Above: Edleshia Leverette in the Process Operations Technology Program at MGCCC’s Jackson County Campus received a $10,000 scholarship and an invitation to Washington D.C. to speak on a panel regarding career and technical education.
A Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College student, Edleshia Leverette, has been named a Siemens Technical Scholar for her achievements in the Process Operations Technology Program at MGCCC’s Jackson County Campus. The honor was announced at a press conference held by The Aspen Institute and the Siemens Foundation in Washington, D.C., on Monday, October 26.
Leverette was invited to Washington to take part in the announcement event and also spoke on a panel with Eric Siegel, Siemens Corporation CEO. Recognized along with 28 other scholars named from across the nation, Leverette was eligible for selection because MGCCC was previously named a top finalist for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. She received a $10,000 scholarship to continue her education or pay existing student-loan debt.
From State Line, Mississippi, Leverette said she has had to work two jobs–as a store cashier and a housekeeper at a hospital– just to make ends meet while attending college. She takes her college classes in the evening. “This scholarship means so much to me because it will allow me to not stress as much about the money and paying bills while attending college,” she said. “I have had to rob Peter to pay Paul multiple times, and I still come up short. It’s a little stressful. My mom [Vivian Warren, also of State Line] has helped me, but I don’t want her to because she’s a single mother. My dad passed away in 2011, and I have a younger sister, Shakera, who Mom has to take care of, too. I just don’t want her to have to worry about me, so I do everything in my power that I can.”
She said she is excited about the Process Operations Technology program because she enjoys doing the work so much. “This program means everything to me and is the best thing that has happened to me. I am truly glad that I found it,” she said. “I will finally be able to be successful and be and have everything that I have ever wanted. To have a career, not just a job, there’s the difference. It will be nice to have great benefits as well. When someone asks me what I am going to school for and I talk about it, my eyes light up and I get a bit emotional because this program is truly amazing. I have learned a lot since I’ve started, and I really enjoy coming and learning and am excited to become a process technician. I have a passion for anything that I do and always strive to do my best.”
Leverette’s planned career as a process technician is just what the inaugural 2015 Siemens Technical Scholars program is all about. As a new partnership between the Siemens Foundation and Aspen, the Scholars program aims to help bridge the gap between projected shortages of skilled workers and the millions of high-demand jobs in manufacturing, energy, health care, and information technology.
“The shortage of qualified, tech-savvy workers threatens to become a choke point in the growth of businesses and our country’s economic competiveness,” said David Etzwiler, CEO of Siemens Foundation. “It’s important to make sure young adults understand the tremendous opportunities available thorough STEM middle-skill jobs. Community colleges are a critical player in that and in ensuring we get the right mix in the talent pipeline.”
Overall, jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields are projected to grow at almost double the rate of non-STEM occupations, and a large share of these jobs are in manufacturing and health care industries. Community colleges are a lynchpin to meeting this demand: More than half of all STEM jobs across the United States require no more than an associate degree and pay wages that average more than $50,000 annually.
The Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program (CEP) has been working over the past four years to identify the top community colleges that are doing an outstanding job of providing students with the knowledge, skills and credentials they need for success. Through a generous grant from the Siemens Foundation, CEP is now working to identify programs that help students achieve success in middle-skill STEM fields and recognize the exceptional scholars pursuing these career goals. The Process Operations Technology program at the Jackson County Campus is one such program.
“We need to learn more about how our best community colleges achieve strong outcomes for individual students in ways that also fuel strong economies and communities,” said Joshua Wyner, executive director of Aspen CEP and author of “What Excellent Community Colleges Do.” “The programs attended by these remarkable Scholars deliver first-rate preparation for jobs that employers are clamoring to fill and jobs that are a springboard to better economic opportunity. We all have a vested interest in helping more community colleges emulate this success.”
Recognized at the national level as a top community college, MGCCC is the first choice for many outstanding, high-achieving students in South Mississippi. MGCCC’s excellent record is indicated by the college’s three consecutive Aspen recognitions as a top community college; a national ranking as a Top-100 Associate Degree Producer 12 times since 2002; and selection as a top 50 community colleges with enrollments of 10,000 or higher on Community College Week’s Fastest Growing Community College list. The college was also named in the Top 50 in The Best Schools and is designated a Military Friendly school.
“MGCCC’s ranking at the highest possible level on the national stage helps our students gain the recognition and scholarships they need and deserve to complete their education and find career success,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president. “When our students reach the pinnacles of achievement as Edleshia has in the Siemens Technical Scholars program, we are thrilled to have been a part of helping them along the way.”