Best Of

Passages: Music for Rough Times and Calmer Spaces

by Kerry Dexter /
Kerry Dexter's picture
Aug 18, 2020 / 0 comments

The saying that walking on uneven ground is good for improving balance strikes me as a metaphor for parts of the shifting times we are in at present. Music to help you think about that here, from rough seas to calmer waters, from quiet walks to a  tale holding wisdom from older times.

Passages: Music for Rough Times and Calmer Spaces

Through the Eyes of an Educator: Adaptability is a Superpower

by Stacey Ebert /
Stacey Ebert's picture
Aug 03, 2020 / 0 comments

“The best entrepreneurs and most successful people I’ve ever encountered view change as opportunities. Every time an industry is adjusted and the terrain shifts, they don’t get on a soapbox and start complaining. Instead, they analyze the situation and determine how they can adapt, and act, in a way that leaves them better than they would have been if they kept trying to do the same thing.” 

Dr. Jessie Voigts's picture

Must Read! Why This Faithful Book: A Diary from World War Two in the Netherlands Has Important Life Lessons for Today

One good thing about this pandemic: we have more time to read. This is a silver lining, and let me tell you all about a book that you MUST read: This Faithful Book: A Diary from World War Two in the Netherlands, by Madzy Brender à Brandis, translated and edited by an author we just love: her daughter, Marianne Brandis.

The Most Important Book You Can Read With Your Kids

by Dr. Jessie Voigts /
Dr. Jessie Voigts's picture
Jul 27, 2020 / 0 comments

One of our very favorite people in the world (not to mention one of our very favorite artists: read our profile with her here!), Lara Smith, has a new book that, honestly, is a must for any parent or educator to share with their kids.

Music: Intention and Invitation

by Kerry Dexter /
Kerry Dexter's picture
Jul 23, 2020 / 0 comments

Shifting times: when we chose the name for this series, four years ago now, we did not know quite how many areas of life would be shifitng, and how continually and at what depths. There were already many important issues needing attention then. Now, there have been so many deep calls for attention in just the last four months at this writing, not to mention the last four years. Making one's way through all this with courage, grace, and impact requires focused intention. How to focus intention, and on what, will vary.

Stasia Lopez's picture

Tartela Tabassum: #CommunityCollegeBecause ... I am a fearless learner

My name is Tartela Tabassum and I am an international student from Bangladesh. After high school, I had to sacrifice my education and get married so that I could remove some financial burden from my family. After marriage, I moved to the USA and started over. After a year, I was able to begin my college education, but I had to battle stereotypes, for many people thought that a community college is not a good school to get into and it is not possible to be a success by going to the community college.

Dr. Jessie Voigts's picture

Read This: Why Shooting Stars is One of the Most Important Books You’ll Ever Read

One of our favorite writers, Patricia Leavy, is back with a novel that is one of the most important books you’ll ever read. Shooting Stars is one of those books that, once you start, you cannot put down (yes, 4am bedtime, but happy!). 

Stasia Lopez's picture

Sara Hnatiw: #CommunityCollegeBecause ... You get to discover who you are and find your passions

Sara Hnatiw majored in both Early Education Child Development and Children with Special Needs. She graduated from the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC)—South Campus with her Children with Special Needs certificate in Spring 2018 and Early Education Child Development Associate’s Degree in Spring 2020. She has intentions to transfer to Carlow University or LaRoche College in Fall 2021 to begin her Bachelor’s Degree. Once she earns her Bachelor’s Degree, she would like to become a disability services director or a student success coach.

Through the Eyes of an Educator: The Vital Need for Diversity, Inclusion, & Equity

by Stacey Ebert /
Stacey Ebert's picture
Jul 07, 2020 / 0 comments

'No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion...And if they can be taught to hate, they can be taught to love' - Nelson Mandela

Stasia Lopez's picture

Eric Leif Peters: #CommunityCollegeBecause ... learning is what everybody will be doing in the 21st Century

My name is Eric Leif Peters (which is an anagram of "fertile recipes" and "fierce reptiles", so my friends know me as the “Culinary Herpetologist”). I attended CCAC at the Dawn of Time, when dinosaurs walked the Earth (Fall 1977-May 1979). I may have earned an Associate Degree, but I honestly don't remember. I DO know that my credits (at least for the courses I passed) all successfully transferred to the University of Pittsburgh (from which I earned my B.S. in Biology in the Fall 1982 semester). I then went on to earn a M.S.

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