
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
The JC Breakfast Optimist Club celebrated optimism on March 16 with guest speaker Jennifer Zabokrtsky. Jennifer is the Director of the Cloud County Community College (CCCC) Geary County Campus located at 631 Caroline Avenue in Junction City.
Jennifer is an alum of the CCCC at the Concordia campus and a graduate of Fort Hays State University. She has worked at CCCC as an Assistant Track Coach, a paraprofessional in the Student Success Center, worked in Financial Aid, served as the Coordinator of Student Services and in 2016 became the Geary County Campus Director.
“Our students range from Junction City High School students who take our classes while still in high school to ‘post-traditional’. ‘Post-traditional’ students are those who are working and are perhaps seeking training for a career change. Students who have completed course work at CCCC and are seniors at four-year colleges or universities have a Grade Point Average (GPA) higher than those who only attended a four year post high school program.”
Jennifer also shared that “students are our central focus, and we strive to see every student succeed in the classroom and beyond their time at Cloud through advising; the Student Success Center to help students improve study skills or find a qualified tutor at no cost; a student support services program (TRIO), which is a support network for under-represented students in education: first generation, low-income, and/or student s with documented learning disabilities; a Student Retention Specialist and the Career Center in which students are assisted in determining their career path, successfully accomplishing transfers, and exploring future career options; and Student Accessibility Services, which helps student with documented disabilities to access accommodations to be successful. Scholarships are available to assist with the cost of tuition, which is $123.00 per credit hour.”
Currently, the most popular course at CCCC “is the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Nursing. The nursing program has options students may choose, which include Generic Traditional ADN; LPN to ADN; and a Partnership AAS/BSN. At the completion of a program, students are eligible to take the National Council Licensure Exam to practice as a registered nurse. The average beginning salary for recent graduates is between $40,000 and $46,000 per year.
Another popular program is the Commercial Truck Driving course in which students may earn a CDL Class A Truck Driving Certificate. This is a 16-hour course with a maximum enrollment of 9 students, Jennifer stated.
More information on these courses and more may be obtained by calling 800.729.5101 or on the web at www.cloud.edu.
The JC Breakfast Optimist Club celebrates optimism every Wednesday at the Hampton Inn in Junction City. Members gather for the breakfast buffet between 6:00 and 6:50 AM. The meeting begins at 6:50 and concludes by 7:30 AM. Anyone may attend and those who attend for the first time receive a free breakfast buffet.