The job outlook is great for teaching. Get started at Southwestern like Brookings mom, Cara Dailey.
Cara Dailey has worked in and around schools her entire adult life. As a bus driver, a teaching aide, in the library, in the cafeteria, and as an Aspire coach mentoring students at a local high school. All the while, homeschooling four kids and always working part- or full-time left Cara little opportunity for her own education.
“I always wanted to do more,” Cara said.
After years of working in various jobs at schools, she realized she is good at teaching children.
The right time to move ahead
Living in Brookings with grown children, Cara decided the time was right for her to achieve her dream of becoming an elementary school teacher. She connected with an advisor at the Curry campus in Brookings. SWOCC’s online degree program partnership with Southern Oregon University made it easy for Cara to enroll in the Elementary Education degree pathway. With a mix of online and in-person classes, it is a perfect fit for what Cara wanted to do.
She loves the Curry campus and the helpful staff, and did pay a visit to the Coos campus to meet a few of her other professors.
“I met math professor Sean Hutcherson who was so good for me, being someone who hadn’t had a math class for a long time!” Cara said.
Instructor Mary Fields, who teaches music and art for aspiring elementary teachers, talked with Cara a lot about the future of education.
“I really saw how the professors work as a team. They were in close contact with each other and helped me navigate the program. Maidie Rosengarden was my encourager!”
Family studying together
Cara’s daughter Charlotte was a SWOCC student too, and they attended together in 2019. Charlotte graduated with four degrees from Southwestern. She is now working on her bachelor’s degree with the goal of working in publishing.
“We are SWOCC Believers!” That is what the Dailey family says. Like her husband Darrin, who teaches dual credit math at Brookings-Harbor High School, Cara plans to become a teaching professional in a Curry County school – maybe this fall. Come April, Cara will be ready to graduate with her Associate of Science degree in Elementary Education.
Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of children?
Could this be your story? There is a wide variety of careers in education – from caring for babies to teaching high school. We need great teachers in Southern Oregon. We need you! This is an exciting time in education with a lot of opportunities to make a difference. Call us today so we can help you move forward on the path to a career in education.
Check out our new website to learn more about a career in education www.education.socc.edu.
Already have an associate’s degree? Ready to get your bachelor’s degree in Education? Contact Jaimee Belzer in the University Center for help, 541-888-1518 | jaimee.belzer@socc.edu.
Coos Bay, OR – The community giving group 100 Strong Bandon has joined with Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation to help students succeed, making a $2,375 donation to the Barbara Dodrill Scholarship.
It all started with a friend of Dodrill’s who wanted to honor the retired educator and good friend. Lynn Kellogg got to know Dodrill on a Habitat for Humanity trip to Guatemala years ago. She so admired her that while attending a Foundation scholarship event in 2019, Kellogg decided to create a one-time scholarship in Dodrill’s name.
Fast forward to August 2020 and Dodrill’s 93rd birthday. Her friends scheduled a drive-by birthday event in front of Dodrill’s Bandon home. Rather than give gifts, they encouraged friends and admirers to donate to the scholarship here at Southwestern. Soon, 100 Strong Bandon joined the fun.
The women’s volunteer group meets four times a year to raise funds for nonprofit charities that benefit Bandon-area residents. The group’s members chose to honor Dodrill, because she positively impacted many people over the years.
Helping students succeed
Having enrolled in college when she was 40, Dodrill went on to get her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She soon returned to SWOCC and in 1972 began teaching business and accounting. She earned recognition over four decades as an innovative instructor, retiring at 80. Early in her teaching career, she developed an office simulation course, and later she created accounting-focused computer training for her students.
After retiring from the college, she jumped into a real estate career for another five years. To this day, she occasionally meets former students in line at the grocery story and is pleased to see success in their lives. All the more reason Dodrill has been delighted by the new scholarship and community support around education.
“I absolutely loved teaching,” Dodrill said. “The important thing in life is education – education for our young people and seeing that future.”
Neighbors helping neighbors
The scholarship will assist two female college students 21 years or older demonstrating financial need. First priority for the scholarship is for a Bandon female resident.
“100 Strong Bandon is excited to support the Barbara Dodrill Scholarship at SWOCC. We believe this is an important tool to empower older female students from Bandon and help them succeed in their field of study, while honoring a Bandon role model,” said Julie Miller, group co-founder. “If we can mitigate the cost barrier of education for a student, we are thrilled to do so. Our goal is to make an impact on the lives of our local residents.”
These Bandon fundraising women are ensuring their community thrives in the future, too. Since the group’s founding in May 2017, members have contributed more than $42,000 and many volunteer hours to local charities benefiting Bandon residents – all accomplished in quarterly one-hour meetings. Founders Julie Miller and MaryAnn Soukup are excited about the impact of these funds within the community and spreading the idea of neighbors helping neighbors.
