Tri-C Student Gains Confidence and a Degree

May 13, 2016

Erin Clancy first came to Tri-C’s Metropolitan Campus as a reserved, 15-year-old high school student in the High Tech Academy (HTA) program. “I wouldn’t call myself shy, but I had a hard time opening up to people,” she said. With the help of her teachers and professors, she quickly realized everyone at Tri-C was here to help her. “Tri-C is like a family – we are in it together.”

In 2014, Erin graduated from James Ford Rhodes high school and enrolled at Tri-C. While her family supported her desire to pursue a college degree, they were unable to help pay for the cost of her education. She states, “I had to be ‘all in’ when it came to my education. No one else in my family had done this before.”

With the help of Pell grants, a scholarship from College Now and a lot of hard work and long hours at Carmino’s Pizza, Erin was able to pay her own tuition. The RTA U-Pass was another cost-saving benefit, which also helped her discover more of her hometown.

Having attended Tri-C as an HTA student, Erin gained a sense of independence and felt prepared for the college experience. “It helped kick-start my goal of earning a college degree,” she said. “I became familiar with the campus, classes and the professors.”

The diversity of the people on campus and her professors’ willingness to adapt their teaching styles to her learning style also aided Erin in her success. She graduates from Tri-C in May with an Associate of Arts degree and will transfer to Kent State University in the fall to pursue a degree in athletic training.

Erin credits her HTA teachers and biology professor Anne Marie Yunker for helping her gain confidence and become more outgoing. “I’m not afraid to ask for help now!”