Former Convenience Store Manager Studies Criminal Justice at UACCB

Forlanda Peel, UACC Batesville Student

Known to her closest friends simply as “Smurf,” Forlanda Peel was inspired by a police officer friend to go back to school and study criminal justice. Peel just completed her first semester as a student at University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville (UACCB).

She has gone from managing a convenience store to hitting the books, hoping to become a paralegal and help children. A mother of two, Peel gets up every morning, drops off her daughters at school and heads to Batesville for her own classes.

Peel finished the spring semester with a 3.5 grade point average and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society at the college.

Peel said she never expected to be an honor student. “It’s outstanding to me,” she said. “It also proves to younger generations it can be done. Regardless of what anybody thinks about you, or what anybody says about you, it can be done.”

The faculty and staff at UACCB are very supportive, said Peel. She is taking a full class load of 12 hours. “The student success center here is awesome,” she said, praising instructor Vanita Cartwright.

Peel says she would encourage anyone considering going back to school. “Do it,” she said. “Don’t let anything stop you. This has been the best experience of my life, coming back to college. I love it here. It sounds like a huge challenge, like no one can do it. It’s possible. Anything you work toward, you should be able to get.”

She thought of quitting at times. “I went to Ms. (Glenda) Bell and Ms. (Susan) Beshears one time in tears,” said Peel. “I thought about just quitting because I have a lot of different things going on right now. Ms. Bell said, ‘Don’t quit, whatever you do.’”

Peel is paying for her education with assistance through financial aid. “When I was in high school, the last thing I was concerned about was my GPA and showing up for class,” she said. “I didn’t care. To be able to come to school, sit in class and have students ask me now, ‘How do you do this?’ or ‘Can I get your help?’ – that makes me feel like I’m home here.”

Peel and her husband, Pelvin, have two children, Brianna, 8, and Delashia,16. 

Consortium Educates Nurses for Rural Arkansas

The Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC) was created in 2004 to address the chronic shortage of Registered Nurses in the state’s rural areas. Member colleges share faculty and resources.  Interactive television is used to deliver theory instruction, and television and the Internet are used for testing and distribution of class materials.

This program benefits Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LPNs/LVNs) by allowing them to stay close to home for RN courses, and the teaching and clinical schedules are set up to accommodate working nurses. Graduates receive an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree in Nursing. 

The six original Consortium colleges are: Arkansas State University-Newport; Black River Technical College (Pocahontas); Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas (Nashville); Ozarka College (Melbourne); South Arkansas Community College (El Dorado); and the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton.

Recently, the Consortium received approval from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN) to increase the number of seats it offers to LPNs/LVNs who wish to become Registered Nurses. The ASBN also approved the addition of two more colleges to the Consortium. Rich Mountain Community College in Mena and the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope will join ARNEC for the January 2011 class.  ARNEC requested the growth because of its large applicant pool and the strong support it gets from the communities it serves.

“Getting ASBN approval for this growth will make ARNEC one of the state’s largest nursing instruction entities, with the potential to place up to 320 RN graduates a year in the Arkansas workforce,” Jill Hasley of Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas said. “We’ve had to turn away qualified applicants in the past because there just weren’t enough seats. Now we can serve more students in more places,” she said.

Currently, ARNEC offers 120 seats at six of the state’s rural two-year colleges. Hasley stated that, in 2011, ARNEC will offer up to forty seats at the six current member colleges, and ten seats each at the two new member colleges. Each college will determine how many more students they can enroll, depending on the availability of clinical instruction space.

ARNEC is currently accepting applications for the January 2011 class. The annual deadline is August 31^st. For interested LPNs/LVNs, more information and an admission application are available at www.arnec.org.

Mom Returns to College After 30 Years, Completes Degree

Nina Huddleston, ASU-Mountain Home Student

Nina Huddleston was homeschooling her children when the ASUMH campus opened.  She dreamed about her two children someday attending the college.  In fact, when the community gathered to march from the old school campus to the new campus ten years ago, she and her small children marched too.

