Kristy Mayo Identifies ESCC Staff a Source of Support for Success
ENTERPRISE – The mission of Enterprise State Community College’s Student Support Services program is to effectively serve participants through valuable opportunities which promote academic, cultural and economic success.
Kristy Mayo, an ESCC non-traditional student who is expected to graduate this spring with an Associate of Arts degree in Elementary Education, is a primary example of how a college’s success is based on more than just its academics.
“You’ve got to have support, and I have that here,” said Mayo, who plans to transfer to Troy University in Fall 2017 to complete her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.
“I was off and on trying to go to school at other places until I came here and realized I had a support system. I have tutors like (fellow student) Macy McIntosh in SSS and I have instructors that are willing to take time to ensure I’m getting the best assistance that I can.”
Mayo is an Enterprise native who desired to go to college after high school but did not pass the graduation exam. After attempting GED courses in other programs and operating a home-based business alongside a retail job, Mayo said she decided to give GED courses at ESCC a chance in 2009 at the age of 23.
The decision proved a positive one for Mayo, who took her time to study and work over the next few years in order to obtain her GED in the fall of 2013. She enrolled at the college in the Associate degree program the following fall semester.
“I had people along the way who encouraged me and told me I could do it – that I could be that elementary school teach that I’ve always wanted to be since helping my aunt, who was a teacher, prepare her classroom every summer,” Mayo said.
Mayo said she wakes up every morning knowing she has a purpose and that the core skills she has gained in courses at the college will soon be a part of what she brings to an elementary classroom in her future career.
Her advice to other students, as well as prospective students, is to be patient with themselves but to aim to keep a goal in mind.
“I felt like going back to school at an older age wasn’t for me, but I took that step and am ending up right where I want to be. The hardest part is finding the right classes to take but an adviser can help you,” she said.
“The easiest part is studying and listening.”
SSS is a grant-funded, Department of Education TRIO program which provides academic assistance, career counseling, tutoring, and cultural activities to students who qualify for services.
Enterprise State Community College is a comprehensive community college which serves more than 2,800 students annually between its Enterprise campus and the Alabama Aviation Centers in Albertville, Andalusia, Mobile and Ozark. Each campus currently fulfills the Alabama Community College System’s mission for education and training which leads to high-wage, high-demand jobs in integral careers worldwide. Students can obtain Associate’s degrees and certificates through multiple programs at the college.