新轨迹

作者:保罗·施瓦尔巴赫《对外关系

2019年末, 亚历克西斯·罗斯·杨 was looking forward to starting a career as an 紧急 Medical Technician. She had passed the national certification exam for EMTs after earning a 皮马社区学院毕业证书. Then Covid hit the world in early 2020 and changed the trajectory of Rose's life.

The pandemic led her to re-examine her priorities. It brought her back to Pima and put her on a path that she hopes leads to a career in the film industry. 

Rose took the first step toward that goal by earning her second credential from Pima, an 传媒专业副学士学位, which will be conferred at Commencement on May 24. 

回馈社会的责任

The last few years have been a flurry of activity for Rose. 2020年初, Rose’s parents started an assisted caregiving home for about a half-dozen elderly residents, with Rose taking a role in the family business as a caregiver. The work–bathing, dressing, and feeding the residents each day–was a grind. “It wore on me mentally and physically,” Rose said.  She felt she had a duty to give back to society, 她说, but realized it didn’t have to be through working in healthcare.

Instead, she chose to study Communications at Pima, where she excelled. She has earned a full-ride scholarship to the University of Arizona, where she will seek a 学士学位 在通信技术中. 

“罗斯很有创造力, 好奇的, 也是一个积极的问题解决者,” says Communications Division Instructional Faculty member Terry Filipowicz. “She loves examining media and communication and is able to see the little details in the content and then take the analysis to a whole other level,Filipowicz说, adding that Rose’s scholarly work in her Research Methods in Communication class focused on Asian representation and intercultural communication in films such as “Crazy Rich Asians.” 

“She is driven and focused but witty and wonderfully enthusiastic and exuberant. 她大有作为，”菲利波维茨说.

下一站:梦工厂

其中一个地方, 玫瑰希望, 是好莱坞的一家大型电影制片厂吗, 即梦工厂SKG, founded by director Steven Spielberg among others.

罗斯说她一直很喜欢电影, and especially documentaries that chronicle how films are made. “My dream job is to be a production manager at DreamWorks,” 玫瑰说. Production manager is a behind-the-scenes position that combines logistics and time management with the people skills necessary to keep passionate, 有创造力的人在工作.

她相信另一位教授, 安东尼Dalessandro, with instilling in her the confidence to talk to groups of people when she took a class in Public Speaking. “I didn’t know I had a passion for public speaking until I took his class,” 玫瑰说. 

"社区 college credits transfer to universities. You can get your education at a fraction of a cost without having to worry about debt." ——亚历克西斯·罗斯·杨

佩尔的力量

来资助她的皮马教育, Rose took a job as a nanny to kids ages 5 and 18 months, and then received an internship in Pima’s Office of 金融援助 and 奖学金 (OFAS). 她也收到了一部分 佩尔助学金, which was critical for the completion of her education.

有了补助金, 罗斯说她能做很多事情, 从“为转学到美国大学而储蓄”,到“支付我的汽车保险”, 气体, 保养,甚至帮助她的父母.

Her job at OFAS also gave her insights into students' perceptions about applying for financial aid. Rose has informed many students that even though they’re technically adults at age 18, their parent or guardian must sign their FAFSA or other financial aid form. 她说:“这就是体制的运作方式。. 

罗斯还在皮马餐厅做过志愿者 职业生涯咖啡馆, which help students prepare for the world of work. She helped students break down the daunting job search process into digestible chunks – résumés and job interviews and. “I teach them how to show their best self,” she says.

从家庭教育过渡

Rose’s own Pima experience began by taking an American Sign Language class at Northwest Campus. The credits counted toward her language requirement, and also helped socialize her into a traditional in-person classroom setting, as she and her three siblings had been homeschooled. 

首页schooling provided an excellent academic foundation, 玫瑰说, but transitioning to Pima still was a bit of a challenge. 她担心与教授互动, 当你在家上学的时候, “教授是你妈妈.” But she persevered and mastered the art of communicating via email and other interpersonal skills. 

激情与价格

回顾她在皮马岛的经历, Rose’s advice for anyone starting their post-high school academic journey starts with simple questions: “What do you really love to do? 你觉得什么吸引人?” The answers will determine what you study in college, she says.

As for paying for school, Rose’s advice is simple: “Avoid going into massive amounts of debt. 上社区大学. . . . 社区 college credits transfer to universities. You can get your education at a fraction of a cost without having to worry about debt.”

When told that her comments sound like an advertisement for community college, she says, “Absolutely.”