You may be thinking “I will never go to Tri-C or have a child who goes there, so why should I pay to support it?” A ‘Yes’ vote for issue 4, the levy for Cuyahoga Community College, is a vote for the well being of the whole Greater Cleveland community. Tri-C is the school of first tries, second chances, and last chances.

 

When I was looking at changing my career, I didn’t know what I wanted to do at first. At Tri-C I was able to take a couple of classes without committing to a program. They were affordable and I didn’t have to quit my day job to do it. I was even able to take classes online so I could be at home in the evenings. Once I was ready to pursue a new degree full time I explored my options. I already had a bachelor’s degree so I didn’t want to do a full 4 year program, like Cleveland State would have forced me to do. I just wanted to learn what I needed to get and do the job. I did look at technical programs around town, but the tuition was steep and I didn’t want to go into debt to do this. Tri-C was the obvious choice. The classes taught me real world skills and I had teachers who had or were currently working in the industry. 

 

I am not the only person in my family who has changed careers with Tri-C. My sister, who was a nurse for many years, did their program to be a Surgical Physician’s Assistant. It gave her a great start and she was able to work as one while she earned her master’s degree. 

 

Tri-C offers a surprising amount of professional development programs that can help anyone find a new path in life or start off on a good one. In this economic climate, with so many people unemployed, Tri-C’s programs can be a life saver. You don’t need a degree to see that the money they will earn at the new job will go back into the community purchasing goods and services. This holds true for parents of the new high school graduates who are saving some cash by having their child take their basic classes at Tri-C before they go to a four year university. 

 

The other cost of unemployment or under-employment is higher crime rates. The money you may spend to support Tri-C’s programs can directly impact you by translating into safer neighborhoods and lower insurance costs. 

 

So what about those last chances? Tri-C also offers many great personal enrichment classes for seniors. They have a program called Encore. Have you always wanted to learn how to paint, speak Spanish or line dance? Now that you have free time, Tri-C is the place!