How Waubonsee is serving college students in unprecedented times

Unprecedented. I feel like almost everything I read anymore has this word somewhere in the first sentence.

It's true. These are unprecedented times for all of us. At Waubonsee Community College, we're very aware of the struggle, not just for us as employees, but especially for our students. In Student Development, we are working hard to make sure we can maintain the services students need and want to be successful.

Our Student Nursing Association has been making gift bags to take to hospitals to show support for our heroes on the front lines of the pandemic. At least six of our clubs are in the midst of planning random acts of kindness to help others, and the list of other clubs wanting to participate is growing.

Student Life is hosting coffee and connections, trivia, and virtual bingo. They have partnered with our Athletic Department to host a virtual Waubonsee Spirit Week.

In addition to identifying ways for our students to stay connected to the college, we are also there to support students with their educational and academic needs.

While many of our students have been furloughed from their jobs, we still have employers seeking employees. Through our Counseling, Advising and Transfer Center we are hosting virtual job fairs to connect our community with employers.

We are still advising students, counseling students and supporting students. We are still the Waubonsee that cares because this is our community. We are just showing our care through social distancing. Our counselors and advisers, along with our librarians and tutors, are here — just virtually.

We are awarding financial aid packages. We have raised funds to help our students get through these trying times. We are doing everything we have ever done, only virtually. I encourage you to access our Web pages at www.waubonsee.edu/covid19 or www.waubonsee.edu/services-directory for the latest information.

We are available through chat and phone. We are reaching out to our students to see how they are managing this time. We are also trying to meet those needs. I encourage anyone who has a question or a need to reach out to us.

Waubonsee will be here for our community the way we always have been and always will be. We will get through this together. We are part of this community; that is what it means to be a community college.

• Dr. Melinda Tejada is vice president of Student Development at Waubonsee Community College.