Transitioning to Adulthood: MCC class offers roadmap
No kidding: Becoming an adult is harder than it used to be. Thanks to a Meridian Community
College course, Transitioning to Adulthood, the path to being a grownup has a roadmap.
Not everyone knows which clothes are appropriate to wear to a job interview or even
how to tie a necktie. College students don’t always have many real-world experiences,
and that is why Transitioning to Adulthood is offered.
“It’s an interesting hybrid-based course,” said Dr. Tommy Winston, MCC Physical Therapist
Assistant Program coordinator and instructor who is also directing this weekly class.
Transitioning to Adulthood was initially designed for face-to-face instruction combined
with online learning assignments. But with the coronavirus pandemic, the class was
modified.
“We’re continuing the process of converting to an online course to assist our students,”
Dr. Winston said.
Designed to improve MCC students’ abilities to perform a job search, interviews and
work-related life skills, Transitioning to Adulthood has gone well, Dr. Winston said.
Students gained a host of expertise from the significance of a quality resume, interview
attitude and posture as well as the art of verbal communication. Even character maintenance
after employment was covered. The sessions are led by campus-based personnel and community
resource leaders.
MCC sophomore Elizabeth Carlson, 20, enrolled because she felt she lacked preparedness.
“I was uneducated in the basic life skills such as doing taxes, understanding how
to build credit as well as job skills,” she said.
It turned out to be her favorite class this semester; she looked forward to the class
sessions and had fun doing it. “I was always on the edge of my seat waiting to learn
the next thing that would benefit my career and life,” the University Transfer Program
student said. Carlson credits the course explicitly for teaching her resume crafting
and job hunting skills.
“I believe learning how to prepare for an interview helped me the most, although I
learned many essential skills to help my transition to adulthood,” Carlson added.
And when all classes at the College turned to online learning, Carlson said this course
springboarded her into the online world because she knew what to expect.
She noted Dr. Winston not only taught valuable life skills but also stressed to students
the value of determination. “He gets to know his students and what their goals are
to prepare them for the future better. Dr. Winston takes the time to understand how
to help each student achieve their goals,” Carlson said.
Transitioning to Adulthood also earned applause from the Phi Theta Kappa international
academic honor society; it garnered a Distinguished College Project Award at the organization’s
international convention held last month.
MCC officials note the class will be offered to students in the fall term 2020.