on Feb. 24: one on Victimization and Trauma, with co-presenter and adjunct faculty member Leslie Davila, about the different types of victimization and best practices for trauma-informed classrooms; and Policing the Streets and Building Trust in Our Communities, which will feature Philadelphia’s Police Commissioner, Danielle Outlaw, and other high-ranking members of the force for a productive dialogue between attendees and law enforcement officials.

“I will ask hard questions, such as how do we get corrupt officers off the streets, and how do we—the faculty, staff and students—get a seat at this table to enact change?” said Cruz-Ransom.

Along with the lessons she teaches in her classes, Cruz-Ransom wants these critical conversations to educate the next generation of individuals working in law enforcement.

“Part of my career has been to bridge the gap between students and the police—that is my mission,” she said.

As the United States struggles to redefine its history through activism and the Black Lives Matter movement, CCP alumnus Pedro Regalado is both an attentive observer and a scholar.

Regalado, who received his Ph.D. in American Studies from Yale University and is currently a Junior Fellow of the Society of Fellows at Harvard University, went from a life as a community college graduate to the halls of some of the nation’s most famous universities. 

He belongs everywhere—a fact he discovered one day while living in Philadelphia.

“I remember I had finished CCP. I was working at Au Bon Pain, but I was still pretty confident in myself. I had worked hard at my classes,” Regalado said in a recent interview. “I had to make a delivery to the University of Pennsylvania one day. I went to UPenn and it was my first time on the campus. I saw people who were my age, who were not in Au Bon Pain shirts! I thought, 'You know what? I could be here.'"

Academia, indeed, would be an environment where he could thrive. He went on to receive his B.A. from Loyola University in Chicago and his Ph.D. from Yale University. Along the way, his research and interest in understanding cities have brought distinction. History isn’t just about understanding the past, but also about understanding the present.

“In studying our past, we're often trying to figure out how we arrived at where we are today. Why do I live in this neighborhood? Why am I impoverished? History is essential to answering these questions,” Regalado explained. “It also helps you to figure out your role in the arc of this country, and what you can do to make it a better place. What kind of legacies should we build upon? And what are some of the things that we owe to certain communities?”

Regalado’s dissertation reconstructed how poor Latinx immigrants lived through the evolving, racialized political economy of New York since World War II. It argued that, at each turn of the city’s economic life, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Colombians, Mexicans and Central Americans found themselves at the center of urban change, impacting the policies and racial configurations that local and federal governments promoted. In 2019, that dissertation was a finalist for the American Studies Association’s Ralph Gabriel Henry Prize.

Now at Harvard, Regalado is working on a book project, Latinx Gotham: Work and the Origins of Modern New York, which examines the history of 20th century New York City through the lens of Latinx workers in the city’s rapidly-evolving industries, recuperating Latinx residents as active agents in the remaking of the city’s economy and landscape.

New York’s Latinx population grew from roughly 134,000 in 1940 to over 2 million by 2000, accounting for roughly a third of the city’s residents. Regalado and his family are in that group. Along with his parents and two brothers, Regalado came to New York City from the Dominican Republic when he was five. 

True to his roots, Regalado explores the history of Latinx New York through oral histories and how their role in the economy affected both the city as well as the home countries where many still support family members.

“Scholars have long worked to show how Latinx migration changed the social landscape of New York City. Yet in most historical accounts, I’d say that the dominant narrative of the city is one that focuses on its post-industrial transition. Latinx people have mostly figured into that conversation as bystanders and victims. So, what I hope to do in my work is to broadly chart how a multi-national and multi-racial community understood itself throughout the century and, on the other hand, how they shaped urban policy,” Regalado said.

It was at CCP that Regalado wrote his first research paper, which covered Victorian Era marriages and spatial gender norms. It was there that he honed his research skills while also taking a class in demography, which is the study of human populations and of the process through which populations change. Regalado also was co-captain of the school’s baseball team.

With millions of Americans out of work because of COVID-19, Regalado feels community colleges have an essential role in moving the economy forward. “I've been lucky enough to study at some prestigious institutions,” he said. “And a lot of the education that I received at CCP during my two years there, it was generally on par with them. Many of my professors at CCP were incredibly dedicated teachers who were invested in their students’ success. Overall, I think that if the country is going to make a more concerted effort to develop an equitable economy, they must invest in the future of community colleges.”

At Community College of Philadelphia, Regalado found a higher purpose, and a calling that has placed him at the center of today's conversations about redefining history. 

