Partnerships For Success: CCA Hosts Discussion on Creating Access to Underserved Populations

Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024

Aurora, Colo. – Community College of Aurora (CCA) President, Dr. Mordecai Brownlee joined a group of esteemed panelists on Friday in a spirited discussion of helping underserved communities access high-quality education through resources such as the General Education Development (GED).

The event titled “Partnerships for Success: The Future of Work” was hosted jointly by CCA and the City of Aurora’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs. The group focused on communities such as non-English speaking people who may not have equitable access to not only education, but also food resources, transportation, financial assistance, technology and more. Panelists work in a variety of industries, including education, non-profit, and consultation. 

Speakers included Moderator Vicki Greene, President of the GED Testing Service; Lily Griego, Regional Director, US Health and Human Services; Regina Edmondson, Vice President of Government Services at CrossPurpose; Berenice El Gharamti, President of the Monarca Group; and Dr. Martin George, CEO of LTC Language Solutions.

In discussing how partnerships between various agencies can lead to better opportunities for young adults and immigrants to integrate into the community and workforce, speakers shared their own personal stories of how they were able to find success thanks to various resources. 

Aurora Mayor, Mike Coffman opened the event with a recount of his personal experience of earning his GED diploma after joining the Army. He said that experience gave him the confidence to continue to take on other challenges, including joining the U.S. Marines, attending the Harvard Kennedy School, and ultimately pursuing national and local elected offices. 

“To me, the GED is important, because it establishes a baseline for education,” Coffman said. “We provide assistance to our immigrant and refugee community, and I think the GED is an important component of that.”

Griego recalled talking to her high school counselor about her options for college. Instead of offering help, Griego said the counselor told her she would never go to college, and could only find work as a secretary. 

“And I said, ‘Oh, OK, thank you.’ I went home and told my mother, and she took her four-foot-ten self down there and said, ‘Who do you think you are talking to my daughter like this?’”

Griego used the story to exemplify how having a support system can help students navigate the college landscape. She said a very important resource is establishing a history of college experience in a family. For example, she said, having a parent or family member gives a new student someone who is able to help them understand the process. 

Griego now serves in a role in the federal government and discussed the need for breaking barriers, and creating access to education. 

Dr. Brownlee placed a special focus on the economic barriers underserved communities face, saying industry and education need to address needs such as food insecurity, high cost of living, and infrastructure. Dr. Brownlee said, for example, online education is not accessible for Aurora’s surrounding rural communities when there is a lack of internet resources in those areas. 

“What good is online education, if you have no place to plug in your laptop,” Dr. Brownlee said. “We have to figure out collectively, how do we educate our underrepresented communities on what institutions they can choose for themselves that are not predatory in nature.” Dr. Brownlee said too often, for-profit institutions prey on prospective students, and it’s the role of higher education institutions to educate people on where to find legitimate academic institutions. 

Speakers also shared strategies they use to address these needs. Dr. Brownlee said CCA addresses hunger needs through partnerships with food providers, and is working through ways to ensure its student population has access to vital resources. 

Greene discussed ways the GED program is addressing career needs, saying GED plans on offering apprenticeships in the green energy fields, which they hope will provide people with career options they may not have otherwise considered. 

Each speaker discussed ways their organizations are tackling technological needs, and how they are implementing new technologies in these communities. They discussed utilizing AI, video training, interpretation services, website accessibility and more. 

CCA and the greater Aurora community are uniquely invested in addressing these issues, as they represent diverse communities. CCA is a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), which means its enrollment is at least 25% Hispanic. CCA also serves students from more than 60 countries and five continents. African Americans make up more than 20% of the student population. Nearly 25% of Aurora’s population has a high school or GED diploma, while more than 20% have at least a Bachelor’s degree. 

For more information about CCA, click HERE.