Coos Bay, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College will be facilitating a free information session regarding Southern Oregon University’s satellite teacher preparation program. The presentation will be held virtually on Zoom, Tuesday, October 20, 2020 from 5 pm – 6 pm.
The educational partnership between Southwestern Oregon Community College and Southern Oregon University is opening the door for new teachers in the coastal region. Students from Newport to Brookings have been taking courses through a satellite program for the past three years, and the second cohort of student teachers is in area schools today. They are earning their bachelor’s degree in elementary education and their Oregon teaching license without leaving the region. There is also a process for people who already have a bachelor’s degree to earn a teaching license.
Photo: Josh Cogburn worked throughout the summer with Coos Forest Protective Association. This photo was taken of him working on the suppression of the recent North Bank fire just south of Coos Bay.
Southwestern Oregon Community College works in close partnership with fire agencies in our region. This provides students with real-world experience needed to become professional firefighters. There are currently 18 resident student volunteers helping serve our local community in Charleston, Coos Bay, North Bay and North Bend fire departments.
Firefighters provide a wide range of emergency services. In addition to putting out fires in buildings and forests, they are also often the first-responders to emergencies such as sudden serious illnesses, accidents or car crashes. There they act as emergency medical personnel to help stabilize situations.
The fire science degree at Southwestern requires students to complete internship hours as a part of their degree. Most students complete their internship and stay involved with their fire agencies until graduation, and often times after.
Learn more about Fire Science degrees at Southwestern here, or contact Tony Peters, Fire Science Associate Professor, at tony.peters@socc.edu, or 541-888-7296.
Southwestern grads added $80 million to local economy
SOUTH COAST — What is the economic impact of Southwestern Oregon Community College to the South Coast?
Your mind might immediately go to a college’s output — highly skilled nurses, forestry techs, teachers, welders, chefs, firefighters and more. These people are part of the picture. Most of Southwestern’s graduates stay here and work in our towns — Brookings, Reedsport, Myrtle Point, Coos Bay, Bandon — all of the little towns in the region.
The lifeblood of our economy
There are thousands of Southwestern alumni on the South Coast and throughout Oregon. According to a newly released economic study by Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc., these hard-working graduates generate big money in the region. Their net income during 2018-19 was $79.4 million. They spent that income locally for homes, apartments, gas, food, restaurants, bikes, pets, supplies, even taxes. And the list goes on.
The payoff goes the other direction, too.
During that same time period, the college’s students spent $5 million in tuition, fees, supplies and college loan interest. Yes, it’s expensive, yet there’s a big payoff. EMSI estimates these students will earn nearly $50 million more in income throughout their lives thanks to their job training at Southwestern. By being skilled workers, they will also save the state an estimated $4.2 million in social service costs.
For every $1 a student invests, they get a $5.40 return in higher earnings. That’s a 26.4% reliable return on investment. Not bad, when you figure the stock market returns 10 percent over the very long term, with volatile short-term swings, and savings accounts return only 1%, so says Forbes magazine and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
An economic supplier
The college and its campuses in Brookings and Coos Bay also enrich our economy through payroll and operations spending.
Southwestern infused $104.3 million into Coos, Curry and western Douglas counties in 2018-19. The college fuels 3.3% of the region’s gross regional product, or put another way, it supports 1,979 jobs. With an annual payroll of $19 million and 427 full- and part-time teachers and workers, the spending impact surges through little businesses, medical clinics, banks and support for community organizations.
Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s executive director, Timm Slater, said businesses also benefit from the college’s ability to adapt training unique to a business’ needs for specialized workers.
“When new industries come, or local businesses want to change, the college is willing to put together programs to facilitate growth of those businesses,” he said. “Businesses define their needs, and the college defines a program in a way that provides them with competent, excited people.”
Building toward the future
EMSI’s study of the college also touches on the impact of construction and technology spending. In 2018-19, the college spent $1.1 million on construction. Really, that was just the spark for $36 million in projects that are coming online. In 2018, the college broke ground on the new Health & Science Technology Building, which will open in January 2021. Right now, workers are installing $11 million in energy conservation and infrastructure upgrades on the Coos Bay and Brookings campuses. And, the college invested $1.5 million this year in athletic facility upgrades.
Much of this work is continuing during the COVID-19 slap to the economy. The college’s projects have helped many, many local workers and businesses thrive in a severely troubling economic time.
“Construction projects like these are important for people as employees. They’re also important for contractors to profit and display their competency and work,” Slater said.
From Slater’s perspective, Southwestern is a foundation in the economy that has been growing stronger for 60 years and always keeping the community’s vision on the future. And more, he said, there’s the aspect that the college’s graduates can move on to universities or gain four-year degrees through Southwestern’s University Center.
“You know that saying, ‘You can get to anywhere from here,’” Slater said.
That’s another story.
Photo: Construction worker connects piping for the new 25-million Health & Science Technology building at Southwestern. The building features new labs for Nursing, Paramedicine, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Geology.