Back then, working in bookkeeping and as a receptionist, Huddleston did not think she would ever complete the college she began back in 1979 after high school.  The general education classes she took in the one year of college she completed seemed too far away from a degree for her.  But she knew she was good with numbers and felt like she had time to pick up a class after she taught herself Quick Books and realized that she still enjoyed learning.

Today, Nina Huddleston has an associate's degree under her belt and is working toward her bachelor’s in accounting.  At ASUMH, she was awarded the McMullen Scholarship, the largest scholarship given each year.  In addition, she was the only student in Arkansas to place first in any event at the Phi Beta Lambda (a student business organization) national competition in Annaheim, California last year. 

While starting college as a nontraditional student scared Hudleston at first, the warmth of other students and instructors made her feel right at home.  When she tells you about how proud her family is of her, Huddleston can hardly keep from crying.  When she marched in Commencement last year, her son could be heard shouting “that’s my mom!” from the audience.  “I’m not ready to quit learning,” said Huddleston.  “I’ll be a little old lady learning for fun…no tests, just fun!” 

Career Pathways Initiative: Making a Difference for Arkansas Families

The Career Pathways Initiative (CPI) was established in 2005 utilizing federal Transitional Aid to Needy Families (TANF) funds.  The goal of the program is to help people get off government assistance, get education and training and get jobs. 

The initiative serves students who are current or former recipients of Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA); current recipients of Food Stamps, AR Kids or Medicaid; or those earning 250% of the federal poverty level or less.  Individuals must be the adult caretaker of a child under the age of 21 to be eligible.

The average age for a CPI student is 31 and 91% are female.  57% are single parents and 86% received Food Stamps or Medicaid.

CPI provides financial assistance to eliminate some of the barriers to education and training, such as tuition, books, transportation and child care.  Counselors provide student support services, such as advising and assistance with admission and financial aid processes.  They also serve as mentors and offer much-needed encouragement to clients as they make the life-changing leap to better the lives of their families through education and training. 

The resources and dedicated staff that CPI provides are changing lives across the state.  CPI students succeed because counselors care about their success, and resources are available to help with every day road-blocks that would otherwise impede their success.

Since 2005, 18,000 Arkansans have enrolled in CPI, and 13,000 certificates and degrees have been awarded to CPI participants.  The success rate of two-year college students in Arkansas is 61% after one year. Using the same formula, CPI students have a success rate of 77% after one year- that is 16% higher than non-CPI students.  More than 55% of CPI completers secure employment and more than 80% of those employed are retained after six months. 

CPI is administered by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education in association with the Department of Workforce Services, and is now offered by all 22 Arkansas two-year colleges.  Two state universities also offer the program. 

Success Stories

Arkansas two-year colleges each name one student annually as their Academic All-Star.  All-Stars are recognized at AATYC’s annual conference and each receives a full scholarship to any Arkansas public four-year institution to pursue a baccalaureate degree.  In 2009, four of the twenty-two All-Stars were Career Pathways students, including:

• Denise Street is an honors student at Arkansas State University-Beebe (ASUB), where she tutors other students and assists with research papers.  She will graduate from ASUB in 2010, and her ultimate goal is to become a veterinarian.
• Franchie Scott is pursuing a nursing degree at East Arkansas Community College and will graduate in 2010.  While attending college, Franchie has logged countless hours working with children at her local pre-school and distributing food and clothing at her church. 
• Jessica Wolford is a student at Ozarka College, a cancer survivor, and a single mother who works hard to support her daughter and succeed in college. She is pursuing an associate degree in applied technology.  She will graduate from Ozarka College in 2010 and plans to pursue a baccalaureate degree in journalism. 
• Jennifer Martinez attends the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope (UACCH).  She is the wife of a soldier, a mother of three and a photographer.  After graduating from UACCH in 2010, Jennifer will pursue a baccalaureate degree in business, which she will use to make her photography business more successful.