SLCC president brings USHE’s College Application Week to Taylorsville
Taylorsville, Utah (PRWEB) November 13, 2014 -- The message Salt Lake Community College President Deneece Huftalin had Thursday for Taylorsville High School seniors wasn’t so much about choosing SLCC as it was to understand the value of a college education.
“I implore you, I don’t care where you go to college – I want you to go to college,” said Dr. Huftalin. “I want you to study what you’re passionate about. I want you to love what you’re learning.”
Dr. Huftalin, along with Taylorsville Mayor Larry Johnson, spoke at Taylorsville High as part of Utah System of Higher Education’s Utah College Application Week. Several elected officials, college and university presidents and school leaders have been speaking at events throughout the state this week, reaching more than 20,000 seniors in 15 districts. The weeklong event has focused on first-generation and low-income students who might be less likely to apply to or enroll in college.
“Taylorsville High School has historically been a wonderful school for us in terms of a pipeline to Salt Lake Commuinity College, and they do wonderful things once they come to us,” Huftalin said. She reminded students of SLCC’s many campuses throughout the Salt Lake Valley. “And I would encourage you to investigate what you might be able to take closer to home.”
Dr. Huftalin said SLCC students often say they like the smaller class sizes at a school that is actually large – about 30,000 students per semester – and where faculty know their names. “We’re huge, but we feel small,” she said. “And we have a huge range of programs.”
Johnson and Huftalin urged students to visit the various classrooms throughout the high school where college and university representatives were set up for the morning to answer questions and give hands-on help with the application process.
“Your future is in front of you – it’s only nine months away,” Huftalin said. “I know you’re thinking about the next test, which is tomorrow. I get that you’re focused on this point and time. But in nine months you’re going to be somewhere else, and you need to figure out today where that’s going to be.”
Salt Lake Community College is an accredited, student-focused, urban college meeting the diverse needs of the Salt Lake community. Home to more than 60,000 students each year, the College is Utah’s leading provider of workforce development programs. SLCC is also the largest supplier of transfer students to Utah’s four-year institutions and a perennial Top 10 college nationally for total associate degrees awarded. The College is the sole provider of applied technology courses in the Salt Lake area, with multiple locations, an eCampus, and nearly 1,000 continuing education sites located throughout the Salt Lake Valley. Personal attention from an excellent faculty is paramount at the College, which maintains an average class size of 20.
Stephen Speckman, Salt Lake Community College, +1 (801) 957-5076, [email protected]
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