An Allan Hancock College instructor is using his own past struggles as a single father to help current students going through the same thing. Will Bruce, director of the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) program, enrolled at Hancock 15 years ago in search of an education and new career. As an unemployed single father, Bruce qualified for the EOPS and Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE) programs, which provide financial assistance and services to disadvantaged students.
With that assistance, Bruce was able to thrive at Hancock; now he’s helping other students do the same as the newly elected president of the statewide California Community College EOPS Association. In a press release from the college, Bruce said he plans to use his background as an EOPS recipient and instructor to promote the program and ensure needy students continue to receive help.
“At a time when funding for programs such as ours is in danger of being cut, it’s more important than ever for me to stand up for the needs of underprivileged students,” he said in the release. “Being in the position that I’m in now and being able to show that our program works is very valuable. I know that with the right support and the right tools, anyone can work their way up.”
For more information about the EOPS, CARE, or CalWORKs programs, or to find out how to make a donation to the CARE Turkey Feast, contact Bruce at 922-6966, Ext. 3641.
This article appears in Nov 11-18, 2010.