Southside program aims to help student cross 'Finish Line'

By: Tara Bozick | GoDanRiver
Published: August 23, 2011

On Tuesday, Gov. Bob McDonnell applauded a new Southside program designed to help thousands of locals go back and finish earning a college degree.

The Virginia Tobacco Commission granted $165,000 to project Finish Line — a partnership between New College Institute and Danville, Patrick Henry and Southside Virginia community colleges.

An estimated 900,000 Virginians currently have some partial college credit. In Southside, 41,000 people could potentially benefit from the program. Finish Line would help the state with its goal of awarding more than 100,000 degrees in the next 15 years.

Not only does getting a good education enable individuals to get good jobs, but improving Virginia’s workforce also helps attract employers, McDonnell said.

The program will employ three outreach specialists to identify individuals within 15 credit hours of receiving an associate’s degree and to work with them to find the resources to finish. That also opens the doors to continue to four-year universities.

Danville Community College already identified thousands of students who could benefit from the program, said DCC President Carlyle Ramsey. That would help local families, as workers with degrees have a higher earning potential.

Getting that credential makes it easier, in a measurable way, to show the skills people have in the region, Ramsey said.

Many companies do an initial search of online to see where workers fit their needs, explained Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce President Laurie Moran.

The college is partnering with the chamber to advance the workforce of the region’s existing companies.

“If we want to attract and retain quality jobs for our region, then we must focus on having an educated and trained workforce,” Moran said.

Virginia Secretary of Education Laura Fornash added the Southside program and partnership could be a model for the state.

Traci Daniel, the Danville outreach specialist, knows how hard it can be to go back to school. Yet, she did it while working full-time, teaching part-time and with a husband and two kids.

The adjunct instructor of early childhood education illustrates how an education can lead to better career opportunities.

“I think it’s a perfect fit for me,” Daniel said. “Being that nontraditional student, I know the barriers these students face.”

For more information about Finish Line, contact Daniel at (434) 797-8588 or email tdaniel@dcc.vccs.edu.