“I knew that history was what I wanted to dedicate myself to,” Regalado said. “Understanding the Latinx community, I believed, could offer some foundational insights into how today’s cities work.” 

As a pandemic strikes, CCP Nursing grads share tales of resilience

In the year that novel coronavirus changed life as we know it in this city, Community College of Philadelphia graduated 96 Nursing students, many of whom overcame unthinkable odds while still in school.

The Nursing Class of 2020 faced heartbreak, job loss, the loss of siblings and/or parents, COVID-19 and other monumental challenges. Three members of the class, many of whom were working jobs as licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or aides in nursing homes or health facilities, tested positive for COVID-19 and completed classwork online while in quarantine.

During spring break, tragedy stuck. Janette Reyes, a popular classmate, was killed in a car accident, leaving her family and her peers heartbroken. With the help of a supportive faculty, every student who was in the class this spring completed the Nursing program.

There are 96 graduates in all, and, like past graduates, most are likely to end up with jobs in the city. Since opening its doors to students in 1965, CCP has produced more than 5,000 Nursing graduates.

The Nursing faculty, led by Dr. Tamika Curry, an assistant professor of Nursing, and Laureen Tavolaro-Ryley, the Independence Foundation Chair in Nursing, helped to organize an online celebration so the close community of learners could gather a final time to say their goodbyes.

Due to social distancing guidelines, CCP was unable to host its traditional nurses pinning ceremony, planned for May 1, 2020. That night, graduates partied apart, though together in spirit, with each contributing a favorite song, as they shared photos and poignant memories of the journey.

“We just wanted them to be connected,” Tavolaro-Ryley said. During the celebration, a number of people, including Mayor Jim Kenney; CCP President Donald Guy Generals; Phil Okala, Chief Operating Officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System; the Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake, president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation; and surprise guest, James Poyser of Legendary Roots Crew, offered congratulations.

Here are a few of the graduates stories of resilience:

Natalya Zuyevych lost a job, had a baby and grieved the loss of a close relative while in the Nursing program. “I received my first degree at La Salle University, but I always dreamed of being a nurse, so I decided to go back to school. There have been so many ups and downs these last two years, the last six weeks have been especially difficult. When I started NursingSchool, I had a one year old and I was pregnant. I had a C-section and a week later had to be back in school because we had a written exam. Just the support of the teachers, my clinical instructors... everyone was so supportive in all of my difficult times, accommodating me so that I can nurse or pump during clinicals and other things. Just whoa, it was just such a journey.”

 

Lucas Torres was in the military while taking his classes, and his dad and his brother passed away within months of each other. “I started my nursing journey probably five years ago. I'm in the military, I mean, the front line of the military as well. When I'm in my first semester, I was in a motorcycle accident so I had to pause my whole schooling, which took some time. It took about a year to get back to health.

At the beginning of this semester, my father passed and my brother committed suicide, which kind of gave me more of a focus on the mental health, especially in the city and where I live. My brother was a police officer, so police officers and the military have high suicide rates. It kind of made me want to get into the psychiatric side of nursing, to really focus, help out and give back as much as I possibly can. The faculty took the time to assure me that I'm not alone, especially going through all the deaths in my family, and I really appreciate that.”

Lashaya Edgefield, a single mom with a daughter,  didn’t have a car so she juggled child care arrangements and classes, all  while relying on public transportation. Some days, she had to get her daughter to relatives, and then travel by public transportation to work..

“I started my journey in nursing some nine years ago as a certified nursing assistant,” she said. “At the time, I was a new mom. I was living in poverty, didn't have a job and didn't know what I wanted to do. I stumbled on the NewCourtland education center's CNA (certified nursing assistant) program, which was seven weeks long. So, I want to say thank you to CareerLink because they paid for that and now I'm here. I'm going to be a registered nurse. Raising a little girl while in Nursing school, that was tough. I didn't have a car. I don't know how I did it, but it got done. I also had to take the bus to my clinical sites and they were very strict.  So, I was in the dark, on my way to clinical, at 5:30 am in the morning.”

Jessica Dorsey called the Nursing program “the hardest thing in my life so far.  It was tough. I had to work. Well, this week it's over 40 hours, so I'm trying to take all my exams and go to work, too. That was a little rough to do. I mean, right now, I'm struggling, trying to get my kid his education because he's home. I have to be his teacher and also be a student myself. I had to put everything aside for the most part, do whatever I can, and just try and keep my head in the game. But we’re done. I'm excited. I don't know, I guess I'm ready to finally be a mother again, finally be the wife that I was, focus on me and then move on to my bachelor's in the fall. I'll be going to the University of Ohio for my bachelor's degree.”

