Citius, Altius, Fortius
Kristin M. Hollabaugh, Ph.D.
Provost, COS Hanford Educational Center
A person would be hard pressed not to know that the Olympics are happening. It seems everywhere a person turns, there is another reminder! Have you googled (a noun that has become a verb) lately? Every day is a new fun "sport" picture!
For those of us who work in education, we are hard pressed not to know that this time period marks something else significant: The start of a new academic year! So, in keeping with the Olympics theme, our students are lined up....ready for the Opening Ceremony. Some of our students knew that they would be here--and have planned for years. They know they have a seat at the Opening Ceremony--and a "place" in the competition. For others, life has happened and with State Budget cuts (and higher tuition) they have reflected and decided that College of the Sequoias is an affordable and valuable choice. For others, the tough economy has left them as displaced workers, and they are looking for another marketable skill. Some days, it seems that there are just as many different competitions in the 2012 Summer Games, as there are reasons students find themselves at COS Hanford.
Like Olympians, each of our students comes with a different story. I only wish we could do a student 60-second video story on each of our students. The stories that so many of them come to us with, and the impact COS has on their lives is JUST as moving as many of the stories we see on the network every night these days!
According to Wikipedia (the "knower of all" ), the motto Citius, Altius, Fortius (Latin for Faster, Higher, Stronger) was introduced in the 1924 games in Paris. Again, so fitting for our students. Especially in these times of budgetary news from the State--and in turn, how those cuts are affecting California Community Colleges--our students will need more resilience to maneuver the system. So in the few weeks ahead, we will encourage our students to live by the motto of the Olympics: Faster, Higher, Stronger (translated), and continue to keep their eye on the goal--that of bringing home a medal at the end of their educational journey. Now that I think about it, perhaps that is the secret for California Community Colleges--selling $1 million advertisements!
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