Wednesday, March 12, 2003
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Wednesday, March 12, 2003 |
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Clayton State's Center for Experiential Learning Opens Doors in Peachtree City
A Student Success Story
Golden opportunities don't come along everyday, but at Clayton College & State University, the Center for Experiential Learning is helping students follow the path to the proverbial pot-of-gold and it's just brimming with opportunity. This seems to be the case for Karen A. Penn, who received her Certificate of Information Technology in May of 2000 and her associates degree in the same from the College of Information and Mathematical Sciences at Clayton State in the fall of 2001. After participating in an internship in 2000, Pennlanded a job at World Airways, Inc. in Peachtree City, and it seems her new career is taking off. Penn, a non-traditional student and mother of two, was thirty-something when she started back to school. "Clayton State was perfect for me," she said. "My first year I took a lot of Saturday classes while my husband watched the kids. I was so excited about the program. "At the time, I just wanted to be more comfortable with computers, and this was the perfect introduction. A one-year certificate program would provide me with basic computer application skills and understanding of PCs. By the end of the year, I was hooked and wanted more, so I continued on and received my associate degree in information technology." Penn, a resident of Peachtree City, grew up in Cincinnati and graduated from high school in 1978. Her father worked for General Electric as a mechanical engineer, designing, developing and testing aircraft engines "the very engines in the DC-10's World Airways flies today," she said. As an intern at World Airways, her responsibilities focused mainly around the Help Desk. "This is where employees would call when they were having any type of computer problems. I would talk them through issues when possible and log details in a tracking system if they required additional assistance," she said. Working with 10 other IT specialists at World Airways, Penn said she's learned a lot. "Our department works at a very fast pace; you have to be able to work on your own. I now work with wireless communications, vendors, company processes and the list keeps growing. The most rewarding aspect is working with departments that rely on information technology," she added. "If important information is not available on demand, it could ground an airplane." World Airways has employed numerous students through Clayton State's Center for Experiential Learning over the past several years. President and CEO Hollis Harris (who was honored last October at Clayton State's President's Gala with a visionary award for his contributions to the community and Clayton State), has been very supportive of the program and the Clayton College & State University Foundation. Clayton State and World Airways have another thing in common. The company is located in Peachtree City, home of Clayton State's newest educational endeavor, the Fayette County Higher Education Center, where residents of the community take courses provided by the University's Division of Continuing Education. Currently, the center offers only non-credit courses, although there are plans to offer academic courses in the near future. Partners in this educational endeavor include Clayton College & State University, the Fayette County Development Authority, the Development Authority of Peachtree City, the Peachtree City Tennis Center, Newnan Utilities, Peachtree City, Fayette County Commission and the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. The Center for Experiential Learning at Clayton State enables students to receive a three-hour course credit while working with companies that endorse training in the student's various fields of study. They are able to get hands-on, real-world experience through the program, which also enables employers (and students alike) to test the waters of a potential, mutual, working alliance, either prior to (as in Penn's case), or after graduation. "This is an important aspect of the students' total educational experience," said Angelyn Cheyne-Hayes, director of the program. More and more employers are looking at this exceptional way to "try out" potential employees and at the same time create a sense of community service for the company. "It is really a win-win-win situation for everyone involved," said Joseph Bowler, assistant professor and IT/Coop faculty coordinator for the IT department at Clayton State. "I love working for World Airways," said Penn. "We are a close family here. Mr. Harris, the CEO, knows the employees by name and you are comfortable talking with him. There are many opportunities here, and I enjoy learning more about the industry every day." Her pot-of-gold? Penn has been selected to be a part of a team that will be going to Lagos, Nigeria, the end of this month. Opportunities? "Very positive," said Penn. "We [World Airways] are in a unique situation. We fly both passenger and cargo planes for military, commercial and private customers. I believe air transportation is necessary today and in the future ... the airline industry is here to stay." For more information about the Center for Experiential Learning or the Fayette County Higher Education Center, visit www.clayton.edu.
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