“From a really young age I loved food,” recalls Liam Spady, a recent graduate of Community College of Philadelphia who received his associate degree in Culinary Arts. “I loved cooking, which is what I did because in school, I got kind of bullied. I was always into books... I didn't do what the other guys did. So, I went into the kitchen.”

Although Liam found respite in cooking at a young age, his passion for food eventually led him to discover some troubling inequities in food access throughout our city. He explained, “I had the privilege of going to a school in South Philly. So, I would leave West Philly and go all the way down there each morning and just go into some of the stores around there. The options were different. I kind of got used to eating that way. When I would come home, I was like, ‘Oh, where's everything at?’”

Although he didn’t know it at the time, Liam would eventually learn that what he was experiencing was a food desert. This motivated Liam to approach his career in food from a different point of view.

Liam plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in the fall, majoring in Public Health at Temple University. “I want to study the education side of things, like how people get educated about what foods are healthy”, he said. “But also, I want to be in a management/administration role, setting what those guidelines are and working with nutritionists on mandating what is served in schools and in different places around the city.”

Liam is no stranger to policy creation in Philadelphia. After entering the city’s foster care system at 16 and experiencing further housing instability after he aged out of the system, Liam wanted to know how he could help improve the institutions that help support housing and food insecure youth. Since 2016 Liam has been a member of the Youth Action Board for Philadelphia Office of Homeless Services.

“It was some time ago I was a client at CBH (Community Behavioral Health) because I experienced a couple different things while I was in foster care,” said Liam. “So, I started looking for ways to try to improve the system because my experience was so bad.” The group started meeting as a temporary initiative called the Hundred Day Challenge and transformed into the Youth Action Board at the Office of Homeless Services over a three-year period.

“Doing work around youth homelessness, mental health and resource access and a little bit of national work with youth Collaboratory on the same topics,” Liam has chaired the Youth Action Board for the last two years. The purpose of the Youth Action Board is to connect with housing and food insecure youth around the city and convey their issues to city departments that can enact the change that those groups need.

Liam has been able to advocate for the needs of housing and food insecure students at Community College of Philadelphia as well by working with the Institute for Community Engagement and Civic Leadership.  “Michelle [Lopez] and David [Ascencio] came to me and a couple of other young people and got a small group together. We sat in her office for hours and just planned and planned and talk about our needs,” said Liam. Out of these conversations came multiple educational events aimed at teaching College staff and faculty how to better serve students who have been in or are in foster care. The advocacy of Liam and his peers that led to these events has helped to inform future initiatives and improvements in the College’s Fostering Caring Connections program as well.

Tackling issues at a city-wide level, Liam has been able to help enact significant changes through the Youth Action Board. Liam and his peers on the board identified that there was a lack of attention toward specialized resources for young adults ages 18-24 who are at risk of homelessness. Previously, when homeless youth were evaluated by the city to receive housing, they were prioritized based on how long they had been homeless and were often placed at the very end of a long list. “You would be last on that list because you've been homeless X amount of days compared to [adults] who might be chronically homeless. We just found that to be unfair because you would never get housing.” By connecting with Councilwoman Helen Gym, the Youth Action Board was able to secure additional funds to be allocated specifically for youth housing. They were also able to change the cutoff age for youth housing from 21 to 24.

But like most systemic issues, the work of providing resources for housing insecure youth is nowhere near done. “There's no youth-specific shelter for young people,” said Liam, “so young people don't feel safe going into the shelter system. And because of that, they don't get services and it causes them to leave school or drop out. A lot of members on our Youth Action Board actually were college students who couldn't attain housing and they dropped out.” Compounding this issue, many housing insecure youths have a difficult time supporting themselves because there are very few opportunities for them to get paid a living wage without a degree.

Although Liam was able to overcome nearly insurmountable challenges to complete his associate degree, he has far too many peers who, not for lack of trying, were unable to have that same opportunity. Balancing his studies with a full-time work schedule and housing insecurity, those peers are what kept him going. “To see so many other young people not achieve [their degree] because of these stupid barriers that I felt were so easy to fix, but no one was doing it, that was the initial drive,” said Liam. “And then the second thing is just [my] love for learning and education. I just love to know more to be more and to do more”. Having lived in west Philadelphia most of his life, Liam looks forward to using his education to help create prosperity within the community in which he grew up. “I would go into nice buildings [around other parts of the city] and I'm like, wow, this is great...to transform west Philly into that [is] another big push,” he said. “I think those things kind of got me through it.”