MCCC’s Gateway to College program — which helps students reengage with their educations to concurrently achieve a high-school diploma and launch a postsecondary career — has again earned national recognition, its fourth in as many years.
The honor, a Program Excellence Award, came from Achieving the Dream (ATD), a national organization committed to bolster community college students as they progress toward degrees.
The ATD criteria to evaluate Gateway to College programs across the country examines:
- First-term success
- One- and two-year persistence rates
- Three-year graduation rates
Of the 30 colleges in the Gateway network, MCCC is one of only 11 to have exceeded all these benchmarks.
Founded in 2000, Gateway to College is an early college program model supported by ATD that facilitates sustainable, revenue-sharing partnerships between local colleges and school districts. Gateway programs are a second chance for students who have been disconnected from education or who might not otherwise be college-bound.
“The recipients of this year’s Gateway to College awards are committing to student success during a time when supporting disconnected learners has never been more important,” said Dr. Karen A. Stout, ATD President and CEO. “Gateway to College aims to provide young students who might not otherwise have been on track for college with support that leads to post-secondary credentials and life-sustaining careers. Each college receiving a 2022 award has done incredible work to widen those pathways and expose young people in their community to vital opportunities in higher education.”
Since MCCC launched the program in 2013 at its Blue Bell and Pottstown campuses, 231 students have earned their high-school diplomas, transforming their pathways and redefining their futures.
“The Gateway program is transformative for students and enriches our community,” said Michelle Kulla, Gateway Program Manager. “This award reflects the valuable work and dedication of Montco’s talented team to help students reach their goals and believe in themselves.”
MCCC’s Gateway team includes:
- Program Manager Michelle Kulla
- Resource Specialists Esau Collins and Jezerey Weiderman
- Faculty Michael Baron, Karen Harding-Tasca, Stephanie Wuertz, Tracey Fida, David Pica, Dr. Victoria Vetro, and Dr. Durrell Jones
MCCC collaborates on this initiative with 20 school districts — as well as Montco Works, the county’s workforce investment board — for student referrals to the program:
- Boyertown
- Cheltenham
- Colonial
- Daniel Boone
- Exeter
- Hatboro-Horsham
- Jenkintown
- Norristown
- North Penn
- Owen J. Roberts
- Perkiomen Valley
- Phoenixville
- Pottsgrove
- Souderton
- Spring-Ford
- Upper Dublin
- Upper Merion
- Upper Moreland
- Upper Perkiomen
- Wissahickon
The initiative also benefits from support and student scholarship partnerships from:
- Waste Management
- PECO
- Univest
- TD Bank
- The Kahn family
- The Maguire Foundation
- The Malik family
- Ambler Savings Bank
- Thompkins VIST Bank
- First Priority Bank
- The Gateway to College National Network
PECO, a partner since 2013, funded laptops for all Gateway students needing them, as well as lunches two days a week for students who were able to come to campus for hybrid classes.
More information on MCCC’s Gateway to College Program is available by emailing its program manager, Michelle Kulla.
