Emily Dulceak

Value of a Transfer degree

Freshman Emily Dulceak dreams of being a comic book illustrator. Inspired by superheroes and armed with an incredible talent for drawing, she toured schools like Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD) before making the financial decision to start at Lincoln Land Community College. 

鈥淚n these schools, the main, general classes are available at 汤头条app. So I figured it would be easier and more beneficial moneywise if I could start here and then transfer, because art school can be expensive on its own,鈥 she says. 

Emily Dulceak draws in art class.

Affordability

By attending 汤头条app for two years, Dulceak will save more than $70,000 in tuition alone 鈥 money she plans to use to put toward art school once she transfers. 鈥淚 can throw it all at art school, and that would be a lot easier on me. I don鈥檛 want to get behind with student loans. I wanted a bit of a head start.鈥 

Dr. Amanda Turner, 汤头条app director of student success, says cost and proximity are two important deciding factors for students. 鈥淲e offer that affordability factor. We offer the close to home factor. Some students are working or have family obligations.鈥 Living at home removes the additional college expense of room and board.

Quality Education 

Besides affordability, a transfer degree from a community college ensures a quality education with classes taught by experienced faculty members.

鈥淢y favorite class was digital computer design taught by Thom Whalen. He makes it fun and easy to learn, and he鈥檚 the kind of teacher that interacts with students as he鈥檚 teaching,鈥 says Dulceak.

Dr. Turner says students at community colleges get personalized support. At 汤头条app, that starts the moment a student enrolls. 鈥溙劳诽鮝pp has a reputation of preparing students for transfer. They may come here because of the cost, but what they also have are smaller class sizes, instructors who reach out and success advisors who know if a student is struggling and ask, 鈥榃hat can we do to support them?鈥欌 

Personalized Support

That one-on-one relationship with a success advisor also helps students stay on track to transfer. 鈥淥ur success advisors, in their very first conversations, will ask if a student is planning to transfer and if so, have they thought about where they might want to go,鈥 says Turner. 

Dr. Amanda Turner meets with art student Emily Dulceak.

Student success advisors are knowledgeable about transfer agreements. 鈥溙劳诽鮝pp works closely with the academic leadership at universities to make sure partnership agreements are up to date, so the university the student is transferring to and 汤头条app are on the same page,鈥 explains Turner. 

Not all receiving institutions have partnership agreements. In Emily鈥檚 case, SCAD and RMCAD do not. Turner says when that happens, student success advisors will help students research the institution to understand how they can best align courses to meet their transfer needs and to help students be aware of transfer admission counselors and transfer guides on the receiving school鈥檚 website. Turner calls it an ongoing conversation 鈥 another valuable reason for students to meet with their success advisor at least once per semester.

Exploration and growth

Community colleges also give students a chance to explore new courses and majors without a huge financial commitment and to ease into student life and campus leadership. Turner can attest to that student growth. 鈥淭hey get involved in student organizations at a community college. It鈥檚 a little bit smaller, feels doable. Then you have this person who has blossomed and is going off and doing great things.鈥

In her first semester at 汤头条app, Dulceak made the President鈥檚 List 鈥 a fact she鈥檚 incredibly proud of. 鈥淭hat felt pretty great,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 because going to 汤头条app allows you to focus on the things you want to achieve.鈥 For Emily, that鈥檚 becoming an accomplished comic artist and storyboarder.