RCC hosts 4-year college forum

Students seeking transfer degrees can meet college representatives Representatives from four-year colleges and universities across Oregon will visit Rogue Community College (RCC) campuses in Medford and Grants Pass later this month to showcase what their schools have to offer. Interested individuals, families and RCC students considering transferring to a four-year school are invited to stop by these drop-in events to be held Wednesday, Jan. 25...

Logo for TRIO Student Support Services

Transfer student: ‘The best decision I made was joining TRIO’

Carolina Gonzalez started attending Rogue Community College while she was still in high school. Born and raised in Grants Pass, her mother, brother, and sister all went to Rogue; for Carolina, it’s truly a community college. “What I like most about RCC is that there are such a variety of nontraditional students and people on different paths,” Carolina says. Carolina completed her associate degree this...

RCC helps student veteran forge a new path — twice

Everyone’s path through higher education is different. Some start college right out of high school, others work for years before enrolling at a community college. There is no wrong way to be a student. As Keaton Fournier says, “The biggest thing I’ve learned is that it’s never too late to learn, it’s never too late to reevaluate and change what path you’re on.” Born and...

Community college proves to be a good first step for second-time student

Ben Ochsner graduated from Phoenix High School in 2003. “No one had ever talked to me about community college,” he recalls, “and I went straight to Oregon State University.” Quickly, he realized that he was in over his head academically, as many young students are during their first year in university. So Ben came back to the Rogue Valley and got a job with a...

RCC’s flexible schedule helps future teacher prepare for transfer to university

Ben Davis didn’t finish high school knowing what he wanted to do next. He worked in landscaping jobs for a while, then became a teacher’s aide at an elementary school. For years, the idea of going to college had been hovering around him, but he hadn’t known what he would want to study. As a teacher’s aide, he got to explore his passion for teaching....

Portrait of Michael Surgeon

Teacher’s lesson: Building community is key to student success

Michael Surgeon has always wanted to teach.   Right out of high school, he knew he needed to start higher education — but the nearest university was too expensive, so he turned to community college. “I definitely made the right choice,” Michael says. “RCC was the place where I developed as a student. Erika Giesen and Verne Underwood really kept me on track in the humanities.”...

Portrait of Marcus Cox

RCC Veterans Services helps ease the transition from military to college student

Enrolling in college can be daunting, even to a U.S. Marine. After four years in the service, Cpl. Marcus Cox was ready to hit the books but felt overwhelmed by the admissions and registration process. Navigating college almost seemed like too much for the young veteran. “In the service, you’re always told where and when you gotta show up,” he explained. The connection Cox found...